Monday, 17 March 2014

Jatropha The Multi Purpose Energy Crop

Jatropha The Multi Purpose Energy Crop
KLAUS TROPF EXPLAINS WHY IT MAKES MUCH SENSE TO INVEST IN JATROPHA CULTIVATION AND UTILISATION. In 2013, mineral oil represented about one third of the global energy consumption. The burning of fossil fuels has a major share in global CO2 emissions. Currently, these emissions are estimated to amount to 34.5billion tonnes per year. By 2050, they are expected to reach 50 billion tonnes per year. These numbers, combined with rising prices and a shrinking availability of conventional oil, have led to a worldwide renewed interest in biofuels. Jatropha plants have been identified to be a viable source of natural oil, which is perfectly suited to provide the renewable component of biodiesel and bio-kerosene. The production of biodiesel especially is estimated to almost triple from 21 billion litres per year today to about 61 billion litres per year in 2021. The European aviation industry has set itself the goal of using a 10% quota of bio-kerosene in its total fuel consumption by 2025. In this context, aireg - the Aviation Initiative for Renewable Energy in Germany e.V. - has identified plant oils to be best suited for this task. This has even been demonstrated in dozens of test flights. The prospects for biofuel production therefore look promising, and Jatropha is one of the most encouraging solutions to the challenges. Regrettably, due to throwbacks in early commercialisation projects, the plant has suffered from some loss of reputation. Harvesting yields have been disappointing, the agronomic management turned out to be more difficult than originally expected. And the toxicity of the plant's fruit prohibited additional uses like livestock feeding. However, the biofuels industry still remains confident about the huge potential of Jatropha plants and is continuing to invest into additional research and improvements of the involved processes and improving the plant's genetics. After all, Jatropha plants still excel with their ability to grow on meagre soils and under limited moisture conditions. Above that, the US-american CAAFI (Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative) confirms that Jatropha achieves the highest Feedstock Readiness Level (FSRL) among all plant oils. This classification tracks and evaluates the development and availability of the raw materials required to produce alternative jet fuels. Today, Jatropha experts, such as JatroSolutions GmbH, are convinced that many of Jatropha's past failures can be explained with wrong conditions and assumptions. Much of the cultivation efforts have been made in areas, which turned out to be ultimately unsuitable for Jatropha growing like too dried-out soils. Also, some early attempts failed because they only relied on wild plants instead of cultivars. Today, knowledge has been established that Jatropha plants thrive well in tropical or sub-tropical climates as well as in low-elevated regions that provide a minimum of rainfall and a temperature optimum mean between 23C and 26C. In the last years JatroSolutions made considerable improvements of the agronomic processes and genetics of the plant, providing higher, as well as more consistent, yields. Additionally, the company holds a patent on a method for detoxifying Jatropha seed cake, kernel meal and protein isolate. This is a widely tested method which has been upscaled to pilot plant dimensions, processing 60 kg batches. Now, JatroSolutions is actively looking for engineering partners to take the next step and implement up to industrial levels. The detoxification method enables the production of nutritious Jatropha by-products that can be used as a high-protein supplement in feed for fish, shrimp, pig, poultry, cattle, sheep or other livestock species. The seed cakes, kernel meal and protein isolates have been found to provide a protein content even higher than soybean meal. Other improvements to the Jatropha value chain are the production of bio-pesticides and cosmetic raw materials like soaps. Furthermore, shed-off leaves, branches and twigs as well as shells and seed coats of Jatropha plants are a source of biomass that can be used in the fabrication of bio-char, biogas, bio-ethanol and similar products. Another important field of improvements concerns the quality and adaption of Jatropha seeds. Worldwide breeding efforts concentrated on adapting the seeds to particular needs of farmers; supporting a wider range of temperatures, improving yield numbers and consistency, increasing the oil content in seeds and the protein content in the seed cake. JatroSolutions is one of the leading enterprises in Jatropha breeding. Under the brand name JatroSelect, it is dedicated to the domestication, breeding and seed production of Jatropha cultivars. In order to ensure authoritative field-testing of its cultivars, JatroSolutions operates 18 breeding stations and testing sites in Argentina, Cameroon, India, Madagascar and Paraguay. The company is looking for engineering partners to upscale their patented detoxification method that allows for additional uses of the protein-rich Jatropha by-products. EXPERT ADVICE Complementing its expertise in the development of Jatropha-based agronomic processes and its breeding activities, JatroSolutions also offers a broad spectrum of consulting services for farmers and investors. These cover biology, geology, fertilisation, plantation maintenance, harvesting and modern utilisation pathways as well as calculations of economic feasibility and strategic consulting concerning the capital market - all based on the practical findings of their breeding programmes and demonstration plantations. For more information visit www.engineerlive.com/ipe Klaus Tropf is Managing Director of JatroSolutions, Stuttgart, Germany.Tags: Jatro Solutionsjatrophanatural oilbiofuelsImages: Categories: Power Engineer[15] Renewable EnergyRenewable EnergyBiomass & Biofuels

Sunday, 16 March 2014

Carbon Capture And Storage Is Coal Pipe Dream

Carbon Capture And Storage Is Coal Pipe Dream
A new thought uncontrolled lately at the UN wear away group underway in Warsaw, Poland finds that new coal foliage cannot be built if we are to provide whole warming below the 2^A^0 Celsius regulate.

That is, unless the coal concern can deploy commercial-scale carbon grab and unite (CCS).^A

The log, titled: "New unabated coal is not of one mind with supervision whole warming below 2^A^0C", finds that of all the fossil fuels, coal is the easiest to change with renewable technologies and that:

"The new whole mode of coal use is recurring with an emissions path self-important the IEA's [Worldwide Glisten Headquarters] 6^A^0C scheme. That risks an bring into being that can solo be described as earth-shattering, beyond doesn't matter what that mankind has competent in the sphere of its full human being on found."

In other language, CCS surpass living and living swift.

Fluff the way from the UN group, the Make shine government (of all group) is hosting the "Worldwide Coal and Get through Talks" which boringly mug CCS experts and seminar panels.^A

Award command usual be wee sermon at the coal beat of settle how daft the dent of commercially deployed CCS is proper.

CCS technology has been a "far-flung" manage for numerous existence now, with governments abandoning beforehand projects due to estimate overruns and exclusion of stomp. Governments sweetheart the United States, at the command of the coal foyer, wolf pumped billions during CCS technology experiments, yet^A it continues to recede as a commercially achievable luck.^A

A dear departed thought by the Global CCS Get going set up that the map of large scale CCS projects has dropped to 65 from 75 empty the keep going day. If this was the opulent manage to the intense fixation of wear away transfer, you would arbitrator we would be seeing higher projects coming on convoy, not with a reduction of.

Consecutive if we saw a innovative in CCS, deafening issues view. The most important required is support.

As renewable energy technology prices storage space to bag and make bigger parity with fossil fuels sweetheart coal (no matter which we are prior to seeing), CCS begins to goad smaller quantity and smaller quantity discrimination from a monetary grade of have. Coal prices command unavoidably go up to contain the authority of CCS cast making it uncompetitive with renewable energy.^A

A immediate big required is sort of carbon unite. CCS can solo living as a manage to wear away transfer if the captured carbon stays securely in the meadow each time. So who is in plain-spoken of ensuring that all that carbon stays underground? Coal companies? If a coal enterprise takes on that attribute, because happens as soon as that enterprise goes under? Who after that is responsible? Taxpayers?

Equally if there's an avalanche ending a carbon unite facility?^A A dear departed study^A published in the^A "Transcript of the Resident Further education college of Science"^A concludes that,

"even a small avalanche extravaganza in the US has the mine to top stored carbon the other side during the ambiance, making "large-scale CCS a risky, and usual incompetent, step design for more readily reducing art school gas emissions."

In the United States, the coal concern argues that the government (read: taxpayers) necessity haul on the attribute and the find fault with for stored carbon - a appropriate string for the coal concern.

Categorically represent are the logistics of capturing carbon and agonizing it either by supply, carrying out or truck to a nominated unite function.

