What We Night Reap from Biohybrids (via http://greenbuildingelements.com)

David Thomas has provided this article on the subject of biohybrids, an alternative way of  generating electrical energy from the sun using plants.   Thomas could not send the article as quickly as desired, as he was waiting for another scientist to interview. The call never came and Thomas finally…

]]> http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2012/09/understanding-biohybrids-and-energy/feed/ 0 http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2011/02/capturing-energy-riches-from-our-waste-stream-reducing-greenhouse-gases/ http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2011/02/capturing-energy-riches-from-our-waste-stream-reducing-greenhouse-gases/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:29:48 +0000 grmeyers http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/?p=1227

Gary Mazzotta's Park Spark Project in Cambridge, MA uses dog waste to feed this anaerobic digester that produces methane to burn the gas lamp. Photo: Park Spark Project

Times change, thankfully. Instead of thinking first about how to get rid of waste, more people are now asking how they might put parts of the waste stream to use.

Some landfills now capture methane to power massive generators that feed electricity to the grid; a California company makes biodegradable plastic from organic waste without using petroleum. The list of companies and people involved in promising and innovative work continues to grow.

Dog poop is now on the list of viable new materials from that can be harvested and used from the waste stream. Last year in Cambridge, MA, conceptual artist Matthew Mazzotta launched the Park Spark Project, using dog feces to power lampposts in a park.

Mazzotta’s Park Spark Project was funded through MIT and created in partnership with the City of Cambridge. Methane, a common greenhouse gas, is created in a methane digester that converts freshly scooped poop into burnable fuel.

Dog owners collect dog droppings in biodegradable bags, then toss the mess into the digester –- a closed cylindrical container, where the dog feces are broken down by anaerobic bacteria. This process creates methane that is then released through a valve and burned to power an old-fashioned gas-burning lamppost in a park.

Mazzotta has said he hopes to install permanent underground digesters in parks, not only in Cambridge, but also throughout the country.

Mini bio-gas digester is available at E2Conserve for $420. Photo: E2Conserve

Plenty of other organic materials can be fed to this type of digester, including other animal waste, plus food and plant matter. The digester’s products include fertilizer – as any good gardener should know – and methane – a standard greenhouse gas that can be tamed when it is burned as a fuel.

Companies like E2Conserve now manufacture and sell small digesters at affordable prices, opening the doors for experimentation and community involvement similar to the Park Spark Project. Access to biotech tools like this is positive news for schools, garden clubs and small farms – even neighborhoods wishing to participate in problem-solving projects.

E2Conserve manufactures small scale biogas digesters priced at $420. According to the company, its 35 cubic-foot methane digester can handle farm waste from poultry, cattle, pigs, horses, up to 66 pounds a day. It also handles food waste, leaves, twigs and shredded waste.

The company lists these benefits:

1. For farm and plant wastes up to 66 lb/day and kitchen wastes up to 17 lb/day
2. Methane/biogas (can be used for cooking/heating) – 35ft3 (1 m3)
3. Electricity – up to 5 Kwh equivalent/day (requires additional generator)
4. Organic fertilizer/manure – up to 6.61 lb/day
5. A very neat and cheap way to solve your waste management problem
6. Free methane gas for cooking and heating
7. The digested slurry from the Mini Biogas digester is an excellent organic fertilizer and soil conditioner
8. An activity to reduce greenhouse gas generation.

With the world economy still reeling from an abundance of gloomy economic news, the digester business could be a very sweet place to be working, for many good reasons.

Place your bike into a Pedal-A-Watt and generate electricity for yourself. Photo: Convergence Tech

There are some interesting portable power generating options are available to generate electricity from the sun or wind or by simply pedaling a stationary bicycle.

We begin with the do-it-yourself version of power generation: the bicycle. Convergence Tech manufactures the Pedal-A-Watt, a bicycle stand that not only generates electricity, it seconds as a fitness device. The power that’s generated can be used to power lights and/or other small appliances, such as laptops, cell phones, fluorescent or LED lights.

