Fall 2008 to present
Mechanical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
Research Topic: The Unintended Energy and Water Quality Consequences of Runoff from Increased Biofuels Production
Concerns over rising fuel prices, national security, and the environment have resulted in a nationwide Renewable Fuel Standard mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. One consequence of ramped-up biofuel production, particularly in the case of traditional first-generation biofuels such as corn starch-based ethanol and soy-derived biodiesel, is the risk of additional soil runoff that can detrimentally impact water quality. Consequently, the water treatment sector may require additional energy to remove increased quantities of sediment, nutrient and pesticide run-off from polluted water bodies downstream of agricultural land. The devastating effects of increased eutrophication have already prompted legislation which aims to reverse the degradation our nation’s waterways. Thus, at a time when water quality priorities are pushing to decrease nitrogen and phosphorous loading in waterways, legislative mandates are seeking to increase corn starch-based ethanol production, thereby potentially increasing nitrogen loading in this region by 10-34% due to runoff. Consequently, the energy intensity for water treatment will have a two-fold challenge. This research intends to quantify the impact that the mandated increase in ethanol production will have on the energy required for water treatment in the United States. It will report results from zeroth-order top-level systems analysis of the energy impacts of ethanol with and without the additional targets set out by environmental legislation.
