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Is This a Reliable Model for Producing 1000 gal/A with Today’s Ethanol Plants?

Is This a Reliable Model for Producing 1000 gal/A with Today’s Ethanol Plants?. Charles LeRoy Deichman Deichman Consulting Session: Bioenergy Production, Modeling, Sustainability, and Policy ASA, CSSA, and SSSA 2010 International Annual Meetings Long Beach, CA

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Is This a Reliable Model for Producing 1000 gal/A with Today’s Ethanol Plants?

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  1. Is This a Reliable Model for Producing 1000 gal/A with Today’s Ethanol Plants? Charles LeRoyDeichman Deichman Consulting Session: Bioenergy Production, Modeling, Sustainability, and Policy ASA, CSSA, and SSSA 2010 International Annual Meetings Long Beach, CA October 31 - November 3, 2010

  2. Photosynthesis CO2 CO2 CO2P CO2 CHL < CM < GL CS AF SS SUNLIGHT CATALYST HPF MDAP (kW) OF H2O 360o Carbon Cycle CHL – Chloroplast CM – Chlorophyll Molecule GL – Green Leaf SS – Simple Sugars CS – Complex Sugars AF – Alcohol Fuels HPF – High Protein (VM) Feed MDAP – Meat, Dairy, and Animal Products CO2P – CO2 Sourced Products OF – Organic Fertilizer

  3. SUNLIGHT in Corn Production A Paradigm Shift The Solar Corridor Rows oriented North-South to maximize sunlight falling between the twin row pairs and on the secondary crops Corn rows spaced widely enough apart to enable sunlight to reach the lower leaves for the entire growing season Lower leaves are exposed to sunlight Secondary Crop Wheat, then clover Corn Twin Row Corn Twin Row

  4. SUNLIGHT in Corn Production • Corn rows spaced far enough apart to enable sunlight to reach the lower leaves for the entire growing season • Enabling the bio capture of more CO2 for BioSynthesis into more photosynthate derived carbon compounds A Paradigm Shift Rows oriented North-South to maximize sunlight falling between the twin row pairs and on the secondary crops Lower leaves are exposed to sunlight • Grow a shorter symbiotic crop on the vacated row that completes its  Secondary Crop Wheat, then clover peak demand for sunlight before the corn plant begins its increasing demand for that light Corn Twin Row Corn Twin Row

  5. The New Paradigm • Enables the mature chloroplasts to capture more CO2 and produce more photosynthates • Enables the highest capacity reproductive sinks to access more photosynthates • Enables vegetative sinks to access more photosynthates • Cultivar and variety selection is site specific, production inputs then become variety specific   

  6. Treatments • 12 Production Environments • 4 Hybrids (Designated A, B, C, and D) • 4 Plant populations • 3 Replications • RandomizedBlock Split/Split Plot design • 1st split by hybrid, 2nd by plant population   • 2 Row width entries • Control: Single rows on 30 or 36 inch centers • Treatment: Twin rows on 60 or 72 inch centers • All treatments were in north/south rows between 40 and 41 degrees North latitude Deichman Consulting

  7. RESPONSE OF HYBRIDS TO ROW SPACING Average Over 12 Environments And 4 Plant Populations Deichman Consulting

  8. RESPONSE OF HYBRIDS TO ROW SPACING Average Over 8 Highest Yielding Environments And 4 Plant Populations Deichman Consulting

  9. RESPONSE OF HYBRIDS TO ROW SPACING Average Over 12 Environments At Highest Yielding Plant Population (30,000) Deichman Consulting

  10. Plant Population and Row WidthBrenton Sil – Hybrid B Deichman Consulting

  11. Plant Population and Row WidthBrenton Sil – Hybrid D Deichman Consulting

  12. HYBRID B – AT 30,000 POPULATION Site 1 Site 2 Deichman Consulting

  13. HYBRID C – AT 30,000 POPULATION Site 1 Site 2 Deichman Consulting

  14. HYBRID D – AT 30,000 POPULATION Site 1 Site 2 Deichman Consulting

  15. HARVESTING OPTIONS FOR THE SOLAR CORRIDOR FLOOR CROP MITSUBISHI MB220 Binder MITSUBISHI VS281 Combine fits 72” rows MITSUBISHI VM7 Combine fits 60” rows

  16. Floor Crops and Effective Yields As specifically demonstrated in Solar Corridor Floor Experiments (Deichman, 20051 and US Patent #6052941, claims 2 and 4), we can produce other specifically chosen crops between the corn twin rows without a reduction in corn yield.  Our approach has always been to select crops that had no negative impact on corn yield. We have concluded that: • Soybeans are not a viable floor crop because of their effect on corn yields. • Wheat is a viable floor crop. If careful attention is given to the swath width of the wheat crop,  a full yield (per wheat acre) of what can be produced without affecting corn yield (per crop acre). • Therefore ½ of the Solar Corridor crop acre can be assigned to corn, and the other ½ to a viable floor crop such as wheat. • The effective yields per corn acre are therefore exactly double the yields per crop acre reported on the previous charts. 1 Deichman, C. L., “Solar Corridor Floor Crop Experiments”, ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings, November 6-10, 2005, Salt Lake City, 147-9

  17. Comparison of Crop Yields Achieving The Goal of 1000 gal/A Ethanol Conventional Planting The Solar Corridor System 1x Corn 1x Wheat and Clover ≥2x Corn + 1x Wheat and Clover Wheat and Clover Planted BetweenWidely-spaced Twin Rows of Corn Corn Field Wheat and Clover Field Using the Solar Corridor System, each of the hybrids B, C, & D yielded 192 or more bushels per crop acre (384 bushels per effective corn acre), enough for today's ethanol plants to produce 1000 gallons of ethanol (assuming 2.65 gallons/bushel yield).

  18. Summary and Conclusions • Increased productivity can be achieved through the utilization of the Solar Corridor System • Sunlight is made available to more chloroplasts to produce more carbohydrates to meet sink demands through physiological maturity • Appropriately selected site specific supporting practices maximize Solar Corridor benefits • Increased Yield, Reduced Lodging • Increased Sequestration of CO2 • Solar Corridor floor crop harvest options do exist • We need to further develop and refine these options

  19. Summary and Conclusions (cont.) Based on the performance data presented, the increased biosynthesis of the atmospheric CO2 currently available in the US heartland resulting from the full deployment of the proposed new paradigm: • Can produce another 30bb annual gal of anhydrous equivalent alcohol fuels, • Plus significant quantities of clean substitutes for diesel fuel, glycerol, methane to power electric generators, high energy protein, etc., • Without using any of our current food supply, cellulosic feedstock, or increasing corn (or total crop) acres, • While increasing sequestration of CO2.

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