Hydrocracking of vacuum gas oil-vegetable oil mixtures for biofuels production

Hydrocracking of vacuum gas oil (VGO) - vegetable oil mixtures is a prominent process for the production of biofuels. In this work both pre-hydrotreated and non-hydrotreated VGO are assessed whether they are suitable fossil components in a VGO-vegetable oil mixture as feed-stocks to a hydrocracking process. This assessment indicates the necessity of a VGO pre-hydrotreated step prior to hydrocracking the VGO-vegetable oil mixture. Moreover, the comparison of two different mixing ratios suggests that higher vegetable oil content favors hydrocracking product yields and qualities. Three commercial catalysts of different activity are utilized in order to identify a range of products that can be produced via a hydrocracking route. Finally, the effect of temperature on hydrocracking VGO-vegetable oil mixtures is studied in terms of conversion and selectivity to diesel, jet/kerosene and naphtha.     

Black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larval heat generation and management

Mass production of black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), larvae results in massive heat generation, which impacts facility management, waste conversion, and larval production. We tested daily substrate temperatures with different population densities (i.e., 0, 500, 1000, 5000, and 10 000 larvae/pan), different population sizes (i.e., 166, 1000, and 10 000 larvae at a fixed feed ratio) and air temperatures (i.e., 20 and 30 °C) on various production parameters. Impacts of shifting larvae from 30 to 20 °C on either day 9 or 11 were also determined. Larval activity increased substrate temperatures significantly (i.e., at least 10 °C above air temperatures). Low air temperature favored growth with the higher population sizes while high temperature favored growth with low population sizes. The greatest average individual larval weights (e.g., 0.126 and 0.124 g) and feed conversion ratios (e.g., 1.92 and 2.08 g/g) were recorded for either 10 000 larvae reared at 20 °C or 100 larvae reared at 30 °C. Shifting temperatures from high (30 °C) to low (20 °C) in between (∼10-d-old larvae) impacted larval production weights (16% increases) and feed conversion ratios (increased 14%). Facilities should consider the impact of larval density, population size, and air temperature during black soldier fly mass production as these factors impact overall larval production.     

Rotating algal biofilm reactor and spool harvester for wastewater treatment with biofuels by-products

Maximizing algae production in a wastewater treatment process can aid in the reduction of soluble nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the wastewater. If harvested, the algae-based biomass offers the added benefit as feedstock for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. However, difficulties in harvesting, concentrating, and dewatering the algae-based biomass have limited the development of an economically feasible treatment and production process. When algae-based biomass is grown as a surface attached biofilm as opposed to a suspended culture, the biomass is naturally concentrated and more easily harvested. This can lead to less expensive removal of the biomass from wastewater, and less expensive downstream processing in the production of biofuels and bioproducts. In this study, a novel rotating algal biofilm reactor (RABR) was designed, built, and tested at bench (8 L), medium (535 L), and pilot (8,000 L) scales. The RABR was designed to operate in the photoautotrophic conditions of open tertiary wastewater treatment, producing mixed culture biofilms made up of algae and bacteria. Growth substrata were evaluated for attachment and biofilm formation, and an effective substratum was discovered. The RABR achieved effective nutrient reduction, with average removal rates of 2.1 and 14.1 g m(-2) day(-1) for total dissolved phosphorus and total dissolved nitrogen, respectively. Biomass production ranged from 5.5 g m(-2) day(-1) at bench scale to as high as 31 g m(-2) day(-1) at pilot scale. An efficient spool harvesting technique was also developed at bench and medium scales to obtain a concentrated product (12-16% solids) suitable for further processing in the production of biofuels and bioproducts.     

