Green Car Congress

Researchers Map Layers of Lava Flows Beneath North Atlantic; New Technique to Further Oil Exploration

Location of seismic profiles across the North Atlantic. Click to enlarge.

Scientists have mapped the layers of once molten rock that lie beneath the North Atlantic Ocean and which measure more than eight miles thick in some locations. The research, reported in the journal Nature, provides a better understanding of what may have happened during the break-up of continents to form new mid-ocean ridges. The same volcanic activity in the North Atlantic may also have caused the subsequent release of massive volumes of greenhouse gases which led to a spike in global temperatures 55 million years ago.

The scientists, led by Professor Robert White, FRS at the University of Cambridge (UK), also developed a new method of seeing through the thick lava flows beneath the seafloor to the sediments and structures beneath. The technique is now being employed to further oil exploration of the area which was previously restricted by the inability to image through the lava flows.

The research was funded by a university-industry research group, which included Cambridge and Liverpool Universities, Schlumberger Cambridge Research Ltd and Badley Geoscience Ltd, with major funding input from WesternGeco, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Department of Trade and Industry, and eight oil companies.

When a continent breaks apart, as Greenland and Northwest Europe did 55 million years ago, it is sometimes accompanied by a massive outburst of volcanic activity due to a hot spot in the mantle that lies beneath the crust of the earth. When the North Atlantic broke open, it produced 1–2 million cubic miles (5–10 million cubic kilometers) of molten rock which extended across 300,000 square miles (one million square kilometers). Most of the volcanic rock is now underwater and buried by more recent sediments. However, the edge of this huge volcanic region is visible on land in a few places including the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.

For the first time scientists mapped the huge quantities of molten rock in the North Atlantic. The rock had been injected into the crust of the earth at a depth of 5–10 miles (10–20 kilometers) beneath the surface along the line of the continental breakup 55 million years ago. Using seismic methods, they were able to map the layers of lava flows both near the surface and deep into the earth.

There is a considerable controversy at present as to whether the large scale volcanism was caused by abnormally hot mantle deep in the earth (a hot spot) or whether it was caused by some other means, such as a compositional change in the mantle that mean it could more easily be melted. The researchers demonstrate in this paper that the volcanic activity requires a temperature anomaly, supporting the hot spot model.

Additionally, the scientists hope that a better understanding of what happened 55 million years ago will also provide insight into the changes that occur to the atmosphere and biosphere during volcanic activity.

At the time of the break-up of the North Atlantic 55 million years ago there was a very sudden increase in global temperatures: in fact the earth has never been as hot since then, although the global warming that humans are now causing is likely to take the earth back to the same high temperatures as existed for a short period then.

The increases in global temperatures are thought to have been caused by a massive release of methane from under the seabed – methane is almost 25 times worse than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. A better understanding of volcanism and the underlying hot spot will help us understand how such activity might have triggered the methane release and subsequent global warming.

—Professor Robert White

The researchers’ findings also have implications for oil exploration in the region. Large volumes of oil have already been discovered (and are being extracted) in the sediments under the seabed between the Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands. If these same sediments extend westward towards the Faroe Islands, as geological models suggest they do, there may be more oil to be found.

Conventional exploration techniques have not been able to penetrate the thick layers of lava flows that poured over them at the time the North Atlantic broke open. Techniques developed in conjunction with the mapping research enable the penetration of the molten rock layer to the sediments and structures that lie beneath them.

Resources

• R. S. White, et. al.; Lower-crustal intrusion on the North Atlantic continental margin; Nature 452, 460-464 (27 March 2008) | DOI: 10.1038/nature06687

Australia Launches CO2 Geosequestration Project

Australia will officially launch its first demonstration of carbon dioxide geosequestration on 2 April. The Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) Otway Project is situated near Warrnambool in south-western Victoria. CO2CRC is a collaborative research organization focused on carbon dioxide capture and geological storage.

Conceptual representation of the Otway carbon dioxide geosequestration project. Click to enlarge.

The A$40-million Otway Project simulates the capture of CO₂ from a power stations by extracting naturally trapped CO₂ from the Otway (sedimentary) Basin; transports the CO₂ several kilometers by pipeline; and stores it about two kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface in a depleted gas field. The project is intended eventually to store 100,000 tonnes of CO₂.

