Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Individual station reports submitted by station representatives are compiled in this report. The participating stations are listed in alphabetical order by state. The objectives and tasks of the S-1041 project are listed first, and each station reports what objectives and tasks the principle investigators at each station have worked on during 2013-2014, and what are the major accomplishments/outcomes, impacts, target audience, and major participants. More detail information about the objectives and tasks of the project, as well as the participants from each station, is available on the NIMSS database website.

OBJECTIVE A: Develop deployable biomass feedstock supply knowledge, processes and logistics systems that economically deliver timely and sufficient quantities of biomass with predictable specifications to meet conversion process-dictated feedstock tolerances. Task 1: Identify biomass feedstock type and availability for selected geographic regions based on agronomic and climate conditions. Task 2: Characterize physical and chemical properties of feedstock along the logistics supply for different geographic regions. Task 3: Develop and evaluate harvest, pre-process, handling, densification, storage, and transport methods for specific biomass feedstock end-users. OBJECTIVE B: Investigate and develop sustainable technologies to convert biomass resources into chemicals, energy, materials and other value added products. B.1. Biological conversion technologies Task 1: Develop pretreatment methods for biological conversion processes. Task 2: Develop conversion processes. Task 3: Develop value-added, bio-based products from fractionated biomass. B.2. Value added products and markets based on thermochemical conversion technologies. Task 1: Develop pretreatment methods. Task 2: Develop conversion processes. Task 3: Develop and improve catalytic upgrading processes to convert intermediates to high quality and stable liquid fuels and products. Task 4: Integrate thermochemical and biological conversion processes to produce biofuels and bioproducts. Task 5: Improve methods for characterization of intermediate products and process control. B.3. Biodiesel production processes Task 1: Characterize new feedstocks. Task 2: Develop an understanding of fuel quality and performance issues from emerging crops. Task 3: Develop and characterize innovative processes for biodiesel production. Task 4: Develop and utilize co-products. OBJECTIVE C: Utilize system analysis to support development of economically, socially and environmentally sustainable solutions for a bio-based economy. Task 1: Develop system models and data to represent integrated feedstock supply systems, including discrete processes and entire supply logistics. Task 2. Develop system models and data to assess sustainability of integrated conversion platforms. Task 3. Develop integrated system models to configure, analyze and optimize bioenergy and biofuel production systems. OBJECTIVE D: Identify and develop needed educational, extension and outreach resources to promote the transition to a bio-based economy. Task 1: Serve as a knowledge resource base for bio-based economy. Task 2: Develop and market programs. Task 3: Develop and disseminate educational materials in high-priority topic areas.