Takchess things of interest

Friday, November 4, 2011

100 + Things to be optimistic about (updated)

Engine- Auto IC

1) DOE Consortium looks to improve ICE efficiency by 30%

2. Michigan State University, Nobert Mueller, has a Wave Disk creates a pulse which recharges a battery

Wave Disk Engine 3.5 X more efficient than ICE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_cycle
http://gas2.org/2011/03/21/the-wave-disk-engine-cheap-efficient-clean-and-different/
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/04/11/new-gasoline-engine-design-has-4x-efficiency-of-pistons/
a good description of the shock wave cycles
Arpa-e MSU Norbert Mueller Group explanation of the technology

3 Tour Engines - Improved ICE with Split Cycle

The TourEngine™ design splits the conventional 4-stroke cycle of a common engine between two opposing cylinders: The Cold-Cylinder hosts the intake and compression and the Hot-Cylinder hosts the combustion and exhaust.

5. Ilmor engineering designs a 5 stroke IC engine

6. Kazimierz Holubowicz is a physicist who thinks he has a plan to greatly reduce the rate of fuel (oil) consumption in engines.

7 Concept: Garric Rotary Variable Compression Ratio Engine

8 http://www.sandersonengine.com/html/the_engine_of_the_future.html

9 Rolf Reitz, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW-Madison.

replacing heavy-duty diesel engines and conventional gasoline engines

10) Transonic injects supercritical fuel for 30mpg increase, a khosla startup

11) Vincent Carman  The Inertial Storage Transmission (IST) by storing the engine's energy in high-pressure fluid improves MPG.

12) SAE 2010 shows multiple automotive efficentcy innovations &

13) Electric Supercharger bumps torque with a decrease in Co2

14 ) Pinnacle Engine Boxer Engine 30-40 % efficentcy

15) Spark Plugs made from lasers

Engine -ICE Diesel

1) Zajac improved diesel engine design

2) Liquid Piston diesel engine design improvement 20-30

3)  Diesel-Gas in same engine 20 %improvement

Engine- Hydrogen

1 Hydrogen Fuel Cells costs cut by 75% by Nissan

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20071530-54/solar-generator-splits-water-to-make-hydrogen/?tag=mncol;txt

Engine- Heat & Stirling
1 Lonnie Johnson Stirling Engine in a Box- SolidState Membrane Heat Recovery--Heat Engine

- JTEC- Johnson Thermo-electromechanical Energy Conversion System, It will convert heat to electricity at rates reaching just under 40 percent of the maximum theoretical efficiency available in an engine operating between two temperatures -- the Carnot efficiency.

Lonnie Johnson lectures at Xerox Parc Video

2 Lonnie Johnson Amtec

Amtec -solid state heat engine

http://www.memagazine.org/contents/current/archive/alkali.html
http://peswiki.com/index.php/PowerPedia:Atomic_Battery

3

Motor-Electric

Electric Motor
1) :QM Power uses parallel path technology for more power over a wider range of profiles
http://pesn.com/2011/04/30/9501820_QM_Power_Commercializing_Flynns_OU_Parallel_Path_Technology/

2) Yasa Motors Electric Motor design 1/2 the size and twice the tourque
and more about Yasa Projects

Fuel- Alcohol-Ethanol-Methanol

1) Supercritical Water removes sugar from wood at sugarcane prices

2)  Synfuel cleaned with plasma arcs

3)

4) Molecular Filtration Advancements for Petroleum Refiners

5)
6) Low grade Coal (lignite) to Gas? Is it real and desirable?

8) Urine Fuel

E3 clean technology hydrogen fuel cell
http://www.zerofuel.org/

Fuel Algae,bugs etc Microbrew fuel

Joule Technology and more on Joule bioengineered cynobacteria

Venter harvests 20 million new genes to find bug that turns coal to methane
Bugs that create Methane from Coal
ARPA invests in bugs that produce Hydrogen, Ethanol etc.

