VATIS Update Non-conventional Energy . Sep-Oct 2008
IN THE NEWS
China unleashes “clean revolution”
A recent report, brought out by the Climate Group, hails China as the world’s leading renewable energy producer, overtaking more developed economies in exploiting valuable economic opportunities, creating green-collar jobs and leading development of significant low-carbon technologies. The Climate Group is an independent institution, which works internationally with government as well as business leaders to advance climate change solutions and accelerate low-carbon economy.
Despite its coal-dependent economy, says the report, the Chinese government and businesses have embarked on a clean revolution that has already made the country a global leader in the manufacturing of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. China is also on the way to become the world’s leading exporter of wind turbines and compete aggressively in other low-carbon markets, including rechargeable batteries, solar water heaters and energy-efficient home appliances.
|
||
Asia’s biggest solar thermal plant to be set up in India
India’s Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Mr. Vilas Muttemwar, has said that Asia’s biggest solar thermal energy plant would be set up at Nagpur, India, where a special economic zone is being established to manufacture equipment and appliances related to wind, solar and biogas energy. The 10 MW thermal energy generation plant is to be set up by Acme Tele Power. The Minister said that the government is implementing a scheme to give financial incentive to those youth who would promote solar thermal energy systems. He said that India is currently ranked at number four in wind energy followed by Germany, Spain and the United States. In the case of solar energy, India has a potential to generate 5,000 trillion megawatts and could supply solar energy to the entire world, Mr. Muttemwar claimed.
|
||
Republic of Korea to step up alternative energy research
The Republic of Korea plans to develop new and renewable energies (NRE) such as solar energy, wind power, and fuel and hydrogen cells as next-generation growth engines and export items. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy recently said that the government will increase its spending on research and development in NRE by 60 per cent from last year to about US$198 million. The amount is almost double the total that the country spent on developing NRE technologies for 13 years from 1988 to 2000. Combining the allocation of about US$46.7 million for NRE projects in the supplementary budget submitted to the country’s National Assembly, this year’s investment in the area will stand at some US$248.5 million. The Ministry will make particular efforts to commercialize organic solar cells, develop floating offshore wind power systems, manufacture equipment for producing polysilicon for solar cells and develop low-speed direct-drive wind generators. These efforts to developing core technologies, components and equipment are aimed at securing advantageous positions in the future energies market. Further, the government will work on completing a road map for developing NRE technologies by the first half of next year. The road map will include a review of the global market environment, domestic and foreign technological levels, patent analyses and feasibility studies.
|
||
Malaysia, Indonesia to use palm oil surplus for biodiesel
Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to use the surplus from their palm oil stockpiles to produce biodiesel as part of the mechanism to boost the palm oil price. Malaysia’s Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui and the Indonesian Agriculture Minister Dr. Anton Apriyantono said both countries would continue to do so until the edible oil achieves price equilibrium in the world market. The price of crude palm oil (CPO) fell to around US$871/t, the lowest in 15 months.
Dr. Anton said the move was to control supply in the market and prevent the price from going further down. Both ministers assured, however, that the move would not result in the shortage of edible oil in the global market because it was being implemented at a time when there was a surplus in the supply.
Source: www.bernama.com.my |
||
Thai PTT and GM sign deal on biofuel research
Thailand’s top energy firm PTT has signed a deal with General Motors (GM) to collaborate on research into alternative fuels such as ethanol for cars. “The strategy will focus on alternative energy that is socially responsible, economic, environment friendly and with practical technology,” stated GM chief executive Mr. Richard Wagoner. “GM and PTT will cooperate to study possible markets as well as the infrastructure needed to realize benefits from increased use of alternative energy,” he added. The research will include finding ways to expand ethanol production from crops not used for food. The firms will also study hydrogen fuel, low-cost hybrid engines and other fuel-saving technologies in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia, Mr. Wagoner added.
