Grantee Research Project Results
BioWinol Technologies: A hybrid green process for biofuel production – Phase 2
EPA Grant Number: SU835171Title: BioWinol Technologies: A hybrid green process for biofuel production – Phase 2
Investigators: Wilkins, Mark , Dharman, Karthikeyan Ramachandriya , Atiyeh, Hasan , Liu, Kan , Zhu, Stephen
Institution: Oklahoma State University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2013
Project Amount: $75,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2011) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
BioWinol Technologies proposes an advanced hybrid technology to produce transportation fuels using autotrophic fermentation process. Unlike existing technologies, this process does not depend on agricultural biomass, thereby removing the necessity of enormous land requirements. This process would utilize carbon dioxide sequestered from industrial effluent gases and hydrogen produced from electrolyzing water using current generated from off peak wind turbines. The primary objective of this project is to develop and optimize a fermentation process using hollow fiber membrane (HFM) technology for cultivation of autotrophic microorganisms in the production of transportation fuels.
Approach:
The project involves: a) developing a lab scale HFM reactor, b) developing anaerobic and aseptic culturing techniques for the HFM reactor; c) optimizing gas and media flow rates in the HFM reactor and d) scaling up from a bench-scale to a laboratory-scale.
Expected Results:
The development of hollow fiber membrane (HFM) reactor will result in improved gas utilization that will positively impact overall process efficiencies. Successful completion of this project could result in the development of many decentralized biofuel production systems near existing power plants and point sources that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide such as a brewing industry. Besides the economic benefits offered by production of biofuels, this research would help reduce the carbon footprint. Our technology promotes the use of other renewable technologies such as wind and/or solar energy to produce electricity for the generation of hydrogen required for the fermentation process. Furthermore, this green house gas abatement technology will have easy adaptability to pre, post or oxy-combustion capture technologies which would allow the quick proliferation of this technology across the US and the world.
Supplemental Keywords:
Ethanol, Butanol, AcetogenProgress and Final Reports:
P3 Phase I:
BioWinol Technologies: A Hybrid Green Process for Biofuel Production | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.