Pressure cooking Algae to oil

Fuel Celulosic

1 One Step Cellusoic sludge to Ethanol

2 One Step Algae to Ethanol

3 Miscanthus Research

4 Anellotech catalytic process for cellulostic

5) University of Maine Tree Residue to energy

Fuel - Syngas etc

1. Miniaturizing Fischer-Tropsch plants  allows for more regional smaller scale plants reducing material transportation costs

Improved Manufacturing for large scale chemicals


1( CO2 as a FeedStockhttp://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2008/090.html

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18387-co2-in-the-air-could-be-green-fuel-feedstock.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9811962-54.html
http://www.chemicalprocessing.com/articles/2010/133.html
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/1938440/dnv-converts-waste-carbon-valuable-chemical-feedstock
http://www.catelectric.us.com/technology.html
http://www.powerplantccs.com/ccs/cap/fut/c2p/c2p.html
http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2011/10/07/fuel-from-the-air-a-step-closer/
Hydrogenization of CO2 (using it as a possible feedstock through Fischer-Tropp)
CO2 to Methanol
Solar heated iron creates syngas
Improved Refining
Factor of 50 energy savings membrane for seperation

Geothermal & Drilling Technologies

2) Fracking Oil Shale (pending safety concerns)

3) New Drilling technology for GeoThermal Wells

4) Improved Heat carriers for Geothermal

5) faster hole drilling

6)Virtual lithium mine attaches to geothermal plant

Grid Energy

Miniaturizing Fischer-Tropsch plants allows for more regional smaller scale plants reducing transportation costs

Coal

Luca Technology microbes turn coal into Natural Gas in the ground

Wind

Vertical Wind towers can mean 10X wind power on same amount of land.

Jet-engine inspired FloDesign boosts wind turbine output (exceed Betz Limit}

Solar

1) Khosla Scilicium a startup in Solar where disk benefits from heat as well.

2   NanoAntennas -Harvesting the full spectrum of the Sun's Rays
http://alfin2100.blogspot.com/2008/01/revolutionary-unique-solar-energy-nano.html

http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2011/07/11/light-harvesting-nanoantennas/

3 Infrared Light into Electricity :using a wider spectrum

also early detection of diseases and splitting light by color and intense focus of light
4 Spectrolab Solar reaches 40% with mirrors
5 CanSolar Beer Can Solar
6) Artifical Photosynthesis

http://palscience.com/2009/03/11/turning-sunlight-into-liquid-fuel/

7 ) Wake Forest- Fibercell inc Fiber Photovoltaics can double flat cell solar productivity at a fraction of the cost =small microfibers

8) DOE spends money on concentrated solar power

9)Stanford Has a Process to Make Solar Power Production More Than Twice as Efficient to as High as 60% efficient (solar power and heat in the same package)

10)The company's tiny solar cells, each a dot the size of a ballpoint pen tip, have been validated to convert 41 percent of solar energy to electricity, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced yesterday. Semprius is in the process of building a manufacturing facility in Henderson, N.C., to make concentrating solar arrays using its "micro-transfer printing" technique, according to the Department of Energy

Pizoelectric-

1) Capturing kinetic energy from cars- Speed bump power-drive throughs toll booths. -

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-Energy-MotionPower-TM-iw-3318612337.html?x=0

CHP

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/the-holy-grail-for-renewable-energy-solar-power-makes-electricity-day-and-night.html

General Technology

NASA shares technology with others

Air Conditioning [energy efficentcy]

Chromosun Solar Air Conditioning with a 4 year payback

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has invented a new air conditioning process with the potential of using 50 percent to 90 percent less energy than today's top-of-the-line units

7AC technology Salt-driven air conditioner looks to slash energy

Heat Pumps

Finnish energy company uses corrigated aluminum for new heat pump technology.

