Oct

31

Better Way to Split Water Developed

October 31, 2011 | 2 Comments

Many research teams have been searching for more efficient catalysts to speed the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The reaction is key to the production of hydrogen as a fuel for use in cars; to generate electricity in fuel cells, the operation of some rechargeable batteries, including zinc-air batteries; and for the industrial [...]

Oct

28

Biomass Direct Process to Hydrocarbon Oil Found

October 28, 2011 | 6 Comments

A University of Maine engineer and his research team have discovered a revolutionary new chemical process can transform forest residues, along with other materials such as municipal solid waste, grasses, and construction wastes into hydrocarbon fuel oil products. Shortening up the process from biomass to hydrocarbons has long been an idea of intense interest, and [...]

Oct

27

Seeing Molecules in Reactions

October 27, 2011 | 1 Comment

The 1999 Nobel prize in chemistry was awarded to Ahmed Zewail for his studies of chemical reactions using ultrashort laser pulses. Zewail was able to watch the motion of atoms and thus visualize transition states on the molecular level. Watching the dynamics of single electrons was still considered a dream at that time. Now a [...]

Oct

26

Better Wood Research Underway

October 26, 2011 | 1 Comment

Hardwood tree specialists know something that the fuel tree innovators are about to catch on to.  Tension wood that forms naturally in hardwood trees in response to bending stress is known to possess unique features that render it desirable as a bioenergy feedstock. So taking the hint, researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s BioEnergy [...]

Oct

25

The Sugarcane Empire Strikes Back

October 25, 2011 | 1 Comment

Sergio Pacca and Jose R. Moreira at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil have their idea of the best numbers for biofuel out and the numbers are very surprising.  Almost no one is expecting the team’s figures and the recoil might get fierce. It’s a massive reduction in the amount of land needed to [...]

Oct

24

A Theory Proposal For the Rossi E-Cat

October 24, 2011 | 4 Comments

Affiliate professor Dr. George Miley at the University of Illinois, a respected cold fusion researcher, was one of the participants in an American Chemical Society conference symposium on cold fusion. Dr. Miley suggested there that Andrea Rossi may be on the right track with his E-Cat LENR (Low Energy Nuclear Reaction) device because of similarities [...]

Oct

21

The U.S. Gets Back In the Resources Business

October 21, 2011 | 1 Comment

In what some in watching economics might consider a private sector resurgence in an economic recovery, the U.S. is increasing oil production and next week will restart mining rare earth minerals after a long absence. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is reporting U.S. daily crude oil production was 5.891 million barrels of oil per [...]

Oct

20

DC Wiring for the Home

October 20, 2011 | 3 Comments

The Brits are first with a DC (Direct Current) system for the home.  It’s time and welcome.  It should become an international standard as soon as possible. The energy losses from converting alternating current (AC) of the grid to DC can be up to 45 percent. Most small electronic devices run on, or with converted [...]

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