Engineers Find Significant Environmental Impacts with Algae-Based Biofuel
With many companies investing heavily in algae-based biofuels, researchers from the University of Virginia’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have found there are significant environmental hurdles to overcome before fuel production ramps up. They propose using wastewater as a solution to some of these challenges.
These findings come after ExxonMobil invested $600 million last summer and the U.S. Department of Energy announced last week that it is awarding $78 million in stimulus money for research and development of the biofuel.
The U.Va. research, just published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, demonstrates that algae production consumes more energy, has higher greenhouse gas emissions and uses more water than other biofuel sources, such as switchgrass, canola and corn.
“Given what we know about algae production pilot projects over the past 10 to 15 years, we’ve found that algae’s environmental footprint is larger than other terrestrial crops,” said Andres Clarens, an assistant professor in U.Va.’s Civil and Environmental Department and lead author on the paper. Clarens collaborated on the paper with Lisa M. Colosi, also an assistant professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department; Eleazar P. Resurreccion, a graduate student in the department; and Mark A. White, a professor in U.Va.’s McIntire School of Commerce. (more…)
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Clean Algae Biofuel Project Leads World in Productivity
Murdoch University Professor Michael Borowitzka holds clean biofuel produced from algae. (Murdoch University)
Australian scientists are achieving the world’s best production rates of oil from algae grown in open saline ponds, taking them a step closer to creating commercial quantities of clean biofuel for the future.
A joint $3.3 million project led by Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, and involving the University of Adelaide in South Australia, now leads world algae biofuel research after more than 12 months of consistent results at both universities.
“It was previously believed impossible to grow large quantities of algae for biofuel in open ponds consistently and without contamination, but we’ve proven it can be done,” says Project Leader Professor Michael Borowitzka from Murdoch University. (more…)
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Bioethanol’s Impact on Water Supply 3 Times Higher Than Once Thought
Production of bioethanol may consume up to three times more water than previously thought, scientists are reporting. (American Chemical Society)
At a time when water supplies are scarce in many areas of the United States, scientists in Minnesota are reporting that production of bioethanol — often regarded as the clean-burning energy source of the future — may consume up to three times more water than previously thought. Their study appeared in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Sangwon Suh and colleagues point out in the study that annual bioethanol production in the U.S. is currently about 9 billion gallons and note that experts expect it to increase in the near future. The growing demand for bioethanol, particularly corn-based ethanol, has sparked significant concerns among researchers about its impact on water availability. Previous studies estimated that a gallon of corn-based bioethanol requires the use of 263 to 784 gallons of water from the farm to the fuel pump. But these estimates failed to account for widely varied regional irrigation practices, the scientists say. (more…)
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New Microbe Strain Makes More Electricity, Faster
Dr. Hana Yi takes a reading from fuel cells.
In their most recent experiments with Geobacter, the sediment-loving microbe whose hairlike filaments help it to produce electric current from mud and wastewater, Derek Lovley and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst supervised the evolution of a new strain that dramatically increases power output per cell and overall bulk power. It also works with a thinner biofilm than earlier strains, cutting the time to reach electricity-producing concentrations on the electrode.
“This new study shows that output can be boosted and it gives us good insights into what it will take to genetically select a higher-power organism.” The work, supported by the Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Department of Energy, is described in the August issue of the journal, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, now available online. (more…)
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New Method Uses Electrolyzed Water for More Efficient Fuel Production
Professor Hao Feng (blue shirt) and post doctoral student, Xiao juan Wang (in purple), prepare to heat metal tubes containing Distillers Dried Grains (DDG) with different reagents to break the glucose (sugar) bonds so they can extract sugars that can be used in Ethanol Production. (David Riecks/ UIUC-ACES-ITCS)
Using electrolyzed water rather than harsh chemicals could be a more effective and environmentally friendly method in the pretreatment of ethanol waste products to produce an acetone-butanol-ethanol fuel mix, according to research conducted at the University of Illinois.
When ethanol is produced, distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) is a waste product. The DDGS is primarily used as animal feed, but researchers are searching for ways to extract the sugar and ferment it to produce an acetone-butanol-ethanol fuel mix. One obstacle has been in the production phase called pretreatment. (more…)
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Researchers Achieve Major Breakthrough With Water Desalination System
ProfessorYoram Cohen, UCLA Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Concern over access to clean water is no longer just an issue for the developing world, as California faces its worst drought in recorded history. According to state’s Department of Water Resources, supplies in major reservoirs and many groundwater basins are well below average. Court-ordered restrictions on water deliveries have reduced supplies from the two largest water systems, and an outdated statewide water system can’t keep up with population growth.