Building Materials

Architect Grows Brick From Bacteria, Sand & Urine

Nuclear

1 ) General Fusion

Fusion for 30M? Vancouver CA company with Bezos money.
NPR interview with Michael Laberge of General Fusion

2 Toshiba smaller nuclear

HydroPower

Micro hydro- canals slow moving

Rentricity turns presure drops in pipes to electricity

Water

Various Water Ideas

Seawater Greenhouses

Cyprus Institutes Solar Desalination

Bruce Logan Microbial Desalination Microbial Fuel Cells

Substainability :growing trees in the desert
http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/waterboxx_grows_forests_desert
http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2010/04/15/getting-water-to-grow-biofuels/

Scientific America article on greening the world

Desalinization Energy Plant

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/desalination-can-the-technology-go-elsewhere/
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/energy-from-sea-water-consider-ibm-intrigued/

Desalinization Pressure Drop Energy

A variant on Salt-Freshwater Energyhttp://www.physorg.com/news171102611.html

Sewerage Energyhttp://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/can-sewage-save-the-world/

Salt Water Battery Cuts Desalination Energy Use by 80%

IBM Seawater Osmotic Pressure Gradient

????
the will to explore new energy ideas :Rising above the gathering storm
Electric Cream ??

Recycling

Biomediation
Microvi biotech solves polution problem with tiny dogs

Farming

Urban farming

Appreciation for Dirt

research into perenial grains such as wheat -20 years out?

Diamond coating for plows means reduced energy

Government

why governmneeds to invest in energy ent

ARPA-E Awards $151M to 37 Projects for Transformative Energy Research[2009

Thursday, October 16, 2008

100 improvements in Batteries, Super Capacitors,Fuel Cells

I've seen a lot of press releases and articles regarding Battery and SuperCapacitor improvements. I thought I would captures some of that Optimism 8) here and check back on them.

Quantumscape : Khosla, Stanford University, 1st ARPA-E round All-Electron Battery
Market: Autos
Advancement: the way material stacks together, electron flow vs Ion flow ?
Benefits:
The footprint of fossil fuels-Power Density
High Cycle rate

2) 5.2010 Recapping + Khosla + Penn State
Market:?
Advancement: Ceramic Battery based on a 3D nanocomposite structure, like EEStor
Benefits
high cycling ability,
high power density,
low cost

3)Boston Power (now in China)
Market: Auto
Advancement: lithium ion
Benefits: small size means easier QC, similar to Tesla

4) 9.2011 AES Large Grid Storage
Market: Battery Grid Storage
Advancement-Execution

5) Rebunieus 1GW Grid Storage in Mexico

6)Nocerra MIT artificial Leaf for hydrogen
Market: Hydrogen for Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Advancement: Solar and Water and Catalyst = Hydrogen

7)Mission Motors Motorcycle Battery
Market: Motorcycles and move up?

8.ClearEdge SMB Building Fuel Cells

9.Zinc Cheap as Dirt Grid Energy

10. Sodium Research

11.Liquid Metal Battery
A Discussion of LMB work at MIT high tempature most likely for Grid Storage

12.Ioxus Caps

more about ioxus
13.New Anode lift lithium another 30%

14.Lithium Air and IBM

The challenges of lithium air battery
15.solid State Batteries for Autos

16.Flourine long lasting battery chemistry

17.Salton Sea Lithium

18.Centrifuge improves battery building

19.silicon Boost

20.Oorja the fork lift fuel cell company

21.Firefly energy RIP trucker cab battery

22.Porus Power Spray

23 Energizer Zinc Air

24.Xtreme Power

25.Sion - Lithium Sulfide more on Sion Power

26.links to multiple battery stories

27.stretchy membraine at berkley

28. Salt Water Battery

29: Gartner Like Quandrant

30. Nissan cuts auto fuel costs by 75%

31 iron air battery SC

32 a23 paste battery

33 1000 mile car battery MAIL Battery
500-mile EV batteries. With the help of Recovery Act funding, Arizona-based Fluidic Energy is working with Arizona State University to develop a new generation of higher energy density metal-air batteries (metal air ionic liquid batteries, MAIL). To date, the development of these batteries has been blocked by the limitations of using unstable water based solutions that break down and evaporate out of the battery as it breathes. Fluidic Energy’s approach involves ionic liquids. If successful, the effort could yield batteries that weigh less, cost less, and are capable of carrying a four passenger electric car 500 miles without recharging, at a cost competitive with internal combustion engines.

