It is said that the global economy is starting to come out of recession, and that as a result, the demand for engineering consults will grow. This news comes after many months of doubt within the industry about how it may be affected by the economic downturn. In fact, it is believed that demand for the services offered by engineering companies will increase dramatically, especially as the Government pushes for changes to meet the demand for low carbon technology.

One of the ground breaking changes has been the change in attitude towards investing in more sustainable energy alternatives by the major oil companies. Many believed that oil bosses would not budge on their approach to producing oil and dealing with the consequent carbon dioxide emissions. However, it appears that a major company has spent the last few years brainstorming the problem to try and come up with a viable economic solution that will not only meet the demands of oil hungry nations, but will tackle the issue of climate changing emissions.

Engineering consultants in the industry are known for spending time on a project, and the latest is no exception. Researchers have been attempting to change algae gene structure so that instead of producing lipids from carbon dioxide, they produce hydrocarbons the same as the oil that is pumped from the ground. A further genetic tweak to make the algae over-produce, means that the oil can be harvested and used to meet current oil demands. It will be a simple switch from using oil produced from the ground to using oil produced out of the atmosphere.

One researcher has said that once proposed carbon dioxide sequestration programs were underway, this would ensure that carbon dioxide produced by the algae will be captured, which in turn would be used to make them produce more oil. It is a symbiotic system, which if successful will be a viable solution for tackling increasing emissions and preventing economic collapse through lack oil availability; whilst at the same time generating a profit for companies involved. Apparently the fact that Engineering Consultants in the oil industry have started to take notice of such research is sign that fossil fuels from algae have a real chance of making an impact on worldwide oil consumption.

It is thought that the first applications for such oil will be for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. After this the focus would be on manufacturing products that would ordinarily be made from ground extracted oil such as plastics, textiles and medicines.

Lisa Mason, Professional wordsmith for hire: gamer, wife, mother, entrepreneur, published poet, co-owner of game guides company, public speaker and Internet business consultant. You can learn more or follow Lisa’s blog from her website. This article is part of an exciting collection at Unique Decor Online. Find great gifts and decor at:http://www.uniquedecoronline.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_A_Mason

Fossil fuels, hydrogen, and ammonia are all just energy transport means. These materials are not a “source” of energy… they are all made from available energy sources and represent a viable means of transporting energy which I will refer to as a “fuel”.

For applications such as transportation, a high energy density fuel is required which can easily be handled. While hydrogen may be employed by society as a means of storing and transporting energy, the technology is in its infancy and is not yet commercially viable.

One alternative “fuel” which is immediately available is ammonia, NH3. Ammonia is normally a gas with a characteristically pungent odor. Ammonia is commonly used as fertilizer. Although in wide use, ammonia is both caustic and hazardous just as gasoline is. In 2006, worldwide production was estimated at 146.5 M tonnes.

Ammonia, as used commercially, is often called anhydrous ammonia. This term emphasizes the absence of water in the material. It can be handled in ways similar to gasoline and can be burned using fairly standard internal combustion engine technology. Ammonia continues to be used as a refrigerant in industrial processes such as bulk ice-making and industrial food processing. It is increasingly popular in commercial applications, such as in grocery store freezer cases and refrigerated displays.

To make ammonia, all we need is a source of energy such as solar or wind power, nitrogen from the air, and water. Storage and handling technologies for ammonia is well understood and it is safely used by farmers throughout the nation every day. Solutions of ammonia (5-10% by weight) are used as household cleaners, particularly for glass. These solutions are irritating to the eyes and mucous membranes (respiratory and digestive tracts), and to a lesser extent the skin. The toxicity of ammonia solutions does not usually cause problems for humans and other mammals, as a specific mechanism exists to prevent its build-up in the bloodstream [1].

The gas is flammable (autoignition temperature: 651 °C) and can form explosive mixtures with air (16-25%). Anhydrous ammonia corrodes copper- and zinc-containing alloys, and so brass fittings should not be used for handling the gas. Liquid ammonia can also attack rubber and certain plastics. Although ammonia is regulated in the United States as a non-flammable gas, it still meets the definition of a material that is toxic by inhalation and requires a hazardous safety permit when transported in quantities greater than 13,248 L (3,500 gallons) [2].

Ammonia ignites at 651°C based fuels offer a great potential for universal use but suffer from the disadvantage that pure ammonia cannot be used in high-speed engines because its flame speed is too low. Omachron Technologies Inc. has developed a simple means of allowing conventional internal combustion engines to burn ammonia.

