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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Biomass fuels update. TVA's biomass fuels program

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5087032

Seven projects were active. Equipment was installed and initial research tests were conducted on the ethanol-from-hardwood project - the main project in the program. Activities were conducted to assess location of hardwoods, to improve forest management, and to reduce the cost of harvesting woody biomass. Direct combustion of wood to replace oil and natural gas is feasible technology in many instances, yet very few commercial systems have been installed; hence technical assistance was provided to potential users. Substantial underutilized cropland exists in the Valley, and a questionnaire survey was administered to supplement cropland data available from the Agricultural Census and Conservation Needs Inventory. Experiments were conducted to determine the potential liquid fuel yields and production management practices for alternative starch, sugar, and vegetable oil crops. A 10-gallon-per-hour prototype fuel alcohol test unit, partially funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), was designed, constructed, and operated to obtain benchmark data and to evaluate alcohol production from alternative agricultural feedstocks. Workshops were conducted to provide information on production of alcohol. In cooperation with DOE, portions of the TVA fleet were involved in a gasohol test program.

Research Organization:
Tennessee Valley Authority, Muscle Shoals, AL (USA). Office of Agricultural and Chemical Development
OSTI ID:
5087032
Report Number(s):
TVA/OACD-82/9; ON: DE82904990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English