Alternative Fuels & Energy
A dual look at photosystem II
February 14, 2013 2:56 pm | News | CommentsFrom providing living cells with energy, to nitrogen fixation, to the splitting of water molecules, the catalytic activities of metalloenzymes—proteins that contain a metal ion—are vital to life on Earth. Using ultrafast, intensely bright pulses of X-rays from SLAC’s Linac Coherent Light Source researchers were able to simultaneously image at room temperature the atomic and electronic structures of photosystem II, a metalloenzyme critical to photosynthesis.
Carbon sponge could soak up coal emissions
February 12, 2013 8:09 am | News | CommentsEmissions from coal power stations could be drastically reduced by a new, energy-efficient material that adsorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide, then release it when exposed to sunlight. Monash University and CSIRO scientists, for the first time, discovered a photosensitive metal organic framework, which has lead to a powerful and cost-effective tool to capture and store, or potentially recycle, carbon dioxide.
Corn shortage idles 20 ethanol plants across U.S.
February 10, 2013 1:48 pm | by JIM SALTER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe persistent U.S. drought is taking a toll on producers of ethanol, with corn becoming so scarce that nearly two dozen ethanol plants have been forced to halt production. The Renewable Fuels Association, an ethanol industry trade group, provided data to The Associated Press showing that 20 of the nation's 211 ethanol plants have ceased production over the past year, including five in January.
ExxonMobil donates $2.5M to UW for energy research
February 7, 2013 7:08 pm | by MEAD GRUVER - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsAnother major corporate gift from the oil and gas industry, this time from ExxonMobil, seeks to boost hydrocarbon deposit research at the University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources. Gov. Matt Mead, UW President Tom Buchanan and ExxonMobil vice president Randy Broiles announced the $2.5 million gift Thursday at the State Capitol.
Scientists turn toxic by-product into biofuel booster
February 4, 2013 3:49 pm | News | CommentsScientists studying an enzyme that naturally produces alkanes—long carbon-chain molecules that could be a direct replacement for the hydrocarbons in gasoline—have figured out why the natural reaction typically stops after three to five cycles. Armed with that knowledge, they’ve devised a strategy to keep the reaction going.
Research team maximizes impact of new energy technologies
January 24, 2013 12:46 pm | News | CommentsWhat if we could assess technologies for hidden environmental dangers before they hit the marketplace? And even better, what if the technology's positive impacts could be maximized and negative ones minimized before the technology is even deployed, as part of the development process? The Emerging Technology Assessment Team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is working to do just that, using energy and environmental analysis techniques to estimate potential impacts of early-stage technologies.
Iowa groups to create renewable fuels coalition
January 22, 2013 10:58 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsSeveral Iowa businesses and organizations have joined together to create a coalition that will push for continued government support of renewable fuels including ethanol and biodiesel. The Iowa RFS Coalition includes biotech giants DuPont, Monsanto, and Syngenta. In addition groups representing corn and soybean growers and farm equipment dealers have joined in the effort.
Marginal lands: Prime fuel source for alternative energy
January 16, 2013 2:21 pm | News | CommentsMarginal lands—those unsuited for food crops—can serve as prime real estate for meeting the nation's alternative energy production goals. In Nature, a team of researchers led by Michigan State University shows that marginal lands represent a huge untapped resource to grow mixed species cellulosic biomass, plants grown specifically for fuel production, which could annually produce up to 5.5 billion gallons of ethanol in the Midwest alone.
Google invests $200 million in Texas wind farm
January 9, 2013 6:10 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsGoogle Inc. is investing $200 million in a Texas wind farm, the Internet search leader's latest big bet on the future alternative energy. The commitment to the Spinning Spur Wind Project announced Wednesday brings Google's total investments in alternative energy to about $1.2 billion. The company has backed 11 different projects with a combined capacity to produce 2 gigawatts of electricity—enough to power about 500,000 U.S. homes for a year.
A new point of reference for offshore energy development
January 8, 2013 12:32 pm | News | CommentsA new U.S. Department of Energy research facility could help bring the U.S. closer to generating power from the winds and waters along America's coasts and help alleviate a major hurdle for offshore wind and ocean power development.
Engineered bacteria make fuel from sunlight
January 7, 2013 4:23 pm | News | CommentsChemists at the University of California, Davis have engineered blue-green algae to grow chemical precursors for fuels and plastics—the first step in replacing fossil fuels as raw materials for the chemical industry.
