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Results for “biomass fuels”

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 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Go with the Flow: Additives to Improve the Flowability of Crumbled Corn Stover

For this work, magnesium stearate (MgSt), a common flow additive and anticaking agent, was applied to corn stover feedstocks with three particle sizes. The material handling properties of dry, 15%, and 30% moisture content corn stover were measured with a Freeman FT-4 powder rheometer and mass flow hopper calculations. While hydrated biomass typically exhibits poor flowability, introducing MgSt led to a significant increase in flowability for dry and 15% moisture content feedstocks, with less impact at 30% moisture content. Inverse gas chromatography showed a decrease, up to 40%, in the surface energy of MgSt-coated corn stover. While MgSt may not be ideal for biofuel or chemical production, this study highlights the potential of flow additives to reduce adhesive and cohesive forces, improving biomass feedstock handling.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Conserved Macromolecular Architecture of Poplar Secondary Cell Walls Revealed by ssNMR and Atomistic Modeling

The macromolecular architecture of plant secondary cell walls governs wood's mechanical and biochemical properties, yet its natural intra-species variability remains poorly characterized. Here, we combined 13C solid-state NMR (ssNMR), multivariate statistical analysis, and molecular modeling to profile nanoscale structure across 13 genetically diverse Populus trichocarpa genotypes grown in 13C-enriched atmospheres. SsNMR-derived phenotypes spanning composition, structure, mobility, and inter-polymer proximities reveal a conserved architecture, with a subtle yet coordinated variation organizing into dominant structural and secondary mobility axes. A representative atomistic model captures these features and reproduces experimental metrics. Molecular dynamics simulations support a weak but consistent positive correlation between cellulose abundance and crystalline-like order, with interior cellulose chains enriched in tg (trans-gauche) conformations without expanding crystalline cores. Together, experiment and simulation reveal a genetically buffered, broadly conserved nanoscale architecture across genotypes, where subtle fine-tuning of cellulose bundling and matrix packing balances mechanical performance with biological function.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Advances in electrosynthesis for a greener chemical industry

As nations unite to curb anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, the decarbonization of the chemical industry has been propelled to the forefront of scientific research. Renewable electricity will play a central role in this effort. In addition to powering chemical plants and allowing for the sustainable production of heat to drive thermocatalytic processes, renewable electricity also provides the chemical industry with opportunities to engage in the sustainability revolution and broadly reduce its environmental footprint through breakthrough innovations in direct electrochemical transformations. The electrification of chemical synthesis—electrosynthesis—is a promising route to promote sustainability without compromising economic competitiveness. Electrosynthesis uses electrons both as an energy source to drive reactions and as a green reagent for chemical reductions and oxidations under ambient conditions. Therefore, it holds tremendous potential (pun intended) to increase selectivity to desired products, open green reaction pathways for challenging transformations (e.g., Birch reduction, epoxidations, coupling reactions), and reduce chemical waste.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2021

Importance of suberin biopolymer in plant function, contributions to soil organic carbon and in the production of bio-derived energy and materials

Abstract Suberin is a hydrophobic biopolymer of significance in the production of biomass-derived materials and in biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we describe suberin structure and biosynthesis, and its importance in biological (i.e., plant bark and roots), ecological (soil organic carbon) and economic (biomass conversion to bioproducts) contexts. Furthermore, we highlight the genomics and analytical approaches currently available and explore opportunities for future technologies to study suberin in quantitative and/or high-throughput platforms in bioenergy crops. A greater understanding of suberin structure and production in lignocellulosic biomass can be leveraged to improve representation in life cycle analysis and techno-economic analysis models and enable performance improvements in plant biosystems as well as informed crop system management to achieve economic and environmental co-benefits.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Developments in commercial scale farming of microalgae and seaweeds

Expanding markets for microalgae and macroalgae products have led to increased development of commercial farming operations. While microalgae and macroalgae, or seaweed, have historically been harvested in many parts of globe, more recent developments seek to improve productivity, decrease production costs, increase scale, and mitigate environmental impacts of cultivation. Furthermore, this chapter highlights some of those recent developments and identifies future focus areas for research and development.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Developments in algal processing

Macroalgae and microalgae, including cyanobacteria, are primarily photosynthetic organisms grown for the production of renewable biomass for foods, feedstocks, and high-value specialty chemicals. While there are differences in cultivating and harvesting macro- and microalgae due to scale, many of the same downstream techniques can be used for processing algal biomass. This chapter will outline various developments in processing technologies used for the treatment of algal biomass with discussion of scalability, cost, time, and efficacy. Topics will cover methods for harvesting and dewatering algae, drying algal biomass, biomass disruption, and nutrient recovery, including case studies with lessons learned. Here, the final section presents biomass applications and product considerations. While there is no universally-adopted approach for processing algal biomass, these studies provide the foundation for making informed decisions, considering the unique properties of the algae and the integrity of the desired end products.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Communication of industry knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned in the space of cellulosic biofuels plant design, project development and execution and operations. Task 1 report

