SBIR Phase I: Cost- and Energy-Efficient Conversion of Cellulosic Biomass to Bio-Fuel Feedstock of Consistent and Preferred Geometry

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目开发了一种新的切割附件，用于切碎/研磨/切碎纤维素生物质，以生产纤维素乙醇的原料。随着能源/柴油价格的上涨，切屑/研磨/切碎的功耗受到高度关注，更换牙齿/刀的设备停机时间的成本/效率低下也是如此。创新的切割技术借鉴了金属切割领域的广泛研究基础，以单一基础产品解决这些切屑，研磨和切割应用，实现更大的规模经济。它包括一个旋转齿和多齿布局，取代目前的削片/斩刀和磨床齿，以实现更低的比能量，减少换刀停机时间，并更薄的芯片，以提高乙醇生产阶段的效率。这项研究更广泛的影响是促进国家的多样化。通过提高从木屑、柳枝稷和玉米秸秆等纤维素原料中生产的生物燃料的经济终端能源可行性，美国的能源组合将得到改善。虽然乙醇是一种有吸引力的替代燃料，但必须注意不要过度转向以谷物为基础的乙醇，从而对粮食供应产生负面影响。由于非优质农田可以用于种植柳枝稷和速生树木等能源作物，因此从纤维素生物质（包括农业废弃物和林业残留物）中生产乙醇可以显著增长，而不会与粮食供应产生不适当的竞争。其他受到影响的能源应用包括在锅炉中使用切碎/切碎的生物质来产生热量和电力，这些锅炉正在以越来越快的速度使用纤维素生物质。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops a new cutting attachment for chipping/grinding/chopping of cellulosic biomass to yield feedstock for production of cellulosic ethanol. With increasing energy/diesel prices, power consumption in chipping/grinding/chopping is of heightened concern, as is the cost/inefficiency of equipment downtime for tooth/knife replacement. The innovative cutting technology draws on the vast research base in metal cutting to address these chipping, grinding and chopping applications with a single base product, achieving greater economies of scale. It involves a rotating tooth and multi-tooth layouts that replace current chipper/chopper knives and grinder teeth to achieve lower specific energy, reduced tool-change downtime, and thinner chips to facilitate efficiency later on in the ethanol production stage.The broader impacts of this research are to facilitate the diversification of the country?s energy portfolio by improving the economic end energy viability of biofuels produced from cellulosic feedstock like wood chips, switchgrass, and corn stover. While ethanol is an attractive alternative fuel, care must be taken not to negatively impact food supplies with an excessive shift to grain-based ethanol. Since non-prime farmland can be used for energy crops like switchgrass and fast-growing trees, production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass (including agricultural waste and forestry residues) can enjoy significant growth without undue competition with the food supply. Other energy applications to be impacted include use of chipped/chopped biomass in boilers that produce heat and electricity, which are using cellulosic biomass at increasing rates.