![NASAAlgae: An illustration of a NASA's offshore algae harvesting and turning into fuel. "The blue is turning green," said a team leader, Jonathan Trent, a bioengineer at NASA Ames Research Center.](http://www.sciencebuzz.org/sites/default/files/images/NASA_Algae.thumbnail.jpg "NASAAlgae: An illustration of a NASA's offshore algae harvesting and turning into fuel. "The blue is turning green," said a team leader, Jonathan Trent, a bioengineer at NASA Ames Research Center.")
NASAAlgae: An illustration of a NASA's offshore algae harvesting and turning into fuel. "The blue is turning green," said a team leader, Jonathan Trent, a bioengineer at NASA Ames Research Center.
Courtesy NASA
AlgaeStock: The tiny green creatures - algae - the bright future for biofuel alternative.
Courtesy Amy WesterveltRemember the illuminating, healing Tree of Soul from the movie Avatar? Imagine similar light-absorbing creatures in glowing Olympic pool or convoluted, green blankets floating in the oceans of Pandora. But within the next decade, we’ll see those just off the coast of California. The age of alga[e]tar, algae-derived substitute for gasoline, is rising.
Jan 15, 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funds $80 million to develop "sustainable commercialization" of algae-based gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Several start-up companies like Dow Chemical and Algenol Biofuels have developed pilot plants, using CO2 to grow algae which produce biofuel. The plants are now in Freeport, TX, Bonita Spring, FL, and even in Kailua-Kona, HI.
Via photosynthesis, algae convert CO2 and water into oxygen, water, and hydrocarbons, one of which is ethanol. Ethanol is for vehicle fuel or an ingredient in plastics, replacing natural gas-derived plastic industry. Oxygen is fed into a chamber to burn coal. Unlike traditional coal plants, which have nitrogen as the main input and produce nitrogen exhaust, the exhaust from oxygen-input plants is mainly CO2. CO2 then goes back to the tanks to stimulate the growth of algae, doubling their mass several times a day and making15 times more fuel than palm.
But can’t soybean and sugar cane do the same job? Yes, they can but not as efficient. Compared to the yield of only hundreds of gallons from oil palm, sunflower and soybeans, according to DOE, biofuel yield from algae ranges between 1,000 - 4,000 gallons per acre per year. Those yields can be double when NASA steps in. Jonathan Trent, a bioengineer at NASA Ames Research Center, takes advantage of the ocean waves and open spaces to grow freshwater algae in biodegradable plastic bags offshore. Feeding on nutrients in sewage at typical cities’ dump sites, the algae would clean the wastewater. So, we are not only getting green energy, but clean water from the algae as well. Algae farms resolve an issue plaguing the corn ethanol industry which takes farmland out of food production. Deserts and ocean are out there, waiting to turn into green.
The win-win situation holds the promise of cleaner fuels, scrubbing CO2 off the atmosphere. However, 3 big challenges remain.
The first challenge is to identify the best algae strain for biofuel production. What kind should we use? Mutant vs. conventional? Carbon dioxide uptake of the conventional strain is highest at low light and level off as it gets brighter during the day. However, Christoph Benning , a Michigan State University professor of biochemistry, discovers that the mutant ingests carbon dioxide regardless of the light intensity, thus doubling the rate of carbon sequestration. But, what if those mutants leak out- a mutant algae boom? To avoid that, David Bayless, a professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio University, instead uses heat-resistant algae that naturally thrive in the hot springs. Bayless indicates that these algae, placed vertically on screens due to limited space, are efficient at absorbing CO2 from the power plant.
The second challenge - space. Like solarand wind energy, algae-derived biofuel also have a problem with scale production. Vast desert/ocean vs. domestic, low cost ponds. How can we reduce high-energy inputs for turning deserts into algae ponds, which require loads of temperature controlling and water management? Will the large-scale algae farm eventually compete for land and water resources as much as other biofuel alternatives? The household-scale production or NASA’s ocean scheme might do a better job here, but the scientific advances are still being tested.
The third challenge is to get every single bit of hydrocarbons out with cheap price. So far, separating oxygen and water from hydrocarbons, harvesting, and converting hydrocarbons into gasoline and diesel fuel have proven difficult. It’s a long way down to make it economically feasible. The technologies for those processes are under investigation at the University of Minnesota’s BioTechnology Institute and Institute on the Environment’s IREE - The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment.
Despite pros and cons of algae-derived biofuel, one message is clear. People are making efforts to replace fossil-based energy with sustainable alternatives by using organisms as tiny as the algae. It might be the time for us to realize the real potential of algae, echoing “Algae, I see you,” which means I understand, “I see into you” in the Na’vi language.
