Biofuels Journal - May/June 2008 - (Page 132)

Hybrid Wins Challenge Mississippi State Team Modifies SUV with Biodiesel Engine A team of students at Mississippi State University (MSU) beat out 16 other universities across the United States and Canada by designing a hybrid SUV that uses both a diesel engine running on B20 biodiesel fuel and an electric motor. The award came at the end of the third year of Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, a four-year competition sponsored by General Motors Corp., the U.S. Department of Energy, and other government and industry leaders. The 17 teams re-engineered a Chevrolet Equinox, a crossover sport utility vehicle, to minimize energy consumption, emissions, and greenhouse gases while maintaining or exceeding the vehicle’s utility and performance. The MSU team by redesigning the Equinox with two engines–a diesel engine running on B20 operates the front wheels, while an electric motor runs the rear wheels, effectively producing an all-wheel-drive vehicle. The modified SUV gets about 38 miles per gallon, 48% better than a stock Equinox. “The only thing that connects those two power sources is the road,” said MSU mechanical engineering student Michael Doude. Mississippi State University students with their award-winning, dual-engine modified Chevrolet Equinox. Photo courtesy of MSU. Biodiesel Development Grant State of Wisconsin Kicks in $4 Million for Plant at Evansville WisconsinGov.JimDoyleearly is being financed with a comin April announced that the state bination of state support and will provide $4 million in grant money raised from indiWISCONSIN money for the construction of a vidual investors. soybean crushing plant at Evansville, the state’s first. Holding Onto Beans Evansville The grant will be awarded The use of food crops for to Landmark Services Corp., a fuel production has become farmer-owned cooperative. The controversial, particularly co-op’s plant will be able to process given the rising cost of corn, which is 20 million bushels of soybeans anused to produce ethanol. nually. Landmark, which is headHowever, Doyle noted, most of quartered in Cottage Grove, WI, alWisconsin’s soybean crop is exported ready operates a grain elevator near to other states for processing and then Evansville. sold back to the state’s livestock proThe plant will supply crude soybean ducers for feed. oil to a 62,000-sq.-ft. biodiesel plant at Wisconsin ranks 14th in the nation the same site being developed by North in soybean production, with a 51.7Prairie Productions. The biodiesel plant million-bushel crop in 2007, but has been the only major soybean-producing state without a large-scale soybean crushing facility. In 2007, Wisconsin’s first large-scale commercial biodiesel plant opened at DeForest, north of Madison. It has a 20-million-gallon-per-year capacity using a variety of feedstocks, including soybean oil. State funding for biofuels production is part of Clean Energy Wisconsin, Gov. Doyle’s renewable energy initiative. It calls for the state to generate 25% of its electricity and 25% of fuel for cars and trucks from renewable sources by 2025, as well as capturing 10% of the market share for renewable energy and bioproducts. Ed Zdrojewski, contributing editor 132 BFJ | MAY/JUNE 08

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Biofuels Journal - May/June 2008 Contents Energy Use Down 21 Percent Reducing Reaction Time Wind Power Dual Fuel Sources Waste Steam Gasifying Biomass Carbon Income Biomass Electricity Manure Gasification Marquis Ethanol, LLC UC Berkely Biofuels Ron Miller, Aventine Renewable Energy Inc. Biomass by Satellite Supplier Profile: Rick Clifton, ATEC Florida Ethanol Pipeline EPA Ethanol Manual Ethanol Bacteria? Canadian DDGS Restrictions Corn Oil Extraction Ethanol Fungus Small Biorefinery Projects Iowa State Honors Digestive Bacteria Research GM Invests in Mascoma Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. Salt Pretreatment State Report: Kansas Monthly Ethanol Production Profile: Darrell Blackmore, Bushmill Ethanol Waiving RFS Due to Corn Prices Biofuels Automation University Industry News Thermochemical Zein Research Farm Bill - Cell Ethanol ACE Preview Biodiesel From Cooking Oil Book Review Cellulosic Bacteria Process Optimization Steam Explosion Ethanol Impact on Crops Ethanol World Mendell/Monsanto Seed Operation Ethanol Impact on Oil Demand Converting Energy Crops Direct Fuels Biodiesel Betty e-Biofuels, LLC Autos Fueled by Algae Glycerin in Feed MSU Design With Biodiesel Soybean Crush in Wisconsin NBB Grant to Danforth Plant Science Center Joe Jobe, National Biodiesel Board Biodiesel World Fields of Fuel Movie National Algae Association Biodiesel Quality Up Biodiesel News Biodiesel Roundup REG Job Training/Shadowing Biodiesel Coping Strategies Grease Bandits Biodiesel Incentives Extended Improving Biodiesel Earthrace Trek Update Biodiesel Education - Farm Bill Garbage to Liquid Fuels Pig Fat Biodiesel Calendar Ronning Engineering NPK CE Inc. Safe Rack, LLC Applied Industrial Technologies GEA Barr-Rosin Schutte Buffalo Hammermill, LLC Ethanol Promotion and Information Council Patriot Tornado Biogasoline Ad Index

Biofuels Journal - May/June 2008

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