Sorghums for methane production. Annual report, April 1983-March 1984

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6043734

Hiler, E A; Miller, F R; Monk, R L; McBee, G G; Creelman, R A

The objective of this research is to develop an integrated system for methane production utilizing high-energy sorghum as the feedstock. Because of its wide geographic adaptability, its high gas-production potential, and the fact that it is already cultivated on over 15 million acres annually in the U.S., sorghum represents a significant potential energy resource that can be converted to methane by anaerobic digestion. This report provides specifics of research activities in the sorghums-for-methane program sponsored by Gas Research Institute and cofunded by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. Researchers in the program include plant breeders, sorghum physiologists, agronomists, agricultural and systems engineers, and agricultural economists. Major research emphases are genetic manipulation, physiology and production systems, harvesting, storage, processing, and conversion systems; and economic and systems analyses. First-year results indicate that: (1) the proposed sorghum-methane system is in the realm of economic feasibility, and (2) research emphases in storage and high-efficiency conversion are critical to the economic implementation of the system. An innovative approach to combine the storage and conversion processes in a two-stage system is being investigated. Increased research emphasis is being placed on storage and conversion aspects of the system.

• Research Organization: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, College Station (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6043734
• Report Number(s): PB-85-161933/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504 -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CEREALS
DIGESTION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
GRASS
HYDROCARBONS
MANAGEMENT
METHANE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PROCESSING
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SORGHUM
SYNTHESIS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING