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Overview Of Fuel Ethanol Production And Distillers Grains, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jan 2012

Overview Of Fuel Ethanol Production And Distillers Grains, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Modern societies face many challenges, including growing populations, increased demands for food, clothing, housing, consumer goods, and the concomitant raw materials required to produce all of these. Additionally, there is a growing need for energy, which is most easily met by use of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, natural gas, and petroleum). In 2008, the overall U.S. demand for energy was 99.3 x 1015 Btu (1.05 x 1014 MJ); 84% of this was supplied by fossil sources (U.S. EIA, 2009). Transportation fuels accounted for 28% of all energy consumed during this time, and nearly 97% of this came from fossil sources. …


Manufacturing Of Fuel Ethanol And Distillers Grains—Current And Evolving Processes, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Klein Ileleji, David B. Johnson Jan 2012

Manufacturing Of Fuel Ethanol And Distillers Grains—Current And Evolving Processes, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Klein Ileleji, David B. Johnson

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Before examining all of the different possible uses of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a discussion regarding ethanol and DDGS production methods is warranted. This chapter will cover current production processes and some of the new practices that have been developed and are being adopted at plants, including front-end fractionation and back-end fractionation. Additionally, standard coproduct definitions will be discussed, as they govern the marketing and sales of these materials.


Toward A Scientific Understanding Of Ddgs, Keshun Liu, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jan 2012

Toward A Scientific Understanding Of Ddgs, Keshun Liu, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Recently, many people have asked what the fuel ethanol industry is going to do about the growing piles of nonfermented leftovers. Actually this question has been around for quite some time. As early as the 1940s, one report stated that "Grain distillers have developed equipment and an attractive market for their recovered grains" (Boruff, 1947), while another report described that "Distillers are recovering, drying, and marketing their destarched grain stillage as distillers dried grains and dried solubles" (Boruff, 1952). So it appears that a viable solution had already been developed as far back as the 1940s. And by the early …


Overview Of Corn-Based Fuel Ethanol Coproducts: Production And Use, Kurt A. Rosentrater Aug 2011

Overview Of Corn-Based Fuel Ethanol Coproducts: Production And Use, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Modern societies face many challenges, including growing populations, increased demands for food, clothing, housing, consumer goods, and the raw materials required to produce all of these. Additionally, there is a growing need for energy, which is most easily met by use of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, natural gas, petroleum). For example, in 2008, the overall U.S. demand for energy was 99.3 x 1015 Btu (1.05 x 1014 MJ); 84% of this was supplied by fossil sources. Transportation fuels accounted for 28% of all energy consumed during this time, and nearly 97% of this came from fossil sources. Domestic production of …


Developing Criteria For Evaluating The Sustainability Of Emerging Energy, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar Apr 2011

Developing Criteria For Evaluating The Sustainability Of Emerging Energy, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Over the last decade, the interest in and production of biofuels has grown rapidly. Renewable transportation fuels can be produced from a variety of substrates, using various processing strategies. Feedstock preference and factory scale are geographic dependent. However, it is important to understand the implications of deploying these types of systems on a large scale, both throughout the U.S. as well as globally. To assess the sustainability of various biofuel options, it is crucial to evaluate their performance according to a number of attributes. This has been done using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Even so, comparisons among biofuel options are …


Physical And Chemical Characterization Of Fuel Ethanol Coproducts Relevant To Value-Added Uses, Rumela Bhadra, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan Sep 2010

Physical And Chemical Characterization Of Fuel Ethanol Coproducts Relevant To Value-Added Uses, Rumela Bhadra, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan

Kurt A. Rosentrater

One of the fastest growing industries in the United States is the fuel ethanol industry. In terms of ethanol production capability, the industry has grown by more than 600% since the year 2000. The major coproducts from corn-based ethanol include distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and carbon dioxide. DDGS is used as a livestock feed because it contains high quantities of protein, fiber, amino acids, and other nutrients. The goal of this study was to quantify various chemical and physical properties of DDGS, distillers wet grains (DWG), and distillers dried grain (DDG) from several plants in South Dakota. Chemical …


Proteomic Analysis Of Ethene-Enriched Groundwater Microcosms From A Vinyl Chloride-Contaminated Site, Adina S. Chuang, Yang Oh Jin, Laura S. Schmidt, Yalan Li, Samuel Fogel, Donna Smoler, Timothy E. Mattes Mar 2010

