U of I
news
New facility to link research and commercial viability for advanced
biofuels
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[May 29, 2013]
URBANA -- A proposed new facility at the
University of Illinois will take biofuel processing to the next
level. The state's Capital Development Board has designated in
excess of $20 million to build the Integrated Bioprocessing Research
Laboratory, or IBRL, at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences. An outgrowth of the Center for BioEnergy
Research, the new facility "will complete the value-chain link
between research and commercial viability for advanced biofuels,"
said Hans Blaschek, professor emeritus in the Department of Food
Science and Human Nutrition and director of the Center for BioEnergy
Research.
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Vijay Singh, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and
Biological Engineering in ACES, said: "IBRL provides a niche between
the bench-scale study, which can ferment approximately a kilogram of
corn, and the large scale, such as the National Corn-to-Ethanol
Research Center at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
They process 200 bushels a day. There was obviously a need for
something in between." Examples of recent biofuels research at the
College of ACES are two studies on converting cellulosic biomass
into biofuels.
"One study addressed the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis on
pre-treatment of Miscanthus, and a second analyzed the influence of
feedstock particle size on lignocellulose conversion," said Singh.
"In other words, how fine do we have to grind this material in order
to maximize ethanol yields?"
A third study was a collaborative effort between the National
Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, USDA and the
University of Illinois. This study addressed the effects of
mycotoxins on ethanol production.
"Because of the drought in the summer of 2012, there were
concerns about mycotoxins in corn and what effect that would have on
ethanol production in an ethanol plant," Singh noted. "We showed
that one of the mycotoxins, Diplodia ear rot, has a negligible
effect. If you get this corn at your ethanol plant and it has a
level of this particular fungus, it's not going to affect your
ethanol yields." The effect of this fungus was only observed on the
oil content in distillers dried grains with solubles.
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In anticipation of the new facility, Singh is working to develop
industry relationships and provide connectivity between industry and
other institutions and units interested in pilot-scale
proof-of-concept activities.
"We are offering an annual industrial affiliate membership," said
Singh, "which includes access to the pilot plant, faculty expertise,
working with master's students (via internships), bioenergy class
presentations, one online class and an invitation to the annual
industrial members' networking conference."
DuPont Industrial Biosciences and Novozymes have joined as
affiliate members, and Singh said that in the last year, five
multinational companies completed projects at the current facility.
Groundbreaking for the new facility should take place in fall of
2013, with completion expected in 18 months.
[Text from file received from the
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and
Environmental Sciences]
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