The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
ANNUAL REPORTING FORM
 
X. Ye, Assistant Professor
Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science
Annual Performance Period: January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007


A. SUMMARY AND IMPACTS.

1. Summary. Provide an overall summary (500 words or less) of your accomplishments during the reporting period.

Significant progress has been achieved in the research/teaching lab transformation into a biorefinery lab. In addition to institutional/departmental support, multiple research instruments have been acquired via the sources of grant funds, industrial partners, and donation.

Taught Mass and Energy in Biosystems (BsE 221, 3 cr., 10 students), with the addition of new content on “Introduction to Reaction Theory and Bioconversion”.
Serving as major professor of one M.S. student and one Ph.D. student.
Serving as a graduate committee member of 2 M.S. students and 3 Ph.D. students.
Supervised 3 undergraduate students on research projects.
Directed the completion of one M.S. thesis.

One peer-reviewed paper was published and another is in press in Bioresource Technology; two manuscripts are under review.
Served as moderator and presented 3 research paper at the ASABE annual meeting
Submitted 7 proposals as PI or Co-PI in 2007, and 7 funded projects are in progress.

Participated in 2007 National Conference--From Dialogue to Action Reinventing Teaching and Learning: First Steps from the Summit.
Attended the annual meeting of the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR) on Bioenergy, Environment and Health, and made 2 poster presentations.
Attended and presented at CSREES Multistate Regional project annual meeting– S1007.
Invited seminar on Fast Analysis using FT-NIR techniques at Bush Brothers & Company.
Served as Department representative for Ag Day 2007.
Served as ad hoc reviewer for DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program 2007.

2. Impacts. List up to three significant impacts of your program. Impact statements should be one to three sentences and should be written in a way that would be meaningful to the public.

My research addresses prioritized needs in building bio-based industries. Significant impacts have been made in the following areas.

*My research investigated chemical composition and the variability of cornstover and switchgrass, including different botanic fractions and 6 different cultivars of switchgrass, providing useful information for biomass feedstock production, and justifying physical pre-fractionation of botanical fractions of biomass in order to concentrate higher value components, decrease bulk for wet separation processes, reduce drying costs, and improve transportation and utilization efficiencies of a voluminous, chemically diverse feedstock.

* As cellulosic ethanol and biomass power are striding into the energy mainstream, a rapid biomass compositional analysis method that instantly provides feedstock information such as contents of sugars, lignin, and ash, and heating values, is in great demand for biomass feedstock suppliers, bio-ethanol manufacturers, and bio-power producers. Our research developed quantitative models based on Fourier Transform Near-infrared spectra so that biomass contents of fermentable sugars, lignin, and ash can be available after a quick scan of seconds, providing essential information for feedstock selection and production control of bio-ethanol.

*With the emergence of bioenergy industry, we envision biomass feedstocks will be evaluated based on their quality instead of gross quantity. Rapid qualitative classification method based on Fourier Transform Near-infrared spectroscopy was developed to provide quick assessment and screening of biomass feedstocks and information to make go/ no-go decisions on pursuing more detailed analysis.


B. PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS (EXTENSION, RESEARCH AND TEACHING). As applicable, list title, names of participants (PIs, Leaders, Co-PIs, Co-leaders, Collaborators etc.), project number, sponsor, your role ( leader/co-leader/collaborator) and your percent effort on the project as stated in the project description or document.

2007-2009. Ye, X.P. PI, 100% effort. #E11-1401-001:1003248. In Situ Investigation of Catalytic Conversion of Biomass. Windfall HATCH funding. Total $69,000.

2007-2008. Ye, X.P. PI, 100% effort. #R11-1416-097. Longitudinal Study of Navy Beans Using Fourier Transform Near-Infrared Techniques, Phase II. Bush Brothers & Company, Knoxville, TN. Total $38,681.

2007-2008. Ye, X.P. PI, 100% effort. Experiments Evaluating Mechanisms FFP of Microbial Inactivation. US Army RDECOM. Total $10,000.

2006-2008. Ye, X.P. PI, 100% effort. #R11-1416-089. Fast and comprehensive analysis of switchgrass bio-oils produced under different conditions. DOE. Dept. Total $69,990 (part of DOE sponsored Switchgrass Project, PI: Burton English).

