Coskata’s gasification process uses a plasma “torch” to gasify biomass to syngas. The syngas is then converted to ethanol using proprietary micro-organisms.
Coskata leverages proprietary microorganisms and efficient bioreactor designs in a three-step conversion process that can turn virtually any carbon-based feedstock into ethanol, from anywhere in the world. The three steps are:
1. Gasification. Carbon-based feedstock is converted into syngas using well-established gasification technologies. In the Madison demo plant, plasma torches will super heat feedstock to 1,600°F (871°C), which creates a synthesis gas consisting of carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
At its commercial scale plants, Coskata intends to use WPC Marc-11 plasma torches, which have been proven in metallurgical and waste-to-energy commercial applications throughout the world. The Marc-11 torches have more than 500,000 hours of operation in industrial settings, including a GM foundry in Defiance, Ohio.
A smaller version, the Marc-3, will be used in Coskata’s Madison facility. A WPC Marc-3 has been used in Japan to gasify municipal solid waste for more than five years.
2. Fermentation. The syngas is cooled to about 100°F (38°C). Coskata’s proprietary microorganisms convert the cooled syngas into ethanol by consuming the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) in the gas stream.
3. Separation. Pervaporation technology separates and recovers the ethanol.
Plasma is the term given to a gas that has become ionized—i.e., one where the atoms of the gas have lost one or more electrons and have become electrically charged. Man-made plasma is formed by passing an electrical discharge though a gas such as air or oxygen. The interaction of the electric discharge and the process gas causes the temperature of the gas to increase significantly often exceeding 5,500°C (10,000°F).
WPC’s plasma torches can be fed with process gases of widely varying chemical composition including air, oxygen, nitrogen, argon and others. WPC’s plasma technology can increase the energy of the process gas to between two to ten times higher than conventional combustion. __GCC
A wide variety of gasification approaches are being taken by various biomass to liquid fuels (BTL) processors. As they compete in the marketplace, we will eventually discover how cheaply liquid biofuels can be made from cellulose and other non-food feedstocks.Labels: bioenergy
Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 19th Jan 2010
The world produces abundant waste biomass which humans could be using as fuel, instead of coal, oil, and gas. Forward-thinking engineers and entrepreneurs are beginning to act on this promise, without waiting for corrupt bureaucrats and politicians to give them the go-ahead.
Renegy Holdings, Inc. (Renegy) (Nasdaq:RNGY) announced today that it has successfully synchronized its 24 megawatt (MW) biomass power plant located in Snowflake, Arizona, to the electric utility grid. As of April 24, Renegy has been generating electricity from its Snowflake facility and is currently selling test power in advance of commencing full commercial operations.
…The plant is located adjacent to a recycled newsprint mill owned and operated by Catalyst Paper Corp. Fuel for the plant will be derived from wood-waste material from local green waste sites and the surrounding forests and from waste recycled paper fibres generated by the newsprint mill. The current fuel inventory at the plant site includes approximately 200,000 tons of wood waste fuel, approximately equivalent to a two-year supply. The Snowflake plant will sell its entire power output through long-term power purchase agreements in place with Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project, Arizona’s two largest electric utility companies. __Money.CNN
An earlier Al Fin posting recommended Renegy as a stock prospect to watch. Andritz, an Austrian company, is involved in similar biomass to electricity projects in Europe.
Biomass to electricity is a baseload, 24/7 renewable power generation approach, unlike current wind and solar energy schemes. Until battery storage is able to effectively scale up to utility needs, we are likely to see more plants that combine solar thermal with biomass to electricity, to provide 24 hour energy needs. Using biomass in place of coal or gas should provide significant energy savings–once the infrastructure for collecting and processing biomass is more mature.
The Green Loans Program is delivered in three steps.
GET YOUR HOME ASSESSMENT NOW Step 1 - Book your free home sustainability assessment
At no cost, a qualified home sustainability assessor will visit your home to investigate energy and water consumption patterns to identify actions that your household can take to save energy and water.
Step 2 - Receive your tailored home sustainability assessment report
valid for six months, including:
the best water and energy saving changes you can make to your home
practical information to get your household started. Step 3 - Choose which recommended actions you will take to improve your home
The report is the first step in qualifying for an interest-free Green Loan of up to $10,000 from one of the Green Loans participating financial institutions.
Only one Green Loan is provided per home sustainability assessment report—but one loan can support many individual actions.
Your household may simply accept the report and implement the simplest recommendations.
or call Michelle – BA Comm.JP Qual.[Qualified Assessor]
direct on 0447776379.
I service the Fraser Coast Area (Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Howard, Torbanlea, Childers, Burrum Heads and Apple Tree Creek areas,the hinterland and everywhere in between.
