Simple Solutions for Our Biofuel Problem

Renewable energy will be used to provide electricity, and fuels for ground transportation and aviation. Sustainable electricity is well in hand. As the price of oil again increases, the range of alternatives will gain in prominence, starting with windpower, which is already competitive. Plug in vehicles are poised to make an impressive entry.

Liquid and gaseous biofuels are another matter. Details about this subject can be found in SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Planet Earth, seen in the box on the right. The current infrastructure is liquid dominated, so, for this discussion, I will delete biomethane and hydrogen from consideration. In addition, for now, hydrogen is just too expensive to produce.

The Nation and World unfortunately went in the wrong direction when ethanol from corn (plus sugars and other starches) and biodiesel from terrestrial plants were selected for focus. The Farm Lobby no doubt should be congratulated for smartly lobbying Congress and the White House, for farmers are in great shape. Job done! Regrettably, grain prices jumped, causing a food crisis for developing countries. The knee-jerk reaction was, of course, all that fibrous cellulose, why not ferment those wastes into more ethanol? So, a second herd of white elephants is now being groomed. Why? Because there is a simpler alcohol called methanol that makes more economic sense. My HuffPo article of June 10 compares ethanol and methanol.

Regarding biodiesel, the notion is almost laughable, as only a very small percent of the plant itself is used. Biodiesel from algae, for example, is ten to twenty times more efficient in converting sunlight into usable fuel. Plus, these land plants grow relatively slowly and need irrigation water.

About the future of cars, one always hopes for nanotechnology making a difference, but it appears that the lithium battery might well be the ultimate. Per unit volume, fuel cells can provide more energy than any battery, perhaps by a factor five or more. This is why the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) will in time replace batteries for portable electronic applications. As an aside, this defies common sense, but one gallon of methanol has more accessible hydrogen than one gallon of liquid hydrogen. Thus the logic argues for producing methanol from biomass to power a fuel cell. Whoops, there is no DMFC for vehicles. For the record, while methanol has half the energy value of gasoline, the fuel cell is at least twice the efficiency of the internal combustion engine, so there is a wash here on fuel storage. And methanol is no more toxic than gasoline. You shouldn't drink either one.

Aviation remains a great challenge. I wrote into the original Senate legislation, known as the Matsunaga Act, a section that did result in the hydrogen powered National Aerospace Plane Project in the 1980's, which later became a black Department of Defense (DOD) Program. Thus, the only option over the next few decades has to be a replacement for jetfuel. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has a solicitation for a commercial jetfuel from algae, and companies are coming out of the woodwork to do the job. Is this good? Yes and no. Nice that the DOD thinks $3/gallon jetfuel is attainable, and terrific that industry is eager to comply, but the basic science and engineering has not yet been attempted. Why not?

First, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is mostly a monitor and protection agency. Second, the Department of Energy abandoned all ocean energy efforts and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory actually gave their microorganism collection to the University of Hawaii. The National Science Foundation did establish a Marine Bioproducts Engineering Center in Hawaii, but only for high value products. Energy is cheap, and that is the problem with biofuels from algae.

So what are the simple solutions to develop a progressive national biofuels program?

1. Terminate Federal support for ethanol from food.

2. Adjust the existing language for tax incentives to say, "ethanol, biodiesel and other biofuels from renewable resources." This would make available future funds and permit academics to conduct research on biomethanol, biobutanol, etc., and stimulate industry involvement in these areas.

3. Quickly perfect a direct methanol fuel cell for vehicular applications. A direct ethanol fuel cell will be inherently inefficient.

4. Expand the mission of the Department of Energy to bridge the gap between research and commercialization and permit R&D for areas that link to energy. The economic potential of many renewable energy areas is enhanced with non-energy co-products.

5. As NOAA reports to the Department of Commerce, expand the current research policy to encourage oceanic research to commercialize marine products and closely partner with the USDOE to share common interests.

6. Mobilize a national program to accelerate the development of ocean energy, paying special attention to advancing biofuels production from microorganisms.

7. Accelerate the development of next generation aircraft, whether it be a hydrogen dirigible that can be engineered to travel 500 miles per hour or advancing the twenty year old National Aerospace Plane Project, or both.

The Obama energy transition team is now determining priorities for the next four years. With oil prices loitering around $50/barrel, I worry that attitudes have shifted about the seriousness of our future energy problems. We, of course, know with a high degree of certainty that oil will zoom past $100/barrel again, if not next year than certainly within five years. The development of sensible next generation biofuels will take a decade, so, in a sense, we are already too late. But the timing is perfect for change, so let's do it the right way this time.

Comments

[bcole]

ALGAE IS RENEWABLE, DOES NOT AFFECT THE FOOD CHANNEL AND EATS C02.

Algae oil can be converted into fuels such as jet fuel, biodiesel, and biogasoline. The byproduct biomass that is used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, bio-plastics and organic fertilizer.

We need to get off foreign oil now, become energy independent and create new green jobs here in the US.

To learn more about algae commercialization on a fast track, you may want to check out this website:
www.nationalalgaeassociation.com

[Patrick Takahashi - Huffpost Blogger]

Got another website? This one could not be found.

[deltaman]

Nice piece, I found this summary of the "Green Economic Recovery" plan for those who don't have time to read a 50 page report: http://www.ethanolplug.com/PlugNews/WebExclusiveSummaryofGreenRecoveryProgram/tabid/155/Default.aspx

[Patrick Takahashi - Huffpost Blogger]

Yours is the kind of response that can make a difference. I went to your link and, first, learned a lot, but, second, referring to the subsequent other links, came away impressed that a lot of people were doing a lot of things to bring sense to our biofuels predicament. Unfortunately, too many are saying too much on, easily, a million things, and there seems to be no real consensus on a rational policy. The current secretaries of Energy and Agriculture, for example, just (October) released the definitive plan for biofuels, but, after having spent already half an hour searching around, just did not have the constitution nor time to do that report any justice. Part of my reluctance was that I feared only the worst of the same old things, and, anything that came from a past administration was dead on arrival anyway. If anyone is able to simply and lucidly recap this effort, please enlighten us herewith. Aloha.

[Thermodynamics]

Direct methanol fuel cells sound like a great improvement.

I would like to see internal combustion engines replaced. They go down my street in the form of stinkmobiles that make the front yard uninhabitable during rush hour. Even Mercedes diesels leave a cloud of bad air.

Disadvantages of IC engines:

Expensive to Produce - lots of precise machining of metal. You cannot produce them using some sort of printing process the way computer chips are made. Engines wear out as the metal wears.

Not Very Efficient - Most of the fuel is wasted as heat. Car gas engines have an efficiency of about 20%. Car diesels are a little better, almost 30%. Comparison is a little complicated because diesel fuel is denser - a gallon weighs more - and diesels waste less on idle.

Naturally Dirty - They burn fuel in an enclosed cylinder producing by-products and incompletely burned fuel. Worn cars are especially bad and many states have no auto inspection program.

recent DMFC improvement - small fuel cells:
efficiency of 20-75%
http://www.cleantech.com/news/3907/french-researcher-boosts-efficiency-methanol-fuel-cell
http://www.physorg.com/news146139643.html

[Patrick Takahashi - Huffpost Blogger]

By the way, a couple of people mentioned to me that my article left the reader in midstream. Why, they asked, is there no such thing as a direct methanol fuel cell for vehicles. Very simply, as ethanol is the only sanctioned national biofuel, research funds are not provided for anything to do with methanol. Mind you, the convincing logic of the concept is such that INDUSTRY has already just about perfected the Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for portable applications. Toshiba has announced a product for sale to begin replacing batteries in computers and similar applications. Now, it's just possible that the DMFC for cars will never be commercialized because the challenges of finding the ideal membrane or otherwise significantly improving the efficiency will be too great. But the tragedy is that we just don't know and were prevented from making an effort. TO THE OBAMA ENERGY TRANSITION TEAM: you absolutely must give the DMFC and the renewable methanol economy a chance.

[StaffordDocWilliamson]

Patrick,
I have to agree that the "definition" of biofuel for tax subsidy was far too politically influenced and broadening it would be a good move. The phase, "and other biofuels from renewable resources," however seems broad enough to invite abuses (like the "splash and dash", or worse yet former AZ Gov. Jane Hall's "alternative fuel vehicles" tax rebate [which didn't require you actually USE alt. fuels-- EVER, and was used mostly by fleet owners to buy dual fuel trucks - a great boost to auto dealers, and no real help - almost bankrupt the state]). Although "gas stripping" in the biobutanol creation process has been a great step forward, too few are looking into it as a "green" gasoline replacement.