Utilizing biofuels for sustainable development in the panel of 17 developed and developing countries

This study investigates the dynamic linkages between biofuels production and sustainable indicators in the panel of 17 developed and developing countries, over the period of 2000–2012. The study emphasized the role of biofuels production in the sustainable development of the region. For this purpose, the study utilized four main sustainable indicators including carbon dioxide emissions, energy intensity, renewable energy generation, and total population that have a significant impact on the biofuels production. The study used dynamic heterogeneous panel econometric technique – Generalized Method of Moments and found that carbon dioxide emissions increase along with the increase in biofuels production. Therefore, the caution should be applied when burning the biofuels during the production process. In addition, renewable electricity generation also increases the biofuels production in the region. The results of robust least square regression confirmed that all of the sustainable indicators have a significant association with the biofuels production, as total primary energy consumption increases the biofuels production, while total population significantly decreases the biofuels production in the region. The results derived to the conclusion that for sustainable development in the region, the policymakers should have to formulate carbon free policies that coupled with the renewable energy sources for emphasizing the life cycle of bioenergy during the production process.     

Integrated Economic Equilibrium and Life Cycle Assessment Modeling for Policy‐based Consequential LCA

Consequential life cycle assessment (CLCA) has emerged as a tool for estimating environmental impacts of changes in product systems that go beyond physical relationships accounted for in attributional LCA (ALCA). This study builds on recent efforts to use more complex economic models for policy‐based CLCA. A partial market equilibrium (PME) model, called the U.S. Forest Products Module (USFPM), is combined with LCA to analyze an energy demand scenario in which wood use increases 400 million cubic meters in the United States for ethanol production. Several types of indirect economic and environmental impacts are identified and estimated using USFPM‐LCA. A key finding is that if wood use for biofuels increases to high levels and mill residue is used for biofuels and replaced by natural gas for heat and power in forest products mills, then the increased greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas could offset reductions obtained by substituting biofuels for gasoline. Such high levels of biofuel demand, however, appear to have relatively low environmental impacts across related forest product sectors.     

Land management change greatly impacts biofuels’ greenhouse gas emissions

Harvesting corn stover for biofuel production may decrease soil organic carbon (SOC) and increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Adding additional organic matter into soil or reducing tillage intensity, however, could potentially offset this SOC loss. Here, using SOC and life cycle analysis (LCA) models, we evaluated the impacts of land management change (LMC), that is, stover removal, organic matter addition, and tillage on spatially explicit SOC level and biofuels’ overall life cycle GHG emissions in US corn–soybean production systems. Results indicate that under conventional tillage (CT), 30% stover removal (dry weight) may reduce baseline SOC by 0.04 t C ha^?1 yr^?1 over a 30‐year simulation period. Growing a cover crop during the fallow season or applying manure, on the other hand, could add to SOC and further reduce biofuels’ life cycle GHG emissions. With 30% stover removal in a CT system, cover crop and manure application can increase SOC at the national level by about 0.06 and 0.02 t C ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, compared to baseline cases without such measures. With contributions from this SOC increase, the life cycle GHG emissions for stover ethanol are more than 80% lower than those of gasoline, exceeding the US Renewable Fuel Standard mandate of 60% emissions reduction in cellulosic biofuels. Reducing tillage intensity while removing stover could also limit SOC loss or lead to SOC gain, which would lower stover ethanol life cycle GHG emissions to near or under the mandated 60% reduction. Without these organic matter inputs or reduced tillage intensity, however, the emissions will not meet this mandate. More efforts are still required to further identify key practical LMCs, improve SOC modeling, and accounting for LMCs in biofuel LCAs that incorporate stover removal.     

The potential of sustainable algal biofuel production using wastewater resources

The potential of microalgae as a source of renewable energy has received considerable interest, but if microalgal biofuel production is to be economically viable and sustainable, further optimization of mass culture conditions are needed. Wastewaters derived from municipal, agricultural and industrial activities potentially provide cost-effective and sustainable means of algal growth for biofuels. In addition, there is also potential for combining wastewater treatment by algae, such as nutrient removal, with biofuel production. Here we will review the current research on this topic and discuss the potential benefits and limitations of using wastewaters as resources for cost-effective microalgal biofuel production.     