Produced and published by Henry Sapiecha 18th Jan 2010
Commencing with energy efficiency by May 2011, phase-in mandatory disclosure of residential buildings for energy, greenhouse and water performance at the time of sale or lease will be invoked. This scheme is being instigated by the Commonwealth Government and will unify the many existing State schemes that are now in existence. To put it simply if you are a home owner wishing to sell your house you must first acquire a certificate from a qualified assessor who will visit you in your home and conduct an energy efficiency survey of your home leaving you with a certificate that you can hand to a real estate agent who can then list your property for sale.
The details on your assessment will give all prospective buyers a window into your home allowing them a full picture of what they might be buying and would have a star rating for the energy effectiveness based along the same lines as for new homes. Unlike new homes that will have to be a 6 star rating in the future, an existing home will be given a star rating that is appropriate to the standard that is found by the assessor. From this the buyer will be able to decide on their preference to purchase a home with all the bells and whistles or something that might be less expensive but requires some upgrading work to meet a higher standard.
The assessment will cover the building envelope including roof, walls, doors and windows as well as the energy efficiency of key building services.
Star Ratings
A star rating is given as part of the Energy Efficiency Rating assessment of a building, it provides a simplified indication of how efficient the building is, ranging from 0 to 10 stars (initially the range was to 6 stars) in 0.5 star increments. This is similar to energy labeling of appliances, such as refrigerators. A 0 star rating is very poor and means the building shell does practically nothing to reduce the discomfort of hot or cold weather. A 5 star rating indicates good, but not outstanding, thermal performance. People living in a 10 star home are unlikely to need any artificial cooling or heating.
Higher energy efficiency standards for both residential and commercial buildings got the tick of approval at last year’s Coalition of Australian Governments’ (COAG) meeting but builders and energy groups argue the scheme needs further changes and sustainability experts would like to see it go further.
COAG agreed that from 2011 the energy efficiency rating for houses will increase from 5 to 6 stars. Mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency for commercial buildings will commence in 2010 and for residential buildings by 2011.
It is planned that all residences in Australia will have to conform to standards for eco worthiness by May 2011.
Mandatory disclosure will encompass the effective proof of the worthiness and compliance of all residences to standards set for the eco values that apply for an efficient use of energy throughout the home.
Greenhouse gases and global warming amongst other factors have determined our direction for ensuring we all comply.
This section of the site will elaborate on all aspects of the regulations that apply to mandatory disclosure for all residences in complying with eco regulations.
Watch this space as we populate it with relevant data.
INTEREST FREE MONEY FOR THE TAKING -GOVERNMENT FUNDED
The Australian Government has allowed each householder to have their residence assessed for eco friendliness and if you qualify give you an interest free loan up to $10,000 for improvemnts to the residence in supplying and installing any such facilities that will ensure compliance to the latest eco friendly standards.
THIS SECTION WILL BE EXPANDED IN DUE COURSE AS INFO BECOMES AVAILABLE TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR THESE INTEREST FREE LOANS.
Swedish firm Markbygden Vind AB has its sights set on constructing and operating a massive wind farm at Markbygden, Pitea Municipality, Sweden. Their vision requires an area of around 450 square kilometres.
Markbygden and the high situated, western parts of Infjärden, west of Piteå are known to have excellent wind resources and being mostly sparsely populated, will have little impact on residents. Another major plus is that the area is crossed by large power cables, suitable for transportation of electricity from such a facility.
The enormous project holds possibilities of becoming one of Europe’s largest industrial investments. Turbine makers have certainly seen its potential. Last year one of the world’s largest wind power equipment manufacturers, Enercon, became part owner in Markbygden Vind AB.
Just over 1100 wind turbines would be constructed in the proposed project areas. Each turbine would have stand 200 metres high, have a rotor diameter between 82 – 126 meters and have a power rating of between 2 – 6 megawatts. Total installed capacity of the wind farm would be between 2500 megawatts and 4000 megawatts, with an annual estimated energy production of between 8 and 12 terawatt hours. 1 terawatt is equal to 1 trillion watts.
At full production, power generation from the massive wind farm would be equivalent to Sweden’s whole present planning goal for wind power, and approximately 50% of the Swedish Energy Agency’s proposed altered planning goals for onshore wind power.
Markbygden Vind AB is a subsidiary of Svevind, a privately owned company located in the north of Sweden working with renewable energy sources.
Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 6th Dec 2009
Posted on December 6th, 2009 by Editor
Filed under: WIND | No Comments »
*If you have any queries about solar or alternative power, water or heating questions then call us for an appraisal and assessment with a quote option for your selection.