With these critical issues looming large, researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science are working hard to help alleviate the state’s water deficit with their new mini-mobile-modular (M3) “smart” water desalination and filtration system. (more…)
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Beyond CO2: Study Reveals Growing Importance of HFCs in Climate Warming
"HFCs are good for protecting the ozone layer, but they are not climate friendly," said David W. Fahey, a scientist at NOAA.
Some of the substances that are helping to avert the destruction of the ozone layer could increasingly contribute to climate warming, according to scientists from NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory and their colleagues in a new study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The authors took a fresh look at how the global use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) is expected to grow in coming decades. Using updated usage estimates and looking farther ahead than past projections (to the year 2050), they found that HFCs—especially from developing countries—will become an increasingly larger factor in future climate warming.
“HFCs are good for protecting the ozone layer, but they are not climate friendly,” said David W. Fahey, a scientist at NOAA and second author of the new study. “Our research shows that their effect on climate could become significantly larger than we expected, if we continue along a business-as-usual path.” (more…)
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A Quicker, Cheaper SARS Virus Detector - One Easily Customizable for Other Targets
Antibody mimic protein is tailored to attach to nanowire base at one end, leaving biologically active area open for detection. (Credit: University of Southern California)
Members of a USC-led research team say they’ve made a big improvement in a new breed of electronic detectors for viruses and other biological materials — one that may be a valuable addition to the battle against epidemics.
It consists of a piece of synthetic antibody attached to a nanowire that’s attached to an electrical base, immersed in liquid.
If the protein the antibody binds to is present in the liquid, it will bind to these antibodies, immediately creating a sharply measurable jump in current through the nanowire. (more…)
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Estimating Threat of Nanoparticles in the Environment
Mark Wiesner from Duke University
Without knowing how much of an industrial chemical is being produced, it is almost impossible for scientists to determine if it poses any threat to the environment or human health.
Civil engineers at Duke University believe they have come up with a novel way of estimating how much of one such material – titanium dioxide – is being generated, laying the groundwork for future studies to assess any possible risks.
This information is especially valuable if the chemicals are in the form of nano-particles, which possess unique properties because of their miniscule size. Nanoparticles are attractive for a wide range of products, little is known about their consequences in the environment. One of the most widely used is the nanoparticle form of titanium dioxide, which can be found in such diverse products as sunscreens and toothpaste to paints and papers. It is also used in water treatment. (more…)
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Scientists Work to Plug Microorganisms into the Energy Grid
Tim Donohue of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, one of two directors of Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers.
The answer to the looming fuel crisis in the 21st century may be found by thinking small, microscopic in fact according to some scientists. Microscopic organisms from bacteria and cyanobacteria, to fungi and microalgae, are biological factories that are proving to be efficient sources of inexpensive, environmentally friendly biofuels that can serve as alternatives to oil, according to research presented at the 109th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
“We have been charged to develop the next generation of cellulosic biofuels. When we successfully supply sources of energy to the grid from non-food, cellulosic, parts of plants we will mitigate the food versus fuel debate,” says Tim Donohue of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, one of two directors of Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers who spoke today in a session at the meeting. (more…)
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Major Breakthrough in Lithium Battery Technology
“We’re in a global climate change crisis and need to have a fundamental shift in the way we look at energy,” says Linda Nazar, who sees her research focus as “absolutely vital for this planet, for life on Earth.”
Canadian research team at the University Of Waterloo has laid the groundwork for a lithium battery that can store and deliver more than three times the power of conventional lithium ion batteries.
The research team of professor Linda Nazar, graduate student David Xiulei Ji and postdoctoral fellow Kyu Tae Lee are one of the first to demonstrate robust electrochemical performance for a lithium-sulphur battery. The finding is reported today in the on-line issue of Nature Materials. (more…)
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See the Force: Mechanical Stress Leads to Self-sensing in Solid Polymers
Progressive images of a mechanophore linked elastomer during tensile loading. After the polymer reaches a critical strain, a force-induced red color results from selective covalent bond cleavage in the mechanophore just prior to failure.(Photo Beckman Institute ITG, Darren Stevenson and Alex Jerez)
Parachute cords, climbing ropes, and smart coatings for bridges that change color when overstressed are several possible uses for force-sensitive polymers being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois.
The polymers contain mechanically active molecules called mechanophores. When pushed or pulled with a certain force, specific chemical reactions are triggered in the mechanophores. (more…)
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$11 Million Center to Make Methane Economically Feasible Fuel
A new center to develop technologies for converting methane gas and other hydrocarbon and fossil resources into readily transportable and higher-value liquid fuels is being established at the University of Virginia under a new $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.
U.Va.’s center is one of 46 new multi-million-dollar Energy Frontier Research Centers being funded by the Department of Energy. These centers, being established at universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations and private firms, will pursue advanced research to alleviate some of the most pressing energy problems facing the nation this century.