In addition, ammonia can also be doped with environmentally friendly chemical additives to make it compatible in high-speed engines. Ammonia can already be used in low-speed engines and in fuel cells. It is already produced in large quantities and it can easily be made on a distributed basis thereby allowing a decentralized production and distribution infrastructure. Production facilities can easily be expanded.

The key is to look at means of producing ammonia efficiently from solar and wind energy.

Ammonia is not a “magical fuel” but it can easily be made from renewable energy sources, stored with existing technology, produces only water vapor and nitrogen as bi-products when burned, and is not more dangerous to handle than gasoline or propane.

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[1] Ammonia is converted to carbamoyl phosphate by the enzyme carbamoyl phosphate synthetase, and then enters the urea cycle to be either incorporated into amino acids or excreted in the urine.

Repeated exposure to ammonia lowers the sensitivity to the smell of the gas: normally the odour is detectable at concentrations of less than 0.5 ppm (parts per million), but desensitized individuals may not detect it even at concentrations of 100 ppm.

The permissible exposure limit (PEL) in the United States is 50 ppm (35 mg/m³), while the IDLH concentration is estimated at 300 ppm.

[2] The U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a 15-minute exposure limit for gaseous ammonia of 35 ppm by volume in the environmental air and an 8-hour exposure limit of 25 ppm by volume. Exposure to very high concentrations of gaseous ammonia can result in lung damage and death.

For further information visit Omachron Technologies Inc website. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wayne_Conrad

A group of joined researchers from Mitsubishi and University of Marine Science and Technology released a proposal calling for massive seaweed / algae cultivation. This pilot projects occupy 10.000 kilometers square for seaweed farm. The researchers estimate that the farm will produce about 20 million kiloliters (5.3 billion gallons) of bioethanol per year. This is equal to one third of Japanese consumption on fuel in a year.

Seaweed / Algae has long been considered as an alternative option to produce bio fuel. Most biofuel today is produced from corn and sugar cane. According to the proposal the seaweed to be grown in the farm is from sargasso seaweed (hondawara). This type of seaweed can grow faster.

There will be floating bioreactors, these are special facilities that use enzyme to break down seaweed down into sugars. They would then prepared seaweed for conversion into ethanol. The conversion will be done at sea and then transported to land by tankers.

There are two main components of seaweed / algae that rise interest in producing bioethanol. They are Fucoidan and Alginic Acid. Scientists have already discovered enzyme to break down Fucoidan and now they are currently looking for enzyme to break down alginic acid.

The researchers claim that in addition to producing bio fuel. The seaweed / algae farm will also serve a noble duty by cleaning the Sea of Japan. The seaweed would work to remove some of the excess nutrient salts that flow into the sea from the surrounding land masses

More recent news stated that UK Researchers are also digging this new possibility. Professor Mike Cowling, science and research manager at the Crown Estate, said: “Given Scotland’s rugged western coastline and relatively clean seas, it is sensible to examine the farming of seaweeds and sustainable harvesting of natural supplies as a source of energy.”

He said more research was needed to establish the practicalities but added that seaweed could play an “important role” in green energy.

Now What are The Advantages of Seaweed If Compared to Other Bio Fuel Products such as Corn, Sugar Cane, and Palm Oil?

* Seaweed doesn’t need soil and fresh water as other agricultural biofuel producer crops desperately do. Many criticize that the cultivation of massive agricultural crops to produce bio fuel require very large acres of land, that makes it inefficient and potentially harm the environment.

* Food price will rise as the effect of more land is taken away to produce biofuel.

* Algae / Seaweed grows 10 times faster than sugar cane. It is the fastest growing crop.

* According to researchers at the Center for Biorefining of the University of Minnesota, they estimate that Algae / Seaweed produce 5000 gallons of bio fuel per acre. As comparisons, corn yields 18 gallons, soybeans produce 48 gallons and palm trees yield 635 gallons per acre.

References: 
pinktentacle.com/2007/03/seaweed-as-biofuel/ 
enn.com/ecosystems/article/37327 
bioenergy.checkbiotech.org/news/2008-10-27/Seaweed_could_be_used_as_green_fuel_alternative/ 
wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/11/seaweed-as-biofuel-pros-and-cons.html

Green Living is what Our Planet Needs… Explore, study and consider to take your step to live a Greener Life… You can expand your horizon in Green Living and find out many Amazing Green Technologies that perhaps will surprise you and make you realize that These Green Technologies are Actually Among Us…. http://green-tech-gadgets.blogspot.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Juandy_Liem