Case Study of Transportation Benefits Using GIS in Distributed Preprocessing of Corn Stover into Crude Biobutanol

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-175
Author(s):  
Joshua J. Jackson ◽  
Michael D. Montross

HighlightsTotal transportation costs were reduced by 32% to 63% with distributed biobutanol depots.An 8 km distance to the depot manifested the most desirable transportation costs.Across regions, biomass transport costs from field to depot were similar at equivalent distances.Abstract. The transportation efficiencies of centralized biomass processing facilities were compared to a proposed distributed preprocessing network with centralized refining facilities. Centralized biomass processing was defined as transport of baled corn stover directly from the field to the refinery. Distributed preprocessing with centralized refining was defined as transport of baled corn stover from the field to a biobutanol preprocessing depot and transport of completely dewatered crude biobutanol solution from the depot to a centralized refinery. For both systems, the locations of the corn fields, as identified through the cropland data layer, and of the refinery were fixed. For the distributed system, the biobutanol depot locations were variable and depended on different maximum transport distances (8 to 80 km) from the field to the depot. In this case study, site-specific transportation costs and biobutanol production capacities were developed for different agricultural regions in Kentucky. The distributed system produced a 32% to 63% reduction in total transportation cost with decreased (50% to 90%) fuel use as compared to the centralized system. The GIS transportation model demonstrated that on-farm biofuel production could be an effective means of producing biofuel and reducing transportation costs. Keywords: Biomass transport, Depot, Distributed biomass collection, GIS location-allocation, Minimize facilities, Satellite facilities.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 565
Author(s):  
Nikolaj Kaae Kirk ◽  
Clara Navarrete ◽  
Jakob Ellegaard Juhl ◽  
José Luis Martínez ◽  
Alessandra Procentese

To make biofuel production feasible from an economic point of view, several studies have investigated the main associated bottlenecks of the whole production process through approaches such as the “cradle to grave” approach or the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analysis, being the main constrains the feedstock collection and transport. Whilst several feedstocks are interesting because of their high sugar content, very few of them are available all year around and moreover do not require high transportation’ costs. This work aims to investigate if the “zero miles” concept could bring advantages to biofuel production by decreasing all the associated transport costs on a locally established production platform. In particular, a specific case study applied to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) campus is used as example to investigate the advantages and feasibility of using the spent coffee grounds generated at the main cafeteria for the production of bioethanol on site, which can be subsequently used to (partially) cover the campus’ energy demands.


Author(s):  
Miguel A. Carriquiry ◽  
Bruce A. Babcock

Hotelling's classic model of spatial competition is adapted to estimate the impacts on grain price of the closure of one of three grain buyers on the Mississippi River in the vicinity of Scott County, Iowa. The customers of the buyer who is closing (River Gulf Grain Company) in Davenport, Iowa, are assumed to deliver their grain to a buyer in either Buffalo, Iowa, to the south or to a buyer in Clinton, Iowa, to the north. Calibration of Hotelling's framework to this situation leads to an estimated decline in grain bids of 1.5¢ per bushel for the buyer located in Clinton and by 2.5¢ per bushel for the buyer located in Buffalo. These estimates are based on an incremental transportation cost of 0.15¢ per mile between the seller's farm and the buyer. This price decline would reduce gross receipts of the farmers who currently deliver to Davenport by approximately $264,000 per year. The effect of lower price bids on gross receipts of all area farmers would be approximately $750,000 per year. Transportation costs would increase by an estimated $75,000 for those farmers who would have to haul their grain farther because of the closure.


1986 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. Dunn ◽  
Lynn A. Garafola

An interregional competition model of the U.S. apple industry is constructed. This model includes the consumer products of fresh apples, applesauce and apple juice. The validation of the model showed that it did a good job of estimating consumer's quantity demanded and prices and a reasonable job of estimating utilization. This model was used to study the effects of transportation cost changes on the industry in the short- and intermediate run. The total production and consumption levels changed by moderate amounts with changing transport costs while the utilization of a region's crop was quite sensitive to such changes.


2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Hokey Min

The passage of landmark deregulatory reforms in the Motor Carrier of Act of 1980 has constantly pressured the U.S. trucking industry to reduce transportation costs. Thanks to such pressure, total logistics costs have declined from 16.5% in 1980 to 10.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000. In particular, transportation costs have fallen from 7.6% to 5.9% of GDP in 2000. Transportation cost savings definitely benefit shippers, while jeopardizing the viability of carriers. To help transportation carriers cope with enormous cost pressure, this paper examines the impact that “lumper” costs, empty miles, and shipment size have on the very competitive trucking industry. Through an actual case study of a firm based in the Southeast U.S., we illustrate how lumper costs, empty front-haul and backhaul, and shipping weight and pieces can adversely affect the trucking firm’s profitability.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1170
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhu ◽  
Benkun Qi ◽  
Xinquan Liang ◽  
Jianquan Luo ◽  
Yinhua Wan