2006-2007. Ye, X.P and Zhiyu Hu. PI, 60% effort. #R11-0515-004 sub1002765. Autothermal Conversion of Glycerol to Hydrogen Under Nano-catalysis. Fellowship from Southeastern SunGrant Initiative. Total $11,505.

2005-2010. Ye, X.P., A.R. Womac, D.G. Hayes, and S. Wang. PI, 90% effort. #E11-1415:1001721. Investigation of Physicochemical Properties of Biological Materials in Bioprocess Engineering. USDA HATCH.

2004-2007. Womac, A.R., D.G. Hayes, X.P. Ye, S. Sokhansanj, L. Wright, S. Narayan, and D. Dungate. Co-PI. 26% local effort. #R11-1416-054. Integrated Size Reduction and Separation to Pre-Fractionate Biomass. FY04 Joint Biomass Research and Development Initiative Project, USDA-DOE. Total $717,399.

C. INSTRUCTION, TEACHING AND EXTENSION EDUCATION. Detail credit and non-credit instruction and teaching activities.

1. College credit instruction. List courses in which you were an instructor or guest lecturer during the current calendar year. Include special topics, independent study and internship courses. Provide course number and title, your involvement, semester(s), credit hours and number of students. Please append a summary of teaching evaluations (student and/or peer) if this information is available.

Course number and title Involvement Semester Credit
hours		 Number of
students
BsE500 ThesisTeamSpring51
BsE500 ThesisTeamFall31
BsE221 Mass and Energy in Biosystems TotalFall310

2. Formal continuing education (certification programs, seminar series, in-service training, field days, faculty and/or staff training, journal club, etc.). Provide descriptive title of activity, your involvement, number of participants or students involved, number and duration of each session.

Descrip. title, including dates Involvement Number of students
or participants		 Number of
sessions		 Duration of each
session (hours)
         

3. Extension presentations and workshops. Indicate title, type, and scope of presentation; number of times presented; attendance estimates. Include evidence of effectiveness (e.g. evaluation summaries) where applicable.

Title/Type of presentation Scope Number of times presented Total attendees
       

4. Public addresses to lay audiences (TV/radio presentations, service groups, etc.). Indicate title, type, scope of presentation; number of times presented; attendance estimates. Include evidence of effectiveness (e.g. evaluation summaries) where applicable.

Title/Type of presentation Scope Number of times presented Total attendees
       

5. Presentations at professional meetings, without published abstracts. List presenter, co-authors (if any), title, date and name of meeting (list scientific oral or poster presentations having published abstracts or proceedings at D5).

X.P. Ye (presenter) and A.R. Womac. Feb. 13, 2007. Rapid Analysis of Biomass Composition to Enhance Conversion. Poster presentation at Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR) on Bioenergy, Environment and Health.

X.P. Ye. Feb. 13, 2007. Autothermal Reforming of Biomass for Hydrogen and Syngas Production. Poster presentation at Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR) on Bioenergy, Environment and Health.

X.P. Ye. Mar. 12, 2007. Fast Analysis using FT-NIR techniques. Invited seminar at Bush Brothers & Company Research Council meeting, Knoxville, TN.

X.P. Ye (presenter) and Alvin Womac. Sept. 25, 2007. Tennessee Biomass Production and Use. CSREES Multistate Regional project annual meeting– S1007: The Science and Engineering for a Biobased Industry and Economy. Peoria, IL.

6. Student mentoring. Fill in the boxes to indicate number of students in each category.

Level of students No. of students advised No. of active graduate committees on which you served as:
Major professor Committee member
Undergraduate      
Masters   1  2 
Doctoral   1  3 

7. Student or commodity club activities (e.g. club advisor, team competitions, honor or professional societies, etc.). List the club or group; your role with the club or group; and the activities, honors or awards received by this group under your mentorship.

Mentored one undergraduate student from The UT Ronald McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair Summer 2007 Research Institute) on a research project---Fast Biomass Analysis using FT-NIR, May 20-July 20, 2007.

8. Other instructional and teaching activities.


D. PUBLICATIONS. List only publications that were published during the annual reporting period (for #8, submitted during reporting period). Format citations as typical and appropriate for outlet. If a co-author(s) is a student or was working under your direct supervision, place an asterisk after that person's name.