I too am worried about the Obama Transition Team plans to implement green energy; trying to balance priorities with job creation, infrastructure remediation and energy security/independence, not to mention health care. I certainly agree that algae energy efficiency makes it the obvious choice for bio-based fuels, but I also think the incoming administration needs to demonstrate that they "get" the concept that energy production should/virtually MUST be a sustainable "green" endeavor a "closed loop energy cycle". I keep trying to get that message through to them; they don't seem inclined to respond.

Take a look at http://waterislife.psyrk.us/index.html (especially the video @ top of the page).

Don't let us be "trapped" by one type of energy source (fossil fuels) in the future.

StaffordDocWilliamson

[Patrick Takahashi - Huffpost Blogger]

We generally agree on the how to proceed. You know, one of the prime reasons why methanol was purposefully left out of the Farm Lobby original plan for ethanol was that it was determined it would have been impossible to prevent methanol manufactured from methane in Saudi Arabia (where the price would have been much cheaper than ethanol) from biomethanol produced from biomass. Surely, there must be a test to differentiate between the two. Similarly, there are methodologies to account for your above fear. I did watch your video. Your next mission is to insure that all students have an opportunity to view this 3-minute green energy clip. It's a good start.

[PlugINCarsRule]

There is a really GOOD new alternative energy book just out called The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW by Jeff Wilson. Great read!

[MarcelWilliams]

A methanol fuel cell powered plug-in-hybrid would be the ultimate automobile. Methanol can also be converted into dimethyl ether, a much cleaner fuel that can be used in cheaply modified diesel engines.

As far as future aircraft are concerned, I'd like to see the federal government revive and-- seriously fund-- the Delta Clipper VTOVL (vertical take off and vertical landing vehicle). As a low mass single stage to orbit shuttle (5 to 10 tonnes into low earth orbit), the Delta Clipper could be used as a hydrogen-oxygen fueled people shuttle that could take off and land practically anywhere on Earth. On Mars, the Delta Clipper could also be utilized as a reusable landing vehicle.

The Delta Clipper could also be used as an experimental transcontinental transport vehicle capable of transporting 10 to 20 humans and freight anywhere on the planet in less than 45 minutes. A much larger scaled version could perhaps become the ultimate transcontinental rapid transit airliner.

Marcel F. Williams
http://newpapyrusmagazine.blogspot.com/

[Patrick Takahashi - Huffpost Blogger]

Yours is one of the most progressive comments ever to respond to any of my HuffPosts. I took a look at your Papyrus Magazine and was impressed with what I saw. Like some of my Simple Solutions, your far reaching concepts might be beyond current reality. However, more decision-makers should be reading and following up on your stuff. I wish you well.

[MarcelWilliams]

Thanks for the kind words Dr. Takahashi. I posted a link to your blog on my blog; so my online Magazine just got better:-)

Its also nice to see someone out there whose willing to speak up for the sanity a methanol economy. Its astonishing how the politicians got sucked into the ethanol fiasco. Here are a few interesting pdf research articles on the ethanol vs methanol economy:

The Methanol Story: A Sustainable Fuel for the Future
www.werbos.com/Rnichols.pdf

METHANOL VS ETHANOL - 96.
www.anl.gov/PCS/acsfuel/preprint%20archive/Files/41_3_ORLANDO_08-96_0880.pdf

Why is ethanol given emphasis over methanol in Sweden?
fy.chalmers.se/~np97magr/other/Coursepaper_MeOH_EtOH_2004.pdf

[MAustin]

Interesting comment about the Delta Clipper. World Business Academy Academy President Rinaldo Brutoco has filed a patent application for a revolutionary new form of hydrogen-powered, lighter-than-air ship that we believe will radically alter the movement of passengers and cargo while it serves as the bridge to the emerging hydrogen economy.

The airship will be able to fly at altitudes up to 39,000 feet with a maximum weight lifting capacity of 400,000 pounds and a maximum speed in excess of 350 miles per hour. It will be a cheap, clean way to deliver hydrogen to fueling stations like those that California and Europe are creating as part of their hydrogen highways.

One unique version of the airship, the "Hydrolifter," will act as a mobile elevator platform that uses almost no energy in carrying hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to virtually any altitude on the planet. This application is particularly vital as it means that the hundreds of millions of people on the planet who now depend on disappearing glacial melt waters for survival will have a way to get water to their villages at a cost less than it would take to put in a conventional water system that would require prohibitive uphill-pumping of fresh water.

[BSERIUS]

Use food for food and fuel for fuel ... Drill here NOw and nukes and hydro and solar and wind