Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have created a technoeconomic model that should help accelerate the development of a next generation of clean, green biofuels that can compete with gasoline in economics and well as performance. This online, wiki-based model enables researchers to pursue the most promising strategies for cost-efficient biorefinery operations by simulating such critical factors as production costs and energy balances under different processing scenarios.

“The high production cost of biofuels has been the main factor limiting their widespread adoption,” says JBEI’s Daniel Klein-Marcuschamer. “We felt that a model of the biorefinery operation that was open, transparent about the assumptions it uses, and updatable by the community of users could aid in guiding research in the direction where it is most likely to reduce the production cost of biofuels.”

Klein-Marcuschamer, a post-doctoral researcher in JBEI’s Deconstruction Division, was the lead author of a paper describing this research. Other authors were Piotr Oleskowicz-Popiel, Blake Simmons and Harvey Blanch.

Biofuel offers an alternative to gasoline that is carbon-neutral and can be produced in a sustainable fashion. (Credit: Image from the U.S. Department of Energy)

“While there have been earlier models for analyzing the production costs of biofuels that provided invaluable guidance to research, investment and policy endeavors, they usually relied on experimentally-derived or assumed parameters to estimate process performance values,” says corresponding author Blanch, the Chief Science and Technology Officer for JBEI. “As a result, these models could be used to study only a limited set of scenarios, and could not address all possible parameter choices that could be of interest to the biofuels community.”

Furthermore, Blanch says, although biofuels research is a highly dynamic field, advances made by one group in the field have rarely been considered in the models developed by other groups, primarily because no avenue for such an exchange of information existed.

“Our technoeconomic model provides a common and current ground for discussion,” says Klein-Marcuschamer.

In the JBEI technoeconomic model, each unit of operation in the biofuels process flow sheet has a dedicated discussion thread, making it possible for experts in different fields to collectively and publicly address issues associated with different sections of the biorefinery. To make the model interactive and dynamic, and to ensure its accuracy, parameters and assumptions will be updated in response to feedback obtained from users in the biofuels research community.

“The goal is to provide a tool that incorporates assumptions in a transparent manner, and allows comparative analyses to be made from the same starting point,” says co-author Simmons, who heads JBEI’s Deconstruction Division. “Our model is also designed to allow users to analyze the scenarios that are of most interest to them, and to gather meaningful information from experts across disciplines in a centralized model.”

By communicating what parameters are in most need of experimental verification, the JBEI model serves to direct research efforts in the biofuels community. It also serves to disseminate findings across different, and many times unrelated, fields.

Says Klein-Marcuschamer, “Results are shared concomitantly with the model through a free demo version of the model’s software. This allows experts that specialize in different parts of the biofuels process to be aware of conditions prevalent everywhere in the process. The model will also give a systems perspective to those who are used to working in specialized fields, such as plant biology, strain engineering, etc.”

The initial JBEI technoeconomic model is formulated to simulate a lignocellulosic ethanol biorefinery that uses corn stover feedstock. Model input factors include the cost of transporting the stover to a refinery, the use of acid pre-treatments to break down lignin and enzymes to break down cellulose into simples sugars, and the fermentation of these simple sugars into ethanol using yeast. From such inputs, users can calculate the resulting energy and greenhouse gas output.

By varying input values, users can test the effectiveness of different processing strategies. In their paper, for example, the authors evaluated the economic performance of lignocellulosic ethanol processing under several different scenarios, including reducing the content of lignin and yeast-toxic acetic acid in the stover feedstock, increasing cellulolytic enzyme activity, increasing the rate of xylose fermentation by yeast, and increasing the tolerance of yeast to acetic acid and ethanol.

The JBEI team is already at work adapting their technoeconomic model to other feedstocks in addition to corn stover, and to the refining of other lignocellulosic biofuels in addition to ethanol.

“We’re open to collaborating with other groups to adapt the model to other fuels and processing technologies,” says Klein-Marcuschamer. “We also expect independent users to devise their own adaptations to the model.”

