A maine scientist has defeloped a two-step process which can make 翻译

热心网友： 一个缅因州科学家已经开发了一个两步过程，这可以使。。。。

热心网友：缅因州的的科学家已经defeloped一个两步的过程，可以使

热心网友：Efficiency and simplicity have long eluded renewable-fuel researchers, but a Maine scientist has developed a two-step process he says can make oil from the cellulose in wood fiber.This process, far less complex than competing methods, creates an oil that can be refined into gasoline, jet fuel or diesel and removes nearly all oxygen -- the enemy of fuel efficiency."It's unique and it's simple," said Clay Wheeler, the University of Maine chemical engineering professor who discovered the process last year with two undergraduates. "This is important because the more complex the technology, the more expensive it's going to be."In heavily wooded Maine, logging produces a lot of scrap tree stumps, tops and branches that are unusable for making lumber or paper.While additional research is needed, if Wheeler's process is ultimately able to be commercially developed, it could help forest-rich states generate their own fuel from that scrap.In the first step of Wheeler's process, wood is bathed in sulfuric acid, isolating the sugars in cellulose and producing an energy-intense organic acid mixture.That mixture is then heated with calcium hydroxide in a reactor to 450 degrees Celsius (840 Fahrenheit), a step that removes oxygen.What drips out is a hydrocarbon liquid that chemically mimics crude oil.For every ton of cellulose processed, Wheeler is able to make about 1.25 barrels of oil equivalent, a unit of energy comparable to the amount of energy produced by burning one barrel of crude oil.The acids and calcium hydroxide are recycled at the end of the process, cutting costs, he said.The most expensive part is the wood itself, Wheeler said. At current wood biomass prices, he acknowledged his process is not economically competitive with traditional crude oil refining."But we anticipate that the value of the fuel will continue to increase as petroleum becomes more scarce," he said.The economic viability of the project is a source of concern, said Andrew Soare, an analyst who tracks alternative fuel technologies at Lux Research, a technology advisory firm."Further understanding of costs is key to this reaction," Soare said. "I think this process certainly does have a chance to go somewhere."Paul Bryan, program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy's Biomass Program, said a project's economics are a key factor for any future funding support."If the outputs are a lot more valuable than the inputs, that's the first step to success," he said.The journal Green Chemistry plans to publish a study later this year on Wheeler's process, which does not use catalysts or bacteria as most other alternative fuel methods do.Wheeler is now studying just what makes his process tick. He accidentally stumbled upon it 11 months ago while trying different reactions with biomass and acids.He does not know exactly what happens inside the reactor during the second phase, when the oil is actually produced, but he knows what he can make with it.During a recent tour of his Maine laboratory, Wheeler refined his fuel into gasoline that can be used in existing engines."We've had independent laboratories test this, and without any upgrading, it was 82-octane gasoline," Wheeler said.That is a lower octane rating than you find at gas stations -- most are at least 87 -- but traditional crude oil refining uses several steps to reach that mark."We think we can get there," Wheeler said of the higher octane rating.NEW INNOVATIONS AND PRODUCTSEven though the United States has 10 percent of the world's forest land, its pulp and paper industry has slowly declined in the past 50 years due to shrinking paper demand.In August, paper shipments fell 6.4 percent from the same month last year and box production slipped 2.7 percent, according to the American Forest and Paper Association.Wheeler's process could entice the paper industry to take a second look at Maine, Oregon and other timber-rich states."This is the kind of stuff you could do in a pulp and paper mill," Wheeler said. "Paper plants are already used to high temperatures."University of Maine officials are hoping Wheeler's process creates jobs in a state with a 7.6 percent unemployment rate."These mills are the heart of communities in Maine and they need new innovations and products," said Renee Kelly, director of economic development initiatives at the university."Pulp and paper are very cyclical, commodity businesses." 效率和简单再生能源长期以来研究人员,但一个缅因州科学家已经开发了一个两步的过程他说可以使油从纤维素在木质纤维。这个过程中,竞争少得多复杂得多的方法,创建了一个石油可以提炼成汽油、喷气燃料和柴油和消除几乎所有的氧气——敌人的燃料效率。“这是独特的,这很简单,”克莱惠勒,缅因大学的化学工程教授发现了去年两个本科生的过程。“这是非常重要的,因为更复杂,更昂贵的技术将。”在密林覆盖的缅因州,日志会产生大量的废树桩,上衣和分支,是无法使木材或纸。而更多的研究是必要的,如果惠勒的过程是最终能够成为商业发达,它可以帮助森林丰富的国家自己生产的燃料从废。在第一步的惠勒的过程中,木材是沐浴在硫酸、孤立的糖在纤维素和生产用能大户的有机酸混合物。,然后加热混合物与氢氧化钙在反应堆到450摄氏度(840华氏度),一个步骤,可去除氧。什么滴是一种碳氢化合物液体,化学模拟原油。每吨纤维素加工,惠勒能够使约1.25桶油当量,一个单位的能量与能量的燃烧所产生一桶原油。这些酸和氢氧化钙是再生在这个过程的最后,削减成本,他说。最昂贵的部分是木材本身,惠勒说。在当前木材生物质价格,他承认他的过程不是经济竞争与传统原油精炼。“但我们预期的值燃料将继续增加石油变得更加稀缺,”他说。项目的经济可行性是一个令人关切的问题,分析师Andrew暴涨,跟踪替代燃料技术在Lux Research技术咨询公司。“进一步了解成本的关键是这个反应,“暴涨说。“我认为这个过程的确是有机会去某个地方。”保罗·布莱恩,项目经理在美国能源部的生物质项目,说项目的经济学是一个关键因素,任何未来的资金支持。“如果输出更有价值的比输入,这是成功的第一步,”他说。《绿色化学计划今年晚些时候发表的一项研究在惠勒的过程,它不使用催化剂或细菌大多数其他替代燃料的方法做。惠勒正在研究怎样做他过程蜱虫。他偶然偶然发现这11个月前在尝试不同的反应与生物量和酸。他不知道到底发生了什么在反应堆中第二阶段,当油实际上是生产,但他知道他可以用它。在最近一次巡视他的缅因州实验室,惠勒精炼他的燃料成汽油,可以用于现有的引擎。“我们已经有了独立的实验室测试,没有任何升级,这是82号汽油,”惠勒说。这是一个低辛烷值比你发现加油站——大多数是至少87,但传统的原油精炼用几个步骤来达到,马克。“我们认为我们可以到达那里,”惠勒说,更高的辛烷值。新的创新和产品尽管美国拥有全球10%的林地,其纸浆和造纸行业已经慢慢下降在过去50年里由于纸需求萎缩。8月,纸发货量下滑6.4%比去年同期和箱产值下滑了2.7%,据美国森林和纸协会。惠勒的过程可能会诱使造纸行业采取第二个看缅因州,俄勒冈州和其他木材丰富的国家。“这是那种你可以做的东西在纸浆和造纸厂,”惠勒说。“纸植物已经用于高温。”缅因大学官员希望惠勒的过程创造就业机会在一个国家有7.6%的失业率。“这些米尔斯是心脏的社区在缅因州和他们需要新的创新和产品,”蕾妮凯利,主任说经济发展活动在大学。“纸浆和纸张非常周期性,大宗商品业务。”