The Fuel of the Future: Starch Ethanol vs. Cellulosic Ethanol

Tommy Underhill

EthanolMade by fermenting sugars into alcoholFlammableUsed in thermometers, and alcoholic

beveragesCommonly referred to as grain alcohol

HistoryEthanol residues have been found on 9,000 year old clay pots in

ChinaFirst recorded production of alcohol from wine was in the 12th

century.1796: Johann Tobias Lowitz obtained pure ethanol by filtering

distilled ethanol through charcoal1826: Samuel Morey developed the first engine that ran on ethanol1908: Henry Ford’s Model T was designed to run on ethanol or

gasoline.1940’s: First Ethanol Plant was built in Nebraska 1974: The Solar Energy Research, Development, and

Demonstration Act was the first legislation action to promote ethanol as fuel.

1992: The Energy Policy Act2007: Energy Independence and Security Act

Ethanol ProductionStarch Ethanol

Wet MillingDry Milling

Fermentation Separation Purification

Ethanol ProductionCellulosic Ethanol

Have to be Pretreated Physical - grinding Chemical – acids

Require the use of enzymes to break down cellulose Cellbiohydrolases Endo – β-1,4-glucanases β-glucosidases

FermentationSeparation and Purification

FundingUS government has given out numerous grants,

loans, and tax incentives for the production and use of ethanol

Government spends $5 billion per year to subsidize ethanol production

2007 : US department of Energy spent $385 million on six large scale ethanol plants and another $200 million on bio-refinery plants.

Big Oil Contributions:Chevron - $40 MillionBP – $500 Million Exxon - $600 million

EnvironmentalConventional ethanol

reduces greenhouse-gas emissions 10 to 20 percent

Cellulosic range from 80 percent to completely CO2 neutral

Cellulosic ethanol requires less care than starch ethanol

Politicalhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=j9QQcP_Y1II

Other Concerns with Starch EthanolRising prices of corn

and starch

Concerns with Cellulosic EthanolPrice of Enzymes

FutureCompetition with other ethanol sources such

as Algae.Competition with electric cars and hydrogen

fuel cellsSustainability

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