Developing a direct injected turbo ethanol engine

This article does a good job of explaining how an engine can be designed to take advantage of ethanol's properties to wipe out the usual fuel economy penalty. This kind of technology could be revolutionary.

AutoSpeed - Going Direct Injected Turbo Ethanol!: "When operated on ethanol blends such as E85, current flex-fuel engines pay a fuel economy penalty of about 30 per cent compared to gasoline. The EBDI engine substantially improves ethanol's efficiency, and performs at a level comparable to a diesel engine."

Combining biogas, ethanol, and livestock production

This has been tried before. Hopefully thay've got it right this time. This combination should produce greater efficiency and preserve nutrients better. The material left after biogas production could be a valuable fertilizer.
Green Car Congress: Profile: Farmers EthanolFocusing on Sustainable Corn Ethanol Production and a Triple Bottom Line

Air-fueled Battery Being Developed

The article says this is at least 5 years from being available, but it could be big for electric cars, laptops, and other devices with batteries. I could also be used for storing wind energy.
Air-fueled Battery Could Last Up to 10 Times Longer - Renewable Energy World: "A new type of air-fueled battery could give up to ten times the energy storage of designs currently available."

Sewage could help solve coming phosphate fertilizer shortage

According to the article linked below, "peak phosphate" may be a more urgent issue for our world than "peak oil." Rock phosphate mined from a few dwindling reserves is vital in world food production. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a method for extracting nutrients from municipal sewage in a form that is useable on farms. It could also provide a valuable revenue source for municiple sewage plants around the world.
globeandmail.com: The sewage plant carries the sweet smell of valuable phosphorus: "'Phosphate production is going to peak around 2035 and then tail off,' Dr. Ashley said. 'If we don't do something we are looking at mass starvation.'"

Plans for cellulosic ethanol in Missouri

This biorefinery would turn a wide variety of waste products and energy crop feedstocks into cellulosic ethanol and other valuable chemicals. Production of ethanol would start out at 10 million gallons per year, with the potential of expanding to 40 million gallons.
Marshall Democrat-News: Story: Company CEO explains details of biorefinery processes, products: "Irshad Ahmed, president and CEO of Pure Energy Inc. the company that is spearheading the effort to build a biorefinery complex in Saline County, spoke on the specifics of operations at the complex during the Saline Green Project town hall meeting, including how to involve local farmers."

USDA studies Watermelons for Ethanol

USDA researchers are looking for a way to use blemished watermelons ususally left in the field. They estimate 20% of the total crop goes unharvested. They are also looking at other crops with simple sugars--such as sweet sorghum--that could be rotated with watermelons to supply biorefineries more consistently. This would be a vital part of making the plan work. Another important aspect is that valuable neutraceuticals could be extracted from the watermelons in addition to the sugars for ethanol. This would prabably provide the primary revenue stream.
Watermelons Tapped for Ethanol / May 20, 2009 / News from the USDA Agricultural Research Service: "On average, a 20-pound watermelon will yield about 1.4 pounds of sugar from the flesh and rind, from which about seven-tenths of a pound of ethanol can be derived."

Company plans to make biobutanol from dairy and wood waste

They plan to use gasification and then convert the gas to biobutanol. They say this will be more profitable than fermentation, even with a relatively small biorefinery. Biobutanol is easier to ship by pipeline than ethanol and has a higher energy density. The leftover material can be used as a fertilizer.
Company trying to turn waste into biofuel StatesmanJournal.com Statesman Journal: "Salem businessmen to turn dairy dung into butanol for vehicles"

Bioelectricity and liquid biofuels can work together

This study discussed at the link below finds it more efficient to generate transportation electricity from biomass rather than making the biomass into liquid biofuels for transpotation use. I don't doubt this, but I would suggest a combination is still the best in the form of a flex-fuel plug in hybrid. Without a huge an expensive battery array, a purely electric car simply does not have the range to satisfy most consumers. A small biofuel-powered engine running at a constant speed could extend the range quite efficiently. It would also allow quick refueling at fuel stations on long trips.
Also, I doubt the study considered direct injection of high octane biofuels. In this way, a small amount of ethanol or biobutanol can be leveraged to increase fuel economy tremendously. It only requires a small second fuel tank that would be filled infrequently. I suspect it would rival the efficiency of biomass electricity. It would be interesting to see that comparison.
Bioelectricity More Efficient than Ethanol for Transportation, Study Shows : Gas 2.0

