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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

High-Octane Gasoline from Lignocellulosic Biomass via Syngas and Methanol/Dimethyl Ether Intermediates: 2020 State of Technology

The 2020 state of technology (SOT) serves as an update to the 2019 SOT report and details the techno-economic analysis (TEA) results for producing high-octane gasoline (HOG) via indirect liquefaction (IDL). This report only describes changes to the experimental and analysis results from previous SOTs; more details regarding the full process design can be found in the 2015 design report. The conversion pathway presented in this report includes the gasification of biomass, steam reforming and cleanup of the syngas, followed by the conversion of the syngas to HOG via methanol and dimethyl-ether (DME) intermediates. Research efforts in 2020 included the collection of experimental results over a variety of isobutane (iC4) to DME ratios in the feed of the DME-to-HOG reactor, enabling the TEA to identify the effect on modeled product yield and cost. Additionally, a significant re-build of the Aspen Plus model allowed for better integration of new research, however underlying conceptual and economic assumptions remain the same as those detailed in the 2015 deign report. The 2020 SOT also considers the potential for federal carbon tax credits from CO 2 capture in the acid-gas removal step and the impact on the final minimum fuel selling price.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels and Products: 2022 State of Technology and Future Research

The annual State of Technology (SOT) assessment is a key activity for biochemical platform research. It allows the impact of research progress (both directly achieved in-house at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory [NREL] and indirectly extrapolated from available public data) to be quantified in terms of economic improvements in the overall cellulosic biofuel production process for a particular conversion pathway. As such, initial benchmarks can be established for currently demonstrated performance and progress can be tracked toward out-year goals to ultimately demonstrate cost-competitive biofuel technology. Building upon efforts to progress NREL's biochemical platform R&D work toward ultimate 2030 goals to demonstrate less than $2.50/gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) fuel selling prices, experimental and techno-economic analysis (TEA) activities have primarily focused on "advanced" biochemical processing strategies to fuels and coproducts, guided by TEA modeling to highlight key barriers and priorities toward achieving this goal across a number of potential bioconversion pathways. The purpose of the present effort is to benchmark the latest experimental developments for these pathways as quantified by modeled minimum fuel selling prices (MFSPs), as a measure of current status relative to those final targets. For this SOT, TEA models were run for two separate biological conversion pathways to fuels, based on available data for integrated biomass deconstruction and hydrolysate processing; namely carboxylic acids (primarily butyric acid) and diols (2,3-butanediol [BDO]), reflecting NREL's recently published 2018 biochemical design report focused on those two pathways. The models were run across two scenarios for lignin utilization, namely combustion and conversion to value-added coproducts.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Finding values in lignin: A promising yet under-utilized component of the lignocellulosic biomass

This article outlines the technical and economic potentials of lignin in unlocking sustainable biorefineries. The benefits of using this highly functionalized biopolymer for the growth of sustainable economy have been highlighted. But practically, the possibility of commercially substituting petroleum oil with lignin is still not very high as the estimated biofuel production cost is 2–3 times higher than the former one. However, with the advancement in technology and more efficient measures by biorefineries such as storing and processing the biomass near the field so as to reduce the transportation cost, it is possible to gain higher profits. Companies like Domtar, Stora Enso, Borregaard’s LignoTech, VITO, and Chemelot InSciTe have been promoting commercial value of lignin. The growth of lignin market after the start-up production at various sites has been discussed in this review. Combining the complete “start-to-finish” analysis with economic evaluation gives a pragmatic overview of the possibilities whether lignin will join petroleum oil as an efficient and cost-effective renewable source.

Jassal, Vidhisha↗
DOE OSTI2020

Environmental and Economic Assessments and Uncertainties of Multiple Lignocellulosic Biomass Utilization for Bioenergy Products: Case Studies