As Convergence Tech writes on its website,  “Any bicycle that is in good shape will work with the Pedal-A-Watt Stand as the stand adjusts to fit any wheel size including children’s bikes.”

The company states that the average rider can produce between 125 and 300 watts using the Pedal-A-Watt.  While this amount of power isn’t huge, many pieces of equipment draw very little power and can be powered for long spans of time with small amounts of power.  As an example, a laptop draws 70 watts, thus one 20 minute workout could run the laptop for over an hour.

The Assembled Pedal-A-Watt (including a blocking diode) allows the owner to drop a bicycle into the stand, pedal and generate watts. According to Convergence, “The Assembled Pedal-A-Watt includes the bicycle stand, generator, 20 amp blocking diode, adjustment knob and instructions. The Pedal-A-Watt is built with off the shelf components to reduce waste and carbon footprint. The stand weighs 23 lbs.”

LED strip Photo: Convergence Tech

Convergence Tech sells the Pedal-A-Watt assembled for $399. It also  sells other products of interest, such as an LED Strip: An extremely bright LED light strip that is a great visual demonstration for the classroom or a corporate event.

Using a Pedal-A-Watt is simple: the bike’s rear wheel spins the generator. The electricity that I generated can be used immediately or stored in a battery.

The following information from the website should help in understanding the device’s capacity:

The Difference Between Watts and Watt-Hours: “If I am pedaling and creating 200 watts of power and I keep pedaling for 2 hours, I create 400 Watt-Hours, or: 200 Watts x 2 Hours = 400 Watt-Hours

“With 400 Watt-Hours stored in the battery, a person can power:

• A 400 watt TV for 1 hour (400 Watts x 1 hour = 400 Watt-Hours)
• A 200 Watt TV for 2 hours (200 Watts x 2 hours = 400 Watt-Hours)
• A 20 Watt laptop PC for 20 hours (20 Watt x 20 hours = 400 Watt-Hours)
• A 15 Watt fluorescent bulb for almost 27 hours (15 Watts x 26 hours = 400 Watt-Hours)”

Convergence writes this is the power consumption for typical appliances:

• Small TV 100 watts
• Large TV 200 watts
• Laptop PC 10 watts
• Desktop PC 75 watts
• Stereo 20 watts
• Charging a cell phone 5 watts
• High-efficiency desk lamp 15 watts
• Refrigerator 700 watts
• Dishwasher 350 watts
• Dryer 400 watts

It is always good to know we can generate some needed juice without a lump of coal.

Buckminster Fuller, designer of the geodesic dome Source: BFI

For those still considering creating one of this world’s next great solutions, there are but 15 days left to prepare and submit applications for the 2011 Buckminster Fuller Challenge. Those standing on the sidelines should run onto the plying field; our world needs the help.

This important global event is considered by some to be one of socially responsible design’s highest awards. This premier international prize program awards $100,000 to support the development and implementation of a solution that, broadly stated, “has significant potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems.”

According to the BFI Challenge, entering creates “an opportunity to become part of a network that is advancing and accelerating the practice of whole systems thinking and design to develop the kind of high impact global solutions we so desperately need.”

The Buckminster Fuller Institute, named after Buckminster Fuller, creator of the geodesic dome, was created to share and advance imaginative work that might lead the way to solving problems for global housing and infrastructure requirements.

15 days remain to enter the 2011 BFI Challenge. SOURCE: BFI Challenge

According to BFI’s press release, “Past entries included bold, visionary strategies, from a radical solution to urban mobility in the world’s largest cities to a strategy to dramatically increase crop yields and economic development in the grasslands and savannahs of Africa. While the entries cover a broad range of topics, the common thread among them is a highly integrated approach to design— one that is simultaneously comprehensive, anticipatory and aligned with nature’s fundamental principles. This focus on integrated design strategies is what distinguishes the Challenge from all other prize programs. “

The jury for this year’s challenge will include “systems thinkers and design pioneers across a wide spectrum of human endeavor are invited from all over the world.”

