100 + things to be optimistic about

   (Don't let the date on this post fool you I am constantly adding to it)

This posting will be a collection of things that could prove interesting in improving our world. A fraction of these will in time make major improvements.

100)

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

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

97)DOE Consortium looks to improve ICE efficentcy by 30%  

96 Supercritical Water removes sugar from wood at sugarcane prices

95) NASA  shares technology with others 

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

93 Molecular Filtration Advancements for Petroleum Refiners

92 CO2 as a FeedStock
http://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/

91 Fracking Oil Shale (pending safety concerns) 


90 ARPA invests in bugs that produce Hydrogen, Ethanol etc. 

89 ) General Fusion

Fusion for 30M? Vancouver CA company with Bezos money.

88) Various Water Ideas

Seawater Greenhouses

Cyprus Institutes Solar Desalination

Bruce Logan Microbial Desalination  Microbial Fuel Cells


87) Spherical Motor Kuglemotor

86 Michigan State University 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

85 Hydrogen Fuel Cells costs cut by 75% by Nissan

84:QM Power

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/10/tour-20111012.html

http://pesn.com/2011/04/30/9501820_QM_Power_Commercializing_Flynns_OU_Parallel_Path_Technology/


83: Tour Engines - Improved ICE with Split Cycle


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)

3)New Drilling technology for GeoThermal Wells

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/05/potter-20090521.html#more

4)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/
also early detection of diseases and splitting light by color and intense focus of light

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

http://www.newenergytechnologiesinc.com/technology.html

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

6)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



7) Venter harvests 20 million new genes to find bug that turns coal to methane


http://www.microbeworld.org/index.php?option=com_jlibrary&view=article&id=761
8 Low grade Coal (lignite) to Gas? Is it real and desirable?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/columnists/rmiller/stories/DN-miller_28bus.ART.State.Edition1.3cf764e

9) Hydrogenization of CO2 (using it as a possible feedstock through Fischer-Tropp)

http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2009/07/01/does-hydrogenation-of-co2-have-a-future/

10)CO2 to Methanol

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/07/nazimek-20090707.html#more

11) Bugs that create Methane from Coal

http://greenlight.greentechmedia.com/2008/12/23/coal-to-methane-via-bacteria-company-gets-759-million-913/

12) Infrared Light into Electricity :using a wider spectrum

http://www.jxcrystals.com/ThermoPV.htm

13) Spectrolab Solar reaches 40% with mirrors

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/stateoftheart_m.php

14)Toshiba smaller nuclear
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Toshiba


15) Amtec -solid state heat engine
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3864/is_200009/ai_n8926045/?tag=content;col1
Lonnie Johnson talks at Parc
http://www.memagazine.org/contents/current/archive/alkali.html
http://peswiki.com/index.php/PowerPedia:Atomic_Battery

16) Urine Fuel

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET-Cetera/Forget-gas-Now-pee-being-tapped-as-fuel/articleshow/4794915.cms
E3 clean technology hydrogen fuel cell

http://www.zerofuel.org/
17)Lithium Air Batteries (increased energy density)

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

18) One Step Cellusoic sludge to Ethanol


http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/energy/23892/

19) One Step Algae to Ethanol

20) Miscanthus Research

http://miscanthus.illinois.edu/

21) Improved Heat carriers for Geothermal


http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/23065/page1/

22)


23) 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/



24) Factor of 50 energy savings membrane for seperation

http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/07/new-zeolite-membranes-increase-energy.html

25)Electric Cream ??
http://allafrica.com/stories/200907311073.html

26) Cansolarhttp://www.examiner.com/x-4002-Milwaukee-Green-Living-Examiner~y2009m4d22-Beer-can-solar-heater-provides-free-heat

27) Artifical Photosynthesis
http://palscience.com/2009/03/11/turning-sunlight-into-liquid-fuel/

28)Zeolites - Low energy seperation of Biofuels

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/07/tsapatsis-20090731.html

29) Micro hydro- canals slow moving

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/get-ready-for-ditch-power/

30)Desalinization Pressure Drop Energy
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/desalination-can-the-technology-go-elsewhere/

31)Diesel-Gas in same engine 20 %improvement
http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2009/08/07/a-breakthrough-for-internal-combustion-engines/

