Arisdyne Systems to optimize biodiesel, ethanol technology
August 4, 2008
BY Anna Austin
Web exclusive posted August 5, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. CST
Cleveland-based Arisdyne Systems, a company which specializes in alternative fuel cavitation technology and equipment, announced it has raised $5.3 million in equity financing to fund its biofuel production methods research. The capital will aid the designation of Arisdyne as an independent entity from Five Star Technologies, its parent company.
Five Star rendered Arisdyne's independence necessary after its cavitation research of biofuel applications demonstrated positive results. Cavitation is a process which occurs in a turbulent fluid where pressure is greatly reduced. As a result of the low pressure, vapor cavities form, from which small amounts of vapor break off at the edges and implode under the high pressure. The implosion releases tremendous energy in the form of shockwaves, which the company's Controlled Flow Cavitation (CFC) system uses to make biofuels, such as biodiesel or ethanol.
In ethanol production, the feedstock slurry is fed into the CFC system. After the shockwave force fractures the particles, the result is high surface area dispersions which enable faster hydrolysis from starch to sugar. In biodiesel production, the reactant streams are mixed into the CFC, and the cavitation power creates micro droplets which form an emulsion. According to the company, because the system enables precise process control, droplet size is highly repeatable and allows for a fast and efficient reaction.
Arisdyne claims its technology is capable of easily being scaled-up for mass production. It plans to use the new funds to research non-food feedstocks, coal-to-liquid and fuel cell technologies, as well as increase yields and accelerate production by optimizing its CFC system. Fred Clarke, president of Arisdyne said they are looking at a variety of non-food feedstocks, such as animal fats and vegetable oils. "Ones which don't tend to be part of the food chain—like palm oil," he added. "We've also begun to look at commercial waste products that tend to be rich with oils, which may have the potential for ethanol or biodiesel conversion."
In March, Arisdyne received a $1 million dollar grant from the Ohio Department of Development's Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program to further the development of a more efficient method of processing corn into ethanol. The company said it will continue to improve its biodiesel systems by addressing issues surrounding in-line removal of glycerol, methanol and waste products. Future ethanol research will focus on increasing feedstock flexibility.
Cleveland-based Arisdyne Systems, a company which specializes in alternative fuel cavitation technology and equipment, announced it has raised $5.3 million in equity financing to fund its biofuel production methods research. The capital will aid the designation of Arisdyne as an independent entity from Five Star Technologies, its parent company.
Five Star rendered Arisdyne's independence necessary after its cavitation research of biofuel applications demonstrated positive results. Cavitation is a process which occurs in a turbulent fluid where pressure is greatly reduced. As a result of the low pressure, vapor cavities form, from which small amounts of vapor break off at the edges and implode under the high pressure. The implosion releases tremendous energy in the form of shockwaves, which the company's Controlled Flow Cavitation (CFC) system uses to make biofuels, such as biodiesel or ethanol.
In ethanol production, the feedstock slurry is fed into the CFC system. After the shockwave force fractures the particles, the result is high surface area dispersions which enable faster hydrolysis from starch to sugar. In biodiesel production, the reactant streams are mixed into the CFC, and the cavitation power creates micro droplets which form an emulsion. According to the company, because the system enables precise process control, droplet size is highly repeatable and allows for a fast and efficient reaction.
Arisdyne claims its technology is capable of easily being scaled-up for mass production. It plans to use the new funds to research non-food feedstocks, coal-to-liquid and fuel cell technologies, as well as increase yields and accelerate production by optimizing its CFC system. Fred Clarke, president of Arisdyne said they are looking at a variety of non-food feedstocks, such as animal fats and vegetable oils. "Ones which don't tend to be part of the food chain—like palm oil," he added. "We've also begun to look at commercial waste products that tend to be rich with oils, which may have the potential for ethanol or biodiesel conversion."
In March, Arisdyne received a $1 million dollar grant from the Ohio Department of Development's Third Frontier Advanced Energy Program to further the development of a more efficient method of processing corn into ethanol. The company said it will continue to improve its biodiesel systems by addressing issues surrounding in-line removal of glycerol, methanol and waste products. Future ethanol research will focus on increasing feedstock flexibility.
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