Past jury members have included Janine Benyus, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Helena Norberg-Hodge, John Thackara, Hazel Henderson, Danny Hillis, Alan Kay, Hunter Lovins, Bill Browning, José Zaglul, William McDonough, Adam Bly, Greg Watson and Vandana Shiva.

For those wanting to review the criteria that drive the selection of the winning solution click these links:

Challenge Criteria Video http://challenge.bfi.org/Challenge_Criteria

Challenge Criteria Webpage http://challenge.bfi.org/criteria

Enel Archimede plant in Italy. Photo: Enel

This July the Italian utility Enel unveiled “Archimede”, one of the most important developments in the emerging field of concentrating solar power (CSP). The launch showcases this power plant as the first CSP  plant in the world to use molten salts for heat transfer and storage.

Archimede, a 5 MW plant located in Priolo Gargallo (Sicily). The breakthrough project was co-developed by the utility, Enel, and ENEA, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development. The name, “Archimede,” refers to the rows of huge parabolic mirrors used to capture the sun’s rays, recalling the “burning mirrors” that Archimedes is said to have used to set fire to the Roman ships besieging Syracuse during the Punic War of 212 BC.

Energy writer Carlo Ombello writes that while several CSP plants already operate (see graphic above)  in the world, mainly in the US and Spain, they use synthetic oils to capture the Sun’s energy in the form of heat, using mirrors that beam sunlight onto a pipe where pressurized oil heats up. A heat exchanger is then used to boil water and run a conventional steam turbine cycle. Older CSP plants only operate at daytime – when direct sunlight is available.

In its press release, Enel writes that the Archimede plant is “the first in the world to use molten salts as the heat transfer fluid and is also the first in the world to integrate a combined-cycle gas facility and a solar thermal power plant for electricity generation.”

Because molten salts can operate at higher temperatures than oils (up to 550°C instead of 390°C), they increase efficiency and power output of a plant. With the higher-temperature heat storage that is allowed, the plant can also extend its operating hours to a 24-hour day. From an environmental and cost perspective, this news is good. A simplified plant design that does not use avoids the need for oil-to-salts heat exchangers eliminate the safety and environmental concerns of using oils. Molten salts are inexpensive and do not catch on fire like synthetic oils currently that are used in current CSP plants. In addition, the high temperatures of molten salts enable the use of steam turbines at the standard pressure/temperature parameters as used in most common gas-cycle fossil power plants. Translated, this means that conventional power plants can be integrated replaced with this technology without expensive retrofits to the existing assets.

Carlo Rubbia -- Molten salt pioneer. Source: Enel

The concept for using molten salts dates back to 2001. The Italian nuclear physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Carlo Rubbia (left photo), ENEA’s President at the time, started research and development on molten salt technology. One problem encountered in using molten salts is that they freeze pr solidify at around 220°C.

ENEA and Archimede Solar Energy, a private company focusing on receiver pipes, have developed several patents in order to improve the pipes’ ability to absorb heat and maximize the heat transfer to the fluid carrier.

Insiders believe the result of these and several other technological improvements create a state-of-the-art CSP plant at a price 60 million Euros. While the price is high for a 5 MW power plant, energy officials believe this model is scalable for a roll-out there is overwhelming scope for a massive roll-out in sunny regions like Northern Africa, the Middle East, Australia and the United States.

The information is interesting to hear about, especially the pursuit of aneutronic fusion. Where possible, even if the site provides scant detail, links have been added for further information.

Source: TriCities.com

reported by: Deborah McCown

WISE, Va. – Amid discussion of the shortfalls of U.S. energy policy and the nation’s future, the Southwest Virginia Technology Council highlighted five promising technologies Monday during its third annual Energy Technology Summit.

