Sustainable Design Update

It seems every few months I read about another newer and better internal combustion engine in development. Having reviewed dozens of engines, all purporting to save energy and lower emissions, I find very few have a real chance of ever getting off of the drafting board and into our cars. Not so with the Star Rotor. This engine, in development at Texas A&M, has a real chance of getting to market. Testing is ongoing on the compressor section, which shows an 82% efficiency, and soon the expander will be similarly tested.

The Star Rotor is another invention from Dr. Mark Holtzapple whom I have previously posted for his work on developing biofuels.

Sources close to SDU have told me that Wall Mart has issued an RFP (Request for Proposal) to provide solar photovoltaic energy for stores in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, and New Jersey. The purchase / lease deal may be as large as 100 megawatts of installed solar power. This is huge, for comparison consider Google who is currently building the largest corporate PV system in the world at their Mountain View California campus which is rated at 1.6 megawatts.

I can’t see any down side to this. This is not like Wall Mart’s push to promote organic foods that created the oxymoronic organic factory-fed cows. Organic milk produced from the inhumane treatment of animals.

Because this RFP is not yet public, I will keep you all posted as events develop. The RFP is due Jan. 5th. Wall Mart can choose to accept all, some or none of the proposals and it can choose to do any fraction of the project.

One Laptop Per Child

Originally uploaded by jsbarrie.

This is the prototype of the “Hundred Dollar Laptop” aka the “One Laptop Per Child” computer. This brainchild of MIT tech guru Nicholas Negroponte aims to get computers into the hands of the world’s most needy children.

Recent experience in the Detroit Public Schools shows that just giving the kids computers without training and IT professionals leads to very expensive garbage in six months or less.

Nigeria is said to be purchasing a million of these, I hope they come with a hundred thousand techies too.

-jb

Urban Options Energy Demonstration Center

Charitable giving for the end-of-year
It’s time to donate — the time of year when you have to give your money to charity or turn it over to the governnment. I’ve just finished up with my gift giving list and I thought I’d share one 501c3 that deserves your consideration.

Urban Options (in the interest of full disclosure, I am on the Board of Directors) is a NonProfit organization that provides energy and sustainability education throughout Michigan. They also provide real hands on assistance to low income people to help weatherize their homes and install high efficiency appliances.

Believe me, every penny UO gets goes to good work. I know, I review their books.

Between the Michigan and Federal tax deductions allowed for donations to 501c3 type NonProfits, I can deduct most of my gift at tax time.

Link to Urban Options
Thanks,

John Barrie

There is more than one way to get liquid fuel from bio-mass. We have covered cellulosic ethanol in an earlier SDU posting (here). Now we look at making a mix of various alcohols from almost any cellulosic material, including municipal solid waste and sewage sludge. By using these waste streams as the fuel feed stock, the MixAlco process can provide a large fraction of our fuel needs without displacing valuable crop lands or using high energy crops such as corn.

The MixAlco process converts biomass from any source into organic chemicals and alcohols via lime pretreatment; non-sterile, acidogenic digestion; product concentration; thermal conversion and hydrogenation. Because they have low capital costs and relatively simple operation, the MixAlco pretreatment and fermentation steps may be carried out on-location at sewage treatment plants or municipal landfills. Several studies have shown that MixAlco is capable of economically converting dairy manure and chipped yard waste into carboxylic acids which can be converted to alcohol.

Professor Mark Holtzapple, holder of many patents on this process makes a great presentation at Texas A&M on the MixAlco process and his Star Rotor engine which is currently under development.

Check out Prof. Holtzapple’s presentation here.

I have been working on a new Ethanol posting which is taking some time. In the interim please enjoy Ross Lovegrove at the TED Conference. Ross is an industrial designer who is inspired by natural forms. You will see his work has much to do with Sustainability.

Enjoy