Here is an accumulation of recent news items I’ve read that, taken individually, are not that remarkable, but, taken as a group, reflect the explosion of research results coming from the world’s labs and point up the huge future opportunities in Alternative Fuels for students.
First, consider this item, New Way To Split Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen Developed. It relates a new, small scale process using sunlight and an ingenious new catalyst to produce Hydrogen and Oxygen:
New Way To Split Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen Developed
ScienceDaily (Apr. 8, 2009) — The design of efficient systems for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, driven by sunlight is among the most important challenges facing science today, underpinning the long term potential of hydrogen as a clean, sustainable fuel….
…The new approach that the Weizmann team has recently devised is divided into a sequence of reactions, which leads to the liberation of hydrogen and oxygen in consecutive thermal- and light-driven steps, mediated by a unique ingredient – a special metal complex that Milstein’s team designed in previous studies. Moreover, the one that they designed – a metal complex of the element ruthenium – is a ‘smart’ complex in which the metal center and the organic part attached to it cooperate in the cleavage of the water molecule….
Go to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406102555.htm to see the entire article.
Second, check out this article, about algae biofuels:
Technology moves algae biofuels closer to commercialization
Written by Giles Clark, London
Wednesday, 08 April 2009
Groundbreaking “nanofarming” technology that safely harvests oil from the algae so the pond-based “crop” can keep on producing has been developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University. The “nanofarming” technology uses nanoparticles to extract oil from the algae. The process doesn’t harm the algae like other methods being developed, which helps reduce both production costs and the production cycle. Once the algal oil is extracted, a separate and proven solid catalyst from Catilin will be used to produce ASTM and EN certified biodiesel….
Go to: http://www.biofuelreview.com/content/view/1886/
to read the entire article.
Third, this article tells of a process of a common “weed” and it use to clean up discharge from a hog farm and produce ethanol at the same time.
Researchers flag duckweed as ethanol feedstock
Written by Giles Clark, London
Wednesday, 08 April 2009
Duckweed grown on waste water from industrial pig (hog) units in the USA, produces five to six time more starch per acre than corn, and is now being touted as a ethanol feedstock of the future by researchers at North Carolina State University. The duckweed system, says Dr. Jay Cheng and Dr. Anne-Marie Stomp from NCS, consists of shallow ponds that can be built on land unsuitable for conventional crops, and is so efficient it generates water clean enough for re-use. The technology can utilize any nutrient-rich wastewater, from livestock production to municipal wastewater.
“We can kill two birds – biofuel production and wastewater treatment – with one stone – duckweed,” Cheng says. Large-scale hog farms manage their animal waste by storing it in large “lagoons” for biological treatment. Duckweed utilizes the nutrients in the wastewater for growth, thus capturing these nutrients and preventing their release into the environment. In other words, Cheng says, “Duckweed could be an environmentally friendly, economically viable feedstock for ethanol.”…
Go to: http://www.biofuelreview.com/content/view/1885/
to read the article.
Fourth, consider this article. It is about an interesting process that combines ammonia from decaying vegetable matter with diesel fuel to produce a cleaner, more efficient fuel that also uses material that would otherwise be wasted.
Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Can ammonia save the earth? To harvest this and burn it instead of fossil hydrocarbons, can be a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Otto Stensvold in Norway: “Can ammonia save the earth? Huge amounts of ammonia are continuously released into the atmosphere. To harvest this and burn it instead of fossil hydrocarbons, can be a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It might be the perfect combination of hydrogen and nitrogen economy. To aminate hydrocarbons, e.g. diesel oil, is relatively simple, and can be achieved by means of air efflux from decaying organic matter. One can also use concentrated ammonia; I did so and got a solution which burned intensely. It should be possible to accumulate a “fishbone” of amines in long-chain hydrocarbons.
Go to: http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2009/04/09/today-in-biofuels-opinion-can-ammonia-save-the-earth-to-harvest-this-and-burn-it-instead-of-fossil-hydrocarbons-can-be-a-way-to-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions/ to see the entire article.
Fifth, for you Hydrogen fans, this article, New Gas Storage Material: One Ounce Has Surface Area Of 30 Football Fields may have a way to safely store Hydrogen in much the same way as we now store Acetylene.
New Gas Storage Material: One Ounce Has Surface Area Of 30 Football Fields
ScienceDaily (Apr. 8, 2009) — In a finding that may help speed the production of ultra-clean fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen, scientists in Michigan are reporting development of a sponge-like nanomaterial with a record-high surface area for holding gases.
Just 1/30th of an ounce of the material has the approximate surface area of a football field.
Adam Matzger and colleagues note in the new study that scientists have tried for years to find a material to optimize hydrogen storage in futuristic fuel cell vehicles. Despite identifying several promising materials, researchers have been unable to meet the hydrogen storage goals proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, they state.
They describe development of a highly-porous nanomaterial with an unprecedented ability to absorb gases that may help meet DOE’s target. Called University of Michigan Crystalline Material-2 (UMCM-2), it consists of zinc oxide nanoclusters — each about 1/50,000 the width of a human hair — linked together by organic materials to generate a robust porous framework.
The scientists showed that UMCM-2 has a surface area exceeding 5,000 square meters per gram which is, they say, the highest value ever achieved….
Go to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406102049.htm to read the article.
Finally, here is an article about a Virginia company that has been awarded a contract to produce Jet Fuel.
DARPA Selects Logos Technologies to Produce Jet Fuel from Cellulose
Virginia, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
Logos Technologies Inc. has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce fully compatible jet fuel from cellulose. Logos’ current effort is valued at US $19.6 million. If all phases of the development program are completed, funding could grow to $35 million.
The project team assembled under the DARPA program includes 21 organizations from nine states. Universities, large and small businesses are all part of the team and will be managed at Logos’ process integration laboratory in northern Virginia….
Go to http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/04/logos-technologies-to-make-jet-fuel-from-biomass-waste?src=rss for the article.
