Minnesota Renewable Energy: The IT Connection

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Minnesota Renewable EnergyThe IT Connection
IT has no coordinated Renewable Energy research
programs IT has considerable energy
research Lanny Schmidt Hydrogen
generation William Smyrl Micro fuel
cells Friedrich Srienc Biopolymer
synthesis Edward Cussler Fuel cell
electrolytes Michael Zachariah Nanoenergetics
Program David Kittelson Diesel Research
Center Jane Davidson Solar energy
conversion Paul Strykowski Efficient
combustion gt4,000,000/year IT needs to get
its act together!
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Current Minnesota Opportunities
Redirection of Utility charges a catalyst for
new programs Economic development
initiatives the driver behind it Minnesota
industrial interests fuel cells, biomass
conversion, new energy Collaborative research
opportunities more agencies requiring
collaboration and matching money
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The case for Renewable Energy
Minnesota spends 7 billion on imported fossil
fuel energy Biomass can easily replace all of
that Costs of alternative energies are becoming
competitive wind, ethanol, polylactic acid The
transition from fossil fuels will be
evolutionary Increased efficiency complements
new processes
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Is the Hydrogen Economy nonsense?
Hydrogen does not exist in available
forms Hydrogen now requires reforming of fossil
fuels No savings in fuel utilization, CO2
emissions, or pollution BUT
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Is the Hydrogen Economy nonsense?
Fuel cells promise to beat thermal cycle
efficiencies transportation electricity Fuel
cells require hydrogen Hydrogen can be obtained
from renewable sources Wind and solar energy
require chemical energy storage Hydrogen is a
major candidate for storage and
transportation Distributed energy can use
hydrogen
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Is Renewable Energy nonsense?
Ethanol production requires 50 as much energy to
produce as its heating value. This can be a
compelling argument FOR ethanol Fossil fuel O2
CO2 H2O 120 of heating value is converted
to CO2 (20 added in processing) CO2 in
atmosphere has increased by 30 in past 30
years We have produced it.
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With biomass there is no net CO2no matter how
inefficient the process
(HCHO)n nO2 nCO2 nH2O combustion nCO2
nH2O HCHO)n nO2 photosynthesis Use
biomass for heat, hydrogen, chemicals HCHO)n
CO2 O2 heat
food chemicals H2
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Some Principles
Any block funding must be leveraged federal
grants industrial grants Research should be
interdisciplinary between departments between
units within and without the U fundamental,
applied, development components Conflicts should
be minimized let technologies and economics
decide all interests should collaborate, not
compete
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IT Proposal Topics
Hydrogen from biomass Chemicals from
biomass Fuel cells Energy storage Advanced
combustion biodiesel improved
efficiency Solar energy CO2 sequestration Envir
onmental modeling air and water particulates
Energy systems and policy integration, scale,
options, distribution
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Hydrogen from biomass biological
hydrogen chemical hydrogen purification Proce
ssing and Storage fuel cells electrolysis se
questration hydrogen storage biodiesel and
bioturbines Biocatalysis chemicals from
biomass genetic manipulation metabolic
manipulation Solar conversion photosynthesis
photovoltaics photothermal Environment modeli
ng cleanup
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The Chain for Renewable Energy
biological processing
chemical processing
production
Agriculture
Biology
Technology
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The Chain for Renewable Energy
electricity heat transportation chemicals
purification fermentation genetic modification
coal petroleum natural gas sugar starch cellulose
sunlight
Biology
Technology
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The Case for IT
Energy efficiency A major implication in most
current research Renewable energy opportunities
in processes, storage, systems Biomass growing
emphasis throughout IT Collaboration becoming
more important for funding