Biofuels Production and Processing Technology

The importance of biofuels in greening the transport sector in the future is unquestionable, given the limited available fossil energy resources, the environmental issues associated to the utilization of fossil fuels, and the increasing attention to security of supply. This comprehensive reference presents the latest technology in all aspects of biofuels production, processing, properties, raw materials, and related economic and environmental aspects. Presenting the application of methods and technology with minimum math and theory, it compiles a wide range of topics not usually covered in one single book. It discusses development of new catalysts, reactors, controllers, simulators, online analyzers, and waste minimization as well as design and operational aspects of processing units and financial and economic aspects. The book rounds out by describing properties, specifications, and quality of various biofuel products and new advances and trends towards future technology.

M. R. Riazi (www.riazim.com), who has a doctorate degree in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), is the author of 150 publications including 6 books in the areas of oil, gas, coal and biofuel characterization, production and processing. In addition he has over 100 conference presentations and invited chair of international conferences, about 100 invited lectures and workshops, and over 60 short courses for the petroleum industry in more than 40 countries. He has served as Assistant Professor at Penn State as well as Visiting Professor / Scholar in the Departments of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the following universities: Illinois/Chicago, Texas/Austin, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim), McGill (Montreal), Waterloo (Ontario), Wright State (US), Sharif (Arya-Mehr University), IIT/India, and Kuwait. He is also the Managing Director of Petrogas firm based in Canada and the Chair of Chemical Engineering at Kuwait University. He has been working on research projects related to hydrocarbon thermodynamics, gas processing, oil, gas and coal properties, enhanced oil recovery and heavy oil characterization, renewable energy, and environmental issues funded by American Petroleum Institute (API), US Department of Energy, US National Science Foundation, GRI/Chicago, NSERC (Canada), Petrofina (Brussels), SINTEF (Norway) as well as KPC, KFAS, KISR, KU, and KOTC (Kuwait). He is the founding editor and Editor-in-Chief of IJOGCT as well as an Associate Editor of JPSE. As a result of his work, Dr. Riazi has been honored as the recipient the following awards: Diploma of Honor from United States National Petroleum Engineering Society for Outstanding Contributions to the Petroleum Industry, KU Outstanding Research and Teaching Awards (received from former Amir of Kuwait), and Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He is a registered and licensed professional engineer in Ontario, Canada.

David Chiaramonti teaches Biomass Energy Conversion Technologies and Processes at the University of Florence, where he obtained his PhD in Energy Engineering. His main scientific interest is on the production and use of biofuels, either liquid, gaseous, or solid. His research works cover thermochemical biomass conversion processes as well as liquid biofuel production and use. He has published more than 140 scientific papers in these areas, edited journal special issues, chapters in books and studies, as well as articles in magazines. He is member of the editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals of the field, including IJOGCT (Inderscience), Applied Energy (Elsevier) and Biomass Conversion & Biorefinery (Springer). He is/has been chairman and member of steering, international organizing, and scientific committees of various international conferences on biomass, bioenergy, and bioproducts, member of IEA Task 39 (Liquid Biofuels) and 34 (Biomass Pyrolysis), chairman of the scientific board of DBFZ and member of other international organizations and associations, as the UN ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection/Alternative Fuels Task Force, and EABA (European Algae Biomass Association). His recent work on biofuels focused on policy development and market issues. He has been involved as a project manager and scientific responsible in a large number of R&D&D projects, either supported by the European Commission and Ministries or by private companies. He is President of the not-for-profit research institution RE-CORD (funded and participated by the University of Florence and other public/private partners), that holds a chemical laboratory dedicated to bioenergy and bioproducts and operates several innovative pilot/demo plants for thermochemical and biochemical processing of biomass.