Browsing by Subject "Biomass"
Now showing 1 - 20 of 24
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item A Probabilistic Inventory Analysis of Biomass for the State of Texas for Cellulosic Ethanol(2010-01-16) Gleinser, Matthew A.Agricultural and forestry wastes for the use of creating cellulosic ethanol were inventoried for each county in Texas. A simple forecast was created for each of the agricultural wastes and then a multivariate empirical distribution was used to simulate the range of biomass available by county and district. The probability that a district could support a 25, 50, 75, or 100 million gallon cellulosic ethanol plant is estimated from the Monte Carlo simulation results. Biomass in Texas is concentrated in the Northern and Eastern areas of the state. The areas of South and West Texas have little to no biomass available to use for cellulosic ethanol. The North East, South East, and Upper Coast districts include forestry waste that increase the amount of available biomass. With 100 percent certainty the North East and South East districts can support four 100 million gallon cellulosic ethanol plants each. The research found that there is more than enough biomass to support numerous cellulosic ethanol plants in Texas, and decision makers can use the results of this study to identify regions of low and high risk for available biomass from agricultural and forestry waste.Item Assessing Maturity in Sweet Sorghum Hybrids and its Role in Daily Biomass Supply(2012-07-16) Burks, PayneSweet sorghum is a highly versatile C4 grass noted for its improved drought tolerance and water use efficiency relative to sugarcane. Sweet sorghum is well suited for ethanol production due to a rapid growth rate, high biomass production, and a wide range of adaptation. Unlike the 12-18 month growth cycle of sugarcane, sweet sorghum produces a harvestable crop in three to five months. Sweet sorghum and sugarcane crops are complementary and in combination can extend the sugar mill seasons in many regions of the world to an estimated 8 months. Seasonal growth and weather patterns both optimize and restrict production of each crop to specific times of the year, however these are different for the two crops. In addition to temporally spacing the date of harvest between crops, the genetic variability of maturity within the crops may also be used to extend the mill seasons; specific hybrids can be used and selected to maximize yield throughout the harvest season. Under favorable growing environments, sweet sorghum hybrids of all maturity groups produced sugar yields ranging from 2.8 to 4.9 MT/ha. Early/medium, late, and very late maturity hybrids planted during April, May, and June planting dates are necessary to maximize the mill season. In this study, early/medium maturity hybrids planted during April and May matured for harvest between late July and mid-August. June planting dates were unfavorable for early/medium maturity hybrids. In addition, late and very late maturity hybrids planted during April matured for harvest in late August; the additional growing season thus resulted in higher sugar yields. Timely planting of late and very late maturity hybrids in April, May, and June produce the maximum yields for harvests after mid August. Intermittent use of late and very late maturity hybrids can therefore extend sugar milling seasons into mid November if so desired.Item Characteristics of smoldering combustion of sawdust(2013-05) Lo, Chen Chia; Ellzey, Janet L.This report is a study on the smoldering combustion of natural sawdust from untreated woods. The objective was to develop and test an experimental technique to study the fundamental behavior of sawdust smolder. The experimental setup was an annulus cookstove packed with sawdust between the inner and outer radii creating a central hollow core. The sawdust was ignited by a heating coil wrapped around the inner radius. Thermocouples were embedded in the sawdust bed fanning out in the radial direction, and temperature was recorded throughout the smolder process. Consistent with the literature, the experimental results indicate that wood smolder consists of three pathways, 1) sawdust to char, 2) sawdust to volatiles, and 3) char to ash. Pathways 1 and 3 can be clearly characterized by the temperature profile of the smolder; however, pathway 2 often involves flaming of the sawdust and is beyond the scope of this study. Pathway 1, sawdust to char, is an endothermic reaction that results in a clearly defined char front that propagates across the sawdust bed in the radial direction. As smolder proceeds, the char continues to oxidize and breaks down into non-volatile products such as water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in further exothermic reactions. Pathway 2, char to ash, is an exothermic reaction that can lead to glowing combustion when exposed to sufficient amounts of oxygen and results in spikes in temperature. In contrast to the clearly defined char front, the ashing zone traces cracks in the sawdust where air can penetrate through, and has no discernible front. Section 1 discusses the motivation behind the study of sawdust cookstoves in third world countries, in particular Ghana, to replace wood with sawdust as a cheap alternative for household fuel. Section 2 details the experimental setup of the cookstove rig and the methodology of the experiments conducted. Section 3 reports the results of the experiments and analyzes the temperature profiles in relation to the three types of chemical reactions as noted above. Section 4 concludes with a summary of the results and discusses efforts in measuring emissions from the smolder and future work to be done.Item Depolymerization of lignin for biomass processing in ionic liquids(2012-12) Cox, Blair Jeffrey; Ekerdt, John G.; Eldridge, R. B.; Ellison, Christopher J.; Alper, Hal; Stevenson, Keith J.There is growing need for technologies to displace traditional petroleum resources. Towards this goal, lignocellulosic biomass is seen as a potential renewable resource for the production of fuels