|
||
Viet Nam looks into biofuel development
Viet Nam is planning to develop its great potential for renewable energy sources, a government official stated. Speaking at a recent symposium on biofuel development in Ha Noi, Mr. Nguyen Kim Son, the director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development, said that a possible energy crisis will push up oil prices, and Viet Nam would not be able to annually import more than 15-17 million tonnes. Like many other countries, Viet Nam has begun to use wind power and solar energy, as well as biogas, but with low outputs and on a small scale. However, Viet Nam boasts huge potential for biofuel development as it has vast plantations of many plants suitable for biofuel such as sugar cane, cassava, jatropha and castor oil trees and seaweed. As part of a biofuel development project to be carried out until 2015, around 250,000 t of ethanol and vegetable oil would be produced by 2015 to meet 1 per cent of the annual petroleum demand of Viet Nam. |
||
Philippines pushes renewable energy programme
The Philippine government is exploring and harnessing all possible alternative energy sources to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fossil fuel and to shift to the use of renewable energy amid the rise in oil prices and the ill effects of global climate change. Notably, the country now has a Biofuels Law that calls for the use of environmentfriendly blends of ethanol and biodiesel in petrol and diesel. President Ms. Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo is also enjoining congressional and community support to the proposed Renewable Energy Resources Act – an Act promoting the development, utilization and commercialization of renewable energy resources and for other purposes – to help move the country towards a high level of energy sufficiency.“Renewable energy is a big help in our Green Philippines programme,” the President said. The proposed legislation aims to achieve energy self-reliance through the exploration, development and utilization of renewable energy resources that include, but are not limited to, biomass, solar, wind, hydro, ocean and geothermal energy sources or hybrid systems. President Ms. Arroyo has asked the influential Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) to support the new and renewable energy programme of the government. She specifically requested CAMPI to lobby in the Senate for the Renewable Energy bill which was passed last June by the House of Representatives. She also called on CAMPI to provide more hybrid models and more vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas or biofuel.
Source: www.pia.gov.ph |
||
Wind power potential in India
The wind power potential in India is 45,000 MW, while the present production is 8,760 MW. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has decided the target for the 11th plan at 10,500 MW. It has initiated new “Generation-Based Initiative (GBI)” scheme for wind power generation. The objective of the scheme is to attract new and large independent power producers to the wind sector. The GBI would be paid only to grid interactive plants of 5 MW capacity or more. The rate of GBI will be Rs 0.50 per unit of electricity and will be paid for a period of 10 years. Source: www.pib.nic.in |
||
SOLAR ENERGY
Solar energy storage breakthrough
In the United States, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have reported a breakthrough in solar energy storage, inspired by photosynthesis and using a catalyst made up of cobalt metal. Prof. Daniel Nocera has developed a process that uses electricity generated from the sun or other renewable sources to split water into hydrogen and oxygen using abundant, non-toxic natural materials. The gases can then be stored and reintroduced into a fuel cell to produce electricity. The key to this process hinges on a catalyst made up of cobalt metal and phosphate that is attached to an electrode placed in water. By running solar energy through the electrode, the catalyst produces oxygen. Another catalyst like platinum can make hydrogen from water. The work will now focus on integrating this technology into existing intermittent renewable energy systems.
|
||
Low-cost solar cell technology
IBM and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK), Japan, are collaborating to establish low-cost methods for bringing the next generation of solar energy products to market – products that will be more affordable and easier to install than those currently available. Specifically, the companies have agreed to jointly develop processes, materials and equipment for the production of copper-indiumgallium- selenide (CIGS) solar cell modules. At present, the relatively high cost of electricity produced by solar cells compared with electricity from other energy sources is an inhibitor to widespread adoption of solar energy.
Thin-film CIGS solar cells can be 100 times thinner than silicon wafer cells, can be deposited on cheap glass substrates and thus, have correspondingly lower cost. Thinfilm solar cells also have the advantage in that they can be arranged on a flexible backing, suitable for the tops and sides of buildings, tinted windows and other surfaces. Solution processing allows printing on to rolled backing of a flexible module or a glass plate, eliminating many of the high-energy and equipmentintensive processes that are typical in conventional manufacturing of photovoltaics. |
||
Flexible nanoantenna arrays to capture solar energy
In the United States, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have developed a cheaper way to produce plastic sheets containing billions of nanoantennas that collect heat energy generated by the sun and other sources. The new technology is hailed as the first step towards a solar energy collector that could be mass-produced on flexible materials.
The researchers found that with the right materials, shape and size, nanoantennas could harvest up to 92 per cent of the energy at IR wavelengths. Real-life prototypes were then built using conventional production methods to etch a silicon wafer with the nanoantenna pattern. The nanoantennas absorbed more than 80 per cent of the energy over the intended wavelength range. A stamp-and-repeat process was then used to emboss the nanoantennas on thin sheets of plastic. Initial results suggest that it also captures energy at the IR wavelengths. The ability of nanoantennas’ to absorb IR radiation makes them promising cooling devices. As objects give off heat as IR rays, the nanoantennas can collect those rays and re-emit at harmless wavelengths. Such a system could cool down buildings and computers without the external power source required by fans and air-conditioners. However, further technological advances are needed before the nanoantennas can funnel the energy into usable electricity.
|
||
Best-yet dye-based solar cells
A research group has created a dyebased solar cell with high efficiency and high stability. The group of researchers, from China’s Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, developed the dye-based solar cell without employing volatile chemicals that are normally found in similar cells.
