Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels from Biomass

Renewable resources can p r o v i d e a s u b s t a n t i a l energy resource f o r t h e Un i ted States. however, i s l i m i t e d t o t h e use o f b i o f u e l s . L i q u i d s are p r e f e r r e d f o r use as t r a n s p o r t a t i o n f u e l s because o f t h e i r h igh energy d e n s i t y and hand l ing ease and safety. feedstock f o r p roduc t ion o f l i q u i d f u e l s [l]. L i q u i d f u e l p roduc t ion from these feedstocks can be accomplished by several processes i n c l u d i n g h y d r o l y s i s and fe rmenta t ion o f t h e carbohydrates t o a lcoho l f u e l s , thermal g a s i f i c a t i o n and syn thes is o f a lcohol o r hydrocarbon f u e l s , d i r e c t e x t r a c t i o n o f b i o l o g i c a l l y produced hydrocarbons such as seed o i l s o r algae l i p i d s , o r d i r e c t thermochemical conversion o f t h e biomass o r mun ic ipa l waste t o l i q u i d s and c a t a l y t i c upgrading t o hydrocarbon f u e l s . thermochemical conversion t o achieve biomass 1 iquefac t ion . The d i r e c t p roduc t ion o f l i q u i d f u e l s f rom renewable resources,