This book is one of a kind in the field of petroleum biorefining and biological upgrade of petroleum; it presents a critical review as well as an integrated overview of the potential biochemical processes, bridging the gap between academia and industry. It addresses today's demanding production challenges, taking into account energy efficient and environmentally friendly processes, and also looks at the future possibility of implementing new refinery systems. Suitable for those practitioners the petroleum industry, students and researchers interested in petroleum biotechnology.* Covers a new application field for biotechnology* Looks at innovative processes for the petroleum industry* Presents examples of modern environmental processes

Introduction to Petroleum Biotechnology introduces the petroleum engineer to biotechnology, bringing together the various biotechnology methods that are applied to recovery, refining and remediation in the uses of petroleum and petroleum products. A significant amount of petroleum is undiscoverable in reservoirs today using conventional and secondary methods. This reference explains how microbial enhanced oil recovery is aiding to produce more economical and environmentally-friendly metabolic events that lead to improved oil recovery. Meanwhile, in the downstream side of the industry, petroleum refining operators are facing the highest levels of environmental regulations while struggling to process more of the heavier crude oils since conventional physical and chemical refining techniques may not be applicable to heavier crudes. This reference proposes to the engineer and refining manager the concepts of bio-refining applications to not only render heavier crudes as lighter crudes through microbial degradation, but also through biodenitrogenation, biodemetallization and biodesulfurization, making more petroleum derivatives purified and upgraded without the release of more pollutants. Equipped for both upstream and downstream to learn the basics, this book is a necessary primer for today's petroleum engineer. - Presents the fundamentals behind petroleum biotechnology for both upstream and downstream oil and gas operations - Provides the latest technology in reservoir recovery using microbial enhanced oil recovery methods - Helps readers gain insight into the current and future application of using biotechnology as a refining and fuel blending method for heavy oil and tar sands

Petroleum hydrocarbons are both a product of, and rich substrate for, microorganisms from across all Domains of life. Rooted deeply in the history of microbiology, hydrocarbons have been studied as sources of carbon and energy for microorganisms for over a century. As global demand for petroleum and its refined products continues to rise, so do challenges associated with environmental pollution, oil well souring, infrastructure corrosion, oil recovery, transport, refining, and upgrading of heavy crude oils and bitumens. Advances in genomics, synthetic biology and metabolic engineering has invigorated interest in petroleum microbial biotechnology as interest grows in technologies for in situ methane production, biodesulfurization and biodenitrogenation, bio-upgrading of heavy crudes, microbial enhanced oil recovery, corrosion control, and biocatalysts for generating value-added products. Given the complexity of the global petroleum industry and the harsh conditions in which it operates, a deeper understanding of the ecophysiology of aerobic and anaerobic microbial communities that have associations with petroleum hydrocarbons is needed if robust technologies are to be deployed successfully. This research topic highlights recent advances in microbial enhanced oil recovery, methanogenic hydrocarbon metabolism and carbon dioxide sequestration, bioremediation, microbiologically influenced corrosion, biodesulfurization, and the application of metagenomics to better understand microbial communities associated with petroleum hydrocarbons.

Due to the huge quantity and diverse nature of their metabolic pathways, fungi have great potential to be used for the production of different biofuels such as bioethanol, biobutanol, and biodiesel. This book presents recent advances, as well as challenges and promises, of fungal applications in biofuel production, subsequently discussing plant pathogenic fungi for bioethanol and biodiesel production, including their mechanisms of action. Additionally, this book reviews biofuel production using plant endophytic fungi, wood-rotting fungi, fungal biocontrol agents, and gut fungi, and it investigates highly efficient fungi for biofuel production and process design in fungal-based biofuel production systems. Finally, life cycle assessment of fungal-based biofuel production systems are discussed in this volume.

Intensive use of fossil-based energy sources causes significant environmental problems on a global scale. Researchers have been working for several decades to find alternative energy solutions to fossil fuels. Algae are a renewable energy source, with high potential for increasing scarce resources and reducing environmental problems caused by fossil fuel use. Algal Biotechnology for Fuel Applications gives the reader a comprehensive picture of the industrial use of algae for generating power. This book informs readers about the existence of alternative species to the currently used algae species for biofuel production, while also explaining the methods and current concepts in sustainable biofuel production. Key Features - Fifteen chapters covering topics on commercial algae species and algal biofuel production. - Covers anaerobic biotechnology and basic biofuel production from thermal liquefaction - Covers biodiesel production and algal biofuel characterization - Introduces the reader to applied microbial fuel cell technology and algae cultivation methods - Provides concepts about ecological engineering - Covers microalgae culture and biofuel production techniques - Explains the importance of catalysts - Explains the economic evaluation of algae fuel production technology This reference is essential reading for students and academics involved in environmental science, biotechnology, chemical engineering and sustainability education programs. It also serves as a reference for general readers who want to understand the ins and outs of algal biofuel technology.

