dee final science

3

Create an Infographic

Each student will demonstrate a chosen biomass-to-bioenergy value chain by creating an

infographic to be shared with FCIC and presented to Orchid’s board of directors to help them

decide which feedstock is the best investment.

Include the following in your infographic:

1. A discussion of the physical and chemical properties of your chosen feedstock and what makes your feedstock a good choice for biofuels.

2. A general overview of how your feedstock is harvested, collected, and treated on its way to a biorefinery.

3. Describe the geographic distribution of your feedstock. Where is the highest concentration of feedstock and where would be the best location for building a biorefinery?

4. Include any charts, graphs, and images that will help you promote your feedstock.

Student Scenario (Fictional)

“If the transportation sector is to transition away from fossil fuels to using to lower-carbon

emitting fuels and potentially reaching a net-zero future, the United States must dramatically

increase sustainable transportation fuel production and use. Sustainable fuels are made from

renewable biomass and waste resources and have the potential to deliver the performance of

petroleum-based jet fuel with a fraction of its carbon footprint. However, the use of sustainable

transportation fuels has been limited by lack of supply and high production costs. Addressing

these challenges will require a collaborative effort from industry and government to study the

biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain and apply innovative solutions.

For sustainable transportation fuels to play a major role in achieving net-zero carbon emissions,

the production of biofuels will need to be dramatically scaled up. Orchid Bioenergy is a pioneer

in making low-carbon, low-cost, transportation fuels and will enlist the help of a team of

researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to study regional feedstocks and the bioenergy

supply chain. Orchid Bioenergy needs to reduce production costs and carbon emissions, while

increasing the quality of the fuel composite. They plan to scale up operations by building a new

biorefinery to meet the demand for transportation biofuels and maximize profits. Through a

collaboration between industry and national laboratories, Orchid Bioenergy and INL scientists

will be studying biomass harvest to conversion. You will be part of a team of interns, challenged

by your mentors to research which regional feedstock is best suited for producing the lowest

moisture and highest quality product for the lowest cost. In addition, your team must also

determine the best location for the next biorefinery to help offset production costs and carbon

footprint.

Your final project is to produce an infographic mapping a viable bioenergy value chain from

biomass harvest to conversion to share with DOE and the board of directors for Orchid

Bioenergy.”

This combined document will be helpful in evaluating the biomass to bioenergy value chain you will recommend in your info-graphic. Please see attachments

This task asks students to look at the feedstock data included in the appendices. Before they dive

into the data, it is important to understand conversion processes and how biomass properties

impact conversion performance.

Conversion Methods

In general, there are two initial pathways for converting feedstocks into biofuels: biochemical

conversions (formally referred to as low temperature deconstruction) and thermochemical

conversions (formally referred to as high temperature deconstruction).

Biochemical conversion uses bacteria, microorganisms, and enzymes to breakdown feedstocks

into gaseous or liquid fuels, including biogas or bioethanol. This process uses anaerobic

digestion, which occurs without oxygen and fermentation to convert feedstocks into liquid fuels.

The end products are biogas (primarily methane and carbon dioxide) and ethanol (bioethanol).

Biogas can be used to produce electricity, fuel, or renewable natural gas (Madhu 2022).

Thermochemical conversion involves heating feedstocks to high temperatures in order to convert

them into simple organic compounds. These compounds can then undergo either combustion,

pyrolysis, or gasification to generate liquid fuels, electricity, and other useful feedstocks and

products.

1. Decide on the biomass to bioenergy value chain that they will recommend to Orchid Bioenergy using an infographic.

2. Use the provided table to take notes on each of the steps of the biomass to biofuel process.

3. Take notes on the pros and/or cons that should either be highlighted or addressed as challenges.

4. Determine the best location for the next biorefinery to help offset production costs and its carbon footprint.