Laccase applications in biofuels production: current status and future prospects

The desire to reduce dependence on the ever diminishing fossil fuel reserves coupled with the impetus towards green energy has seen increased research in biofuels as alternative sources of energy. Lignocellulose materials are one of the most promising feedstocks for advanced biofuels production. However, their utilisation is dependent on the efficient hydrolysis of polysaccharides, which in part is dependent on cost-effective and benign pretreatment of biomass to remove or modify lignin and release or expose sugars to hydrolytic enzymes. Laccase is one of the enzymes that are being investigated not only for potential use as pretreatment agents in biofuel production, mainly as a delignifying enzyme, but also as a biotechnological tool for removal of inhibitors (mainly phenolic) of subsequent enzymatic processes. The current review discusses the major advances in the application of laccase as a potential pretreatment strategy, the underlying principles as well as directions for future research in the search for better enzyme-based technologies for biofuel production. Future perspectives could include synergy between enzymes that may be required for optimal results and the adoption of the biorefinery concept in line with the move towards the global implementation of the bioeconomy strategy.     

Increased thermoregulation in cold-exposed transgenic mice overexpressing lipoprotein lipase in skeletal muscle: an avian phenotype?

LPL is an enzyme involved in the breakdown and uptake of lipoprotein triglycerides. In the present study, we examined how the transgenic (Tg) overexpression of human LPL in mouse skeletal muscle affected tolerance to cold temperatures, cold-induced thermogenesis, and fuel utilization during this response. Tg mice and their nontransgenic controls were placed in an environmental chamber and housed in metabolic chambers that monitored oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production with calorimetry. When exposed to 4 degrees C, an attenuation in the decline in body temperature in Tg mice was accompanied by an increased metabolic rate (15%; P < 0.001) and a reduction in respiratory quotient (P < 0.05). Activity levels, the expression of uncoupling proteins in brown fat and muscle, and lean mass failed to explain the enhanced cold tolerance and thermogenesis in Tg mice. The more oxidative type IIa fibers were favored over the more glycolytic type IIb fibers (P < 0.001) in the gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles of Tg mice. These data suggest that Tg overexpression of LPL in skeletal muscle increases cold tolerance by enhancing the capacity for fat oxidation, producing an avian-like phenotype in which skeletal muscle contributes significantly to the thermogenic response to cold temperatures.     

Catalytic processes towards the production of biofuels in a palm oil and oil palm biomass-based biorefinery

In Malaysia, there has been interest in the utilization of palm oil and oil palm biomass for the production of environmental friendly biofuels. A biorefinery based on palm oil and oil palm biomass for the production of biofuels has been proposed. The catalytic technology plays major role in the different processing stages in a biorefinery for the production of liquid as well as gaseous biofuels. There are number of challenges to find suitable catalytic technology to be used in a typical biorefinery. These challenges include (1) economic barriers, (2) catalysts that facilitate highly selective conversion of substrate to desired products and (3) the issues related to design, operation and control of catalytic reactor. Therefore, the catalytic technology is one of the critical factors that control the successful operation of biorefinery. There are number of catalytic processes in a biorefinery which convert the renewable feedstocks into the desired biofuels. These include biodiesel production from palm oil, catalytic cracking of palm oil for the production of biofuels, the production of hydrogen as well as syngas from biomass gasification, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) for the conversion of syngas into liquid fuels and upgrading of liquid/gas fuels obtained from liquefaction/pyrolysis of biomass. The selection of catalysts for these processes is essential in determining the product distribution (olefins, paraffins and oxygenated products). The integration of catalytic technology with compatible separation processes is a key challenge for biorefinery operation from the economic point of view. This paper focuses on different types of catalysts and their role in the catalytic processes for the production of biofuels in a typical palm oil and oil palm biomass-based biorefinery.     

The Stability of Cellulose: A Statistical Perspective from a Coarse-Grained Model of Hydrogen-Bond Networks

A critical roadblock to the production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass is the efficient degradation of crystalline microfibrils of cellulose to glucose. A microscopic understanding of how different physical conditions affect the overall stability of the crystalline structure of microfibrils could facilitate the design of more effective protocols for their degradation. One of the essential physical interactions that stabilizes microfibrils is a network of hydrogen (H) bonds: both intrachain H-bonds between neighboring monomers of a single cellulose polymer chain and interchain H-bonds between adjacent chains. We construct a statistical mechanical model of cellulose assembly at the resolution of explicit hydrogen-bond networks. Using the transfer matrix method, the partition function and the subsequent statistical properties are evaluated. With the help of this lattice-based model, we capture the plasticity of the H-bond network in cellulose due to frustration and redundancy in the placement of H-bonds. This plasticity is responsible for the stability of cellulose over a wide range of temperatures. Stable intrachain and interchain H-bonds are identified as a function of temperature that could possibly be manipulated toward rational destruction of crystalline cellulose.     