Tags : How much of your backyard does that flick of the switch cost? Energy and land use
Land required to produce some energy: Find out how much land you need to make some kilowatts with your favorite energy tech.
Courtesy Robert I. McDonaldRenewable energy is awesome! Do not read me wrong. However, there are many things to take into account when we think about a new energy technology like wind or ethanol. Like, how much land do we need to devote to producing that energy? A new study shows that some darlings of the renewable fuels set are pretty land intensive (NPR story on energy sprawl). What's the least land intensive? Reducing our consumption....gulp.
Two cylinder Stirling engine: Alpha type Stirling engine. The expansion cylinder (red) is maintained at a high temperature while the compression cylinder (blue) is cooled. The passage between the two cylinders contains the regenerator.
Courtesy Zephyris Four newly designed solar power collection dishes called SunCatchers™ were unveiled at Sandia's National Solar Thermal Test Facility. The new dishes are the next-generation model of the original SunCatcher system. Designed for high-volume production, ease of maintenance, and cost reductions, the dishes could be in commercial service by 2010. The projects are expected to produce 1,000 MW by the end of 2012. One megawatt powers about 800 homes.
Better and cheaper solar conversion
SunCatcher™ power system
Courtesy Randy Montoya Last year one of the original SunCatchers set a new solar-to-grid system conversion efficiency record by achieving a 31.25 percent net efficiency rate, toppling the old 1984 record of 29.4.
Source: New SunCatcher™ power system unveiled at National Solar Thermal Test Facility, Sandia News release.
Wind turbines surfin' the deep blue sea
Courtesy FlickrLast week, I was lucky enough to partake in a fun-filled road trip to Colorado. Though the Rocky Mountains are a spectacular site, I found myself more excited to see all of the wind turbines on the 15-hour drive from Minneapolis to Colorado Springs. This ultimately resulted in a research extravaganza, as I wanted to know more about how wind energy works and what the US was doing to improve renewable energy.
Lets start with a few Minnesota wind facts :
• Total installed wind energy capacity is currently 1752.16 megawatts
• Total wind energy potential is 657 billions of kWh/year
• Currently ranked at 4th in US for current wind energy output (Go Minnesota!)
On average, one household will consume around 4,250 kilowatt-hours per year , so think of how many homes can be powered if Minnesota was reaching its wind energy potential.
I also came across this article that came out today in Scientific American that discusses the great steps that Hawaii is taking towards renewable energy. Recently, Hawaii signed an agreement with the US Department of Energy (DoE) that outlines a plan to obtain 70 percent of its power from clean energy by 2030, in which 40 percent will be from renewables like wind farms.
As of right now, the state relies on imported oil for 90 percent of its power. If a man-made or natural disaster were to occur that would prevent shipment of oil, Hawaii cannot plug into the mainland’s electrical grid, making them extremely vulnerable. So not only will they gain energy security, but the cost of electricity will also lower by reducing the amount of money spent on shipping money to foreign countries for oil (10% GDP).
The largest source of renewable energy will be makani, or wind. There are currently two proposed farms for Lanai and Molokai islands that will together generate a total of 400 megawatts of electricity, which will provide 25 percent of Oahu’s total generation capacity. Considering that over 70 percent of the stat’s population lives in Oahu, that’s a lot of energy! Solar water heating, geothermal energy, and the novel technologies in ocean thermal plants will also be used to provide the Hawaiian islands with clean, renewable energy.
For more information on what you can do here in Minnesota, check out this blog post from ARTiFactor that describes Windsource, a great program through Xcel Energy.
Wind farm kills unfortunate goats.
Some of Liza's RSS feeds
Courtesy Liza Pryor
"Stanford creates 100 million dollar energy research center"
"Stanford University is creating a 100-million-dollar research institute that will focus on energy issues, including the search for ways to reduce global warming, officials said."
"Home turbines fail to deliver as promised, warns British study"
"Home wind turbines are only generating a fraction of electricity promised by the manufacturers while some even fail to yield enough energy to run the turbine's electronics, a British study warned on Tuesday."
"'V-wing' turbine gets study cash"
"An unusual design of wind turbine with a pair of giant vertical wings could one day be generating electricity for the UK Grid."
"China's BYD to bring plug-in hybrid, electric cars to US in 2011"
"China's BYD Auto announced plans Monday to enter the US market in 2011 with a range of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. It would likely be the first Chinese automaker to enter the highly-competitive US market and beat many established automakers in offering an extended-range electric vehicle to US consumers."
"A bicycle evangelist with the wind now at his back"
"For years, Earl Blumenauer has been on a mission, and now his work is paying off. He can tell by the way some things are deteriorating around here."
