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Washington State University
Biological Systems Engineering Bioenergy and Bioproducts

Birgitte Ahring receives Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award

May 2, 2023 |WSU Insider

Dr. Ahring with studentBirgitte Ahring receives the Voiland College of Engineering’s Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award.

Ahring, professor in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and with the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory at the WSU Tri-Cities campus, is a prolific researcher and a global leader in biomass conversion research for producing biofuels and high-value bioproducts.

With WSU since 2008, she has published more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Overall, she has been cited 33,702 times in her career and has an h-index of 93. Her research is mission-driven and is focused on solving bottlenecks for bringing new and better technologies for biofuels and bio-products to the market, including pathways to produce sustainable biofuels in the aviation industry from lignin, fungi, and other forms of biomass.

She has been recognized around the world for her breakthroughs, including recently being named “Washingtonian of the Day” by Governor Jay Inslee.

WSU Insider

Shulin Chen named National Academy of Inventors senior member

February, 2023 | WSU Insider

Photo of Shulin ChenBiological Systems Engineering professor Shulin Chen has been honored as a  senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. He will be inducted formally at the Academy’s annual meeting in June in Washington, D.C.

Chen has produced biochemicals from organic waste using microbial “cell factories,” yeasts that synthesize target biochemicals using metabolic pathways. His team also developed a method for extracting high-value products from potato peels, a waste by-product of potato processing. His method turns phytochemical and nutrient-rich waste into a revenue stream. Chen holds ten U.S. patents for his innovations.

Chen’s research focuses on making industrial processes more sustainable. His projects include development of bioconversion processes and systems for the production of biofuel, bioenergy, and bioproducts. Using anaerobic digestion systems, his research team has invented a process to convert manure and other dairy-industry waste to bioenergy which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. His team’s systems also recover nutrients from wastewater, alleviating concerns about surface and groundwater

Sustainable Jet Fuel Based on Lignin

August 2022 | STLE

 

Research on Lignin Jet FuelLignin-derived jet fuel displays a superior heat of combustion, higher seal swell properties and a much lower aromatic content compared to Jet-A.

Bin Yang, professor in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at Washington State University (WSU) in Richland, WA, says, “Besides using jet fuel, other propulsion options such as batteries and fuel cells are not suitable for use in long-distance airplance travel in the near future (less than 30 years). This places the aviation industry in the position of needing to find a sustainable alternative to Jet-A. One big concern with using the incumbent jet fuel is its aromatic content, which varies from approximately 8% to 25% by volume, which is key to the density and seal swell characteristics of jet fuel but increases engine soot production. Some approved alternative jet fuels, such as synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPKs), need the addition of aromatics and others contain aromatics. Ultimately, the aviation industry is seeking a 100% sustainable aviation fuel that produces no emissions.”

Continue reading the full article: Sustainable Jet Fuel Based on Lignin

Lignin-based jet fuel packs more power for less pollution

April 27, 2021  | WSU Insider

Pullman, WA

Research on Lignin Jet Fuel An experimental plant-based jet fuel could increase engine performance and efficiency, while dispensing with aromatics, the pollution-causing compounds found in conventional fuels, according to new research.

“When we tested our lignin jet fuel, we saw some interesting results,” said Bin Yang, professor with WSU’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering and corresponding author on the study. “We found that it not only had increased energy density and content but also could totally replace aromatics, which are a real problem for the aviation industry.”

Yang developed a patented process that turns lignin from agricultural waste into bio-based lignin jet fuel. Such sustainable fuel could help the aviation industry reduce dependance on increasingly expensive fossil fuels while meeting higher environmental standards. “This process creates a cleaner, more energy-dense fuel,” Yang added. “That’s exactly what sustainable aviation fuels need for the future.”

Read the full article: Lignin-based jet fuel packs more power for less pollution.

Dr. Shulin Chen Receives Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award

 

Dr. Shulin ChenWSU Showcase  |  March 25, 2022

Shulin Chen’s technological innovations have made industrial processes more sustainable. Chen develops bioconversion processes and systems for the production of biofuel, bioenergy, and bioproducts. Using anaerobic digestion systems, his research team invented a process to convert manure and other dairy-industry waste to bioenergy. The systems reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They also recover nutrients from wastewater, alleviating concerns about surface and groundwater pollution. Six anaerobic digestion systems are now functioning throughout Washington.

