BT 1010 LIFESCIENCES - BIOENERGY MODULE

End Semester Examination Jul-Aug 2020

Answer all the questions. Maximum Marks-25

Q1. A genetically modified plant produces starch grain and accumulates sugar juice in stem. The weight
of the total harvested plant from one hectare in a year was 100 tons. After processing of the
harvested plant, the observed ratio of the yields of grain:sugar juice:lignocellulosic residue is 1:3:6
on wet weight basis. The grain and sugar juice have 70% and 90% saccharides respectively. The
lignocellulosic biomass consists of cellulose, xylan, lignin and other components in the ratio of
2.5:1:0.9:2.36. Calculate the maximum theoretical yield of ethanol production (in liters) if the
whole plant was converted into ethanol. (5)
Q2. If the above mentioned plant was used to produce second generation ethanol, what is the annual
vehicle kilometer per acre of land if 100 km distance can be driven using 9.0 lit of ethanol? What
is the volume of petrol replaced by the use of ethanol as the fuel, assuming the same amount of
energy from ethanol and petrol are required to cover the same distance? (3)
Q3. Biodiesel was produced by transesterification of three different oils (A, B and C). The chemical
analysis of biodiesel samples showed that: the average chain length of fatty acids ranged between
17-19; each biodiesel was composed of a mixture of four types of FAME among the methyl esters
of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic and gondoic acids; the iodine value of biodiesel A, B
and C were about 170, 60 and 100 respectively. Based on these data, answer the following:
(a) What is the order of cloud point of biodiesel produced from these oils? Give reasons. (2)
(b) Give the percent composition of FAME in biodiesel produced from these three oils. (2)
(c) Give the chemical structure of triglycerides in the oils A, B and C. What is the percent
composition of the triglycerides in the oils A, B and C. (4)
Q4. The organic solid wastes were collected from an academic office complex and mixed with the
cooked oil obtained from restaurants and cow dung. About one ton of the wastes were transferred
into an anaerobic digester which already contains some amount of residual material from the
previous batch of anaerobic digestion.
(a) Give a flow chart of the process of bioconversion occurring in the reactor. (2)
(b) Give the biocatalysts and the biochemical reaction involved in each step of the process. (3)
(c) What are the types of products obtained from the reactor? What are their uses? (2)
(d) How can you combine this process with other biofuel processes to produce drop-in fuel? (2)
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