The biomass based energy sector, especially the one based on lignocellulosic sources such as switchgrass Miscanthus, forest residues and short rotation coppice, will play an important role in our drive towards renewable energy. The biomass feedstock production (BFP) subsystem provides the necessary material inputs to the conversion processes for energy production. This subsystem includes the agronomic production of energy crops and the physical handling and delivery of biomass, as well as other enabling logistics. Achieving a sustainable BFP system is therefore paramount for the success of the emerging bioenergy sector. However, low bulk and energy densities, seasonal and weather sensitive availability, distributed supply and lack of commercial scale production experience create unique challenges. Moreover, novel region specific feedstock alternatives continue to emerge. Engineering will play a critical role in addressing these challenges and ensuring the techno-economic feasibility of this sector. It must also integrate with the biological, physical and chemical sciences and incorporate externalities, such as social/economic considerations, environmental impact and policy/regulatory issues, to achieve a truly sustainable system. Tremendous progress has been made in the past few years while new challenges have simultaneously emerged that need further investigation. It is therefore prudent at this time to review the current status and capture the future challenges through a comprehensive book. This work will serve as an authoritative treatise on the topic that can help researchers, educators and students interested in the field of biomass feedstock production, with particular interest in the engineering aspects.​ ​

The biomass based energy sector, especially the one based on lignocellulosic sources such as switchgrass Miscanthus, forest residues and short rotation coppice, will play an important role in our drive towards renewable energy. The biomass feedstock production (BFP) subsystem provides the necessary material inputs to the conversion processes for energy production. This subsystem includes the agronomic production of energy crops and the physical handling and delivery of biomass, as well as other enabling logistics. Achieving a sustainable BFP system is therefore paramount for the success of the emerging bioenergy sector. However, low bulk and energy densities, seasonal and weather sensitive availability, distributed supply and lack of commercial scale production experience create unique challenges. Moreover, novel region specific feedstock alternatives continue to emerge. Engineering will play a critical role in addressing these challenges and ensuring the techno-economic feasibility of this sector. It must also integrate with the biological, physical and chemical sciences and incorporate externalities, such as social/economic considerations, environmental impact and policy/regulatory issues, to achieve a truly sustainable system. Tremendous progress has been made in the past few years while new challenges have simultaneously emerged that need further investigation. It is therefore prudent at this time to review the current status and capture the future challenges through a comprehensive book. This work will serve as an authoritative treatise on the topic that can help researchers, educators and students interested in the field of biomass feedstock production, with particular interest in the engineering aspects.​ ​

Bioenergy Engineering: Fundamentals, Methods, Modelling, and Applications presents the fundamental principles, recent developments, innovative state-of the-art technologies, challenges, solutions and future perspectives on the production of biofuels and bioenergy. Balancing the scientific and engineering aspects of biofuels production, the book guides readers through the chemical kinetics, modeling, thermodynamics, unit operations and technological advancements in fuel processing from conventional and alternative resources. Each chapter of the book starts with the fundamentals and goes on to assess the latest technologies for the production of renewable fuels on topics. Sections cover biomass utilization, biomass-to-liquid conversion technologies (pyrolysis, liquefaction, solid-state fermentation and submerged fermentation), biomass-to-gas conversion technologies (thermochemical gasification, subcritical and supercritical water gasification, and methanation), gas-to-liquid conversion technologies (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis), carbonization, transesterification, organic transformation, carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom coupling reactions, oxidation, reforming, hydrotreating technologies (hydrogenation, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, hydro dearomatization and hydro demetalization), nanocatalysis and biocatalysis (enzymatic hydrolysis), and much more. - Analyzes emerging technologies for the sustainable conversion of various waste and non-waste materials into bioenergy and biofuels - Examines a wide range of feedstocks and conversion pathways for liquid and gaseous biofuels - Offers practical guidance and data on how to conduct lifecycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and utilize GIS modeling for a range production pathways

Advanced Functional Solid Catalysts for Biomass Valorization presents the basic concepts in catalysis (homogeneous, heterogeneous, and enzymatic) and the properties of various kinds of heterogeneous solid catalysts, including their structure, porosity, particle size, BET surface area, acid-base, and redox properties. Useful information about biorefineries, types of biomass feedstocks, their structures and properties as well as about several potential catalytic routes for biomass upgrading to useful fuels and chemicals is provided in this book. Importantly, this book covers the most recent developments toward functionalization of various solid catalysts, optimization of catalysts' properties, developing cascade catalytic strategies, exploring reaction kinetics/mechanisms, and evaluating catalysts' stability/reusability during biomass upgrading. Current challenges and opportunities for the future biorefineries as well as for the design of advanced functional solid catalysts are critically discussed. - Describes catalysis as a promising technology for the development of eco-friendly and economically viable strategies for several important energy and environmental applications. - Covers heterogeneous solid catalysts because of their versatile benefits in terms of catalysts' synthesis, production cost, stability, and reusability as compared to homogeneous liquid catalysts. - Provides promising strategies for the design of new catalytic materials, such as carbon materials, metal–organic frameworks, zeolites, and mesoporous silicas. - Describes functional solid catalysts for developing one-pot cascade processes for efficient biomass valorization and other vital chemical transformations.

