Energy analysis of ethanol production from sweet sorghum |
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Authors: | JW Worley DH Vaughan JS Cundiff |
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Institution: | Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA Agricultural Engineering Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0303, USA |
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Abstract: | The Piedmont System is a collection of equipment for efficiently removing the juice from sweet sorghum stalks for the production of ethanol. The concept is to separate the whole stalks into pith and rind-leaf fractions, pass only the pith fraction through a screw press, and thus achieve an improvement in juice-expression efficiency and press capacity. An energy analysis was done for two options of this proposed harvesting/processing system: (Option 1) The juice is evaporated to syrup and used throughout the year to produce ethanol, and the by-products are used as cattle feed. (Option 2) The juice is fermented as it is harvested, and the by-products (along with other cellulosic materials) are used as feedstock for the remainder of the year. Energy ratios (energy output/energy input) of 0·9, 1·1 and 0·8 were found for sweet sorghum Option 1, sweet sorghum Option 2, and corn, respectively, as feedstocks for ethanol. If only liquid fuels are considered, the ratios are increased to 3·5, 7·9 and 4·5. |
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Keywords: | Energy analysis ethanol sweet sorghum energy balance energy ratios |
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