Socioecology Research Today

We studied lipids and fatty acids (FA) in bottom sediments from four Siberian water bodies, Bugach, Lesnoi and Krasnoyarsk freshwater reservoirs and brackish Shira lake, that differed in physico-chemical and biological conditions. We considered the potential of the bottom sediments as a feedstock for biodiesel production and estimated properties of the obtained biodiesel as a [...]

In Mercurius’s new process, biomass can be converted into a liquid intermediate chemical at small plants located close to sources. That liquid takes up much less volume than the original biomass, making it more economical to ship to a large centralized facility to be converted to fuel.Mercurius uses acids to break down cellulose and make [...]

In California, Propel Fuels has opened another in its chain of transformative Clean Mobility Centers — and the first station in Fresno to offer E85 Flex Fuel and biodiesel, sourced from Central Valley producers including Community Fuels in Stockton and Calgren Renewable Fuels in Pixley. Propel Fuels: Renewable Fuels | E85 Ethanol | Biodiesel – [...]

In this study, n-butanol (port fuel injection) PFI was investigated in a direct injection compression ignition engine while at idling speeds, and loads, 1–3 bar IMEP (indicated mean effective pressure) in order to determine the effects on combustion, efficiency, emissions, and specifically, a modified tradeoff of soot and nitrogen oxides. As a result, the engine [...]

When making biodiesel, slow separation of glycerol; the main by-product of the transesterification reaction, could lead to longer operating times, bigger equipment and larger amount of steel and consequently increased production cost. Therefore, acceleration of glycerol/biodiesel decantation could play an important role in the overall biodiesel refinery process. In this work, NaCl-assisted gravitational settling was [...]

This article describes the effects of hydroxylated biodiesel (castor oil methyl ester – COME) on the properties, combustion, and emissions of butanol–diesel blends used within compression ignition engines. The study was conducted to investigate the influence of COME as a means of increasing the butanol concentration in a stable butanol–diesel blend. Tests were compared with [...]

The major obstacles to promoting biodiesel blends in marine transportation are examined in this study. The strategies proposed to overcome these obstacles include the comprehensive field testing of the biodiesel blends in marine vessels of various representative types, establishing a marine-grade biodiesel specification, increasing the price competitiveness of marine-grade biodiesel by reducing its manufacturing costs, [...]

The concept of waste-to-energy (WtE) with regards to the utilization of byproducts from the bioethanol industry (e.g., distiller’s dried grain with solubles: DDGS) was employed to enhance the renewability of biodiesel, which would be an initiative stage of a biorefinery due to the conjunction between bioethanol and biodiesel. For example, DDGS is a strong candidate [...]

A comparative LCA study of a virtual facility has been undertaken to assess the energetic balance and the potential environmental impacts of the whole process chain, from the biomass production to the biodiesel combustion. Two different culture conditions, nominal fertilizing or nitrogen starvation, as well as two different extraction options, dry or wet extraction, have [...]

► Direct injection of biodiesel with n-butanol PFI (port fuel injection) resulted in LTC (low-temperature combustion), reducing both soot and NOx, modifying their tradeoff. ► NOx was reduced by 74% while soot was reduced by 98% at 3 bar IMEP (indicated mean effective pressure) without exhaust after-treatment. ► Engine studies showed that use of n-butanol [...]