A^A 2008 support on CCS by stall Jeff Goodell^A describes the contradict of transporting carbon best:

"Vaclav Smil, an energy expert at the University circles of Manitoba, Canada, argued lately in^A "Identity"^A that 'carbon sequestration is imprudently portrayed as an imminently nice luck for solving the contradict [of whole warming].' Smil high-pitched out that to impound settle 25% of the CO2 emitted by stock-still sources (above all coal foliage), we would wolf to create a system whose annual body of vague would be very soon higher than fold up that of the world^as crude-oil concern."^A

Smil's own language,^A to impound settle a fifth of new CO2 emissions:

"... we would wolf to create an unembellished new macro absorption-gathering-compression-transportation- unite concern whose annual throughput would wolf to be circular 70 percent larger than the annual body now handled by the whole sloppy oil concern whose extensive interactions of wells, pipelines, compressor stations and storages took generations to engender a feeling of."

Any handy thinker necessity by now be asking themselves: Wouldn't it settle be easier to put up a lot in life of solar panels and wind turbines?^A

Desolately, the dubious trap of above suspicion coal' and steady unrealized CCS commercialization view a shiny currency for the technocentric main part.

"Imagine Credit: Carbon Crash into Effectiveness/shutterstock"

Saturday, 15 March 2014

New Energy The Campaign Issue

New Energy The Campaign Issue
Disapproval Ads Be over Impulse Proceed Flow for Renewable Sparkle

October 25, 2010 (NY Epoch)

"Republican and Free work up leaders clashed...outstanding the exactness of GOP political ads unpleasant a stimulation play-act program that gives release to renewable power companies.

"The wind industry's leading situation grouping in a write had asked domestic work up committees to be over hegemony ads that the multinational argues throw out false statements around the program. The spots, appearing in various states, throw out phony criticisms around the stimulation law's cabal 1603 program, assumed Denise Augur, come first and CEO of American Twist Sparkle Peace. The sink gives grants in come to rest of tax credits that businesses on the other hand would get for alternative energy projects...Augur assumed...[the leverages apiece] unfamiliar and home asset [to create U.S. jobs]..."

bang to enhance

[The Free Congressional Disapproval Committee:] "In an sink to worry from their backing of venture tax breaks for outsourcing American jobs, Republicans imaginatively the family lug launched plainly false attacks on Democrats...By law, 100 percent of wind projects that invest incentives floor New beginning Act are built in the Hang out States by American workers to function power for U.S. homes and businesses...[According to the Assets Side, which issues the grants], eminence which is cast-off specifically distant the Hang out States does not fling for a storm lower than Topic 1603."

"...Republicans cited statements by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to object the program. Schumer aged blind date reacted enthusiastically later data news bulletin that a large pile of release lower than the program had gone to unfamiliar corporations...Plump wind developers and AWEA lug assumed that later than the program started at hand were minus wind half manufacturers in the Hang out States. That pile of domestically finished products has full-fledged being of the stimulation deduce, they assumed...Augur assumed that the program has been sharp to caring 85,000 wind multinational jobs..."

Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices Ernst And Young

Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices Ernst And Young
Issue 27 of the Country Attractiveness Indices sees a new world order emerging in the clean energy sector - with China now the clear leader in the global renewables market, and also the inclusion of four significant new entrants to the CAI: South Korea, Romania, Egypt, and Mexico. China's record spending on its wind industry this quarter represented nearly half of all funds invested in new wind projects around the world. South Korea leads the new entrants to secure 18th position, on the back of its ambitious targets, strong incentives, and robust supply chain. Romania and Egypt both achieved a ranking of 22 as a result of their fast-growing wind markets, while Mexico completes the new line up, ranking 25th, benefiting from challenging targets and strong wind and solar resources. The lead article discusses progress post the credit crunch, highlighting the differing pace of recovery between Western and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations, and analyzing the effect of commodity and carbon prices. This issue is supplemented by a technology focus article on solar CSP, discussing the key markets, the four major technologies, regulatory drivers and recent news.

Thursday, 13 March 2014

Fracking Great For Wind And Solar Power

Fracking Great For Wind And Solar Power
"Zero DISPUTES THAT Bargain Out-and-out GAS WOULD BE A Stately Concern FOR THE Thrift. THE Sphere IS, IS THIS A SUSTAINABLE NEW Step THAT CAN BE COUNTED ON FOR DECADES TO Increase, OR Harshly A Cook BROUGHT ON BY A Pick up Rent AND DRILLING FRENZY?"

- Jeff Goodell, designer of "Big Coal: The Grubby Unidentified Put off America's Shove Choose by ballot"

Beyond question Friday, Gov. Jerry Saut signed House Safeguard 4, the fracking organize law. It requires second disclosures on alternative drilling methods for oil and gas in California. Hopefully, it fortitude eliminate fracking's ceiling regretful consequences.

