DOE and USDA Offer $25 Million for Biomass Research
DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week that they will invest up to $25 million over the next four years, subject to annual appropriations, for the research and development of processes that produce biofuels, bioenergy, and high-value biobased products.
This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) covers three technical areas: biomass feedstocks development; cellulosic biofuels and biobased products; and biofuels development analysis, including strategic guidance, analyses of the energy and environmental impact of biofuels production, and an assessment of the potential for biomass feedstock production on federal lands.
The FOA is part of the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint effort between DOE and the USDA to accelerate research and development in bioenergy research and biobased products. It is open to higher education institutions, national laboratories, federal research agencies, state research agencies, private sector entities, non-profit organizations, and consortia of these types of entities. DOE and USDA anticipate that each awardee will receive up to $5 million over the next four years. Pre-applications are due on March 6, and final applications will be due on June 1. See the DOE press release, the FOA on Grants.gov, and the BRDI Web site.
Three More Airlines Complete Test Flights Using Biofuels
Under new collaborations with biofuel companies, jet engine manufacturers, and aircraft companies, airlines around the world have started testing the use of biofuels in their aircraft.
Virgin Atlantic set the pace early last year, when it flew a flight from England’s Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport that was fueled with biofuel produced from Babassu oil and coconut oil. (See the Virgin Atlantic press release.) In the past month, three more airlines have followed suit.
On December 30, Air New Zealand flew a four-engine Boeing 747-400 that fueled one of its engines with a 50:50 blend of jet fuel and synthetic paraffinic fuel. The synthetic biofuel was derived from the oil of the Jatropha curcas plant by Terasol Energy. Jatropha curcas grows readily on marginal lands, producing a non-edible oil.
On January 7, Continental Airlines flew a Boeing 737-800-a two-engine aircraft-with one engine fueled with a 50:50 blend of biofuel and jet fuel. For Continental, Terasol Energy again provided its Jatropha-based fuel, while Sapphire Energy provided a fuel derived from algae oil.
And last week, Japan Airlines flew a four-engine 747-300, again fueling one engine with a 50:50 blend of jet fuel and biofuel. Japan Airlines blended three biofuels: Jatropha-based fuel and algae-based fuel from the same companies used by Continental, as well as fuel derived from camelina, an oilseed plant, by Sustainable Oils, Inc.
All three flights put the fuels through a number of tests, such as operation under maximum thrust, with the main fuel pump shut down, and during engine shutdowns and restarts, and the fuels performed well.
The Boeing Company and Honeywell’s UOP, a developer of refining technology, were both involved in all three flights, along with the engine manufacturer for each aircraft: Rolls-Royce for the Air New Zealand flight, GE Aviation and CFM International for the Continental flight, and Pratt & Whitney for the Japan Airlines flight. The flights provided a preliminary indication that the synthetic jet fuel, derived from a variety of natural oils, can safely and effectively be used as a "drop in" replacement for petroleum-based jet fuel.
However, all of the partners in the test flights planned to spend days or weeks analyzing the data to determine if there was any change in engine performance. Boeing and UOP have also formed the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, which will work with major airlines and environmental groups to accelerate the development and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels. See the press releases from Air New Zealand, Continental, Japan Airlines, and Boeing.
DOE and GM Unveil 17 EcoCAR Challenge Designs, and They All Plug In
The 17 student teams competing in EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge appear to have a clear vision of the automotive future, as all of the teams are pursuing designs that incorporate lithium-ion batteries and the ability to plug the vehicles into an electrical outlet. All of the vehicles will also use renewable energy or renewable fuels to minimize their consumption of petroleum.
Established by DOE and General Motors Corporation (GM), EcoCAR is a three-year competition that challenges engineering students at North American universities to re-engineer a 2009 GM Saturn VUE vehicle to achieve improved fuel economy and reduced emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance, safety, and consumer appeal. It also gives the students a chance to design and build advanced vehicles that demonstrate cutting-edge automotive technologies.
GM is providing the vehicles, components, seed money, technical mentoring, and operational support for the competition, while DOE and its Argonne National Laboratory are providing competition management, team evaluation, and technical and logistical support. Along with DOE and GM, EcoCAR sponsors include the Canadian government and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).
The common approach of the 17 EcoCAR teams is not a huge surprise, as the teams are trying to meet CARB’s regulations for zero-emissions vehicles. To meet those regulations, one team – the University of Ontario Institute of Technology-plans to build an all-electric (EV) vehicle. Eight teams are building extended-range electric vehicles, which are EVs that include a small engine and generator to provide extra electric power on extended trips. Six teams are building plug-in hybrids, which are essentially hybrid electric vehicles with oversized battery packs. Those battery packs allow for trips of up to 40 miles using electric power only, but otherwise, the vehicle acts as a typical hybrid, with the engine and electric motor working together to propel the vehicle. Finally, two of the teams will build plug-in hybrids that feature hydrogen-powered fuel cells instead of engines.
Choosing the design is the first-year goal for the competition; over the next two years, the teams will develop working vehicles that will face off against one another in competitive events. See the GM press release and the EcoCAR Web site, and for details about the teams and technologies, see the new Green Garage Web site.
GM Tells Cities How to Prepare for Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles
GM is preparing to launch its extended-range electric vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt, and communities that want to help test the vehicle will need to be "plug-in-ready." According to GM, that includes installing public and workplace charging infrastructure, setting consumer-friendly electricity rates, offering renewable electricity options, and adjusting codes and permitting rules to encourage vehicle charging.
