Technical Presentation about Enzymatic production from fuels & chemicals from lignocellulosic resources

I went to a technical presentation by Dr. Lisbeth Olsson at UBC Forest Science Center today morning.

The title of her presentation is: 

Enzymes and microorganisms in the service of producing fuels, chemicals and material from lignocellulosic resources

The presentation room where Dr. Olsson was presenting

Her research are:

1. Identify and design enzymes
2. Optimization and investigation of the physiological properties of microorganisms, in particular, yeast

She mentioned that lignocellulosic materials are very complex and difficult to break down, although there are methods to break down the lignocellulosic complex. One of the well-established method is enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose.

She is looking for enzymes to:

1. degrade plant cell wall materials to feed sugar platform to produce ethanol
2. modify plant cell wall material to produce custom-made bioploymers (bio-plastics)
3. upgrade plant cell wall material to more valuable products, especially cinnamic acid related compounds

In her project with Sida and FIRI, she obtained microorganism samples from Vietnam to obtain fungal strains and yeast strains. Through a series of selections, she identify the enzyme feruloyl esterases which is capable of cleaving the carboxylic ester bonds. The carboxylic ester bonds are the primary bonds that bound cellulose and lignin together. 

Through process optimization experiments, she showed that the ethanol yield can be increased by 50% by applying feeding propagation of lignocellulosic hydrolases. 

Dr. Olsson also look into improving the cellular robustness to increase the yeast's ability to maintain its performance in face of perturbation and uncertainty. To increase the cellular robustness in acetic acid stress, a strain of yeast from vinegar is obtained and tested.

To remove inhibitors, mainly the toxic phenolic compounds, pathways of bio-conversion of phenolic precursors are investigated. She concluded that conversion, in general does not indicate detoxification, but some pathways are more preferable to convert toxic substrates to non-toxic ones.

Overall, Dr. Olsson stressed that we, as a global community in bio-economy, are moving towards high gravity processes to produce higher volume of bioproducts. Running high gravity processes is tricky thing to do. It can be done more effectively if we increase the physiological understandings of the microorganisms.

Calculator for Safe Storage time and Integration of Germination over Storage time model

 HGCA, Home Grown Cereals Authority (UK), subsidary of United Kingdom Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)
HGCA Quality Calculator for Safe Storage time
http://data.hgca.com/calculator/

Sadly, I cannot find the reference to calculation steps they use to calculate the safe storage time. I could  use that piece of information to explain my integration of calorific value over storage period.

YEAH, I found a paper that uses the same concept my supervisor, Dr. S suggested me to use to integrate the calorific value over storage period. Dr. S mentioned that he got the idea from a method that is used in estimating the germination percentage of grain over storage. I'm so thrilled!
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0062868&representation=PDF

A number of symbols and their definitions

1. Thermal time (TT) model: Predict the effect of temperature on seed germination by assuming a range of temperatures, the base temperature for germination (T_b) is constant and the thermal time required for germination of a given fraction of seeds is a normal or log normal distribution among seeds in a population.
2. Maximum Lifetime Threshold (MLT): assume that there is a maximum potential lifetime for each seed, which distributes normally among individual seed in a population, and that the time to germination of a given seed is inversely proportional to the difference between the aging time and the maximum potential lifetime of that seed.

TT model
1/t_g     = germination rate
g           = germination percentile
T          = linear function of temperature at a suboptimal range
Θ_T(g) = thermal time to germination of a given percentage g and T. It is found that assumption of a log normal distribution of Θ_T(g) is applicable for germination prediction of aspen seeds, i.e.
probit(g) = (ln((T - T_b) x t_g ) - ln(Θ_T(50)))/σ_p,max
T_b       = the base temperature

MLT model
p         = aging time
p_max(g) = the maximum potential lifetime above which seed germination cannot occur for a given percentage g and is assumed to be normally distributed among seeds in a population
Θa       = an "aging time constant"

Aging thermal time model
ΘAT     = aging thermal time
ΘNT     = normalized aging thermal time

ASABE Citation Guide Summary

Based on Style Guide for ASABE Technical Publications
Further reference: ASAE Standard EP285.7: “Use of SI (Metric) Units.”

Numbers

1. From one to nine, use words, BUT always use digits for values followed by abbreviated units.
   e.g. Use 5 mL of water
2. From ten onward, use digits.
3. Two numbers occurs as adjacent, spell out the first one
   e.g. There were thirty 9 mm holes in the first section
4. When a number BEGINS a sentence, SPELL IT OUT or rewrite the sentence
   e.g. Fifty samples were prepare.
   OR We prepared 50 sample.