|
||
Flexible CIGS with higher energy conversion efficiency
In Japan, researchers have developed a technique for dramatically improving the energy conversion efficiency of flexible photovoltaic (PV) cells that use copper-indiumgallium- selenide (CIGS). Using this technique, high-performance PV cells with a variety of flexible substrates– such as ceramics, metal foils and polymers – can be fabricated. The technique was developed by Mr. Shigeru Niki and Mr. Shogo Ishizuka from the Research Centre for Photovoltaics, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), in cooperation with Teijin Limited. The thickness of the photoelectric conversion layer in solar cells that use CIGS can be reduced to several microns. Owing to this feature, lightweight and flexible PV cells that can be installed on a curved surface and portable PV cells can be produced. So far, it has been difficult to develop high-performance flexible CIGS PV cells. The development of alkali-silicate glass thin layer technique– a new controlled alkaline addition technique and a new polymer substrate handling technology– have now dramatically improved the energy conversion efficiency of the flexible CIGS PV cells.
|
||
New paradigm for solar cells
Wakonda Technologies Inc., the United States, is developing an inexpensive material that is claimed to enable the production of highperformance solar cells. Photovoltaic cells developed for satellites exceed 30 per cent efficiency – well above the efficiency of commercially available silicon and thin-film cells. However, these cells are very costly, as they are produced on expensive single-crystal wafers made Solar Energy CIGS cell with ceramic substrate from III-V compounds like gallium arsenide. Wakonda’s proprietary technology and process enable a low-cost, commercial material to simulate the costly single crystal IIIV wafer. The result is a new paradigm in solar cell manufacture that could translate into significant cost efficiencies for almost all photovoltaic market applications. According to Mr. L. Marty Murphy at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the low manufacturing costs and high efficiencies of the approach “could be a step-change for the solar industry”. Wakonda has been developing its technology in conjunction with the Rochester Institute of Technology, the Cornell University and the NASA Glenn Research Centre. Contact: Wakonda Technologies Inc., 2A Gill Street Woburn, Massachusetts, United States of America. Tel: +1 (781) 460 2200; Fax: +1 (781) 460 2222; E-mail: info@wakondatech.com. |
||
Organic dye lets window panes harvest the Sun
An exotic organic dye developed in the United States reportedly facilitates easier harvesting of sunlight before converting it into electricity. Coated onto an ordinary sheet of glass, the dye traps light inside the glass allowing it to be channelled to photovoltaic cells (PV) placed along the edges of the sheet. This technique could turn up to 20 per cent of incident light into electricity at a fraction of the cost of conventional PV cells. The dye molecules, developed by a team headed by Mr. Marc Baldo, an electrical engineer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, absorb sunlight over a wide range of visible wavelengths and then emit light at a longer wavelength. About 80 per cent of the emitted light then becomes trapped within the glass by “total internal reflection”, which guides the light within the sheet in the same way it is guided through optical fibres. Solar cells along the edges of the glass that are designed to work most efficiently at the longer wavelength then convert this trapped light into electricity.
|
||
Development of Cd-on-Si solar cells
In the United States, Sunovia Energy Technologies Inc. and EPIR Technologies Inc. have developed new solar cell materials that they believe will rival the performance of the most efficient existing multijunction solar cells, but at much lower cost. The firms aim to achieve this by combining cadmium telluride (CdTe) and silicon (Si) in a multijunction solar cell, which leverages the economies of scale and manufacturing infrastructure associated with the materials. While solar cell materials such as CdTe had shown promise, the lack of suitable low-cost substrates on which to deposit high-quality singlecrystal thin films had, until now, relegated these very efficient materials to polycrystalline films having lowefficiency on heavy glass substrates. In contrast to the efficiency of about 16 per cent attained under the best conditions at different laboratories for amorphous or polycrystalline CdTe solar cells, calculations for single-crystal CdTe solar cells by EPIR give an efficiency of 24 per cent, using realistic assumptions and numbers characteristic of CdTe of typical crystal quality for material grown on silicon employing highthroughput molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) deposition methods developed by EPIR. The companies believe these new results show that EPIR’s CdTe/Si has the potential to displace high-cost technologies. The results also indicate that technologies based on EPIR’s MBE deposition technique could displace existing amorphous or polycrystalline CdTe cells and Si cells.
|
||
WIND ENERGY
New vertical axis wind turbine
Tangarie Alternative Power of the United States has introduced the Greenpower Utility System (GUSTM) line of vertical axis wind turbines. The GUS wind turbines have design considerations that make them versatile and environmentally friendly.