Hot spots of wheat yield decline with rising temperatures

Many of the irrigated spring wheat regions in the world are also regions with high poverty. The impacts of temperature increase on wheat yield in regions of high poverty are uncertain. A grain yield–temperature response function combined with a quantification of model uncertainty was constructed using a multimodel ensemble from two key irrigated spring wheat areas (India and Sudan) and applied to all irrigated spring wheat regions in the world. Southern Indian and southern Pakistani wheat‐growing regions with large yield reductions from increasing temperatures coincided with high poverty headcounts, indicating these areas as future food security ‘hot spots’. The multimodel simulations produced a linear absolute decline of yields with increasing temperature, with uncertainty varying with reference temperature at a location. As a consequence of the linear absolute yield decline, the relative yield reductions are larger in low‐yielding environments (e.g., high reference temperature areas in southern India, southern Pakistan and all Sudan wheat‐growing regions) and farmers in these regions will be hit hardest by increasing temperatures. However, as absolute yield declines are about the same in low‐ and high‐yielding regions, the contributed deficit to national production caused by increasing temperatures is higher in high‐yielding environments (e.g., northern India) because these environments contribute more to national wheat production. Although Sudan could potentially grow more wheat if irrigation is available, grain yields would be low due to high reference temperatures, with future increases in temperature further limiting production.     

Biofuels – challenges & chances: How biofuel development can benefit from advanced process technology

The presented article highlights the process of biofuel production with a special focus on bioethanol. After a short introduction to the “problems” of biofuels – the “first generation” biofuels (in regards to their competition to feed and food production) and the “second generation” biofuels (in regards to the required more complex process technology) − the different steps in the process from natural resources towards the final product are presented and the underlying biotechnological challenges discussed: the pre-treatment of the natural resources followed by the biotechnological processes of hydrolysis and fermentation. Topics such as enzyme screening for efficient or even multi-step hydrolysis as well as microbial strain selection under process conditions and the optimization of the anaerobic fermentative conversion of the saccharides to bioethanol are discussed. Optimizing the production of bioethanol to be competitive with petrochemical fuels is the main challenge for the underlying process development.     

Integration of microalgae cultivation with industrial waste remediation for biofuel and bioenergy production: opportunities and limitations

There is currently a renewed interest in developing microalgae as a source of renewable energy and fuel. Microalgae hold great potential as a source of biomass for the production of energy and fungible liquid transportation fuels. However, the technologies required for large-scale cultivation, processing, and conversion of microalgal biomass to energy products are underdeveloped. Microalgae offer several advantages over traditional 'first-generation' biofuels crops like corn: these include superior biomass productivity, the ability to grow on poor-quality land unsuitable for agriculture, and the potential for sustainable growth by extracting macro- and micronutrients from wastewater and industrial flue-stack emissions. Integrating microalgal cultivation with municipal wastewater treatment and industrial CO(2) emissions from coal-fired power plants is a potential strategy to produce large quantities of biomass, and represents an opportunity to develop, test, and optimize the necessary technologies to make microalgal biofuels more cost-effective and efficient. However, many constraints on the eventual deployment of this technology must be taken into consideration and mitigating strategies developed before large scale microalgal cultivation can become a reality. As a strategy for CO(2) biomitigation from industrial point source emitters, microalgal cultivation can be limited by the availability of land, light, and other nutrients like N and P. Effective removal of N and P from municipal wastewater is limited by the processing capacity of available microalgal cultivation systems. Strategies to mitigate against the constraints are discussed.     

