Gizmorama
April 18, 2011
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Guess who won?t be bugging you this summer?
http://pd.gophercentral.com/u/2140/c/186/a/474
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Good Morning,
The first article takes a close look at growing and using
algae as a fuel source in place of fossil fuels. One of the
big problems discussed is the amount of water it takes to
utilize this method. Again, check out the first article for
all the details.
Until Next Time,
Erin
Questions? Comments? Email me at: mailto:gizmo@gophercentral.com
Email your comments
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Algae as biofuel source contemplated
RICHLAND, Wash. - Algae is being promoted as a biofuel source
to replace fossil fuels but growing algae or any biofuel
feedstock can require a lot of water, U.S. researchers say.
A study by scientists at the Department of Energy's Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory found that carefully selecting
locations for growing algae can drastically reduce how much
water is needed for algal biofuel. Algae grown in a water-
wise manner could help meet congressionally mandated renew-
able fuel targets by replacing 17 percent of the nation's
imported oil for transportation, a paper published in the
journal Water Resources Research said. PNNL researchers found
water use is much less if algae are grown in the U.S. regions
with the sunniest and most humid climates: the Gulf Coast,
the Southeastern Seaboard and the Great Lakes. "Algae has
been a hot topic of biofuel discussions recently, but no one
has taken such a detailed look at how much America could make
-- and how much water and land it would require -- until
now," PNNL hydrologist Mark Wigmosta said. "This research
provides the groundwork and initial estimates needed to
better inform renewable energy decisions." Algal biofuel can
be produced by extracting and refining the oils, called lip-
ids, made by algae as they grow. "Water is an important
consideration when choosing a biofuel source," Wigmosta said.
"And so are many other factors. Algae could be part of the
solution to the nation's energy puzzle -- if we're smart
about where we place growth ponds and the technical chal-
lenges to achieving commercial-scale algal biofuel production
are met."
NASA receives Webb telescope mirrors
GREENBELT, Md. - NASA says examples of the two mirrors that
will allow an upcoming space telescope to see back in space
and time arrived Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
The Primary and Secondary Mirror Engineering Design Units
together will allow engineers to prepare the James Webb Space
Telescope for a launch in 2018 to peer farther into the uni-
verse than any previous telescope has, a NASA release said
Wednesday. The mirrors, delivered from Northrup Grumman Aero-
space Systems in California are undergoing examination and
testing, NASA said. The primary mirror is composed of 18
smaller hexagonal mirrors that, when assembled, would sit
atop the Webb telescope's sun shield. The secondary mirror
would be connected to arms that will position it in front
of the primary mirror to direct light from the primary mirror
to the Webb's instruments. The "engineering" mirrors received
in Maryland will not go on the telescope for its actual
launch but will be used to calibrate the equipment that will
test the actual flight mirrors when they arrive, although
they will be available as flight "spares" if necessary, NASA
said.
New material removes radioactive risk
RALEIGH, N.C. - U.S. researchers say they can remove radio-
active material from drinking water using a combination of
forest byproducts and crustacean shells. Scientists at North
Carolina State University say a material made from a combi-
nation of hemicellulose, a byproduct of forest materials, and
chitosan, crustacean shells crushed into a powder, can absorb
water and then extract contaminates such as radioactive iodide
from the water. "As we're currently seeing in Japan, one of
the major health risks posed by nuclear accidents is radio-
active iodide that dissolves into drinking water," North
Carolina State forest biomaterials Professor Joel Pawlak
said. "Because it is chemically identical to non-radioactive
iodide, the human body cannot distinguish it -- which is what
allows it to accumulate in the thyroid and eventually lead to
cancer. "The material that we've developed binds iodide in
water and traps it, which can then be properly disposed of
without risk to humans or the environment." The material, in
the form of a solid foam, can also remove heavy metals such
as arsenic from water or salt from sea water to make clean
drinking water, the researchers said. "In disaster situations
with limited-to-no power source, desalinating drinking water
is difficult, if not impossible," Pawlak said. "This foam
ould be brought along in such situations to clean the water
without the need for electricity."
NASA space telescope in budget limbo
WASHINGTON - NASA says its troubled James Webb Space Tele-
scope, which could help find life out in space and insights
into the early universe, likely won't launch until 2018. In
November, an independent panel recommended the launch date
be pushed back from 2014 to 2015, blaming poor program man-
agement and overly optimistic schedules, NewScientist.com
reported. Now NASA says over-budget telescope, successor to
the Hubble Space Telescope, probably will be delayed even
further. Testifying at a congressional budget hearing Monday,
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the agency now thinks
2018 "is a reasonable launch date." The November panel said
the telescope would require an extra $500 million to hit a
2015 launch date, and warned the launch could slip to 2017
or 2018 with a leaner budget. Bolden told the Senate hearing
he could not request a budget boost in today's economy but
that NASA is considering seeking some kind of increase to
the project's budget starting in 2012. "There will be some
additional spending that will be required," he said. Bolden
said he hoped to have a new road map for the flagship tele-
scope program by the end of the month.
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