WSU established the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award in 2018. Dr. Chen is the 2022 recipient of the award. [continue reading]

Source: WSU Showcase Award Recipients, 2022

Fitria Fnu is working with PNNL researchers to develop sensors that detect refrigerant leaks in air-conditioners.

July 25, 2021  |  Tri-City Herald

Richland, WA

Photo of Fitria FnuFitria Fnu, a participant in the PNNL-Washington State University Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Program, is working with PNNL researchers to develop sensors that detect refrigerant leaks in air-conditioners. Identifying and addressing these leaks can increase energy efficiency as well as prevent risks to human health and the environment.

The work performed by Fitria Fnu, as well as technologies developed by PNNL, are helping to make air conditioning systems more efficient, reducing energy use and lowering costs. This is exactly what is needed during these hot summer months!

Read the full article: Richland researchers innovating to keep you cool for less in triple-digit temps.

Pilot project turns corn waste into jet fuel

Ocober 22, 2020  |  WSU Insider

Richland, WA

photo of corn stalks

Researchers at Washington State University are part of a national effort to find a higher-value use for such leftovers. The waste, also known as corn stover, is a plentiful source of lignin, a structural molecule used to make advanced jet fuels.

Bin Yang, professor in WSU’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering, is helping to launch a new $3.7 million, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded project, led by researchers at the University of North Dakota. The team will design, build, and test a lignin-based pilot reactor, for the first time studying the commercial viability of the process.

Read the full article: Pilot project turns corn waste into jet fuel

New biojet fuel could be a viable alternative to fossil fuel

July 08, 2020  |  WSU Insider

Richland, WA

Photo of jet in air

A Washington State University Tri-Cities researcher is producing and testing a group of hydrocarbon molecules made from lignin, a waste material from biofuel production, as a new biojet fuel that could replace petroleum-based fuels and lead to greater performance and reduced emissions.

Bin Yang, professor of biological systems engineering with the Tri-Cities-based Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory, is working with colleagues from the University of Dayton, Phonon Energy, Inc., Polykala Technologies LLC, and Mercurious Biorefining, Inc, on the project. The team recently received a $100,000 grant from the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI) to conduct…

Read the full article: New biojet fuel could be a viable alternative to fossil fuel

“Sustainable Biofuels and the American Dream”

October 24, 2019  |  American Voices

Turun yliopisto, Turku, Finland

Professor Bin Yang speaks on the topic of “Sustainable Biofuels and the American Dream” during the 27th American Voices Seminar in Turku, Finland. Yang was honored with a Fulbright-Aalto Distinguished Chair award, which is the most prestigious appointment in the Fulbright Program.

In Friday’s second speech, Bin Yang and Eric Hahnert talked about the American dream and its sustainability. Their speech bound social development and the need for sustainable fuels.

Yang introduced the history of US fuel consumption and its environmental impact. Fuel plays an important role in the history of the American Dream, and its easy availability is nowadays considered a fundamental right. The US transportation sector is dependent on crude oil. Transport also generates the most greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, fuel prices have been kept low. Change is needed here, Yang said. Finally, Hahnort and Yang introduced how the concept of the American Dream should be changed. Its core values, along with diligence and freedom, should include sustainability. That would be a chance for future generations to have a positive, American dream of believing in the future.

Read the full article: The American Voices seminar discussed the culture and the American dream of the United States.

Dr. Hanwu Lei Featured by USDA NIFA

June 12, 2019  |   NIFA Update

A research group led by Washington State University (WSU) scientists has found a way to turn daily plastic waste products into jet fuel.

In a new paper published in the journal Applied Energy, WSU’s Hanwu Lei and colleagues melted plastic waste at high temperature with activated carbon, a processed carbon with increased surface area, to produce jet fuel.

“Waste plastic is a huge problem worldwide,” said Lei, a professor in WSU’s Department of Biological System Engineering.

 

Read the Article : Making a difference. NIFA Update.