Green Energy News | August 31, 1997

August 31, 1997 – Vol.2 No.22

ENERGIES... week of August 31, 1997

BACK TO SCHOOL SCIENCE PROJECT. Students and teachers interested in the impact of science and technology on society should look into the Bayer(Corp)/National Science Foundation Award for Community Innovation. Working in groups of four, students can devise a plan to solve a community problem or develop a new technology to meet the same end.

For example, one winning entry in a previous competition was the “Historical Energy Mill” from an eighth grade student team at the Summit Middle School in Boulder, Colorado. The 2-ft tall prairie windmill look-alike made a nifty lawn ornament and generated electricity as well.

Sponsored also by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and Discover Magazine, the Award encourages critical thinking and problem solving. Entries must be submitted by January 31, 1998. Call 1-800-291-6020 for details.

ANOTHER NIFTY IDEA. With continued funding from NASA and the U.S. Military Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Thermo Power of Waltham, Massachusetts will continue development of its thermophotovoltaic (TPV) portable power generator. The 150-watt direct energy conversion device is aimed at providing emergency power or electricity to run computers, camping equipment, or small electric job-site tools.

The noiseless TPV generator burns a hydrocarbon fuel to heat a narrow-band ceramic radiant emitter. In turn, the infrared energy from the emitter excites photovoltaic cells to produce an electric current. To increase efficiency, heat from exhaust gases is recycled back into the generator. The TPV has no moving parts.

NO WASTE HERE. An advanced tire and oil recycling electric cogeneration facility will be built in Louisiana in a joint project of the Environmental Remediation Holding Corp and the Air Group. Based on recycling plants built in South Korea by Titan Technologies, the plant uses a low-temperature (400F to 450F) process to turn waste oil into diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene and oil extender. According to Titan, the plant can also turn one ton of tires into 2.5 barrels of oil, 500 lbs of carbon black and 300 lbs of steel.

Enough electricity is produced through cogeneration to power the plant and still have enough left over for sale to the power grid. The plant will make most of its revenues from tipping fees however.

Some 1.2 billion barrels of waste oil accumulate in the U.S. each year along with millions of worn out tires.