I have thought about designing a car that would run off a small windmill behind the grill. It would spin the alternator which would run the car and recharge the batteries. It would allow anyone to drive forever without using any gas. If the car looked like any other car, would you buy it, especially if it cost the same as a "regular car"?
Jobs in the wind
Courtesy BIGRED_50
Local economies benefit from global crisis
Buying locally not only saves transportation costs, but also puts money into local economies. Wind turbine gearbox manufacturer, Moventas, based in Finland, is going to build components locally. In addition to about 90 jobs and an initial annual payroll of roughly $4 million, the construction of the $9 million dollar facility will mean more employment for Faribault area workers. Faribault Daily News
Iowa benefits, too
In Newton, Iowa, TPI Composites opened a wind turbine blade manufacturing facility that hopes to provide 500 jobs. The Faribault factory hopes to add 30 jobs per year to total 200. Click here to read about more wind energy jobs created.
Bailout package includes renewable energy incentives
The American Wind Energy Association was relieved by the passage of the Economic Stabilization Act.
These tax credits are essential to the continued growth of wind energy, to the economic and energy security of the United States, and to a successful beginning in the fight against global warming.
Solar gains longer term benefits
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) also was happy to see the legislation extend the 30-percent federal investment tax credit for both residential and commercial solar installations for 8 years.
“This long-term extension of the solar tax credits will create a domestic solar industry with hundreds of thousands of jobs while providing clean, affordable, carbon-free energy to millions of American families, businesses, and communities.” SEIA press release
Rock-Tenn paper recycling plant loses steam
Neighbors against the burner: Rock-Tenn neighbors organize to promote better choices.
Courtesy Art Oglesby The Rock-Tenn Company paper recycling plant (at Hwy. 94 and Cretin Ave. in St. Paul) lost their cheap source of steam energy when the High Bridge coal plant was closed. My Buzz post from May 3, 2007 explained how the Saint Paul Port Authority proposed building an incinerator at the Rock-Tenn plant to burn RDF (refuse derived fuel - garbage) for fuel.
Neighbors Against the Burner
A group called "Neighbors Against the Burner" explain why incineration is not the best solution for Rock-Tenn. This page on their website has lots of links to local media coverage about the Rock-Tenn burner controversy. I also recommend looking at their "freqently asked question" page for more information on refuse derived fuels (RDF).
After a year of study and 24 meetings with citizen volunteers participating as members of the Rock-Tenn Community Advisory Panel (RCAP), as well as input from other interested citizens and the City of Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Port Authority is recommending re-powering Rock-Tenn with discount-priced natural gas, utilizing carbon offsets from renewable biogas. The biogas would be produced at an anaerobic digestion facility to be built in out state Minnesota. The anaerobic digestion facility required would be the largest of its kind in the US.
Rock-Tenn Renewable Energy Report (81 pg pdf)
Learn more, ask questions, give advice
Community members are invited to attend a brief presentation and share their comments and questions on the Rock-Tenn Renewable Energy Report and recommendations. Click here for more information
Public Meeting
Monday, September 15th beginning at 6:30 PM
Wilder Center, 451 Lexington Pkwy N
Want to know more?
- Rock-Tenn Community Advisory Panel website
- Rock-Tenn fuel plans: Win/win at last? Twin Cities Daily Planet
- Neighbors Against the Burner website
Snake power: It looks like an ordinary tube, but this device is a small version of the Anaconda, a snake-like tube that turns ocean wave power into electricity.
Courtesy Atkins GlobalIndiana Jones may hate snakes, but those looking for clean, renewable energy sources are loving the chances that a “snake” may be able to generate electricity from ocean waves.
It’s not a real snake, but an enormous rubber snake called the Anaconda. Stretching more than 600 feet long, the Anaconda produces energy as it is squeezed by the passing waves of ocean water that it is submerged in. The process is very similar to what happens with a windsock fluttering in the wind.
The Anaconda is filled with seawater and is sealed at both ends. The trailing end of the snake has turbines. As the ocean waves ripple by the Anaconda, the water inside is squeezed and pushed in bulges that move toward the turbines. When the bulges get there, their energy turns the turbines.
The idea is being developed by the British firm Atkins Global. This is all still in the testing stages, but if the research pans out, the Anacondas would be submerged in ocean waters at depths of 120 to 300 feet.
So far, however, researchers are testing their theory on smaller snakes in a wave tank. Seawater testing could begin next year and if everything is successful, the technology could go online commercially in five years. Estimates figure one full-sized Anaconda could generate 1 megawatt of electricity, about the same amount of power for 2,000 homes.
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