Green Technology Forum

Imagine a “magic additive”, which when added to engine oil, increases the fuel efficiency of your car by 35 to 50 per cent and cuts down on carbon emission by 90 per cent. Such an additive has already been successfully tested by Jay Narayan, a professor at the Department of Material Science and Engineering and director of the NSF Centre for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures at USA’s North Carolina University.

Calling the additive a perfect solution for the rising pollution in metros, Narayan said the formulation, based on nanotechnology, is waiting for a patent at the moment and will be launched in the American, Indian and Chinese markets within a year. Narayan is on a three-day visit to the IIT-K for the international conference on Metals and Alloys- Metallo 2007.

The native of a village near Kanpur, Narayan completed his engineering degree from IIT-K in 1969, followed by a Masters and doctorate from the University of Berkeley.

In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, Narayan said nanotechnology could provide solutions for energy and pollution-related problems throughout the world. “The reason for poor mileage and harmful emissions is friction and this additive reduces the friction and repairs the internal surface of the engine, thus increasing efficiency and cutting down on carbon exhaust,” he said. He, however, refused to give information about the components of the additive due to patenting reasons. Narayan said that adding just 10 cc of the additive to engine oil would increase the life of the engine and cut down on the frequency of changing the engine oil. “Once the additive is mixed with the oil, it would last for five to six years. It could be used in all sorts of automotive engines,” he said.

He said the formulation was successfully tested in the US and an exclusive license for its marketing would be given to a US-based agency within the next six months. A separate establishment for marketing the additive would be set up in India and China within a year.

source: ExpressIndia.com

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that Portugal’s largest refiner, Galp Energia, will use the UOP/Eni Ecofining technology to produce diesel fuel from vegetable oils in a new process unit.

Galp Energia is the second European refiner to license Ecofining technology. Eni S.p.A, which co-developed the technology with UOP, is in the process of installing an Ecofining unit at its facility in Livorno, Italy.

The Galp Energia facility, to be located in Sines, Portugal, will process 6,500 barrels per day of vegetable oils to supply European refineries with a high-cetane “green” diesel fuel, to meet growing demand for high-quality, clean fuels and biofuels throughout Europe.

“The use of this technology for producing a high-quality green diesel places Galp Energia at the forefront of Portugal’s effort to reduce emissions, and enables us to provide our costumers with a more sustainable product,” said Manuel Ferreira De Oliveira, CEO of Galp Energia.

The Ecofining process uses catalytic hydroprocessing technology to convert vegetable oils to a green diesel fuel. The product features a high cetane value (the measure of the combustion quality of diesel) of approximately 80. Compared to diesel found at the pump today, which ranges from 40 to 60 cetane, green diesel offers value as a blending stock for fuel producers and blenders seeking to enhance existing diesel fuels and expand the diesel pool.

“The Ecofining process was designed to seamlessly integrate into existing infrastructure to reduce capital costs and simplify adoption,” said Jennifer Holmgren, director of UOP’s Renewable Energy & Chemicals business unit. “And in addition, the properties of the green diesel product eliminate the need for changes to automobile power trains, fuel pumps and fuel distribution networks.”

The Ecofining technology is the first commercial product from UOP’s Renewables Energy & Chemicals business unit. Launched in late 2006, the unit is focused on developing and commercializing technology to produce transportation fuels and chemicals from biofeedstocks ranging from vegetable oils to second generation cellulosic waste feedstocks like corn stover or wood chips.

UOP is also currently developing technology for the production of renewable Jet Propellant-8 (JP-8) jet fuel from vegetable and algal oils backed by $6.7 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

source: businesswire.com

Voller Energy, the UK based fuel cell specialists are leading the way in future yacht design with a concept yacht that is completely powered by fuel cell technology. Voller Energy teamed up with the internationally acclaimed yacht designer, Ken Freivokh to develop a ground breaking model and modern ‘way of working’ for future yacht design. This study concentrates on a 55 foot concept cruising yacht powered by a 5 kilowatt fuel cell. The Emerald fuel cell, manufactured by Voller Energy, is alternative green technology that can realistically replace the traditional diesel generator. The prototype yacht shows the way ahead in development and specification, integrating ethical, environmentally friendly design practices into the marine world. This is an important consideration in an industry reliant on people being able to enjoy their craft in clean, natural surroundings.

Ken Freivokh is the founding designer of Ken Freivokh Design. The company is the exclusive designer for many of the world’s most prestigious boat builders and also undertakes ‘one off’ projects including the stunning Maltese Falcon and Leopard 3. The designer is very much at the forefront of yacht design and supports the expansion of fuel cell technology into the yachting world, ‘a future yacht in five years time will be aimed at designing the whole yacht round a cell and accommodating a fuel cell will be standard issue in the marine design industry’, Ken Freivokh.

It cannot be overlooked that the quick win in environmental conservation is just to use less energy. Ideally however, technology can help maintain a sustainable environment without compromising on performance of the yacht and in relation to some specifications even enhance the sailing potential. The overall goal of the concept yacht is to elevate the sailing experience whilst protecting our environment using a safe, reliable and low maintenance fuel cell system.

