1st Edition

Introduction to Biofuels

By David M. Mousdale Copyright 2010
    456 Pages 147 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    456 Pages 147 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    What role will biofuels play in the scientific portfolio that might bring energy independence and security, revitalize rural infrastructures, and wean us off of our addiction to oil? The shifting energy landscape of the 21st century, with its increased demand for renewable energy technology, poses a worrying challenge. Discussing the multidisciplinary study of bioenergy and its potential for replacing fossil fuels in the coming decades, Introduction to Biofuels provides a roadmap for understanding the broad sweep of technological, sociological, and energy policy issues that intermingle and intertwine.

    Copiously illustrated and with numerous examples, this book explores key technologies, including biotechnology, bioprocessing, and genetic reprogramming of microorganisms. The author examines the future of biofuels from a broader perspective, addressing the economic, social, and environmental issues crucial for studying the sustainable development of bioenergy. Each chapter begins with questions and provides the answers later in the chapter as key informational points. Embedded Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) sections provide detailed derivations and equations for a subset of topics that can be found easily as buzzwords in popular media and on web sites. Together, the STEM topics form a thread of essential technologies and a guide to how researchers have established quantitative parameters that are crucial to the ever-growing biofuels database.

    With so much information scattered throughout the literature, it is often difficult to make sense of what is real and what is an optimistic selling of ideas with no scientific credibility. This book does an excellent job of filtering through volumes of data, providing a historical perspective on which to anchor the information, and outlining the strengths and constraints of the different biofuels.

    Ethanol as the Leading “First-Generation” Biofuel
    Introduction
    Historical Development of Ethanol as a Fuel from Neolithic Times to the Twentieth Century
    Oil Supply and Oil Price in the Twentieth Century: Necessity and Alternative Fuel Programs
    Case Study 1: Brazil and Sugarcane Ethanol
    Case Study 2: Starch-Based Ethanol in the United States
    Thermodynamic and Environmental Aspects of Ethanol as a Biofuel
    Summary
    References

    Cellulosic Ethanol as a “Second-Generation” Biofuel
    Introduction
    Bioethanol and Cellulosic Ethanol: The Rise of Biomass-Based Biofuels
    Structural and Industrial Chemistry of Cellulosic Biomass
    Cellulases: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biotechnology
    Hemicellulases: New Horizons in Energy Biotechnology
    Lignin-Degrading Enzymes as Aids to Saccharification
    Commercial Choices of Cellulosic Feedstocks for Ethanol Production
    Biotechnology and Platform Technologies for Cellulosic Ethanol
    Summary
    References

    Microbiology of Cellulosic Ethanol Production I: Yeasts
    Introduction
    Traditional Ethanologenic Yeasts
    Metabolic Engineering of Yeasts for Cellulosic Ethanol
    Toward the Perfect Yeast Ethanologen?
    Summary
    References

    Microbiology of Cellulosic Ethanol Production II: Bacteria
    Introduction
    Assembling Gene Arrays in Bacteria for Ethanol Production
    Thermophilic Species and Cellulosome Bioproduction Technologies
    “Designer” Cells and Synthetic Organisms
    Summary
    References

    Biochemical Engineering of Cellulosic Ethanol
    Introduction
    Case Study: The Iogen Corporation Process with Wheat Straw
    Biomass Substrate Pretreatment Strategies
    Fermentation Media and the Very High Gravity Concept
    Fermentor Design and Novel Fermentor Technologies
    Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation and Consolidated Bioprocessing
    Downstream Processing and By-products
    Summary
    References

    The Economics of Fuel Ethanol
    Introduction
    Market Forces and Incentives
    Cost Models for Fuel Ethanol Production
    Pilot Plant and Industrial Extrapolations for Cellulosic Ethanol
    Governmental and Macroeconomic Factors
    Summary
    References

    Advanced Biofuels: The Widening Portfolio of Alternatives to Ethanol
    Introduction
    Biobutanol and ABE
    Bacterial Production of C3–C7 Alcohols and Related Compounds
    Glycerol
    The MixAlco Process
    Biohydrogen
    Microbial Fuel Cells: Eliminating the Middlemen of Energy Carriers
    Summary
    References

    Chemically Produced Biofuels
    Introduction
    Biodiesel: Chemistry and Production Processes
    Fischer–ropsch Diesel: Chemical Biomass–iquid Fuel Transformations
    Biodiesel from Microalgae and Microbes
    Chemical Conversions of Glycerol Produced by Fermentation
    Chemical Routes for the Production of Monooxygenated C6 Liquid Fuels from Biomass Carbohydrates
    Biomethanol and Biodimethylether
    Chemistry and the Emergence of the Hydrogen Economy
    Summary
    References

    Sustainability of Biofuels Production
    Introduction
    Delivering Biomass Feedstocks for Cellulosic Ethanol Production: The Logistics of a New Industry
    Sustainable Development and Biomass Production
    Bioenergy Crops and Genetically Manipulated Plants
    Summary
    References

    Biofuels as Products of Integrated Bioprocesses (Biorefineries)
    Introduction
    The Biorefinery Concept
    Biorefinery Entry Routes
    Biorefinery Pivotal Products
    Central Substrates and Biorefinery Flexibility
    When Will the Biobased Economy Be Possible and When Will It Be Unavoidable?
    Summary
    References

    Biography

    David M. Mousdale