These technologies included thorium, Hydrocoal, fly ash, aneutronic fusion and sunshine advances.

Thorium – is it the fuel of the future?

Like uranium, thorium is an element that can be used to produce energy, said Charles Stevens, who said he recently revived a technology he worked on as a U.S. government subcontractor back in the 1980s.

Unlike uranium, he said, thorium doesn’t generate radioactive waste or encourage proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“It’s sustainable energy, and it represents energy independence for the United States,” he said.

Stevens, CEO of Laser Power Systems, based in Massachusetts, added that the technology uses high-energy lasers to turn water into steam, which then drives a turbine and generator. It works, he said, without the chain reaction of a nuclear reactor.

At the price of $1.85, he said one gram of thorium can produce as much energy as 7,500 gallons of gasoline or 2.2 tons of coal. A thorium-powered car could travel 300,000 miles before refueling.

A 2,000-megawatt thorium power plant could fit in a 50,000-square-foot building, he said – less than a third the size of a typical big box retail store – and he believes the technology will be ready to go commercial in 12 to 18 months.

Among his first customers are Third-World countries, which are seeking the technology as a means of generating electricity and clean water without the kind of expensive power infrastructure that’s used in the United States, Stevens said.

For a house, he explained, a thorium power system could cost about the same as a furnace/hot water system – less than $15,000. It would come fueled, potentially cutting heating bills by 80 percent for a typical American homeowner.

Cars, he said, would be priced around $25,000, and could run a million miles.

Another technology discussed was HydroCoal.

“Our business is about taking dirty, inexpensive coal, which is found abundantly all over the world, into clean renewable fuels for billions of people,” said Randy Taylor, co-founder and president of Hydrocoal, which is based in Athens, Ga., but is discussing a possible location in Wise.

“We expect to make that commercial beginning in 2011,” he said.

Thus far, the common method of grinding coal to sand was problematic, he said; his company has solved the problems with gasification by finding a way to grind the coal smaller, to particles 10 microns in diameter.

“It’s a coal tornado,” he said. “Coal swirls around inside and grinds itself.”

He said the smaller particles react faster and at a lower temperature – and, mixed with steam, they burn like natural gas.

Once coal is gasified, he said, it’s easy to clean with existing commercial technologies.

Fly ash – Studying the elements in lunar soil to learn about its use in space, scientists discovered an interesting parallel, said Larry Austin, a merchant banker and former Wall Street lawyer who said billions of dollars worth of precious metals are buried in the fly ash discarded by coal-fired power plants.

Environmentalists have hammered the ash with criticism, particularly after a large quantity of ash, which includes heavy metals, spilled into Tennessee’s Emory River in 2008. Austin said the same metals have made fly ash an unstable building material.

But it costs just $200 a ton to process the ash, and the products of that ton can be sold for $517. The figures are based on outdated prices, before the appearance of China on the world stage sent resource prices skyward, he said.

Austin said the world is throwing away $35 billion a year in precious metals. The Appalachian coalfields could become “the new mecca” for these resources – and manufacturing facilities that use the raw materials – if the ash is processed here. He estimated that as many as 20,000 jobs could be created.

Once the metals are removed, he said, the remaining material is similar to that used in making drywall and other construction materials.

The first step, he said, is a $250,000 study to update the numbers and create a modern business case. A pilot plant, which would process 10 tons a day, would cost $10 million, he said, and a commercial scale plant would be $100 million.

Another take on solving the fusion puzzle could be aneutronic fusion.

George Miley says the nation’s energy future lies in nuclear fusion – a topic that, he acknowledges, nobody mentions when they’re listing the nation’s many energy options.

“Why not? I think people become frustrated; it’s just too far off,” he said. “I don’t think that’s true.”

