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.

I came across this interesting YouTube video the other day and thought it could be an interesting concept to modernize. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1fGxk2r-bY to see it. The car featured in the video is over 40 years old!  While viewing the video, I had one of those “light bulb” moments.  As I see it, the problem with electric bicycles, scooters and the like is the lack of weather protection.  Why not make an electric tricycle with weather protection?  I envisioned a vehicle similar to the video subject with an electric motor for power and lightweight LiFePO4 batteries for an energy source.  It could have a simple aluminum frame with a lightweight body of fiberglass, or, even better, carbon fiber.  Since this body would be for weather protection only and not load bearing, it would be light weight and simple to build.  Given the relatively short distances this vehicle would usually travel, even a heater could be optional, as the driver could “bundle up” to drive it, but not to nearly the extreme that I’ve seen on bicyclists and scooter riders the last few days.  As it would have only three wheels, it would qualify as a “motorcycle” and not be subject to all the safety standards of an automobile.  I can see this as an AFV Lab project.  What think you?

I found this article on the web this morning. This looks like an interesting idea. The University of Colorado has fitted a biodiesel refinery into a small trailer and takes it around to schools, fairs, exhibits and produces biodiesel on site from local resources, like spent cooking oil. Could this be a future AFV Lab project? Go to http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2008/oct/27/students-brewing-biodiesel-fuel-at-cu/ to read the details.

Students brewing biodiesel fuel at CU

By Lance Vaillancourt
Monday, October 27, 2008
Creating cleaner, more sustainable, and more cost-effective fuel from someone’s garbage may sound like a pipe dream, but according to two University of Colorado students involved with the CU Biodiesel program, not only is it possible, it’s easy.

“I’ve taught everyone from post-graduate students to second-graders how to brew their own biodiesel,” said CU senior Mike West, director of education for CU Biodiesel. “That’s the whole point of the project — to show people how easy it is to brew biodiesel.”

The project West is referring to is a self-contained biodiesel trailer called ESTER, short for “fatty acid methylester,” or scientific name for biodiesel. By using the vegetable-oil waste donated from such restaurants as Spud Brothers on 10th Street and CU cafeterias as the primary ingredient, or “feed stock,” ESTER is equipped with a processor that converts it into a finished product that is 80 percent biodiesel and 20 percent glycerine.

According to CU junior Josh Jaffe, director of outreach for CU Biodiesel, both byproducts of the conversion go right back to the benefit of CU causes. The biodiesel is used by the Buff buses to transport students and the glycerine is donated to the CU Recycling Center to be used as a fertilizing agent for composting.

“This is going to be CU’s in-house, or in-parking lot, biodiesel production facility,” Jaffe said of ESTER, which began construction three years ago through a $46,000 grant from the CU Environmental Center.

With a fully-functioning conversion system projected to brew as much as 500 gallons of biodiesel every month, West and Jaffe said that the trailer only needs a few additional adjustments in order to meet safety codes and should be operational within weeks.

The trailer’s mobility will help fulfill its secondary function as an educational tool that can be taken to off-campus locations for on-the-spot workshops, presentations and demonstrations.

“Diesel engines were originally designed to run on peanut oil,” said Jaffe. “It was only when petro was introduced as cheaper that people stopped using peanut oil — so in a way, this is what we should have been using the whole time. It’s not really pioneering, it’s more like backtracking.”

According to West, the bulk of the cost of producing biodiesel comes from obtaining the feed stock. This stands ins sharp contrast to the vast sums of money expended in the exploration for and extraction of petroleum. Biodiesel is not only a cleaner and more sustainable source of energy, West asserts, it is also more cost-efficient….

Source: http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2008/oct/27/students-brewing-biodiesel-fuel-at-cu/

