<tideeAbstracts><tideeAbs><Title>Remote sensing to help mine wastelands for bio-diesel

TERI

TERI Information Digest on Energy and Environment

0972-6721

The Energy and Resources Institute

tidee-6-3-003

RESEARCH NOTE

From newspapers, magazines, and trade journals

92007

63309314

<tideeAbstracts><tideeAbs><Title>Remote sensing to help mine wastelands for bio-dieselThe Indian Express 3 July 2007Recent research has found that energy and economic woes could find a new solution with Jatropha curcas. With a dual goal of boosting the village economy and helping farmers fulfill their own energy needs, a research project funded by the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) at the University of Pune's Geography department is harnessing remote sensing technology to identify suitable wastelands for cultivation of the perennial bio-diesel-generating plant. Launched a year ago, the project will be completed within one-and-a-half years. The project aims at preparing a taluka-wise digital map of the state detailing potential land for cultivation, along with information on the possible productivity of each land depending on its unique agro-climatic conditions, and suggestions for the location of the processing systems. If successful, the project could become a model for implementation in other states.Power from plastic wasteThe Economic Times 5 July 2007Electricity from plastic waste may sound unrealistic, but it is now being touted as the technology of future for power-deficit India. Mumbai-based AEL (Asian Electronics Ltd) and Singapore's Enviro-Hub Holdings have teamed up to build four power plants of 8 MW (megawatt) each based on this 'commercially viable' technology. The plants will be fired by the liquid hydrocarbons produced from plastic waste. The new initiative will take shape through the projects of JV (joint venture) company, GHL (Green Hydrocarbons), which is registered in Japan, Europe, and the US. The power plants will be set up in Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Thane, and Rajasthan at a total capex of Rs 1280 million. On experimental basis, AEL had set up a 2-MW plant in Nagpur, which is running full steam. AEL is in talks with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation for a JV to develop technology for optimum conversion of crude oil into petrol and diesel. In the present scenario, only 70% of the crude is refined to fuel. Using the technology, it can be improved to 90%.Running cars on hydrogen made from starchhttp://www.technology review.com, last accessed on 12 July 2007Using a set of 13 commercially available enzymes isolated from yeast, bacteria, spinach, and rabbit muscle enzymes, researchers have developed a way to convert starch, available from numerous sources including corn and potatoes, into hydrogen gas at low temperatures and pressures. The method produces three times more hydrogen than an older enzymatic method does, suggesting that it might be practical to use such enzymes to produce hydrogen for fuel-cell vehicles. The hydrogen comes from two sources: the starch and the water used to oxidize the starch. The enzymes facilitate chemical reactions in which the water and starch can be completely converted into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The new system produces a higher yield of hydrogen than previous experimental systems that used enzymes for converting sugars into hydrogen. But while the yield of hydrogen is high, so far the rates at which the gas is produced are extremely low. One of the first applications of the system could be generating hydrogen for fuel cells in portable electronics since the starch could be a safer way of storing energy than using methanol. The researchers estimated that it would take about six to eight years to improve the rates enough for such applications.Cost-effectively treating oil and gas co-produced waterhttp://www.netl.doe.gov, last accessed on 20 July 2007A research programme funded by the US DOE (United States Department of Energy) is making significant progress in developing new cost-effective ways to treat and use water co-produced with oil and natural gas. The ultimate benefit is a two-for-one solution that expects to boost domestic energy supplies while enhancing the nation's water supply. Under this programme, researchers at Texas A&M (Aggieland & Maroon) University have commercialized a new technology to remove salts and minerals from brackish co-produced water, yielding safe drinking water. The project's mobile desalination unit can process as much as 10 000 gallons per day of produced water. The technology enables an oilfield operator to re-use about 30% of a well's waste water stream, reducing the demand on municipal water supplies in a state where diminishing water supply from major aquifers is a growing concern. By slashing the cost of water disposal, it also reduces costs for oilfield operators-potentially to the tune of an estimated $13 million a day for operators in Texas alone. In another case, researchers at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology submitted a patent application for a breakthrough improvement in the design of zeolite membranes for reverse osmosis. These new synthetic zeolite membranes are easy to clean, have a long life, and are mechanically and chemically more stable than other, comparable synthetic membranes. The project goal is to reduce produced-water