Recent Posts
Predictable by nature
Ocean waves are generated by wind passing over the surface of the sea - a process which often begins many hundreds or thousands of miles from shore. Because waves originate a long way from shore, computer models of wave propagation allow us to accurately forecast incoming waves up to five days in advance.
In comparison with wind energy, it's easier to accurately predict how much energy can be generated by waves, and when. In addition, the peaks and troughs of wind and wave energy do not always coincide. This means there are times when there is abundant wave energy and little wind. This diversity helps even out the fluctuating nature of some renewable energy sources. When combined with other renewable energy, such as hydro power, it helps provide a more predictable and steady renewable energy mix.
A diverse renewable energy portfolio means a more stable energy system, reduced variability and lower cost. In addition, a strong renewable energy mix means we become less reliant on traditional power sources such as oil and gas. This gives us greater energy security.
Minimal environmental impact
Wave energy is, by its nature, a clean energy resource. Aside from the energy expended in manufacture and installation of wave energy devices, it produces no carbon emissions. Our industry is still very new but studies undertaken to date show the process of capturing wave energy has minimal environmental impact. Our Oyster device, for example, is a simple, slow-moving buoyant flap. This flap moves backwards and forwards in the waves and pumps water ashore. There is no electricity production or fast moving equipment at sea. And as Oyster uses freshwater as its hydraulic fluid it means there are no hydrocarbons in its system. The device sits largely underwater so there is minimal visual impact.
Other applications
There is an obvious link between wave energy and desalination - the process of removing salt from water to produce freshwater. There are a number of island groups, such as the Canary Islands, which receive little rain or have limited means to capture and store rainfall. Instead seawater must be desalinated by a technique known as reverse osmosis. Energy fuelled by diesel generators is used to pump high pressure saltwater over special membranes to produce freshwater.
Our Oyster device offers a cleaner, more cost-effective solution. Oyster could be configured to produce high pressure saltwater direct to a desalination plant, without the need for fossil fuels whatsoever.
Source :
http://www.aquamarinepower.com/technology/why-wave-power/
The US Air Force is ready to switch to biofuels to help power its warplanes but the price of alternative fuels remains too high, military officials said.
Anxious to reduce its reliance on oil, the Air Force has approved the use of synthetic fuels for nearly all its aircraft and expects to get the green light for biofuels by the end of 2012, Undersecretary Erin Conaton said.
�The big thing we�re trying to do is to send a clear message to industry that the Air Force wants to be in a position to purchase biofuels and to use that operationally for our fleet,� Conaton said.
�But in order to do that,we need industry to be able to produce in the quantities we need at a cost-competitive price.�
Biofuels cost a prohibitive $35 a gallon (3.8l), about 10 times the price of conventional jet fuel, or JP-8.
Performance
�The biofuels that are available now are just nowhere near the cost of what we can buy JP-8 for,� Conaton said.
With the biofuels industry still in need of more private investment, the US military has joined forces with commercial airlines �to try to send the right message�to the alternative fuels industry, she said.
�We�re ready whenever they�re ready to produce it.�
Tests have shown fighter aircraft and cargo planes can fly on a blend of biofuels and traditional jet fuel with no sacrifice in speed or performance, she said.
Conaton spoke as biofuels industry representatives and military officials gathered for an energy conference on Tuesday in Washington where alternative fuels will feature high on the agenda.
US officials see the country�s dependence on foreign oil as a national security risk and an increasing financial burden.
To promote energy �security�, the Air Force has set a goal to have half of its domestic fuel needs drawn from alternative sources by 2016.
The biofuels tested on military aircraft, known as hydro processed renewable jet fuel, are derived from the camelina plant, animal fat and various waste oils.
The military and commercial airlines are also testing �alcohol-to-jet�fuel produced from cellulosic feedstock,including switch grass,grains and sugar.
Conaton said the Air Force had plans to test the ATJ fuel on A-10 ground attack aircraft.
Following the Air Force�s lead, the Navy and Army are also working to promote the use of alternative fuels in ships, ground vehicles and bases, with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus arguing that the military can help generate enough demand to lower the price of biofuels.
Mabus told NPR earlier this month that �if we establish the market, the price is going to begin to come down�.
The Air Force�s consumption of fuel is equivalent to a major commercial airline, or about 10 billion litres a year.
Source : http://www.eco-h2o.co.za/2011/07/20/biofuel-for-the-us-air-force/
Introduction
In just a few short decades wind energy has matured dramatically, making wind one of the fastest growing sources of electricity in the world today. Due to technological advancements, policy initiatives, and economic drivers, wind energy is now able to make a cost-competitive contribution to our growing energy needs.