1. Refereed articles or refereed reviews appearing in peer-reviewed professional journals.

Ye, X. P., J. Julson, M. Kuo, A. R. Womac, and D. Myers.  2007.  Properties of medium density fiberboards made from renewable biomass.  Bioresource Technology 98(5):1077-1084.

2. Book chapters or books.

3. Bulletins, reports, circulars, pamphlets, factsheets.

4. Popular press, trade, UTIA magazine or newsletter articles.

5. Abstracts from scientific or discipline meetings, papers from conference proceedings, etc.

L. Liu*, X. P. Ye, and A. R. Womac.  2007.  Pretreatment of near infrared spectral data in rapid biomass analysis.  Paper No. 076122, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.

L. Liu*, X. P. Ye, L. Kline, D. G. Hayes, A. R. Womac, and S. Sokhansanj.  2007.  Investigation of chemical variability of switchgrass and cornstover using fast near infrared techniques.  Paper No. 076006, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.

Ye, X. P., C. Li, Z. Hu, A. R. Womac, and J. B. Wilkerson.  2007.  Autothermal conversion of glycerol to hydrogen under nano-catalysis.  Paper No. 076002, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, MI.

6. Theses/Dissertations completed by students that you directed.

Liu, L.*  2007.  Applied Fourier-Transform Near-Infrared Techniques for Biomass Compositional Analysis. 

7. Other publications.

8. Articles submitted during the reporting period that are in review, in press or rejected. Please do not list articles in preparation.

He, R.*, X. P. Ye, B.C. English, and J.A. Satrio.  2007.  Influence of Pyrolysis Conditions on Switchgrass Bio-oil Yield and Physicochemical Properties.   (in review)

T. Neimsuwan, S. Wang, and X. P. Ye.  2007.  Effects of refining stream pressure on the water vapor sorption of loblolly pine fibers.  Neimsuwan, T., S. Wang, and X.P. Ye. Effects of refining stream pressure on the water vapor sorption of loblolly pine fibers. Submitted to Holzforschung.  (in review)

Ye, X. P., L. Liu, D. G. Hayes, A. R. Womac, K.L. Hong, and S. Skhansanj.  2007.  Fast Classification and Compositional Analysis of Cornstover Fractions Using Fourier Transform Near-infrared Techniques.   (in press)


E. FUNDING. Format each entry as a citation, include as applicable: investigators (with percent effort shown on grant or contract document), title, source/agency.

1. Grant and contract proposals submitted but not awarded during this reporting period. Indicate date of submission and status (still pending, rejected).

V. Pantalone (34%), C. Sams (33%), X. P. Ye (33%).  Efficient Biodiesel & Co-products through improved soil oil chemistry..  Southeastern Sun Grant Initiative.  4/30/07.  $55,534.  (rejected)

Ye, X. P. (100%).  In Situ Fourier Transform Infrared Investigation of Autothermal Nano-catalytic Reforming of Biomass.  NSF.  7/18/07.  $434,921.  (still pending)

Ye, X. P. (70%), F. Harte (%), B.C. English (%).  Combined hydrodeoxygenation and high-pressure homogenization to upgrade bio-oil for liquid fuels.  Southeastern SunGrant internal competition.  5/11/07.  $99,960.  (rejected)

E.F. Bazen (20%), X. P. Ye (60%), F. R. Walker (20%).  Conversion of Poultry Litter into Bio-oil.  Tennessee Department of Agriculture.  5/15/07.  $1,555,578.  (rejected)

P. Keyser (20%), Bates, G., English, B., Larson, J., Steckel, L. (%), D. D. Tyler (%), A. R. Womac (%), X. P. Ye (%).  Upstream Feedstock Pre-Processing: Temporal Harvest-Storage Dynamics in an Integrated Management Sys.  Southeastern SunGrant Initiative.  4/30/07.  $298,634.  (rejected)

2. Grants and contracts awarded during this reporting period. List inclusive period of support (start and end dates) and total amount of award.

Ye, X. P. (100%).  Experiments Evaluating Mechanisms FFP of Microbial Inactivation.  US Army RDECOM.  5/31/07-5/30/08.  $10,000.

Ye, X. P. (100%).  Longitudinal Study of Navy Beans Using Fourier Transform Near-Infrared Techniques - Phase II..  Bush Brothers & Company.  7/1/07-6/30/08.  $38,681.