and commodity chemicals. One of the most difficult components of lignocellulose to process is lignin, which is a complex, amorphous aromatic polymer that acts as one of the structural components in plants. Ionic liquids are a class of compounds that are composed completely of anions and cations that, in some cases, can completely dissolve lignocellulosic biomass. The research performed for this dissertation aims to advance the technologies of lignocellulose processing through effective depolymerization of lignin in ionic liquids. Lignin fragments from this depolymerization could be used as a feedstock for further processing into aromatic commodity chemicals or polymers. Additionally, by removing lignin, biomass becomes much more accessible to enzymatic or chemical saccharification as a step towards fermentation into ethanol or other fuels. Both base and acid catalyzed methods were explored, although the base promoted depolymerization of lignin in ionic liquids did not show much promise, as the reaction was never shown to be catalytic. Acidic routes towards lignin depolymerization were more successful. Using the acidic ionic liquid 1-H-3-methylimiazolium chloride, the ether linkages in lignin model compounds could be hydrolyzed with high yields. This technology was also applicable to the whole lignin macromolecule. The mechanisms of this reaction, as well as the effects on lignin were explored with various neutral and acidic ionic liquids, using HPLC, GPC, NMR, FT-IR, and mass spectrometry for analysis of samples. To demonstrate the applications of this technique, pine wood was treated with the acidic ionic liquids to open the structure of the wood to enzymatic saccharification through the removal of lignin and hemicellulose.Item Developing a fundamental understanding of biomass structural features responsible for enzymatic digestibility(Texas A&M University, 2006-10-30) O'Dwyer, Jonathan PatrickLignocellulosic biomass is one of the most valuable alternative energy sources because it is renewable, widely available, and environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass has been shown to be a limiting factor in the conversion of biomass to chemicals and fuels. This limitation is due to inherent structural features (i.e., acetyl content, lignin content, crystallinity, surface area, particle size, and pore volume) of biomass. These structural features are barriers that prevent complete hydrolysis; therefore, pretreatment techniques are necessary to render biomass highly digestible. The ability to predict the biomass reactivity based solely on its structural features would be of monumental importance. Unfortunately, no study to date can predict with certainty the digestibility of pretreated biomass. A concerted effort with Auburn University and Michigan State University has been undertaken to study hydrolysis mechanisms on a fundamental level. Predicting enzymatic hydrolysis based solely on structural features (lignin content, acetyl content, and crystallinity index) would be a major breakthrough in understanding enzymatic digestibility. It was proposed to develop a fundamental understanding of the structural features that affect the enzymatic reactivity of biomass. The effects of acetyl content, crystallinity index (CrI), and lignin content on the digestibility of biomass (i.e., poplar wood, bagasse, corn stover, and rice straw) were explored. In this fundamental study, 147 poplar wood model samples with a broad spectrum of acetyl content, CrI, and lignin were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis to determine digestibility. Correlations between acetyl, lignin, and CrI and linear hydrolysis profiles were developed with a neural network model in Matlab????. The average difference between experimentally measured and network-predicted data were ????12%, ????18%, and ????27% for 1-, 6-, and 72-h total sugar conversions, respectively. The neural network models that included cellulose crystallinity as an independent variable performed better compared to networks with biomass crystallinity, thereby indicating that cellulose crystallinity is more effective at predicting enzymatic hydrolysis than biomass crystallinity. Additionally, including glucan slope in the 6-h and 72-h xylan slope networks and glucan intercept in the 6-h and 72-h xylan intercept networks improved their predictive ability, thereby suggesting glucan removal affects later-stage xylan digestibility.Item Developing and Testing a Trafficability Index for Planting Corn and Cotton in the Texas Blackland Prairie(2010-07-14) Helms, Adam J.The Texas Blackland Prairie is one of the most productive agricultural regions in Texas. This region provides a long growing season coupled with soils that have a high water holding capacity. However, the soils also provide significant challenges to producers because the high water holding capacity is a product of a high clay percentage. This research was aimed to develop and test an expert-based trafficabililty index, based upon soil moisture, for planting cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) on the Texas Blackland Prairie. Testing the index focused on quantify the potential effect of high soil moisture at planting on seed furrow sidewall compaction and associated plant growth response. Once the trafficability index was developed, three workable soil moisture regimes were recreated in no-tillage and conventional tillage plots at the Stiles Farm Foundation in Thrall, Texas. The index nomenclature included: "Dry-Workable", "Optimal" and "Wet-Workable". After planting corn and cotton into conventional and no tillage plots, 0.45 x 0.20 x 0.15 m intact soil blocks were removed from each plot and kept in a controlled environment. At 28 days, each block was destructively harvested to quantify plant root and shoot growth responses. Each of the three soil moisture indexes was replicated thrice per crop, and the whole experiment was replicated twice in time, n = 48 blocks. The trafficability index was created using three producer experts, and over 10 interviews to collect