The 46 centers were selected for funding from a pool of 260 applications after a rigorous merit review process. Each will be funded at $2 million to $5 million per year for an initial five-year period. (more…)
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Self-Healing Concrete for Safer, More Durable Infrastructure
Today, builders reinforce concrete structures with steel bars to keep cracks as small as possible. But they’re not small enough to heal, so water and deicing salts can penetrate to the steel, causing corrosion that further weakens the structure. Li’s self-healing concrete needs no steel reinforcement to keep crack width tight, so it eliminates corrosion.
A concrete material developed at the University of Michigan can heal itself when it cracks. No human intervention is necessary—just water and carbon dioxide.
A handful of drizzly days would be enough to mend a damaged bridge made of the new substance. Self-healing is possible because the material is designed to bend and crack in narrow hairlines rather than break and split in wide gaps, as traditional concrete behaves.
“It’s like if you get a small cut on your hand, your body can heal itself. But if you have a large wound, your body needs help. You might need stitches. We’ve created a material with such tiny crack widths that it takes care of the healing by itself. Even if you overload it, the cracks stay small,” said Victor Li, the E. Benjamin Wylie Collegiate Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of Materials Science and Engineering. (more…)
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Making Military Grade Fuel from Corn Waste
The Department of Defense has awarded $1.9-million in funding to a biofuel research team led by chemical engineer George Huber at the University of Massachusetts Amherst so he and colleagues can turn wood and corn waste products into fuel precursors.
The DoD’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has granted Huber and colleagues funding to investigate new catalysts to enable low-cost pathways for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass (derived from the cells and woody fibers of plants and trees) into a liquid composition that can be easily refined to a fuel such as JP-8. Huber and his team will exploit new chemistries to develop an end-to-end process that starts with biomass as the input and ends with JP-8 range alkanes and aromatics, which are both hydrocarbons and are the essential ingredients in military fuel. (more…)
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Ancient Diatoms Lead to New Technology for Solar Energy
Greg Rorrer, an Oregon State University professor of chemical engineering.
Engineers at Oregon State University have discovered a way to use an ancient life form to create one of the newest technologies for solar energy, in systems that may be surprisingly simple to build compared to existing silicon-based solar cells.
The secret: diatoms.
These tiny, single-celled marine life forms have existed for at least 100 million years and are the basis for much of the life in the oceans, but they also have rigid shells that can be used to create order in a natural way at the extraordinarily small level of nanotechnology.
By using biology instead of conventional semiconductor manufacturing approaches, researchers at OSU and Portland State University have created a new way to make “dye-sensitized” solar cells, in which photons bounce around like they were in a pinball machine, striking these dyes and producing electricity. This technology may be slightly more expensive than some existing approaches to make dye-sensitized solar cells, but can potentially triple the electrical output. (more…)
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Scientists Develop a Unique Approach for Splitting Water into Hydrogen and Oxygen
Profs. David Milstein (left) and Ronny Neumann of the Weizmann Institute's Organic Chemistry Department.
The design of efficient systems for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, driven by sunlight is among the most important challenges facing science today, underpinning the long term potential of hydrogen as a clean, sustainable fuel. But man-made systems that exist today are very inefficient and often require additional use of sacrificial chemical agents. In this context, it is important to establish new mechanisms by which water splitting can take place.
Now, a unique approach developed by Prof. David Milstein and colleagues of the Weizmann Institute’s Organic Chemistry Department, provides important steps in overcoming this challenge. During this work, the team demonstrated a new mode of bond generation between oxygen atoms and even defined the mechanism by which it takes place. In fact, it is the generation of oxygen gas by the formation of a bond between two oxygen atoms originating from water molecules that proves to be the bottleneck in the water splitting process. Their results have recently been published in Science. (more…)
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Researcher Develops Process for Making ‘Unbreakable’ Glass
Wine glasses that don’t shatter? Baby bottles that don’t break? Coffee mugs that last generations?
All are possible with a new process for strengthening glass and ceramics developed by an Alfred University researcher.
Alfred University has signed a royalty agreement with Santanoni Glass and Ceramics, Inc., of Alfred Station, NY, for proprietary technology related to the strengthening of glass.
The process allows Santanoni to produce “unbreakable” glassware such as wine glasses, canning jars, bottles, tumblers, goblets and mugs at a cost that allows the products to be competitive with normal, un-strengthened glassware. (more…)
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Economical, Eco-Friendly Process for Making Biodiesel Fuel from Algae
The feedstock transferring system for algae biodiesel. (United Environment & Energy LLC.)