Engineering alternative fuel with cyanobacteria
January 7, 2013 12:06 pm | News | CommentsSandia National Laboratories Truman Fellow Anne Ruffing has engineered two strains of cyanobacteria to produce free fatty acids, a precursor to liquid fuels, but she has also found that the process cuts the bacteria’s production potential.
NREL to help convert methane to liquid diesel
January 7, 2013 10:16 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will help develop microbes that convert methane found in natural gas into liquid diesel fuel, a novel approach that if successful could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower dependence on foreign oil.
Congress extends tax credits for wind, biofuels
January 2, 2013 6:15 pm | by DAVID PITT - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe wind energy and ethanol industries celebrated a victory Wednesday with the inclusion of tax credit extensions in the tax relief bill approved by Congress, but that may not mean lost jobs will come back anytime soon. The measure approved Tuesday night as part of the bill extending tax cuts for most taxpayers also helps wind energy and ethanol producers by extending tax credits, most of which expired Monday.
Global Funding Forecast Resources
December 17, 2012 4:56 pm | by Martin Grueber, Research Leader, Battelle and Tim Studt, Editorial Director, Advantage Business Media | Articles | CommentsThe following Web sites are good sources of information related to the global R&D enterprise. Much of the information in this report was derived from these sources, which are certainly not all-inclusive.
How to get fossil fuels from ice cream, soap
December 17, 2012 3:34 pm | News | CommentsScientists at the University of Manchester have identified a biocatalyst which could produce chemicals found in ice cream and household items such as soap and shampoo—possibly leading to the long-term replacement of chemicals derived from fossil fuels.
Dark Clouds, But Bright Outlook for R&D
December 14, 2012 11:27 am | by Tim Studt | Articles | CommentsChanges in the R&D environment are driving research managers to look at different ways to support and grow their organizations.
Study offers insight into converting wood to bio-oil
December 14, 2012 8:15 am | News | CommentsNew research from North Carolina State University provides molecular-level insights into how cellulose breaks down in wood to create "bio-oils" which can be refined into any number of useful products. Using a supercomputer, the team calculated what's occurring at the molecular level when wood is rapidly heated to high temperature in the absence of oxygen, a decomposition process known as pyrolysis.
LLNL receives grant for underground coal gasification work
December 4, 2012 8:35 am | News | CommentsLawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Underground Coal Gasification Program has received a two-year research grant to study water-quality hazard mitigation strategies from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
Synthetic fuels could eliminate entire U.S. need for crude oil
November 27, 2012 10:38 am | News | CommentsThe United States could eliminate the need for crude oil by using a combination of coal, natural gas, and non-food crops to make synthetic fuel, a team of Princeton University researchers has found. Besides economic and national security benefits, the plan has potential environmental advantages.
Alaska ice tested as possible new energy source
November 11, 2012 11:28 am | by DAN JOLING - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsResearchers are looking into frozen gas that looks like ice but burns like a candle as a possible future source of energy. U.S. Department of Energy researchers and industry partners are analyzing data from trials on Alaska's North Slope that tested a method of extracting methane from methane hydrate.
Researchers develop effective thermal energy storage system
November 9, 2012 7:52 am | News | CommentsEngineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a thermal energy storage system that will work as a viable alternative to current methods used for storing energy collected from solar panels. Incorporating the researchers' design into the operation of a concentrated solar power plant will dramatically increase annual energy production while significantly decreasing production costs.
Nucor, Encana sign natural gas agreement
November 6, 2012 11:04 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsNucor Corp. has agreed to team up with the U.S. division of Encana Corp. on a project that would provide natural gas for its steelmaking facilities. Financial terms were not disclosed. Nucor said Tuesday that Encana will drill and operate onshore natural gas wells. Nucor will pay its share of the costs plus an additional amount of carried interest as each well is drilled, subject to caps.
Predicting wave power could double marine-based energy
September 10, 2012 10:36 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers has developed a control algorithm that, when used in conjunction with previously developed wave prediction technology, helps wave energy converters calculate the correct amount of force needed to collect the maximum energy possible, allowing the device to respond to each wave individually.
Engineers examine water-based methods for electricity generation
August 23, 2012 5:40 am | News | CommentsAs the world's energy demands increase, Yale University researchers are examining alternative and sustainable power generation techniques. The researchers have published extensively on using engineered osmosis to address the growing demand for energy, and a recent paper in Nature examines three water-based methods for electricity generation and the challenges that must be met before they can be used for widespread application.