salinity by more than 90%, making it suitable for agricultural uses.Integrated model mooted for power from wasteThe Hindu 25 July 2007In Tamil Nadu, with the Tiruchi Corporation deciding to revive its plan for power generation from waste, an integrated technology model is being mooted to establish a plant that would make optimum use of municipal waste. In a concept note presented to the Corporation, the ILFS (Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd), a partner agency, has suggested the establishment of an integrated municipal waste-processing complex that would handle both liquid and solid waste for cost optimization and commercial viability. There have been a number of similar initiatives, which have not succeeded due to the mixed nature of municipal waste. Most urban local bodies were not able to ensure waste segregation. Hence, a combination of technologies has been proposed. The plant would have the capability for handling of green waste from vegetable/fruit markets and hotels, and recycling of sewage and discharge of treated water. The discharge of inert material to the landfill site would be reduced substantially.BARC tech turns urban waste into organic manureThe Hindu Business Line 27 July 2007Kitchen waste, stale food, split milk, leftovers from hotels, and vegetable refuge, which are becoming a huge and mounting burden on urban civic bodies, could no longer be a threat to the urban environment. They can be a good source of well-balanced organic manure offering excellent top soil material to the farmers, thanks to a technology developed by the BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre). If segregated well, this waste could do wonders for the farmers practising organic farming. Seeing the benefits of the Nisargruna, some civic bodies in Maharashtra, Orissa, and Gujarat have already installed a few plants.Cheaper biofuel reactorshttp://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19199/, last accessed on 9 August 2007Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a fast way to convert sawdust and waste biomass directly into a mixture of gases that can be burned to generate electricity or made into liquid fuels such as diesel. The researchers developed a system that makes it possible to transform solids directly into a useful mixture of gases. The process begins when millimetre-sized particles come into contact with a 700°C to 800°C porous surface and instantly form a mixture of gaseous compounds. These interact with a catalyst made of the precious metal rhodium that facilitates partial oxidation reactions that both keep the system hot and convert the gases to hydrogen and CO. This mixture of gases, called syngas or synthesis gas, can then be burned in a gas turbine to make electricity, or purified and made into a number of different fuels using well-known processes. The key to the new process is a catalyst bed with the right kind of porous structure to maintain the temperatures and movement of materials needed for the chemical reactions. The resulting system breaks down the biomass in just 70 milliseconds. That is ten times faster than other methods for making syngas. If the process can be scaled up, it could be a more energy-efficient method for making biofuels by allowing for small, fast reactors located close to biomass sources. Ultra-violet water filter to clean Ganga and Yamuna Sulabh International has developed an ultra-violet water filter that would help clean the Ganga and Yamuna. The charcoal-based ultra-violet water filter, developed by the in-house research team of Sulabh International, treats waste water effluent from biogas plants running on human excreta. The treated water is colourless, odourless, and pathogen free. Its biochemical oxygen demand is less than 10 mg per litre, which is quite safe for nurturing fish, and for irrigation and horticulture. The decentralized system of waste water treatment is an affordable way to overcome the problem of waste water pollution. Besides nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate, the contents of the treated water contain all micronutrients required for growth of plants and increases soil texture. The treated water does not cause acidity or alkalinity of soil and, thus, helps the growth of microorganisms in soil.Ultra-violet water filter to clean Ganga and YamunaThe Indian Express 18 August 2007The Indian Express, 18 August 2007 Sulabh International has developed an ultra-violet water filter that would help clean the Ganga and Yamuna. The charcoal-based ultra-violet water filter, developed by the in-house research team of Sulabh International, treats waste water effluent from biogas plants running on human excreta. The treated water is colourless, odourless, and pathogen free. Its biochemical oxygen demand is less than 10 mg per litre, which is quite safe for nurturing fish, and for irrigation and horticulture. The decentralized system of waste water treatment is an affordable way to overcome the problem of waste water pollution. Besides nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate, the contents of the treated water contain all micronutrients required for growth of plants and increases soil texture. The treated water does not cause acidity or alkalinity of soil and, thus, helps the growth of microorganisms in soil.A new technology to generate electricity from