Biochar for wastewater treatment, both municipal and industrial, is a good alternative as such multistage process accommodates a constantly changing influent. One of the most critical steps in the process is the aeration basin in which microbes work in conjunction with an adsorptive media such as biochar. Biochar’s porosity makes it ideally suited to this…
Biogas from Landfills? A permanent fixture in today’s world, landfills typically have been open pit repositories for local waste, and in some cases, retired, and covered. However, the biological reactions in these landfills create a marketable biogas that can be useful to the owner. However, the consideration of taking a raw biogas from landfills and…
Genetically modified trees have been extensively academically explored as ideal feedstocks for pulp/paper and cellulosic ethanol. Novel trees include modifications that increase cellulose content, reduce lignin content, and even change lignin monolignol ratios. However, companies considering investing in these engineered managed forests need to examine technoeconomic feasibility prior to adoption. Specific attention to regulations, site…
Process development -leading a process from bench-scale optimization and characterization through scale-up to piloting and commercialization requires a variety of knowledge and skills for the process development engineer and scientist. Beyond core competencies (e.g. chemistry, thermodynamics, mass and energy balances, etc.) of those that work in process development teams, there are additional skills that help…
Agricultural Feedstocks for the renewable energy industry include starch and sugar crops (e.g., corn, sorghum), grass crops (e.g., switch grass, miscanthus), oil crops (e.g., soybean, sunflowers), and crop residues (e.g., corn stover, corn cobs, nut shells). Agricultural feedstocks can create sustainable paths by using marginal croplands to generate energy products, and by adding value or…
Forest biomaterials are a class of solid materials derived from trees and shrubs. Forest biomaterials are a source of renewable products that offer many benefits in terms of abundance, low density, strength, cost, easily shaped or used, and performance. Obvious examples include building products, furniture and paper board, but the list also includes high-tech materials,…
A stage gate approach (also known as a phase-gate or waterfall approach) is a common project management technique in which a project is divided into phases or stages that are separated by decision making points known as gates). At each “gate” the decision is made as to whether to stop, move forward with the existing scope, schedule,…
Renewable Jet Fuel? Having flown the “heavy iron” for more than thirty (30) years, I can state with full confidence that there are only three (3) very important questions pilots have about Jet Fuel: #1. Is it good quality fuel? #2. Do we have enough? #3. How much does it weigh? Everything else is more…