This research was primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science through a contract with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Additional support was provided through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and through Statoil, Boeing and General Motors.

DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2010, October 28). A wiki for the biofuels research community. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 11, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2010/10/101029092047.htm

Did you find the article useful? As you learn more about biofuels, your understanding of biofuels will increase, and so will your confidence. Thanks for reading the article. And please, do come back again.

The Original Post is Located Here: A Wiki for the Biofuels Research Community

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with “hybrid car”.

It is a fact that people simply love hybrid cars. They love hybrid cars because of the benefits it can give them. What is it about hybrid cars that is attracting more and more people to get one for their own?

First of all, if you have a hybrid car, you will be able to cut fuel consumption in half. When was the last time you pulled your car in to a service station? If you recently did, you will notice that the price of gasoline is on a constant rise. When compared to conventional cars, Hybrid cars will enable you to cut fuel consumption in half. Just imagine yourself driving a car that can travel more than 60 miles per gallon. This may sound good enough for you to get a hybrid car, but there are more benefits that you can get.

Back in 2005, President George Bush signed an agreement that lets the buyers and users of hybrid cars enjoy huge tax breaks. Because of this, you will be able to save money on taxes. Another great benefit that you can get when you have a hybrid car is free parking, and some states have imposed a law that hybrid cars should be discounted on toll gates.

Hybrid cars are also known to emit far lower levels of pollutants in the air. This means less air pollution. This will also mean that it will tend to reduce the effects of global warming and will enable you and other people to breathe cleaner air.

These are just some of the things that hybrid cars can give you.

What kind of technology is inside hybrid cars that makes it so fuel efficient and environmentally friendly?

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to “hybrid cars” than you may have first thought.

In fact, hybrid technology has existed for a long time. It is used on locomotives, it is used on submarines and it is used in some buses in some states and countries.

Hybrid technology is a combination of electricity and the standard engine. For example, in locomotives, it combines the diesel engine and electric engine, and in submarines, it combines the nuclear engine and electric engine. This is far more efficient than letting the conventional engine run on its own.

In hybrid cars, it combines the energy of gasoline engines and an electric motor to power the car. This means that with both engines running, it will lessen the load on the internal combustion engine. The electric motor will share the labor. With this technology it will allow you to save precious fuel and also let you emit far lower volumes of toxic fumes in the air.

For example, if your hybrid car is running idle, it will automatically switch off the gasoline engine and let the car run on pure electricity.

This can save you a lot of fuel especially if you are stuck in a gridlock traffic jam.

Today, there are hybrid cars that are designed to run even when the gasoline engine is switched off. This kind of hybrid car will eventually get rid of gasoline station trips. And, it will let you travel without emitting toxic fumes. The gasoline engine will only act

as a backup engine when the battery pack runs out of power. The engine will automatically recharge the battery pack preparing it for another purely electric run. This means that you don’t actually have to plug in your hybrid car to your electrical outlet for it to recharge.

So, if you need a car that runs cleaner, quieter and far more fuel efficient, you should consider getting a hybrid car.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about “hybrid cars”.

The author, Floyd Dorrance is a professional researcher of a variety of articles. For a Completely FR*EE Turnkey Business: http://my-info-hut.info

The Original Post is Located Here: The Hybrid Car of Tomorrow is Here Today

What do you get when you mix chocolate and wine? In the case of Clean Solar, Inc., you get solar. Silicon Valley Entrepreneur, Randy Zechman, is the founder of City Chocolate Fountains (the largest chocolate fountain rental company in the United States). Jeff Ritchey is a San Jose native and wine guru. He is a wine consultant for Pichetti Winery, San Saba winery, and has two of his own labeled wines. Together, they are the co-founders of Clean Solar, a Silicon Valley solar installer and integrator.