Ford E85 Direct Injection Boosting Study

Keep an eye on this one. Direct injection ethanol boosting could revolutionize driving and the ethanol industry.
Green Car Congress: Ford E85 Direct Injection Boosting Study: A Less Expensive Alternative to Diesel: "Improved engine efficiency leverages the effect of the limited supply of E85, compared to simply displacing gasoline as in an FFV [flexible fuel vehicle]...this leveraging can be very substantial, and has the effect of dramatically improving the net energy balance of ethanol, and therefore its beneficial impact on reducing petroleum consumption.
—Stein et. al. (2009)"

Institute researches Jerusalem Artichokes for ethanol

Jerusalem artichoke stems contain lots of simple sugars. Also, it is a perennial, so it would not need to be planted every year as with corn. Researhcers are working on Jerusalem Artichokes at the Institute for Advenced Learning.
Institute the backbone of regional efforts to go green | GoDanRiver: "“Jerusalem artichoke is a really cool plant,” said John Kennedy, director of research and innovation. “It has a lot of soluble sugar in it, and you need sugar to make ethanol.”"

Solar power captured in space, beamed to Earth

They say radio waves would be beamed to earth where they would then be converted to electricity. Cost has been the obstacle until now. PG&E thinks they have lowered costs sufficiently.
Solar power captured in space, beamed to Earth csmonitor.com: "PG&E wants to put solar cells above the clouds, where they don't need to worry about anything blocking their view of the sun."

Biogas from industrial wastewater

Here is an example of energy production that helps solve a problem--wastewater treatment.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "Ken's Foods Utilizes Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor to Generate Biogas to Power Wastewater Treatment Plant Operation"

Ethanol from Duckweed

This "duckweed" is a fast-growing aquatic weed that would grow in wastewater. It would clean up the water from municipal wate treatment or livestock production. At the same timw, researchers say it would produce more starch per acre than corn. The starch could be a feedstock for ethanol in existing biorefineries.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "North Carolina State University Researchers Find High-Starch Duckweed Could Be Utilized to Produce Ethanol More Quickly and Efficiently Than Corn"

Engines can retrofit to run on half ethanol and half water

Perhaps the most significant advantage of using dilute ethanol (aka hydrous ethanol) is that it shoul dbe less expensive to make. It takes a lot of energy to remove the last bit of water from ethanol.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "Sand Point, ID—An Idaho company is developing an internal combustion steam engine that will run on 50% water and 50% ethanol."

Bacteria for cellulosic biofuels from poor soil

A successful crop involves the cooperation of numerous microbes. Scientists have found that adding specific bacteria to poplar trees accelerates their growth considerably, even when they are growing on poor soils. These are soild that would be next to useless for row crops such as corn.
Scienceline » Bacteria for Better Biofuels: "Adding the right kind of bacteria, scientists find, can boost plant growth on poor quality soil."

Making ammonia fertilizer from corn cobs

Here is an example of cellulosic technology thinkinging outside the box. It may be more efficient to make fertilizer from cellulosic material rather than liquid fuels. This would displace natural gas now used in the production of ammonia fertilizer.
Plant to make ammonia from cobs | DesMoinesRegister.com | The Des Moines Register: "SynGest of San Francisco said it will make anhydrous ammonia fuel and fertilizer from corn cobs and other biomass from a factory to be located on 75 acres near Menlo."

Ethanol biorefinery using landfill gas as process fuel

Co-locating an ethanol plant near a landfill is one way to utilize landfill gas. Most landfills are not exploited as they could be.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "The POET plant will utilize the landfill gas in a wood waste-fuel boiler to generate process steam."

