Americans Solve the Energy Crisis

Three Ways to Eliminate Oil Imports

While some predict that oil prices will continue to climb, and others forecast a deflation of the bubble, there's no question that America must develop a means of curtailing oil imports, and increasing our energy efficiency. It's not just the price at the pump but our balance of trade. How long we can continue to operate at a deficit is anyone's guess, yet the decline of the dollar is a prime indicator that our national credit card is reaching its limit.

The Industrial Revolution in America was fueled by cheap energy in the form of coal and oil. At the turn of the 20th Century we added hydroelectric power to the mix using alternating current (AC) to transmit electricity over long distances, and 50 years later nuclear power plants emerged. Yet our resources were not enough and we began importing energy in the form of oil and natural gas.

I've selected three companies to highlight the potential we have within our shores and a bit beyond. They are examples of innovation and represent the type of industry that we should keep at home. We are a nation of builders and  mechanics. We, the American people love to make things, and each of these technologies require fabrication and assembly. From a policy standpoint I can only hope that our next president recognizes the potential in both energy production and employment, and offers a deal on taxes so there's no advantage in producing these technologies abroad.

Mike Siesel, July 4th, 2008

Global Resource Cracks Open a Trillion Barrel Field

We have an untapped reserve in our own country in the form tires, plastic, and other petroleum products that have been heretofore discarded, with little use of organic recycling, that is to say reconstituting the original product.

Now the technology that will do just that has emerged. By using microwave energy to fracture the molecular bonds and refine it into usable petroleum products Frank Pringle has tapped a reserve that includes waster products in both the industry and the community. An example that will make anyone who has paid a tire disposal fee sad, Mr Pringle cites confirmed data that Global Resource technology will extract from a 14 inch tire a combined total of 1.2 gallons of diesel fuel , pure carbon black (essential for making tires), 2 pounds of high grade steel, and other by products such as methanol. And we paid to have it carted away.

This proprietary process developed from an experiment in microwave pyrolysis conducted by Mr Pringle. To his surprise he was able to extract oil from a plastic container. He toyed with the frequencies and eventually patented those he found most useful in segregating and extracting the hydrocarbons in heavy oil, for instance, using his technology at a cost of $40 a barrel. Even considering the cost of building the devices, this enterprise means that we can not only recycle but produce more oil in a refined state. That makes all of Americas cities and towns a potential oil field and refinery. There are millions of tons of plastic floating off our shores, or landfills are burgeoning with waste. Already we extract methane both as fuel and as disposing of a safety hazard.

This interview with Frank Pringle explains the potential. Just keep in mind that Neil Cavuto doesn't know what questions to ask, and confuses heavy oil with tires. Frank makes it work as he describes what I've already written regarding recycling then continues with his explanation of extracting heavy oil. Cavuto does offer a well deserved compliment "... it's Brilliant!"

Cellulosic Ethanol and What that Means

The uproar today over corn based ethanol combines the electorate. People are starving and it uses more energy than it provides and only exists because of subsidies. There's plenty of fingers to point on the subsidy issue, but let's look at the economic value of recycling sewage solids and municipal waste and producing ethanol.

The cellulosic  wastes are gasified  again through pyrolysis to break the bond that binds two sugar molecules together thus producing feedstock that in turn is fed to microorganisms engineered to excrete ethanol. The most under tapped resource in America is What? Solid waste in the form of manures. People are upset with bovine flatulence, but honestly if you look at what We Excrete as a World we wouldn't be wrong to start cleaning up our mess.

Coskata develops anaerobic process using unique microorganism

We've been operating as if we have an open system when in reality we are largely within a closed loop. Conversion of waste to Syngas followed by the cooling and then consumption of that gas by microorganisms that excrete water and ethanol also closes the loop, though the "bugs" do retain some of the water and nutrients as they grow.

