Cellulosic ethanol made from cellulosic biomass is an alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuel. The cost-effectiveness of cellulosic ethanol manufacturing has been hindered by several technical barriers. One such barrier is that low density of biomass causes high costs of biomass...

Cellulosic ethanol made from cellulosic biomass is a promising alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. Enzymatic hydrolysis is a crucial step in cellulosic ethanol production. In order to better understand the mechanisms of enzymatic hydrolysis, relationships between cellulosic...

Cellulosic ethanol produced from cellulosic biomass is an alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. Raw cellulosic biomass has low density, causing high costs in their storage, transportation, and handling. Ultrasonic vibration-assisted (UV-A) pelleting can increase the density of...

Renewable energy – mainly solar power – is expected to be increasingly rapidly integrated into future electricity systems in Japan especially after the Fukushima Nuclear Accident. On the other hand, one of the most crucial elements of future electricity systems will be the capability for...

The process of selecting and designing the major components for a hybrid solar collector/CHP system is described. Particular attention was given to the design of the solar collector and a number of options, including thin membrane heat pipe solar collectors (both ‘normal’ and ‘artery’...

A theoretical analysis has been carried out to investigate the thermodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of a hybrid heat pipe solar collector/CHP system based on the assumption that the system operates on a typical Rankine cycle. Experimental testing of the prototype was also carried out...