Year of Energy 2009

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...
J. A. Van Vechten, PureGeneration (UK) Ltd., Hillsboro, OR. email: javanvec (at) msn.com

posted November 10, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract:
The overall problems for the energy-climate crisis are logistics and transportation (L&T), i.e., matching the locations, times, and amounts of supply to the location, times, and amounts of demand. The solution is to produce, at renewable and sustainable (R&S) source points, a chemical fuel that is practicable to collect, transport, store, and to distribute to demand regions. The most economic new R&S source now available is that of ideally located wind turbines. With current technology, electricity from wind turbines could be used to make enough ammonia-based fuel to relieve almost all our need for fossil fuel. In particular, this paper presents the fuel potential of guanidine, guanidine-urea alloys, and guanidine-alcohol solutions that could serve as carriers for ammonia or hydrogen. The potentials of ammonia and methanol are also discussed. If the hydrogen for any of these fuels is produced by electrolysis of saltwater, the resulting NaOH byproduct can remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and allow for climate recovery. Meanwhile, the HCl byproduct can be used in local mining operations to produce valuable commodities, and/or it can be sequestered as chlorides. The sequestered chlorides, the carbonates, and the mined pits can be used to geoengineer hydroelectric facilities.
Read more »

(0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

Saurabh H. Mehta, Centre for Energy Environment and Education (CEEE), India. email: smh048 (at) gmail.com

posted November 6, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: Worldwide growth of economy and population has caused an immense increase in demand for energy. Furthermore, energy prices have always been volatile. These trends are expected to continue and even worsen in coming years. These trends create both pressure and opportunities in the steel industry to seek new technologies for conservation, substitution of fuels, and ultimately the development of new steelmaking processes which are environmentally friendly. Such measures are intended to reduce the steel industry’s reliance on energy sources, as well as the volume of greenhouse gases it introduces to the environment. This paper discusses a technology to improve the energy efficiency of the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) in the steelmaking process by utilizing the heat of the waste gases from the EAF to generate steam that can be used in other applications within the steel plant.
Read more »

(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

Dr. Solomon Zaromb, Zaromb Research Corp., Burr Ridge, IL 60527, email address: zarombs (at) cs.com
Dr. Joseph R. Stetter, Professor of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology

posted November 2, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: Aluminum as a safe and compact means of energy storage and hydrogen generation is obtainable immediately from presently unutilized waste and in future years from an emissions-free process. Salvageable aluminum waste should be highly advantageous for stationary power backups, for electric motor boats, and for economizing fuel by injecting hydrogen into the intake manifold of internal combustion engines, but there is not enough of it at present for powering a sufficient number of electric automobiles to seriously impact global warming. This paper is therefore restricted to the above three immediately realizable applications, keeping in mind that it should eventually be possible to produce enough inexpensive aluminum without adding CO₂ to the atmosphere by restricting the power supplied to its production plants to carbon-free sources, sequestering plant emissions, and using an inert anode-wetted cathode process.
Read more »

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

Kevin DeGroat, Antares Group Incorporated (kdegroat (at) antares.org)
Joseph Morabito, Alcatel/Lucent (morabito (at) alcatel-lucent.com)
Terry Peterson, Solar Power Consultant (terry.peterson (at) mindspring.com)
Greg P. Smestad, Sigma Xi Member, Sol Ideas Technology Development & Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells Journal (smestad (at) solideas.com)

posted November 1, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: A Systems Analysis for the solar energy industry and solar R&D is presented to identify key positive reinforcements that can accelerate the adoption of solar technologies through a process of solar value creation. Such an analysis can also identify constraints that can decelerate solar technology adoption, as well as points of leverage where investment and R&D can have the most positive impact. The approach can also be useful for explaining solar energy to a wide range of decision makers and to the public. It emphasizes two major, related challenges in achieving widespread, rapid adoption of solar energy technologies in time to have a significant impact on global energy and environmental problems. The first concerns integration of solar-generated electricity with the electric grid and this is facilitated by a “Smart Grid” infrastructure. The second challenge involves the means to continue to drive down manufacturing and deployment costs for solar energy systems and to expand manufacturing capability in order to accelerate deployment of solar energy systems. This is closely tied to market supply chain transformation that considers each step in the technology’s manufacturing and installation. The Systems Analysis suggests that there are three high leverage points: research on Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS), Systems Dynamics Modeling, and a Solar Industry Supply Chain Consortium. Although such an analysis is now widely accepted in the telecommunications industry, it has yet to be applied to the solar industry until now.

