Originally published November 15 2005
Scientists experiment with hybrid grass as a solid fuel
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign believe that Giant Miscanthus, a form of hybrid grass that can grow to a height of 13 feet, could prove useful as a renewable source of fuel, thanks to its bamboo-thick stems that can be harvested, burned, and converted into a solid fuel.
Long, a professor of crop sciences and of plant biology, recently took that message to Dublin, Ireland, where the British Association for the Advancement of Science sponsored the annual BA Festival of Science Sept. 3-10.
"Forty percent of U.S. energy is used as electricity," Heaton said.
Dry, leafless Miscanthus stems can be used as a solid fuel.
The cool-weather-friendly perennial grass, sometimes referred to as elephant grass or E-grass, grows from an underground stem-like organ called a rhizome.
Miscanthus, a crop native to Asia and a relative of sugarcane, drops its slender leaves in the winter, leaving behind tall bamboo-like stems that can be harvested in early spring and burned for fuel.
Burning Miscanthus produces only as much carbon dioxide as it removes from the air as it grows, said Heaton, who is seeking a doctorate in crop sciences.
That balance means there is no net effect on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, which is not the case with fossil fuels, she said.
Miscanthus also is a very efficient fuel, because the energy ratio of input to output is less than 0.2, Heaton said.
Illinois researchers have found that Miscanthus grown in the state has greater crop yields than in Europe, where it has been used commercially for years, Long said.
Miscanthus yields in lowland areas around the Alps, where the climate is similar to the Midwest, are at least 25 tons per acre dry weight, wrote Heaton and colleagues in a paper published in 2004 in the journal Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change.
Last year, Illinois researchers obtained 60 tons per hectare (2.47 acre), Long said at the BA Festival of Science.
Now in their third year, the three 33-by-33 feet Miscanthus plots at the intersection of South First Street and Airport Road in Savoy, Ill., are considered mature.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml