WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Chemical engineers at Purdue University have developed a new method to process agricultural waste and other biomass into biofuels, and they are proposing the creation of mobile processing plants that would rove the Midwest to produce the fuels.

This diagram shows the layout for a new method to process agricultural waste and any available biomass into biofuels. Purdue researchers are proposing creation of mobile processing plants that would rove the Midwest to produce fuels using the technique, called fast-hydropyrolysis-hydrodeoxygenation. Biomass along with hydrogen will be fed into a high-pressure reactor and subjected to extremely fast heating, as hot as 900 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a second. (Rakesh Agrawal, Purdue University School of Chemical Engineering)

“What’s important is that you can process all kinds of available biomass — wood chips, switch grass, corn stover, rice husks, wheat straw …,” said Rakesh Agrawal, the Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering.

The approach sidesteps a fundamental economic hurdle in biofuels: transportation of the biomass.

Transporting biomass is expensive because of its bulk volume, whereas liquid fuel from biomass is far more economical to transport, he said.

“Material like corn stover and wood chips has low energy density,” Agrawal said. “It makes more sense to process biomass into liquid fuel with a mobile platform and then take this fuel to a central refinery for further processing before using it in internal combustion engines.”

The new method, called fast-hydropyrolysis-hydrodeoxygenation, works by adding hydrogen into the biomass-processing reactor. The hydrogen for the mobile plants would be derived from natural gas or the biomass itself. However, Agrawal envisions the future use of solar power to produce the hydrogen by splitting water, making the new technology entirely renewable.

The method, which has the shortened moniker of H2Bioil (pronounced H Two Bio Oil) has been studied extensively through modeling, and experiments are under way at Purdue to validate the concept.

Findings are detailed in a research paper appearing online in June in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The paper was written by former chemical engineering doctoral student Navneet R. Singh, Agrawal, chemical engineering professor Fabio H. Ribeiro and W. Nicholas Delgass, the Maxine Spencer Nichols Professor of Chemical Engineering.

The article can be accessed online at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es100316z

Agrawal, Ribeiro and Delgass are developing reactors and catalysts to experimentally demonstrate the concept. Another paper by Agrawal and Singh addressing various biofuels processes, including fast-hydropyrolysis-hydrodeoxygenation, also appeared in June in the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. This paper can be accessed online at http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/eprint/gmGjKYuY7iQexh8Dd7XT/full/10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-073009-100955

The Environmental Science & Technology paper outlines the process, showing how a portion of the biomass is used as a source of hydrogen to convert the remaining biomass to liquid fuel.

“Another major thrust of this research is to provide guidelines on the potential liquid-fuel yield from various self-contained processes and augmented processes, where part of the energy comes from non-biomass sources such as solar energy and fossil fuel such as natural gas,” said Singh, who is now a researcher working at Bayer CropScience.

The new method would produce about twice as much biofuel as current technologies when hydrogen is derived from natural gas and 1.5 times the liquid fuel when hydrogen is derived from a portion of the biomass itself.

Biomass along with hydrogen will be fed into a high-pressure reactor and subjected to extremely fast heating, rising to as hot as 500 degrees Celsius, or more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a second. The hydrogen containing gas is to be produced by “reforming” natural gas, with the hot exhaust directly fed into the biomass reactor.

“The biomass will break down into smaller molecules in the presence of hot hydrogen and suitable catalysts,” Agrawal said. “The reaction products will then be subsequently condensed into liquid oil for eventual use as fuel. The uncondensed light gases such as methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide, are separated and recycled back to the biomass reactor and the reformer.”

Purdue has filed a patent application on the method.

The general concept of combining biomass and carbon-free hydrogen to increase the liquid fuel yield has been pioneered at Purdue. The researchers previously invented an approach called a “hybrid hydrogen-carbon process,” or H2CAR.

Both H2CAR and H2Bioil use additional hydrogen to boost the liquid-fuel yield. However, H2Bioil is more economical and mobile than H2CAR, Singh said.

“It requires less hydrogen, making it more economical,” he said. “It is also less capital intensive than conventional processes and can be built on a smaller scale, which is one of the prerequisites for the conversion of the low-energy density biomass to liquid fuel. So H2Bioil offers a solution for the interim time period, when crude oil prices might be higher but natural gas and biomass to supply hydrogen to the H2Bioil process might be economically competitive.”

The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and is affiliated with the Energy Center at Purdue’s Discovery Park.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Although wet weather across Indiana has hampered fieldwork and raised questions about crop conditions, things may not be quite as bad as they seem.

Despite wet weather, 95 percent of intended soybean acres are planted, compared with the five-year average of 97 percent. Of those planted, 90 percent have emerged.

The “Indiana Crop and Weather Report,” issued June 28 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, shows 65 percent of the state’s corn crop and 62 percent of soybeans are in good to excellent condition, and only 11 percent of corn and 12 percent of soybeans are poor to very poor.