FRASER COAST AREA – QUEENSLAND – AUSTRALIA
Up to 45% of your cooling efforts are lost through the ceiling.
Insulate your home today and keep your home cooler this summer
and warmer in winter
by ENERGY OPTIONS.
With current weather predictions that this summer will be
the hottest in years, insulate your home now with bulk insulation
(glass wool or polyester) or embrace new technology
and install the new REFLECTIVE FOIL insulation (R6.4)
offering up to 2.5 times the performance of bulk insulation.
REFLECTIVE FOIL is made from clean safe aluminum
and is PERFECT for asthmatics and allergy sufferers.
Make yourself comfortable with Solar Wise Insulation
by ENERGY OPTIONS
Did you know the summer sun could heat a roof to temperatures
as hot as 65 degrees? Did you also know in winter 26% of the heat
can be lost through the ceiling?
ENERGY OPTIONSQIS Solar Wise Insulation can provide
your home with comfortable living conditions even in the
One of the most exciting developments for aviation is the use of sustainable biofuels to replace the standard kerosene, or Jet-A, fuel that is currently being used. It is clear that our industry’s dependence on fossil fuels is not sustainable, and we see that with innovation, future generations of biofuels for aviation can and will be developed in a sustainable manner. Rapidly developing research shows that next-generation biofuels can be a viable energy source for aviation, and the industry expects that further investigation will develop fuels that can be mass-produced at a low cost and high yield with minimal negative environmental impacts. Importantly, the aviation industry is committed to exploring the use of biofuels that in no way compete for land or water with food supplies, which has been an issue in other sectors.
The term ‘biofuels’ refers to a wide-range of fuels made from almost any form of recently living organic matter, as opposed to fossil fuels made of organic matter from millions of years ago. Biofuels can be categorised by type, such as bioethanol, biodiesel and biogas; and by source, such as sugarcane, maize, wheat, rapeseed, agricultural waste products and algae.
Aviation requires a high-performance fuel that operates in a broad range of conditions and does not compromise safety. Furthermore, next-generation biofuels must be a direct replacement for traditional kerosene fuel (Jet-A) so that manufacturers do not have to redesign the engines and so that airlines and airports do not have to develop new fuel delivery systems, which would delay the introduction of biofuels. Currently, the industry is focused on producing biofuels from sustainable sources that will enable the fuel to be ‘dropped in’ to Jet-A1 – in other words, blending biofuel with fossil fuel until enough biofuel can be produced to fully supply the industry.
Sustainability is the key word for biofuels. In fact, some biofuels have a worse environmental performance than the fossil fuels that they are meant to replace. This is why it is important to use the most advanced biofuel production technology and the best biofuel feedstocks. Many of the ‘first generation’ fuel sources, such as ethanol (produced mainly from corn or sugarcane), have been suggested to cause food shortages in developing nations, taking valuable land and wasting water supplies. Many ‘first generation’ biofuels simply will not work in aircraft, such as ethanol. While 13 trillion gallons of ethanol are being used to power automobiles every year, it would freeze at the high altitudes at which a plane flies, making it non-usable for aviation purposes. Any biofuel used in aircraft would also have to be able to operate at high temperatures, have a low freeze point and be cost-competitive with petroleum-based jet fuel.
It is important to use the most advanced biofuel production technology and the best biofuel feedstocks (images courtesy of Boeing)
The second-generation biofuels currently under advanced development for aviation – such as algae and jatropha – are fast growing, non-food crops that don’t take up land that would be used for food production. In fact, both of these potential feed stocks can be cultivated in some fairly inhospitable places, with much lower requirements for fresh water.
Relative to fossil fuels, sustainably produced biofuels result in a reduction in carbon emissions across their lifecycle. Carbon dioxide absorbed by plants during the growth of the biomass is roughly equivalent to the amount of carbon produced when the fuel is burned in a combustion engine – which is simply returning the CO2 to the atmosphere. Biofuels are anticipated to provide an 80% reduction in overall CO2 lifecycle emissions compared to fossil fuels.
Carbon lifecycle diagrams
Fossil fuels
Biofuels
At each stage in the distribution chain, carbon dioxide is emitted through energy use by extraction, transport, etc
Carbon dioxide will be reabsorbed as the next generation of biofuel feedstock is grow
Second-generation biofuels must have the ability to directly substitute traditional jet fuel for aviation (known as Jet A and Jet A-1) and have the same qualities and characteristics. This is important to ensure that manufacturers do not have to redesign engines or aircraft and that airlines and airports do not have to develop new fuel delivery systems.
At present, the industry is focused on producing biofuels from sustainable sources that will enable the fuel to be a “drop-in” replacement to traditional jet fuel. Drop-in fuels are combined with the petroleum-based fuel either as a blend or as a 100% replacement.
