Anaerobic Digesters in the U.S.? The average price of methane (GNG) around the world hit 2.94 U.S. Dollar per U.S. gallon, as of October 5, 2020 and in 3 days it increased 10%. This commodity…
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Optimum Aspect Ratio for a Fermenter
What is the optimum aspect ratio (or height/diameter ratio) is for a fermenter? The best answer is “it depends”. There is simply no universal optimum. The best design is worked on a case-by-case basis. We…
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Financial Due Diligence in Renewable Energy
Financial due diligence is an important step for securing financial backing. Most renewable energy projects and technology proposals will receive money from investors, financial institutions, or grant makers only after they pass the scrutiny of…
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Process Development: Bench to Commercialization
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,…
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More Rubber Extraction Refineries Coming?
Are more rubber extraction refineries in our future? In 2004, the History Channel broadcast a Modern Marvels Special on Natural Rubber. My favorite quote from that special is “Our four most important natural resources are…
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Organic Acids: Key Facilitators of the Bio-economy
Organic Acids: Key Facilitators of the Bio-economy? Recent declines in oil prices and the failure of start-up biofuel processes to meet production cost targets have increased the interest in producing value added chemicals from biomass…
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COVID Impact on Pollution
How has COVID impacted pollution? When history examines the 2020 impact of COVID 19, we believe it will show the pandemic as at least a bit of a mixed blessing. What we believe history will…
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Integrated Energy Planning
As the name implies, integrated energy planning involves the integration of different sectors of energy like petroleum, coal, natural gas, and renewables – normally to produce electricity, heat or transportation fuels. Integrated energy planning includes…
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Hot Prospects for Chemicals from Biomass
Chemicals from Biomass? A major theme of 21st Century industrial development will be replacement of fossil resources by renewable resources in the production of fuels and chemicals. Due to their massive scale and cost, the…
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Advanced Fermentation Agitation with Methanotrophs and Other Organisms
By Gregory T. Benz, Lee Enterprises Consulting Introduction Advanced fermentation processes, both aerobic and anaerobic, have been successful on an industrial scale for quite a long time, producing a wide variety of products. In most of…
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