• Aesthetically unobtrusive (blends itself with architecture); • Do not collect and shed ice; and Contact: Ms. Debe Besold, Tangarie, Alternative Power, P.O. Box 697, Flagtown, NJ 08821, United States of America. Tel: +1 (908) 3690 361; Fax: +1 (908) 3690 361; E-mail: Jbesold@tangarie.com. Source: www.peswiki.com |
||
“Anti-noise” silences wind turbines
In wind turbines, one source of noise is the motion of the rotor blades, and another is the cogwheels that produce vibrations in the gearbox. These are relayed to the tower of the wind turbine, where they are emitted across a wide area. Damping systems cancel out this noise by creating counter vibrations. However, the effectiveness of passive damping systems used until now is somewhat limited; they only absorb noise at a certain frequency. Since modern wind energy converters adapt their rotational speed to the wind velocity to maximize the electricity generated, however, the frequency of the noise also varies. A research group led by Dr. Andre Illgen at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU), Dresden, Germany, has developed an alternative to the expensive active damping system used to eliminate the noise produced in wind turbines. In cooperation with Schirmer GmbH and ESM Energie- und Schwingungstechnik Mitsch GmbH, the team developed an active damping system, which reacts autonomously to any change in frequency to dampen the noise – regardless of how fast the wind generator is turning, says Dr. Illgen. The key components of the system are piezo actuators that convert electricity into mechanical motion and produce “negative vibrations”, or a kind of anti-noise that precisely counters the vibrations of the wind turbine and cancels them out. These actuators, mounted on the gearbox bearings that connect the gearbox to the pylon, adjust to the noise frequencies with the help of sensors integrated into the system. They constantly measure the vibrations arising in the gearbox and pass on the results to the actuator control system. The team has already developed a working model of the active vibration dampers and the next step will be to perform field trials. Contact: Dr. Andre Illgen, Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik, Nothnitzer Str. 44, 01187 Dresden, Germany. Tel: +49 (351) 4772 2332; Fax: +49 (351) 4776 2332.
|
||
Low-cost wind energy conversion system
Hawaii Consulting Group, the United States, has developed a low-cost wind energy conversion system that is reported to reduce electricity generation costs from US$0.06/kWh to US$0.034/kWh – well below most conventional wholesale electrical generation costs. HeliWind replaces the blades and tower of a conventional wind turbine with a lighterthan- air helical balloon and lowers the generator to the ground. The buoyant fluid can be hot air, helium, hydrogen or a combination of these gases. Compared with conventional wind turbines, the major advantage of HeliWind is that a balloon is more economical than blades, a tower and caisson foundation. Another advantage is that it is easier to install, service and maintain a wind system with the generator (genset) on the ground rather than 150 ft in the air. Finally, the HeliWind is silent, and eliminates bird and bat kills. The WIND ENERGY A GUS vertical axis wind turbine main disadvantages are the fragile balloon envelope, intermittent energy supply and its ugliness. Many HeliWind configurations will be developed to optimize energy production over a wide range of environmental conditions. Two balloon cross-sections are being tested – the sausage (easier to build) and the ribbon (easier to fly). A gimbaled support frame allows the balloon to rotate 360º into a downwind position and tilt into a stable position that aligns with the balloon’s lift and drag. Its free rotation delivers torque to a power unit (in most cases an electrical generator). Contact: Mr. Geoffrey Goeggel, Hawaii Consulting Group, 98-711 Iho Place #3- 903, Aiea, HI 96701 2500, United States of America. Tel: +1 (808) 46 91 523; Fax: +1 (808) 4868 522; Email: goeggel@hawaii.rr.com.
|
||
Vertical axis Tesla wind turbine
Tesnic Inc., Canada, offers a wind turbine based on the principles of the Tesla turbine, extracting wind power through adhesion, in addition to the classic drag and lift extraction. This enables the Tesnic turbine to achieve very high efficiency, with the cost of electricity produced below the utility price. The vertical axis wind turbine comprises a rotor assembly having more than 200 disks stacked one on top of each other with a 2 mm gap between them. The rotor also includes on the circumference of the stacked disks a plurality of twisted airfoil blades to redirect the air flow tangentially onto the disks surface. A stator assembly around the rotor boosts wind capture and neutralizes rotor turbulences.
Source: www.peswiki.com |
||
New high-wind power technology
In the United States, an aircraft designer named Mr. Bill Montagne has engineered a technology to produce a new type of high-wind generator. The technology developed by Mr. Montagne allows generators to produce more energy at less cost. In addition, this technology can generate electricity at high speeds. It is claimed that the technology will recover costs faster than most wind generators, and that it would cost
|
||
New wind systems
BroadStar Wind Systems in the United States offers new wind systems that are nearly 30 per cent smaller than conventional turbines. The AeroCam wind turbines feature breakthrough turbine technologythat easily adapts to changes in wind direction as well as extremes of wind speed. Thus, the AeroCam can easily handle highly turbulent environments that are problematic for conventional horizontal axis wind turbines. With capacities ranging from 10 kW to 500 kW, the new systems can operate at wind speeds from 4 mph to 80 mph.
Key benefits of the new systems are: • 20 per cent or more power than conventional fixed blade designs; The scalability and ease of installation enables these systems to be brought closer to the point of use. Because the turbine does not spin much faster than the wind speed, bird casualties are expected to be less than with traditional horizontal axis wind systems. Beta models of the turbine will begin deployment in November 2008, while Source: www.peswiki.com |
||
WIND ENERGY
Increasing ethanol yield from grasses and yard waste
In the United States, University of Georgia researchers have developed a new technology that promises to dramatically increase the yield of ethanol from readily available nonfood crops such as Bermuda grass, switch grass, Napier grass or even yard waste. “Optimizing the breakdown of the plant fibres is critical to the production of liquid transportation fuel through fermentation,” says Prof. Joy Peterson, who developed the new technology with Ms. Sarah K. Brandon and Prof. Mark Eiteman.
|
||
“Oil from algae” – climate-friendly fuel
Sapphire Energy, the United States, reports to have developed a liquid fuel from algae that is chemically identical to crude oil but does not contribute to climate change when it is burned or, unlike other biofuels, needs agricultural land to produce. The single-celled plants are used to produce a chemical mixture from which the company extracts fuel. When burned, the fuel releases into the air only the carbon dioxide absorbed by the algae for its growth, making the process carbon neutral. Sapphire Energy recently reached its most significant milestone yet, refining high-octane petroleum from the green crude. “The resulting petroleum is completely compatible with current infrastructure, meaning absolutely no change to consumer’s cars,” said a Sapphire spokesperson. An added advantage is that this petroleum does not have contaminants such as sulphur, nitrogen and benzene that are contained in standard crude oil. The company believes the cost of its fuels will be comparable to standard fossil fuels on the market. According to Sapphire, with algae there is no need to use valuable agricultural land to grow the basic resource. In fact, the process uses non-arable land and non-potable water and delivers 10-100 times more energy per acre than cropland biofuels. Where the company departs from other algae ventures is that its goal is not to produce standard biofuels such as ethanol or biodiesel. Instead, it takes its inspiration from the way crude oil was created in the first place, millions of years ago.
|
||
Glycerol converted to synthesis gas
In the United States, Florida Syngas LLC, has developed and patented a technology that converts waste glycerol produced during biodiesel production into a clean burning synthesis gas. According to Mr. John Sessa, Chief Operating Officer of Florida Syngas, the process involves creating plasma out of glycerol. The plasma is not combusted, but is put through a process of partial oxidation; a catalyst is then added.
|
||
Mutant yeast reduces need for corn in ethanol production
At the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), the United States, Prof. Mark Goebl, a yeast geneticist, is close to developing a mutant yeast that would reduce or eliminate the need to use corn in the production of ethanol. Production of biofuels from basic plant material, rather than corn and other crops, would address such concerns as making corn-based ethanol is pushing up food costs, says Prof. Goebl. Prof. Goebl, whose work is part of the programmes at the Richard G. Lugar Centre for Renewable Energy, reports that the crux of the problem of employing basic plant material to make ethanol involves how yeast decides what it will eat. Yeast likes corn used to make ethanol. Corn kernels are ground well to produce starch, which is broken down into glucose. Yeast is then used to ferment glucose into ethanol. Unlike corn kernels, one-third of basic plant material consists of compounds that produce pine resins for which there are many uses. One-third is cellulose, which can be converted to glucose and used to make ethanol. But one-third is another kind of sugar, xylose, from which yeast turns away.
|
||
Nanotech derives ethanol from garbage
In the United States, a method of making potentially cheap ethanol fuel out of garbage and other waste materials by deploying a combination of new and old technologies is under development by government and university scientists. The process employs nanotechnology and gasification to convert organic materials into synthesis gas (syngas), which in turn can then be made into ethanol.
|
||
New catalyst for small-scale efficient biofuel production
Oxford Catalysts, a spin-off company of the Oxford University in the United Kingdom, has developed a new cobalt-based catalyst that can enable small-scale efficient biofuel production from agricultural waste.
|
||
WAVE/TIDAL ENERGY
Simple converter for energy from waves
At the University of Southampton, the United Kingdom, engineers are embarking on a programme of largescale laboratory experiments and mathematical studies to try to advance the development of a simple wave energy converter concept that promises wave-generated electricity at lower cost. The device, called the Anaconda, is a large distensible rubber tube that is closed at both ends and filled with water. It is designed to be anchored just below the sea-surface, with one end facing the oncoming waves.
The Anaconda is the invention of Mr. Francis Farley (an experimental physicist) and Mr. Rod Rainey (of Atkins Oil and Gas). It is much lighter than other wave energy devices because it is made of rubber, and dispenses with the need for hydraulic rams, hinges and articulated joints. This reduces capital and maintenance costs and scope for breakdowns. The concept has only been proven at very small laboratory-scale, so questions about its potential performance need to be answered. The University of Southampton experiments will assess the Anaconda’s behaviour in regular, irregular and extreme waves, using tubes with diameters of 0.25 m and 0.5 m. When built on full scale, the Anaconda device would be 200 m long and 7 m in diameter, and deployed in water depths of between 40 and 100 m. Initial assessments indicate that the Anaconda would be rated at a power output of 1 MW and be able to generate power at a cost of US$0.12 per kWh or less. Although around twice as much as the cost of electricity generated from traditional coal-fired power stations, this compares very favourably with generation costs for other leading wave energy concepts.
|
||
Power and fresh water from ocean
CETO technology, from Carnegie Corporation Ltd. in Australia, delivers zero-emission power and fresh water from the energy of ocean’s waves. Unlike other wave energy systems currently under development around the world, the CETO wave power converter is claimed to be the first unit to be fully submerged and to produce high-pressure seawater from the power of waves. The units are permanently anchored to the sea floor, meaning that they are out of sight and are safe from the extreme forces that can be present during storms. They are self-tuning to tide, sea state and wave pattern, making them able to perform in a wide variety of wave heights and in any direction. By delivering high pressure seawater ashore, the technology allows either zero-emission electricity to be produced (similar to hydroelectricity) or zero-emission freshwater (using standard reverse osmosis desalination technology). It also means that there is no need for undersea grids or high voltage transmission or costly marine-qualified plants.
•CETO units attract marine life. •Contains no oils, lubricants, or offshore electrical components. It is built using components with a known sub-sea life of over 30 years. Contact: Carnegie Corp. Ltd., P.O.Box 1902, West Perth, WA 6872, Australia. Tel: +61 (8) 9486 4466; Fax: +61 (8) 9486 4266.
|
||
FUEL CELLS
New cathode hope for cheaper fuel cells
A new cathode built by researchers from the Australian Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science at Monash University could pave the way for a much cheaper fuel cell. Cathode in conventional fuel cells contains expensive platinum nanoparticles. Prof. Maria Forsyth, who contributed to the development of the new cathode, says the amount of platinum needed for a passenger car would make up the major cost of a fuel cell. Besides, the nanoparticles can lose their effectiveness by clumping together or by being corrupted by carbon monoxide.
|
||
Breakthrough for SOFC-based power systems
Two technologies developed under the United States Department of Energy’s Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) fuel cell programme have passed successful proof-of-concept tests by the Naval Undersea Warfare Centre Division. The tests mark a breakthrough for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)-based power systems and underline the potential of SOFC technology for other spin-off market applications as well. The proof-of-concept tests covered SOFC stacks from Delphi Corporation and a special blower from R&D Dynamics. The blower tested was successful in recycling high-temperature fuel exhaust flows back to the fuel reformer. The proofof- concept system met the Navy’s parameters for system size, power output and efficiency. SECA fuel cells operate by separating and transferring oxygen across a solid electrolyte membrane, where it reacts with a fuel – such as synthesis gas from coal, natural gas or biofuels – to produce steam and carbon dioxide (CO2). Condensing the steam results in a pure stream of CO2 gas that can be readily captured for storage or ready use in a central location. This feature and the fact that fuel cell efficiency does not depend on high temperatures ensure near-zero emissions at equivalent or reduced cost of electricity compared with today’s power generation.
Source: www.fuelcellsworks.com |
||
Fuel cell advance could lower cost
A superlattice electrolyte with far greater conductivity could significantly improve fuel cell efficiency while cutting down costs, as compared with current solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Researchers from Spain’s Universidad Complutense and Universidad Politecnica report that their superlattice electrolyte achieves almost 100 million times greater ionic conductivity than conventional fuel cell components. The
|
||
New high power fuel cell stack
Nissan, Japan, has developed a new fuel cell stack that doubles the power density of its previous technology. Using half the platinum of previous designs, the fuel cell also achieves a 35 per cent cost reduction in its production. Power in the stack has been raised from 90 kW to 130 kW – enough to power a large vehicle. Stack size has been reduced using a more densely packed cell structure to permit more flexibility. The carbon separator has been replaced with a thin metal separator, which breaks down the hydrogen, oxygen and water necessary for a chemical reaction. A coating applied to the separator serves to improve conductivity and increase efficiency and durability throughout the life of the fuel cell stack. Nissan has also been able to reduce the amount of platinum used by half after using a higher durability electrode.
|
||
Fuel cell with zeolite proton exchange micro-membrane
Mr. Siu Ming Kwan and Mr. King Lun Yeung from the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology have developed an inorganic zeolite proton exchange micro-membrane and assembled it into a workable micro fuel cell. Mr. Yeung claims that this is the first time that a nanoporous zeolite membrane has been used as a proton exchange membrane for hydrogen fuel cells. The researchers discovered that the HZSM-5 micromembrane achieved performance on a par with a commercial membrane, Nafion 117. They believe their work shows remarkable progress in inorganic proton conducting membranes as sufficient proton conductivity is currently only achieved at significantly higher temperatures. The zeolite micro-membrane could offer greater avenues for designing more efficient micro fuel cells either based on hydrogen or liquid hydrocarbon fuels, predicts Mr. Yeung.
|
||
Energy-efficient cell
In Japan, the Energy and Environmental Systems Laboratories of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) has developed a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that is both highly energy-efficient and durable. By improving the cell structure and the way unspent gas fuel is recovered and reused, NTT has built a 1 kW class unit from a stack of 50 cells that generates power with an energy efficiency of 54 per cent and can operate for 1,000 h. A smaller 30-cells stack can operate with the same energy efficiency for 3,500 h. Typical SOFCs with around 55 per cent efficiency last for only several hundred hours. Through connecting cells serially to boost durability, the system can operate for tens of thousands of hours, but with an energy efficiency of about 20-30 per cent. NTT used a lanthanum-nickel-iron oxide compound for air electrode to improve overall performance. This durable material permitted NTT to fashion the cells in large diameters of 12 cm, which is not possible with brittle zirconia material. A tube inserted inside the cell recovers fuel gas to further boost efficiency. If the amount of fuel used in power generation can be raised to about 80 per cent, it would lift the fuel cell’s energy efficiency well above 60 per cent. NTT will continue working to improve the cell.
|
||
Carbon electrode catalyst for fuel cells
In Japan, Nisshinbo Industries Inc. has worked with the Tokyo Institute of Technology to develop a technology that uses carbon instead of expensive platinum as the electrode catalyst for fuel cells. The commercialization of the new catalyst is expected to start in fiscal 2009 with a product for the electrodes of fuel cells for home use.
|
||
Hydrogen-powered fuel cell mopeds
Shanghai Pearl Hydrogen Power Resource Technology Co., China, has started exporting the nation’s first hydrogen-powered fuel cell mopeds. The fuel cell e-bikes have a hydrogen container under the seat that is used to generate electricity for powering the bike. The fuel cell moped can cover a distance of 70- 80 km on 50 g of hydrogen after taking 20 minutes for one charge, costing US$0.29. A normal leadacid e-bike usually rides 30 km and needs 4-6 h to charge the battery completely. The company has invested US$294,118 in developing the fuel cell e-bikes and has already applied 20 patents, including three registered on the overseas markets.
|
||
WAVE/TIDAL ENERGY
Scientists replicate photosynthesis step to split water
An international team of scientists led by Prof. Leone Spiccia of the Monash University, Australia, has used chemicals found in plants to replicate a key process in photosynthesis, thereby paving the way to a new approach that uses sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This breakthrough could revolutionize the renewable energy industry by making hydrogen – the clean and green fuel of the future –
|
||
Producing hydrogen from biofuels
In the United States, researchers at Ohio State University have found a way to convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen very efficiently. A newly developed catalyst makes hydrogen from ethanol with 90 per cent yield, using inexpensive ingredients and at a workable temperature. Dr. Umit Ozkan, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, said that the new catalyst is less expensive than others being developed around the world because it does not contain any precious metals, such as platinum or rhodium. Further, the catalyst is easier to make and use compared with others currently under investigation worldwide: catalysts made from precious metals often work only at very high temperatures.