Scientists have studied the concept since the 1960s, but have not reached an effective way to generate fusion power. Miley believes he may have the solution – but the only way to find out is to test it.

He says the answer could lie in fusing the atoms of hydrogen and boron at a high temperature, high enough to place them in a state beyond a gas called plasma, on a small scale.

“I think it’s obvious that if what I’m saying is done, this is going to revolutionize the power industry,” he said. “If you start something, you’ll become the Silicon Valley of that field. So you have to have the vision to start it, and then you will have it.”

Sunshine advances – Robert Loftur-Thun, a principal at a firm called Sustainability Nexus, said solar power could be generated on the flat, deforested surface-mined mountaintops of Appalachia.

“Taking a mountaintop and converting it so that there could be an economic higher use, I think that would make a lot of economic sense and also provide business opportunities for the coal mining companies in the area,” Loftur-Thun said. “The time has really come. Solar technology is maturing.”

He noted the existence of several technologies, from visually appealing solar panel roof shingles to concentrated solar power plants, which focus sunlight to heat water into steam for generating electricity.

On Monday, he announced the founding of Wise Solar Development LLC, a startup focused on solar energy in rural and small communities. He said harnessing the sun’s potential has a role to play in U.S. energy security and in providing electricity in rural areas.

He said an area the size of a football field, if covered with a solar array, can generate 400 kilowatts of electricity.

Mark Edwards, PhD

For those wanting more information on algae and its low-carbon potential as an alternative fuel source, take a visit to Oilgae , a blog focused on this subject.

Some might even want information on how to grow their own. Below are clips from today’s post:

“Cultivation of Algae in Photobioreactor”

“Algae can also be grown in a photobioreactor (PBR). A PBR is a bioreactor which incorporates some type of light source. Virtually any translucent container could be called a PBR, however the term is more commonly used to define a closed system, as opposed to an open tank or pond.

“It allows more species to be grown, it allows the species that are being grown to stay dominant, and it extends the growing season, only slightly if unheated, and if heated it can produce year round. Because PBR systems are closed, all essential nutrients must be introduced into the system to allow algae to grow and be cultivated.

“A PBR can be operated in “batch mode”, but it is also possible to introduce a continuous stream of sterilized water containing nutrients, air, and carbon dioxide. As the algae grows, excess culture overflows and is harvested.”

The entire article is available at at the Oilgae blog. I happened on this site on the recommendation of a friend who is attempting to link me with Mark Edwards, PhD, professor at the Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness at Arizona State University, and author of “Green Algae Strategy: End Oil Imports And Engineer Sustainable Food And Fuel.”

I am glad to have visited and think it is important for many of us to learn more about this alternative, sharing our discoveries with plenty of others.

]]> http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2010/01/make-a-visit-to-oilgae/feed/ 0 http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2009/11/solid-teaching-information-for-biodiesel-enthusiasts/ http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2009/11/solid-teaching-information-for-biodiesel-enthusiasts/#comments Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:27:43 +0000 grmeyers http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/?p=769

BioLyle's two-DVD set is available for $39.95

Lyle Rudensey, in Seattle, was kind enough to send a copy of his two-DVD set, “BioLyle’s Biodiesel Workshop,” for us to review. For anybody interested in knowing about biodiesel, whether as a hobby or part of a cooperative effort, watching this video set is a great way to get started. But be prepared to spend some time with it, as the running length tallies up to 224 minutes.

I am happy to add that the viewer’s time will be well-spent. Lyle Rudensey takes viewers into the classroom for an in-depth lesson concerning everything from the chemistry to the tools required for manufacture, then into his garage for a ’seeing-is-believing’ demonstration that covers all of the steps involved, from collection and filtering, to titration, processing, storing, and cleaning.