Biomass Supply Chains for Bioenergy and Biorefining highlights the emergence of energy generation through the use of biomass and the ways it is becoming more widely used. The supply chains that produce the feedstocks, harvest, transport, store, and prepare them for combustion or refinement into other forms of fuel are long and complex, often differing from feedstock to feedstock. Biomass Supply Chains for Bioenergy and Biorefining considers every aspect of these supply chains, including their design, management, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts. The first part of the book introduces supply chains, biomass feedstocks, and their analysis, while the second part looks at the harvesting, handling, storage, and transportation of biomass. The third part studies the modeling of supply chains and their management, with the final section discussing, in minute detail, the supply chains involved in the production and usage of individual feedstocks, such as wood and sugar starches, oil crops, industrial biomass wastes, and municipal sewage stocks. - Focuses on the complex supply chains of the various potential feedstocks for biomass energy generation - Studies a wide range of biomass feedstocks, including woody energy crops, sugar and starch crops, lignocellulosic crops, oil crops, grass crops, algae, and biomass waste - Reviews the modeling and optimization, standards, quality control and traceability, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts of supply chains

The utilization of various types of biomass residue to produce products such as biofuels and biochemicals means biorefinery technology using biomass residues may become a one-stop solution to the increasing need for sustainable, non-fossil sources of energy and chemicals.Refining Biomass Residues for Sustainable Energy and Bioproducts: Technology, Advances, Life Cycle Assessment and Economics focuses on the various biorefineries currently available and discusses their uses, challenges, and future developments. This book introduces the concept of integrated biorefinery systems, as well as their operation and feedstock sourcing. It explores the specificities, current developments, and potential end products of various types of residue, from industrial and municipal to agricultural and marine, as well as residue from food industries. Sustainability issues are discussed at length, including life cycle assessment, economics, and cost analysis of different biorefinery models. In addition, a number of global case studies examine successful experiences in different regions.This book is an ideal resource for researchers and practitioners in the field of bioenergy and waste management who are looking to learn about technologies involved in residue biorefinery systems, how to reduce their environmental impacts, and how to ensure their commercial viability. - Explores a range of different biorefinery categories, such as industrial, agricultural, and marine biomass residues - Includes a Life Cycle Assessment of biorefinery models, in addition to costs and market analysis. - Features case studies from around the world and is written by an international team of authors

Algae biomass has enormous potential to produce fuels and value-added products. Algae-derived biofuels and bioproducts offer great promise in contributing to U.S. energy security and in mitigating the environmental concerns associated with conventional fuels. Algae’s ability to grow in low quality water/wastewater and to accumulate lipids has encouraged scientists to investigate algae as a medium for wastewater treatment and a potential source of fuel and bioproducts. There are growing demands for biomass-based transportation fuels, including biodiesel, bio-oil, biomethane, biohydrogen, and other high-value products (nutraceuticals, proteins, omega-3 etc.). Algae can help address these needs. The topic of algae energy includes the production and characterization of algae cultures, conversion into fuel feedstocks and high value products, and optimization of product isolation and use. In view of the increasing efforts in algae biomass production and conversion into energy and high-value products, the current research topic covers important aspects of algal strain selection, culture systems, inorganic carbon utilization, lipid metabolism and quality, biomass harvesting, extraction of lipids and proteins, and thermochemical conversion of algal feedstocks into biocrude.

Analytical Methods for Biomass Characterization and Conversion is a thorough resource for researchers, students and professors who investigate the use of biomass for fuels, chemicals and products. Advanced analytical chemistry methods and techniques can now provide detailed compositional and chemical measurements of biomass, biomass conversion process streams, intermediates and products. This volume from the Emerging Issues in Analytical Chemistry series brings together the current knowledge on each of these methods, including spectroscopic methods (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Near-infrared Spectroscopy, Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), pyrolysis (Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry), Liquid Chromatography/High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry, and so on. Authors David C. Dayton and Thomas D. Foust show how these can be used for measuring biomass composition and for determining the composition of intermediates with regard to subsequent processing for biofuels, bio-chemicals and bio-based products. - Covers the broad range of techniques and applications that have been developed and perfected in the last decade - Highlights specific analyses required for understanding biomass conversion to select intermediates - Provides references to seminal books, review articles and technical articles that go into greater depth, serving as a basis for further study

This book highlights what it takes to be successful in identifying and executing environmental responsibility from an operational perspective. It provides cutting-edge research from globally recognized field experts. It is a useful resource for practitioners to explore why and how firms engage in environmentally responsible operations, but also a valuable resource for academics as an introductory reference that provides direct exposure to key environmental operational problems faced by many firms today. This book can also be used as an introductory reading for students with varying educational backgrounds - from business school students interested in environmental issues to environmental scientists interested in obtaining a business perspective - as it provides a broad scope of key issues at the interface of operations management and environmental and social responsibility. Environmentally Responsible Supply Chains is structured in a modular fashion, with each chapter introducing and analyzing a specific timely topic, allowing readers to identify the chapters that relate to their interests. More specifically, the book distinguishes between two key drivers of environmentally responsibility: Profit and Regulatory compliance. The book is divided into five sections. The first three sections of the book explore profit driven environmental responsibility, and provide examples as to where the motives for environmentally responsible business practices come from, where business opportunities are, and what operational perspectives are key to profitability. The last two sections of the book focus on regulation as a driver of environmental responsibility and identify motives, opportunities, or operational perspectives as to effective regulatory compliance. Ultimately the book introduces the reader to the fundamentals of sustainable operations and highlights the latest research on the topic.

This unique compendium provides an insight into the role of emerging marine biorefineries based on macroalgae (seaweeds) in the development of a sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth-blue economy.The useful reference text shows a complete picture on the motivation to develop seaweed technologies, and how the combination of biology, cultivation technologies and downstream processing with economics can address the social challenges through the blue growth.