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Improving Biofuel Recovery Processes For Efficiency and Sustainability
Citation:
VANE, L. M. Improving Biofuel Recovery Processes For Efficiency and Sustainability. EM: AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION'S MAGAZINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, (May):38-39, (2009).
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) provided for increased production of biofuels with, among other provisions, a specified share to be derived from non-sugar or cellulose feedstocks. The EISA further established standards for renewable fuels achieving 20, 50, and 60% reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to conventional fuels. GHG emissions from renewable fuels are primarily associated with feedstock production, conversion of feedstock to fuel (“upstream emissions”), and fuel use. For corn-based ethanol, ~50% of the energy consumed in the production facility is due to the separation processes of distillation and adsorption used to recover and dry ethanol from fermentation broths, leading to significant upstream GHG emissions. The US EPA has proposed that pervaporation and vapor permeation, two emerging membrane technologies, can provide energy savings over traditional technologies, especially for smaller systems, and it is actively investigating the application of these membrane technologies to biofuel production.
