One goal of the Oklahoma State biofuels research team is to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of gasification-fermentation process. The team is also showing how under-utilized biomass, such as perennial grasses and crop residues, is converted to ethanol and other value-added products. For every 1 unit of energy put into the GRASSohol process, as much as 3 units of energy are returned. Traditional corn-based ethanol production provides 1.6 units of energy per 1 unit of energy input.

The research team is utilizing a “total systems” approach, addressing the more critical issues from the production of biomass to its conversion to liquid fuel. The team is the first research group to document successful conversion of biomass derived producer gas to ethanol and other products. Some of the team’s notable accomplishments include:

• Release of new switchgrass and bermudagrass cultivars with the wide adaption and high biomass-yielding abilities.
  
  
• Successful gasification of selected feedstocks, such as switchgrass, bermudagrass, and corn fermentation waste, to generate producer gas.
  
  
• Identification of several novel strains of acetogens that show much greater ethanol-producing potential compared to other known microbial catalysts.
  
  

The multidisciplinary team draws from the faculty of science and engineering including: Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Food and Agricultural Products Center, Chemical Engineering, Plant and Soil Sciences and Agricultural Economics. The University of Oklahoma is also represented by the Department of Botany and Microbiology.

Sorganol® Research - Production of Ethanol from Sweet Sorghum

Benefits of using sweet sorghum for ethanol production

• Yields juice with 15-20% directly fermentable sugar (i.e. no starch to convert)
  
  
• Can be grown in temperate climates such as Oklahoma
  
  
• ‘More Crop Per Drop’ – Low irrigation needs
  
  
• Low fertilizer needs