PRODUCTS
Liquid Fuels
D
iesel Brewing is focused on the production of butanol as the primary “green” alternative fuel. Other alcohols generated through the catalytic conversion of cellulosic biomass to liquid fuels include ethanol, propanol and methanol.
Butanol
Butanol is an incredibly versatile fuel that is considered “substantially similar” to gasoline and is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as a renewable fuel. Butanol can be used as a stand alone transportation fuel, as an oxygenate fuel additive for both gasoline and diesel, and can also be sold as an industrial chemical. The properties of butanol are superior to ethanol which makes this fuel safer to handle, transport and store. Some advantages include:
- Butanol has a higher energy content, higher octane value, higher flashpoint rating, tolerates moisture better, and is less evaporative than ethanol. These are all favorable characteristics that make butanol an enhanced fuel additive for cold or hot climates, without sacrificing power or fuel efficiency.
Diesel Brewing will market cellulosic biobutanol as a diesel blending agent. Visit www.butanol.com for more information.
Ethanol
Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel derived primarily from the fermentation and distillation process utilizing corn and other agricultural food-based products, such as sugar cane, wheat and other grains. Ethanol is widely recognized in the United States as a blending agent for unleaded gasoline. The most common blends include E10 and E85 fuel mixtures. E10 requires no engine modifications and includes an ethanol blend of up to 10% while the E85 fuel, an 85% ethanol additive, is considered a “flex fuel” and can be used in modified vehicles. Approximately 70% of the gasoline sold in American contains some percentage of ethanol.
While the production of corn-based ethanol has successfully provided a cleaner burning renewable fuel that has successfully reduced our domestic consumption of foreign oil, there are drawbacks. Ethanol can be more expensive at the retail pumps, diverts many thousands of acres of farmland, depletes our limited water supply, has driven up global food costs, is difficult to transport and store, and has some performance properties that are inferior when compared to gasoline.
Although there are unintended consequences to the conventional production of ethanol, the benefits of ethanol are substantial and, so far, outweigh the drawbacks. Some of those benefits include:
Diesel Brewing will produce ethanol by utilizing cellulosic biomass (nonedible waste products) as a source for the production process. Diesel Brewing will sale ethanol to existing petroleum distributors to help states comply with congressional mandates requiring ethanol additives.
Methanol
Methanol, considered the simplest of alcohols, is commonly referred to as “wood alcohol” because it was once produced chiefly as a byproduct of wood distillation. It is now produced synthetically as a result of catalyst technologies producing synthesis gases. Methanol is clear, but has a distinctive odor, similar to ethanol.
Methanol is predominately used as a fuel additive, but because of its toxic properties, it is also commonly used as a solvent for varnishes and lacquers, as antifreeze, and as a building block for a variety of chemicals. Pure methanol is not sold as a stand alone motor fuel, although in its purest form, it is commonly used as a racing fuel. As a transportation fuel, it is mixed as an additive or a blending agent with gasoline (M85, 85% methanol and 15% gasoline), ethanol and biodiesel.
Methanol has its drawbacks. Methanol must be handled and used with care because it is poisonous, flammable and relatively volatile which can be hazardous in the case of spills or leakage. It is generally more expensive than gasoline, produces less energy and is substantially more corrosive than gasoline, requiring special storage tanks and dispensing equipment.
Companies worldwide see the tremendous potential of methanol and are looking for new and innovative uses. It is clear that methanol will play a more meaningful role in the future of renewable fuels.
Some of the advantages of methanol include:
Propanol
Propanol is a clear volatile liquid (alcohol) that is relatively nontoxic and dries quickly. Propanol is widely used as a solvent in the industrial commercial industries, as a cleaning fluid for the electronics and medical industries (rubbing alcohol), as an alternative preservative to formaldehyde in solution concentrations, and as a “dry gas” fuel additive to stabilize gasoline in wet and cold environments.
Ash
Ash is a byproduct of the “post combustion” process of biomass gasification and is composed of primarily silica, magnesia, calcia, and magnetite, but will also contain such elements as potassium and phosphorous. It will be removed, stored and sold as an additive to concrete mixes or can be used as a soil amendment.
Electricity
Operating at full capacity, a Diesel Brewing biorefinery is capable of producing between 5-10 MWh of electricity by capturing waste heat and making steam through heat exchangers, standard turbines and generators. Diesel Brewing will use the electricity it requires for operations and will sale any excess capacity to local municipalities.
