Dry mill ethanol plants have traditionally used natural gas as the process fuel for production. Natural gas is used to raise steam for mash cooking, distillation, and evaporation. It is also used directly in DGS dryers and in thermal oxidizers that destroy the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the dryer exhaust.The industry has made great progress in reducing energy consumption since its start in the 1980s; to produce a gallon of ethanol, today's dry mill plants only use about half of the energy used by the earliest plants. Still, natural gas prices are on the rise, and energy costs are second only to raw material costs in the dry mill process. These factors are driving the industry to undertake further efforts to reduce energy use, or to switch from natural gas to other fuels such as coal, wood chips, or even the use of DGS and other process byproducts.

Dry mill ethanol plants have traditionally used natural gas as the process fuel for production. Natural gas is used to raise steam for mash cooking, distillation, and evaporation. It is also used directly in DGS dryers and in thermal oxidizers that destroy the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the dryer exhaust. The industry has made great progress in reducing energy consumption since its start in the 1980s; to produce a gallon of ethanol, today's dry mill plants only use about half of the energy used by the earliest plants. Still, natural gas prices are on the rise, and energy costs are second only to raw material costs in the dry mill process. These factors are driving the industry to undertake further efforts to reduce energy use, or to switch from natural gas to other fuels such as coal, wood chips, or even the use of DGS and other process byproducts.

EPA/600/R-10/183F. Concludes that the extent of negative impacsts to date are limited in magnitude and are primarily associated with the intensification of corn production.

While strides are being made in the research and development of environmentally acceptable and more sustainable alternative fuels—including efforts to reduce emissions of air pollutants associated with combustion processes from electric power generation and vehicular transportation—fossil fuel resources are limited and may soon be on the verge of depletion in the near future. Measuring the correlation between quality of life, energy consumption, and the efficient utilization of energy, the Handbook of Alternative Fuel Technologies, Second Edition thoroughly examines the science and technology of alternative fuels and their processing technologies. It focuses specifically on environmental, technoeconomic, and socioeconomic issues associated with the use of alternative energy sources, such as sustainability, applicable technologies, modes of utilization, and impacts on society. Written with research and development scientists and engineers in mind, the material in this handbook provides a detailed description and an assessment of available and feasible technologies, environmental health and safety issues, governmental regulations, and issues and agendas for R&D. It also includes alternative energy networks for production, distribution, and consumption. What’s New in This Edition: Contains several new chapters of emerging interest and updates various chapters throughout Includes coverage of coal gasification and liquefaction, hydrogen technology and safety, shale fuel by hydraulic fracturing, ethanol from lignocellulosics, biodiesel, algae fuels, and energy from waste products Covers statistics, current concerns, and future trends A single-volume complete reference, the Handbook of Alternative Fuel Technologies, Second Edition contains relevant information on chemistry, technology, and novel approaches, as well as scientific foundations for further enhancements and breakthroughs. In addition to its purposes as a handbook for practicing scientists and engineers, it can also be used as a textbook or as a reference book on fuel science and engineering, energy and environment, chemical process design, and energy and environmental policy.

The newest addition to the Green Chemistry and Chemical Engineering series from CRC Press, Biofuels and Bioenergy: Processes and Technologies provides a succinct but in-depth introduction to methods of development and use of biofuels and bioenergy. The book illustrates their great appeal as tools for solving the economic and environmental challenges associated with achieving energy sustainability and independence through the use of clean, renewable alternative energy. Taking a process engineering approach rooted in the fuel and petrochemical fields, this book masterfully integrates coverage of current conventional processes and emerging techniques. Topics covered include: Characterization and analysis of biofuels Process economics Chemistry of process conversion Process engineering and design and associated environmental technologies Energy balances and efficiencies Reactor designs and process configurations Energy materials and process equipment Integration with other conventional fossil fuel processes Byproduct utilization Governmental regulations and policies and global trends After an overview of the subject, the book discusses crop oils, biodiesel, and algae fuels. It examines ethanol from corn and from lignocelluloses and then explores fast pyrolysis and gasification of biomass. Discussing the future of biofuel production, it also describes the conversion of waste to biofuels, bioproducts, and bioenergy and concludes with a discussion of mixed feedstock. Written for readers with college-level backgrounds in chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering, this reference explores the science and technology involved in developing biofuels and bioenergy. It addresses the application of these and other disciplines, covering key issues of special interest to fuel process engineers, fuel scientists, and energy technologists, among others.