NEW RESEARCH MAY REDUCE RENEWABLE FUEL COSTS
Question:
BOULDER, Colorado, May 24, 2001 (ENS) – Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have developed a novel means of producing ethanol that could decrease the cost of renewable fuel. Associate professor Kathleen Danna of the molecular, cellular and developmental biology department and her research team created a new technique they expect to produce low cost enzymes vital for the conversion of plant cellulose into ethanol. Producing large quantities of the enzymes could slash costs for the processing of renewable fuels from plant biomass, said Danna. "By promoting the development of renewable fuels, our work should have significant economic and environmental impact," Danna said. "An established biofuels industry will strengthen U.S. agriculture and reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil." Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a clean burning fuel that is used as a gasoline additive in some states, including Colorado, during the high pollution months in winter. In Brazil, ethanol has been used on an experimental basis to run fleets of cars with modified engines using fuel made of 95 percent ethanol. Although the ethanol now used as a fuel additive in America is derived from cornstarch rather than cellulose via biomass conversion, cornstarch as a source of raw material would not be able to meet the demand if ethanol were to become a major transportation fuel, Danna said. While there is a competing use for cornstarch – food – the supply of plant biomass is so large that households, industry and government often must pay for its disposal. "The increased use of biofuels at the expense of petroleum will reduce air pollution, particularly particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrous oxide and will slow the accumulation of greenhouse gases," Danna said. http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may2001/2001L-05-24-09.html — -Lawrence LaBranche +-) I filter all Spam using http://www.spamcop.net My website http://www.capdiamont.com . Has our genealogy/ genealogy help, renewable energy links, and LDS links. Renewable Energy Faq for new users http://www.geocities.com/capdiamont/renewablefaq.html Renewable Energy links http://www.geocities.com/capdiamont/renewable.html Also has how to convert your lawn mower to electric.
Response:
> BOULDER, Colorado, May 24, 2001 (ENS) – Researchers at the University of > Colorado at Boulder have developed a novel means of producing ethanol that > could decrease the cost of renewable fuel. > Associate professor Kathleen Danna of the molecular, cellular and > developmental biology department and her research team created a new > technique they expect to produce low cost enzymes vital for the conversion > of plant cellulose into ethanol.
The use of enzymes to convert biomass to alcohol is by no means new. If this advance reduces its cost, that is an advance but not a breakthrough. Now a practical, inexpensive and efficient fuel cell that would convert alcohol to electricity, burning both the carbon and hydrogen atoms, THAT would be a breakthrough. Personally I expect that this will occur with methane long before alcohol. Anyway, just an observation. Thanks for the info.
