Archive for April, 2008

Clean Energy Systems-Rocket Technology for Zero Emissions

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

Carbon dioxide goes into more products than we think. Sodas contain the pressurized gas, quick inflatable life jackets on planes contain CO2, it is used as a pesticide, dry cleaners use CO2 as an alternative to more toxic chemicals, CO2 is commonly used in the oil industry to force the oil to the surface and it is emitted by power plants. Unfortunately, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, may have adverse effects on the environment while its absorption by the ocean has already changed oceanic environments.

With these concerns in mind, a group of retired Aerospace engineers formed Clean Energy Systems in Rancho Cordova, CA, with the goal of creating power without the release of adverse chemicals into the environment. Having worked at Aerojet Corporation, it is no surprise that these engineers integrate rocket engine technology into the design of the systems. CES has achieved the goal of converting coal to energy with almost full C02 capture.

In 1999 the group received a small grant to construct a small scale oxy-combustor able to produce 110 kWth. Since then, numerous designs have been implemented and more recently, CES has developed a 170MW gas generated system. CES explains that this system “will produce the drive gas for a nominal 50 MWe Zero-Emission Power Plant (ZEPP). Such a power plant will provide the electricity needs for approximately 50,000 homes using fossil fuels (natural gas or syngas derived from coal) and will emit no pollutants or the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, (CO2), to the atmosphere. With expected improvements in turbine performance, this same sized unit will produce up to 90 MWe.”  This model will be tested in Bakersfield, CA during 2008.

The potential uses of oxy-fuel combustors are outlined on the CES site:
• Combustion technology that can use multiple opportunity fuels
• Zero-Emission Power Plants with full CO2 recovery
• Efficient, cost-effective technology for enhanced oil and gas recovery (EOR and EGR) and enhanced coal-bed methane (ECBM) recovery processes
• Peaking power plant technology that addresses reliability-must-run (RMR) requirements
• Capability to produce power and hydrogen for the “hydrogen economy”
• Improved efficiencies with advanced turbine designs

CES’s technology can be used  in a variety of industries including power plants, grid reliability, desalination and coal or syngas power plants, just to mention a few. With potential to provide their oxy-fuel combustor to the very first zero emission power plant in the world CES is part of history in the making.

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Lignol - Turning Biomass into Biofuel

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

Alcohol has played a major part in human history: Celebrations are synonymous with alcohol; religious ceremonies involve paying tribute with a sip of wine; alcohol fends off infection; many foods just would not be the same without a dash of Cabernet.

Ethanol has also played a role as a fuel source. Lamps were fueled by ethanol in the early 1800’s while certain Ford models were developed to run on the liquid in the early 1900s. The popularity of ethanol as a fuel dwindled with time, but has made a comeback in recent years.

Ethanol, also known as grain or drinking alcohol, is produced through the fairly simple process of fermentation where micro-organisms like yeast digest the sugars in plants to ethanol.

Lignol Biofuel, a Canadian Bio-fuel company that recently commercialized a unique ‘cellulose to ethanol’ technology, plans to take advantage of the renewable fuel demands. Their website states that “12% of the US corn crop is used to produce fuel ethanol. Increasing demand is expected to drive that figure to nearly 30% by 2012. New technologies are required to produce ethanol from biomass cellulose rather than from the fermentation of valuable grains. The company’s technology and know-how has positioned the company as one of the world’s most promising “Cellulose to Ethanol” solutions.”

Corn grain is the most common starch used to make ethanol in the U.S., but lignol is unique in the sense that it has found ways to convert both softwood and hardwood species to bio-fuel. Initially, Lignol plans on processing wood-chips and available cellulose feed-stocks (such as corn), but may find even more efficient alternatives in the near future.

Lignol is taking a variety of steps to insure success. For example, “Lignol is also considering several strategic investment opportunities in energy related projects, which have synergies with its bio-refining technology. Examples of such projects include: electric power projects, ethanol projects with access to cellulose feed-stocks and pulp mill conversions to alternative energy opportunities.”

There are many benefits associated with ethanol production: For example, Valuable bi-products from the fermentation process include carbon dioxide and distillers wet-grains used for animal feed.

Ethanol also has the advantage of blending with gasoline without an issue. In fact, it is even advantages in small amounts (less than 10%) since the addition of ethanol reduces toxic emissions from vehicles and keeps cars running smoother without the use of octane enhancers. One of the more attractive qualities is that ethanol is readily bio-degradable. The non-toxic liquid breaks down when spilled.

Companies invested in the popularity of bio-fuels, like Lignol, are bound to be successful.