Chemists reported development of what they termed the first economical, eco-friendly process to convert algae oil into biodiesel fuel — a discovery they predict could one day lead to U.S. independence from petroleum as a fuel [which of course doesn't solve the greenhouse gas problem of burning biodiesel - Ed.]
One of the problems with current methods for producing biodiesel from algae oil is the processing cost, and the New York researchers say their innovative process is at least 40 percent cheaper than that of others now being used. Supply will not be a problem: There is a limitless amount of algae growing in oceans, lakes, and rivers, throughout the world. (more…)
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New ‘Green’ Pesticides Under Development
Scientists in Canada are reporting development of a new type of "green" fungicide that could provide a safer, more environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional fungicides. Shown is a leaf infected with a fungus. (Canola Council of Canada)
Exploiting a little-known punch/counterpunch strategy in the ongoing battle between disease-causing fungi and crop plants, scientists in Canada are reporting development of a new class of “green” fungicides that could provide a safer, more environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional fungicides. They will report on the first pesticides to capitalize on this unique defensive strategy here today at the 237th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Developed with sustainable agriculture in mind, the new fungicides — called “paldoxins” — could still do the work of conventional pesticides, helping to protect corn, wheat and other crops. These crops increasingly are used not just for food, but to make biofuels. The new fungicides also could help fight the growing problem of resistance, in which plant pests shrug off fungicides, the researchers suggest. (more…)
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Exxon Valdez - Contrary to Predictions, Oil Remains
Temple University researcher Michel Boufadel (right) and a student secure a monitoring device along a beach in Alaska's Prince William Sound. (Michel Boufadel/Temple University)
It has been two decades since the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil and making it one of the largest environmental disasters in history. Twenty years after the accident, its effects are still being felt by the wildlife, on the beaches, and among the residents — long after experts predicted the oil would be cleaned up or dissipate naturally.
Funded by a $1.2 million grant received in 2007 from the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, Temple University Civil and Environmental Engineering Chair Michel Boufadel has spent the past two years researching why oil from the Exxon Valdez can still be found along many of the beaches in Alaska’s Prince William Sound. It is the first such study to examine the spill’s impact on the beaches and why oil still lingers.
“In 1994, there was a decision made to stop all remediation efforts on the beaches of Prince William Sound,” said Boufadel, a hydrologist who is an expert in oil spills and oil remediation. “That decision was based on the rate of oil disappearance during the first four years after the spill.” (more…)
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Recycling a Greenhouse Gas for High-Energy Fuel
A batch reactor for converting CO2 to methane via sunlight is shown outdoors on a winter day. (Grimes Group)
Fossil fuel use, ranging from electricity generating power plants to automobiles, pumps billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere annually, changing the climate in ways that are likely to be detrimental to future generations. The rising use of fossil fuels, driven by population growth and rising standards of living across the globe, adds to the urgency of finding a solution to the problem of rapidly increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas. At Penn State, a team of researchers led by Craig Grimes has come up with an ingenious method of turning captured CO2 into methane, a combustible fuel, using the energy of the sun. (more…)
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New Process Makes Biofuel from Virtually Any Plant Material
Taking a chemical approach, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a two-step method to convert the cellulose in raw biomass into a promising biofuel. The process, which is described in the Wednesday, Feb. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, is unprecedented in its use of untreated, inedible biomass as the starting material.
The key to the new process is the first step, in which cellulose is converted into the “platform” chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), from which a variety of valuable commodity chemicals can be made. “Other groups have demonstrated some of the individual steps involved in converting biomass to HMF, starting with glucose or fructose,” says Ronald Raines, a professor with appointments in the Department of Biochemistry and the Department of Chemistry. “What we did was show how to do the whole process in one step, starting with biomass itself.” (more…)
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Scientists Find New Way to Produce Hydrogen
The figure shows aluminum clusters reacting with water to produce hydrogen. The image on the bottom depicts a water molecule (one hydrogen atom (red ball) and two oxygen atoms (silver balls)) splitting on the surface of an aluminum cluster. The blue regions are Lewis-acid sites and the orange regions are Lewis-base sites. The upper-right image shows multiple water molecules binding to the active sites of an aluminum cluster. The upper-left image shows the release of hydrogen (two silver balls surrounded by orange halo). Credit: A.C. Reber, VCU/Penn State
Scientists at Penn State University and the Virginia Commonwealth University have discovered a way to produce hydrogen by exposing selected clusters of aluminum atoms to water. The findings are important because they demonstrate that it is the geometries of these aluminum clusters, rather than solely their electronic properties, that govern the proximity of the clusters’ exposed active sites. The proximity of the clusters’ exposed sites plays an important role in affecting the clusters’ reactions with water. The team’s findings will be published in the 23 January 2009 issue of the journal Science. (more…)
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