Making Algal Biofuel with Flue Gas

Washington, D.C. —A novel method to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gas and produce biofuels has been formally launched in the second phase of a Department of Energy (DOE) project at a nursery in Ohio. Successful application of the process could eventually help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a source of liquid biofuels and biogas, reducing U.S. dependence on foreign energy sources. 

Touchstone Research Laboratory in Triadelphia, W.Va., successfully inoculated four biomass production ponds with algae at Cedar Lane Farms in Wooster, Ohio, and is now investigating the effectiveness of an innovative phase change material to enhance open pond algae production.

The project consists of several indoor and outdoor ponds which are being used to determine how Touchstone’s phase-change material tackles three challenges inherent in algae biofuels production: maintaining temperature, minimizing water evaporation, and protecting against invasive species. The phase-change material absorbs infrared solar radiation during the day as latent heat and releases it to the water at night when temperatures drop. Covering the surface of the pond, the material regulates daily temperature fluctuations, reduces water loss from evaporation, and helps control the growth of invasive species.

Touchstone will operate the new system for approximately 14 months and gather data to substantiate future commercialization efforts. Once the algae ponds have matured, the algal biomass will be harvested and processed to collect the lipids. Roughly 2,000 gallons of algal oil will be recovered from the process per year and upgraded to renewable biofuel. The Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research Development Center will perform pilot-scale process development and testing of an anaerobic digestion process to convert the residual algae biomass to methane.

During Phase 1 of the project, researchers constructed a small laboratory pond to demonstrate the viability of the material to improve algae growth. This helped researchers pinpoint performance requirements of the phase-change material and gas-injection components needed for the Phase 2 system, which is now installed at Cedar Lane Farms. The algae in the ponds will photosynthesize CO2 captured from a small, coal-fired combustor used to heat greenhouses and will naturally produce lipids (oils) as it grows. 

Source: DOE　

Study Shows Strong Growth in Solar

According to a new report by the British firm, IMS Research, the photovoltaics (PV) market in the Americas (primarily the USA) more than doubled in the first half of 2012 to reach 1.7 GW. IMS predicts the total will reach almost 4.3 GW for the full year. Global PV installations exceeded 13 GW in the first half of 2012, with much of the increase coming from the Americas and Germany. The Americas market increased by more than 120% to reach 1.7 GW in the first half of 2012, compared to 750 MW in the same period last year, according to the IMS report. Read more...

DOE Tests New CO2 Capture Process

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a successful trial of a new CO2 capture method using a new sorbent called  BrightBlack™, designed by Advanced Technology Materials Inc. (ATMI). 

In the DOE trial, CO2 was absorbed in a bed of sorbent pellets and desorbed in a separate reactor that regenerates the sorbent and cycled it back to the absorber. As the test run began, the observed CO2‑capture efficiency was as high as 95 percent and the captured CO2 purity was 95 to 100 percent. Through 7,000 absorption-regeneration cycles, and a total of 130 hours of operation, the sorbent showed little-to-no mechanical or chemical degradation. The high-capacity sorbent is regenerated easily at moderate thermal temperatures, making the process less energy-intensive than typical, amine-based CO2-capture processes. 

The information from the trial will be used to design a larger, pilot-scale unit of 0.5 megawatts or more in preparation for potential future testing at an operating pulverized-coal boiler.  

Source: DOE

Court Vacates EPA Cross-State Pollution Rule

A federal appeals court today vacated the EPA’s Cross-State Pollution Rule, which would have restricted power plant emissions in 29 states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Illinois. Read more...

Gamesa Debuts New Turbine for Low-Wind Areas

       

Until recently, most of the attention from the wind energy industry in North Dakota has been on the pink and purple areas of the map shown above, those areas of "good"and "excellent" wind potential. Unfortunately, many of these areas are not practical for wind farms because their remoteness puts them far away from the necessary transmission infrastructure. The most cost-efficient areas for wind power are those in the eastern third of the state where higher population densities mean easier access to transmission facilities and other infrastructure requirements. Those areas, alas, are largely brown and orange ("marginal" and "fair") and of little interest to wind developers.

Their allure may improve, however, as new technology is introduced to capitalize on areas that don't boast the gusty winds western North Dakota is famous for. The Spanish manufacturer, Gamesa, for example, recently introduced 2 MW turbines specifically designed for low-wind regions. The G97-2.0 MW Class III model is currently being manufactured in Spain, China, India and the U.S. The turbine features a swept area 16% larger than that of the Gamesa's current G90 model and includes a new aerodynamic blade tip design and noise control technology. 

The G97 currently is making its U.S. debut as part of a wind project underway in Faribault County, Minnesota. (Wind maps indicate the aveage wind potential in this area is similar to that in most of eastern North Dakota.) Idaho-based Exergy Development Group plans to install 18 of the new units near the town of Blue Earth, according to a recent report from Recharge. The new facility, which is expected to be online by the end of the year, reportedly plans to sell its output to Northern States Power. 

Ethanol Producers Test Bio-Engineered Corn

Golden Grain Energy (GGE) of Iowa and Siouxland Ethanol of Nebraska have signed an agreement with Syngenta in North America to demonstrate the value of Syngenta's Enogen® genetically-engineered corn. Both ethanol plants will complete a three-month trial with the specialized corn grain that, according to  Syngenta, allows ethanol production to be more efficient, cost effective and better for the environment. Read more...