On the Utah Biodiesel Supply website, Graydon Blair writes that Rudensey “has taught literally hundreds of people how to make their own Biodiesel through his hands-on Biodiesel workshops in the Seattle, WA area. His relaxed teaching style combined with his incredible knowledge of the Biodiesel production process makes for an incredible experience that students come away from raving about. Not only does he make the whole process incredibly easy to learn, but you’ll come away knowing so much more about why Biodiesel works, why anyone can make it, and how you can get started on a budget!“

Lyle Rudensey showing biodiesel manufacture in his garage Source: http://biolyle.com

Rudensey has been making all of his own fuel for his car and home heating stove since 2003. His experience and expertise show quite well.

I add here his passion for this work has a contagious effect. I don’t even own a diesel vehicle, but found myself ready to get one after watching his videos, just so I could fill the tank with biodiesel and drive down the road without stinking up the neighborhood.

For those interested in this set of DVDs, they can be purchased at these locations: http://biolyle.com, Utah Biodiesel Supply, and the Green Streets Outlet. The price is $39.95, plus shipping.

Other comprehensive video information about biodiesel can be found at the Utah Biodiesel Supply website.

Graydon Blair, Utah Biodiesel founder, visually samples biodiesel Photo: Utah Bio

Graydon Blair, the owner of this biodiesel concern, Utah Biodiesel Supply, is one of the first in line to say the fuel alternative in which he specializes is not going to answer all the world’s fuel challenges.But it will address some.

Plus, watching and hearing a vehicle smoothly roll down the highway on a tank full of used fryer oil is a sight to behold, and one that’s considerably less smelly than petroleum-based diesel. Her then, is good reason for shouting to the rest of the world know this is one alternative fuel source very much worth considering.

Here are some of the reasons Blair has posted on his comprehensive website:

First, economy:

“Biodiesel can be produced by individuals on a small scale relatively inexpensively when compared to Petrodiesel. Figures range anywhere from $0.40 a gallon to about $1.25 a gallon depending on the cost of materials required to make it. With prices that low, most people are able to save hundreds of dollars on their fuel bills. In some cases it even goes into the thousands of dollars. With savings like that, most people are able to recoup their initial investment on the equipment needed to make biodiesel within a matter of months.”

Second, the product is renewable:

“Biodiesel has been touted far and wide for it’s renewable properties. Instead of making a fuel from a finite resource such as crude oil, Biodiesel can be produced from renewable resources such as organic oils, fats, and tallows. This means that it can be made from things that can be regrown, reproduced, and reused. So, if you need more, you can just grow another crop of seeds for the oil.”

Burning biodiesel and glycerin Photo: Utah Biodiesel Supply

Even more important, there’s our environment:

“When Biodiesel is used to power diesel engines, the emissions at the tailpipe are significantly reduced. Studies by the US National Renewable Energy Lab indicate drops in several key area’s that help the environment. Carbon Dioxide, Hydrocarbons, and Particulate Matter (the black smoke from diesels) all are significantly reduced when Biodiesel is used. When used in older diesel engines such as indirect combustion diesels, the results are astounding. We personally saw a reduction in our tailpipe emissions of nearly 90%. It’s one of the many reasons we exist. We were incredibly impressed by our results. It also has a positive energy balance. Click here to read more!”

The list continues, all solid reasons, from supporting farmers to reducing our dependence on crude oil. Blair sells products around the world. His customers include middle-aged tree huggers, hobbyists, and commercial firms that have found a way to run a small fleet of company trucks on on biodiesel. Bottom line, says Blair, diesel vehicles running biodiesel may run 10 to 12 percent less efficiently than standard diesel fuel but they can reduce hydrocarbons by 60 percent, CO2 by 80 percent, and particulates by 90 percent.

“We believe that when you compare Biodiesel to all of the other alternatives out there, it just makes sense,” says Blair.

Over the next few months, we will be featuring more on biodiesel, including a review of a DVD set on the subject of biodiesel, “BioLyle’s Biodiesel Workshop.” In the meantime,  visit the Utah Biodiesel website, and enjoy.