This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. The practice of converting corn to ethanol is controversial, with debates currently being raged in both public policy and science. While biofuels from corn have important implications in alleviating some of the global energy crisis, critics argue that it takes away from vital agricultural products needed to feed the world's growing population. The current volume maintains there is a third way, a method of producing biofuel that only uses biomass that is left behind after all agricultural and nutritional products have been harvested from corn. This biomass is referred to as corn stover. The book serves as an important introduction to this method of producing biofuels from agricultural waste. Edited by a professor from the State University of New York, Geneseo, this reference is important not only for research scientists, but for students and public policy makers who wish to learn more about this alternative method of producing ethanol from corn. The sections found in Fuel Production from Non-Food Biomass: Corn Stover describe the following topics: An overview of why corn stover is a good alternative use of power The technology that makes this process possible on various scales Considerations for policy formation, including economic, land-use, and environmental arguments for and against using corn stover as a biofuel Although controversy still exists about the use of corn stover-with some critics saying that it will cause food shortages, particularly for developing nations-the research in this book focuses on using corn's already existing, non-food biomass and argues that food and biofuel could potentially be produced from the same fields.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. As the world's energy hunger grows ever larger, fossil fuel reserves are diminishing-and concerns about climate change remind us that our love affair with fossil fuels cannot continue much longer. This has inspired intense research into sustainable energy sources. Biofuels seemed initially promising, but the world soon realized that food-based biofuel has its own dangers. Second-generation biofuels, however, use biomass from crops' inedible parts-such as the stalks and leaves of sugarcane-offering a far more practical, sustainable, and commercially viable solution. In this book, researchers from around the world review some of the most important and timely topics related to using sugarcane feedstock for biofuel. After a basic overview, topics such as these are included: Pretreatment methods The use of various microbial technologies, including bacteria and yeast, to enhance biofuel production Environmental impacts Economic feasibility The viability of electricity being produced side by side with biofuel Essential reading for graduate students and research scientists investigating second-generation biofuels, this book is also recommended for environmentalists, environmental engineers, and microbiologists.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is a domestic energy resource with the potential to provide a significant amount of energy to meet U.S. liquid fuel requirements. MSW is defined as household waste, commercial solid waste, non-hazardous sludge, conditionally exempt, small quantity hazardous waste and industrial solid waste. This book examines the potential use of MSW to make synthesis gas (syngas) suitable for production of liquid fuels; the expected process scale required for favorable economics; the availability of MSW in quantities sufficient to meet process scale requirements and state-of-the-art MSW gasification technology.

Explore a thorough and up to date overview of the current knowledge, developments and outstanding challenges in turbulent combustion and application. The balance among various renewable and combustion technologies are surveyed, and numerical and experimental tools are discussed along with recent advances. Covers combustion of gaseous, liquid and solid fuels and subsonic and supersonic flows. This detailed insight into the turbulence-combustion coupling with turbulence and other physical aspects, shared by a number of the world leading experts in the field, makes this an excellent reference for graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the field.

Energy from solar radiation, fixated by self-assembling plant structures, creates biomass that is converted to energy carriers fit for application in today's and tomorrow's energy-generating equipment. The central theme of this book is the development of the current largest renewable energy source for efficient applications in modern and developing society-biomass. The book is presented in an easy-to-understand manner for non-experts, nevertheless revealing the true challenges of this extremely broad area. Through this book, passionate pioneers and (ex-)EU officials tell the interesting history of the use of biomass by mankind in general and how the future of its modern use was shaped by active support of the European Union. The book mainly emphasizes specific technologies, both biological and thermo-chemical, from simple to extremely complex. Recognized experts explain these technologies in a clear way along with their future prospects. Climb on the shoulders of all 35 authors of the book and look into the close and distant future where interaction with other renewable sources will occur, and discover a renewable energy future in which an important role will be played by the oldest one-bioenergy.

This Brief provides a concise review of the potential use of microalgae for biofuel production. The following topics are highlighted: the advantages of microalgae over conventional biofuel-producing crops; technological processes for energy production using microalgae; microalgal biomass production systems, production rates and costs; algae cultivation strategies and main culture parameters; biomass harvesting technologies and cell disruption; CO2 sequestration; life cycle analysis; and algal biorefinery strategies. The conclusions section discusses the contribution of the technologies described to environmental sustainability and future prospects.