a range in soil moisture samples. From "Wet Workable" to "Dry Workable", the gravimetric soil moistures were 0.17, 0.22, and 0.26 g g-1. For corn and cotton, a positive relationship between plant growth factors and planting at soil moisture existed. Plants planted at the highest soil moisture emerged faster and developed more root and shoot biomass than those planted at the lowest soil moisture. No evidence of a detrimental plant response because of seed furrow, sidewall compaction from planting at too high a soil moisture content could be quantified. Furthermore, the cotton plants in no-tillage performed better than in conventional tillage, but corn performed better in conventional tillage. Because the results showed an advantage to plant growth by planting in the "Wet Workable" index, the tillage practice that allows the producer to enter the field with a planter at higher moisture contents appears to have an advantage.Item Development of a Low NOx Burner System for Coal Fired Power Plants Using Coal and Biomass Blends(2010-01-16) Gomez, Patsky O.The low NOx burner (LNB) is the most cost effective technology used in coal-fired power plants to reduce NOx. Conventional (unstaged) burners use primary air for transporting particles and swirling secondary air to create recirculation of hot gases. LNB uses staged air (dividing total air into primary, secondary and tertiary air) to control fuel bound nitrogen from mixing early and oxidizing to NOx; it can also limit thermal NOx by reducing peak flame temperatures. Previous research at Texas A&M University (TAMU) demonstrated that cofiring coal with feedlot biomass (FB) in conventional burners produced lower or similar levels of NOx but increased CO. The present research deals with i) construction of a small scale 29.31 kW (100,000 BTU/hr) LNB facility, ii) evaluation of firing Wyoming (WYO) coal as the base case coal and cofiring WYO and dairy biomass (DB) blends, and iii) evaluating the effects of staging on NOx and CO. Ultimate and Proximate analysis revealed that WYO and low ash, partially composted, dairy biomass (LA-PC-DB-SepS) had the following heat values and empirical formulas: CH0.6992N0.0122O0.1822S0.00217 and CH_1.2554N_0.0470O_0.3965S_0.00457. The WYO contained 3.10 kg of Ash/GJ, 15.66 kg of VM/GJ, 0.36 kg of N/GJ, and 6.21 kg of O/GJ while LA-PC-DB-SepS contained 11.57 kg of Ash/GJ, 36.50 kg of VM/GJ, 1.50 kg of N/GJ, and 14.48 kg of O/GJ. The construction of a LNB nozzle capable of providing primary, swirled secondary and swirled tertiary air for staging was completed. The reactor provides a maximum residence time of 1.8 seconds under hot flow conditions. WYO and DB were blended on a mass basis for the following blends: 95:5, 90:10, 85:15, and 80:20. Results from firing pure WYO showed that air staging caused a slight decrease of NOx in lean regions (equivalence ratio, greater than or equal to 1.0) but an increase of CO in rich regions (=1.2). For unstaged combustion, cofiring resulted in most fuel blends showing similar NOx emissions to WYO. Staged cofiring resulted in a 12% NOx increase in rich regions while producing similar to slightly lower amounts of NOx in lean regions. One conclusion is that there exists a strong inverse relationship between NOx and CO emissions.Item Development of a Segregated Municipal Solid Waste Gasification System for Electrical Power Generation(2013-04-11) Maglinao, Amado LatayanGasification technologies are expected to play a key role in the future of solid waste management since the conversion of municipal and industrial solid wastes to a gaseous fuel significantly increases its value. Municipal solid waste (MSW) gasification for electrical power generation was conducted in a fluidized bed gasifier and the feasibility of using a control system was evaluated to facilitate its management and operation. The performance of an engine using the gas produced was evaluated. A procedure was also tested to upgrade the quality of the gas and optimize its production. The devices installed and automated control system developed was able to achieve and maintain the set conditions for optimum gasification. The most important parameters of reaction temperature and equivalence ratio were fully controlled. Gas production went at a rate of 4.00 kg min-1 with a yield of 2.78 m3 kg-1 of fuel and a heating value (HV) of 7.94 MJ Nm-3. Within the set limits of the tests, the highest production of synthesis gas and the net heating value of 8.97 MJ Nm-3 resulted from gasification at 725?C and ER of 0.25 which was very close to the predicted value of 7.47 MJ Nm-3. This was not affected by temperature but significantly affected by the equivalence ratio. The overall engine-generator efficiency at 7.5 kW electrical power load was lower at 19.81% for gasoline fueled engine compared to 35.27% for synthesis gas. The pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system increased the net heating value of the product gas by an average of 38% gas over that of inlet gas. There were no traces of carbon dioxide in the product gas indicating that it had been completely adsorbed by the system. MSW showed relatively lower fouling and slagging tendencies than cotton gin trash (CGT) and dairy manure (DM). This was further supported by the compressive strength measurements of the ash of MSW, CGT and DM and the EDS elemental analysis of the MSW ash.Item Ecological and evolutionary analyses of range limits and biodiversity patterns(2011-12) Behrman, Kathrine Delany; Keitt, Timothy H.; Kirkpatrick, Mark, 1956-The goal of this dissertation is to further our understanding of how spatially heterogeneous landscapes may impact the formation of range boundaries that then aggregate to form large-scale biodiversity patterns. These patterns have been analyzed from many different perspectives by ecologists, evolutionary biologist, and physiologists using a variety of different theoretical, statistical, and mechanistic models. For some species, there is an obvious abrupt change in the environment causing a range boundary. Other environments change gradually, and