Wind Turbine Technology
Turbines today are sleek and slender machines, a far cry from their wooden ancestors. Around the world, wind turbines of all sizes have become a familiar sight; ranging from home or farm-scale machines of 1 kilowatt (kW), all the way up to arrays of large 7 megawatt (MW) machines for off-shore use.
Modern wind turbines are up to the task of producing serious amounts of electricity. A popular sized machine in the U.S. today is a state-of-the-art 2 MW turbine that stands as tall as a 30-story building and costs roughly $2 million to $5 million installed. With a good wind resource, this size turbine can produce 5 million kWh of electricity each year, or enough energy to run 500 average American households.
Wind Energy Around the Globe
Turbines are sprouting up around the globe in record numbers. By the end of 2010, there were over 197,000 MW of wind installed around the world, which is more than three-times the 59,000 MW installed in 2005. The pace of growth is now greatest in China, where installed wind energy capacity grew by 18,928 MW in 2010, over half of their total 25,805 MW installed capacity. Yet the United States leads the world in total installation, with 35,086 MWby year end 2010. The growth in the Chinese market put China second in total installed wind capacity with 25,805 MW edging out Germany (25,777 MW).
China's recent boom can be attributed to the passage of a Renewable Energy Standard in 2007 and the introduction in 2009 of requirements for grid owners to buy electricity from renewables, as well as a 20-year feed-in-tariff for wind projects. While nearly half of the world's new installed capacity in 2010 came from China, other countries are also growing their wind resources. (Source: Global Energy Council's Global Wind Report 2010).
Spain continues to be a leader in wind power, with India, France, Italy and the UK rising in the market. The recent boom in renewable energy investment, including wind energy generation, is being aided through progressive policies and widespread public support. Legislation such as the UK's Renewables Obligation, the 29 US states and 2 territories with Renewable Portfolio Standards, and the EU's target for 20% renewable energy by 2020 is aiding the development of wind energy across the globe.
Wind Energy in the United States
Total wind capacity in the United States reached 46,919 MW by the end of 2011, with commercial-scale wind turbines operating in 38 states. Wind power accounted for 35% of the country's new power-production capacity from 2007 to 2011, second only to natural gas. According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Texas leads the country as the state with the most installed wind power with 10,135 MW. Iowa remains a leader in wind generation with 3,675 MW installed; while California and Minnesota continue to harvest significant amounts of wind with 3,179 MW and 2,432 MW respectively.
Although this is significant growth for wind energy, it still only accounts for a small percentage of the U.S. electricity supply. The U.S. Department of Energy recently released a report that laid out a plan to reach 20% wind energy power by 2030 to fuel the U.S. electricity grid. This would provide a major increase in jobs, benefits to rural landowners, and lead the Country to increased energy independence. Factors pushing for growth in U.S. wind energy include the high cost of fossil fuels and concern over national energy security. As a result, policy makers are actively considering a wide range of legislation that would support and enhance wind energy growth.
Progressive public policy has usually been a key ingredient both for encouraging wind energy expansion and helping to determine what forms that growth will take. Future growth will likely come from commercial-scale wind farms, which are typically vast arrays of turbines owned and operated by large corporations. Yet experience in Minnesota has shown that, with an encouraging policy environment, small clusters of turbines or even single turbines can make significant contirbutions, operated by local landowners, small businesses, and community wind projects.
The Future of Wind Energy
Technological advancements and supportive policy measures have the ability to dramatically increase the future of wind energy development in our nation and our world. Wind power has the unique ability to provide even greater sources of distributed energy production, which means less risk and a stronger energy portfolio. America�s ingenuity and drive for independence are well suited to increased wind energy development in the future. Stay tuned to advancements at industry and policy levels as wind energy continues to grow.
Source : http://www.windustry.org/wind-basics/introduction
It is time that we all face the truth that our oil resources will be depleted in less than a decade and all the benefits that we have reaped from this oil since date will vanish in a wisp of smoke. With fuel prices rising every year due to the decrease in natural oil resources one day will come when fuel will be costlier than diamond and we will be left with nothing. But this fate can be stopped if we become aware and start using biodiesel fuels to preserve mineral oil for functions that are extremely necessary for human kind and cannot do without mineral oil.
Biodiesel fuel is therefore the alternative fuel that we should use. You may say, but I know nothing about it, and so we are here to give you more information on biodiesel fuel so that you can cheaply and effectively run your car and other machines without damaging the environment at all.