34 Harvard Microbial battery

35 Idaho University Lead Battery Advancements

36) online resources for battery research

37 Ultra Caps fromIOXUS

38 Flouride-ion Batteries
ten times the density of Lithium, need to figure out how to operate at lower temperatures.

39 Stretchy Membrane 2 at Singapore

40)MIT has new catalyst for Nocera leaf

and another new Catalyst

and another Hydrogen Catalyst avoid Platinum

41 FastCap
Nanomaterials in Capacitors

42 Algaenate binder

43 Formic Acid Fuel cells

44) Ceramatec Ceramic Batteries for the home

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/article_b0372fd8-3f3c-11de-ac77-001cc4c002e0.html

45) Organic Fuel cells

http://www.physorg.com/news168018281.html

46) Molten Salt Battery

47) Applied Materials and improved battery production technology

Nalamasu ended his talk on a retro note. The manufacturing process for batteries, even the lithium-ion batteries in a Toyota Prius or Telsa Roadster, has barely changed for a century. Applied Materials is developing a new, cheaper process that cuts the traditional 14 stages of production down to three.

48 Lithium Air Batteries (increased energy density)

http://www.greentechmedia.com/green-light/post/revolt-basf-ink-zinc-air-battery-development-deal/

49 Khosla Seeo lithium technology with Pilot Plant
http://gigaom.com/cleantech/battery-startup-seeo-sets-up-pilot-production/

50 Discussion on types of Lithium Batteries .

51 Sumitomo's Low Temp Molten Salt batteries for cars in 2015

Foam battery and Capacity Hybrid

http://gigaom.com/mobile/future-gadget-batteries-could-last-10-times-longer/

notes from battery university regarding types of battery materials

Pellion : Khosla, ARPA-E and magnesium battery investment

Norwegian working on cheap wasteheat recovery

PolyPlus Lithium Saltwater Battery funded by ARPA-E first round

Winston Chung Chinese Entrepreneur US production and the 1000 mile bus battery

nd the 300 mile battery

Stanford Based Research Battery with a 30-year life for Grid Storage and MIT Review

GT Advanced Technology discusses 2 technologies to produce better solar for cheaper

25 battery ideas

UltraBattery combines lead-acid technology with supercapacitors for cheap 100k mile battery
,

Emefcy develops advanced energy efficient wastewater treatment technologies for minicipal and industrial plants creates Microbial Fuel cells

Tokyo Institute of Technology Professor Takashi Yabe uses water and the common metallic element magnesium to create pollution-free power

Isentropic Energy Pumped heat electric energy gravel storage bed

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1058119_its-official-dbm-energys-electric-car-battery-is-real

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/why-vcs-are-flocking-to-aquion-energys-novel-battery/8597?tag=search-river

IBM makes some strides in Lithium Air Batteries using big data to explore

Steve Chu of Arpa-e talks of battery improvement targets

Vorbeck Graphene Lithium Materials make batteries that recharge quicker and last 4x longer

Lithium Iron Phosphate BASF -

What I am trying to do here

This blog contains facts and information about Renewable Energy,Global Warming and some other items that interest me. Currently,there are a large number of posts which are left unpopulated or partially populated. I'll backfill them and continue to add info as I come across it.

This is a virtual notebook where I can place information in an organized manner. Hopefully, this will help me retain (or at least let me know where to find) info that I would otherwise forget and lose. This blog will look more like a website than a blog.

Some sources for my blog info is from http://www.treehugger.com/ and http://www.peakoil.com/websites as well books such as The Plot to Save the World.