Essay from the year 2007 in the subject Business economics - Economic Policy, grade: 96.00, University of Phoenix, course: Utilizing Information in College Writing, language: English, abstract: The United States is in the midst of an energy crisis. The U.S. imports the majority of its fossil fuel petroleum products from overseas. The Department of Energy estimates that by 2010 the U.S. will import 75% of its required transportation fuels (Lauder, 2001). These petroleum-based fuels are not a limitless resource. At this time based on 2005 consumption rates of petroleum products, “the world has 41 years of proven reserves” (Dimotakis, Grober and Lewis, p. 5). Experts state that petroleum based exploration, discoveries and drilling will reach their peak by 2050. Increased awareness of the limits and over dependence on petroleum-based fossil fuels has led to a re-emergence of alternative fuels. The U.S. government has implemented an alternative energy initiative as part of their overall energy policy since the early 1970’s. This new policy came because of the 1973 oil embargo. These alternative energy initiatives have focused primarily on bio-fuel sources. The two leading bio-fuel alternatives to the current petroleum-based fuels are bio-diesel and ethanol. “Driven by environmental, economic, and energy security concerns, the availability of ethanol (E85) is growing nationally” (U.S. Department of Energy, 2006). This evaluation judges if ethanol is the most promising bio-fuel to reduce the United States dependency on fossil fuels economically, practically, technically, and environmentally.

Biotechnology, Besides A Traditional Discipline, Is Developing Fast Because Of Realization Of Its Importance In Industry, Agriculture, Pharmaceutical Concerns, Public Health, Geological Explorations, Bioenergetics And As A Mean To Exploit New Sources Of Energy Useful For Various Purposes. Consequently, Nations Are Striving Hard To Merge The Biotechnological Operation Into National Development, Building Hardcore Economies And In Seeking Strategies For International Cooperation And Ties. The Present Text Has Been Designed To Outline The Basic And Fundamental Aspects Of Biotechnology To Be Understood In Its Right Perspective. It Envisages To Put Forward A Clear Understanding Of What Is Biotechnology And Its Widening Horizons. The Book Could Be Used As A Fundamental Text By Various Honours And Post-Graduate Students Of Life Sciences Including Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Genetics, Biochemistry And Also By Newly Developed Interdisciplinary Programme And Departments Of Biotechnology And Bioengineering. Finally This Book Should Prove To Be Helpful To A Nonprofessional And Amateur To Develop Scientific Cult And Temper In The Background Of Popular Science And Social Needs.

An apparently appropriate control scheme for PEM fuel cells may actually lead to an inoperable plant when it is connected to other unit operations in a process with recycle streams and energy integration. PEM Fuel Cells with Bio-Ethanol Processor Systems presents a control system design that provides basic regulation of the hydrogen production process with PEM fuel cells. It then goes on to construct a fault diagnosis system to improve plant safety above this control structure. PEM Fuel Cells with Bio-Ethanol Processor Systems is divided into two parts: the first covers fuel cells and the second discusses plants for hydrogen production from bio-ethanol to feed PEM fuel cells. Both parts give detailed analyses of modeling, simulation, advanced control, and fault diagnosis. They give an extensive, in-depth discussion of the problems that can occur in fuel cell systems and propose a way to control these systems through advanced control algorithms. A significant part of the book is also given over to computer-aided engineering software tools that can be used to evaluate the dynamic performance of the overall plant. PEM Fuel Cells with Bio-Ethanol Processor Systems is intended for use by researchers and advanced students on chemical, electrical-electronic and mechanical engineering courses in which dynamics and control are incorporated with the traditional steady-state coverage of flowsheet synthesis, engineering economics and optimization.

In this thesis the major differences between underground hydrogen storage and the conventional storage of natural gas are lined out to be bio-reactive and gas mixing phenomena. A new mathematical model was developed to describe the coupling between two-phase flow and microbial populations which consume hydrogen for their metabolism. Different analytical and numerical techniques were applied to investigate the storage of hydrogen in the geological subsurface. An analytical solution was derived for gravity-driven multi-component two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media. Oscillating scenarios, similar to Turing instability, were detected. Storage scenarios were simulated including a field scale demonstration in a realistic geological model.