CENV6141 Bioenergy Coursework, 2023-24

1. Coursework [50% contribution to final mark]

Choose ONE from the following two options.

Option 1: Design of a biofuel/bioenergy production system

A system for biofuel/bioenergy production is to be put forward for 400 hectares of space (inland,

coastal or nearshore) in South East England. The biofuel/bioenergy production plant may be located inside or outside of the 400 hectares.

The biofuel/bioenergy produced should belong to 2nd  or 3rd  generation.

The central production process should be anaerobic digestion or fermentation.

Option 2: Critical review of maritime biofuel production

You are asked to provide a comprehensive and critical review of biofuel production for marine shipping sector.

After initial investigation, one maritime biofuel production system should be chosen as the focus of the review, based on your positive assessment of its potential for future application.

2. Deadlines

Wednesday 8th  May 2024 at 23:00 (BST): eAssignments submission eAssignments student guides:https://elearn.soton.ac.uk/article-categories/eassignments-students/

File format accepted: Adobe PDF (pdf)

3. Assessment criteria

Option 1: Design of a biofuel/bioenergy production system

a) Choose biomass type(s) which are suitable for the growing conditions of the region or are readily available in the region, and can be used for anaerobic digestion or fermentation. Estimate the available quantity and energy content of the biomass chosen. Describe the biomass storage arrangements. Choose biofuel(s) which can be produced from the biomass chosen via anaerobic digestion or fermentation. Comment on the potential uses of the biofuel(s) produced, and describe the biofuel storage and transport arrangements.     [30 marks]

b) Describe the biofuel production process and the key biological, physical and/or chemical steps involved. Estimate the reactor size for the central production process chosen. Report in detail on the biofuel yield. Also report in detail on the bioenergy produced if electricity and/or heat are the final product(s).    [20 marks]

c) Illustrate the system boundary of your system using a diagram. Calculate the energy balance and greenhouse gas emissions caused by the system. Calculate potential financial viability, taking into account the sale price of the biofuel/bioenergy (and any income from by-products), as well as the capital expenditure of the system and the operating expenditure. Ignore any financing costs and market incentives.   [30 marks]

d) Critically reflect on your designed system based on the above calculations. Discuss the natural resource inputs associated and the measures that should betaken to reduce or ameliorate any negative environmental impacts. Make conclusions and/or recommendations.     [10 marks]

e) Coursework structure and academic practice including academic integrity: the structure of the coursework should reflect the assessment criteria listed above. All figures and tables must be clearly labelled and referred to in the text. Data used in calculations should be supported by references and all calculations need to be clearly laid out.     [10 marks]

Additional notes

1. It is NOT permitted to submit coursework content produced by artificial intelligence platforms.

2. A brief Academic Integrity Declaration should be presented on the first page below the title:

‘Academic Integrity Declaration: I am aware of the requirements of good academic practice and the potential penalties for any breaches.’

3. Length of the report: the main body of the report (excluding title, table of contents and

references) should not exceed 6000 words, and the recommended length is 5000 words. Tables and figures, including their captions, count as 100 words each (for example, if two tables and one figure  are used, the text can be up to 5700 words). A word count should also be provided on the first page below the title.

4. References include books, contribution in a book, journal articles, conference papers, professional websites, research papers, patents, theses and dissertations. Lecture notes may also be used for the  energy balance analysis. The suggested referencing style is Harvard/IEEE.

Option 2: Critical review of maritime biofuel production

a) Describe clearly the challenges facing maritime biofuel production. Compare and contrast

different maritime biofuel production systems based on technical and economic considerations. Select the most promising production system and justify your selection.     [30 marks]

b) Discuss the detailed operations involved in the maritime biofuel production system of your

choice. The relevant important biological, chemical and/or thermochemical steps should also be explained,with literature support on their kinetics and conversion efficiency.     [20 marks]

c) Comment on the potential industrial-scale application of that specific production system. Energy   balance analysis, lifecycle assessment and technoeconomic analysis should be used to support your argument, as well as examples of any current industrial practice.     [30 marks]

d) Provide an assessment of the considerations/concerns of the marine shipping industry in order for them to adopt this technology in practice and draw conclusions. All these should be well justified.  [10 marks]

e) Coursework structure and academic practice including academic integrity: The review should be written with sensible and clear structure including a summary, introduction, critical analysis and clear conclusion(s). Figures and tables with appropriate titles should be presented and referred to in  the text. Diverse references are expected with appropriate balance of historic and recent references. [10 marks]

Additional notes

1. It is NOT permitted to submit coursework content produced by artificial intelligence platforms.

2. A brief Academic Integrity Declaration should be presented on the first page below the title:

‘Academic Integrity Declaration: I am aware of the requirements of good academic practice and the potential penalties for any breaches.’

3. Length of the report: the main body of the report (excluding title, table of contents and references) should not exceed 6000 words, and the recommended length is 5000 words. Tables and figures, including their captions, count as 100 words each (for example, if two tables and one figure  are used, the text can be up to 5700 words). A word count should also be provided on the first page below the title.

4. References include books, contribution in a book, journal articles, conference papers, professional websites, research papers, patents, theses and dissertations. The suggested referencing style is

Harvard/IEEE.

4. Further guidance

4.1 Be aware of misleading data

Think about what the data means and if necessary check mass/energy balance. Common mistakes in literature include:

•    More mass/energy coming out of the system than going in

•    Assuming biomass is 100% ‘free’ since it comes from the sun’s energy

•    Assuming bioenergy is carbon neutral since carbon dioxide is absorbed through biomass growth and then released on fuel use

•    Impossible yields from cultivation of biomass

•    Not taking obvious system components into account

•    Unit confusion – dry/fresh matter, oil/carbon/nitrogen/sugar content, energy/power

(kWh/J/MJ/kW etc), hectare/acre, kg/tonne – Please be clear and consistent in the use of units

4.2 Please remember (1)

•    Sunlight is the only free energy

•    Plants (and algae) need nutrients, where are these coming from?

•    How often are plants harvested? Is the biofuel production facility running constantly? Where is the biomass stored to allow consistent supply?

•    Everything uses equipment and cost (i.e. energy/money) to move

4.3 Please remember (2)

•    Researchers at this university have been doing these types of studies as their full-time job

for years. We only have 3 months (including Easter holiday) to learn and apply, therefore we will have to make some assumptions as some data will prove hard to obtain or calculate.

•    Engineers must make decisions based on the best information they can get in the time they have to do the job.

•    A ‘complete’ analysis is not expected but think how we could improve our work if we had more time, what are the weak points of our analysis?

5. Tutorial arrangement

•    Drop-in tutorial sessions (178/5005, student ID card is needed):

ü Week 6: Friday 08 March at 16:00-17:00

ü Week 7: Thursday 14 March at 10:00-11:00

ü Week 8: Friday 22 March at 13:00-14:00

ü Week 9: Thursday 25 April at 17:00-18:00

ü Week 10: Thursday 02 May at 12:00-13:00

ü Week 11: Tuesday 07 May at 10:00-11:00

•    Additional references are on Blackboard, under Assignments content area.

•    Blackboard discussion board

6. Feedback

•    Written feedback: Wednesday 5th  June 2024

ü Individual written feedback oneAssignments

ü Generic written feedback on Blackboard