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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 667 records · Page 37
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2022

A new approach to zip–lignin: 3,4–dihydroxybenzoate is compatible with lignification

Renewed interests in the development of bioenergy, biochemicals, and biomaterials have elicited new strategies for engineering the lignin of biomass feedstock plants. Furthermore, this study shows, for the first time, that 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (DHB) is compatible with the radical coupling reactions that assemble polymeric lignin in plants. We introduced a bacterial 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase into hybrid poplar (Populus alba × grandidentata) to divert carbon flux away from the shikimate pathway, which lies upstream of lignin biosynthesis. Transgenic poplar wood had up to 33% less lignin with p-hydroxyphenyl units comprising as much as 10% of the lignin. Mild alkaline hydrolysis of transgenic wood released fewer ester-linked p-hydroxybenzoate groups than control trees, and revealed the novel incorporation of cell-wall-bound DHB, as well as glycosides of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA). Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR) analysis uncovered DHBA-derived benzodioxane structures suggesting that DHB moieties were integrated into the lignin polymer backbone. In addition, up to 40% more glucose was released from transgenic wood following ionic liquid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. This work highlights the potential of diverting carbon flux from the shikimate pathway for lignin engineering and describes a new type of ‘zip-lignin’ derived from the incorporation of DHB into poplar lignin.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

Genome-wide mapping of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation in Eucalyptus grandis developing xylem

Background: Histone modifications play an integral role in plant development, but have been poorly studied in woody plants. Investigating chromatin organization in wood-forming tissue and its role in regulating gene expression allows us to understand the mechanisms underlying cellular differentiation during xylogenesis (wood formation) and identify novel functional regions in plant genomes. However, woody tissue poses unique challenges for using high-throughput chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) techniques for studying genome-wide histone modifications in vivo. We investigated the role of the modified histone H3K4me3 (trimethylated lysine 4 of histone H3) in gene expression during the early stages of wood formation using ChIP-seq in Eucalyptus grandis, a woody biomass model. Results: Plant chromatin fixation and isolation protocols were optimized for developing xylem tissue collected from field-grown E. grandis trees. A “nano-ChIP-seq” procedure was employed for ChIP DNA amplification. Over 9 million H3K4me3 ChIP-seq and 18 million control paired-end reads were mapped to the E. grandis reference genome for peak-calling using Model-based Analysis of ChIP-Seq. The 12,177 significant H3K4me3 peaks identified covered ~1.5% of the genome and overlapped some 9,623 protein-coding genes and 38 noncoding RNAs. H3K4me3 library coverage, peaking ~600 - 700 bp downstream of the transcription start site, was highly correlated with gene expression levels measured with RNA-seq. Overall, H3K4me3-enriched genes tended to be less tissue-specific than unenriched genes and were overrepresented for general cellular metabolism and development gene ontology terms. Relative expression of H3K4me3-enriched genes in developing secondary xylem was higher than unenriched genes, however, and highly expressed secondary cell wall-related genes were enriched for H3K4me3 as validated using ChIP-qPCR. Conclusions: In this first genome-wide analysis of a modified histone in a woody tissue, we optimized a ChIP-seq procedure suitable for field-collected samples. In developing E. grandis xylem, H3K4me3 enrichment is an indicator of active transcription, consistent with its known role in sustaining pre-initiation complex formation in yeast. The H3K4me3 ChIP-seq data from this study paves the way to understanding the chromatin landscape and epigenomic architecture of xylogenesis in plants, and complements RNA-seq evidence of gene expression for the future improvement of the E. grandis genome annotation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cladding Attachment Over Thick Exterior Insulating Sheathing

The addition of insulation to the exterior of buildings is an effective means of increasing the thermal resistance of both wood framed walls as well as mass masonry wall assemblies. For thick layers of exterior insulation (levels greater than 1.5 inches), the use of wood furring strips attached through the insulation back to the structure has been used by many contractors and designers as a means to provide a convenient cladding attachment location (Straube and Smegal 2009, Pettit 2009, Joyce 2009, Ueno 2010). The research presented in this report is intended to help develop a better understanding of the system mechanics involved and the potential for environmental exposure induced movement between the furring strip and the framing. BSC sought to address the following research questions: 1. What are the relative roles of the mechanisms and the magnitudes of the force that influence the vertical displacement resistance of the system? 2. Can the capacity at a specified deflection be reliably calculated using mechanics based equations? 3. What are the impacts of environmental exposure on the vertical displacement of furring strips attached directly through insulation back to a wood structure?

