Exhaust Could Power Cars

John Davis

Talk about your perpetual motion machine, researchers in Great Britain are looking at ways of capturing the exhaust from cars to power those very same cars.

Cardiff University, a longtime home to engineering research, has this press release about how it is taking the next step is renewable energy:

rowe.jpgProfessor Mike Rowe’s long term research interest at the Cardiff School of Engineering has been in thermoelectric generation – employing thermocouples to convert heat into electricity. The conversion technology is used in everyday applications such as controlling the central heating system or refrigerator temperature.

Now Professor Rowe aims to use this technology to generate electricity from the waste heat in vehicles.

Professor Mike Rowe, OBE School of Engineering, said: “The main interest in cars is to decrease the petrol consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. If you can utilise the exhaust heat you could replace the alternator. This would provide a 5 per cent saving in fuel straightaway.”

The release goes on to say that this technology is also being explored by American vehicle manufacturers.

Miscellaneous

POET Funds ISU Research

Cindy Zimmerman

POETPOET is helping to fund research at Iowa State University into starch for ethanol production in the hopes of finding starches to further improve the efficiency of POET’s patent-pending BPX™ process.

ISUBPX is a raw starch hydrolysis that converts starch to sugar and then ferments to ethanol without the use of heat. It is utilized in 20 of POET’s 22 ethanol production facilities where its benefits include reduced energy costs, increased ethanol yields, increased nutrient quality in the feed co-products and decreased plant emissions.

ISU researcher Dr. Jay-Lin Jane says there are differences between the starches in different lines of corn. “We are trying to identify which lines of corn starches are more easily hydrolyzed by the enzyme and the mechanism of enzyme hydrolysis of uncooked cornstarch,” Jane said.

The best starch needs to break down more easily. Jane has found that starches with certain molecular and granular structures work best. “Some starches are loosely packed in the granule and can be hydrolyzed easily,” said Jane. “While others, especially those with different crystalline structures, will be difficult for the enzyme to hydrolyze,” she said.

corn, Ethanol, Research

Back Over a Barrel

Cindy Zimmerman

Oil BarrelThis post was on Corn Commentary yesterday:

The price of a barrel of crude shot up to $110.10 today before closing at $100.01, driven by fear despite evidence of good supplies and falling demand, illustrates the tightrope the United States walks in terms of energy security.

A refinery explosion in Texas over the weekend and fear that OPEC will decide to cut back production next month drove prices higher.

Commentary, Ethanol, News

“Future of Play Today”

John Davis

Corgi InternationalYou know it’s big when it’s become a child’s plaything. Corgi International is introducing the next-generation fuel-cell powered toy car. Now renewable energy is going to be hip with the kids…

A revolutionary next-generation radio controlled (RC) toy car powered by clean fuel cell energy technology was unveiled at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in Germany.

Corgi InternationalThe H2GO, from Corgi International, one of the world’s leading toy-makers, combines classic playability with breakthrough zero emissions energy technology. Power for the H2GO is delivered by an on-board hydrogen fuel cell, where sun and water supply the fueling unit with renewable, clean energy for unlimited play.

The first of a new range of toys to be launched under the brand name H2GO, the futuristic car was designed by acclaimed designer Professor Luigi Colani. The car boasts an eye-catching aerodynamic design and is made using lightweight environmentally-friendly wheat based plastics.

The H2GO is the result of a unique strategic partnership between Corgi International and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, a global leader in fuel cell development. Going forward, both companies aim to develop and produce a range of new toys using hydrogen fuel cells, making the H2GO brand a recognized global leader in clean energy toys.

Energy

Utah Legislature Considering Renewable Energy Bill

John Davis

jonhuntsman.jpgA bill before the Utah legislature that will encourage utilities to use renewable energy has received a boost from that state’s governor.

This story in the Salt Lake Tribune says despite the support from Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., it doesn’t mean he’s giving up his own push for more solar, wind and geothermal resources into the state’s electricity mix:

During a legislative committee hearing on Monday, Huntsman’s energy policy advisor, Dianne Nielson, spoke in favor of SB202, which urges public and regulated utilities to pursue renewable energy sources to the extent it is cost-effective to do so.

Tuesday, Nielson said she believes the bill, sponsored by Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, is a good way to reach Huntsman’s goals for renewable energy development. But if difficulties arise on the way to that goal, the governor would step in to help meet the target, she said.

The point is to stimulate economic development and ensure a more secure energy future, with renewable energy resources a key ingredient, she said.

“The governor wants to find a way to work with all the parties to diversify the energy supply and meet the targets,” Nielson said. “That’s everybody’s goal here.”

The article goes on to say that Huntsman is stopping short of mandating the increase in renewable fuel use.

Solar, Uncategorized, Wind

Ethanol Maker to Squeeze Biodiesel Out of Process, Too

John Davis

gscleantech.gifTwo biofuel interests are partnering to extract corn oil from the by-product of an ethanol plant in Wisconsin and turn that oil into biodiesel.