Herein, corn stover (CS) was pretreated by less corrosive lewis acid FeCl3 acidified solutions of neat and aqueous deep eutectic solvent (DES), aqueous ChCl and glycerol at 120 °C for 4 h with single FeCl3 pretreatment as control. It was unexpected that acidified solutions of both ChCl and glycerol were found to be more efficient at removing lignin and xylan, leading to higher enzymatic digestibility of pretreated CS than acidified DES. Comparatively, acidified ChCl solution exhibited better pretreatment performance than acidified glycerol solution. In addition, 20 wt% water in DES dramatically reduced the capability of DES for delignification and xylan removal and subsequent enzymatic cellulose saccharification of pretreated CS. Correlation analysis showed that enzymatic saccharification of pretreated CS was highly correlated to delignification and cellulose crystallinity, but lowly correlated to xylan removal. Recyclability experiments of different acidified pretreatment solutions showed progressive decrease in the pretreatment performance with increasing recycling runs. After four cycles, the smallest decrease in enzymatic cellulose conversion (22.07%) was observed from acidified neat DES pretreatment, while the largest decrease (43.80%) was from acidified ChCl pretreatment. Those findings would provide useful information for biomass processing with ChCl, glycerol and ChCl-glycerol DES.


Energy ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 121027
Author(s):  
Mohammad Alherbawi ◽  
Prakash Parthasarathy ◽  
Tareq Al-Ansari ◽  
Hamish R. Mackey ◽  
Gordon McKay

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osama A. B. Hassan

Abstract This study investigates the stability of timber members subjected to simultaneously acting axial compression and bending moment, with possible risk for torsional and flexural–torsional buckling. This situation can occur in laterally supported members where one side of the member is braced but the other side is unbraced. In this case, the free side will buckle out of plane while the braced side will be prevented from torsional and flexural–torsional buckling. This problem can be evident for long members in timber-frame structures, which are subjected to high axial compression combined with bending moments in which the member is not sufficiently braced at both sides. This study is based on the design requirement stated in Eurocode 5. Solution methods discussed in this paper can be of interest within the framework of structural and building Engineering practices and education in which the stability of structural elements is investigated. Article Highlights This case study investigates some design situations where the timber member is not sufficiently braced. In this case, a stability problem associated with combined torsional buckling and flexural buckling can arise. The study shows that the torsional and/or flexural–torsional buckling of timber members can be important to control in order to fulfil the criteria of the stability of the member according to Eurocode 5 and help the structural engineer to achieve safer designs. The study investigates also a simplified solution to check the effect of flexural torsional buckling of laterally braced timber members.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 3870
Author(s):  
Jingyang Li ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
Hua Yu ◽  
Yuqi Li ◽  
Shiguang Zhou ◽  
...  

Banana is a major fruit crop throughout the world with abundant lignocellulose in the pseudostem and rachis residues for biofuel production. In this study, we collected a total of 11 pseudostems and rachis samples that were originally derived from different genetic types and ecological locations of banana crops and then examined largely varied edible carbohydrates (soluble sugars, starch) and lignocellulose compositions. By performing chemical (H2SO4, NaOH) and liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatments, we also found a remarkable variation in biomass enzymatic saccharification and bioethanol production among all banana samples examined. Consequently, this study identified a desirable banana (Refen1, subgroup Pisang Awak) crop containing large amounts of edible carbohydrates and completely digestible lignocellulose, which could be combined to achieve the highest bioethanol yields of 31–38% (% dry matter), compared with previously reported ones in other bioenergy crops. Chemical analysis further indicated that the cellulose CrI and lignin G-monomer should be two major recalcitrant factors affecting biomass enzymatic saccharification in banana pseudostems and rachis. Therefore, this study not only examined rich edible carbohydrates for food in the banana pseudostems but also detected digestible lignocellulose for bioethanol production in rachis tissue, providing a strategy applicable for genetic breeding and biomass processing in banana crops.


2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-520
Author(s):  
Nicola Pozza

AbstractNumerous studies have dealt with the process of globalization and its various cultural products. Three such cultural products illustrate this process: Vikas Swarup’s novel Q and A (2005), the TV quiz show Kaun banega crorepati? (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?), and Danny Boyle’s film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). The novel, the TV show and the film have so far been studied separately. Juxtaposing and comparing Q and A, Kaun banega crorepati, and Slumdog Millionaire provides an effective means to shed light on the dialogic and interactive nature of the process of globalization. It is argued through this case study that an analysis of their place of production, language and content, helps clarify the derivative concepts of “glocalization” and “grobalization” with regard to the way(s) contemporary cultural products respond to globalization.


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