Proteomic Analysis Of Ethene-Enriched Groundwater Microcosms From A Vinyl Chloride-Contaminated Site, Adina S. Chuang, Yang Oh Jin, Laura S. Schmidt, Yalan Li, Samuel Fogel, Donna Smoler, Timothy E. Mattes

Adina Howe

Contamination of groundwater with vinyl chloride (VC), a known human carcinogen, is a common environmental problem at plastics manufacturing, dry cleaning, and military sites. At many sites, there is the potential to cleanup VC groundwater plumes with aerobic VC-oxidizing microorganisms (e.g., methanotrophs, etheneotrophs, and VC-assimilating bacteria). Environmental biotechnologies that reveal the presence and activity of VC-oxidizing bacteria in contaminated groundwater samples would provide valuable lines of evidence that bioremediation of VC is occurring at a site. We applied targeted shotgun mass spectrometry-based proteomic methods to ethene-enriched groundwater microcosms from a VC-contaminated site. Polypeptides from the enzymes alkene monooxygenase (EtnC) and …


Greening The Curriculum: Augmenting Engineering And Technology Courses With Sustainability Topics, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar Jan 2010

Greening The Curriculum: Augmenting Engineering And Technology Courses With Sustainability Topics, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Duties of engineers and technologists often entail designing and implementing solutions to problems. It is their responsibility to be cognizant of the impacts of their designs on and thus, their accountability to society in general. They must also be aware of subsequent effects upon the environment. They need to be able to concurrently satisfy these often competing priorities as well as constraints specific to the technical challenges at hand. Responding to these contending forces are the growing fields of green engineering and sustainable engineering. Both of these areas encompass many concepts, ideas and tools all of which are essential for …


Costs Of Pelleting To Enhance The Logistics Of Distillers Grains Shipping, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar Oct 2009

Costs Of Pelleting To Enhance The Logistics Of Distillers Grains Shipping, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Biofuels, especially corn-based ethanol, can help meet some of the increasing demand for transportation fuels. Currently, the most heavily utilized substrate is corn grain, which is readily converted into ethanol at a relatively low cost compared to other biomass sources. The production of ethanol in the U.S. has been dramatically increasing during the last several years; so too has the quantity of manufacturing coproducts. These nonfermentable residues are most often dried and sold as distillers dried grains with solubles – DDGS. Even though these materials are used to feed livestock in local markets, as the size of the industry continues …


Survey Of Us Fuel Ethanol Plants, Jessica A. Saunders, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jul 2009

Survey Of Us Fuel Ethanol Plants, Jessica A. Saunders, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The ethanol industry is growing in response to increased consumer demands for fuel as well as the renewable fuel standard. Corn ethanol processing creates the following products: 1/3 ethanol, 1/3 distillers grains, and 1/3 carbon dioxide. As the production of ethanol increases so does the generation of its coproducts, and viable uses continually need to be developed. A survey was mailed to operational US ethanol plants to determine current practices. It inquired about processes, equipment used, end products, and desired future directions for coproducts. Results indicated that approximately one-third of plant managers surveyed expressed a willingness to alter current drying …


A Data Envelopment Analysis Model For Renewable Energy Technology Selection, Elif Kongar, Kurt A. Rosentrater Apr 2009

A Data Envelopment Analysis Model For Renewable Energy Technology Selection, Elif Kongar, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Public and media interest in alternative energy sources, such as renewable fuels, has rapidly increased in recent years due to higher prices for oil and natural gas. However, the current body of research providing comparative decision making models that either rank these alternative energy sources and/or determine the best possible alternatives is still limited. This paper aims at filling this gap by proposing a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model structure for ranking energy source alternatives under varying circumstances. The model considers both the economics of energy sources and additional environmental criteria such as CO2 emissions and damage cost. Numerical examples …


Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota—A Preliminary Assessment, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Dennis Todey, Russell Persyn Jan 2009

Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota—A Preliminary Assessment, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Dennis Todey, Russell Persyn

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Conversion of biomass is considered the next major advance in biorenewable fuels, energy, and products. Wholesale conversion to biomass utilization could result in removal of current crop residues from agricultural fields (on prime agricultural lands) or even implementation of different crops and cropping strategies (i.e., switchgrass on marginal lands). To date, the driver for biomass processing has been economics and limitations on the conversion of the lignocellulose. Over the last forty years significant investments and resultant changes in management practices in the agricultural sector have focused on soil and water conservation. One of the major efforts has focused on conservation-till …