Researchers will monitor the behavior of the injected and stored CO₂ using a combination of sub-surface, in-well instruments and surface instruments to track the horizontal movement of CO₂ through the reservoir, and to measure CO₂ levels in the surrounding groundwater, soil and air. The researchers began baseline monitoring of the storage site in 2006.

In February, CO2TECH, the commercial arm of CO2CRC, and Schlumberger established a Joint Consulting Services Agreement aimed at providing carbon dioxide storage solutions to companies seeking to manage and control greenhouse gas emissions. Schlumberger has been providing leading-edge technology to CO2CRC during the development and deployment of the Otway Project.

Resources

• Demonstration of geological storage in Australia

Titanium Corporation Receives Grant To Research Extraction of Hydrocarbons and Minerals from Oil Sands Tailings

Without recovery, oil sands production is projected to lose 30 million barrels per year of bitumen and naptha by 2015. Click to enlarge.

Alberta Energy has awarded Titanium Corporation a C$3.5-million grant to research the value-added opportunities and environmental benefits of stripping out hydrocarbons and heavy minerals from oil sands tailings streams. Funding for this two-year project is being provided through Alberta’s C$200-million Energy Innovation Fund.

Titanium Corporation is a Canadian company that is developing a commercial process to maximize the value existing in waste material presently being deposited in Alberta’s oil sands tailings. Rather than channeling mine froth tailings into disposal areas, the mineral-rich stream is sent to a separation plant via pipeline where bitumen, titanium minerals, zircon and naphtha are to be recovered for commercial use. (Earlier post.)

Not only can this research result in processing industrial waste into beneficial products, but it has the potential to significantly reduce emissions and improve the environment by extracting bitumen from tailings rather than from mining.

—Energy Minister Mel Knight

The heavy minerals contained in the oil sands deposits are concentrated by the bitumen extraction/recovery process (en route to oil production). The majority of these minerals are contained in the oil sands froth treatment plant (FTP) tailings stream. Titanium Corporation’s process will intercept FTP tailings near their discharge into the tailings pond.

Two processing facilities will then treat the material recovered. A Primary Concentrator Plant will produce a Heavy Mineral Concentrate. This concentrate will then be separated in a Mineral Separation Plant into final products: ilmenite, leucoxene and zircon.

More than 90% of the world’s titanium minerals are sold to the pigment industry, which manufactures products for the paint, coating, paper and plastics industries. Another important use of titanium is in making alloys. Zircon sand is in high demand worldwide and is used by the ceramic, refractory and chemical industries. Naphtha, a liquid hydrocarbon, may also be recovered through the research project and reused for processing bitumen prior to upgrading.

Resources

• Recovering Minerals and Bitumen from Oil Sands Tailings

Mitsubishi Heavy To Boost Turbocharger Output With $403M Investment

Nikkei. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. plans to spend about ¥40 billion (US$403 million) by fiscal 2011 to increase the production of automobile turbochargers to 7 million units per year, about double the amount expected for the current fiscal year.

As restrictions on gas emissions are scheduled to be tightened in Japan, the US and Europe, demand is expected to surge for turbochargers, which help raise engine efficiency. Ranked third in the industry, Mitsubishi Heavy aims to catch up with global leader Honeywell of the US through the large investment.

Most of the money will be used to construct a plant in a Bangkok suburb, where the Japanese company will seek to manufacture slightly more than 2 million turbochargers a year, conducting the entire process from making core components to assembling the finished product.

Mitsubishi Heavy also intends to expand its plant in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and boost the capacity of its factory in the Netherlands.

Vogelbusch Optimizes Yeast for Higher-Yield Fermentation Process for Cellulosic Ethanol

Austria-based Vogelbusch GmbH has developed and is seeking a patent on an efficient fermentation process for the high-yield extraction of bioethanol from materials containing hemicellulose using an optimized strain of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Working in partnership with the Institute of Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering at Graz University of Technology, the company says it has succeeded in extracting “significantly more” ethanol from this raw material than other processes.

The focus of the research was to optimize the process that converts the carbohydrate xylose into ethanol using the yeast S. cerevisiae. Xylose is a key intermediate in the production of bioethanol from wood waste, but production processes based on this material are usually relatively inefficient. The reason for this is the imbalanced availability of the substances NAD and NADP—which function as co-enzymes during the conversion process and transfer hydrogen groups—in the majority of microorganisms.

