Lesson 12: Additional Processes for Fuels from Biomass
Overview
We’ve covered the basics of petroleum-based fuel production and electricity generation from coal, as well as processing aspects of several biofuels - primarily ethanol production from corn and sugar, and biodiesel production from vegetable oils. We also covered some thermochemical methods to produce liquid jet and diesel fuels that are more like petro-jet and diesel fuel. As you might think, there are other processes available to produce liquid and gaseous fuels beyond ethanol and biodiesel which we covered them in the previous lessons. This lesson will cover anaerobic digestion, which makes gaseous fuels using organic materials and enzymes; and syngas fermentation, which can make liquid fuels and alcohols from gases using enzymes. We will also cover some biomass-to-liquid processes that are still in the research phase.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
- explain what anaerobic digestion is;
- explain what syngas fermentation is;
- utilize the information on each to supplement biofuel liquids conversion technologies;
- evaluate the best methods to date for biofuel liquids conversion technologies.
Lesson 12 Road Map
This is the final lesson of the course. This lesson will take two weeks to complete. You should complete reading during the first week. Your Final Project will be due at the specified time in the Canvas. In addition, there will be Quiz #4. Please refer to the Course Syllabus for specific time frames and due dates. Specific directions for the assignments below can be found within this lesson.
| Step | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1 | Final Project |
| 2 | Quiz #4 |
Questions?
If there is anything in the lesson materials that you would like to comment on, or don't quite understand, please post your thoughts and/or questions to our Throughout the Course Questions & Comments discussion forum and/or set up an appointment for office hour. While you are there, feel free to post responses to your classmates if you are able to help.