Local governments and corporations can also commit to purchasing plug-in vehicles, and they can offer incentives to make the technology more affordable to consumers. Other incentives, such as access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes, are also a plus.
GM plans to test the vehicles in San Francisco, California; Washington, D.C.; and other plug-in-ready communities. GM outlined its comprehensive plan of action at the Washington Auto Show, which opens to the public today and runs through February 8.
The Chevy Volt was named the 2009 Green Car Vision Award winner at the show, beating out the fuel-cell-powered Honda FCX Clarity and the plug-in hybrid Fisker Karma, as well as two all-electric cars: the Mini E and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. See the press releases from GM and the Washington Auto Show, as well as GM’s description of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.
Although GM is charging ahead with its plans to launch the Chevy Volt, the company announced in December that it will delay construction of a manufacturing plant in Flint, Michigan, that was slated to produce the 1.4-liter engines for the Volt and the Chevy Cruze. Last week, the company also suspended its construction contracts for the Flint Engine Plant. GM says that its plans for the engine plant have not changed, but the company’s management continues to keep the plant construction on hold, and the construction contracts were suspended to keep costs down. See the GM statement on the construction contracts.
While GM moves ahead on its Chevy Volt, the Ford Motor Company is planning to launch its first commercial plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in 2012. Ford announced yesterday that it has selected Johnson Controls-Saft to supply a complete lithium-ion battery system for the vehicle. Meanwhile, Ford has converted some of its Ford Escape Hybrids into PHEVs and is providing the vehicles to eight utility partners located throughout the United States. The utilities will test the vehicles under real-world conditions through a program coordinated by Ford and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). GM is also working with EPRI and a coalition of more than 40 utilities to address the commercialization of plug-in electric vehicles. The company is helping to create standards for the electric vehicle charging interface. See the Ford press release.
Clean Diesels Still Fall Short of Top-12 List of Green Vehicles
Clean diesel vehicles have arrived in the United States, but they still aren’t able to claim a spot on the annual top-12 list of green vehicles. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its lists of the "greenest" and "meanest" vehicles yesterday, and the diesel-fueled Volkswagen Jetta and Jetta Sportwagen fell just short of the list. However, the ACEEE called the vehicles "notable newcomers" and noted the vehicles’ intrinsic advantages for fuel economy.
In the absence of any new competition, the natural gas-fueled Honda Civic GX held onto its top spot for the sixth consecutive year, followed by an assortment of hybrid vehicles and small cars. Among domestic automakers, General Motors Corporation (GM) was the winner, with its Chevy Cobalt XFE (and its cousin, the Pontiac G5 XFE) landing in the eighth position and the Chevy Aveo and Aveo 5 earning tenth place.
The Chevys bumped the Ford Focus from the list, denying Ford Motor Company a spot in the top 12. But GM also has the unwelcome distinction of producing the "meanest" vehicle, as even a flex-fuel designation couldn’t save the Hummer H2 from earning the lowest "green score" from the ACEEE. See the ACEEE press release and the lists of "greenest" and "meanest" cars of the year on the ACEEE’s greenercars.org Web site.
Educational Web Site Launched for Progressive Automotive X Prize
DOE, the X Prize Foundation, and Discovery Education launched a new Web site yesterday to engage students about the science of alternative fuels and the engineering of energy-efficient vehicles. Inspired by the Progressive Automotive X Prize Competition, the new Web site, called "Fuel Our Future Now," serves as an interactive online portal offering stimulating science, technology, engineering, and math lessons and resources for teachers, students, and parents. The Progressive Automotive X Prize Competition aims to inspire a new generation of viable, super fuel-efficient vehicles, and the new Web site offers puzzles, interactive features, and videos that will encourage elementary, middle school, and high school students to follow the competition and to learn about the technologies employed by the competing teams. The Web site will soon feature lesson plans for teachers, as well. "Fuel Our Future Now" is just one component of a national education program to encourage students to pursue careers in sciences and technologies related to energy efficiency. DOE is supporting that effort through a $3.5 million grant. See the Fuel Our Future Now Web site and the press release on the Progressive Automotive X Prize Web site.
U.S. Petroleum Demand Dropped 6% in 2008, Says Oil Industry
In 2008, the U.S. demand for petroleum dropped to its lowest level since 2003, according to the American Petroleum Institute (API). Using U.S. petroleum deliveries as a measure of oil demand, API found that demand dropped by 1.2 million barrels per day, a 6% drop, to 19.4 million barrels per day.
Oil demand fell because the demand for fuels dropped, with gasoline deliveries sliding by 3.3%; distillate fuel oil deliveries, which includes diesel fuel, decreasing by 5.8%; jet fuel deliveries dropping by 6.1%, and residual fuel oil deliveries falling by 14%.
Coincidentally, U.S. crude oil production was also down, as lower oil production in Alaska and hurricane-related shut-ins in the Gulf of Mexico pushed production below 5 million barrels per day for the first time since 1946. Despite the drop in production, the imports of crude oil and petroleum products also decreased by more than 5% to 12.9 million barrels per day, the lowest level in five years. U.S. production of one petroleum product increased, however: the refinery output of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel increased by more than 10%, to 3.1 million barrels per day. See the API press release.
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Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREE Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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