Propellants contain considerable chemical energy that can be used in rocket propulsion. Bringing together information on both the theoretical and practical aspects of solid rocket propellants for the first time, this book will find a unique place on the readers' shelf providing the overall picture of solid rocket propulsion technology. Aimed at students, engineers and researchers in the area, the authors have applied their wealth of knowledge regarding formulation, processing and evaluation to provide an up to date and clear text on the subject.

Lignocellulosic biomass conversion to fuel is the only sustainable way to meet the current and future energy demands, at least in displacing a substantial amount of liquid transportation fuel, and curb detrimental effects of greenhouse gas emissions. Various routes and processes to convert lignocellulosic biomass to fuels, chemicals, and bio-based materials have been developed in the last couple of decades. This book contains eleven chapters that intend to provide readers with updates on these various processes and routes to produce fuels and chemicals using lignocellulosic biomass. In addition, it covers the past and current developments on biomass logistics, analytical tools applied to characterise lignocellulosic biomass, environmental aspects and engine performance of various fuels, as well as techno-economical aspects of lignocellulosic biomass refinery. The following list summarises the topics covered in this book: The past and current developments on biomass valorisation in biochemical platforms; Developments in thermochemical conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals including gasification, pyrolysis, and hydrothermal treatment; Heterogeneous catalysts application in low to high temperature conversion of biomass to fuels and chemicals; Pathways of lignin valorisation to fuels and chemicals; Production methods and the physicochemical properties of nanocelluloses; The environmental impacts and engine performances of various bio-fuels; Biomass logistics and their impact on bioenergy applications; Anaerobic conversion of biomass to biogas and impacts of co-digestion on biogas yields and quality.

In this book, the authors present current research in the study of bioenergy systems and their biological sources and environmental impact. Topics discussed include the assessment of sustainability of bioenergy systems; soil loss as a forgotten aspect of biofuel production; effective biocatalysts for lignocellulosic biofuel by a proteomics study of fungal secretome; enhancing the interface between agricultural production, and tree biomass/bioenergy systems to improve farm-scale productivity in Western Australia; hydrogen and ethanol comparison as fuels for internal combustion engines; and hydrogen production by mixed cultures.

Research in environmental justice reveals that low-income and minority neighbourhoods in our nation's cities are often the preferred sites for landfills, power plants, and polluting factories. Those who live in these sacrifice zones are forced to shoulder the burden of harmful environmental effects so that others can prosper. Mountains of Injustice broadens the discussion from the city to the country by focusing on the legacy of disproportionate environmental health impacts on communities in the Appalachian region, where the costs of cheap energy and cheap goods are actually quite high.
Through compelling stories and interviews with people who are fighting for environmental justice, Mountains of Injustice contributes to the ongoing debate over how to equitably distribute the long-term environmental costs and consequences of economic development.

The goal of coal mining is to economically remove coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s is widely used to generate electricity. The most economical method of coal extraction from coal seams depends on the depth and quality of the seams, and the geology and environmental factors. This book presents current research from across the globe in the study of coal extraction, including production of ashless coal by using a solvent extraction technique; the Hotelling model of optimal non-renewable resource extraction; coal extraction with a carbon disulfide/N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidinone mixed solvent; and extraction of inorganic species of coal.

Fuel ethanol production has increased steadily in the U.S. since the 1980's, when it was given impetus by the need to reduce energy dependence on foreign supplies. The momentum has continued as production costs have fallen, and as the U.S. Clean Air Act has specified a percentage of renewable fuels to be mixed with gasoline. New technologies that may further increase cost savings include co-product development, such as recovery of high-value food supplements, and cellulosic conversion. Though improvements in processing and technology are important, however, the fluctuating rise of inputs such as corn, the cost of energy alternatives, and environmental developments play larger roles in the fortunes of the industry. This book examines the use of ethanol as fuel, as well as its other applications in different parts of the world. This book also addresses a policy initiative by the Federal Administration to apply United States Department of Energy (DOE) research to broadening the country's domestic production of economic, flexible, and secure sources of energy fuels. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

This book discusses the current development of the study on coal combustion, which mainly involves devolatilization, volatiles combustion, char combustion and the formation of pollutants. Regarding the devolatilization of coal, it is well-known that devolatilization has a significant impact on the other processes during coal combustion. The process of char combustion is of central importance in practical pulverized applications. However, the mechanism of char combustion has not yet been completely understood due to the existence of many factors such as the thermal annealing of char, the pore structure, inherent mineral content in char and the fragmentation of the char particle. This book also presents a detailed discussion on the intrinsic reactivity and thermal annealing of char, as well as the comparison of different char combustion models.