The optimization work that Vogelbusch has carried out on S. cerevisiae resolves the issue of co-enzyme imbalance, thereby delivering greater efficiency in the conversion of xylose into ethanol. Vogelbusch made the following modifications to S. cerevisiae:

• Introduced the capacity to synthesize a form of the enzyme xylose reductase with an altered binding site for certain co-enzymes.

• Introduced the capacity from the yeast Galactocandida mastotermitis to synthesize the enzyme xylitol dehydrogenase.

• Introduced the capacity to synthesize larger volumes of the enzyme xylulosekinase.

The increased efficiency levels in xylose-based ethanol production thus achieved also help to lower the production of unwanted by-products such as glycerine and xylitol. As a result, this optimized strain of S. cerevisiae is able to produce greater ethanol yields than other previously used strains, according to Vogelbusch.

EPA Requests Comments on National Water Program Strategy to Respond to Climate Change

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water has made available for comment a review draft of the National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. The draft document represents the National Water Program’s initial effort to identify potential impacts of climate change for clean water and drinking water programs and define actions to respond to these impacts, which may include: increases in certain water pollution problems; changes to availability of drinking water supplies; and significant collective impacts on coastal areas.

The draft strategy proposes 46 specific actions that the National Water Program will take to respond to climate change in areas including adaptation, research, mitigation, and education. Only those actions that can be initiated in FY 2008 or 2009 with an assumption of level funding are included in the draft Strategy.

The National Water Program is a cooperative effort by Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments to implement core laws, including the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, intended to protect and to improve the quality of the Nation’s waters.

Some of the primary effects of climate change for water resources include:

• Air and water temperature increases. Warmer air temperatures are expected to have several impacts on water resources including diminishing snow pack and increasing evaporation, which affects the seasonal availability of water. A key impact of warmer air temperatures is warmer water temperatures. Some impacts of warmer water temperatures are shifts in aquatic species distribution and population; reduced oxygen levels; increased concentrations of come pollutants; and promotion of algal blooms and increased bacteria and fungi content.

• Changes in Levels and Distribution of Rainfall and Snowfall. Changing precipitation patterns are expected to have several impacts on water resources including: more pollution and sedimentation due to runoff; increased urban flood risks creating additional design challenges and costs for stormwater management; affects on water quality; and increases or decreases of net water supplies.

• Storm Intensity Increases. The primary impacts of increasing storm intensity on water resources is coastal and inland flooding, complicated in the case of coastal storms by storm surges. Many of these impacts will vary regionally and can be influenced by other factors such as the level of development in the watershed.

• Sea Level Rise. The primary impact of sea level rise on water resources is the gradual inundation of natural systems and human infrastructure in coastal and estuarine areas. Inundation impacts include: wetland displacement; accelerated coastal erosion; changes in water quality; and sea level rise increases the vulnerability of coastal areas to flooding during storms.

  Impacts of sea level rise other than inundation include: rising sea level increases the salinity of both surface water and ground water through salt water intrusion; if sea level rise pushes salty water upstream, then the existing water intakes might draw on salty water during dry periods; and salinity increases in estuaries can harm aquatic plants and animals that do not tolerate high salinity.

• Changes in Coastal/Ocean Characteristics. Changes in ocean characteristics are expected to have several impacts on coastal and ocean resources including: the inhibition or slowing of the biological production of corals, as well as calcifying photoplankton and zooplankton within the water column; ocean acidification and its affects on corals, pelagic ecosystems and the marine food web; salinity increases in estuaries.

The document notes that likely responses to climate change include development of alternative methods of energy production that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and sequester carbon generated by energy production. These too can have impacts on water resources. Suggested impacts on water resources from changes in energy generation or carbon sequestration include:

• Thermoelectric power plants that generate electricity using fossil or nuclear power require significant amounts of water, and will be vulnerable to fluctuations in water supply.

• Deep ocean sequestration might harm marine organisms, and requires studies on the response of biological system in the deep sea to added CO₂.

• Sequestration of carbon in “biological” forms, (i.e., preserving forests, no-till agriculture and related land management practices) may have water quality benefits by encouraging practices that reduce the amount of stormwater runoff and the pollution levels in the runoff. While land restoration will have positive environmental impacts, conversion of floodplains and wetlands to agriculture could hamper ecological function (reduced water recharge, bioremediation, nutrient cycling, etc.