it is unclear why species fail to adapt and expand their range. The first chapter develops a novel theoretical model of how the establishment of new mutations allows for adaptation to an environmental gradient, when there is no genetic variation for the trait that limits the range. Shallow environmental gradients favor mutations that arise nearer to the range margin, have smaller phenotypic effects, and allow for proportionately larger expansions than steep gradients. Mutations that allow for range expansion tend to have large phenotypic effects causing substantial range expansions. Spatial and temporal variation in climatic and environmental variables is important for understanding species response to climate change. The second chapter uses a mechanistic model to simulate switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) productivity across the central and eastern U.S. for current and future climate conditions. Florida and the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana have the highest predicted current and future yields. Regions where future temperature and precipitation are anticipated to increase, larger future yields are expected. Large-scale geographic patterns of biodiversity are documented for many taxa. The mechanisms allowing for the coexistence of more of species in certain regions are poorly understood. The third chapter employs a newly developed wavelet lifting technique to extract scale-dependent patterns from irregularly spaced two-dimensional ecological data and analyzes the relationship between breeding avian richness and four energy variables. Evapotranspiration, temperature, and precipitation are significant predictors of richness at intermediate-to-large scales. Net primary production is the only significant predictor across small-to-large scales, and explains the most variation in richness (~40%) at an intermediate scale. Changes in the species-energy relationship with scale, may indicate a shift in the mechanism governing species richness.Item Effect of Co-Firing Torrefied Woody Biomass with Coal in a 30 kWt Downfired Burner(2014-04-25) Thanapal, Siva SMesquite and juniper can be beneficially utilized for gasification and combustion applications. Torrefaction has been considered to be one of the thermal pretreatment options to improve the chemical (e.g. heat content) and physical (e.g. grindability) properties of raw biomass. A simple three component parallel reaction model (TCM) was formulated to study the effect of heating rate, temperature, residence time and type of biomass on torrefaction process. Typically inert environment (e.g. N_(2), He, Ar) is maintained to prevent oxidation of biomass during torrefaction. A novel method for utilization of carbon dioxide as the pretreatment medium for woody biomass has been investigated in the current study. Both raw and the torrefied biomass (TB) were pyrolyzed using TGA under N_(2). The TB fuels were also fired with coal in a 30 kWt downfired burner to study the NOx emission. In addition, tests were also done using raw biomass (RB) (mesquite and juniper) blended with coal and compared with results obtained from cofiring TB with coal. A zero dimensional model has been developed to predict the combustion performance of cofired fuels. The results are as follows. TGA studies yielded global kinetics based on maximum volatile release (MVR) method. TCM predicts higher loss of hemicellulose upon torrefaction when compared to the other components, cellulose and lignin resulting in improved heat values of TB. Comparable mass loss at lower temperatures, improved grindability, and improved fuel properties were observed upon using CO_(2) as the torrefaction medium. Co-firing 10% by mass of raw mesquite with coal reduced the NOx emission from 420 ppm to 280 ppm for an Equivalence ratio (ER) of 0.9. Further cofiring TB with coal reduced the NOx emission by 10% when compared to base case NOx emission from combustion of pure PRB coal. NOx emission decreased with increase in equivalence ratio. In addition, a term used in the biological literature, respiratory quotient (RQ), is applied to fossil and biomass fuels to rank the potential of fuels to produce carbon dioxide during oxidation process. Lesser the value of ?RQ? of a fuel, lower the global warming potential.Item Modeling and Optimization of a Bioethanol Production Facility(2011-10-21) Gabriel, Kerron JudeThe primary objective of this work is to identify the optimal bioethanol production plant capacity and configuration based on currently available technology for all the processing sections involved. To effect this study, a systematic method is utilized which involves the development of a superstructure for the overall technology selection, process simulation and model regression of each processing step as well as equipment costing and overall economic evaluation. The developed optimization model is also designed to incorporate various biomass feedstocks as well as realistic maximum equipment sizing thereby ensuring pragmatism of the work. For this study, the criterion for optimization is minimum ethanol price. The secondary and more interesting aim of this work was to develop a systematic method for evaluating the economics of biomass storage due to seasonal availabilities. In essence, a mathematical model was developed to link seasonal availabilities with plant capacity with subsequent integration into the original model developed. Similarly, the criterion for optimization is minimum ethanol price. The results of this work reveal that the optimal bioethanol production plant capacity is ~2800 MT biomass/day utilizing Ammonia Fiber Explosion pretreatment technology and corn stover as the preferred biomass feedstock. This configuration provides a minimum ethanol price of $1.96/gal. Results also show that this optimal pretreatment choice has a relatively high sensitivity to chemical cost thereby increasing the risk of implementation. Secondary to this optimal selection was lime pretreatment using switchgrass which showed a fairly stable sensitivity to market chemical