BE/MUSES: Renewable Energy from Forest Resources: Investigating the Complex Interrelated Issues Associated with Generating Automotive Fuels from Lignocellulosic Biomass

这笔BE/MUSE规划赠款支持规划活动，以调查从木质纤维素来源(柳枝菊、杨树、赤杨)中提取的生物质用于加工成机动车燃料(乙醇)的可行性。它汇集了一支具有森林生态学、保护生物学、自然资源经济学、社会学、化学和机械工程、地理信息系统和空间分析以及教育推广专业知识的跨学科团队。它包括几个部分：调查和确认最佳研究方法，包括确定五大湖系统适宜生物量的地理信息系统技术、作为生物多样性衡量标准的鸟类调查、通过利益集团参与的政策要素、关于纤维素酶解和乙醇产量的研究、比较生命周期分析、加工中心运送燃料的供应链分析。教育活动包括MTU的新课程和修改后的课程，以及将当地社区学院的美洲原住民纳入研究活动。这个规划项目的影响集中在可能改变美国电力供应方式的基础上。开发可显著取代石油和其他化石燃料的国内可再生汽车燃料来源的潜力具有广泛的社会、工业、经济、生态和政治影响。该奖项将由ECS/ENG的Paul Werbos和DMII/ENG的Delcie Durham共同管理。

This BE/MUSES planning grant supports planning activities to investigate the feasibility of the use of biomass from lignocellulose sources (switchgrass, poplar, alder) for processing into a motor vehicle fuel (ethanol). It brings together an interdisciplinary team with expertise in forest ecology, conservation biology, natural resource economics, sociology, chemical and mechanical engineering, GIS and spatial analysis, and educational outreach. It includes several parts: investigating and confirming optimal research methodologies including GIS techniques for identifying suitable biomass in the Great Lakes system, avian surveys as a measure of biodiversity, policy elements through involvement of interest groups (CVM), studies on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and yield of ethanol, comparative life cycle analyses, analysis of the supply chain for processing centers to deliver fuels. Educational activities include new and modified courses at MTU, and inclusion of Native Americans from a local community college in research activities. The impacts of this planning project focus on the groundwork that could alter the way the U.S. is powered. The potential for development of a domestic renewable source of automotive fuel that could significantly replace petroleum and other fossil-based fuels had broad social, industrial, economic, ecological and political implications. This award will be co-manages by Paul Werbos, ECS / ENG and Delcie Durham, DMII./ENG.