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

FINAL REPORT

Excellent progress was made in standardizing three complementary methods: Magnetic resonance imaging, x-ray micro CT, and MALDI imaging linear ion trap mass spectroscopy to image biomass and chemical, anatomical and functional changes that occur during pretreatment and hydrolysis. Magnetic resonance microscopy provides excellent images with as low as 5 uM resolution with hydrated biomass samples. We visualized dramatic changes in signal associated with the hydrolysis of the carbohydrates by strong acids. Quantitative diffusion approaches were used to probe more subtle structural changes in biomass. Diffusion tensor calculations reflect diffusion anisotropy and fractional anisotropy maps clearly show the longer range diffusion within the vessels compared to within the fiber cells. The diffusion is increased along the cell walls of the vessels. Suggesting that further research with NMR imaging should be pursued. X-ray CT provides excellent images at as low as 3.5 uM resolution from dried biomass. Small increases in surface area, and decreases in local density have been quantified in with wood after mild pretreatments; these changes are expected to be underestimates of the hydrated wood, due to the ~12% shrinkage that occurs upon drying untreated wood. MALDI-MS spectra show high ion intensities at most mass to charge ratios in untreated and pretreated woody material. MALDI-MSn is required to improve specificity and reduce background for imaging. MALDI-TOF is not specific enough for carbohydrate identification. Using MALDI-LIT/MSn we can readily identify oligomeric glucans and xylans and their fragmentation patterns as well as those of the glucuronic acid side chains of birch 4-O-methyl glucuronxylan. Imaging of glucan and xylan oligomers show that many contain isobaric ions with different distributions, indicating again that MSn is needed for accurate imaging of lignocellulosic materials. We are now starting to integrate the three imaging methods by using the same set of biomass samples imaged with all three methods, and using common analytical software to quantify parameters from the three dimensional images. In addition to the proposed experiments, we conducted imaging studies with a novel TOF-SIMS instrument available through collaborations with the AMOLF goup led by Ron Heeren at the FOM Institute in Amersterdam, Netherlands. ToF-SIMS was used to image intact cross sections of Populus stems with high spatial resolution, chemically selectivity. ToF-SIMS images were correlated with fluorescence microscopy which allowed for more positive ion identification.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Biomass pre-extraction, hydrolysis and conversion process improvements fro an integrated biorefinery

In this project, Virdia will show that it can improve the production of sugars suitable for the conversion into advanced biofuels from a range of woods. Several biomass feedstocks (Pine wood chips & Eucalyptus wood chips) will be tested on this new integrated biorefinery platform. The resultant drop-in biodiesel can be a cost-effective petroleum-replacement that can compete with projected market prices

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measure Guideline. Deep Energy Enclosure Retrofit for Zero Energy Ready House Flat Roofs

This Measure Guideline provides design and construction information for a deep energy enclosure retrofit solution of a flat roof assembly. It describes the strategies and procedures for an exterior retrofit of a flat wood-framed roof with brick masonry exterior walls using exterior and interior (framing cavity) insulation. The approach supported in this guide could also be adapted for use with flat wood-framed roofs with wood-framed exterior walls.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2015

Measure Guideline: Deep Energy Enclosure Retrofit for Zero Energy Ready House Flat Roofs

This Measure Guideline provides design and construction information for a deep energy enclosure retrofit (DEER) solution of a flat roof assembly. It describes the strategies and procedures for an exterior retrofit of a flat, wood-framed roof with brick masonry exterior walls, using exterior and interior (framing cavity) insulation. The approach supported in this guide could also be adapted for use with flat, wood-framed roofs with wood-framed exterior walls.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Cladding Attachment Over Thick Exterior Insulating Sheathing