waveshttp://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19295/, last accessed on 23 August 2007Researchers from SRI (Stanford Research Institute) International, based in Menlo Park, CA (California), recently completed the first ocean tests of a system that uses an artificial muscle to generate power from the motion of a buoy riding up and down on the waves. The polymer-based system at the heart of the new generator is a variation on an artificial muscle-a device developed as an alternative to electric motors in applications such as robots. An artificial muscle will expand or contract when a voltage is applied to it, but the same process can work in reverse. If the muscle is stretched by an outside force, it can generate electricity. The generator was built by sandwiching a commercially available rubbery material between two electrodes, which are made of a greasy polymer containing conductive materials. The rubber sheet and electrodes are then rolled up, like a scroll, to form a hollow tube. When the tube is pulled by an outside force, the rubber layer is stretched thin, narrowing the gap between the electrodes. Initially, a small battery applies a voltage across the electrodes. When the rubber springs back into its original shape, it forces the electrodes apart, increasing the voltage between them. This excess energy can be siphoned off to generate a current. Part of that current feeds back into the system, so the battery is used only for the first cycle. The researchers recently tested the system off the coast of Florida. Although the prototype produces very little electricity, the researchers say that wave farms based on the technology could eventually rival wind turbines in power output, providing a significant source of clean energy. This new system could prove both cheaper and more reliable, the researchers say.Algae could be new bio-diesel sourceThe Hindu 26 August 2007The Sundarbans delta, an archipelago of some 100 islands spread over 4262 square kilometres on the Indian side of the Bay of Bengal, is becoming the incubator of ecology friendly energy sources which are now lighting up the lives of many people who may never get access to conventional forms of electricity or grid power. A new chapter will open if the efforts to try out algae cultivation in order to extract bio-diesel reach fruition. It follows the success achieved in tapping renewable energy forms such as solar, wind, biomass, and solar-wind hybrids. A 10-MW capacity has already been created in this remote deltaic marshland, which is the world's largest mangrove swamp. Chennai-based Bio Max is reportedly keen on setting up an algae cultivation project on one of the uninhabited Sundarban islands.North-east India to produce electricity from bambooElectric India 47(3): 12(2007)A bamboo-fuelled eco-friendly power station is to come up in Mizoram to help meet the energy needs of the north-eastern states of India. The power station will be set up in a village at an estimated cost of 28.5 million rupees ($0.62 million). This cost-effective project has been conceived by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, along with Ankur Scientific Energy Technologies, a private enterprise. Bamboo would be first harvested and then dried before it is processed for feedstock to produce gas, which would finally get converted to electricity. An estimated 9000 square-kilometre area is under bamboo cultivation in Mizoram. The area annually produces 3.2 MT (million tonnes) of bamboo, which has never been tapped to generate electricity. India, the world's largest producer of bamboo after China, grows about 80 MT each year, and more than half of it is in the north-east.Ultra clean coalChemical Industry Digest 22(7): 34(2007)Researchers at the school of Chemical, Environmental, and Mining Engineering, Nottingham, UK, are developing a new coal cleaning process that would remove 99.5% of unwanted minerals from coal prior to combustion. The process involves the use of chemicals, mainly, hydrofluoric acid, to dissolve unwanted minerals present in the coal before it is used to generate electricity. Soluble products can be recycled for further use. When developed, this process will eliminate the need to use fresh chemicals, and hence the problem of disposing them after use. Hence, the process would be very environment friendly and cost effective. As minerals are removed from the coal before it is burned, the corrosive particles are eliminated, thus reducing the need for turbine maintenance.New Syncrude-Syncoal process developedChemical Industry Digest 22(1): 35(2007)CCI (Convert Coal Inc.), California, has developed a more efficient pyrolysis process that can convert low-grade coal to coal tar and an upgraded coal-char fuel. Low-grade coal generally contains about 30-wt% water and 32-wt% volatile matter. In this process, the coal milled to a size of ¼ × ½″, is dried by exhaust heat from the pyrolysis step and is then pyrolysed at about 1000°F to recover about half of the volatile matter as coal tar oil. The oil can be further hydro-treated to yield a syncrude for refining. The combination of drying pyrolysis results in a coal-char product that has more than 40% higher heating density than the feed coal. The process also removes other impurities such as 50%-70% sulphur, 0%-40% nitrogen, and about 90% of volatile mercury present in the crude coal, and thus allows power plants to meet emission regulations.