Unit of Measurement

1. Express all units of measure in SI (metric) units
2. There should be a space between the number and the unit, EXCEPT for percentage and degrees
   e.g. 5 g; 20 ha
   e.g. 37%; 27°C 
3. In a series of measurements, indicate the unit at the end, EXCEPT for percentages and degrees:
   e.g. 3, 6 and 8 cm
   e.g. 2°C to 10°C (NOT 2 to 10°C); 15% to 25% (NOT 15 to 20%)
4. Use a comma for four-digit and larger numbers:
   e.g. 10,000 kg (NOT 10000 kg)
5. Express derived units in exponent form with spaces between the elements of the derived unit
   e.g. 12 kg m^-2

Dates

1. Write all dates in day-month-year format, with no punctuation and with names, rather than numbers, for the months:
   e.g. 12 January 2002
   e.g. 29 April to 17 May
   e.g. 4 to 16 August
2. In tables, the names of months may be abbreviated to save space, as:
   e.g. Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May., Jun., Jul., Aug., Spet, Oct., Nov., Dec.

Abbreviations in Text

1. Spell out abbreviations that might be unfamiliar to the ASABE audience ONLY at their first occurrence.
2. Form plurals for abbreviations without an apostrophe
   e.g. PCs, CVs, PhDs
3. Omit periods after abbreviated units (expect "in." for inch);
   e.g. 5 m, 3.5 in., 30 cm
4. Abbreviate units only after a numeric value:
   e.g. 24 h v.s. Several hours later

Common abbreviations:

dry basis                 d.b.
standard deviation   SD
wet basis                 w.b.

Abbreviations in References

1. Do not abbreviate any words in titles of articles, chapters, books, or dissertations.
2. Use conventional abbreviations (not postal abbreviations) for names of states and territories.
   ONLY abbreviate names of states and territories in references! 
3. ASABE journals are abbreviated as Trans. ASABE, Applied Eng. in Agric., J. Agric. Safety and Health, and Biol. Eng. Trans.

See complete list of abbreviation for journals as well as states and territories in the Style Guide (Link in the 1st line)

Figures

ASABE applies the term "figure" to all types of illustration, including line drawings, graphs and charts, photographs, computer screen captures, etc.

Size (Note: 1 pica = 1/6 of an inch or 0.1666... in.)

For Applied Engineering in Agriculture and Transactions of the ASABE figures are general the width of a column (20 picas, ~8.5 cm, ~3.33 in.), but may be as wide as a page (41 picas, ~17.4 cm, ~6.83 in.). For other publications, make each figure no wider than the page width (for Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health and Biological Engineering Transactions, this is 28 picas, ~11.9 cm, ~4.67 in.).

Other rules

1. Insert each figure AFTER the paragraph that first mentions it. Every figure must be explicitly mentioned in the text of the article. number figures in order of their citation in the text and refer to them as figure 1, figure 2, etc. Abbreviate the word "figure" ONLY in parentheses, e.g., (fig. 1).
2. Type a descriptive caption below each figure. The caption may be a sentence fragment or a few sentences long.
3. NO titles in figures.
4. Place the legent either directly below the figure or within it.
5. Generally, It is NOT necessary to show all the data points and coordinate rulings.
6. If a point represents the mean of a number of observations, indicate the magnitude of the variability by a vertical line at each point.
7. Use boldface ONLY for x- and y-axis titles. Use all capitals only when necessary (e.g., for acronyms).
8. If a figure contains multiple elements, label them (a), (b), (c), etc., using eight point bold, and identify them in the caption (as shown in sample figure below).
9. You may  horizontal or vertical type alignment, but NO other angles.
10. All lines must be at least one-half point to reproduce in print and distinct from each other in appearance.
11. Color figures will display in color in the web version, but will be printed in grayscale. Please choose colors that reproduce as distinct gray values. DO NOT use yellow. Choose DISTINCT line types (dashed, dotted, etc.) as well as different colors.
12. Do NOT CROP IN WORD because the cropping will not be retained as the figure moves through out production process. Instead, open the figure and delete the unwanted elements, or crop the figure then cut it and "Paste Special" as a picture or metafile to eliminate the cropped materials.
13. Please provide .jpg or .tif files of photographs in case we need to enhance the images. When using a digital camera for your photos, use at least a medium setting for quality/file size.
14. For scans, use 600 dpi for black and white line art, and 300 dpi for color or grayscale (including photos).