cost. For the storage economics evaluation, results indicated that biomass storage is not economical beyond a plant capacity of ~98 MMgal/yr with an average biomass shortage period of 3 months. The study also showed that for storage to be economical at all plant capacities, the storage scheme employed should be general open air land use with a corresponding biomass loss rate as defined in the study of 0.5 percent per month.Item Modeling, Optimization and Economic Evaluation of Residual Biomass Gasification(2012-02-14) Georgeson, AdamGasification is a thermo-chemical process which transforms biomass into valuable synthesis gas. Integrated with a biorefinery it can address the facility?s residue handling challenges and input demands. A number of feedstock, technology, oxidizer and product options are available for gasification along with combinations thereof. The objective of this work is to create a systematic method for optimizing the design of a residual biomass gasification unit. In detail, this work involves development of an optimization superstructure, creation of a biorefining scenario, process simulation, equipment sizing & costing, economic evaluation and optimization. The superstructure accommodates different feedstocks, reactor technologies, syngas cleaning options and final processing options. The criterion for optimization is annual worth. A biorefining scenario for the production of renewable diesel fuel from seed oil is developed; gasification receives the residues from this biorefinery. Availability of Soybeans, Jatropha, Chinese Tallow and woody biomass material is set by land use within a 50-mile radius. Four reactor technologies are considered, based on oxidizer type and operating pressure, along with three syngas cleaning methods and five processing options. Results show that residual gasification is profitable for large-scale biorefineries with the proper configuration. Low-pressure air gasification with filters, water-gas shift and hydrogen separation is the most advantageous combination of technology and product with an annual worth of $9.1 MM and a return on investment of 10.7 percent. Low-pressure air gasification with filters and methanol synthesis is the second most advantageous combination with an annual worth of $9.0 MM. Gasification is more economic for residue processing than combustion or disposal, and it competes well with natural gas-based methanol synthesis. However, it is less economic than steam-methane reforming of natural gas to hydrogen. Carbon dioxide credits contribute to profitability, affecting some configurations more than others. A carbon dioxide credit of $33/t makes the process competitive with conventional oil and gas development. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates a 10 percent change in hydrogen or electricity price results in a change to the optimal configuration of the unit. Accurate assessment of future commodity prices is critical to maximizing profitability.Item Nitrogen oxides emission control through reburning with biomass in coal-fired power plants(Texas A&M University, 2005-02-17) Arumugam, SenthilvasanOxides of nitrogen from coal-fired power stations are considered to be major pollutants, and there is increasing concern for regulating air quality and offsetting the emissions generated from the use of energy. Reburning is an in-furnace, combustion control technology for NOx reduction. Another environmental issue that needs to be addressed is the rapidly growing feedlot industry in the United States. The production of biomass from one or more animal species is in excess of what can safely be applied to farmland in accordance with nutrient management plans and stockpiled waste poses economic and environmental liabilities. In the present study, the feasibility of using biomass as a reburn fuel in existing coal-fired power plants is considered. It is expected to utilize biomass as a low-cost, substitute fuel and an agent to control emission. The successful development of this technology will create environment-friendly, low cost fuel source for the power industry, provide means for an alternate method of disposal of biomass, and generate a possible revenue source for feedlot operators. In the present study, the effect of coal, cattle manure or feedlot biomass, and blends of biomass with coal on the ability to reduce NOx were investigated in the Texas A&M University 29.31 kW (100,000 Btu/h) reburning facility. The facility used a mixture of propane and ammonia to generate the 600 ppm NOx in the primary zone. The reburn fuel was injected using air. The stoichiometry tested were 1.00 to 1.20 in the reburn zone. Two types of injectors, circular jet and fan spray injectors, which produce different types of mixing within the reburn zone, were studied to find their effect on NOx emissions reduction. The flat spray injector performed better in all cases. With the injection of biomass as reburn fuel with circular jet injector the maximum NOx reduction was 29.9 % and with flat spray injector was 62.2 %. The mixing time was estimated in model set up as 936 and 407 ms. The maximum NOx reduction observed with coal was 14.4 % and with biomass it was 62.2 % and the reduction with blends lay between that of coal and biomass.Item NOx reduction with the use of feedlot biomass as a reburn fuel(2009-05-15) Goughnour, Paul GordonCoal fired power plants produce NOx at unacceptable levels. In order to control these emissions without major modifications to the burners, additional fuel called reburn fuel is fired under rich conditions (10-30 % by heat) after the coal burners. Additional air called overfire air (about 20 % of total air) is injected in order to complete combustion. Typically reburn fuel is natural gas (NG). From previous research at TAMU, it was found that firing feedlot biomass (FB) as reburn fuel lowers the NOx emission at significant levels compared to NG. The present research was conducted to determine the optimum operating conditions for the reduction of NOx. Experiments were performed in a small scale 29.3 kW (100,000 