Properties Of Solvent Extracted Low-Oil Corn Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Jennifer A. Saunders Jan 2009

Properties Of Solvent Extracted Low-Oil Corn Distillers Dried Grains With Solubles, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Jennifer A. Saunders

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Corn-based ethanol is exponentially growing in the US, as is the need for valuable uses for coproducts of the production process, such as distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Currently, DDGS is used as livestock feed, thereby replacing some corn components in animal diets. As the industry continues to grow, there will be an increased need to find additional uses for DDGS. Physical and chemical properties of coproduct streams are becoming increasingly investigated, as these characteristics affect many aspects of utilization, such as target species, optimal dietary substitution rates, transportation, flowability, and behavior during storage. Potential avenues for future use …


Design Properties For Molded, Corn-Based Ddgs-Filled Phenolic Resin, R. A. Tatara, Kurt A. Rosentrater, S. Suraparaju Jan 2009

Design Properties For Molded, Corn-Based Ddgs-Filled Phenolic Resin, R. A. Tatara, Kurt A. Rosentrater, S. Suraparaju

Kurt A. Rosentrater

With the rapid growth in the ethanol fuel industry in recent years, considerable research is being devoted to maximizing the use of processing coproducts, such as distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), typically for livestock diets. Because these residues contain high fiber levels, they may be amendable to incorporation into polymers as well, which is an option that could garner greater economic returns. Thus, the goal of this study was to demonstrate the viability of using corn-based DDGS as a biofiller with phenolic resin, in order to produce a novel biomaterial. DDGS was blended with phenolic resin at four levels …


Improved Uses And Values For The Byproducts Of The Developing Biofuels Industry, Kurt A. Rosentrater Aug 2008

Improved Uses And Values For The Byproducts Of The Developing Biofuels Industry, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

No abstract provided.


Modeling The Effects Of Value-Added Processing And Logistics Using Arena, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar Mar 2008

Modeling The Effects Of Value-Added Processing And Logistics Using Arena, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Elif Kongar

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Scarcity and cost of nonrenewable fossil fuels have been a growing focus of many energy-dependent nations, including the U.S., for the past couple of decades. There are mainly two ways to approach these problems: (1) reducing the energy dependency and/or (2) developing alternative means of energy production. Utilizing biofuels, which are renewable sources of energy, is a promising way to produce energy. But, as this industry grows, so too does the quantity of byproducts, which are known as DDGS. This paper discusses a model that has been developed to analyze the economic viability of DDGS processing, and includes both deterministic …


Attachment Of Bacterial Indicators To Particulates In Runoff From Various Soils, Michelle L. Soupir, Saied Mostaghimi Jan 2008

Attachment Of Bacterial Indicators To Particulates In Runoff From Various Soils, Michelle L. Soupir, Saied Mostaghimi

Michelle L. Soupir

A field study was conducted to examine the fate of E. coli and enterococci transport from three bare soil types receiving cowpat treatments and develop relationships between bacterial partitioning and phosphorous and carbon transport. Particles sizes to which cells preferentially associated were also identified.


Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Russell Persyn, Dennis Todey Jun 2007

Quantifying Total And Sustainable Agricultural Biomass Resources In South Dakota, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Russell Persyn, Dennis Todey

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Conversion of biomass is considered the next major advance in biorenewable fuels, energy, and products. Wholesale conversion to biomass utilization could result in removal of current crop residues from agricultural fields or even implementation of different crops and cropping strategies (i.e., switchgrass). To date, the driver for biomass processing has been economics and limitations on the conversion of the lignocellulose. Over the last forty years significant investments and resultant changes in management practices in the agricultural sector have focused on soil and water conservation. One of the major efforts has focused on conservation-till or no-till, with the goal of retaining …


Compression Molding Of Phenolic Resin And Corn-Based Ddgs Blends, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. A. Tatara, S. Suraparaju Apr 2007

Compression Molding Of Phenolic Resin And Corn-Based Ddgs Blends, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. A. Tatara, S. Suraparaju

