Fuels from sugar crops. First quarterly report

Technical Report · Fri Jul 29 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:6941130

Lipinsky, E S; Kresovich, S; McClure, T A; Lawhon, W T

The primary objectives of the present study are to evaluate the feasibility of reducing the costs of fermentable sugars derived from sugar crops and to increase their availability for the following methods: (1) close space of sugar crops; (2) production of sweet sorghum varieties high in fermentable sugar, regardless of table sugar prospects; and (3) harvesting and processing of the entire aerial part of sugarcane and/or sweet sorghum. Close row spacing of sugarcane is under investigation in Florida and Louisiana. Preliminary research indicates that the cost of this sugarcane may be approximately 30 percent less than that of conventional cane. In addition, tests have shown that the close-spaced sugarcane has virtually the same content of fermentable sugars as does conventional cane. Close-spacing of sweet sorghum is being studied in Louisiana and Texas with record yields being obtained in field tests. The material and energy balances of a facility to process 8,200 metric tons/day of sugarcane into ethanol, stillage, and electricity leads to the preliminary conclusion that more than enough biomass will be available to make the facility energy self-sufficient. The mechanical difficulties of a novel rind/pith separation system have been corrected and an economic analysis of the systems is being made. (JSR)

• Research Organization: Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6941130
• Report Number(s): TID-28414
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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AGRICULTURAL WASTES
ALCOHOLS
ANIMAL FEEDS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CARBOHYDRATES
CEREALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
COST
CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY BALANCE
ENERGY SOURCES
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
FOOD
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HARVESTING
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MATERIAL BALANCE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PLANTS
POWER GENERATION
PROCESSING
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SACCHARIDES
SOLID WASTES
SORGHUM
SUGAR CANE
SYNTHESIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
WASTES