Using Jellyfish To Create Power

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/09/27/jellyfish.solar.power/index.html

Ok guys, here we have some scientists that are basically blending jellyfish like an episode of "Will It Blend?", but the end product is a lot more helpful than the things they blend on that show. They take the jellyfish goo, which is better known as green fluorescent protein (GFP) that basically acts as mini solar panels. They've found out that they can use enough to power a digital clock, which definitely isn't a lot of power, but the way that the power is generated through the solar cell has an amazing efficiency. This could potentially be used to power internal medicinal systems. This would be an insane breakthrough in biomedical engineering. But again, the harvesting of this power on a larger scale is going to take time and research, but it's definitely a possibility for the future. Scientists have also found a way to grow the same GFPs using bacteria, but without using jellyfish, which makes for a happy ending for PETA or whoever else is worried about the safety of the jellyfish population.

Algae Biofuel

http://www.exxonmobilperspectives.com/2010/07/14/the-next-phase-of-algae-biofuels/?gclid=CJ-tyPf6u6QCFcTt7QodtFU-zQ

In this video Ken Cohen, VP of public affairs for Exxon Mobil, briefly explains the prospect of growing algae for biofuels. This test facility that he is talking about is one so scientists can research the capability of algae providing affordable fuel. There are many aspects of algae that are beneficial and exciting for the future. For one, and most obviously it would lower dependence on fossil fuels. It also could reduce carbon emissions in its own production. Arguably the most beneficial aspect is that it does not require land or water suitable for agriculture which takes away the controversy in certain biofuels because they are taking away land from food production. The downside is that this does not seem to be a feasible possibility anytime soon being that Cohen said it would take much research and development to produce.

Just thought id include a fun fact that "According to an article posted on Yahoo! Finance, Exxon Mobil’s third quarter revenue of $99.59 billion is greater than the annual gross domestic product (GDP) of both the United Arab Emirates ($98.1 billion) and Kuwait ($52.76 billion)" (http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/oil-prices/exxon-mobil-posts-second-highest-quarterly-profit-ever)

Cleaner Cooking

In the developing world it is extremely common for people to die young. One of the causes of premature death in many ways is cooking. Women burn biomass fuels like wood or dung on an open fire to cook their meals, and tow their children along with them through the kitchen. Not only does this indoor pollutant hurt the people working in the kitchen, but it hurts our environment as biomass fuels release a lot of carbon into the atmosphere.

A company based in Colorado is now selling clean stoves at between $12 and $25 to these underprivileged people. This company, Envirofit, had to determine the right kind of material to use in their stove that would not burn up too quickly, and through research came up with an iron-based alloy that is the cheapest and best material. They have sold over 150,000 stoves in India, one of the main places where population density and low wages have limited development.

These stoves will increase longevity in places like India and also decrease the amount of pollution an average family puts out, because they cut harmful emissions 80% from traditional cooking fires. They also cut cooking time in half and use 60% less fuel, giving women more time to do things other than cooking or searching for fuel.

Read the full article-- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/business/energy-environment/30iht-rencook.html?_r=1

Black Light Power

Well in case you guys didn't look into Black Light Power further after we talked about it in class. Here's a brief video of an overview of blacklight published by CNN. Black Light Video . The energy does not literally come from "BlackLight". It actually comes from a chemical reaction with hydrogen. Although others have found ways to use hydrogen as an energy source, BlackLight Inc. Claims that they have found a new form of hydrogen known as "hydrinos". That's where the controversy begins. In chemistry class we all learn about how atoms are at levels of n="positive integer". But the claimed "hydrinos" apparently is hydrogen at the level of n= 1/2 or 1/3 or even 1/4 etc. If this is true though, then we can utilize the hydrogen in water in order to create energy!

Salt Water as an energy source?

So this guy, John Kanzius, was looking for a way to cure cancer, but in the process he ended up finding a way to burn salt water as a fuel. He uses radio waves to burn the water. Considering how much salt water there is on planet earth, we could power everthing with this new energy source. Plus we won't have to worry about running out of salt water there is a lot to go around. And if you are unfortunately far away from the cost and you can't get salt water, John say getting tap water and putting salt in it works just as fine. this new energy source would be very helpfull to us. but already there are poeple saying that it wont work, there are some skeptics. the skeptics point is that this process of burning salt water with radio waves, is not that big of a breakthrough. they also point out that it is not that efficient because the process is putting a lot of radio wave energy and only getting small amounts of heat. I think that if we can get this technology to work we could solve all our energy problems.

website: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55934

Sunshine to Petrol Project

Several U.S. national laboratories and the DoD are working on a sunshine to petrol project that will convert solar energy to liquid fuel. The proof of concept for this new technology involves first splitting CO₂ and H₂O with a solar-driven chemical heat-engine. This is accomplished through a prototype device called a Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5), which will break the carbon-oxygen bond in CO₂ to form just Carbon monoxide and oxygen.

Second, the CO and H₂ are synthesized from syngas to gasoline with the conventional, already in-place infrastructure. Lastly, CO₂ and H₂O are recaptured from the atmosphere by selective absorbers and the cycle begins again. This project could lead to the chemical synthesis of gasoline from solar products (such as solar panels) as well as conventional chemistries and would keep the end-user nearly immune to changes. People will still pump a "gasoline-like " substance into their vehicle, however, the source of the substance will be the sun. Currently, the major hurdle of this project is the need for more research and development in the area of the CO₂ absorber in order for the project to become economically viable. Researchers of the device say that this project is a good 15 to 20 years away from actually being on the market. However, the wait may very well be worth it given that this project holds real promise of preserving options to keep using fuels we know and love.

Source:https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/sunshine.html

MARS

Meet the Magenn Air Rotor System, or MARS. Created by Magenn Power, MARS is a new technology for capturing wind energy. This inflatable wind turbine tethers to the ground. can reach winds 1,000 feet above the ground, and operates in a larger range of wind speeds than traditional wind turbines. It can be deployed quickly, deflated, and reused without heavy machinery. It is also bird and bat friendly and has relatively low noise emissions. This new turbine address many of issues associated with traditional wind turbines. By reaching a higher altitude, it can harness more reliable wind. It allows for more choice in placement by offering the option to reposition it. Environmentalists' concerns for bat and bird populations are also addressed in this design.