Ye, X. P. (100%).  In Situ Investigation of Catalytic Conversion of Biomass.  Windfall HATCH.  8/1/07-5/1/09.  $69,000.

3. Grants and contracts awarded in past years that continued into this reporting period. List inclusive period of support (start and end dates) and total amount of award.

Womac, A. R. (49%), D. G. Hayes (26%), X. P. Ye (26%).  Integrated Size Reduction and Separation to Pre-Fractionate Biomass.  US DOE.  10/1/04-9/30/08.  $717,399.

Ye, X. P. (100%).  Fast and comprehensive analysis of switchgrass bio-oils produced under different conditions..  DOE.  9/1/06-2/28/08.  $69,990.

Ye, X. P. (100%).  Production of Hydrocarbons and Biomaterials from Biomass.  UTIA Idea Grants.  7/1/06-6/30/07.  $2,800.

Ye, X. P. (60%), Zhiyu Hu (40%).  Autothermal Conversion of Glycerol to Hydrogen Under Nano-catalysis.  Southeastern SunGrant Initiative.  11/15/06-6/15/07.  $11,505.

4. Gifts. List recipients, donor, items or amount donated and dollar equivalent received during the reporting period.

5. Grant reports submitted. List authors, title, to whom submitted, date submitted.

Ye, X.P. Longitudinal study of navy Beans Using FT-NIR techniques. Phase I project report to Bush Brothers & Company. March, 2007.

6. Other (e.g. sales, royalties).


F. OTHER CREATIVE ACTIVITIES.

1. Tech. advances (intell. prop., patent, copyright, products, processes, genetic lines/varieties).

2. Computer software (e.g. instructional or research software, CD ROMs).

3. Educational tools.

4. Internet activities.

5. Other creative products and activities.


G. SERVICE. List client outreach activities (both public and private sectors) and professional service.
    
1. Client service.
 a. Commodity or discipline group service activities. List committees, offices held or other roles.

b. Clinical and diagnostic services. List type of service provided and client(s).

c. Service to individual producers, businesses, or corporations as a specialist, consultant or expert advisor (whether paid or unpaid). List your one-on-one service activities with this group of clients.

d. Other (e.g. Ag Day activities, Varsity Visit, judging, presentations at clubs and K-12 schools).

Served as Department representative for Ag Day 2007

2. Professional service (for professional colleagues).
a. Within the university.
I. Committee work. Briefly describe your involvement during the reporting period.
i. University.

ii. UTIA.

iii. Department.

II. Other (e.g. technical assistance to colleagues, peer reviews,
mentoring of junior faculty, hosting visiting scientists).

Participated in the UTK commencement ceremony (December 15, 2007)

b. Outside the university (e.g. committee work/offices in professional or public organizations or societies, editorship, editorial boards, review of manuscripts (indicate outlet) and project proposals (indicate agency), meetings organized, member of grant review panel or study section, moderator, etc.).

Served as ad hoc reviewer for DOE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program 2007.

Served as session moderator at ASABE annual meetings 2007.

Reviewer for Journals of Bioresource Technology, Transactions of the ASABE, and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.


H. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (meetings, workshops, classes, trips, etc.). List the event or activity, sponsor, duration of event and your role.

Submitted one proposal to NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program 2007.

Participated in 2007 National Conference--From Dialogue to Action Reinventing Teaching and Learning: First Steps from the Summit.

Attended CASNR advising workshop (May 1, 2007)


I. PERSONNEL SUPERVISION. List the postdoctoral fellows, research associates, research assistants, technicians, extension associates, extension assistants, graduate assistants, undergraduate students, clerical personnel or others that you supervised during the year.

ClassificationFTE's per semester
SpringSummerFall
Postdoctoral fellows 1  1  2 
Research associates, assistants, technicians      
Extension associates, assistants      
Graduate students, assistants 2  1  1 
Undergraduate students 1  1  1 
Clerical personnel      
Other      


J. HONORS AND AWARDS. List honors and awards received during reporting period, including the name of the organization presenting the award.

Certificate of merit, The UT Ronald McNair Post Baccalaureate Achievement Program, in recognition of outstanding service as a mentor for the McNair Summer 2007 Research Institute, May 20-July 20, 2007.