Commercially feasible procedures will be developed for producing
high-protein, low-fiber products from distillers' grains, thus
diminishing the energy required for the recovery of these products.
The development of low energy techniques for preserving moist
distillers' grains and extending their usefulness will be continued.
FY 1981 Funding $279,000.

Production of Alcohol Feedstocks. Selection, screening, and genetic
improvement of sugar crops (e.g., sugarbeets, fodder beets, sweet stalk
corn, sweet potatoes, sweet sorghum, sugarcane) for fermentation to fuel
alcohol were initiated at AR locations with ongoing research to develop
these crops for food or fuel. Project locations include Logan, Utah,
Fort Collins, Colorado, Salinas, California, Fargo, North Dakota, East
Lansing, Michigan, Beltsville, Maryland, Meridian, Mississippi,
Charleston, South Carolina, Tifton, Georgia, Aiea, Hawaii, and Experiment,
Georgia. FY 1981 Funding - $377,000.

Environmental Studies related to Alcohol Feedstock Production. The
goal of this research at Morris, Minnesota is to develop criteria for
monitoring all aspects of biomass production to protect soils from
erosion and to avoid buildup and spread of weed, insect, disease, and
nematode pests. FY 1981 Funding $88,000.

CR Funded Projects

Grants will be awarded for research on the production and marketing of fermentation products and varietal screening, collection, and storage of biomass for energy use. This research will be closely coordinated with that funded by AR and with DOE funds. FY 1981 Funding $1,261,000.

The Technology Transfer Program Leader has conducted several seminars
and workshops and is leading a joint industry and public research
committee to plan and coordinate a program for testing of diesel engines
using vegetable oils. The Technology Transfer Program Leaders from both
centers have jointly planned a series of three seminars on alcohol and
vegetable oil as alternative fuels. They will be held in April 1982 in
Raleigh, Peoria, and Sacramento. FY 1981 Funding $150,000.

DOE pass-through funds are used primarily to support grants for research on the production and utilization of renewable energy sources. The program for FY 1981 includes:

1)

Biomass Screening, Production, and Utilization. The biomass
production research will identify and develop herbaceous crops as
energy sources. Included in these studies are varietal screening
and detailed analysis of physical properties and chemical composition.
Systems analysis may be used to study frequency of harvest, fertilizer
level, and other factors affecting net energy production for particular
locations. Other factors to be considered include harvesting, handling,
storage, conversion costs, and utilization. FY 1981 Funding

$2,000,000.

2) Vegetable Oils for Emergency Fuels.

The objective of this research is to determine the feasibility of using vegetable oils as emergency fuels. Research is planned to determine the chemical and physical properties of the oils in relation to extraction methods, minimum degumming and refining requirements, chemical oil treatments, and to perform engine testing including thermal efficiency, fuel consumption, startability, carbonization, and fuel injector nozzle effects. FY 1981 Funding - $1,400,000.

3) Enzymatic and Membrane Technologies for Alcohol Production. Research will be conducted at the Northern Agricultural Energy Center on enzymatic conversion of biomass to fermentable sugars and at the Western Regional Research Center on the development of membranes for ethanol/water separation. FY 1981 Funding - $300,000.

ALCOHOL FUELS

Mr. WHITTEN. Please give the Committee a full and complete update of all research being carried on by SEA in the field of alcohol fuels. Also provide all the funding associated with the work, as well as the number of people assigned to this program for fiscal years 1980, 1981, and 1982.

Dr. BERTRAND. The Science and Education Administration is involved in a number of programs related to alcohol fuels. These range from the screening, evaluation, and production of feedstocks, to research on fermentation, distillation, and byproduct recovery and use. A table showing funds and man-years associated with alcohol research programs will be provided for the record.

[The information follows:]

1) Research on the Production of Alcohol Feedstocks. AR projects conducting research on the production of sugar crops are provided supplemental funding to screen varieties and determine production costs of potential alcohol feedstocks. The crops, locations, and funding for FY 1981 follow. Only minor adjustments and redirections are expected in FY 1982.

In addition, the Northern Agricultural Energy Center is providing chemical and analytical support for the breeding and production studies. FY 1981 Funding $92,000.

2)

3)

Increased Energy Efficiency of Substrate Preparation for Alcohol Fermentation. Wheat straw, corn refuse, and other residues are subjected to various physical/chemical pretreatments prior to enzymatic saccharification. Sugars from hemicellulose/cellulose fractions are evaluated as alcohol fermentation substrates directly. Specific fungi are evaluated for their ability to preferentially degrade lignin in lignocellulosics. Cellulose tests are conducted to determine cellulose residue susceptibility to saccharifying enzymes. Various mutational techniques are employed to selectively develop mutants with preferential ability to degrade lignin. FY 1981 Funding - $385,000.

Innovative Fermentation Technology for Alcohol Production. Programs include the design of a novel process for the production of a high concentration of ethanol on a solid substrate, the evaluation of selected microorganisms and conditions for increased alcohol yields from xylose, the determination of the feasibility of using immobilized microbial cells to convert sugar crops to ethanol, and the screening of specific yeasts and bacteria for their ability to produce maximal alcohol from various fermentable sugars. FY 1981 Funding - $372,000. 4) Energy-Saving Methods for Recovery of Usable Protein from Alcohol or Methane Fermentation Media. Research is conducted on composition of distillers' grains and solubles to obtain information on the carbohydrate components such as hemicellulose in the fiber. Commercially feasible procedures will be developed for producing high-protein, low-fiber products from distillers' grains and diminish the energy required in recovery of these products. The development of low energy techniques for preserving moist distillers' grains and extending their usefulness will be continued. FY 1981 Funding $279,000.

5)

Environmental Studies related to Alcohol Feedstock Production. This research at Morris, Minnesota is to develop criteria for monitoring all aspects of biomass production to protect soils from erosion and to avoid buildup and spread of insect, disease, and nematode pests. FY 1981 Funding $88,000.

6) Harvesting, Transporting, and Storage System for Alcohol Feedstocks. At Belle Glade, Florida, existing equipment is being adapted or developed to minimize energy consumption and environmental hazards, as well as to establish the optimum form, moisture level, and specific equipment needs for transporting biomass to conversion plants. FY 1981 Funding $132,000.

7)

Alternate Energy Applications at the Southern Agricultural Energy Center. Research is conducted on methods of on-farm handling, storage, and feeding of stillage produced in converting corn into fuel alcohol. The work is cooperative with the Coastal Plain Experiment Station and will include feeding trials to develop diets for swine, dairy, and beef animals. Other research includes methane production and utilization and on-farm production of vegetable oil as diesel substitute. FY 1981 Funding $100,000.