Benefits Of Biodiesel Fuels:
A biodiesel fuel is essentially a non-petroleum fuel that has a long chain of alkyl esters. This fuel is produced from vegetable oil by its transesterification and can be used in most engine vehicles even if they are unmodified ones. There are vehicles that are designed to run only on biodiesel fuel but it can be used even if the vehicle is not made to run on it. It is a clean fuel that is an excellent alternative to petroleum.
In fact a biodiesel fuel is made from matter that is one hundred percent renewable. Moreover this fuel can actually be used in combination with petroleum if say your car doesnot support running entirely on it and needs some amount of petroleum. However pure biodiesel can only be used in diesel cars while petrol run cars will require blending like B20 or B50 etc.
You may feel that this fuel is actually like any vegetable oil fuel that has come up in recent years as an alternative fuel. It is not so and actually it is much different and more efficient a fuel than vegetable oil fuel. The former can only be used in combustion-ignition type engines while biodiesel fuel can be used in any engine, in pure form or blended form. This fuel is also very good for human health. For example it has cleared all the health effecting tests that any fuel has to clear; it meets the standards of non-polluting or rather polluting the environment to a bare minimum and has been literally termed environment friendly.
All these issues kept in mind; a biodiesel fuel is actually the best alternative fuel available and can be got anywhere. However, the price is a tad more than normal conventional fuel since the demand for the fuel is not much. But with the way in which things are going it is sure that the demand for the fuel will increase making it the fuel of the future.
Sumber : http://biodieselprocessor.org/
Tidal energy, also referred to as tidal power,is a process that harnesses the energy of the tides and converts it into power. Tidal energy is far more predictable than other forms of clean, green, renewable energy such as solar, wind and wave energy. In fact, tidal energy is far from being a new concept and has been used throughout history as a source of energy. The earliest account of tidal energy use dates back through the Middle Ages to Roman times!
How do the tides work? Basically, the relationship between the Earth and moon causes the tide to change. As the moon rotates around Earth and the Earth rotates around the sun, it has a gravitational push and pull on the ocean. This fluctuation takes energy, and that is the energy that can be harnessed! Because this process of fluctuating tides occurs at fairly predictable intervals of time, and because it is likely that the tidal fluctuations will continue to occur indefinitely, tidal energy is viewed as an inexhaustible resource.
There are several tidal energy farms throughout the world. Two farms are currently being built in Wales and both are expected to be operational in 2010. In Canada, the British Columbia Tidal Energy Corporation is currently building three turbines in Campbell River and should be completed by the end of 2009. Nova Scotia is also building a tidal energy farm.
Tidal energy power, like solar power, has a high initial investment and a very low maintenance cost. This poses a challenge, however, because many investors aren�t willing to provide the initial investment, especially when returns come back over an extended period of time. However, tidal energy has the potential to replace fossil fuel power plants. For example, a proposal for a tidal energy plant for the Severn Barrage in the United Kingdom would prevent eighteen-million tons of coal each year from being used.
There are many additional benefits to investing in tidal energy. To start, tidal energy farms can be located in any body of water that is affected by tidal fluctuation�oceans and rivers connected to the ocean. It is also very consistent, which is a problem that other sources of clean, sustainable energy sources face.
Harnessing tidal energy is a very interesting idea. Tidal energy advocates are highly optimistic and see the potential for tidal energy to provide a large amount of the energy. Opponents to the idea of tidal energy mainly point out its initial investment, which like solar power, is very high. However, many people are able to see beyond this challenge. After all, most environmentalists easily understand the concept of investing in compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, even though they are more expensive than incandescent bulbs.
We need to keep in mind that when the use of fossil fuels began, it was extremely expensive to build the power plants and create the energy grids necessary to transfer that energy. More than one hundred years later, the process of obtaining energy from fossil fuels has been streamlined. EnviroCitizen.org acknowledges that it may be more expensive to invest in tidal energy now, but notes that in the not-too-distant-future we will be able to enjoy a low-cost, highly renewable, very green, clean energy source that with further preserve the Earth! An upfront investment is certainly worth the long-term benefits the Earth with experience.
Source : http://www.envirocitizen.org/article/how-does-tidal-energy-work/1087.html
Welcome to Extreme Biodiesel, home of the "Extractor", our standard water-wash processor, and the "Extreme Extractors", with our exclusive 2 and 5 hour waterless filtration systems.
Our new "Extreme Mini-Refineries" produce at least 600 gallons of biodiesel per day! We can also custom-build larger processors to accommodate your biodiesel needs.
