California Research Grant to Convert Algae into Biofuels with Nanocatalysts

Summary posted by Meridian on 2/25/2009
Source: Nanowerk
Author: n/a

The California Energy Commission has awarded a research grant to the company QuantumSphere, Inc. to develop a process using nanocatalysts to convert biomass into biofuels. The one-year development grant will fund the company's algae biogasification process that utilizes nanometals as catalysts for turning algae into methane, hydrogen, and other synthetic gasses that can be used for transportation and other energy needs. Algae is believed to have an enormous energy potential as it grows 20 to 30 times faster than food crops, can be grown almost anywhere, and contains up to 30 times more fuel than equivalent amounts of other bio fuel sources. "Our vision for this project was to use this process to take wet algae produced in a place like the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley of California and convert it into renewable fuels," said Subra Iyer, principal technologist for QuantumSphere, Inc. "The Salton Sea is a place for large amounts of agricultural runoff which sometimes creates large algae blooms. If successful, we envision a large plant on the shore of the Salton Sea that could convert large amounts of wet algae into renewable fuels." The article can be viewed online at the link below.

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our team contact us site map	California Research Grant to Convert Algae into Biofuels with Nanocatalysts Summary posted by Meridian on 2/25/2009 Source: Nanowerk Author: n/a The California Energy Commission has awarded a research grant to the company QuantumSphere, Inc. to develop a process using nanocatalysts to convert biomass into biofuels. The one-year development grant will fund the company's algae biogasification process that utilizes nanometals as catalysts for turning algae into methane, hydrogen, and other synthetic gasses that can be used for transportation and other energy needs. Algae is believed to have an enormous energy potential as it grows 20 to 30 times faster than food crops, can be grown almost anywhere, and contains up to 30 times more fuel than equivalent amounts of other bio fuel sources. "Our vision for this project was to use this process to take wet algae produced in a place like the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley of California and convert it into renewable fuels," said Subra Iyer, principal technologist for QuantumSphere, Inc. "The Salton Sea is a place for large amounts of agricultural runoff which sometimes creates large algae blooms. If successful, we envision a large plant on the shore of the Salton Sea that could convert large amounts of wet algae into renewable fuels." The article can be viewed online at the link below. The original article may still be available at www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=9404.php As tagged by Meridian Institute: Energy: Energy, Biofuel Implications: Human Enhancement, Governance Nanomaterials: Metal Nanoparticle Regions: North America Stakeholders: Government, Industry, NGO, Academia Minerals And Metals: Metals Food And Agriculture: Crops Related Forums: Metals and Minerals Food and Agriculture Governance print format	NDN Home Subscribe Manage Subscription Search News Archives Nanotechnology Quintuples Heating Capacity of Solar Water Heaters -- Renewable Energy Magazine (9/1/2010) Researchers at the University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, have developed a solar heating system that uses nanotechnology to heat water to five times the temperature of a conventional system, while also permitting the collector surface area to retain up to 98 percent of heat from solar radiation. [More] Pakistan's Science Minister Attacks Funding Cuts -- SciDev.Net (9/1/2010) The Pakistan government has cuts its funds for the Pakistan Ministry of Science and Technology's 2010-2011 budget by almost half, causing the science minister, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, to criticize his own government. [More] Nanotechnology: Small wonders -- Nature (9/1/2010) This article takes an in-depth look at the United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)'s first 10 years - to find out where the money went and what the initiative plans to do next. [More] Nanotech on Farmers' Fields -- Silicon Nutrition (8/31/2010) A plant nutrition study that addresses nano-sized plant nutrients is now available from the Landbouwkundige Uitgeverij G.C. van den Berg (Veenendaal, The Netherlands). [More] More News... Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here. Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.