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, via a technical services agreement, engages Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to provide general industry knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned in cellulosic ethanol plant design, project execution, and operations. INL will also assess publicly proposed cellulosic plant designs. The scope of work will be accomplished in three tasks: Task 1, Communicate industry knowledge; Task 2, Present high-level lessons learned; Task 3, Provide an engineering assessment of publicly proposed ethanol plant designs. This Task 1 report provides a high-level summary of general industry knowledge, best practice, and lessons learned in biomass feedstock logistics and integration with bioconversion processes.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Integrated Landscape Management to Reduce Biomass Feedstock Access Costs

Using geospatial, machine learning, and optimization techniques, a field scoring and design framework known as the bioenergy Landscape Environmental Assessment and Design System (bioLEADS) was developed and used to show through modelling that it is possible to reduce biomass feedstock access costs, improve field revenue, and shift intensive row crop production away from subfield areas susceptible to erosion and low in soil organic carbon. The purpose of bioLEADS is to automate agricultural field selection and subfield allocation to perennial energy crop production while incorporating reduced biomass feedstock access costs to support attaining the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) cost targets.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Explore the Potential to Formulate Feedstock Blends from Diverse Biomass inputs for Improved Processing Performance at Lower Costs

This work aims to understand the pelleting characteristics of 2-inch top-pine residue blended with switchgrass at high moisture content. The process variables tested are blend moisture content, length-to-diameter (L/D) ratio in the pellet die, and the blend ratio. A flat-die pellet mill was also used in this study. The pine and switchgrass blend ratios that were tested include (1) 25% 2-inch top pine residue with 75% switchgrass; (2) 50% 2-inch top pine residue with 50% switchgrass; and (3) 75% 2-inch top pine residue with 25% switchgrass. The pelleting process conditions tested included the L/D ratio in the pellet die (i.e., 1.5 to 2.6) and the blend moisture content (20 to 30%, w.b.). Analysis of experimental data indicated that blending 25% switchgrass with 75% 2-inch top pine residue and 50% switchgrass with 50% 2-inch top pine residue resulted in pellets with a bulk density of >550 kg/m3 and durability of >95. Optimization of the response surface models developed for process conditions in terms of product properties indicated that a higher L/D ratio of 2.6 and a lower blend-moisture content of 20% (w.b.) maximized bulk density and durability. Higher pine in the blends improved the pellet durability and reduced energy consumption. Tests were also conducted on blends of pine and switchgrass using a pilot scale pellet mill by varying the blend moisture content and compression ratio of the pellet die. Pelleting tests on pure pine and switchgrass and their blends in a pilot scale ring die pellet mill with a throughput of 1 ton/h has indicated pellets with durability >500 kg/m3 and durability in the range of >90 and >95 %. The demonstration of high moisture pelleting of blends of 2- and 6-inch top pine residues and switchgrass blends indicated that good quality pellets with durability >90 % and bulk density of >500 kg/m3 can be produced.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design of an Integrated Solids Handling System to Maximize Syngas Process Reliability (Cooperative Research and Development Final Report)

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), in partnership with Wonderful Renewable Energy (WRE) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), plans to develop a general methodology for designing integrated biorefinery solids preprocessing, handling, and feeding systems based on the chemical, physical, and mechanical attributes of the starting biomass material. This attribute-driven approach will include detailed feedstock property measurements, iterative computational modeling, and bench-scale testing to design systems for preprocessing, handling, and reactor in-feed, up to and including the selection of the conversion reactor. The initial tests and system design will be conducted using waste material from almond and pistachio growing and production operations (shells, hulls, and wood), targeting the conversion of this material to syngas for electricity production. The methodology will then be generalized to other feedstocks. The purpose of this project is to design an integrated solids handling system to maximize the process reliability of converting almond and pistachio waste to electricity. The design methodology and workflow developed from this example will then be applied to the Feedstock Conversion Interface Consortium (FCIC) benchmark loblolly pine residues, thus demonstrating the robustness of the overall design approach and providing insight and guidance for future conversion systems. V-Grid Energy Systems was brought on as a subcontractor to provide gasifiers and labor to complete gasifier runs.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Bioenergy Feedstock Library 2023 Annual Summary Report

