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Ethanol
Energy
security and sustainability is essential and can be
achieved through fuel diversification. The United
States consumes over 140 billion gallons of gasoline
annually. Although there is no “silver
bullet”, biofuels can play a key role in such
an effort. ARC has over 19 years of expertise
in 1st and 2nd generation ethanol production from sustainable
resources, such as sugarcane and cellulosic biomass. Sugarcane
ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by over 80%
compared to gasoline and yields renewable energy equal
to almost 9 times the fossil energy consumed for its
production on a life-cycle basis. Cellulosic
ethanol is projected to have similar sustainable features,
as it is produced from agricultural, forestry, and
yard residues without the need for additional land. In
partnership with the private and public sectors, ARC
pursues various technologies for conversion of biomass
to ethanol: (1) Biochemical conversion through enzymatic
hydrolysis and fermentation and (2) Thermochemical
conversion by gasifying the biomass and catalytically
converting the synthesis gas into ethanol.
Biodiesel
Fuel
diversification is needed for diesel engines. The
United States consumes over 60 billion gallons of diesel
annually. ARC has both technical and business
expertise in biodiesel production and use. Due
to sustainability concerns, we focus on biodiesel from
non-edible resources, such as jatropha oil and waste
vegetable oils. A pilot facility is available
for scaling up the transesterification process that
converts oils to biodiesel. The Center collaborates
with private companies in production, distribution,
and marketing aspects of the biodiesel business.
Algal Fuels
Algae
represent a promising source of alternative fuels and
a sink for carbon dioxide. Using our experience
in algae technology development for the production
of chemicals and fuels, we use native Floridian algae
strains and FIU’s facilities for the characterization,
manipulation, cultivation, harvesting, and processing
of algae. Algal lipids can be transesterified
to produce biodiesel and recover by-products or can
be subjected to thermal processing for upgrade to aviation-
and military-specification fuels. The Center’s
engineering expertise addresses critical challenges
in algal fuels, such as optimization of lipid productivity,
energy-efficient extraction of lipids, recycling of
water and chemicals, indoor and outdoor bioreactor
design and operation, conversion of lipids to fuels,
and power cogeneration from process byproducts. These
technical skills are supplemented by business experience
in assessing the economic feasibility of biofuels technologies
and the sensitivity of the return-on-investment to
market conditions.
Biomass Conversion
Biomass
is an abundant and inexpensive domestic feedstock for
power generation and biofuels or alternative fuels
production. Florida ranks first in the country
in annual biomass production: sugarcane bagasse and
yard waste in South Florida, citrus peel and agricultural
residues in Central Florida, and woody residues in
Northern Florida. ARC engineers assess the potential
of various biomass species to generate biofuels, hydrogen,
and power via gasification using a 5-kW downdraft gasifier
equipped with gas filters and heat recovery capabilities.
Renewable Energy Systems in the Americas
Using
its systems engineering experience and renewable energy
expertise, the ARC integrates, tests, validates, and
deploys off-the-shelf renewable energy and water purification
systems. Such systems are vital for off-grid
applications and first response to natural disasters
and emergency situations. Solar, wind, small-scale
hydro, and biomass-to-power systems have been deployed
in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean,
where ARC engineers train local staff in the operation
and maintenance of the units. FIU’s in-depth
understanding of Latin America and strong relationships
with Latin American institutions facilitate interactions
and collaborations with agencies, companies, and academia
throughout the Americas.
Workshops, Training, and Outreach in Alternative
Energy and Fuels
The Global Energy Security Forum, a collaborative effort of FIU's ARC, School of Business, and School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), organizes and delivers workshops, conferences, training courses, and outreach programs in alternative energy and fuels. Events in the last two years have focused on energy outlook, integration of alternative energy and fuels in the existing infrastructure, biofuels, hybrid and flex fuel vehicles, energy security, energy cooperation in the Americas, US-EU partnerships, and the development of a low-carbon economy. The events cover all aspects of the energy market: policy, regulatory, technical, financing, and distribution issues.
For more information about the Forum: http://international.fiu.edu/index.php?name=about_global_energy_security_forum
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Dr. George Philippidis has
20 years of experience in leading strategic business units
in biofuels, energy, and biotechnology. Before joining
FIU, George was business director at a subsidiary of Thermo
Fisher Corp. (a Fortune 500 company), where he directed
business development and R&D and commercialized composite
products. Prior to that, George directed a joint venture
in cellulosic ethanol technology between the US Department
of Energy and Amoco Corporation at the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory.