NewNergy

NewNergy discusses the latest inventions, innovations and breakthroughs in the energy & environmental sciences.

CO2 to Gasoline Using Enzymes – Carbon Sciences

Posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 posted by posted by Ecacofonix @ 5:50 AM

Here's an interesting article on an announcement from Carbon Sciences that it has developed a breakthrough technology to recycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into gasoline and other portable fuels.

The company’s current approach is an enzyme-based process used to transform CO2 into low-level fuels, such as methanol. According to the company, it’s team has now discovered a new and more cost efficient process to produce gasoline, a high-level fuel, from CO2. The key features of this breakthrough includes (1) the of use flue emissions directly from coal-fired power plants or industrial factories, (2) the use of brackish water, eliminating the need for distilled freshwater as the source of hydrogen and reaction medium, (3) mild operating conditions, eliminating the need for capital intensive stainless steel equipment, and (4) a highly scalable system

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New Device to Make Energy Efficient Biofuels

Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 posted by posted by Mak @ 3:04 AM

A team of scientists from the University of Sheffield, UK, has developed an innovative device that will make the production of alternative biofuels more energy efficient.The research team has adapted a unique bioreactor for use in the production of alternative renewable fuels, to replace fossil fuels such as petrol and diesel.

The team have devised an air-lift loop bioreactor which creates microbubbles using 18% less energy consumption. Microbubbles are miniature gas bubbles of less than 50 microns diameter in water. They are able to transfer materials in a bioreactor much more rapidly than larger bubbles produced by conventional bubble generation techniques and they consume much less energy. The team's unique adaption of the bioreactor and creation of microbubbles has the potential to revolutionise the energy-efficient production of biofuels.

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Labels: alternative-energy, biofuels, energy, research

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“Hydrofill” - A Portable Fuel Cell System

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 2:35 AM

Horizon fuel cell technologies, a Singapore based company recently unveiled “Hydrofill,” their latest innovations in electronic gadget technologies during the Consumer Electronic Show 2010 (CES) which was held in Las Vegas, Nevada.“Hydrofill” is a portable fuel cell system designed towards charging electronic gadgets through a process extracting hydrogen through water. The entire process is clean and quick as the process of extracting hydrogen through water only results in production of water vapour.

The hydrogen which is obtained from water is then stored in special cartridges which fits in a pocket sized minipak. A range of devices like Ipods, mobile phones, GPS systems to camera rechargeable batteries can be charged through these minipak which houses a USB port. This device can be used on the go or away from electric sockets thus providing great convenience towards the consumers.

The only drawback which arises out of this invention is the non-refillable nature of the cartridges. This is the only area which needs to be worked at if the company needs to make a mark in off-grid power driven green industry. Priced at around $150, the MiniPak will be made available by April this year.

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Labels: batteries, fuel-cells, hydrogen

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New Energy Technologies Develops ‘Spray on’ Solar Solution

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 1:10 AM

New Energy Technologies has reached the next development stage of a process for spraying solar cells and their related components onto glass. This product is still awaiting patent and is in the early stages, yet if successful, is expected to make significant changes to the BIPV market.

"The ability to spray solar coatings directly onto glass follows on the heels of our recent breakthrough which replaced visibility-blocking metal with environmentally-friendly see-thru compounds, and marks an important advance in the development of our see-thru glass windows capable of generating electricity," announced Meetesh V. Patel, president and CEO of New Energy Technologies.

In commercial terms, this new spray technology could translate into important manufacturing advantages for our SolarWindow, including significant cost-savings, high-speed production, and room-temperature deposition--common barriers to commercial success for innovative solar technologies.

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Labels: electricity, energy, solar

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Portable Charger Harvests Solar and Wind Energy

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 12:56 AM

Miniwiz earlier showcased their portable wind-powered gadget charger in 2007, the Hymini, which charges various portable electronic devices using wind energy. The company is back with an upgraded version of the device that now harvests solar energy as well. Dubbed the Hymini Biscuit, the charger was unveiled at CES 2010, and recharges two AA-sized batteries using renewable energy.

The device features a solar panel and a fan to recharge the set of batteries, which can then be used to various electronic devices that support USB charging. The device costs $50 and can be purchased online.

See more about the batteries here

Labels: batteries, energy, renewable, solar, wind

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Printable Lithium-polymer Batteries to be Used with a Flexible Solar Battery

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 12:46 AM

A research group led by Advanced Materials Innovation Center (AMIC) of Mie Industry and Enterprise Support Center is developing lithium polymer batteries that can be manufactured by printing technology.

The sheet-shaped battery is to be used with a flexible solar battery or display and to be attached to a curved surface. When used with a solar battery formed on a flexible substrate, it will lead to a device that will be used as a power generator and a power storage unit.

Since the battery will be manufactured using printing technology, it will be possible to reduce the thickness of the battery and its cost since it will be possible to produce it by roll-to-roll production method.

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Labels: batteries, research, solar

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Green Machine to Turn Waste Heat to Electricity

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 12:02 AM

An American invention that turns waste heat into electricity by operating like a "super-kettle", has been licensed by a Scottish energy company, which aims to turn over £40 million within the next three years by manufacturing the devices for the European market. Thistle Energy – a spin-out company from family-owned Thistle Generators in Bothwell, Lanarkshire – will initially sell Electra Therm's "green machine" in the UK but also has plans to assemble it in Scotland before the end of the year.

The green machine is designed to work on industrial machinery that runs round the clock, such as generators or incinerators that give off waste heat.The device operates in a similar way to a kettle on a stove. Waste heat from industrial machinery boils a fluid inside the device, which in turn drives a generator to produce electricity.That could then be fed into the National Grid and sold at a profit or, in the offshore market, could be used to power operations such as accommodation barges.

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Labels: electricity, waste

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Energy-efficient Bioconversion to Turn Waste Glycerin to Biofuels

Posted on Monday, January 4, 2010 posted by posted by Mak @ 10:17 PM

A large part of the glycerin glut comes from biofuel refineries, which put out enormous quantities of crude glycerin as a byproduct. Glycos Biotechnologies, Inc. , which is commercializing glycerin-gobbling microorganisms developed by researchers at Rice University. The hungry bugs are at the heart of an energy-efficient bioconversion process that turns waste glycerin into fuels and other products.

GlycosBio’s approach is to integrate bioconversion into individual refinery operations. Instead of a liability, the waste glycerin can be made into a profit center, yielding high-value chemicals (alcohols and acids) that can be used to make fabrics, insulation, and food products, as well as additional fuels. Other researchers have been developing ways to convert glycerin into ethanol, methane, hydrogen gas, and even a non-toxic antifreeze.

GlycosBio designed its operations to follow familiar refinery processes, which makes integration relatively easy. The big difference is the company’s proprietary microbe based conversion process, which requires far less heat and power. In addition to crude glycerin, the conversion process can also work on a variety of biofuel feedstocks, perhaps including algae.

Labels: biofuels, energy, waste

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Engineered Tobacco Leaves to Produce More Biofuel

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 8:27 PM

Researchers at the Biotechnology Foundations Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University have found out a way to increase biofuel production from tobacco plants by engineering two genes, which increase the oil in tobacco leaves.

The researchers have identified two genes - the diacyglycerol acytransferase (DGAT) gene and the LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 gene. Plants modified to over-express these genes produce more oil. While a typical tobacco plant contains about 1.7% to 4% of oil per dry weight, engineered plants carry about 6.8% of oil, which can be converted into biofuel.

Labels: biofuels, oil, research

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Smart Wind Turbines Can Predict the Wind

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 8:20 PM

Risø DTU has recently completed the world's first successful test on a wind turbine with a laser-based anemometer built into the spinner in order to increase electricity generation.The results show that the system called wind LIDAR can predict wind direction, gusts of wind and turbulence.

It is expected that the technology can increase energy production by up to 5%, primarily because it is possible to use longer blades. For a 4 MW wind turbine, this means a financial gain of 200,000 Danish kroner a year. Compared to the Danish Energy Agency's predictions, this technology could cut CO2 emissions by 25,000 tons by 2025, if every 10th turbine is equipped with a wind LIDAR. At the same time, the technology can be combined with "smart blades" and thereby increase longevity.

Labels: co2, electricity, energy, inventions, wind

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Low-emission Car Powered by a Hybrid Engine

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 4:48 AM

Details of Honda’s upcoming green ride, the new CR-Z, have scant but some Japanese websites have managed to get their hands on a sales brochure, revealing the car’s design and some technical specification as well. The production car which is expected to be launched at next month’s Detroit motor show will be powered by a hybrid engine for a low-emission drive.

The car will be powered by a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and supplemented by an integrated Motor Assist electric motor that adds 13bhp at 1500rpm. The brochure claims that the CR-Z will be able to hit 60mph in under 10 seconds.

Labels: e, engines, hybrids

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Sopogy Inaugurates World’s First MicroCSP Solar Plant

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 3:28 AM

Sopogy Inc has inaugurated the world’s first MicroCSP solar thermal plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. The 2MW thermal energy project spans 3.8 acres in the hot Kona desert and makes use of 1000 Sopogy MicroCSP solar panels.

The panels are equipped with mirrors and optics and an integrated sun tracking system, which betters the efficiency of the plant. The system also uses a unique thermal energy storage buffer that allows energy to be produced during cloudy periods and to shift energy produced from the day to evening periods.

Labels: efficiency, electricity, energy, solar

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LED Light Bulbs with Remote Controls to Save More Energy

Posted on posted by posted by Mak @ 3:09 AM

The new LED EcoBulb by Seokjae Rhee raises the green bar with innovative features to save more energy.

For one, the bulb allows the user to only light the needed area with a small portion of the bulb’s surface aiming in the right direction (the bulb’s surface is divided into 6 parts). The brightness can also be adjusted, so you don’t have to have it on full blast all the time. The bulb also comes with a remote control, so when people are too lazy to get up to turn the light off (can’t imagine you’ve ever been in that situation) they can just grab the remote.

Labels: efficiency, energy, inventions

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