Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Technology UTPB professor, students, seek transportation fuel of future
by Mella McEwen
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Today's headlines are filled with discussion of the search for cleaner, renewable fuels to power the nation's transportation system.
It's a topic that captured the attention of Dr. Mike Robinson, the Ellen and Bill Noel Distinguished Professor for Energy Research and the Chemistry Chair at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, back in the 1980s. He challenged his students to address those issues; when none stepped forward, he decided to follow up with his own ideas. The move led him to change his research from synthesizing anti-cancer drugs to synthesizing transportation fuels. Over a decade later, he has received several patents and has several patents pending for his research into biofuels and last year received a two-year grant from Chevron Technology Ventures. For his efforts, he has earned the Hearst Energy Award for Technology.
Of conducting such research into alternative fuels in the heart of oil country, Robinson said, "I've long been a proponent of using our oil and gas expertise for new energy sources."
Robinson reported that he recently presented a paper to a national meeting in New Orleans describing how his team is able to analyze the parts-per-million of sulphur in biomass and track its removal.
"Sulphur is one of the poisons that contaminates the catalyst" needed in the hydrogenation reaction to make polyols, he explained, and being able to diagnose how much sulphur is contained inthe biomass and monitor its removal is an important step, he explained.
Removing naturally occuring trace impurities by selectively hydrolyzing and purifying carbohydrates is the first in a couple of steps in making fuel from biomass. First researchers have to fractionate the biomass into carbohydrates, which comprise about three-quarters of biomass. The next step is the lignin or aeromatics, a type of glue that holds wood together. Robinson and his fellow researchers are focused on the carbohydrates and converting them into polyols and then converting those polyols directly into hydrocarbons, be it gasoline, jet fuel or diesel.
The catalysts used in the hydrogenation process to make polyols are made of precous metals that are sensitive to impurities and they are expensive, which is why, Robinson said, it is important to find ways to remove the poisons and extend the life of the catalysts. Doing so would make the process of creating fuel from biomass more economic.
Robinson said they are also developing the process of using microwaves for heating and reaction rather than conventional heating, speeding up the process and allowing his team to produce chemicals as well as fuels.
He called liquid fuels convenience fuels and said the world will need liquid fuels "if we want to fly planes or other engines. We have electric trains, but if you want to fly a plane, you need liquid fuel; you can't fly an electric plane."
He concluded, "Until we change, really, the way we propel things -- planes, cars and trains -- until we change the engines of economy, we need convenience fuels, liquid fuels. For the foreseeable future, short-term, we're going to need a variety of renewable fuels, whether it's ethanol or others that may be better than ethanol."
Mella McEwen can be reached at casell@mrt.com.
It's a topic that captured the attention of Dr. Mike Robinson, the Ellen and Bill Noel Distinguished Professor for Energy Research and the Chemistry Chair at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, back in the 1980s. He challenged his students to address those issues; when none stepped forward, he decided to follow up with his own ideas. The move led him to change his research from synthesizing anti-cancer drugs to synthesizing transportation fuels. Over a decade later, he has received several patents and has several patents pending for his research into biofuels and last year received a two-year grant from Chevron Technology Ventures. For his efforts, he has earned the Hearst Energy Award for Technology.
Of conducting such research into alternative fuels in the heart of oil country, Robinson said, "I've long been a proponent of using our oil and gas expertise for new energy sources."
Robinson reported that he recently presented a paper to a national meeting in New Orleans describing how his team is able to analyze the parts-per-million of sulphur in biomass and track its removal.
"Sulphur is one of the poisons that contaminates the catalyst" needed in the hydrogenation reaction to make polyols, he explained, and being able to diagnose how much sulphur is contained inthe biomass and monitor its removal is an important step, he explained.
Removing naturally occuring trace impurities by selectively hydrolyzing and purifying carbohydrates is the first in a couple of steps in making fuel from biomass. First researchers have to fractionate the biomass into carbohydrates, which comprise about three-quarters of biomass. The next step is the lignin or aeromatics, a type of glue that holds wood together. Robinson and his fellow researchers are focused on the carbohydrates and converting them into polyols and then converting those polyols directly into hydrocarbons, be it gasoline, jet fuel or diesel.
The catalysts used in the hydrogenation process to make polyols are made of precous metals that are sensitive to impurities and they are expensive, which is why, Robinson said, it is important to find ways to remove the poisons and extend the life of the catalysts. Doing so would make the process of creating fuel from biomass more economic.
Robinson said they are also developing the process of using microwaves for heating and reaction rather than conventional heating, speeding up the process and allowing his team to produce chemicals as well as fuels.
He called liquid fuels convenience fuels and said the world will need liquid fuels "if we want to fly planes or other engines. We have electric trains, but if you want to fly a plane, you need liquid fuel; you can't fly an electric plane."
He concluded, "Until we change, really, the way we propel things -- planes, cars and trains -- until we change the engines of economy, we need convenience fuels, liquid fuels. For the foreseeable future, short-term, we're going to need a variety of renewable fuels, whether it's ethanol or others that may be better than ethanol."
Mella McEwen can be reached at casell@mrt.com.
 |
 |
|
| Government Service New Mexico legislator educates peers about industry's contributions | Global crude markets enjoyed interesting week |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mywesttexas.com.
Submit a Comment
We encourage your feedback and dialog, however we reserve the right to delete any post we see that may be considered slanderous, excessive and/or foul language, or any post that we may deem inappropriate.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
News
Sports
Business
Entertain
Life