BTU/hr) reactor using low ash partially composted FB (LA PC FB) with equivalence ratio ranging from 1 to 1.15. The results of these experiments show that NOx levels can be reduced by as much as 90% - 95 % when firing pure LA PC FB and results are almost independent of. The reburn fuel was injected with normal air and then vitiated air (12.5 % O2); further the angles of reburn injector were set normal to the main gas flow and at 45-degrees upward. For LA PC FB no significant changes were observed; but high ash PC FB revealed better reductions with 45-degrees injector and vitiated air. This new technology has the potential to reduce NOx emissions in coal fired boilers located near cattle feedlots and also relieves the cattle industry of the waste.Item Physical and Chemical Characteristics of High-Tonnage Sorghum for an Extended Biomass Harvesting Season and Storage(2013-05-06) Hartley, BrandonIncreasing differences in United States energy consumption and production has influenced the passing of legislation for biomass fuel production. To determine feasibility of energy crops for alternative fuels, research is needed to investigate dry matter yield over an extended harvest season; physical characteristics need to be described for potential harvesting problems; chemical characteristics described to identify selective harvest potential, optimal harvest timing, losses during harvest and storage; various harvest techniques investigated to identify potential cost savings; and impact of various storage techniques on quantity and quality of deliverable biomass. This study investigated the use of two sorghum varieties as a potential bioenergy feedstock where 20 ha were planted for three years. Standing crop samples were collected from August through January to document changes in dry matter yield, moisture, height, fiber content, proximate and ultimate analysis. The sorghum was cut and conditioned ? as a two-cutting ratoon or single-cutting ? using various mower-conditioners and windrow samples taken daily to determine best method of field drying, quantify dry matter loss and soil entrainment. Two storage methods were utilized ? baling with wrapping in a tubeline, and chopping and compressing in bag using a modified cotton module builder ? to determine best method of storage for reduced dry matter loss. The optimal time of harvest for maximum dry matter occurred with the November once-cut where 30 Mg ha^-1 was documented, but comparable yields were observed with the two-cutting scenario. Fiber content increased with maturity, peaked, and declined, while ash content and moisture decreased with maturity. The achievement of 55% moisture in January shows field curing to be necessary for transportation at any significant distance, but soil entrainment ? as measured by ash concentration ? was not found to be a significant problem after conditioning, multiple windrow inversions, and harvesting. The geometric mean length of particle was determined to be 1.4 to 3.7 times lower than nominal chop length, indicating potential cost savings in comminution. Dry matter loss estimates during storage proved difficult due to mobility of moisture throughout the packages, where losses were documented up to 40%. Module packages tended to have lower dry matter and constituent losses than bales.Item Potential value extraction from TxDOT’s right of way and other property assets(2011-12) Paes, Thiago Mesquita; Prozzi, Jolanda; Caldas, Carlos H.Many Departments of Transportation (DOTs), including Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), have been challenged by inadequate funding from traditional federal and state fuel taxes, increasing construction cost, aging highway system, traffic congestions, and recent natural disasters, compromising their primary mission to provide safe vehicle transportation routes with adequate capacity. Furthermore, environmental awareness and sustainability concept have strengthened and sparked debates in Congress, culminating with several regulatory policies that affect, inclusively, transportation projects. This scenario has prompted DOTs to pursue innovative ways to reduce maintenance cost (at minimum) and generate revenue (at maximum) exploiting their assets, and to meet the new regulations. Likewise, the Center of Transportation Research at The University of Texas at Austin undertook a comprehensive research study to identify and determine when, where, and under what circumstances TxDOT should pursue the implementation of which Value Extraction Application (VEA), and how to effectively recognize and involve key stakeholders. As a result, 11 VEAs were identified. In addition, a methodological framework – embedding a multi-attribute criteria analysis matrix as the decision making method - was devised to guide TxDOT throughout the process of identifying, evaluating, comparing, and selecting the most appropriate VEA while a list of stakeholders associated with each VEA and a stakeholder analysis framework was provided to help TxDOT to identify and reach out key stakeholders.Item Production and soil effects of sorghum biofuel cropping systems in semiarid marginal regions(2012-05) Cotton, Jon; Moore-Kucera, Jennifer; Acosta-Martinez, Veronica; Burow, Gloria B.; Wester, David B.In order to meet the growing demands for food, fiber, and biofuels, land management decisions will require identification of lands most suitable for each crop. Biofuel production that occurs on lands otherwise constrained for other intensive agricultural production by soil or water limitations (i.e., marginal lands) may not only meet some of these demands but, if managed properly, may also help improve soil function. For large-scale application to be sustainable, identification of crop type most efficient for feedstock production as well as impacts on soil and water resources are necessary. In this study, forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) cropping systems were initiated in the semiarid Southern High Plains (SHP) of the U.S. to evaluate potential biofuel production and potential benefits on soils that are