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BCRF Update: September-October 2017

John Strohl, Fermentation Facility manager, gives a tour of the BIochemical Processing Train to Ames High School students.
John Strohl, Fermentation Facility manager, gives a tour of the BIochemical Processing Train to Ames High School students.

Ames High School students spend the day at the BCRF

On Oct. 10, the BioCentury Research Farm (BCRF) hosted 329 students from Ames High School's earth and space science classes. The students learned about different types of biomass crops, how biomass is processed for biofuels and bioproducts, algae production systems, and feremetation and thermochemical processes used to produce biofuels. Michelle Soupir, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, also gave the students a presentation on water quality and a tour of the bioreactors located south of the BCRF. The Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms provided tractors and wagons for transporting the students to different stops on the tour.


BEI releases information and a video on their latest research breakthrough

Autothermal pyrolysis with process intensification is the Bioeconomy Institute’s latest breakthrough in thermal deconstruction of biomass into biofuels and biochemicals. BEI is developing the basic technology and is working to demonstrate it on a commercial scale. In autothermal pyrolysis, only air is used as the fluidizing gas. As a result, the energy for pyrolysis is provided through partial oxidation of pyrolysis products within the reactor, thereby eliminating the heat transfer bottleneck of conventional pyrolysis. The pilot system used to research auto thermal pyrolysis is located at the BCRF. BEI recently published information on their web site and a new video that explains the process. Read more


Visitors tour BCRF

The BCRF had the following visitors: Association for the Advancement of Industrial Crops, Dr. A. F. Kheiralla from University of Khartoum, Idaho National Lab, ISUEO County Service, LAMPS Advisory Board Meeting, National Corn to Ethanol Research Center, Penn State graduate students, students and entrepreneurs from Africa, visitors from Nigeria, United Kingdom Agriculture Research Delegation, University of South Dakota, Vermeer and Waukee APEX.

Andy Suby, BioCentury Research Farm manager, (center) meets with the United Kingdom Agriculture Research Delegation.
Andy Suby, BioCentury Research Farm manager, (center) meets with the United Kingdom Agriculture Research Delegation.