Coskata uses a special membrane designed so that only alcohol permeates molecular barrier with 99+% efficiency. The water is collected for reuse. The alcohol can be used to fuel vehicles and we can once again sell corn. At least that's the hope of General Motors, now flagging in its stock and subject to bankruptcy rumors, for it has invested in Coskata. The first pilot plant is being built in Madison, about 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. While this plant will only produce 40,000 gallons the process is commercially scalable to 100,000,000 gallons (or more) per annum due the modular construction that Coskata employs.

The genius of the system is its flexibility in both what it can consume without emissions and its construction. You scale the plant to the available feedstock and truck the alcohol to the 82,000 gasoline stations that already have tanks in the ground. You could actually create flex fuel to order at the pump, localizing the entire operation. That's Independence for America.

Nanosolar Captures the Sun 

Solar powered electric plants produce electricity during peak usage, and locating them by existing power plants and onsite for large industrial plants provides an efficiency that covering the roofs of homes can not equal. For one thing the usage peaks at a time when the sun is fading in most households. Only in the western states would it make any sense at all.

That's the considered judgment of Martin Roscheisen, CEO of Nanosolar. The company recently announced a second engineering milestone when they built a machine with the capacity to print one gigawatt of thin film solar cells in a year. Mr. Roscheisen writes in the Nanosolar blog that Nanosolar produces "the world’s lowest-cost solar panel –which we believe will make us the first company capable of profitably selling solar panels for as little as $.99/Watt,"

In his interview with the Guardian he added that Nanosolar can generate electricity at a cost that "is comparable to the price of electricity generated from coal." Smart buyers in Germany have bought up the first batch out of the press room, and that illustrates the company's ability to grow into a major exporter and enhances our balance of trade. Any device that would bring in Euros would benefit our economy considering  the current 41% drop of the Dollar against the Eurodollar.

What's cool is that these panels contain photovoltaic nanoparticles embedded in ink that is sprayed onto aluminum foil. The foil conducts electricity and serves as the first example of a substrate based panel. The advantage gained allows Nanosolar to make solar panels in much the same way as in any other printing operation, and the handling of  foil at even higher speeds is customary. In other words, Nanosolar offers the same possibility of scalable technology as other examples above. It's no wonder that it won two consecutive awards from Popular Science.

Allow me to suggest a bit of Wagner while you watch the movie. It's a silent documentary. I'd say that Flight of the Valkeries would work.   I think a remix would be really cool. This is a call to arms for the solar freaks and why not? We need the machines that produce these panels by the thousands. No doubt there will be further refinements be in the offing.

The Confluence of Solar and Recycling Technologies

Imagine an old warehouse in any city, but especially one in the Sun Belt where solar energy is the greatest, and within it a tire recycling center, or an ethanol plant with its roof could be covered with solar panels. Excess energy could be delivered to the grid, or run a pump to fill a storage tank of compressed air to power generators during the evening hours. It's possible that with modular fabrication of the components that  it could be a self-contained unit adaptable to scale and distribution throughout the World. 

This is a future we must embrace if only because it offers an opportunity to exploit resources that currently are not in use, but in fact are burdensome. We can close the loop and quit importing oil.. At the same we will be making good use of our past behavior of using copious quantities of petroleum, and surely this makes more sense than waiting another ten years to begin accessing a necessary component of our economy. Given ten years and an incentive for the corporations involved in these and similarly innovative technologies such as a moratorium on corporate taxes, low interest loans to seed a distributive network of facilities, and an informed public, America can lead the world in energy production and independence.

Happy Independence Day America!

Copyright 2008 Mike Siesel

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Converting Tires to Oil & More

Converting Bituminous Coal

Converting Shale to Oil

Coskata: Energy from Waste

Coskata's Biofuel Breakthrough

Nanosolar Spray On Technology

Nanosolar Break Through

Sheryl Crow ~ Soak up the Sun

Performed live at Love Ride 19, 2002

Solar Power Redoubled