depleted of organic matter (< 0.7%) due to previous cropping history. Systems consisted of two sorghum cultivars (Sorghum Partners 1990 = SP 1990 and PaceSetter bmr = PS bmr) differing in lignin content due to brown midrib trait (bmr-12) that were tested under two different water levels (non-irrigated or deficit irrigation of 2.88 mm day-1), and biomass removal rate treatments of 50% and 100%. Forage sorghum SP1990 (non bmr) produced significantly higher weight and volumes of biomass than PS bmr under both deficit irrigation and no irrigation in the two years of study. However, PS bmr biomass was converted into ethanol (EtOH) 54% more efficiently during both years. When below average precipitation occurred during the first year of the study, both cultivars produced similar amounts of EtOH at each irrigation level (1,600 to 3,380 L ha-1). When higher than average precipitation occurred during the second year, higher biomass production of SP 1990 resulted in more EtOH production than PS bmr (3,380 vs. 2,640 L ha-1). Irrigation resulted in 26-49% more biomass and 28-72% more EtOH production during both growing seasons, indicating that non-irrigated production resulted in deficit water conditions regardless of precipitation. Overall EtOH production ranged from 1,600 to 3,380 L ha-1 during both years of the study. Changes in soil microbial properties (0-10 cm), known to be sensitive econsensors, were measured during the two year transition from previous long-term cotton cropping systems to the sorghum biofuel cropping systems. Increases in microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN) (16-17%) and differences in fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles were observed after one growing season. Additionally, soil enzyme activities (EAs) targeting C, N, P, and S increased 15-75% after two growing seasons. Increases in EAs 16-19%) and differences in FAME profiles were seen due to the irrigation treatment, which may be due to the increase in belowground biomass production even under deficit irrigation. When biomass was not fully removed (50% removal treatment), increases in MBC and MBN (11-15%), b-glucosidase (C cycling) and alkaline phosphatase (P cycling) (12-22%) occurred, which is likely attributed to the protection of the soil surface from aeolian erosion provided by the surface residue. The cultivars tested, which produced biomass with different chemical composition, had little effect on the soil microbial properties measured during the time frame of this study. This study indicates that chemical modifications and biomass yield potential are critical factors when selecting sorghum characteristics for use as biofuel feedstocks under marginal water-deficit conditions. These cropping systems also have the potential to improve sandy, low organic matter soils in this semiarid region, as was shown by increases in microbial biomass and soil functionality indicated by EAs after only two growing seasons. Early results from this study suggest sorghum biofuel cropping systems can be a sustainable practice for marginal lands in the SHP; however, tracking of long-term changes are necessary to fully evaluate effects. It is hypothesized that soil properties will continue to improve, especially in the lower biomass removal level as more above-ground biomass will be incorporated and decomposed. It is unclear how the chemical composition of biomass from different sorghum cultivars will impact soil properties but differences in organic matter accumulation and enhanced biochemical cycling are possible. Finally, additional research on incorporating biofuel production into traditional cotton production, along with the evaluation of novel sorghum cultivars specifically bred for use as feedstock, are important focuses for the application of biofuel production in the semiarid SHP.Item Radiant and thermal energy transport in planktonic and benthic algae systems for sustainable biofuel production(2011-05) Murphy, Thomas Eugene; Berberoglu, Halil; Howell, John R.Biofuel production from microalgal biomass offers a clean and sustainable liquid fuel alternative to fossil fuels. In addition, algae cultivation is advantageous over traditional biofuel feedstocks as (i) it does not compete with food production, (ii) it potentially has a much greater areal productivity, (iii) it does not require arable land, and (iv) it can use marginal sources of water not suitable for irrigation or drinking. However, current algae cultivation technologies suffer from (i) low solar energy conversion effiencies, (ii) large thermal fluctuations which negatively affect the productivity, and (iii) large evaporative losses which make the process highly water intensive. This thesis reports a numerical study that address these key issues of planktonic as well as benthic algal photobioreactor technologies. First, radiant energy transfer in planktonic algal photobioreactors containing cells with different levels of pigmentation was studied. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and its truncated chlorophyll antenna transformant tla1 were used as model organisms. Based on these simulations guidelines are derived for scaling the size and microorganism concentration of photobioreactors cultivating cells with different levels of pigmentation to achieve maximum photosynthetic productivity. To achieve this, the local irradiance obtained from the solution of the radiative transport equation (RTE) was coupled with the specific photosynthetic rates of the microorganisms to predict both the local and total photosynthetic rates in a photobioreactor. For irradiances less than 50 W/m2, the use of genetically modified strains with reduced pigmentation was shown to have negligible effect on increasing photobioreactor productivity. However, at irradiances up to 1000 W/m2, improvements of up to 30% were possible with cells having 63% less pigment concentration. It was determined that the ability of tla1 to transmit light deeper into the photobioreactor was the primary mechanism by which a photobioreactor using the modified strain can