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GeoPure - Cleaning Oilfield Wastewater

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

Petroleum (crude oil) is a vital part of our society. Billions of cars are dependant on the fuel drilled out of the ground, but petroleum also constitutes the base for many industries including plastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and even fertilizers. Unfortunately, getting petroleum is a dirty process and until now, has involved wasting millions of gallons of water (used to force oil to the surface).

The shiny black oil is found in porous rock formations underneath the earth’s crust. These petroleum reservoirs are made up of the crude oil, the natural gases that float on top of the oil and saline water that flows underneath. Extracting the petroleum involves drilling through the crust which then allows the oil to flow upwards through pre-made tubing.

Natural pressures under the oil are not always enough to induce the black liquid to ooze and sputter upwards, and in these cases, the oil needs to be helped along. In a ‘water drive’ oil field, for example, water is injected into the pre-existing brine below the oil forcing it to the surface. The water that bubbles up with the oil must be disposed of.

GeoPure - a company specializing in oilfield wastewater purification - states that “the oil and gas industry must dispose of approximately 6.3 million barrels of water per day at a cost exceeding $2 billion annually. At the same time, the availability of fresh water for oilfield operations continues to be a concern.”

Company President, David Crowe, together with his partners at the Texas A&M University Dept. of Petroleum Engineering, launched GeoPure in September, 2006. Since then, GeoPure has licensed the technology to transform the brine produced during petroleum production into quality drinking water through a specialized pretreatment and reverse osmosis (RO) filtration process.

GeoPure has confidence in their product and the rigorous testing done at various drilling sites in Texas showed impressive results: “The RO pilot system has been put through extensive testing in the Texas A&M laboratory as well as 12 separate field locations in Texas, and results show that dissolved solid levels up to about 50,000 mg/L can be reduced to the level of fresh water. Chloride levels are low enough that the fresh water may be discharged, or used as a base for fracturing fluid, drilling fluid, or oilfield chemicals…The process uses a uniquely staged pre-filtration approach to remove suspended solids and macromolecules before the stream is fed through the final RO filtration stage. This pre-filtration approach prolongs system life and performance, and reduces cost. The RO process paves the way for surface discharge of fresh water under a TRRC permit, or the sale of fresh water to end-users.”

Voted one of the top 100 private green companies by the GoingGreen panel at the GoingGreen executive event, GeoPure’s innovative technology has left many impressed.

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Airtricity-”Building a More Powerful Europe” with Wind Farms

Thursday, April 10th, 2008

3u9zw5je0cb53.png3u9zw5je0cb53.pngMachines driven by wind are nothing new: Windmills date back to as far as 200 B.C where Persian farmers used these mesmerizing contraptions for grinding grains. Windmills are still popular today, especially in Europe where it is impossible not to see a windmill when touring areas like Denmark. Wind energy has been manipulated for centuries and with demand for electricity constantly peaking, it is no wonder that companies are throwing ideas around for more advanced and ecologically friendly ways of generating wind power.

Airtricity develops wind turbines that are dispersed throughout Europe. These wind farms, made up of as many as 100 turbines have been built on hills, coasts and offshore sea beds where the 1MW  of power generated by one of these contraptions can supply 700 homes with electricity. The idea of these giant turbines in the way of an otherwise pristine ocean view might be of concern to some, but the location of these turbines is carefully thought out to put minimal stress on the environment while also maintaining the aesthetic appeal of a specific area.

Turbines are typically located in areas with predictable winds powerful enough to turn the massive blades that start the whole process of generating electricity. Generally speaking, wind turbines are best suited in areas with constant winds of 10mph or more. Wind generated power is not consistent in one area, however, and with Airtricity’s plan of arranging wind farms throughout Europe, and not just in one region, energy flow is constant. Airtricity explains that “by connecting and integrating geographically disperse wind farms across Europe, each experiencing a different phase of the region’s weather system, electricity is produced wherever the wind is blowing and transported to regions of demand, ensuring a reliable and predictable source of energy.”

The most impressive aspect of the company is their goal to implement the offshore “Supergrid”. Wind turbines are most efficient offshore, since environmental impact and noise is minimal, and wind speed is typically higher over water than on land.

Airtricity explains that “The first step in the Supergrid programme is the development of a 10GW* Foundation Project to prove both the concept of the Supergrid and the technologies to be employed. Located between the Germany and the Netherlands, the 10GW Foundation Project will consist of around 2,000 wind turbines covering 3,000 km ² with a capacity of 5MW each, delivering output to all three countries…10GW is enough capacity to power over 8 million homes.”

A major benefit of using wind generated power is that the cost is predictable. Frustratring fluctuations in prices, currently seen with fuel costs, do not apply to wind turbines making the clean, reliable and efficient energy generated by these wind farms very cost competitive.

The brochure explaining the details of the power grid-”Building a More Powerful Europe”-can be found here.

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