• Demand for biofuels is also likely to have impacts on water including increasing land in agricultural production, resulting in increased risk of runoff of sediments, nutrients, and pesticides. Production of biofuels also uses significant amounts of water.

The report outlines five general goals for the National Water Program response to climate change impacts on water resources:

• Goal 1: Water Program Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases: use water programs to contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation;

• Goal 2: Water Program Adaptation to Climate Change: adapt implementation of core water programs to maintain and improve program effectiveness in the context of a changing climate;

• Goal 3: Climate Change Research Related to Water: strengthen the link between EPA water programs and climate change research;

• Goal 4: Water Program Education on Climate Change: educate water program professionals and stakeholders on climate change impacts on water resources and programs; and

• Goal 5: Water Program Management of Climate Change: establish the management capability within the National Water Program to engage climate change challenges on a sustained basis.

Resources

• National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change (Review Draft, March 2008)

ZENN Motor Targets Highway-Capable, EEStor-Powered Vehicle for 2009

During its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders, ZENN Motor Company Inc. (ZMC) said that it is targeting the launch of the cityZENN EV, powered by EEStor, for the fall of 2009. The cityZENN is planned to be a fully certified, highway capable vehicle with a top speed of 125 kph (80 mph) and a range or 400 kilometers (250 miles). The cityZENN is supposed to be rechargeable in less than 5 minutes.

EEStor is the developer of what it says is a new high-power-density ceramic ultracapacitor (the Energy Storage Unit—EESU). The EEStor ESU is projected to offer up to 10x the energy density (volumetric and gravimetric) of lead-acid batteries at the same cost. In addition, the ESU is projected to store up to 1.5 to 2.5 times the energy of Li-Ion batteries at 12 to 25% of the cost. (Earlier post.)

EEStor has publicly committed to commercialization in 2008 and their first production line will be used to supply ZENN Motor Company.

—Ian Clifford, Chief Executive Officer

ZENN Motor Company also plans to expand its low-speed product lineup for the 2009 model year with a four-passenger and a utility LSV (Low-Speed Vehicle).

The company said that it also plans to work with strategic OEMs to offer a ZENNergy drivetrain, powered by EEStor, in various vehicle platforms as ZENN-branded vehicles. ZENNergy drive systems will also be developed for the retrofitting and conversion of existing internal combustion vehicles to electric drive. Company management said that the initial target for these retrofit kits will be large, high-profile fleet opportunities.

In addition to ZMC’s exclusive technology agreement with EEStor for new vehicles up to 1,400 kg (curb weight), and the global rights to ALL retrofit conversions of existing internal combustion vehicles to electric, ZENN is also an equity investor in EEStor

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ITM Power and Roush Partner on Hydrogen Combustion Engine Vehicles in UK

ITM Power plc, the developer of a low-cost home electrolysis unit for hydrogen production (earlier post) is collaborating with Roush Technologies Limited in a project to put hydrogen combustion engine vehicles on UK roads.

Roush Technologies, which already has extensive experience in the commercial vehicle sector, will be responsible for both adapting existing internal combustion-engines in vehicles and researching the development of new power units to utilize hydrogen fuel. ITM will provide its electrolyzer to enable individual vehicle operators to generate their own hydrogen fuel.

This agreement will enable both parties to jointly offer a complete package of hydrogen refuelling systems and hydrogen vehicles to customers. It is anticipated that first sales will be to large commercial or local government organizations that wish to demonstrate a commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Marketing to third parties will commence as soon as possible, according to the partners.

The 10 kW ITM Power electrolyzer has now been operated at 75 bar pressure—its design point. During January 2008, the Company announced that it had operated an electrolyzer stack at low pressure using inputs in excess of 25kW, and another smaller unit at a pressure of 50 bar.

ITM has constructed an electrolyzer stack and operated it at 75 bar using the ITM designed balance of plant, thus demonstrating all the components of the HRU at full specification pressure for the first time. During these tests, an electrolyzer stack was pressure tested to 110 bar, and then operated under the control of the refueller unit to self pressurize up to the maximum design operating pressure of 75 bar after which it repeatedly filled an external portable pressure cylinder to the same pressure.