This article was on the RenewableEnergyWorld blog this morning. It makes some interesting points. For instance, it proposes the idea that, in the world of Sustainability, bigger is not necessarily better and that there is something to be said for local, smaller sustainable energy development projects. This brings to my mind several local entities that could benefit from such decentralization. The first to come to mind is the ongoing biodiesel project Ian Heatwole is spearheading. I don’t know what his business model is, but, in accordance with this article I can see it as possibly involving local farmers “trading” their soybeans for diesel fuel to run their equipment. This would result in substantial cost savings and reduction in energy consumption from transporting diesel fuel, be it petroleum diesel or biodiesel, over great distances from huge refineries.  Another local entity that could implement the ideas in this article is the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC), a local consumer owned supplier of electricity.  “Chartered on June 26, 1936, the Cooperative today serves over 38,000 residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial accounts in the Virginia counties of Augusta, Rockingham and Shenandoah, and Hardy County, West Virginia.” according to its website. Perhaps the SVEC could prevail upon its farm members to install windmills on their farms or solar panels on poultry houses in return for favorable electricity rates. Food for thought, don’t you think? I’m sure there are other instances that may benefit from this decentralized concept of energy production and use. Go to http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/reinsider/story?id=53804 to read the full article.

Rural Power: The Key to Sustainability

The next twenty years could see up to US $1 trillion of investment in renewable energy in rural areas. Wind and solar power will be harnessed; and non-food crops will provide the fuel for a new generation of biofuels. But will rural areas reap the benefits of this massive investment or will communities merely observe the remaking of rural economies?

Source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/reinsider/story?id=53804

Came across this article this morning.  According to the article, …1.5-1.6 more units of energy are derived from ethanol than are used to produce it. Comments?

New Research Supports Ethanol Production
09/23/2008

Ken Cassmen, director of the Nebraska Center for Energy Sciences Research says – recent research, conducted at the University, clearly shows that estimates for the energy balance of corn-based ethanol are much more favorable – in fact 2-3 times more favorable than previous estimates. Cassman points out - it is important to understand that ethanol has a substantial net positive direct energy balance – that 1.5-1.6 more units of energy are derived from ethanol than are used to produce it.

Cassmen added - we estimate that 13 gallons of ethanol are produced for every gallon of petroleum used in the production life cycle for corn ethanol. Alan Tiemann, a member of the Nebraska Corn Board, added that greenhouse gas emission reductions are also more favorable than previous estimates when compared directly to corn and ethanol production.

Compared to just five years ago, Tiemann points out, ethanol plants produce 15 percent more ethanol from a bushel of corn and use about 20 percent less energy in the process. At the same time, corn growers are more efficient, producing more corn per acre and using less energy to do so.

Source: http://www.hoosieragtoday.com/wire/news/01502_energy_study_180658.php

Since it’s a slow news day for articles that may interest our readers, I dug back into the archives and found this interesting item.  Go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080606091445.htm to read the full article. Below are excerpts from the article. This could be a good future AFV Lab project.

Air-powered Go-cart Hits The Track

ScienceDaily (June 11, 2008) — It’s Sunday afternoon. Thousands of fans cheer wildly as race cars fly by at speeds nearing 200 mph for 200 laps. They whiz down the pit road making pit stops, changing tires and refueling. Only, the tanks are not being filled with gas; they’re being filled with air.

That scenario may sound futuristic, but it may not be long before we see air-powered engines take to the track. Five Dalhousie mechanical engineering students have already started the journey down that road….

Dalhousie engineering student, David Alderson test drives an air-powered go cart. (Credit: Nick Pearce)

…The students modified a 40-year-old snowmobile engine and ran compressed air through the engine to produce power similar to a gas engine. They attached the engine to a refurbished go-kart using two scuba tanks to house the air. The air is released through a standard scuba fitting with a high-flow regulator. The released air travels through tubing to a ball-valve connected to the foot pedal and throttle. “It operates much like a normal rotary engine,”…

…The students officially unveiled their air-powered go-kart at Kartbahn Racing in Halifax’s Bayer’s Lake Business Park last week and invited members of the media to take it for a spin. The air-powered vehicle performed comparatively to the electric-powered carts in use. “We can do three laps here or just under two minutes going full out at 43 km/h with two tanks,” Mr. Langille explains.

Kartbahn owner Lucas Strackerjan, who graduated from Dalhousie in 2000 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) and a Bachelor of Science in Physics, was impressed with the finished product.

“As someone involved in not only go-kart racing, but the international racing industry, it’s important to find something that’s more advanced and could be accepted as sustainable energy,” says Mr. Strackerjan. “We set benchmarks for the electric cars and the air-powered car went right between them.”

The greatest drawback to the air-powered engine is that it runs out of air quickly. However, Mr. Strackerjan believes the engine will improve with refinements and could be a successor to conventional gas-powered engines….