Rajesh Shende, Ph.D.,
shown here at a Massachusetts Institute of Technology lab while doing research
on sabbatical, is an associate professor in the chemical and biological
engineering department at SD Mines and the principal investigator on a project
that aims to turn biorefinery waste into value added projects.
RAPID CITY, SD (Aug. 23, 2018) – Rajesh
Shende, Ph.D., associate professor in the chemical and biological engineering
department at the South
Dakota School of Mines & Technology has received a $2.16 million
grant from the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to research
and demonstrate cost-effective ways to turn waste from biorefineries, such as
ethanol plants, into valuable products.
“The Integrated
Biorefinery Optimization effort is a prime example of how the
Department of Energy can leverage its resources to help solve real-world issues
facing biorefineries,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.
Shende’s research will focus on finding
efficient ways to turn waste generated by ethanol plants and other
biorefineries into useful products. Commodities such as biocarbon, carbon
nanofibers, lactic acid, and phenol can be made from waste generated by
facilities that process corn and other plant material. This waste is normally
thrown-away—but finding cost effective means of turning it into new products will
generate extra revenue for ethanol plants and other biorefineries and help lower
fuel costs from these facilities.
Shende’s research will focus on
three objectives: to demonstrate how the process of converting waste into value
added products could integrate into current facilities, estimate the final
product yields and revenue that could be generated based on current market
value, examine the environmental and economic impact of the processes.
Partnering
institutions on this project include: Old Dominion University (ODU), Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU), Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Southwest
Research Institute (SwRI). This research also includes co-principal
investigators: Hao Fong (SD Mines), Sandeep Kumar (ODU), Ram Gupta (VCU), and Tyler
Westover (INL).
For more
information about the DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office click here. To learn more
about DOE’s programs under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
click here.