Earlier in March, ITM Power signed a contract with Bi-Fuels Limited to test and jointly assess hydrogen/diesel bi-fuel technology. Under the terms of the contract, Bi-Fuels is committed to develop and test technologies for Hydrogen:Diesel co-combustion in common-rail engines for ITM which are applicable to ITM’s proprietary materials and processes.

Mercedes-Benz to Introduce New-Generation A- and B-Classes at Leipzig Show; Start/Stop Function on High-Volume Models

The new-generation A-Class.

Mercedes-Benz will introduce its new-generation A- and B-Class vehicles at the Auto Mobil International (AMI) motor show in Leipzig (5-13 April). The new line-up features a number of fuel-saving enhancements, including a start/stop microhybrid function on high volume A- and B-Class vehicles. The B-Class is also now available with a gasoline/natural-gas drive system.

Fuel consumption for the standard new-generation A-Class models range between 4.9 and 8.1 liters per 100 kilometers (48 to 29 mpg US). Fuel consumption of the direct-injection diesel engines has been reduced by more than 8 percent or 0.5 liters per 100 kilometers compared with the outgoing models.

Mercedes is adding a start/stop function to the high-volume A 150 and A 170 models, resulting in up to a 9% reduction in fuel consumption for the vehicles when driving in city traffic. Mercedes-Benz has also developed an additional BlueEFFICIENCY package for the three-door A 160 CDI, reducing the Coupé’s fuel consumption to 4.5 liters per 100 kilometers (51 mpg US).

The BlueEFFICIENCY package, available in the autumn of 2008, further improves engine efficiency, aerodynamics, rolling resistance, energy management and weight. CO2 emissions of the 60 kW/82 hp coupé are 119 grams per kilometer. The BlueEFFICIENCY package includes an aerodynamically optimized radiator grille, the rear side of which is sealed off, thus reducing the volume of air flowing into the engine compartment. Despite this, sufficient cooling for the CDI engine is ensured at all times.

The bodywork has also been lowered by 10 millimeters to further reduce wind drag. The Mercedes engineers have leveraged further potential to save fuel by dynamically controlling the power supply on board the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY to save energy. The generator management system consistently converts the power generated when the engine decelerates (i.e. on the overrun) into electrical energy, which is then used to recharge the battery in an optimum, energy-efficient manner.

Mercedes-Benz has also revamped the design and technology of the B-Class. The four-cylinder engines now burn up to 7% less fuel than before, and exceed current EU emissions limits by as much as 90%. The new ECO start/stop function is available for the high-volume B 150 and B 170 models. Another new development for the B-Class is the bivalent gasoline/natural-gas drive system in the B 170 NGT BlueEFFICIENCY, which consumes 4.9 kilograms of natural gas per 100 kilometers. Converted into the equivalent quantity of gasoline energy, the fuel cost per kilometer is around 50% less than when running on gasoline.

First Auto Dealership-Owned Biofuels Station Opens in Texas

A Texas GM dealer has opened the first public biofuel filling station in the US owned by a new car and truck dealership.

Classic Chevrolet/HUMMER in Texas, which sold more Chevrolet trucks than any dealer in the nation in 2007, spent more than $500,000 to install nine pumps dedicated to E85, E10 and biodiesel at the new Classic Clean Fuels station adjacent to its Mr. Good Wrench Quick Lube Plus and HUMMER dealership in suburban Dallas.

We sell a lot of trucks capable of running on alternative fuels like E85, and even though there has been some increased availability, we saw a need for more E85 pumps where drivers could fill up.

—Charles Martin, general manager at Classic Chevrolet/HUMMER

CleanFUEL Distribution of Georgetown, Tex., provided a turnkey program to create the new station and supply the fuel. CleanFUEL also is converting the dealership’s onsite pump to E85, meaning all FlexFuel vehicles sold at Classic will start with a tank of E85.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which operates a rental branch within the Classic dealership, will dedicate a quarter of its fleet at the branch to GM FlexFuel models that will be filled at Classic Clean Fuels. It is the eighth FlexFuel Enterprise outlet in the country.

GM has pledged to double flex-fuel production by 2010 and make half its portfolio E85-capable by 2012.

As part of that commitment, GM’s HUMMER Division revealed the 2009 E85-capable H2 SUT at Classic Hummer on Friday, one of more than 15 FlexFuel models GM will offer for the 2009 model year. The H2 also will be E85 capable for 2009.