Methane form sewage to power buses

Plans are in the works to run city buses in Oslo, Norway, with biomethane extracted from sewage and food waste. These underutilized resources are available in any city.
Norway turns to poo-powered buses COSMOS magazine

Lower cost method for processing algae

ALgae is a potential feedstock for various biofuels such as ethanol or biobutanol. If the cost of harvest, drying, and dewatering can be lowered as much as the linked article mentions, it could make algae much more competitive.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "'We have demonstrated a truly disruptive technology that reduces that cost by more than 99 percent - from $875 per ton to $1.92 per ton,' Youngs said."

Ethanol pipeline studied for U.S.

It seems that some ethanol commentators are under the impression that ethanol cannot be shipped by pipeline. This is not strictly true. Many years ago, a U.S. compamy did some successful tests on shipping ethanol in a multi-product pipeline. Recently, Magellan and Poet announced plans to explore the possibility of building an ethanol pipeline from the midwest to the east coast. Brazil is already shipping ethanol by pipeline.
Poet, Magellan to study ethanol pipeline - Ethanol Producer Magazine

Solazyme turning out auto-ready ‘crude’ from algae

Solazyme Inc. is using a non light dependent algae fed with biomass. The result is a sort of crude oil that can be made into many products including biodiesel. A bid advantage is he compatibility with existing automobiles and distribution infrastructure.
ABC7.com Green Content - Algae fuel start-up Solazyme turning out auto-ready ‘crude’

Algae promising for biofuels

USAgNet.com - Illinois News - Algae a Credible Frontrunner as Source for Biofuels

Dairy converts trucks to biogas power

A California Dairy is using biomethane from cattle manure to power two farm trucks.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "Nationally, dairy cows could power about one million vehicles with clean-burning biomethane."

Plans to produce flex-fuel ethanol engine with better fuel economy

The British firm Ricardo expects to roll out a new engine design in 3-5 years that would run more efficiently on ethanol. They expect it to have only a 15% drop in fuel economy on ethanol, much better than the 30% drop experienced in most models today. This will make ethanol, such as E85, more cost-competitive and more attractive to consumers. The use of such engines in plug-in electric hybrids would create an attractive package in terms of fuel efficiency, low emmissions, and low cost of operation.
Ethanol stalled, but experts say it remains viable fuel option - Rebranding Michigan - Michigan Business Review – MLive.com: "It aims to leverage the higher octane and higher heat of vaporization elements of ethanol to increase fuel economy. It integrates direct injection technology, variable valve timing, exhaust gas recirculation and optimized ignition technology."

Direct Solar to Hydrogen Plant to be built in Australia

Water can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity. This facility in Australia will use solar concentrators to directly heat water to 1000 degrees. At this level of heat a given amount of electricity can produce more than twice as much hydrogen in the electrolysis process. In essence, then, they are making hydrogen from direct solar energy (as opposed to solar electricity) by displacing some of the electricity needed for the electrolysis process.
Direct Solar to Hydrogen Plant Goes Up in Australia Hydrogen Cars and Vehicles: "Solar Systems of Hawthorne in Victoria, Australia is developing the country’s first and perhaps even the world’s first direct solar to hydrogen commercial power plant."

Ethanol from Idaho agricultural waste

Solving two problems at once can make a process more economically viable. In this case, it is waste management and fuel production.
ISU Headlines » Researchers seek to create ethanol from Idaho agricultural waste: "They are not exactly alchemists trying to turn lead into gold, but almost: researchers from Idaho’s three largest public universities are seeking to create ethanol from the Gem state’s agricultural waste.
And they have a realistic shot at converting potato, sugar beet and other agricultural waste – perhaps even cow manure – into a fuel that can run in your car.

Iowa Plant To Create Fuel From 'Pond Scum'

If all goes as planned, The CO2 coming from an Iowa ethanol plant will soon be used to promote the growth of algae for additional biofuel production. This kind of symbiosis could become important for the biofuel industry.
Iowa Plant To Create Fuel From 'Pond Scum' - The Green Pages News Story - KCCI Des Moines: "SHENANDOAH, Iowa -- In Shenandoah, green algae is going from pond scum to a power source."