The addition of insulation to the exterior of buildings is an effective means of increasing the thermal resistance of both wood framed walls as well as mass masonry wall assemblies. For thick layers of exterior insulation (levels greater than 1.5 inches), the use of wood furring strips attached through the insulation back to the structure has been used by many contractors and designers as a means to provide a convenient cladding attachment location (Straube and Smegal 2009, Pettit 2009, Joyce 2009, Ueno 2010). The research presented in this report is intended to help develop a better understanding of the system mechanics involved and the potential for environmental exposure induced movement between the furring strip and the framing. BSC sought to address the following research questions: 1.What are the relative roles of the mechanisms and the magnitudes of the force that influence the vertical displacement resistance of the system? 2.Can the capacity at a specified deflection be reliably calculated using mechanics based equations? 3.What are the impacts of environmental exposure on the vertical displacement of furring strips attached directly through insulation back to a wood structure?

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

Advanced Extended Plate and Beam Wall System in a Cold-Climate House

This report presents the design and evaluation of an innovative wall system. This highly insulated (high-R) light-frame wall system for use above grade in residential buildings is referred to as Extended Plate & Beam (EP&B). The EP&B design is the first of its kind to be featured in a new construction test house (NCTH) for the DOE Building America program. The EP&B wall design integrates standard building methods and common building products to construct a high-R wall that minimizes transition risks and costs to builders. The EP&B design combines optimized framing with integrated rigid foam sheathing to increase the wall system's R-value and reduce thermal bridging. The foam sheathing is installed between the wall studs and structural wood sheathing. The exterior wood sheathing is attached directly to a framing extension formed by extended top and bottom plates. The exterior wood sheathing can dry to the exterior and provides bracing, a clear drainage plane and flashing surface for window and door openings, and a nailing surface for siding attachment. With support of the DOE Building America program, Home Innovation Research Labs partnered with Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) to build a NCTH in Lancaster, PA to demonstrate the EP&B wall design in a cold climate (IECC climate zone 5A). The results of the study confirmed the benefits of the systems and the viability of its integration into the house construction process.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

Biochar from Biomass and its Potential Agronomic and Environmental Use in Washington: A Promising Alternative to Drawdown Carbon from the Atmosphere and Develop a New Industry

Climate change is one of the most serious issues facing the world today. Increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and other long-lived greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere continue to warm the planet and destabilize the climate. It has been estimated that the impact from this warming could cost the state 10 billion per year by 2020, and 16 billion per year by 2040. Long-term solutions to the climate problem likely will require that large quantities of CO 2 be removed from the atmosphere. In fact, massive CO 2 drawdowns from the atmosphere have occurred in earth’s recent past from events occurring in our hemisphere. Studies of those analogs provide insight into the potential magnitude for specific actions to drawdown significant CO 2 from the atmosphere. One of these potential actions is the large-scale production of biochar from abundant woody biomass waste and its storage in soils, where it remains stable for hundreds to thousands of years. Moreover, for the carbon emission intensity of Washington’s fuel mix, biochar production from biomass is twice as effective in offsetting GHG emissions as complete biomass combustion of the same biomass. Washington State has large quantities of wood waste biomass that could be purposed for production of combined heat/power/biochar (CHPB) through existing biomass boilers. We propose to 1) evaluate the quantities of Washington wood waste biomass, 2) inventory existing boiler capacity and assess the technical merits and challenges to repurpose the boilers to CHPB, and 3) apply literature values and analog biochar examples to better quantify the extent of CO 2 drawdown that could be achieved in Washington State over the next century using engineered biochar. This white paper explores the potential to replicate the historical drawdowns of atmospheric CO 2 , a topic the authors think should be part of current climate-change mitigation discussions. This document is a companion to a white paper titled Biochar from Wood Biomass and Agricultural Residues and its Potential Agronomic Use in Washington: A Tool to Improve Irrigation Water Use Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Sequester Carbon (Amonette, et al., 2016, in preparation).