Strategies to enhance production of microalgal biomass and lipids for biofuel feedstock

ABSTRACT

Microalgae have enormous potential as feedstock for biofuel production compared with other sources, due to their high areal productivity, relatively low environmental impact, and low impact on food security. However, high production costs are the major limitation for commercialization of algal biofuels. Strategies to maximize biomass and lipid production are crucial for improving the economics of using microalgae for biofuels. Selection of suitable algal strains, preferably from indigenous habitats, and further improvement of those ‘platform strains’ using mutagenesis and genetic engineering approaches are desirable. Conventional approaches to improve biomass and lipid productivity of microalgae mainly involve manipulation of nutritional (e.g. nitrogen and phosphorus) and environmental (e.g. temperature, light and salinity) factors. Approaches such as the addition of phytohormones, genetic and metabolic engineering, and co-cultivation of microalgae with yeasts and bacteria are more recent strategies to enhance biomass and lipid productivity of microalgae. Improvement in culture systems and the use of a hybrid system (i.e. a combination of open ponds and photobioreactors) is another strategy to optimize algal biomass and lipid production. In addition, the use of low-cost substrates such as agri-industrial wastewater for the cultivation of microalgae will be a smart strategy to reduce production costs. Such systems not only generate high algal biomass and lipid productivity, but are also useful for bioremediation of wastewater and bioremoval of waste CO₂. The aim of this review is to highlight the advances in the use of various strategies to enhance production of algal biomass and lipids for biofuel feedstock.     

Production of Penicillic Acid and Ochratoxin A on Poultry Feed by Aspergillus ochraceus: Temperature and Moisture Requirements

A strain of Aspergillus ochraceus Wilhelm, isolated from poultry feed, produced both penicillic acid and ochratoxin A. Studies demonstrating the ability of this fungus to colonize poultry feed and produce these two mycotoxins under various temperatures and moistures indicated that the interaction was complex. The optimal temperature for conidial development did not vary with moisture, but accumulation of both toxins did. A combination of low temperature, 15 or 22 C, and low moisture favored the production of penicillic acid, whereas high temperature, 30 C, and high moisture favored the production of ochratoxin A.     

Control of glycerol production by rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) to provide freeze resistance and allow foraging at low winter temperatures

The rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) is a small anadromous fish that actively feeds under the ice at temperatures as low as the freeze point of seawater. Freezing is avoided through the production of both non-colligative antifreeze protein (AFP) and glycerol that acts in a colligative manner. Glycerol is constantly lost across the gills and skin, thus glycerol production must continue on a sustained basis at low winter temperatures. AFP begins to accumulate in early fall while water temperatures are still high. Glycerol production is triggered when water temperatures decrease to about 5 degrees C. Glycerol levels rapidly increase with carbon flow from dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) to glycerol. Glucose/glycogen serves as the initial carbon source for glycerol accumulation with amino acids contributing thereafter. The period of glycerol accumulation is associated with increases in GPDH mRNA and PEPCK mRNA followed by elevations in protein synthesis and enzyme activities. Plasma glycerol levels may reach in excess of 500 mM in winter. The high freeze resistance allows rainbow smelt to invade water of low temperature and forage for food. The lower the temperature, the higher the glycerol must be, and the higher the glycerol the greater the loss to the environment through diffusion. During the winter, rainbow smelt feed upon protein rich invertebrates with glycerol production being fueled in part by dietary amino acids via the gluconeogenic pathway. At winter temperatures, glycerol is quantitatively more important than AFP in providing freeze resistance of blood; however, the importance of AFPs to other tissues is yet to be assessed. Glycerol levels rapidly plummet in the spring when water temperature is still close to 0 degrees C. During this period, freeze resistance must be provided by AFP alone. Overall, the phenomenon of glycerol production by rainbow smelt reveals an elegant connection of biochemistry to ecology that allows this species to exploit an otherwise unavailable food resource.     

Climate change impacts on life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings of biomethanol from corn and soybean

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess and calculate the potential impacts of climate change on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction potentials of combined production of whole corn bioethanol and stover biomethanol, and whole soybean biodiesel and stalk biomethanol. Both fuels are used as substitutes to conventional fossil-based fuels. The product system includes energy crop (feedstock) production and transportation, biofuels processing, and biofuels distribution to service station.