“There are areas where fields were ponded, and in some areas of the state crops look better than others, but when we look at the overall average of the state, we’re seeing pretty good crop condition numbers,” said Greg Preston, USDA-NASS Indiana Field Office director. “We have to think of the entire state of Indiana as one big field. You can lose a few acres and still have a great crop.”

Despite wet weather, 95 percent of intended soybean acres are planted, compared with the five-year average of 97 percent. Of those planted, 90 percent have emerged.

In the last week, 8 percent of Indiana’s corn crop silked, or tassled, compared with none last year and a five-year average of 2 percent.

“Right now, for soybeans, we’re in between that switch-over stage from planting and emergence to plant development,” Preston said. “We’ve seen modest declines in the conditions from the heavy amounts of rain, but the crops, especially corn, got off to such a great start that conditions certainly haven’t dropped like a rock.”

When it comes to soil moisture, 96 percent of the topsoil and 98 percent of the subsoil in Indiana show adequate to surplus moisture levels – a reality that slowed fieldwork in recent weeks. For the week ending June 27, only three days had weather suitable for fieldwork, but soil conditions kept most farmers out of their fields.

“Over the next couple of weeks the reports will be very telling,” Preston said. “We should start to see how the crops are responding to the warm, dry weather we’re expecting.”

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Wet, cool conditions not only keep farmers out of the fields, but also favor moldy corn. One Purdue University specialist is getting calls from around the state about Diplodia and Gibberella ear rots in corn.

A pink mold that starts at the ear tip is characteristic of Gibberella ear rot. (Photo A. Robertson)

There’s a lot of Diplodia ear rot throughout Indiana, especially in the northeast and southeast, said Charles Woloshuk, a Purdue Extension pathologist who specializes in corn mycotoxins. Anywhere from a few percent to up to 30 percent of the ears are infected, he said.

Diplodia ear rot is characterized by a grayish or grayish-brown mold on and between the kernels on part of the ear. Gibberella ear rot, also known as Gib, is characterized by a pink to reddish mold, which begins at the tip of the ear and develops toward the base. Gib is easy to identify in the field on intact ears, but is more difficult to spot once the grain has been shelled.

Woloshuk encouraged producers and elevators to know what’s going on in their area. Producers need to walk their fields, pull 10 ears and determine if they have either Diplodia or Gibberella and the frequency, he said.

“If it’s Gib ear rot, then there’s concern about the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol, or DON, as well as zearalenone. If suspect, the grain should be tested, especially if it’s to be fed to livestock,” Woloshuk said.

Purdue Extension pathologist Charles Woloshuk holds one good corn ear and one infected by Diplodia ear rot. (Purdue Agricultural Communication photo)

Two grain inspectors in the central and north-central regions of Indiana who analyze grain for DON are East Indiana Grain Inspection Inc., located at 7020 N. Walnut St. in Muncie, and Titus Grain Inspection Inc., located at 1111 E. County Road 800 North in West Lafayette.

“If it’s Diplodia, there is no need to be concerned about mycotoxins. However, if you are feeding a high percentage of moldy grain, that’s still not good,” Woloshuk said. “In either case, the grain needs to be harvested as soon as possible and dried for storage. This grain should not be stored through the summer months.”

Farmers also are encouraged to adjust combines to reduce the amount of fine and small, shriveled or broken kernels.

Growers that have problems this year with either Gib or Diplodia can take steps to help prevent a reoccurrence.

Genetics are involved with Diplodia, Woloshuk said.

“If a producer had a problem this year with a specific hybrid, then I would not plant that hybrid again,” he said.

With either of the diseases, the crop residue should be tilled under because that’s where the pathogens can survive, Woloshuk said. He also recommended rotating to soybeans.

For questions and additional information about Diplodia or Gib, contact Woloshuk at 765-494-3450, woloshuk@purdue.edu

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Farmers should see some relief on input costs next year, but profit margins are still likely to be squeezed.

While fertilizer prices have already come down, Erickson said overall costs remain relatively high and have not come down as much as commodity prices. Today's grain prices are placing downward pressure on the seed and crop protection companies.

Bruce Erickson, a Purdue University agricultural economist, said growers would likely see the most savings on fertilizer costs in the 2010 planting season.

“Some farmers were spending as much as $200 per acre to fertilize the 2009 corn crop, more than rent in some cases, when you consider nitrogen, P and K replacement, and any liming requirements,” Erickson said. “Next year it will be about one-third less — in our projections about $100 to $130 per acre — depending on soils and crop rotation.”

Erickson and his colleagues’ estimates are available in the “2010 Purdue Crop Cost & Return Guide,” now available online. The guide gives estimates of input costs and expected returns for the coming planting season.

At the time these estimates were prepared, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group futures indicated that fall 2010 cash prices were near $3.30 per bushel for corn and $8.40 for soybeans. These prices are lower than what was used in the 2009 budget estimates by 70 cents for corn and 30 cents for soybeans.