This story from Ethanol Producer Magazine says GreenShift Corp. (through its subsidiary GS CleanTech)is partnering with United Ethanol to extract 1.5 million gallons of corn oil a year from the distillers grains produced at the 42-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Milton, Wisconsin using GreenShift’s patent-pending Corn Oil Extraction Systems:

The technology reduces overall plant emissions and utility costs by up to $1 million each year for a 100 MMgy plant that dries all of its distillers grains.

“Corn ethanol producers recognize the need to use technology to enhance margins and defray risk,” said GreenShift Chairman Kevin Kreisler. “The best way to do this is to implement ’plug and play’ technologies that enhance the yields and operating efficiencies of the traditional ethanol production process. Our corn oil extraction technology is the first of several technologies that meets that goal.”

GS CleanTech Corp., a subsidiary of GreenShift, will build the corn oil extraction operations on the ethanol plant site, and United Ethanol will operate the facility, according to David Cramer, president and chief executive officer of United Ethanol, “This is the first stage of a long-term project that will get us into biodiesel production using corn oil from our facility,” he said in a company newsletter.

I will tell you that this kind of technology was part of the talk at the recent National Biodiesel Conference & Expo in Orlando, Fla. Seems to make sense to squeeze every bit of good out of that corn seed that you can… ethanol, biodiesel, livestock feed… to make sure bottom lines stay above the red line.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

C2B2 Searches for Best Biofuels

John Davis

c2b2.gifResearchers from several schools in Colorado, including Colorado State University, the University of Colorado, and the Colorado School of Mines, along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden are putting their heads together for the sake of alternative fuels.

This story in Colorado State’s publication, CSU Zone, says they have created the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels, or C2B2:

The group, made up of more than 200 researchers – about 64 of them at CSU – combined the expertise of an array of scientists to study new biofuels, how they work and their implications for society.

C2B2, founded in 2007, is built around a network of business sponsors who put money into the organization for research. For its first year, C2B2 has a $2 million budget.

“We’re taking on a very important societal problem,” said Ken Reardon, the CSU site director for C2B2 and a CSU a professor of chemical engineering.

“The country needs some solution of where we’re going to find energy, and we need it soon.”

They’re looking for that solution outside of the traditional corn and soybean feedstocks for ethanol and biodiesel, namely, switchgrass and other biomass products looking at getting the most plant material… not just seeds… per acre.

To read more about C2B2, check out the web site: www.c2b2web.org.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, News

E85 Pump Openings Grow Slower

Cindy Zimmerman

Tulare E85The number of E85 stations nationwide only grew by 35 percent last year, compared to 118 percent the previous year.

Still, an increase of more than a third is pretty decent growth and the total number of stations as of the end of 2007 was 1420, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition.

That number has already increased this year by another 15 or so. One station opened just outside of Tulare, California prior to the recent World Ag Expo.

“This is only the second public E85 fueling station in the state of California,” said NEVC Chairman Phil Lampert. “We are extremely pleased that E85 is priced at $2.49 per gallon (at the station). The average price for regular unleaded in the area is $3.19 per gallon.”

NEVC is traveling to Mississippi this week for the grand opening of that state’s first E85 station in Newton.

E85, Ethanol, News

International Cleantech Forum

John Davis

Cleantech Group LLCSan Francisco will play host to more than 800 investors, entrepreneurs and leading renewable energy experts at the international Cleantech Forum XVI convening next week. This year’s forum is highlighting 2008 as ‘The Defining Year for Cleantech Globalization.’

Investors, entrepreneurs, industry influencers and corporate leaders at the forefront of the rapidly developing cleantech investment and business category from North American, Europe, the Gulf States and Asia will convene in San Francisco for Cleantech Forum(R) XVI, to be held at the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel from February 25-27, 2008.

Cleantech Forum XVI is hosted by the Cleantech Group, LLC, founders of the cleantech investment category. The annual flagship meeting of the world’s cleantech leaders, representing over $8 trillion in assets, will define investment trends for 2008 and focus capital on the emerging opportunities and solutions to natural resource constraints and global climate change issues.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed al Jaber, CEO of the Masdar Initiative and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, will deliver the keynote address at the Cleantech Forum XVI Gala Dinner on Tuesday February 26. With a $15 billion commitment announced in January, Dr. Sultan al Jaber is leading the largest government-supported cleantech initiative in the world.

U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner will highlight the Department’s transformational public-private sector work intended to accelerate the development, deployment and commercialization of cutting-edge, clean energy technologies from the Agency’s national laboratories into the global marketplace.Read More

Biodiesel, Energy, Ethanol, Facilities, Government, Hydrogen, International, News, Solar, Wind

Nordic Winds in Cali

John Davis

Nordic Windpower LtdNordic winds are breezing across the face of the Golden State. Nordic Windpower has opened a new North American office in Berkeley, CA.

Nordic Windpower Ltd., a leading company manufacturing and selling utility-scale wind turbines based on field-proven and innovative technology, has announced that it has opened its new North American office in Berkeley, CA. The company’s management team for North America is located at this new office, at 125 University Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94710, in the Berkeley Marina. Nordic Windpower also has offices in Bristol, England, and Taby, Sweden.

“With a world-class university and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley is a global center for renewable energy and clean technology research and innovation,” said Steve Taber, CEO, and co-founder of Nordic Windpower.

Energy, Facilities, Wind