Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy (2011)
Chapter: Appendix D: Glossary
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Appendix C: Presentations to the Committee
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Suggested Citation:
"Appendix D: Glossary." National Research Council. 2011. Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/13105.
| Alcohol fuels | Fuels that are organic compounds that contain one or more hydroxyl groups (-OH) attached to one or more of the carbon atoms in a hydrocarbon chain. Common alcohol fuels include ethanol, methanol, and butanol. |
| Algae | A group of aquatic eukaryotic organisms that contain chlorophyll. Algae can be microscopic in size (microalgae) or observable to the eye (macroalgae). |
| Aliphatic alcohol | An alcohol that contains a hydrocarbon fragment derived from a fully saturated, nonaromatic hydrocarbon. |
| Anoxia | The absence of dissolved oxygen. |
| Biodiesel | Diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters derived from biological material such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and algal oils. |
| Biofuel | Fuel derived from biomass. |
| Biomass | Any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood residues, plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, animal residues, municipal residues, and other residue materials. |
| Biorefinery | A commercial-scale processing facility that successfully integrates all processes for extracting and converting biomass feedstocks into a spectrum of saleable products. |
| Carbon sequestration | Net transfer of atmospheric carbon dioxide into long-lived carbon pools. |
| Cellulose | A polymer of glucose, (C6H10O5)n, that forms cell walls of most plants. |
Suggested Citation:
"Appendix D: Glossary." National Research Council. 2011. Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
doi: 10.17226/13105.
| Commercial demonstration | The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) defines a commercial demonstration for biofuel refinery as a facility that has the capacity to process 700 dry tons of feedstock per day. In addition, a commercial demonstration facility will be a fully integrated facility that includes all processing steps at a scale sufficient to identify potential operational problems. |
| Corn stover | Corn stalks, leaves, and cobs that remain after the corn-grain is harvested. |
| Demonstration facility | NREL defines a demonstration facility for biofuel refinery as one that has the capacity to process 70 dry tons of feedstock per day. A true demonstration facility will be a fully integrated facility that includes all of the processing steps that a commercial-scale plant would have. |
| Drop-in fuel | Nonpetroleum fuel that is compatible with existing infrastructure for petroleum-based fuels. |
| Feedstock | Material that can be processed to make fuel, including grains, crop residues, forestry products, plant oils, animal fats, and municipal wastes. |
| Feedstuff | Nutrient-rich material that can be incorporated into the diet of livestock or other animals. |
| Green diesel | Hydrogenation product of triglycerides. |
| Hemicellulose | A matrix of polysaccharides present in almost all plant cell walls with cellulose. |
| Hydrocarbon fuels | Fuels that are organic compounds that contains primarily carbon and hydrogen and only trace amounts of other atoms such as sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen. Hydrocarbon fuels include petroleum-based materials such as alkanes, olefins, and aromatics. |
| Hypoxia | Low dissolved oxygen concentrations, generally less than 2 milligrams per liter. |
| Land cover | Land cover is the extent and type of physical and biological cover over the surface of land. |
| Land use | Land use is defined by anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture, forestry, and urban development, that alter land-surface processes including biogeochemistry, hydrology, and biodiversity. |
| Lignin | A complex polymer that occurs in certain plant cell walls. Lignin binds to cellulose fibers and hardens and strengthens the cell walls of plants. |
| Lignocellulosic biomass | Plant biomass composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. |
| Pilot demonstration | NREL defines a pilot demonstration for biofuel refinery as a facility that has the capacity to process 1-10 dry tons of feedstock per day. These facilities typically do not include fully integrated processes. |
| Reid Vapor Pressure | A measure of fuel volatility. |
| Stumpage | A fee charged by a landowner to companies or operators for the right to harvest timber on that land. |
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