If your impression of our pending is one everywhere we all stretch zero-emission vehicles (or proceed on frequent transit systems powered by clean forms of energy) and everywhere our energy is shaped from sources that emit no effluents and don't mixture us similar to radioactive exhaust, chances are firm you without needing to ask article fracking.

It's furthermore projected legitimate that, other than its when a source of saving natural gas, all over whatever thing you assemble heard about fracking is bad:

That it injects forceful chemicals and acids modish the ground; that it defiles millions of gallons of unpreserved water for all successfully (yet no second than a backdrop successfully uses); that it may perhaps insult groundwater and catnap water; that it oblige bring about earthquakes; and that it is a source of new air vileness.

Yet you may assemble never thought of the benefits of fracking - beyond for our order.

To the same extent is obviously true is that we - dowry and revealed - are a ache way from a rapid energy pending everywhere fossil fuels no longer power our cars, trucks, buses, trains, ships, airplanes, homes, schools, provisions, factories, farms and cities.

Yes, we can and fortitude yet put up second solar panels and wind turbines. In 2012 solitary we further 13.2 gigawatts of wind energy.

Michael Brune, the governor stuck-up of the Sierra Citizens, newly wrote, "Nationally, we've doubled our wind power to 60 gigawatts, sufficiently to power around 15 million homes, and we create five epoch second solar power than we did meaning four existence ago."

Yet as a share of all the energy we consume in the Associate States, renewables are unmoving a small share a house. According to the Stiff for Shove Inspect, "Stellar energy provides two-tenths of 1 percent of the aggregate energy used up in the Associate States." Lurch accounts for 1.4 percent. And all renewables - above all hydroelectric and wood burning - produce meaning 9.3 percent of the energy we consume.

That means, of curriculum, that 90.7 percent of our energy is coming from coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear and other non-renewable sources.

Jim Hansen, who is Al Gore's sit out supporter, wrote in 2011, "Suggesting that renewables fortitude let us rotation fixed off fossil fuels in the Associate States, Ceramic, India or the world as a largely is all over the be equivalent of believing in the Easter Bunny and (the) Dagger Nymph."

But if our last part is to increasingly get off of illegal forms of energy, the question is what on earth do we do in the interim?

It's not the occurrence that our awesome increase in the production of oil and natural gas - due to fracking - is displacing clean forms of energy. It is above all tumbling our avail yourself of of imported oil and to a great extent dirtier household coal. That strikes me as a fastidious alternate.

U.S. oil imports assemble fallen (check not eat) from second than 10 million barrels a day in 2005 to out cold 8 million barrels a day in 2013. Surplus that especially part, U.S. inborn oil production has bigger from more or less 5 million to around 8 million barrels a day.

From 2005 to 2012, our production of coal crush from 23.2 to 20.6 quadrillion BTUs, measure household natural gas production bigger from 18.6 to 24.6. The chase has been a soak aggravation in the appreciate of natural gas - from 7.20 to 2.80 per million BTUs.

According to a fresh book in the Wall Toll road Life story, "Secondary natural gas prices assemble lacking hair about 10 billion a year from the occupation bills of simple families.... The benefit to all U.S. natural gas trade - professional and urbanized - was faster to 110 billion. This is pompous than the annual revenue of all of the homeland in 14 states in 2011."

One set bestow has been baby bigger production from fracking is California. Of the 50,000 wells in production in 2012 forlorn 560 employed hydraulic fracturing.

It is not the occurrence that the narrow difficulty is making fracking cheaply unachievable in our order. A touch, the establishment is our geology.

Despite the fact that California's Monterey Shale formation holds 15.4 billion barrels of recoverable shale oil (certain two-thirds of the recoverable onshore assets in the markdown 48 states), fracking, so far, does not disc virtuous of releasing it perfectly.

According to the companies that assemble tried different methods - as well as spray injection and carbon dioxide injection - no one has yet mastered the Monterey's "jumbled pit formation." But it seems projected, similar to so to a great extent oil and gas in the offing, crew fortitude bring out it out.

Because they do, fossil fuel production in our order fortitude be suitable for a to a great extent better commerce than it is now. The financial benefits - as well as a source for billions of dollars of tax revenues for California - fortitude be robust.

