Switchgrass to Ethanol Production

1
Switchgrass to Ethanol Production

• John Pangle
• April 12, 2007

2
Outline

• Introduction
• Benefits of Switchgrass
• Problems
• Ethanol Fuel Energy Balance
• Conclusions

3
Introduction

• Ethanol is a biofuel
• A form of stored solar energy
• Combined with gasoline to reduce fossil fuel
  consumption
• Most cars in the U.S. can operate with a mixture
  of 10 ethanol
• Flex fuel vehicles

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Introduction

• Warm season grass
• Can be grown in most agricultural regions of
  North America
• Grows 6 to 7 foot tall

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Benefits of Switchgrass

• Help the US become less dependant on foreign oil
• Provide more business for American farmers
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

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Benefits of Switchgrass

• Reduces soil erosion
• Improves wildlife habitat
• Can be co-produced for animal feed
• Improves carbon sequestration in farm soils

• Durable
• Moisture efficient
• Low Maintenance
• High Yield
• High energy conversion efficiency

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Yields of Common Crops
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Problems

• Requires a large energy input to process into
  ethanol
• Requires a huge increase in industrialized
  farming
• Could provoke farmers to grow switchgrass instead
  of other crops

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Ethanol Fuel Energy Balance

• Some research claims that switchgrass has a
  negative EFEB, requiring 45 percent more fossil
  energy than the fuel produced
• Other research has found that for every unit of
  energy input, switchgrass yields four units out
• It is better to evaluate the fuels effects by
  comparing it with the fuel it replaces

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Research in Ethanol Production

• In January 2007, Governor Phil Bredesen announced
  that his proposed 2007-08 State budget would
  include 72.6 million for a comprehensive
  alternative fuels strategy
• ORNL and UT have been researching switchgrass to
  ethanol production

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Conclusions

• There is a need to combine the efficient
  production and processing of sustainable and
  renewable energy sources
• Increasing fuel efficiency in vehicles and
  becoming a more energy conscious society is the
  best long term solution

12
Conclusions

• Ethanol is a good alternative fuel choice, but is
  not enough to meet the current energy demands of
  the country
• Ethanol could help to substantially reduce
  transportations fossil energy use