Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Environmental Tradeoffs In Bioenergy Production And Agricultural Practices, Alicia Lynn English

Open Access Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is the environmental tradeoffs of stover removal within the Corn Belt. The environmental tradeoffs considered are mainly concerned with managing soil erosion and soil quality. The analysis layers soil characteristics, management strategies and per acre costs using an integrated RUSLE2/WEPS model and an economic optimization model to illuminate a lower bound supply response. Different assumptions were tested in regards to sustainability, prices, and market integration for five states and 18,760 soil types throughout the Corn Belt. Sustainability was defined to limit soil erosion from wind and water to 5 tons/acre/year and the soil organic matter …

Utilization Of Biomass Derived Furans In Value-Added Organics And Heterogeneous Oxorhenium Catalysts For Deoxydehydration Of Diols, Benjamin L. Wegenhart

Open Access Dissertations

As fossil fuels are depleted, there is a growing focus on renewable chemicals based on biomass materials, including both fuels and chemical feedstocks. Current methods for biomass utilization include biological conversion to produce ethanol and various thermochemical routes (gasification, pyrolysis, liquefaction, hydrothermal treatment, etc.). Furfural is one particular chemical that can be obtained from lignocellulosic biomass in good yields through the dehydration of sugar residues. It can be used as a feedstock for chemicals such as furan and THF, or as a platform molecule for making liquid fuels. The objective of this research is to investigate new pathways for the …

Energy Systems Analysis For A Solar Economy, Dharik Sanchan Mallapragada

Open Access Dissertations

The use of solar energy for human needs faces challenges owing to its relatively low energy intensity and intermittent availability, coupled with the constrained availability of renewable carbon and land resources. This study uses systems analysis tools to identify carbon and energy efficient transformations of solar energy for different purposes, including transportation fuels and grid-scale energy storage. These efforts have been complemented with a feasibility analysis of existing fossil-energy and other hybrid pathways.

In an era of limited fossil resources, liquid fuels from sustainably available (SA) biomass could meet the energy needs of the transportation sector. We present a method …