Powering Airplanes With Leftover Tree Bark

By Haig Tufankjian on May 4, 2010 From Renewable Energy campaign

Bark starting at logs destined for lumber doesn’t currently contain considerably commercial value.

Imagine proposing to Boeing either the Our group Air Force whatever they power theirs jets with wood. Properly someone has successfully produced jet fuel starting at woody bio-mass inside a research lab in northern Maine. 

Dr. Hement Pendse Professor plus Chair belonging to Chemical also Biological Engineering Department from Any University out of Maine’s Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative inside Orono includes unlocked any secret belonging to turning trees entering usable aviation fuel.

Professor Pendse’s research includes focused on taking brush, tree limbs also another low-grade wood products, with slight or negative commercial value also extract per certain type made from cellulose called hemi-cellulose, turn it into sugar, and cook it aloft inward batches out of ethanol, bio diesel along with right now jet fuel. Having converted each paper mill in Old Town, Maine toward some refinery, itself is hoped which something can produce as far as 2 million gallons from ethanol one annual. Certain mill contains already generated nearly 200 brand-new jobs. 

For greater in comparison to 100 years paper mills amid Maine produced stable elevated paying jobs. Though certain demand for steep quality paper has stood rising with each development out of computer printers also copiers, whatever increased demand did never translate interior greater jobs. Mills across any country plus several amid Maine where forced in order to shut downward. Each Georgia Pacific paper mill among Ancient Town, Maine shut below among 2006 ending hundreds out of good paying jobs. Still at present Dr. Pendse along with his staff near University from Maine own existed awarded a grant toward install one commercial demonstration refinery for produce ethanol and eventually jet fuel.

Born in India, any soft-spoken professor was inspired through his father, one university administrator, for peer entering any secrets out of each future. “Gentleman created me feel comfortable with whatsoever engineering was all about”, says Dr. Pendse.  Hement Pendse arrived to America to lay his skills in order to labor unlocking each secrets hidden among for us trees.  “When I was each undergraduate student, I chose chemical engineering, on account of something was per novel along with exciting field, non-traditional, moving at a distance since only electrical, along with mechanical.”  Sometimes that is so difficult for observe a forest via the trees.  Around first Professor Pendse did never see certain expanding horizon from certain chemical engineering field.  “In similar fashion I was finishing undergraduate occupation entity became clear such said field intend clearly develop as chemical engineering adapts really satisfactorily up to changing times,” Pendse replied. 

Funded beside grants from each Department belonging to Defense plus different sources, the professor has picked certain lock holding certain secret up to refining jet grade bio-fuel from woody bio-mass. Said discovery had the ability not exclusively reduce alternatively eliminate our demand for imported fossil fuels still as well generate new, fine paying jobs.  Dr. Pendse along with his research team have produced petite quantities belonging to jet grade fuel out of otherwise unwanted wood forest products.  Gentleman possesses shown that a wood sugar extract, some slurry called “black liquor,” be able to become turned interior ethanol, butanol along with poly-grade lactic acid, one precursor for bioplastics, along with at present jet fuel.  “Our team possess right now taken woody bio-mass, turned something internal a substance that includes the right benevolent made from tall energy density also subsequently a ability up to upgrade entity so something be able to meet any specifications out of aviation fuel,” Pendse replied. Any domestic production out of jet fuel for military also commercial uses would remain one important element towards any goal belonging to energy independence.

Any impact of said increased demand for bio-mass includes yet for be calculated.  According to the Maine Forestry Service, Biomass chip harvests within Maine hold increased more compared with 3½ times since 2000. In of them majority recent report, the forest service speculated increased demand for woody biomass might generally increase the potential for conflicts among forest values.  Single troubling aspect toward whole here is yonder is none standing policy for oversee future development.

Dr. Pendse plans in order to labor with local forest country owners up to notice when entity is possible for process tree bark as well as branches entering one intermediate bio-crude next take such material in order to single refinery as well as complete a process producing jet fuel. Dr. Pendse hopes in order to begin refining each fuel through 2012, with a possibility made from refining while much while 2 million gallons single year.  Refining jet fuel from bio-mass, provided object eventually becomes economically viable, is highly desirable because object would by no means divert each production out of food crops such as corn as well as sugar in order to produce a fuel.  Diverting food grains for fuel has become a major conservation issue. Turning in order to non-food producing bio-products be capable relieve such pressure on certain food production chain.

Any Professor too points away here process from using woody-bio mass is one high-level conservation process. “A beauty made from said is, certain woody bio-mass that we are talking concerning, any bark portion out of any wood itself, can exist used toward supply a energy required for each process, a steam and electric power. Entity becomes caring made from self-sufficient along with reduces of us demand for fossil fuel. Our group are quite excited also quite optimistic”, him declared.

Brand-new bio-fuel refineries are expected toward generate demand and increase each value for per product that was otherwise considered waste.  “Ourselves are working with woody bio-mass, domestically grown renewable as well as certified tree stock on hand. Forest earth owners and managers understand in what way to monitor the growth within each forest and make sure each harvest will remain less than a growth, so certain operation intend become sustainable”, Dr. Pendse said. 

Dr. Pendse says the research conducted around any University from Maine is producing more in comparison to fresh fuels. ”The synergy that us possess set up, whatsoever forest ground owners must have, which a forest product industry is ready to execute, also the faculty and students by any university are getting excited regarding, I reflect whatever synergy is generating recent enthusiasm, on account of the students such are involved here they are going toward exist the next generation’s leaders like up to by what means ourselves be able to seize each natural resources such as wood plus lead to to-self reliance made from each energy who we are talking about.  Maine is type belonging to amid one leading position right at present within current area as well as that’s exciting.” 

When at that spot are any young students outside yonder interested among a field out of chemical engineering, Dr. Pendse would welcome y'all for his research team. “Our team receive undergraduates while early while freshman plus sophomores involved within belonging to us research thus they may get of them feet wet also perceive exactly whatever aforementioned is entire regarding”.

For maintain skyward with any latest research also development by A University out of Maine’s Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative amid Orono, alternatively a latest news starting at the Maine Forest Service, click on certain sites under.

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Tags: Wind Force, algae, bark, bio-fuel, bio-mass, biofuel, biomass, , DoD, electricity, energy, fuel, Hement Pendse, Maine, Pendse, power, trees, wood

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