I also plan to keep some notes on other things growing vegtables and flowers, watercoloring, living simply and frugally, cooking, Nashua, Books, Music and personal projects. However, the main emphasis will be on renewable energy.I'm doing this mainly for myself but perhaps you may find things of interest here.

100 + things to be optimistic about

Optimism

I'm optimistic the combined energy of research,technology, discussion, political action that are occuring we will get some positive results in obtaining new sources of energy and reduce global warming.

I am optomistic about this due to;

1) Large amount of individuals, university research labs, entreprenuers and companies that are working on this problem. Market forces help driving this.

2) In general, the world and the US do recognize this as an important issue

3) There are a number of technologies that are now new or are improved:

a) massive computing resources allow us to do modeling

b) better understanding allowing us to do biomimicing of breaking down materials to fuel, creating photosynthesism, reducing wind drag in transportation

c) biotechnology

d) improvements in battery technology

To see what the scientists and thought leaders of the Edge collaborative website are optomistic about click on the picture at the top of the page.

The Big Picture

Notes on World Usage Notes on World Supply Notes on World Demand Notes on US Usage 140 billion gallons of gasoline consumed in the US each year And our global appetite for petroleum continues to grow. In the United States alone, we consume nearly 40 quadrillion BTUs every year. (That’s 15 zeroes – a billion million.) The costs are astronomical: We spend over $200 billion on foreign oil every year. Notes on US Supply Notes on US Demand Ninety seven percent of the fuel used in U.S. transportation is petroleum-based, and two-thirds of our oil is imported. Much the largest source of renewable energy is hydroelectric power, which provides 17% of world electricity (and 6% of world energy), about the same as nuclear power; both are CO2-free. All the other renewables - wind, wave, tidal, solar, biomass (which are either CO2-free or CO-neutral) - hardly feature in the statistics at the present time.
Revia and Depade

A one megawatt plant can supply up to 1,000 homes with power).

Industry in the United States accounts for one-fourth of the world's manufacturing output, employs 14 million people and at 12 percent of the gross domestic product makes the highest contribution to the economy of any sector," Blue said.
While the U.S. industrial sector supplies over 60 percent of the nation's exports worth $50 billion/month, the challenge is to reduce the amount of energy - 32 quads, which is about one-third of the total energy consumed in the nation. One quad is equal to 1 quadrillion British thermal units, an amount of energy equal to 170 million barrels of oil.

CHARLIE ROSE: You’ve also said that we can get — have energy independence in 10 years
if we’re willing to go spend $180 billion?
AMORY LOVINS: I didn’t say in 10 years, but if we spent $180 billion getting off oil, half of
it to retool the car, truck and plane industries for tripled efficiency, and half to build a
modern bio-fuels industry, then that $180 billion investment by 2025 would return net $70

about milatary

AMORY LOVINS: And, of course, it’s a very teachable moment right now, because they
spend about half their money and a third of their people moving stuff around. That’s called
logistics.
CHARLIE ROSE: Right. Right.
AMORY LOVINS: 70 percent of the tonnage they move is fuel.

http://cohesion.rice.edu/NaturalSciences/Smalley/emplibrary/120204%20MRS%20Boston.pdf

Iraq War

sold as self financing by oil, it is not. Oil Saboteurs can't be stopped.

40% of Iraq's middle class left Iraq. Black market Oil finances the terrorist.

4000 American dead 10's of thousands wounded. Cost of war may end up about 2 trillion dollars 5 X Saudi Arabia's GNP.

the Abqaiq facilites process 7 million barrells -8% of worlds output. attacked a number of times

Takchess things of interest

Friday, November 4, 2011

100 + Things to be optimistic about (updated)

ARPA-E Awards $151M to 37 Projects for Transformative Energy Research[2009

Thursday, October 16, 2008

100 improvements in Batteries, Super Capacitors,Fuel Cells

What I am trying to do here

100 + things to be optimistic about

Optimism

The Big Picture

Iraq War

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