Some first-generation biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol, are not suitable fuels for powering commercial aircraft. Many of these fuels don’t meet the high performance or safety specifications for jet fuel.
Recent advances in fuel production technology have resulted in jet fuel produced from bio-derived sources that not only meets but exceeds many of the current specifications for jet fuel.
Now that biofuels for aviation are a confirmed viable option and the certification process is underway, one of the biggest challenges is cultivating the required quantity of feedstocks. The worldwide aviation industry consumes some 1.5 to 1.7 billion barrels of Jet A-1 annually (about 250 billion litres, or 70 billion gallons). Analysis suggests that a viable market for biofuels can be maintained when as little as 1% of world jet fuel supply is substituted by a biofuel
The aviation industry is committed to sustainable biofuels use in commercial flights to become a reality in three to five years and a significant supply of biofuel in the jet fuel mix should be a reality before 2020. It is now up to dedicated stakeholders across the aviation sector, with help from governments, biomass and fuel suppliers to ensure that the low-carbon, biofuelled future for flight becomes a reality.
There are many experiments and trials in progress. This section looks at those tests and reports on their outputs.
Carrier
Aircraft
Partners
Date
Biofuel
Blend
B747-400
Boeing,
GE Aviation
23 Feb 08
Coconut & Babassu
20% one engine
B747-400
Boeing,
Rolls-Royce
30 Dec 08
Jatropha
50% one engine
B737-800
Boeing,
GE Aviation,
CFM,
Honeywell
7 Jan 09
Algae with Jatropha
50% one engine
B747-300
Boeing,
Pratt&Whitney,
Honeywell
30 Jan 09
Camelina, Jatropha and Algae blend
50% one engine
A320-200
Airbus,
IAE,
Honeywell
By spring 2010
Sustainable feedstocks
TBA
TBA
Rolls-Royce
TBA
TBA
TBA
A320
CFM,
SAFRAN,
EADS,
Honeywell,
Airbus
Early 2010
Salicornia (Halophyte)
TBA
TBA
TBA
October 2009
TBA
TBA
Air New Zealand flight on Jatropha, 30 December 2008
This test flight was performed in Auckland, New Zealand on a Boeing 747-400 with one engine running on a 50% mix of biofuel.
For more information on this biofuel test flight, check out the Air New Zealand flight web page.
Continental Airlines flight on Algae and Jatropha, 7 January 2009
This test flight performed better than expected, with the fuel having the same performance as normal jet fuel, but the pilots reporting that less of the fuel was used, meaning it is potentially more powerful than normal jet fuel.
Latest information: Japan Airlines flight on Camelina, Jatropha and Algae, 30 January 2009
This test flight went as well as expected, according to the pilots, with the biofuel mix in engine #3 behaving in exactly the same way as the pure jet fuel in the other three engines.
With the current explosion of interest in sustainable aviation biofuels, the Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group has developed a Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels, looking at the opportunities and challenges as the industry moves towards this new source of fuel.
The Beginner’s Guide to Aviation Biofuels was produced with the assistance of: Airbus, Airports Council International, Boeing, Bombardier, CFM International, Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation, GE Aviation, Honeywell, International Air Transport Association, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce.
Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 19th July 2009
Brief introduction to Biomass Pyrolysis-Gasification Electric Power Generation
Power generation by using biomass gas from rice husk, wood chips, saw dust and crop stalks can not only save expenditure in electricity tariff in the production cost of rice mills and timber processing mills, but also can bring about benefits by means of selling surplus electric power to the power grid As the higher conversion efficiency of the equipment, by taking rice husk as an example, every kWh power generation consumes only 1.6~1.8kg of rice husk .If using wood dust or crop stalks as fuel, the unit consumption of the fuel will be still lower .Water used for gas cleaning and cooling can be used in a circulating way after it is treated through water treatment facilities such as a sediment pond without environmental pollution and will need only a small amount of making –up water.
Main component and caloricity of biomass gas are different for difference of characteristic of biomass fuel and gasification method.
Through strict cleaning and thermal cracking, the dust & tar content of biomass gas are very tiny, which can meet the requirement for the internal-combustion engines normal operation.
Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 19th July 2009
Coskata’s gasification process uses a plasma “torch” to gasify biomass to syngas. The syngas is then converted to ethanol using proprietary micro-organisms.
Don’t miss out-Apply now
*TOLL FREE NUMBER 1800350069
admin@acbocallcentre.com
is your representative. Call her now.
07 41290152 
0447776379
It is important to use the most advanced biofuel production technology and the best biofuel feedstocks (images courtesy of Boeing)