Kurt A. Rosentrater

With the rapid growth in the ethanol fuel industry in recent years, considerable research is being devoted to optimizing the use of processing coproducts, such as distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), in livestock diets. Because these residues contain high fiber levels, they may be amendable to incorporation into bio-based composites. Thus, the goal of this study was to demonstrate the viability of using corn-based DDGS as a biofiller with phenolic resin, in order to produce a novel biomaterial. DDGS was blended with phenolic resin at 0, 10, 25, 50, 75, and 90%, by weight, and then compression molded at …


Microbial Development In Distillers Wet Grains Produced During Fuel Ethanol Production From Corn (Zea Mays), R. Michael Lehman, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jan 2007

Microbial Development In Distillers Wet Grains Produced During Fuel Ethanol Production From Corn (Zea Mays), R. Michael Lehman, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Distillers grains are coproduced with ethanol and carbon dioxide during the production of fuel ethanol from the dry milling and fermentation of corn grain, yet there is little basic microbiological information on these materials. We undertook a replicated field study of the microbiology of distillers wet grains (DWG) over a 9 day period following their production at an industrial fuel ethanol plant. Freshly produced DWG had a pH of about 4.4, a moisture content of about 53.5% (wet mass basis), and 4 x 10(5) total yeast cells/g dry mass, of which about 0.1% were viable. Total bacterial cells were initially …


The Importance Of Emerging Biobased Industries To Engineering And Technology, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. Balamuralikrishma Oct 2006

The Importance Of Emerging Biobased Industries To Engineering And Technology, Kurt A. Rosentrater, R. Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Our society has developed an insatiable demand for energy and material goods. Historically, these needs have been met primarily by fossil fuels and other non-renewable raw materials. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increased attention. This paper examines the emergence and importance that biobased industries are increasingly beginning to play. A biobased enterprise, similar in concept to a traditional refinery or factory, utilizes conversion technologies to produce various products. These operations are rapidly increasing both in number as well as in capacity throughout this country, and are poised to add significantly to the nation’s energy and material …


Analytical And Experimental Studies Of Properties Of Ethanol Coproduct-Filled Plastics, Robert Tatara, Andrew Otieno, Srikrishna Suraparaju, Kurt A. Rosentrater Oct 2006

Analytical And Experimental Studies Of Properties Of Ethanol Coproduct-Filled Plastics, Robert Tatara, Andrew Otieno, Srikrishna Suraparaju, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

As the renewable fuels industry continues to grow, the quantity of resulting byproducts has expanded in tandem. Currently, these materials are primarily used for animal feed, but at some point will saturate the animal feeds market. Thus, it is necessary to investigate alternative methods and applications by which these coproducts can be utilized. One potential application for these process residues involves plastics manufacturing. Due, in part, to the increasing cost of resins and conventional fillers, alternate fillers have been increasingly sought. Many of these include biological materials such as grasses, bamboo, starch, chicken feathers, soy protein, and cellulose. Not only …


Partitioning Of E. Coli And Enterococci Between Planktonic And Sorbed Phases In Runoff From Pasturelands, Michelle L. Soupir, H. E. Saied Mostaghimi, Elizabeth F. Alphin Jul 2006

Partitioning Of E. Coli And Enterococci Between Planktonic And Sorbed Phases In Runoff From Pasturelands, Michelle L. Soupir, H. E. Saied Mostaghimi, Elizabeth F. Alphin

Michelle L. Soupir

Pathogens are the leading cause of surface water impairments in Virginia. Currently, Nonpoint Source (NPS) pollution models are most frequently used to determine the maximum allowable loading rates of bacteria from identified sources and they typically simulate bacterial transport to surface waters as a planktonic or free pollutant. Very few models attempt to partition between the planktonic and attached phases primarily because data on bacteria partitioning during overland flow events are currently not available. A field study was conducted to evaluate the partitioning of E. coli and enterococci between the planktonic and attached phases in runoff from pasturelands and to …


The Global Relevance Of Bio-Based Industries To Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma Jun 2006

The Global Relevance Of Bio-Based Industries To Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Radha Balamuralikrishma

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The society in which we live has developed an insatiable demand for energy and material goods. In particular, recent data reveals that the aggressive pursuit of improved standards of living in the highly populated countries of India and China has contributed to increased demand for fossil fuels, which has exacerbated the recent spike in energy costs. Historically, these needs have been met primarily by fossil fuels and other non-renewable raw materials. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increased attention. This paper examines the emergence and importance that bio-based industries are increasingly beginning to play. A bio-based enterprise, …


Biorefining Of Renewable Resources—Emerging Opportunities For Engineering Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jun 2006