The Bioenergy Feedstock Library (BFL), part of the Biomass Feedstock National User Facility (BFNUF) located at INL, is a physical sample repository and a web-accessible electronic database. The BFL stores physical and chemical characteristics of biomass and waste carbon sources for energy use as well as samples generated from across U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and U.S. Department of Agriculture funded projects. The objective of this Bioenergy Feedstock Library Annual Summary Report for 2023 is to focus on the updates to (1) publicly available analytical data and equipment tracked through the BFNUF, (2) physical samples available for request, (3) sample and data archival progress from recent BETO-funded projects, and (4) publicly available datasets created upon request from BETO, INL projects, or outside entities compared to the 2022 Bioenergy Feedstock Library Annual Summary Report. This report highlights key statistics and available data and information important for INL, BFL users, academics, and industry.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improved biomass feedstock materials handling and feeding engineering data sets, design methods, and modeling/simulation tools

Forest Concepts led a project to develop a set of tools which enable feedstock handing equipment designers to better understand and model the flowability of bulk particulate biomass materials. The work products included improved flowability mathematical models, data sets used to populate the models, and two new laboratory devices – a biomass-scale true cubical triaxial tester and a biomass-scale gas pycnometer. This work was funded in part by the US Department of Energy under contact DE-EE0008254.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Biomolecular Films for Direct Air Capture of CO 2

Efficient utilization of CO 2 is amongst the most critical cost drivers in algal biomass production in open pond systems. CO 2 delivery costs represent approximately 20% of the final biomass selling price in algal mass cultivation systems. Technologies that enable direct air capture (DAC) of atmospheric CO 2 to decouple algae cultivation from CO 2 point sources thus present an opportunity to improve the economics and resource potential of algal biomass. Current DAC technologies typically employ amine- or caustic-based absorption, demanding significant water and/or energy inputs and incurring substantial capital expenditures. Conversely, bio-based approaches to DAC offer a means to bypass conventional technoeconomic and sustainability hurdles. We integrate recent advances in computational metabolic modeling, algal genetic engineering, algal cultivation, and algal biomass upgrading to enable directed localization and self-assembly of carbonic anhydrase molecular films to gas-liquid interfaces for enhanced CO 2 capture and conversion.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bypassing Energy Barriers in Fiber-Polymer Torrefaction

The amount of waste generation has been increasing with a significant amount being landfilled. These non-recyclable wastes contain large number of fiber and plastic wastes which can be treated with thermal processes to turn them into energy sources since they have high calorific values, are abundant and usually tipping fees are paid to handle them. This paper studied the torrefaction of non-recyclable paper (fiber) wastes, mixed plastic wastes (MPW) and their blends at different ratios in the temperature range of 250–400°C through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The solid residues after the experiments were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Significant synergy between fiber and MPW were observed at the range 250–300°C, showing both increase in the reaction rate as well as the overall mass loss. At 250°C, the maximum mass loss rate was more than two times higher and the mass loss at the end of the experiments were also much higher compared to the expected results. In addition, synergy was weakened with an increase of temperature, disappearing at 400°C. The existence of such interactions between fiber and plastic wastes indicates that the natural energy barriers during the individual torrefaction in paper waste or plastic waste could be bypassed, and the torrefaction of fiber and plastic blend can be achieved at lower temperatures and/or shorter residence times. The MPW and fiber wastes were also compounded by extrusion (to produce pellets) at 220°C with different blend ratios. The fiber-MPW pellets from extrusion were characterized by IR spectroscopy, rheology, thermal analysis and flexural properties and showed significant chemical changes from the non-extruded blends at the same ratios. From IR characterization, it was found that there was significant increase in hydroxyl (OH) group on account of the carbonyl (C = O) and etheric (C-O-C) groups. The interaction between paper and MPW can be attributed to the plastic polymers acting as a hydrogen donor during the reactive extrusion process. Synergistic effects were also found from mechanical and rheological properties.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Comparing Calibration Algorithms for the Rapid Characterization of Pretreated Corn Stover Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Rapid characterization of biomass composition is a key enabling technology for biorefineries—the ability to measure the chemical composition of biomass materials entering the biorefinery as well as the composition of key process intermediate streams would allow real-time process control and the development of robust models to predict process performance. The utility of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for rapid characterization requires multivariate algorithms for building calibration models. The most prevalent algorithm used for building calibration models using NIR spectra is the linear modeling algorithm Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS). Nonlinear regression algorithms (which are typically more computationally intensive than linear modeling approaches) have gained popularity in recent years due to their ability to solve a wide variety of classification and regression problems and the dramatic increase in available computational resources. In this work, we demonstrate that a calibration model can predict the composition of corn stover process intermediate samples pretreated with three different treatments—hot water (HW), dilute acid (DA), and deacetylation followed by dilute acid (DDA). We quantitatively compare three different algorithms for building prediction models based on near-infrared spectroscopy—partial least squares (PLS), support vector machines (SVM), and random forests (RF). We demonstrate the utility of improving model performance by accounting for instrument performance variability using repeated measurements of standard materials (e.g., the “repeatability file” strategy) and investigate its performance with nonlinear regression techniques, and we discuss methods for quantifying the uncertainties of specific predictions among the three methods.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