Consumptive Water Use in the Production of Ethanol and Petroleum Gasoline

Consumptive Water Use in the Production of Ethanol and Petroleum Gasoline PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Energy industries
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description
This report examines the growing issue of water use in energy production by characterizing current consumptive water use in liquid fuel production. As used throughout this report, "consumptive water use" is the sum total of water input less water output that is recycled and reused for the process. The estimate applies to surface and groundwater sources for irrigation but does not include precipitation. Water requirements are evaluated for five fuel pathways: bioethanol from corn, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from Canadian oil sands, Saudi Arabian crude, and U.S. conventional crude from onshore wells.

Consumptive Water Use in the Production of Ethanol and Petroleum Gasoline

Consumptive Water Use in the Production of Ethanol and Petroleum Gasoline PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Energy industries
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description
This report examines the growing issue of water use in energy production by characterizing current consumptive water use in liquid fuel production. As used throughout this report, "consumptive water use" is the sum total of water input less water output that is recycled and reused for the process. The estimate applies to surface and groundwater sources for irrigation but does not include precipitation. Water requirements are evaluated for five fuel pathways: bioethanol from corn, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from Canadian oil sands, Saudi Arabian crude, and U.S. conventional crude from onshore wells.

Consumptive Water Use in Liquid Fuel Production

Consumptive Water Use in Liquid Fuel Production PDF Author: Pasquale D. Battista
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers
ISBN: 9781628089394
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 149

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Book Description
The production of energy feedstocks and fuels requires substantial water input. Not only do biofuel feedstocks like corn, switchgrass, and agricultural residues need water for growth and conversion to ethanol, but petroleum feedstocks like crude oil and oil sands also require large volumes of water for drilling, extraction, and conversion into petroleum products. Moreover, in many cases, crude oil production is increasingly water dependent. Competing uses strain available water resources and raise the specter of resource depletion and environmental degradation. Water management has become a ke.

Consumptive Water Use in the Production of Ethanonl and Petroleum Gasoline

Consumptive Water Use in the Production of Ethanonl and Petroleum Gasoline PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The production of energy feedstocks and fuels requires substantial water input. Not only do biofuel feedstocks like corn, switchgrass, and agricultural residues need water for growth and conversion to ethanol, but petroleum feedstocks like crude oil and oil sands also require large volumes of water for drilling, extraction, and conversion into petroleum products. Moreover, in many cases, crude oil production is increasingly water dependent. Competing uses strain available water resources and raise the specter of resource depletion and environmental degradation. Water management has become a key feature of existing projects and a potential issue in new ones. This report examines the growing issue of water use in energy production by characterizing current consumptive water use in liquid fuel production. As used throughout this report, 'consumptive water use' is the sum total of water input less water output that is recycled and reused for the process. The estimate applies to surface and groundwater sources for irrigation but does not include precipitation. Water requirements are evaluated for five fuel pathways: bioethanol from corn, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from Canadian oil sands, Saudi Arabian crude, and U.S. conventional crude from onshore wells. Regional variations and historic trends are noted, as are opportunities to reduce water use.

Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels in the United States

Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels in the United States PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309260329
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 247

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Book Description
Biofuels made from algae are gaining attention as a domestic source of renewable fuel. However, with current technologies, scaling up production of algal biofuels to meet even 5 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs could create unsustainable demands for energy, water, and nutrient resources. Continued research and development could yield innovations to address these challenges, but determining if algal biofuel is a viable fuel alternative will involve comparing the environmental, economic and social impacts of algal biofuel production and use to those associated with petroleum-based fuels and other fuel sources. Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels was produced at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Biofuels

Biofuels PDF Author: Mark E. Gaffigan
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437923577
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
In December 2007, the Congress expanded the renewable fuel standard (RFS), which requires rising use of ethanol and other biofuels, from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons in 2022. To meet the RFS, the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy (DOE) are developing advanced biofuels that use cellulosic feedstocks, such as corn stover and switchgrass. The EPA administers the RFS. This report examines, among other things: (1) the effects of increased biofuels production on U.S. agriculture, environment, and greenhouse gas emissions; (2) federal support for domestic biofuels production; and (3) key challenges in meeting the RFS. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.

Energy-Water Nexus

Energy-Water Nexus PDF Author: Anu Mittal
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437926266
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description
In response to concerns about the nation¿s energy dependence on imported oil, and climate change, the fed. gov¿t. has encouraged the use of biofuels. Water plays a crucial role in all stages of biofuel production -- from cultivation of feedstock through its conversion into biofuel. As demand for water from various sectors increases and places additional stress on already constrained supplies, the effects of expanded biofuel production must be considered. This report examined: (1) water resource effects of biofuel production in the U.S.; (2) agr. conservation practices and technological innovations that could address these effects and any barriers to their adoption; and (3) research needs regarding the effects of water resources on biofuel production.

Transition Engineering

Transition Engineering PDF Author: Susan Krumdieck
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1000692213
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
Transition Engineering: Building a Sustainable Future examines new strategies emerging in response to the mega-issues of global climate change, decline in world oil supply, scarcity of key industrial minerals, and local environmental constraints. These issues pose challenges for organizations, businesses, and communities, and engineers will need to begin developing ideas and projects to implement the transition of engineered systems. This work presents a methodology for shifting away from unsustainable activities. Teaching the Transition Engineering approach and methodology is the focus of the text, and the concept is presented in a way that engineers can begin applying it in their work.

