MSU-Northern Bio-Energy Center of Excellence
- Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)
MSU-Northern established the Bio-Energy Center (the Center) into a Regional Research Center of Excellence to address the obstacles concerning biofuels, feedstock, quality, conversion process, economic viability and public awareness. The Center built its laboratories and expertise in order to research and support product development and commercialization for the bio-energy industry in our region. The Center wanted to support the regional agricultural based economy by researching biofuels based on feedstock’s that can be grown in our region in an environmentally responsible manner. We were also interested in any technology that will improve the emissions and fuel economy performance of heavy duty diesel engines. The Center had a three step approach to accomplish these goals: 1. Enhance the Center’s research and testing capabilities 2. Develop advanced biofuels from locally grown agricultural crops. 3. Educate and outreach for public understanding and acceptance of new technology. The Center was very successful in completing the tasks as outlined in the project plan. Key successes include discovering and patenting a new chemical conversion process for converting camelina oil to jet fuel, as well as promise in developing a heterogeneous Grubs catalyst to support the new chemical conversion process. The Center also successfully fragmented and deoxygenated naturally occurring lignin with a Ni-NHC catalyst, showing promise for further exploration of using lignin for fuels and fuel additives. This would create another value-added product for lignin that can be sourced from beetle kill trees or waste products from cellulose ethanol fuel facilities.
- Research Organization:
- Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office
- Contributing Organization:
- Opportunity Link, Inc., Havre, MT (United States); Bear Paw Development Corporation, Havre, MT (United States); Montana Dept. of Agriculture, Missoula, MT (United States); Montana Dept. of Commerce, Helena, MT (United States); Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality, Helena, MT (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EE0003137
- OSTI ID:
- 1245013
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-MSUN-EE0003137
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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