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2014

A systems biology, whole-genome association analysis of the molecular regulation of biomass growth and composition in Populus deltoides

Poplars trees are well suited for biofuel production due to their fast growing habit, favorable wood composition and adaptation to a broad range of environments. The availability of a reference genome sequence, ease of vegetative propagation and availability of transformation methods also make poplar an ideal model for the study of wood formation and biomass growth in woody, perennial plants. The objective of this project was to conduct a genome-wide association genetics study to identify genes that regulate bioenergy traits in Populus deltoides (eastern cottonwood). Populus deltoides is a genetically diverse keystone forest species in North America and an important short rotation woody crop for the bioenergy industry. We searched for associations between eight growth and wood composition traits and common and low-frequency single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected by targeted resequencing of 18,153 genes in a population of 391 unrelated individuals. To increase power to detect associations with low-frequency variants, multiple-marker association tests were used in combination with single-marker association tests. Significant associations were discovered for all phenotypes and are indicative that low-frequency polymorphisms contribute to phenotypic variance of several bioenergy traits. These polymorphism are critical tools for the development of specialized plant feedstocks for bioenergy.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2015

A systems biology, whole-genome association analysis of the molecular regulation of biomass growth and composition in Populus deltoides

Poplars trees are well suited for biofuel production due to their fast growing habit, favorable wood composition and adaptation to a broad range of environments. The availability of a reference genome sequence, ease of vegetative propagation and availability of transformation methods also make poplar an ideal model for the study of wood formation and biomass growth in woody, perennial plants. The objective of this project was to conduct a genome-wide association genetics study to identify genes that regulate bioenergy traits in Populus deltoides (eastern cottonwood). Populus deltoides is a genetically diverse keystone forest species in North America and an important short rotation woody crop for the bioenergy industry. We searched for associations between eight growth and wood composition traits and common and low-frequency single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected by targeted resequencing of 18,153 genes in a population of 391 unrelated individuals. To increase power to detect associations with low-frequency variants, multiple-marker association tests were used in combination with single-marker association tests. Significant associations were discovered for all phenotypes and are indicative that low-frequency polymorphisms contribute to phenotypic variance of several bioenergy traits. These polymorphism are critical tools for the development of specialized plant feedstocks for bioenergy.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Final Technical Report - Consolidating Biomass Pretreatment with Saccharification by Resolving the Spatial Control Mechanisms of Fungi

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulose combines enzymatic sugar release (saccharification) with fermentation, but pretreatments remain separate and costly. In nature, lignocellulose-degrading brown rot fungi consolidate pretreatment and saccharification, likely using spatial gradients to partition these incompatible reactions. With the field of biocatalysis maturing, reaction partitioning is increasingly reproducible for commercial use. Therefore, my goal was to resolve the reaction partitioning mechanisms of brown rot fungi so that they can be applied to bioconversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks. Brown rot fungi consolidate oxidative pretreatments with saccharification and are a focus for biomass refining because 1) they attain >99% sugar yield without destroying lignin, 2) they use a simplified cellulase suite that lacks exoglucanase, and 3) their non-enzymatic pretreatment is facilitative and may be accelerated. Specifically, I hypothesized that during brown rot, oxidative pretreatments occur ahead of enzymatic saccharification, spatially, and the fungus partitions these reactions using gradients in pH, lignin reactivity, and plant cell wall porosity. In fact, we found three key results during these experiments for this work: 1) Brown rot fungi have an inducible cellulase system, unlike previous descriptions of a constitutive mechanism. 2) The induction of cellulases is delayed until there is repression of oxidatively-linked genes, allowing the brown rot fungi to coordinate two incompatible reactions (oxidative pretreatment with enzymatic saccharification, to release wood sugars) in the same pieces of wood. 3) This transition is mediated by the same wood sugar, cellobiose, released by the oxidative pretreatment step. Collectively, these findings have been published in excellent journal outlets and have been presented at conferences around the United States, and they offer clear targets for gene discovery en route to making biofuels and biochemicals affordable, commercially.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Potential for Particulate Emission Reduction in Flue Gas Condensing Heat Exchangers in Biomass-Fired Boiler