32)New Engine Technologies

http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2009/08/26/a-new-5-stroke-internal-combustion-engine/

http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2007/11/19/a-physicist-offers-an-engine-design-for-over-100-mpg/

http://www.sandersonengine.com/html/the_engine_of_the_future.html
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/09/garric-20090925.html#comments
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/25453/?a=f

http://www.greencarreports.com/blog/1048718_startup-transonic-injects-supercritical-fuel-for-30-mpg-rise

33)A variant on Salt-Freshwater Energy
http://www.physorg.com/news171102611.html

34)Sewerage Energy
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/can-sewage-save-the-world/

35 Vincent Carman
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/05/prototype_vince.php

36 electric motor improvements
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/09/yasa-motors-advanced-electric-motor-more-powerful-efficient.php
http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2009/100909.html
Novatorque 

37 ultracapicator- battery combo

http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2009/09/09/making-the-most-of-your-energy-density/

38) Joule Biotech (organism that is not algae)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=joule-biotechnologies-announce-new-2009-07-27

http://www.technologyreview.com/business/23073/

39) Glidearc - Plasma Gasification Method

http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2010/03/23/a-new-low-cost-clean-process-for-biofuel-production/#comments

40) Bugs that eat polution

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/03/16/billions-of-tiny-bugs-have-green-jobs-cleaning-up-polluted-sites/#more-7190

41) Pyrolis method to turn Biomass to chemicals

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24891/?a=f

42) Zajac Motors_ improved diesel design

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Improving-the-Internal-Combustion-Engine-Zajac-Motors

43) Solar Air conditioning with 3-4 year payback

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/solar-thermal-wednesday-chromasun-gets-3-million-hawaii-maps-hybrid-plant/

44) urban farmer

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-new-american-farmer/
will allen 1/4 food two acres

45 Liquid Piston improved Diesel engine

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/04/liquidpiston-20100409.html#comments

46) Salt water battery ;;
Desalinization technique
http://www.energyboom.com/emerging/salt-water-battery-cuts-desalination-energy-use-80

47) Oorjhttp://www.heraldextra.com/news/article_b0372fd8-3f3c-11de-ac77-001cc4c002e0.hta _methanol fuel cells
http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2010/04/12/an-affordable-fuel-cell/

48)Fiber PV gains in efficiency
http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/04/fiber-photovoltaics-can-double-flat.html#more

49) Viruses making Hydrogen


50) Assorted Automotive Technologies
Laser Spark Plug 


51) Solar Heated iron to make Syngas


52) Appreciation for Dirt

53) Pressure cooking Algae to oil

54) 90% more efficent air conditioning\

55 heat recovery wheels

56 new energy technology as shown here and here at Tour.

57) making a sewer pit a fuel cell

58) Lead acid battery technology

59) Super charger technology

60)Magnesium fuel cell

61) New car engines
Pinacles Boxer Engine 

Concept: Garric Rotary Variable Compression Ratio Engine

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/09/garric-20090925.html#comments


62) Khosla looking for answers
his tracked portfolio found here

63) Fuel from CO2

64) Doe and Concentrated Solar Power

65 Perenial Grain research

66 Arpa e awards list

67 Wave disc engines

68 Bricks from urine
69 Large gravel beds to be used as large heat storage devices

70 Electrotherm - Waste Heat Reclaimer in production

71) Electric Power Plant uses excess power to create Nitrogen and Oxygen as storage to be burned by waste heat

72) Salt water Fresh Water Osmotic difference

73) Flow Battery Research from a123

74) mindvolting ;)

75) faster hole digging

76) Stanford heat and solar electronically in the same package 50%

77) Scuderi and the Air Hybrid Engine

78) Virtual Lithium Mine

79) Flow Batteries
80) DBM Solid State Battery Quick Charging high Capacity and Cheap

81) Sodium &Water Grid Storage

82) nanoptek to create hydrogen in a standalone system

83) UMaine Trees to Fuel

More on New Energy Site with video found here 

84)Reducing Friction Ideas
Diamond like Carbon Coating for Plows

85  http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-57319061-54/salt-driven-air-conditioner-looks-to-slash-energy/

86 Salt driven AC with 75% power savings 

** Optical Cavity Furnace-Better Solar Panel Manufacturing (in precision and cost) 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-57319061-54/salt-driven-air-conditioner-looks-to-slash-energy/?tag=txt;title

flodesign Waltham MA airturbine based on Jet Engine that goes beyond Betz limit

Luca technology gas farming microbes turn coal to natural gas

NYC based Rentricity electricity from pressure drops in water pipes 

Sempris NREL Solar @ 40% efficiency