Read more »

(0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

James C. Townsend, Ph.D., World Harmony Organization; Genei, Inc.; Sigma Xi; DrJCTown@cox.net

Francis C. W. Fung, Ph.D., World Harmony Organization; Genei, Inc.; francis@worldharmonyorg.net

posted October 29, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: This paper describes innovations which are aimed at “overcoming the implementation lag” in solar energy commercialization within the utility industry. Existing sustainable solar energy technologies have been shown to be “good enough” for electrical utility generation; however, to promote their widespread adoption, they must be made more economical than non-sustainable fossil-fuel generators. New advances in solar thermal concentration for generation by Stirling engine technology, perhaps combined with thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology, promise to reduce the cost of electrical power generation below that from natural gas powered generators. The solar concentrator is a large parabolic dish made up of a number of mirror panels, as in previous technology. The innovation is that the panels consist of many identical, interlocking, metallic flat-plate reflector elements. This construction provides many advantages. The recent advent of thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technology gives rise to a new “see-through” application — the combination of concentrator and PV technologies. This white paper discusses the possibilities and advantages to be gained through these innovations.

Read more »

(0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

David W. Emerson, Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); Corresponding author
Jacimaria R. Batista, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, UNLV
Samir F. Moujaes, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UNLV
Thomas A. Nartker, School of Computer Science, UNLV
Spencer M. Steinberg, Department of Chemistry, UNLV

Posted October 23, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: Autoclaving (pressure cooking) municipal solid waste (MSW), and sieving the sterile product produces separable organic material, a substantial fraction of the original waste. This fraction contains most of the biodegradable material in MSW and can be treated to produce ethanol, a methane-rich gas, and other valuable components. The biodegradable material need not be put in a landfill but can be processed to make fuels such as ethanol and methane. This reduces release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from a landfill. After removing missed recyclables, on average 40% of the original waste, landfill diversion can be increased from 20% up to 80% in volume. The remaining waste, now mainly free of gas producing material, can be put in a landfill, thus reducing hauling costs and extending the lifetime of the landfill. Research on many aspects of this treatment protocol is needed to estimate the economic potential.

Read more »

(0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

Marilyn Waite, Sigma Xi Member
Posted October 23, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: The global society is faced with a dilemma of increasing energy demand and the need to decrease harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear energy has been proposed as a part of an ‘energy mix’ necessary to address the climate-energy nexus. The following paper addresses waste by-products from the nuclear power industry. Using the cradle-to-cradle theory, in which “waste” equals “food,” the paper explains how a closed-loop nuclear industry should form part of the solution to our energy problem. The cradle-to-cradle concept, technical closed-loop options for used nuclear fuel, benefits and limitations to closed-loop processes, as well as key figures for a cradle-to-grave versus cradle-to-cradle nuclear industry are provided.

Read more »

(2 votes, average: 2.50 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

Norman D. Meadow, Ph.D., Doctor of the University, Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. and First Vice President, Maryland Conservation Council
meadownd@jhu.edu

William H. Biggley, Senior Researcher, retired, Department of Biology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. and Vice President, Maryland Conservation Council

Ajax Eastman
Vice President, Maryland Conservation Council

posted October 9, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: We attempt to show that global ecology is unnecessarily threatened by the construction of large-scale installations of wind and solar energy sources as well as the use of biomass grown specifically to fire boilers. We believe that this situation has developed because many scientists, most germanely biologists, are unaware of the size of the renewable installations that will be necessary and which are being planned, and are also unaware of the quantitative health data from historic radiological events, whose harm has been badly exaggerated. We conclude that commercial nuclear reactors will adversely affect far less habitat than the renewable energy sources and are also highly unlikely to cause measurable harm to health. Nuclear power is a very acceptable compromise that has been criticized and overlooked with little scientific justification.

Read more »

(0 votes, average: 0.00 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

Omokaro Obire and Ramesh R. Putheti
posted September 21, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: This paper highlights how fungi are suited for remediation of oil polluted environments. Many species of fungi are known to occur in oil-polluted environments, and to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons. Further, fungi are amenable to large-scale production, efficiency, genetic engineering or manipulation, cost effectiveness, and ease of transportation. First we examine the sources of crude oil pollution and its effect on the environment and on microorganisms. We also assess the methods currently employed in oil clean-up operations, and their side-effects on ecosystems. Finally, we highlight specific fungi known to possess biodegradation potential for crude oil. Bioremediation in oil clean-up operations is important since environmental pollution problems threaten the well-being of humans and other organisms. In particular, we argue that fungi may have an important role in oil clean-up in the Niger Delta, but further study is needed to implement the approach in that region.
Read more »

(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)
Register or log in here in order to rate white papers. Registration is free and open to anyone.  Loading ...

Stan Jakuba
posted September 11, 2009

Download this paper in pdf format

Abstract: This paper provides an overview of the potential of the sources of renewable energy for satisfying the U.S. energy needs. It analyzes real-life data as well as theoretical limits of the more promising among the solar sources such as biomass, wind, photovoltaic and hydro. Numbers correlate the land needed to its availability, and show the productivity and cost of various options. Tables list the contribution of various sources to the national energy pool and the growth of the last decade. Finally, the potential of nuclear energy is considered.

Read more »