Direct biomass combustion for the production of heat is a broad field of technology which ranges from residential wood stoves to commercial and industrial boilers and furnaces. Fuels typically include pellets, chips and cord wood. Over the past decade, as a result of fuel price advantages and other benefits, wood burning has seen a significant growth.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Molecular Modeling to Increase Kraft Pulp Yield

Kraft pulping is an important component of the pulp and paper industry and is the predominant technology for removing lignin from wood carbohydrates. However, kraft pulping is energy-intensive, expensive, and is limited by the degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose. Pretreatment increases yield by stabilizing cellulose against degradation. However, protection of galactoglucomannan (GGM), the primary hemicellulose component of softwood, is minimal when conventional pretreatments are used. Here we investigate the effectiveness of new pretreatment methods on southern pine wood chips under a range of experimental conditions. If successful, improved pretreatment methods will increase carbohydrate yield, reduce waste, reduce energy use, lower the cost of bleaching, and decrease the cost of air emission controls. The purpose of this CRADA was to combine industrial expertise in wood pulping with national laboratory expertise in high-performance computing, leading to improved understanding of molecular-scale processes that limit carbohydrate yield during pretreatment and pulping. A combined computational and experimental approach was used to investigate pretreatment effectiveness under relevant pulping conditions and then use molecular simulation techniques to provide complementary insight into structural and chemical factors that govern the observed behavior. In this report we summarize the accomplishments of the project.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Field Validation of a Pilot-scale Black Liquor Membrane for Water Removal at Ahlstrom-Munksjö Paper Mill in Mosinee, WI

Project Background: The Industrial Technology Validation (ITV) program aims to identify and demonstrate the performance of new, emerging, and underutilized technologies in the industrial sector to help inform decisions towards accelerating commercialization and deployment. Pulp and paper is considered one of the most energy-intensive industries in the manufacturing sector. There are several methodologies for converting wood into pulp in the paper-making industry. The kraft process is a chemical method for producing wood pulp. The kraft process generates black liquor as a byproduct of pulp production. Traditionally, water is evaporated from the liquor by a set of multi-effect evaporators (MEEs), which concentrate weak black liquor (WBL) into strong black liquor (SBL) to support efficient combustion in a recovery boiler. Concentrating black liquor is an energy-intensive step in recovering pulping chemicals and generating high-pressure steam from dissolved wood solids. About 7% of pulp and paper energy usage, or nearly 164 trillion Btu, is used to remove water from black liquor in U.S. kraft pulp mills per year. The U.S. DOE’s IEDO is interested in the black liquor membrane technology evaluated in this report because it offers the potential for a more energy-efficient and less carbon-intensive kraft pulping process across 99 kraft pulp mills in 24 states (Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance 2016). This ITV project validates an innovative black liquor membrane technology for kraft pulp mills to understand its impact and benefits. Via Separations is a technology vendor that developed a graphene oxide membrane system to remove water from WBL before entering the evaporator set. High-pressure positive displacement (HPR) pumps move the black liquor through membranes that separate water and create a more concentrated black liquor. The vendor claims their pre-commercial technology reduces evaporator steam consumption by dewatering WBL before entering the evaporators. They also claim their technology has non-energy benefits such as enhanced soap collection and improved pulp throughput. This evaluation focuses on validating the energy and carbon dioxide (CO 2 e) emissions benefits associated with the membrane system.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

A Comparison of Novel Woodstove Catalytic Combustors to Improve Low Temperature Light off and Catalyst Stability at High Temperatures and Corrosive Environments, Including Stability of Catalytic Combustors used in Coastal Environments

Wood heaters with catalytic combustors often emit higher levels of particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at startup before the catalytic combustor is at operational temperature. This project aims to advance wood heater catalytic combustor technology by studying degradation mechanisms in failed field catalysts and using those insights to develop an improved catalytic combustor. Findings will provide critical insights into the degradation mechanisms of wood heater catalytic combustors and inform the design of catalysts that deliver improved efficiency, durability, and performance compared to current commercial products. The outcomes of this project will not only improve catalytic combustor technology but also contribute to operational guidelines to extend catalyst lifetimes.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