Energy and Water: Preliminary Observations on the Links Between Water and Biofuels and Electricity Production

Energy and Water: Preliminary Observations on the Links Between Water and Biofuels and Electricity Production PDF Author: Anu Mittal
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437919030
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 14

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Book Description
Water and energy are inexorably linked -- energy is needed to pump, treat, and transport water and large quantities of water are needed to support the development of energy. Two examples that demonstrate the link between water and energy are the cultivation and conversion of corn, switchgrass, and algae into biofuels; and the production of electricity by thermoelectric power plants. There are three ongoing studies focusing on the water-energy nexus related to: (1) biofuels and water; (2) thermoelectric power plants and water; and (3) oil shale and water. This testimony provides the key themes that have emerged from work to date on the R&D and data needs with regard to the production of biofuels and electricity and their linkage with water.

Life-Cycle Water Impacts of U.S. Transportation Fuels

Life-Cycle Water Impacts of U.S. Transportation Fuels PDF Author: Corinne Donahue Scown
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 554

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Book Description
The connection between energy use and water scarcity is not well understood. The production of energy requires water and the supply of water requires energy. Water already plays a major role in stationary energy production; thermoelectric power generation is responsible for nearly half of total freshwater withdrawals in the United States. Current transportation fuels, which account for approximately one-third of U.S. energy consumption, are not nearly as reliant on freshwater given that petroleum fuel production makes up just a few percent of U.S. water use. If transportation were to become more reliant on water-intensive sectors such as power generation and agriculture, there would be major implications for water availability in the United States. As electricity and biofuels gain a larger share of the market, this is exactly the transition that is taking place. Inconsistent water use metrics, inappropriate impact allocation practices, limited system boundaries due to lack the necessary tools and data, and the failure to quantify water resource availability and greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts are common pitfalls of existing assessments of transportation energy-related water use. To fill the knowledge gaps, this dissertation proposes a comprehensive life-cycle framework for assessing the water withdrawals and consumption of current and near-future U.S. transportation fuels -- including gasoline, bio-based ethanol, and electricity. With this proposed framework for performing a life-cycle inventory and impact assessment, the following three questions are answered: 1. What is the life-cycle water footprint of current and near-future transportation fuel production in the United States? 2. How might U.S. transportation fuel production pathways impact freshwater availability in the future? 3. What is the greenhouse gas-intensity of the water required for transportation fuel production, and how do these emissions impact the overall transportation fuel greenhouse gas footprints? Understanding the impacts of water use on freshwater resources and GHG emissions requires knowledge of not only the fuel production pathways, but also how these pathways interact with other sectors in the economy. As new transportation fuels emerge, demand for some goods and services will increase while for others it will decrease, and each change has an effect on overall water demand. Quantifying the net system-wide impact of producing these new fuels is key to understanding the water implications of transportation energy-related policy decisions. Furthermore, by geospatially disaggregating predicted water requirements for transportation fuel production pathways at the U.S. county-level, locations within the United States can be identified as vulnerable to local surface and groundwater shortages. These shortages may result in high water prices and the need for energy-intensive water supply methods such as desalination, importation, or wastewater recycling. Identifying regions with vulnerable water resources allows decision makers in industry and the public sector to guide burgeoning transportation fuel markets in ways that maximize their contributions to energy independence and greenhouse gas emissions reductions while avoiding negative impacts on water availability. Results from the U.S. analysis show that indirect water use has a significant impact on total water use, particularly for withdrawals. In no other pathway is this as pronounced as it is for cellulosic ethanol production (in this case, corn stover and Miscanthus to ethanol). By using system expansion to account for the electricity generation displaced by cellulosic biorefineries' exports to the grid, total water consumption for those pathways drops considerably and total withdrawals actually becomes a net negative number. When the inventory is geospatially disaggregated and compared to drought and groundwater vulnerability data, the results show that biofuel production concentrated in the Midwest puts pressure on the already-overpumped High Plains Aquifer. Petroleum fuel production pathways result in water use concentrated in locations that are predicted to experience long-term drought, specifically California, Texas, and Wyoming. Electricity, in contrast, is more widely distributed throughout the U.S., but the high surface water consumption rates in the western half of the country may exacerbate future surface water shortages in those regions. Gaining a better knowledge of how the production and consumption of fuels impacts freshwater resources is absolutely critical as humans attempt to transition into a more sustainable energy future. By making contributions to the methodologies required to assess the environmental impacts of water use, as well as knowledge about the potential water impacts of current and near-future U.S. transportation fuels, this dissertation provides U.S. decision makers with information necessary to create the most economical and sustainable transportation energy future possible while also providing future researchers with the tools to answer questions that have yet to be asked.

Renewable Fuel Standard

Renewable Fuel Standard PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309187516
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
In the United States, we have come to depend on plentiful and inexpensive energy to support our economy and lifestyles. In recent years, many questions have been raised regarding the sustainability of our current pattern of high consumption of nonrenewable energy and its environmental consequences. Further, because the United States imports about 55 percent of the nation's consumption of crude oil, there are additional concerns about the security of supply. Hence, efforts are being made to find alternatives to our current pathway, including greater energy efficiency and use of energy sources that could lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as nuclear and renewable sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, and biofuels. The United States has a long history with biofuels and the nation is on a course charted to achieve a substantial increase in biofuels. Renewable Fuel Standard evaluates the economic and environmental consequences of increasing biofuels production as a result of Renewable Fuels Standard, as amended by EISA (RFS2). The report describes biofuels produced in 2010 and those projected to be produced and consumed by 2022, reviews model projections and other estimates of the relative impact on the prices of land, and discusses the potential environmental harm and benefits of biofuels production and the barriers to achieving the RFS2 consumption mandate. Policy makers, investors, leaders in the transportation sector, and others with concerns for the environment, economy, and energy security can rely on the recommendations provided in this report.