Development of a multicriteria assessment model for ranking biomass feedstock collection and transportation systems

This study details multicriteria assessment methodology that integrates economic, social, environmental, and technical factors in order to rank alternatives for biomass collection and transportation systems. Ranking of biomass collection systems is based on cost of delivered biomass, quality of biomass supplied, emissions during collection, energy input to the chain operations, and maturity of supply system technologies. The assessment methodology is used to evaluate alternatives for collecting 1.8×10⁶ dry t/yr based on assumptions made on performance of various assemblies of biomass collection systems is based on cost of delivered biomass, quality of biomass supplied, emissions during collection, energy input to the chain operations, and maturity of supply system technologies. The assessment methodology is used to evaluate alternatives for collecting 1.8×10⁶ dry t/yr based on assumptions made on performance of various assemblies of biomass collection systems. A proposed collection option using loafer/stacker was shown to be the best option followed by ensiling and baling. Ranking of biomass transport systems is based on cost of biomass transport, emissions during transport, traffic congestion, and maturity of different technologies. At a capacity of 4×10⁶ dry t/yr, rail transport was shown to be the best option, followed by truck transport and pipeline transport, respectively. These rankings depend highly on assumed maturity of technologies and scale of utilization. These may change if technologies such as loafing or ensiling (wet storage) methods are proved to be infeasible for large-scale collection systems.     

玉米芯与低密度聚乙烯混合物在氢气气氛下的催化热解研究

本文研究了在氢气氛围及HZSM-5、H-Beta、NaY和TiO2催化剂作用下玉米芯与LDPE混合物(重量比2∶8)的共热解情况。通过催化热解所得油相液体的烃族分析及碳数分布发现:在催化剂作用下,油相液体的碳数分布变窄,共同热解所得气体产率最高的是H-Beta催化体系,液体产率最高的是NaY,残渣量最多的是TiO2催化体系。催化共热解所得油相液体的碳数分布主要集中在C4~C19之间,使用NaY可获得高品位的油相液体,其研究法辛烷值(RON)为97.5;水相液体中的主要物质是醋酸,加入催化剂后其含量明显增加。四种催化剂中,醋酸生成量最多的是NaY催化剂,其次是HZSM-5,最后是H-Beta和TiO2。其中在NaY催化体系作用下生成的水相液体组分中,醋酸含量为57.8%。     

电子穿梭体介导的微生物胞外电子传递:机制及应用

厌氧条件下微生物将电子传递给胞外电子受体的现象非常普遍,电子穿梭体(electron shuttle,ES)是介导胞外电子传递过程的重要途径之一,但其具体的机制尚未明晰。一部分微生物自身能分泌一些物质作为内生ES,另一部分微生物能利用天然存在或人工合成的某些物质作为外生ES,并将其携带的电子传递至微生物胞外电子受体。ES介导微生物胞外电子传递的基本过程为:氧化态电子穿梭体(ES_ox)接受电子变成还原态(ES_red),ES_red传递电子给胞外电子受体,自身再次氧化成ES_ox,从而循环往复。本文重点介绍不同种类ES及其电子穿梭机制,以及ES的分子扩散、氧化还原电势及电子转移能力对胞外电子传递过程的影响。ES介导的胞外电子传递过程直接影响污染物转化和微生物产电,因此在污染修复及生物能源等方面具有重要的应用前景。     

Perspectives on bioenergy and biotechnology in Brazil

Brazil is one of the world’s largest producers of alcohol from biomass at low cost and is responsible for more than 1 million direct jobs. In 1973, the Brazilian Program of Alcohol (Proalcool) stimulated the creation of a bioethanol industry that has led to large economic, social, and scientific improvements. In the year 1984, 94.5% of Brazil’s cars used bioethanol as fuel. In 2003/2004, 350.3 million of sugarcane produced 24.2 million t of sugar and 14.4 billion L of ethanol for an average 4.3 million cars using ethanol. Since its inception, cumulative investment in Proalcool totals US$11 billion, and Brazil has saved US$27 billion in oil imports. The ethanol production industry from sugarcane generates 152 times more jobs than would have been the case if the same amount of fuel was produced from petroleum, and the use of ethanol as a fuel is advantageous for environmental reasons. In 2003, one of the biggest Brazilian ethanol industries started consuming 50% of the residual sugarcane bagasse to produce electrical energy (60 MW), a new alternative use of bioenergy for the Brazilian market. Other technologies for commercial uses of bagasse are in development, such as in the production of natural fibers, sweeteners (glucose and xylitol), single-cell proteins, lactic acid, microbial enzymes, and many other products based on fermentations (submerged and semisolid). Furthermore, studies aimed at the increase in the biosynthesis of sucrose and, consequently, ethanol productivity are being conducted to understand the genetics of sugarcane. Although, at present, there remain technical obstacles to the economic use of some ethanol industry residues, several research projects have been carried out and useful data generated. Efficient utilization of ethanol industry residues has created new opportunities for new value-added products, especially in Brazil, where they are produced in high quantities.     