Biorefining Of Renewable Resources—Emerging Opportunities For Engineering Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The society in which we live has developed an insatiable demand for energy and material goods. Historically these needs have primarily been met by utilizing fossil fuels and other nonrenewable raw materials. As environmental concerns grow, however, renewable resources are gaining increased attention. This paper examines industrial biorefineries, which are at the leading edge of the development of emerging biobased industries. Biorefineries, similar in concept to traditional petroleum refineries, utilize various conversion technologies to produce multiple products, including fuels, chemicals, industrial products, and electrical power from renewable biomass sources, such as corn stover, residue straw, perennial grasses, legumes, and other …


Renewable Energy Alternatives—A Growing Opportunity For Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jan 2006

Renewable Energy Alternatives—A Growing Opportunity For Engineering And Technology Education, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

A hallmark of the United States’ economic growth is an ever-increasing demand for energy, which has traditionally been met primarily by combusting the hydrocarbons found in fossil fuels. As national security and environmental concerns grow, renewable energy resources are gaining increased attention. Unfortunately, there is currently a dearth of renewable energy coverage in engineering and technology curricula. The objectives of this paper are to examine historical energy data for both traditional as well as alternative energy sources, and to motivate educators to address this gap. Even with the progressive developments of non-traditional energy sources over the years, the U.S. still …


Expanding The Role Of Systems Modeling: Considering Byproduct Generation From Biofuel Production, Kurt A. Rosentrater Jan 2006

Expanding The Role Of Systems Modeling: Considering Byproduct Generation From Biofuel Production, Kurt A. Rosentrater

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The bioethanol industry has been experiencing rapid growth over the past several years, and is expected to continue to increase production for the foreseeable future. A vital component to the success of this industry is the sales and marketing of processing residues, which are primarily sold as dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Systems modeling, a technique that has been used to predict future demand for bioethanol, can also be used to determine potential byproduct generation rates. This paper discusses the development of one such model, and presents predicted generation of DDGS as well as carbon dioxide emissions from this …


Update On Ethanol Processing Residue Properties, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, James Julson, Padmanaban Krishnan Jul 2005

Update On Ethanol Processing Residue Properties, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, James Julson, Padmanaban Krishnan

Kurt A. Rosentrater

The production of corn-based ethanol in the U.S. is dramatically increasing, and consequently so is the amount of byproduct materials generated from this processing sector. These coproduct streams are currently solely utilized as livestock feed, which is a route that provides ethanol processors with a substantial revenue source and significantly increases the profitability of the production process. With the construction and operation of many new plants in recent years, these residuals do, however, have much potential for value-added processing and utilization in other sectors as well. This option holds promise of economic benefit for corn processors, especially if the livestock …


Renewable Energy Alternatives: Current Status And Capacities, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Youakim Al-Kalaani Apr 2005

Renewable Energy Alternatives: Current Status And Capacities, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Youakim Al-Kalaani

Kurt A. Rosentrater

A key to the United States’ economic growth is an ever-increasing demand for energy, which has traditionally been met primarily by combusting the hydrocarbons found in fossil fuels. As environmental concerns grow, renewable energy resources are gaining increasing attention. To aid both researchers as well as educators, this paper examines historical energy data for both traditional as well as alternative energy sources. Even with the progressive developments of non-traditional energy sources over the years, the U.S. still receives more than 90% of its energy from fossil and nuclear fuels. Explicit examination of the alternative energy sector has revealed that hydroelectric …


Release And Transport Of Nutrients From Livestock Manure Applied To Pastureland, Michelle L. Soupir, Saied Mostaghimi, Eugene R. Yagow, David H. Vaughan Aug 2004

Release And Transport Of Nutrients From Livestock Manure Applied To Pastureland, Michelle L. Soupir, Saied Mostaghimi, Eugene R. Yagow, David H. Vaughan

Michelle L. Soupir

Land applications of manure from confined animal systems and direct deposit by grazing animals are both major sources of nutrients in streams. An understanding of the overland transport mechanisms from land applied waste is needed to improve design of best management practices and modeling of NPS pollution. Release and transport plots were established to study in-field nutrient release and transport from pasturelands receiving phosphorus based livestock waste applications. The release plots determined the concentrations available to be transported to the edge of the field in runoff. Four manure treatments (turkey litter, liquid dairy manure, standard cowpies, and none) and three …