Randy Zechman will readily admit that he is a serial entrepreneur. Just over a year ago, with two successful businesses in his portfolio: City Chocolate Fountains and World 2 Do, Inc., Zechman was ready for a new challenge. Zechman and a friend of eight years, Jeff Ritchey, an award-winning winemaker, regularly attended a monthly Bay Area speaker series with a group of friends. After every speaker they would end up at a local restaurant debating the subject matter of that night’s speech, global warming and the health of the earth were often the center of those debates, which resulted in them seeing Al Gore speak at the State of the Valley conference in early 2007.

After seeing Al Gore speak on solutions for protecting our planet, Zechman began to research the solar power industry. Ritchey, while continuing to grow his label, Sensorium Wines, was also showing increased interest in the green movement, realizing that green technology was an ideal fit with his knowledge in geology, winemaking and construction.

Zechman knew that the scientific and construction skill set that Ritchey could bring to the table would be the perfect compliment to his business and marketing skills, which led him to approach Ritchey about starting a solar power company.

Zechman and Ritchey met weekly for 6 months, discussing the in and outs of the business and making sure that their ambitions would not get in the way of their friendship. “We had a heart to heart regarding our friendship versus business. We both believed we could manage both and that our friendship would not get in the way.” says Zechman.

“We’ve been friends for eight years and never thought about getting into business with each other, but this presented the right opportunity. With the market timing, our passion for doing something good, Randy’s sales and marketing experience and my technical and construction abilities, we figured it was a natural fit.” says Ritchey.

Clean Solar Inc. quickly became a reality and is now the Bay Area’s leading solar installation company. The fuel for their business growth is in the form of state rebates through the 10 year, $3.4 billion California Solar Initiative. While silicon is still in short supply, the rebates offer customers a chance to significantly lower the installation cost of a solar power system. Zechman and Ritchey are committed to staying ahead of the curve and being early adopters of new solar technology as it comes on line. “We want the Clean Solar team to stay abreast of the latest advancements in technology, maintain certifications, and educate ourselves in order to provide our customers with the knowledge they need as a solar owner.” says Zechman.

The Original Post is Located Here: Wine and Chocolate Create Solar Power

Electric Car Schematic

When it comes to the development of electric cars – the facts are plentiful and easy to find. This new alternative to regular gas powered motor vehicles has many people excited about having a reliable form of transportation that doesn’t damage the environment. So what are the facts about electric cars?

Firstly, there are many types of electric cars available for you to choose from, but they all share the same basic structure, ie. they all use an electric motor that runs on batteries that can be recharged. Generally, the more batteries there are, the further you can drive the car. Electric cars are now available in all different sizes and with different performance capacities. They are usually aerodynamically more efficient than gasoline powered cars as they are generally much lighter in weight.

Another advantage oft electric cars is that they emit virtually no greenhouse gases at all and therefore run much, much cleaner than most other vehicles. As Everyone is now well aware that greenhouse gases are contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer that has in turn led to global warming. Electric cars that run on batteries alone produce absolutely no pollution at all and therefore are probably THE most environmentally friendly option.

How far can you drive with a fully charged electric car? In general, ignoring size and performance, electric cars can usually travel for about a hundred miles before requiring a charge. There is a gauge that shows you how much power you have left and the batteries usually need to be charged overnight to attain full capacity. They are great for city driving and for people who don’t have to drive long distances on a regular basis.

Most people believe that an electric car can’t go very fast, but the fact is that some electric cars have been clocked at over one hundred miles per hour (160 kilometres per hour) and can go from zero to that in less than nine seconds! This is because electric motors can have a very high torque which allows them to accelerate very quickly and travel faster.

There are many more facts about electric cars related to their price, their range, their availability, and their many benefits. There is plenty of information available on electric cars and we will endeavour to present more of it in following articles. If you are interested in buying an electric car, do your research and find one that fits your needs and lifestyle. Most of the major car companies produce at the very least a hybrid type of electric car that runs on both gasoline and electricity, but you can also find completely electric cars if you know where to look. Just do your homework and then get on the electric car bandwagon – you will find out you like it there!
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The Original Post is Located Here: Facts & Misconceptions About Electric Cars