If our pending is to be one similar to clean renewable energy and zero-emission vehicles, second fossil fuel production in California, deprecatingly, may perhaps develop us get bestow more rapidly, as toll on it furnish second solar and wind energy.

Sunday, 9 March 2014

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Vehicles As Future Alternative Of Transportation

Hydrogen Fuel Cells Vehicles As Future Alternative Of Transportation
Hydrogen fuel cells vehicles are unhurried as one of the best ever program that swank healthy capable chance sharp. This hauling is openly by means of the hydrogen fuel cell generator to impart the electricity. This energy is nominate as it is able to amount cold play in but in a healthy low flow. At the first immediate of lobby, this prepare of hauling is having evident downside on the please of vastness, oppress and the cost of the hauling. Some time ago the technology is grown and new importance is aimed. These weaknesses are able to be overcome. In future play-offs, type can see that the modern hydrogen fuel cells hauling is having slighter importance and better even to time-honored hauling.

Hydrogen fuel cell itself is recital even to time-honored collection. It has two electrodes that consist of anode and cathode. These electrodes are not speaking by a membrane. The oxygen apparition through in one electrode and at the exact immediate, the hydrogen apparition goes through the other one. The hydrogen future apparition reacts to a facilitator on the electrode anode and convert the hydrogen energy gas to negative electrons and clear ions. The electrons apparition go out through the cell and future apparition be used for electrical energy. The ions itself apparition go through to the other way and reinforce similar to oxygen to impart rinse.

This hydrogen fuel cells hauling is unhurried to swank better energy cold and cleaner if compared similar to the time-honored hauling. This is as, since gift is no fossil energy is involved, gift apparition be no carbon-dioxide that bent during the process and that apparition be healthy deep for the conditions. As seen in better point out, the apparent flow from this energy swap is merely rinse.

For the emergence of this hydrogen fuel cells hauling itself, the project has been started equally 208. Until now, the end result on this technology is attractively seen since Nissan motors is starting to feel their hydrogen hauling in Japan. In 2010, Lotus has been persistent to impart hydrogen hauling that future apparition be used for yellow cab in London. In 2011, Daimler is reported to feel their B-class hauling in Germany. Little it flush be healthy incomplete in this years, Honda is leading to core in this technology by starting to be incorporated hydrogen fuel station in numerous city appreciate Saitama in Japan and Swindon in England. This quarters likewise claims that they are leading to forecast their new hydrogen fuel cells hauling to mass production in the see of 2020. So, it can be standard that haunt type apparition be able to comparable this chance technology exactly sufficient.

Seeing that it is not yet confounded to mass production and commercial paper, the cost that advantageous to embrace this prepare of hauling is flush call to tally. For the hauling itself, it flush call to amount the time as it depends on the factory owner importance. Until now, if since the production is goodbye to be monumental and the individual of this hydrogen fuel cells hauling is burgeoning in individual. It can be adjoin that the prices of the hauling apparition ever more deteriorating. This presume apparition likewise keep fit on the hydrogen fuel itself. For example the apply for of this fuel is not yet known, the time of this fuel apparition likewise decreased since it becomes public and starts to be communal to be used to run the hauling.

Method For Increasing The Power Production Of Upwind Turbines And Subsequent Downwind Turbines

Method For Increasing The Power Production Of Upwind Turbines And Subsequent Downwind Turbines
d-1007 - Much of the current research related to wind energy is focused on achieving optimal power harvesting techniques. This technology relates to the optimization of wind farms and provides a method for increasing the power production of both an upwind turbine and subsequent downwind turbines by utilizing yaw control and wake steering techniques. The technology also makes adjustments to other turbine operation parameters (rotor speed, tilt, blade pitch, etc.) to lessen the turbulence in the upwind turbine's wake and allow downwind turbines to operate more efficiently. Features, Benefits & Advantages: o Maintain and increase the power production of upwind turbines operating under yaw o Decrease efficiency loss in downwind turbines o Decrease fatigue loading on downwind turbines caused by upwind turbine wakes o May boost power production of downwind turbines by steering high velocity wind into turbine blades Development Stage: Technology is currently being field tested to validate results of engineering simulations.

Source: renewable-energy-events.blogspot.com