Pretreatment of corn stover by low-liquid ammonia recycle percolation process

A pretreatment method using aqueous ammonia was investigated with the intent of minimizing the liquid throughput. This process uses a flow-through packed column reactor (or percolation reactor). In comparison to the ammonia recycle percolation (ARP) process developed previously in our laboratory, this process significantly reduces the liquid throughput to one reactor void volume in packed bed (2.0–4.7 mL of liquid/g of corn stover) and, thus, is termed low-liquid ARP (LLARP). In addition to attaining short residence time and reduced energy input, this process achieves 59–70% of lignin removal and 48–57% of xylan retention. With optimum operation of the LLARP to corn stover, enzymatic digestibilities of 95, 90 and 86% were achieved with 60, 15, and 7.5 filter paper units/g of glucan, respectively. In the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation test of the LLARP samples using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NREL-D₅A), an ethanol yield of 84% of the theoretical maximum was achieved with 6% (w/v) glucan loading. In the simultaneous saccharification and cofermentation (SSCF) test using recombinant Escherichia coli (KO11), both the glucan and xylan in the solid were effectively utilized, giving an overall ethanol yield of 109% of the theoretical maximum based on glucan, a clear indication that the xylan content was converted into ethanol. The xylooligomers existing in the LLARP effluent were not effectively hydrolyzed by cellulase enzyme, achieving only 60% of digestibility. SSCF of the treated corn stover was severely hampered when the substrate was supplemented with the LLARP effluent, giving only 56% the overall yield of ethanol. The effluent appears to significantly inhibit cellulase and microbial activities.     

我国生物质能发展战略的几点意见

本文介绍了国内外生物质能发展的现状与趋势,概述了我国生物质能源近期和远期的潜力.指出研发高新技术是我国生物质能发展的关键.建议以扩大资源总量、提升能源转换的加工技术水平和能源利用效率等为重点.     

Bioenergy Systems Planning Using Location–Allocation and Landscape Ecology Design Principles

Rural energy planning is a nexus of sustainable development issues, particularly the sustainable utilization of biomass resources, on which rural parts of the developing world remain critically dependent. A landscape based rural bioenergy planning framework is presented, which is based on location–allocation and landscape ecology principles and considers both domestic and commercial energy demands and energy flows, as well as the landscape impact of the required bioenergy production zones. p-median modelling principles underly the location–allocation formulation. Optimized bioenergy landscape designs are presented, which illustrate both accessibility and landscape ecology objectives.     

Kinetics of biomethanation of solid tannery waste and the concept of interactive metabolic control

Anaerobic digestion of calf skin collagenous waste was optimized for a batch process based on accelerated maximal methane yield per gram of input volatile solid. A kinetic analysis with respect to changes in the levels of volatile solid, collagen, amino sugars, amino acids, hydroxyproline, ammonium ions, and volatile fatty acid were followed for a period of 80 d. Distinct metabolic phases included an initial high rate collagenolysis for 4 d, with 50% degradation and was followed by an acidogenic phase between 4–12 d with voltatile fatty acids levels increasing to 215 mmol/L. Subsequently methanogenesis ensued and was maximal between 12–24 d when volatile fatty acids attained steady state levels. During the period of 80 d, the overall decrease in volatile solid level was 65%, whereas the collagen level declined by 85% with 0.45 L of methane yield/g of volatile solid degraded. Based on the levels of various metabolites detected, the concept of interactive metabolic control earlier proposed has been validated.     

有“生命”的电线:浅析微生物纳米导线电子传递机制及其应用

微生物纳米导线是指在缺少可溶性电子受体的条件下由微生物形成类似菌毛的导电附属物,通过它传递电子是微生物为提高胞外电子传递效率而进化形成的一种有效的电子传递方式。微生物可利用具有高效导电特性的纳米导线将电子传递到远离细胞表面的地方,从而使微生物摆脱了需要直接接触胞外电子受体(Fe(Ⅲ)氧化物或电极)才能传递电子的限制。微生物纳米导线的发现丰富了人们对胞外呼吸多样性的认识,同时其在提高微生物燃料电池产电效率、促进环境中有机污染物的快速降解和生物能源等方面具有重要的应用前景,成为了当前研究的前沿和热点。本文简单介绍了微生物纳米导线的基本特性和产生纳米导线的微生物种类,重点阐述了由Geobacter和Shewanella微生物生成的纳米导线电子传递机制以及其在生物能源和生物修复等方面的应用,并展望了今后的研究重点。     

革兰氏阳性电活性菌的电子传递及其应用

电活性菌将电子从胞内转移至胞外电子受体或者将胞外电子转移至胞内的过程为胞外电子传递,其在微生物群落间的电子传递及元素的地球化学循环过程中发挥重要作用。电活性菌的胞外电子传递研究前期主要集中于革兰氏阴性菌,由于革兰氏阳性菌与革兰氏阴性菌的膜结构/厚度明显不同,因此二者的电子跨膜传递途径差异明显。革兰氏阳性菌因分布广泛且可在高温、低pH、高pH和高盐等环境中生存,其电活性和电子传递机制也逐渐引起关注。本文归纳总结了革兰氏阳性电活性菌的电子传递类型,基于厚壁菌门、放线菌门和绿弯菌门的分类阐述胞外电子传递的研究进展,分析了革兰氏阳性电活性菌在污染物降解、生物能源和工业制品合成等方面的应用,并展望了未来的发展方向。