Innovation

Photos: How ORNL turns leaves into biofuel

By // November 23, 2015, 5:00 AM PST // connerforrest

Image 1 of 10

  • Populus leaf

    A lot goes into the process of turning plant materials into fuel. Here's a look at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's work in biofuels.

    This is a close-up of a Populus deltoides leaf. Chloroplasts in the leaves have chlorophyll which captures and converts CO2 during the photosynthesis process.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • Samples

    These processed Populus deltoides samples help researchers determine which genetic lines are best for fuel production. In the background are live Populus seedlings.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • The greenhouses

    This is the ORNL Plant Science lab. According to the department's website, each greenhouse has 1500 sq feet of floor space and 675 sq feet of bench space.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • Eastern Cottonwoods

    Graduate student Alina Campbell tends to these Eastern Cottonwoods by removing damaged leaves.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • Fermentation research

    The fermentation process helps produce the ethanol, which is used in biofuels.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • Algae

    Algae is being investigated as a potential base for biodiesel.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • Another look at fermentation

    Kelsey Yee controls the Applikon fermenters to determine the performance of a specific microorganism.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • The ethanol compatibility test chamber

    This test chamber tests the compatibility of materials such as metals and polymers with ethanol fuel blends.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • Populus trichocarpa

    Brock Carter labels various Populus trichocarpa samples based on their genotype.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

  • Arabidopsis tray

    Postdoctoral researcher Anthony Bryan takes a look at some Arabidopsis in the BioEnergy Science Center at ORNL.

    Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Populus leaf

A lot goes into the process of turning plant materials into fuel. Here's a look at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's work in biofuels.

This is a close-up of a Populus deltoides leaf. Chloroplasts in the leaves have chlorophyll which captures and converts CO2 during the photosynthesis process.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy

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By Conner Forrest

Conner Forrest is a Senior Editor for TechRepublic. He covers enterprise technology and is interested in the convergence of tech and culture.