 Tables

The data presented in tables should neither be duplicated in figures nor reviewed extensively in the text.

Size

For Transactions of the ASABE and Applpied Engineering in Agriculture, prepare each table to fit either one column (20 picas, ~8,.5 cm) or the page width (41 picas, ~17.4 cm). Tables in Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health and Biological Engineering Transactions should be NO wider than 28 picas, ~11.9 cm.

Other formatting rules

1. Number the tables consecutively and refer to them in the text as table 1, table 2, etc.
2. Supply a descriptive caption for each table
3. Please make your table in MS Word. Do not submit tables in a graphic format.
4. Do not include excessive text in the column headings. Place explantory information in the table caption, in the manuscript text, or in a footnote at the bottom of the table.
5. Do not include columns of data that can be easily calculated from other columns
6. Use horizontal rules to separate elements within a table. You may place additional rules under subheads or under heads that span two or more columns, and you may need to insert blank columns to achieve this. (as in the sample table).
7.  Use bracketed superscripted letters ([a], [b], [c], etc.) for explanatory footnotes within the table (as in the sample table). Assign footnotes to elements within a table in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom sequence.
8. Use asteriks (*, **) to indicate statistical significance, and explain the significance in a footnote.
9. Use lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.) to indicate statistical relationships among elements within a table, and explain the relationships in a footnote.

Equations

Rules on Equation

• Do NOT derive or reproduce recognized equations; rather, cite a reference to a source and refer to the equation by its standard name. State only those assumptions and initial boundary conditions needed to understand the development of the equation.
• For new equations, state all assumptions and initial boundary conditions and give sufficient derivation for the reader to understand the development. Show only those mathematical steps required for comprehension. Interpret the significance of the mathematics, and indicate the accuracy and range of usefulness of the equations.

Other formatting rules

Insert each equation into your manuscript at the point where you would like it to appear in the published article. Small equations may be incorporated in the text. Equations that are separate from the text are introduced by the preceding text and a colon (see the sample equation). These equations are numbered consecutively. Refer to numbered equation as equation 1, equation 2, or in parentheses as. e.g., (eq. 1)

1. When you can, prepare equations in using standard word-processing functions, superscripting, subscripting, and the Symbol font. Other use equation-editing software such as Equation Editor or MathType. Do not create equations that become graphic elements in Word as these cannot be edited.
2. The type style in the equation must match the type style in the corresponding text. Italicize lowercase variables. Do not italicize Greek Letters.
3. Supply the equation number, in parentheses, to the RIGHT of the equation. Do not include the equation number within the equation editor box.
4. Definte variables and supply SI units. If there are more than two such elements in an equation, then list them individually after the equation (as in the sample equation).

References

List all cited references at the end of the text in the References section.

Rules on General Organization of References

• Arrange the list alphabetically by the name of the first author; for references with more than on author, further arrange the list alphabetically by the names of the second author, third author, etc,
• List CHRONOLOGICALLY two or more references by the same author (or authors) from oldest to most recent.
• indicate, by adding letters after the year of publication, two or more references by the same author(s) in the same year
  e.g., 2007a, 2007b
• For use of abbreviations in references, see above in "Abbreviations in References".

Storage of torrefied pellets

http://www.bioenergy2020.eu/files/publications/pdf/3DO.2.1_Ehrig_etal_paper_homepage.pdf
Ehrig, R., Gugler, H., Kristöfel, C., Pointner, C., Schmutzer-Roseneder, I., Feldmeier, S., . . . Schipfer, F.Economic comparison of torrefaction-based and conventional pellet production-to-end-use chains.

Storage of torrefied pellets

Initial status

Diameter is 8 mm, their moisture content is about 10%.

Method of storage

After one month storage during January and February 2013, the storage pile was snow-covered and first samples were extracted from the surface and from inside the pile.

After storage status

The pellets on the surface

The surface of the pile is completely decomposed and wet
The consistency of the material is loose, crumbly and very similar to flower pot soil.
This layer of wet material had a depth of ca. 30 cm.

The pellet inside the pile

The torrefied pellets are in their original condition

CONCLUSION: The torrefied pellets purchased from the European market are not hydrophobic and their suitability for uncovered storage is limited.