It’s fairly certain that these costs and returns will change before anything is planted, but the estimates provide a starting point for thinking about 2010, Erickson said.

“The guide provides a general barometer for people who do their own budgets,” he said.

While fertilizer prices have already come down, Erickson said overall costs remain relatively high and have not come down as much as commodity prices. Today’s grain prices are placing downward pressure on the seed and crop protection companies.

“Some technology fees have increased, and we know list prices of some of the newest hybrids have gone up, but we’re also hearing of significant discounting as well,” Erickson said.

Also, some input suppliers have already announced substantially lower glyphosate prices.

“For the second year in a row, farmers’ margins will be less than they were in 2007 and 2008,” Erickson said.

One cost-saving area could be machinery. Erickson said industry reports show sales of new large farm machinery to be down, which could keep a lid on the cost of those purchases. On the other hand, interest in buying used equipment is on the rise.

“There could be some bargains on new equipment out there,” he said.

To download a copy of the 2010 Purdue Crop Cost & Return Guide, go to http://www.agecon.purdue.edu/extension/pubs/index.asp

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More of the fertilizers and pesticides used to grow corn would find their way into nearby water sources if ethanol demands lead to planting more acres in corn, according to a Purdue University study.

U.S. Department of Agriculture data has shown that corn acreage has increased with the demand for ethanol, with 93 million acres in 2007, an increase of 12.1 million acres that year.

The study of Indiana water sources found that those near fields that practice continuous-corn rotations had higher levels of nitrogen, fungicides and phosphorous than corn-soybean rotations. Results of the study by Indrajeet Chaubey, an associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and Bernard Engel, a professor and head of agricultural and biological engineering, were published in the early online version of The Journal of Environmental Engineering.

“When you move from corn-soybean rotations to continuous corn, the sediment losses will be much greater,” Chaubey said. “Increased sediment losses allow more fungicide and phosphorous to get into the water because they move with sediment.”

Nitrogen and fungicides are more heavily used in corn crops than soybeans, increasing the amounts found in the soil of continuous-corn fields. Sediment losses become more prevalent because tilling is often required in continuous-corn fields, whereas corn-soybean rotations can more easily be no-till fields, Engel said.

“The common practice is there is a lot of tillage to put corn back on top of corn,” Engel said. “Any time we see changes in the landscape, there is a potential to see changes in water quality.”

Chaubey said there was no significant change in the amount of atrazine detected in water near fields that changed to continuous-corn rotations. The commonly used pesticide sticks to plant material and degrades in sunlight, keeping it from reaching water through runoff or sediment.

U.S. Department of Agriculture data has shown that corn acreage has increased with the demand for ethanol, with 93 million acres in 2007, an increase of 12.1 million acres that year.

“As we look forward here, if corn stover is going to be a preferred bio-feedstock, we would see more corn acreage being planted,” Engel said. “We need to know how that will affect water quality.”

The USDA and Purdue funded the study. Chaubey and Engel are expanding their research to Iowa, Tennessee and Arkansas. That three-year study will include impacts of various biofeedstock, such as switch grass, and developing management practices to reduce sediment, nutrient and pesticide losses.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University students from all majors are invited to an informational meeting on Sept. 15 to learn more about participating in the Student Soybean and Corn Product Innovation Competitions.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry, Room 200.

The two contests – which are separate, but run simultaneously – give students an opportunity to conceptualize a novel product idea; complete patent searches and literature reviews on current products; do market research reports; develop a budget; and create, package and market the product. The winning team from each competition will be awarded a $20,000 cash prize.

“These competitions give students real-world innovation experience and teach them how to take a product from concept to completion – all skills that will benefit them as they go out into the workplace,” said Katharine Woodhead, competition project coordinator. “Many of the most successful teams have been the ones made up of students from different majors and backgrounds because their multitudes of experience aid in the different aspects of the competition.”

Each team needs two faculty advisers – one technical and one non-technical – so professors and lecturers also are invited to the informational meeting.

“We need professors to step up to the challenge of advising teams,” Woodhead said. “It’s an extremely rewarding experience to help the students succeed in these competitions.”

In addition to the $20,000 cash prize for the winning team in each competition, teams may have an opportunity to network with large companies, some of which may be interested in commercializing the products. If a company is interested in commercializing a team’s product, Purdue will help with the patent process. If the company does buy the product rights, the students can receive a portion of the product’s sales royalties.

The Soybean Innovation Competition is sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance. The Corn Product Innovation Competition is sponsored by the Indiana Corn Marketing Council. All supplies and lab fees are covered, so students’ only cost is energy and creativity.

For more information, visit the Student Soybean and Corn Product Innovation Competitions group on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/mla4yy, or contact Woodhead at 765-496-3837, kwoodhea@purdue.edu