The principle fuel used as a petrol substitute for road transport vehicles is bioethanol. Bioethanol fuel is mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam. The main sources of sugar required to produce ethanol come from fuel or energy crops. These crops are grown specifically for energy use and include corn, maize and wheat crops, waste straw, willow and popular trees, sawdust, reed canary grass, cord grasses, Jerusalem artichoke, myscanthus and sorghum plants. Ethanol or ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is a clear colourless liquid, it is biodegradable, low in toxicity and causes little environmental pollution if spilt. Ethanol burns to produce carbon dioxide and water. Ethanol is a high octane fuel and has replaced lead as an octane enhancer in petrol. By blending ethanol with gasoline we can also oxygenate the fuel mixture so it burns more completely and reduces polluting emissions. This new and important book gathers the latest research from around the globe in this promising field.

Advanced Coal Combustion - Advanced Energy Conversion Systems

Among the oil-bearing tree species, Jatropha curcas is currently becoming an interesting crop for the production of biodiesel due to some of its interesting properties including resistance to drought, possibility to grow well and quickly on marginal lands without much fertiliser inputs and the need for only moderate rainfall. In this book, a series of biotechnological methodologies is reported, such as vitro propagation and plant breeding of jatropha curcas for the sustainable production of biodiesel. An overview of the currently available information on the different research on the production of biodiesel using jatropha al raw material is also given in terms of catalysts and possible non-edible feedstocks to be utilised in the process. In addition, the different options to include Jatropha in agroforestry systems are described. Their potential social, economic and environmental risks and benefits are discussed. In particular, land use changes related to Jatropha cultivation, their possible impact on food supplies and the up-scaling possibilities are focused upon. Based on this assessment, the authors provide clear guidelines for the expansion of Jatropha cultivation on a sound socio-economic and environmental basis. Moreover, Yunnan is the richest wild Jatropha resources province now and is to become the greatest Jatropha planting forest province in the following ten years. This book describes the flowering, fruit setting, pollination, seeds biological characteristics of Jastropha under various conditions in Yunnan. Other chapters review the studies available to date about the impact of the introduction of the biofuel crops Jatropha curcas on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land use change in tropical regions. This book also attempts to go beyond the pro-contra debate on bio-fuels to search for possible sustainable trajectories.

Coal use today is responsible for large, and mostly avoidable, damages to human health and our water and land. Coal use in the future, along with other fossil fuels, threatens to wreak havoc in the earth's climate system. This book looks at "clean coal" technologies such as coal gasification and carbon capture. Coal gasification, when done in conjunction with carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one technology option that offers our nation an attractive approach to utilise our indigenous fossil energy resources in a more efficient and environmentally sound manner for producing clean, affordable power from coal with dramatically reduced carbon emissions. Coal gasification with CCS can also reduce the carbon impact of using coal to produce ultra-clean fuels for the transportation sector, substitute natural gas (SNG) to heat our homes and fuel our industrial sector, fertilisers to ensure an abundant food supply, and chemicals that play an integral part in our every day lives. Another coal gasification concept explored in this book that could further reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emission is co-feeding coal and biomass into gasifiers to produce electricity or conventional transportation fuels. In addition to these technologies, this book also describes ways at improving or optimising the performance of coal-fired power plants, in addition to tools that can be used and are available to cut global warming emissions. This book consists of public domain documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

Large scale production and consumption of biofuel is being promoted by many nations because of its potential for economic, political, and environmental benefits. Biofuels are partially renewable and substituting them for petroleum fuels may reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and dependency on imported oil. Of special interest is the possibility of widespread use of biofuels such as biodiesel in the transportation sector, especially if integrated with existing and new hybrid and plug-in technologies and emission control technologies such as particle traps. This book provides new research on this field from around the globe.