The process begins with a liquid biofuel such as ethanol, which is heated and pumped into a reactor, where the catalyst spurs a series of chemical reactions that ultimately convert the liquid to a hydrogenrich gas. A major challenge that the researchers faced was how to prevent coking, the formation of carbon fragments on catalyst surface. The combination of metals – cerium and calcium – solved that problem by promoting the movement of oxygen ions inside the catalyst. When exposed to enough oxygen, the carbon gets oxidized and is converted into carbon dioxide. At the end of the process, waste gases removed and the hydrogen gas is purified. To make the technology more energyefficient, heat exchangers capture waste heat and put it back into the reactor. Methane recovered in the process can be used to supply part of the energy.
|
||
Bacterial process for hydrogen from food waste
In the United Kingdom, scientists have combined the efforts of two kinds of bacteria to produce hydrogen in a bioreactor, with the product from one providing food for the other. This technology has a bonus – leftover enzymes can help scavenge precious metals from spent automotive catalysts to make fuel cells that convert hydrogen into energy.
Prof. Lynne Macaskie’s Functional Bionanomaterials Unit at the University has created two bioreactors that provide the ideal conditions for these two types of bacteria to produce hydrogen. With a more advanced pre-treatment, bio-hydrogen can even be produced from the waste from food crop cultivation, such as corn stalks and husks. The University has teamed up with Modern Waste Ltd. and EKB Technology Ltd. to form Biowaste2energy Ltd., which will develop and commercialize this waste-to-energy technology.
|
||
Hydrogen generation without the carbon footprint
A greener, less expensive method to produce hydrogen for fuel may eventually be possible with the help of water, solar energy and nanotube diodes that use the entire spectrum of the Sun’s energy, according to researchers at Penn State University, the United States. The process developed by Prof. Craig A. Grimes and his team splits water into its two components – hydrogen and oxygen – and collects the products separately using commonly available titanium and copper. Splitting water for hydrogen production is an old and proven method, but in its conventional form it needs electricity. Although photolysis of water or solar splitting of water has also been explored, it is not yet a commercial method. Prof. Grimes and his team produce hydrogen from solar energy, using two different groups of nanotubes in a photoelectrochemical diode. The team reports that using incident sunlight, such photocorrosion-stable diodes generate a photocurrent of approximately 0.25 mA/cm2, at 0.30 per cent photoconversion efficiency.
|
||
New process to lower hydrogen costs
Global Hydrogen Inc., the United States, has introduced a new lowvoltage, low-temperature and highefficiency DC voltage electrolysis generator for producing hydrogen inexpensively. This system, which employs proprietary electrode and electrolyte solution, produces 1 kg of hydrogen per 41.2 kWh with approximately 90 per cent efficiency. Comparable systems produce the same amount of hydrogen utilizing around 53.4 kWh.
|
||
Bacteria as a fuel of the future
Scientists at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom have shown how bacteria could be used as a future fuel. Using mathematical computer models, the Sheffield team has mapped the metabolism of the cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) known as Nostoc. Nostoc fixes nitrogen and, in doing so, releases hydrogen that can be used as fuel. It was not entirely clear as to how Nostoc produces the energy needed to perform nitrogen fixing, an energy-intensive process. Now a new computer system has been used to map out how this happens.
Source: www.fuelcellworks.com |
||
PUBLICATIONS
Renewable Energy Engineering and Technology: A Knowledge Compendium
This book covers major renewable energy resources and technologies for various applications. Conceived as a standard reference tool for students, experts and policy makers, this handbook has been designed to address the needs of these diverse groups. Besides covering the basics of scientific and engineering principles of thermal engineering, heat and mass transfer, fluid dynamics and renewable energy resource assessments, the book further deals with the basics of applied technologies and design practices for renewable energy resources. |
||
Production and Technology of Biodiesel: Seeding a Change
The book is based on the work that TERI has been doing in the field of biodiesel production from Jatropha. It covers the entire value chain involved in the production of biodiesel, right from the nursery stage for the saplings to the production of biodiesel for use in diesel-powered engines. The user will get valuable information pertaining to the production of biodiesel, a process that requires inputs from various disciplines. It will be a very handy book for biotechnologists, productions engineers, entrepreneurs, policy makers and other professionals interested in biofuels. For the above publications, contact: TERI Press, Darbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003, India. Tel: +91 (11) 2468 2100/2111; Fax: +91 (11) 2468 2144/2145 E-mail: teripress@ teri.res.in |
||
Renewable Energy: Sustainable Energy Concepts for the Future
This publication, written by well-known scientists in the area who discuss the topic soberly and without ideology, provides a contemporary overview on this key topic of the 21st century. The book is full-colour printed with catchy and informative diagrams and information boxes. It offers a sound overview of possibilities of environmental friendly techniques, energy conversion, storage and transportation. Contact: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, P.O. Box 10 11 61, 69451 Weinheim, Germany. Tel. +49 (6201) 6060; Fax: +49 (6201) 606328 |
||
| This website is optimized for IE 8.0 with screen resolution 1024 x 768 |
| For queries regarding this website, contact us |
| Copyright © 2010 APCTT | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Feedback |