RECOMMENDATION: The torrefied pellets should be handled, transported and stored similar to wood pellets.

2013-06-20 Day 2 BFN AGM

BFN AGM
Day 1

It is a sunny day. I woke up at 5.45am and felt hungry. There were nothing for me to eat. So I decided to get up and slack on my laptop. I ate my oat at about 6:30am and took a shower. 7:30 am, I was downstair, filling my stomach with delicious breakfast.

8:30am to 9:25am Welcome Remarks
1. CEO of BFN Donald Smith
He said Network's Premise is to satisfy the urgen need to develop sustainable and renewable energy sources from non-food materials. He called for proposal for new feedstocks which is not food and social, economic, environmental sustainability (SEES) proposal as well.

2. A member of the BFN director board Esteban Chornet
To make the biofuel production sustainable, we have to have many small immediate plants and a central depot/biorefinery plant to allow the most economic biofuel production

3. Secretary of BFN Lisa
"Looking for staff and funding is the fun of my job."
It is time to do a focused research and integrate all the research to focus on a set of defined goals, especially the SEES theme.
The most relevant research is one which combined industrial objectives and scientific understanding. Dr. S said that is exactly what my project is.

4. Jorin Mamen
Jorin's speech is so engaging. I totally focused on listening to his speech without making any notes. Now I forgot about what he said. :( That is so sad for me.

10:40am - 12:35pm
Dr S assigned me, Hamid and Asal to different meetings at different platforms. I got the central platform meeting. Dr S made me to present 3 slides before the meeting. So I embraced myself and tried to present what I know. I stammered but I got through it.
For other researchers in Central Platform, they presented mostly about pyrolysis bio-oil.
One interesting one is about Red Mud -- an alkali waste product of aluminum extraction (Bayce) process, which consist of Fe2O3, Al2O3, SiO2, and other oxide of metals. Dr Marcel Schiaf said that the red mud can be used to neutralize acidic pyrolysis bio-oil. Red mud itself will be partially reduced to simpler iron/titanium ore and bio-oil is activated to a neutral clear organic liquid.

1:30-2:30pm
Professor in Chemical Engineering Dept of UQTR
Described a reactor mobile to produce pyrolysis bio-oil.
His final messages are
1. Techno-economic studies are MANDATORY before implementing any biofuel refinery
2. Proper use of biomass will be a key Canadian asset in the future due to the size in forest residue available to us
3. Cost is always a problem, but when crude oil is high in price, biofuel will be attractive. Also, climate change is a good driver for the biofuel research, but it is not everything.

Day 1 in BFN AGM

BFN AGM

Day 1 (June 19, 2013)

Arrive at Holiday Inn Midtown Montreal at 5pm, Paid Taxi $45

6:30pm to 9pm

Reception and Registration

1.       Meet David (UBC MASc) here, talked about his research on TGA, he said there is a lot of (Gaussian) noise.

2.       Meet BFN talent manager, he is very good at marketing his idea. He said for emailing, I only need to be myself. Be polite enough, the email recipient will understand.

3.       Talked to a group of U of Toronto students (1 MSc and 2 Phd). They’re doing combustion modeling, modeling of black soot from biomass combustion

4.       Talk to Annie from BFN! :D She said sometimes when she is busy, she might answer very short and to the point. So don’t take it personally.

5.       Meet an Indian guy from U of Western Ontario (?), He worked on upgrade of bio-oil by fractionation for his Master. Currently he is a research engineer for his research group , researching on bitumen.

6.       Meet a Vietnamese guy (Nyguen), MSc in University of Manitoba. He worked on finding which gene in wheat control the expression of lignin. There is actually 10 types of lignin in wheat. He worked  on Eucalyptus plantation for his Master in Vietnam. To solve the problem with Eucalptus, he suggested rotation with other plants.

2013-06-15 Link for ECN biomass

ECN is the Energy research Center of Netherlands.
It provides an extensive database on the chemical and physical properties of biomass, such as elemental composition, calorific values and so on. The link is as below.
http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis2/

The terms, such as HHV, LHV, ultimate analysis and proximate analysis, used in this database is defined by the link below:
http://www.ecn.nl/phyllis/defs.asp

Today I'm reading ECN slides/report, entitled "Torrefaction – product quality optimisation in view of logistics and end-use". The internet link for the report is shown below.
http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2013/l13028.pdf