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) were applied to assess the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of utilizing multiple biomass feedstocks for bioenergy products under three different technological pathways with consideration of uncertainties. Three cases were studied for the production of pellets, biomass-based electricity, and pyrolysis bio-oil. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to examine the uncertainties of fossil energy consumption, bioenergy conversion efficiency, stochastic production rate, etc. The cradle-to-gate LCA results showed that pellet production had the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water and fossil fuels consumption (8.29 kg CO2 eq (equivalent), 0.46 kg, and 105.42 MJ, respectively). The conversion process presented a greater environmental impact for all three bioenergy products. When producing 46,929 Mg of pellets, 223,380 MWh of electricity, and 78,000 barrels of pyrolysis oil, the net present values (NPV) indicated that only pellet and electricity production were profitable with NPVs of $1.20 million for pellets, and $5.59 million for biopower. Uncertainty analysis indicated that pellet production showed the highest uncertainty in GHG emission, and bio-oil production had the least uncertainty in GHG emission but had risks producing greater-than-normal amounts of GHG. Biopower production had the highest probability to be a profitable investment with 85.23%.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Altered Expression of Two Small Secreted Proteins (ssp4 and ssp6) Affects the Degradation of a Natural Lignocellulosic Substrate by Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus is a white-rot fungus that can degrade lignin in a preferential manner using a variety of extracellular enzymes, including manganese and versatile peroxidases (encoded by the vp1-3 and mnp1-6 genes, respectively). This fungus also secretes a family of structurally related small secreted proteins (SSPs) encoded by the ssp1-6 genes. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we determined that ssp4 and ssp6 are the predominant members of this gene family that were expressed by P. ostreatus during the first three weeks of growth on wheat straw. Downregulation of ssp4 in a strain harboring an ssp RNAi construct (KDssp1) was then confirmed, which, along with an increase in ssp6 transcript levels, coincided with reduced lignin degradation and the downregulation of vp2 and mnp1. In contrast, we observed an increase in the expression of genes related to pectin and side-chain hemicellulose degradation, which was accompanied by an increase in extracellular pectin-degrading capacity. Genome-wide comparisons between the KDssp1 and the wild-type strains demonstrated that ssp silencing conferred accumulated changes in gene expression at the advanced cultivation stages in an adaptive rather than an inductive mode of transcriptional response. Based on co-expression networking, crucial gene modules were identified and linked to the ssp knockdown genotype at different cultivation times. Based on these data, as well as previous studies, we propose that P. ostreatus SSPs have potential roles in modulating the lignocellulolytic and pectinolytic systems, as well as a variety of fundamental biological processes related to fungal growth and development.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancement of the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Nanofibril-Reinforced Lignocellulosic Foams for Packaging and Building Applications

Biobased foams have the potential to serve as eco-friendly alternatives to petroleum-based foams, provided they achieve comparable thermomechanical and physical properties. We propose a facile approach to fabricate eco-friendly cellulose nanofibril (CNF)-reinforced thermomechanical pulp (TMP) fiber-based foams via an oven-drying process with thermal conductivity as low as 0.036 W/(m·K) at a 34.4 kg/m3 density. Acrodur®, iron chloride (FeCl3), and cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) were used to improve the foam properties. Acrodur® did not have any significant effect on the foamability and density of the foams. Mechanical, thermal, cushioning, and water absorption properties of the foams were dependent on the density and interactions of the additives with the fibers. Due to their high density, foams with CPAM and FeCl3 at a 1% additive dosage had significantly higher compressive properties at the expense of slightly higher thermal conductivity. There was slight increase in compressive properties with the addition of Acrodur®. All additives improved the water stability of the foams, rendering them stable even after 24 h of water absorption.

Chemistry↗
NASA NTRS1996

Enzyme conversion of lignocellulosic plant materials for resource recovery in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System

A large amount of inedible plant material composed primarily of the carbohydrate materials cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin is generated as a result of plant growth in a Controlled Ecological Life-Support System (CELSS). Cellulose is a linear homopolymer of glucose, which when properly processed will yield glucose, a valuable sugar because it can be added directly to human diets. Hemicellulose is a heteropolymer of hexoses and pentoses that can be treated to give a sugar mixture that is potentially a valuable fermentable carbon source. Such fermentations yield desirable supplements to the edible products from hydroponically-grown plants such as rapeseed, soybean, cowpea, or rice. Lignin is a three-dimensionally branched aromatic polymer, composed of phenyl propane units, which is susceptible to bioconversion through the growth of the white rot fungus, Pluerotus ostreatus. Processing conditions, that include both a hot water pretreatment and fungal growth and that lead to the facile conversion of plant polysaccharides to glucose, are presented.

NASA Discipline Number 93-10↗
NASA NTRS1994

Cellulose pretreatments of lignocellulosic substrates

Cellulose in inedible plant materials, forestry residues, and municipal wastes must be pretreated to disrupt its physical structure, thereby making its hydrolysis to glucose practical. Developments since 1991 are summarized.

Review↗
DOE OSTI2021

Host cell capable of producing enzymes useful for degradation of lignocellulosic material

The invention relates to a host cell comprising at least four different heterologous polynucleotides chose from the group of polynucleotides encoding cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases, wherein the host cell is capable of producing the at least four different enzymes chosen from the group of cellulases, hemicellulases and pectinases, wherein the host cell is a filam-tous fungus and is capable of secretion of the at least four different enzymes. This host cell can suitably be used for the production of an enzyme composition that can be use in a process for the saccharification of cellulosic material.

Los, Alrik Pieter↗