Methods

The methodology is underpinned by life cycle thinking. Crop system model and life cycle assessment (LCA) model are linked in the analysis. The Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer – crop system model (DSSAT-CSM) is used to simulate biomass and grain yield under different future climate scenarios generated using a combination of temperature, precipitation, and atmospheric CO₂. Historical weather data for Gainesville, Florida, are obtained for the baseline period (1981–1990). Daily minimum and maximum air temperatures are projected to increase by +2.0, +3.0, +4.0, and +5.0 °C, precipitation is projected to change by ±20, 10, and 5 %, and atmospheric CO₂ concentration is projected to increase by +70, +210, and +350 ppm. All projections are made throughout the growing season. GaBi 4.4 is used as primary LCA modelling software using crop yield data inputs from the DSSAT-CSM software. The models representation of the physical processes inventory (background unit processes) is constructed using the ecoinvent life cycle inventory database v2.0.

Results and discussion

Under current baseline climate condition, net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings per hectare from corn-integrated biomethanol synthesis (CIBM) and soybean-integrated biomethanol synthesis (SIBM) were calculated as ?8,573.31 and ?3,441 kg CO₂-eq. ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively. However, models predictions suggest that these potential GHG emissions savings would be impacted by changing climate ranging from negative to positive depending on the crop and biofuel type, and climate scenario. Increased atmospheric level of CO₂ tends to minimise the negative impacts of increased temperature.

Conclusions

While policy measures are being put in place for the use of renewable biofuels driven by the desire to reduce GHG emissions from the use of conventional fossil fuels, climate change would also have impacts on the potential GHG emissions reductions resulting from the use of these renewable biofuels. However, the magnitude of the impact largely depends on the biofuel processing technology and the energy crop (feedstock) type.     

Selection does not favor larger body size at lower temperature in a seed-feeding beetle

Body size of many animals increases with increasing latitude, a phenomenon known as Bergmann's rule (Bergmann clines). Latitudinal gradients in mean temperature are frequently assumed to be the underlying cause of this pattern because temperature covaries systematically with latitude, but whether and how temperature mediates selection on body size is unclear. To test the hypothesis that the "relative" advantage of being larger is greatest at cooler temperatures we compare the fitness of replicate lines of the seed beetle, Stator limbatus, for which body size was manipulated via artificial selection ("Large,"Control," and "Small" lines), when raised at low (22 degrees C) and high (34 degrees C) temperatures. Large-bodied beetles (Large lines) took the longest to develop but had the highest lifetime fecundity, and highest fitness (r(C)), at both low and high temperatures. However, the relative difference between the Large and Small lines did not change with temperature (replicate 2) or was greatest at high temperature (replicate 1), contrary to the prediction that the fitness advantage of being large relative to being small will decline with increasing temperature. Our results are consistent with two previous studies of this seed beetle, but inconsistent with prior studies that suggest that temperature-mediated selection on body size is a major contributor to the production of Bergmann clines. We conclude that other environmental and ecological variables that covary with latitude are more likely to produce the gradient in natural selection responsible for generating Bergmann clines.     

Effect of Temperature on the Coproduction of Chlortetracycline and Tetracycline by Streptomyces aureofaciens

Five strains of Streptomyces aureofaciens of diverse origin and ability to incorporate chloride into chlortetracycline (CTC) were grown at five temperatures of incubation ranging from 20 to 31 C in media of high and low chloride content. Maximal accumulation of CTC and tetracycline (TC) occurred in the 23 to 25 C range. Departure from this range affected the different strains to various degrees in total accumulation. Lower temperatures favored a relative increase in the amount of CTC produced by all strains. Higher temperatures were conducive to the almost exclusive production of TC by some strains but at the expense of an 80 to 90% reduction in potential total yield obtained at lower temperatures. The optimal temperature for maximal biochemical chlorination by some strains of S. aureofaciens was less than the optimal temperature for maximal accumulation of the tetracycline nucleus.