achieve greater productivity. Furthermore, it was determined photobioreactors using each strain have dead zones in which the local photosynthetic rate is negligible due to nearly complete light attenuation. These dead zones occur at local optical thicknesses greater than 169 and 275 in photobioreactors using the wild strain and the genetically modified strain, respectively. In addition, a thermal model of an algae biofilm photobioreactor was developed to assess the thermal fluctuations and evaporative loss rate of these novel photobioreactors under varying outdoor conditions. The model took into account air temperature, irradiance, relative humidity, and wind speed as inputs and computed the temperature and evaporative loss rate as a function of time and location in the photobioreactor. The model was run for a week-long period in each season using weather data from Memphis, TN. The range of the daily algae temperature variation was observed to be 13.2C, 12.4C, 12.8C, and 9.4C in the spring, summer, winter, and fall, respectively. Furthermore, without active cooling, the characteristic evaporative water loss from the system is approximately 6.3 L/m2-day, 7.0 L/m2-day, 4.9 L/m2-day, and 1.5 L/m2-day in the spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively.Item Radiometric calibration of high resolution UAVSAR data over hilly, forested terrain(2010-12) Riel, Bryan Valmote; Buckley, Sean M.; Simard, MarcSAR backscatter data contain both geometric and radiometric distortions due to underlying topography and the radar viewing geometry. Thus, applications using SAR backscatter data for deriving various scientific products (e.g. above ground biomass) require accurate absolute radiometric calibration. The calibration process involves estimation of the local radar scattering area through knowledge of the imaged terrain, which is often obtained through DEMs. High resolution UAVSAR data over a New Hampshire boreal forest test site was radiometrically calibrated using a low resolution SRTM DEM, and different calibration methods were tested and compared. Heteromorphic methods utilizing DEM integration are able to model scattering area better than homomorphic methods based on the local incidence or projection angle with a resultant backscatter calibration difference of less than 0.5 dB. Additionally, the impact of low DEM resolution on the calibration was investigated through a Fourier analysis of different topographic classes. Power spectra of high-resolution airborne lidar DEMs were used to characterize the topography of steep, moderate, and flat terrain. Thus, errors for a given low resolution DEM associated with a particular topographic class could be quantified through a comparison of its power spectrum with that from the lidar. These errors were validated by comparing DEM slope derived from SRTM and lidar DEMs. The impact of radiometric calibration on the biomass retrieval capabilities of UAVSAR data was investigated by fitting second-order polynomials to backscatter vs. biomass plots for the HH, HV, and VV polarizations. LVIS RH50 values were used to calculate biomass, and the process was repeated for both uncalibrated and area calibrated UAVSAR images. The calibration improved the $R^2$ values for the polynomial fits by 0.7-0.8 for all three polarizations but had little effect on the polynomial coefficients. The Fourier method for predicting DEM errors was used to predict biomass errors due to the calibration. It was revealed that the greatest errors occurred in the near range of the SAR image and on slopes facing towards the radar.Item Reburning renewable biomass for emissions control and ash deposition effects in power generation(2009-05-15) Oh, Hyuk JinCattle biomass (CB) has been proposed as a renewable, supplementary fuel for co-firing and reburning. Reburning coal with CB has the potential to reduce NOx and Hg emissions from coal fired systems. The present research focuses on three areas of combustion: 1) Biomass reburning experiments are conducted to determine the optimum operating conditions for the NOx reduction using blends of coal and CB as reburn fuels. 2) Since CB contains higher ash contents compared to coals, the fouling behavior is also investigated under the transient and short-time operation. 3) Finally CB contains higher Cl compared to coals, which oxidizes Hg to HgCl2. To understand the Hg oxidation behavior, a fundamental study of Hg oxidation in coal combustion is conducted using a plug flow reactor (PFR). The main parameters investigated are types of the reburn fuel, reburn equivalence ratios (ERRBZ), O2 concentrations in the reburn gas, injection angles of the reburn fuel, cross-sectional geometries of the reburn nozzles, symmetric and asymmetric reburn injections, reburn heat inputs, baseline NOx concentrations, and presence and absence of the heat exchangers (HEX). The results of reburning show that CB is a very effective fuel in NOx reduction, and the extent of NOx reduction is strongly dependent to the ERRBZ. The optimum conditions of the boiler operation for biomass reburning are as follows: ERRBZ = 1.1, 45? upward circular reburn nozzles, 12.5% O2 in the reburn gas, symmetric injection, and presence of HEXs. To make an effective reburn process, the baseline NOx concentrations must be higher than 230 g/GJ (0.5 lb/mmBTU) and the reburn heat input higher than 20%. The results of ash fouling show the presence of ash in the hotter region of the furnace seems to promote heat radiation thus augmenting the heat transfer to the HEX. The growth of the layer of ash depositions over longer periods typically lowers overall heat transfer coefficients. The addition of HCl to Hg containing gases in the PFR significantly increases Hg oxidations. The addition of NO inhibited the overall reaction and shifted the reaction temperature higher while the addition of O2 promoted Hg oxidations and lowered the reaction temperature. For heterogeneous cases, the use of the VWT catalyst promotes the reduction of Hg0 and shifted the reaction temperatures lower than those for homogeneous cases.