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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Optimal N Application Rates on Switchgrass for Producers and a Biorefinery
Energies (Basel), Vol.14(23), p.7912
12/01/2021
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/118505
Appears in Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)
Abstract
This study analyzes the effects of N fertilizer application rates on profitability of growing switchgrass and using the feedstock in a pyrolysis biorefinery facility to create a source of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply in Tennessee. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial bunchgrass native to North America with traits suitable for biofuel and co-product production. Previous chemical analysis has shown that ash content in switchgrass is related to the amount of nitrogen applied to the field, while at the biorefinery level, the percentage ash content reduces the biorefinery fuel output. To obtain optimal nitrogen (N) application rates for the switchgrass producers and the biorefinery, a two-part analysis is employed. First, a partial budgeting profitability analysis is conducted for this cropping enterprise at the farm-gate level without considering downstream implications of biomass quality, i.e., ash content. Second, the effects of higher ash content as a percentage of the feedstock on biorefinery output are analyzed. Results show farm-gate profit is maximized when N fertilizer is applied at 111 kg/ha, while as a result of increased production levels and decreased percentage ash content, biorefinery profit is maximized when N is applied at 157 kg/ha. Lower ash could lead to premium prices paid to switchgrass producers if higher quality feedstock were to be demanded as part of an integrated biofuel industry.
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Details
- Title
- Optimal N Application Rates on Switchgrass for Producers and a Biorefinery
- Creators
- Keven Alan Robertson - Corp Off, Pilot Flying J, Knoxville, TN 37996 USABurton C. English - Univ Tennessee, Dept Agr & Resource Econ, Knoxville, TN 37996 USAChristopher D. Clark - Univ Tennessee, Dept Agr & Resource Econ, Knoxville, TN 37996 USAJada M. Thompson - Univ Tennessee, Dept Agr & Resource Econ, Knoxville, TN 37996 USAKimberly L. Jensen - Univ Tennessee, Dept Agr & Resource Econ, Knoxville, TN 37996 USARobert Jamey Menard - Univ Tennessee, Dept Agr & Resource Econ, Knoxville, TN 37996 USANicole Labbe - Univ Tennessee, Ctr Renewable Carbon, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
- Publication Details
- Energies (Basel), Vol.14(23), p.7912
- Academic Unit
- Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT); Alternative Jet Fuel
- Publisher
- Mdpi
- Number of pages
- 13
- Grants
- 13-C-AJFF-UTenn-005, Federal Aviation Administration (United States, Washington) - FAA
- Identifiers
- 99900898132801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article