After years of research and development, Extreme Biodiesel offers the finest constructed and most user-friendly processors in the biofuel industry. We are the cutting edge leaders in new technology and will continue to achieve technological advances in biodiesel production in our on-site laboratory.
At Extreme Biodiesel, we use only the finest components in constructing biodiesel processors. By using polyethylene and polypropylene materials, all of our fittings and hoses are biodiesel compatible. Unlike many biodiesel product manufacturers, we do not use white PVC, galvanized pipe or rubber hoses/tubing in our construction as these materials will eventually degrade, swell, crack and leak. The Apollo brass valves we use are made of the finest materials: including stainless steel inserts and Teflon seals.
Our custom biodiesel tanks are made with double-thick polyethylene. These tanks allow for production of 20 to 100 gallons of biodiesel in a single batch! You cannot find these biodiesel tanks anywhere but through Extreme Biodiesel.
With our exclusive "Methoxide Mixing System" you will never come into contact with both the methanol and lye together. These two chemicals are highly toxic to breathe in and will burn upon contact. Thus, we have added a separate, totally enclosed motorized methanol pump for your safety.
Our exclusive "Extreme Extractor" is a unique waterless system that completely eliminates the time consuming steps of water-washing and drying that is found in most biodiesel processors. It can produce up to 100 gallons of biodiesel in as little as 5.5 hours! And, with the "Extreme Extractor," wastewater disposal is eliminated!
If you already own a processor and are tired of water-washing, you can also purchase the "Extreme Purification System" separately. You will find all of these waterless systems well worth the price!
Biodiesel will have your engine run cooler, quieter, and eliminate up to 90% of emissions. Biodiesel will also reduce up to 90% of exhaust smoke, and most importantly, it's friendly to our environment!
Making biodiesel is simple. All you need to make biodiesel is vegetable oil (waste or virgin), methanol and lye. The vegetable oil-to-biodiesel-ratio is approximately 1:1. On average, you can produce biodiesel for as little as $0.80/Gallon!
Considering today's outrageous diesel prices, just think of the savings you will enjoy with your own biodiesel processing system from Extreme Biodiesel!
Source : http://www.extremebiodiesel.com/
A method developed at Aalto University in Finland makes it possible to use microbes to produce butanol suitable for biofuel and other industrial chemicals from wood biomass.
Butanol is particularly suited as a transport fuel because it is not water soluble and has higher energy content than ethanol.
Most commonly used raw materials in butanol production have so far been starch and cane sugar. In contrast to this, the starting point in the Aalto University study was to use only lignocellulose, otherwise known as wood biomass, which does not compete with food production.
Another new breakthrough in the study is to successfully combine modern pulp -- and biotechnology. Finland's advanced forest industry provides particularly good opportunities to develop this type of bioprocesses.
Wood biomass is made up of three primary substances: cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Of these three, cellulose and hemicellulose can be used as a source of nutrition for microbes in bioprocesses. Along with cellulose, the Kraft process that is currently used in pulping produces black liquor, which can already be used as a source of energy. It is not, however, suitable for microbes. In the study, the pulping process was altered so that, in addition to cellulose, the other sugars remain unharmed and can therefore be used as raw material for microbes.
When wood biomass is boiled in a mixture of water, alcohol and sulphur dioxide, all parts of the wood -- cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin -- are separated into clean fractions. The cellulose can be used to make paper, nanocellulose or other products, while the hemicellulose is efficient microbe raw material for chemical production. Thus, the advantage of this new process is that no parts of the wood sugar are wasted.
In accordance with EU requirements, all fuel must contain 10 per cent biofuel by 2020. A clear benefit of butanol is that a significantly large percentage -- more than 20 per cent of butanol, can be added to fuel without having to make any changes to existing combustion engines. The nitrogen and carbon emissions from a fuel mix including more than 20 per cent butanol are significantly lower than with fossil fuels. For example, the incomplete combustion of ethanol in an engine produces volatile compounds that increase odour nuisances in the environment. Estimates indicate that combining a butanol and pulp plant into a modern biorefinery would provide significant synergy benefits in terms of energy use and biofuel production.
The project run by Aalto University is part of the Tekes' BioRefine programme. Tekes is the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation.
The Biorefine programme is developing new competence based on national strengths and related to the refining of biomass. The overall aim of the project is to increase the refining value of forest residues that cannot be utilised in, for example, the pulp process. The research has been developed by Professor Aadrian van Heiningen and Tom Granstr�m and a group of researchers at Aalto University.
Results of findings have been published in scientific journals such as Bioresource Technology. The developed technology has been patented.
Source : http://www.sciencedaily.com/