Fuel cells work on a simple principle. The chemical energy in hydrogen is converted into electrical energy. Hydrogen is combined with oxygen from the air across a special membrane to produce electricity, heat and water. The electricity is then used to recharge batteries, the heat can be piped away for use in water and space heating and the waste water is directed back into the system to aid in the reforming process. In fact for every kilowatt of electrical power produced, over 1 kilowatt of heat is also generated – essentially doubling the efficiency of the system. Using high efficiency fuel cell systems that are completely harmless to the environment - producing no toxic emissions - is an important step along the path to the ultimate solution a zero carbon economy

Voller has developed ‘low cost fuel processor technology’ which can extract the hydrogen found in LPG, Calor Gas or Propane. Voller’s ‘Emerald fuel cell system’ is globally the first to run from these fuels. The fuel processor only produces hydrogen on demand promoting a higher efficiency system. Inputs and outputs to the fuel cell system can be closely monitored using software written by Voller Energy. Via modem and Voller Energy software the fuel cell can be monitored remotely at all times.

source: BYM News

The U.S. Climate Change Science Program published a report today that quantifies North America’s net contribution of carbon to the atmosphere and catalogues sources and sinks of carbon on the continent.

“The North American Carbon Budget and Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle” is the latest report by the CCSP, which will publish 21 reports by the end of 2008. The report analyzes the amounts of carbon emitted by industry sector, the amount absorbed naturally and how these amounts relate to the global carbon budget influenced by other regions of the globe, with particular attention given to characterizing the certainty and uncertainty with which these budget elements are known. The recently released report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change attributes carbon in the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide and methane as very likely the leading contributor to global warming.

“This information is critical to understanding the factors that shape our global climate,” said Bill Brennan, acting CCSP director and NOAA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs. “The 21 CCSP reports are designed to help scientists answer key questions about climate change, provide the best possible science to stimulate public discussion and assist decision-making on key climate-related issues. We now have a comprehensive understanding of how our continent is contributing to greenhouse gases overall.”

The report finds North America’s fossil fuel emissions are greater than 25 percent of global emissions. The conversion of fossil fuels to energy, such as electricity generation, is the single largest carbon contributor, with transportation second. The report details how the growth of vegetation blanketing North America absorbs large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.

The report points out a greater than three-to-one imbalance between the fossil fuel sources and the ability of vegetation to absorb carbon. This results in a net release to the atmosphere (over one gigaton of carbon per year in 2003), but there is still some uncertainty in quantifying the North American sink compared to the carbon emission sources. The carbon absorption by vegetation, primarily in the form of forest growth, is expected to decline as maturing forests grow more slowly and take up less carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration

A new day has dawned for Americans who want to save the Earth by going green, but don’t want to pay a premium or sacrifice performance in the process. Today, Green Earth Technologies introduced G-OIL, a revolutionary, totally green biodegradable motor oil guaranteed to protect engines as well as the leading brands, but without the environmental hazards or dependence on foreign oil.

Available for the estimated $7 billion US Market in a full range of performance levels and viscosities, G-OIL is safe to use in any gasoline, diesel, or hybrid engine. It’s the first bio-based, high-endurance motor oil to provide superior performance during the maximum oil change interval recommended by vehicle manufacturers.

An estimated four gallons of foreign oil can be saved with each G-Oil five quart oil change. In the manufacture of traditional petroleum-based motor oil, it takes nearly three barrels of oil to make one barrel of product; whereas Green Earth scientists have developed a way to yield one barrel of product from one barrel of animal fat.

G-OIL is manufactured from tallow acquired from American farmers. Tallow is culled from beef and has been used to make animal feed, soap, and no longer used for cooking. G-OIL is made utilizing a proprietary process that converts tallow from a solid raw material into completely biodegradable motor oil for gasoline and diesel engines as well as hybrid cars.

G-OIL was launched to retailers at the 2007 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX), the world’s largest trade show for the $267 billion automotive aftermarket industry, being held last week at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas.

source: BusinessWire

Mariner’s Choice has signed a private label agreement with a distributor to integrate their Super Wax & Polish into the distributor’s industrial and automotive product line-ups. “Private labeling opens up vast opportunities for Mariner’s Choice, as the products have many diverse applications beyond the marine sector,” said Peter Hellwig, Vice President of Mariner’s Choice. Initial orders of $10,000 have been fulfilled, and Mariner’s Choice anticipates that annual orders for the Super Wax & Polish through this distributor may reach in excess of $1.5 million during 2008.

While some companies may be moving cautiously toward greener business practices for fear of adding costs, a new survey shows going green can save companies money. A recent UK-based survey found that green initiatives are not affecting supply chain efficiency in 66 percent of companies, and in 27 percent the changes are actually making supply chains more efficient. Other greening efforts include partnering with logistics providers to help green business processes (28 percent), improving energy efficiency (59 percent), redesigning warehousing and distribution center networks (42 percent), and measuring and/or reducing emissions (39 percent).

A 16-seat minibus that runs on hydrogen will be the center of attraction at the upcoming Grove Fuel Cell Symposium in Westminster, Wales. Designers at the University of Glamorgan hope the project will put Wales on the map as a leader in developing environmentally-friendly technologies. After its gig at the symposium and another in London, the bus will be used to transport students between campuses at the University of Glamorgan.

Washing cars sends harsh detergents into storm drains and uses vast amounts of water. But now at lease one product proposes to clean without water, using nanoparticles to break down dirt. Eurochem has released an environmental friendly dry waterless nanotechnology called Dry Waterless Wash. With this biodegradable product, the user simply sprays a light atomized covering of the non-toxic water based formulation onto the vehicle, allowing wetting agents and nanoparticles to loosen and encapsulate road film and salts. A soft microfiber towel then lifts the dirt while a second polishes the surface.

A space elevator capable of lifting heavy cargo on a nanofiber track could save at least 90 percent of the fuel used to launch the space shuttle. To speed its development, NASA will hold its Annual Space Elevator competition in Salt Lake City this October. This year’s entries will demonstrate carbon nanotube tether technologies. The 62,000 mile-long nanotube elevator tether would have to be 30 inches wide but only as thick as a sheet of paper. Nanotechnology engineers have so far only been able to create threads 15 percent as strong as those needed for the elevator.