Strategies for Sustainable fuel use and CO2 reduction. Dr. Paul A. Comet Environmental Consultant.

Strategies for Sustainable fuel use and CO2 reduction.

Dr. Paul A. Comet

Environmental Consultant

Integrated System

A sequence of fuel use

• Coal, oil, nuclear (present)

• 1st generation biofuels : palm oil, alcohol , frying oil

• 2nd generation : cellulosic ethanol, sewer & landfill gas.

• 3rd generation : algae, hydrogen, biomass pyrolysate, syngas, fischer tropsch diesel.

Hydrogen can be obtained by;

• 1: Electrolysis of brine (or sewage) via wind turbine, solar powered steam generator, etc.

• 2: Steam reforming of waste, carbon neutral methane from sewage or landfill gas, food waste.

Salvation through waste!

• 1: Each city could contain a “cathedral of sustainability” where paper, glass, plastic & metals are recycled and refurbished anew. The cathedral remains the center of industry for the town. The waste has to be used FIRST before inputting new materials, the city acts like the nucleus of a hetrotrophic cell.

• 2: Around the city, agricultural waste, algae ponds, windmills and solar mirrors act as “autotrophic symbionts”

Composition of biomass pyrolysates

• Mainly oxygenates phenols, creosoles, methanol, acetic acid, phenolic aldehydes, phenolic ketones

• FAST pyrolysis yields little charcoal, and under vacuum produces mainly oil.

• SLOW pyrolysis yields about 45% charcoal 30% percent oil and 25% percent gas.

• Hydrogenation of the oil using Co/Mo catalyst should generate high quality gasoline.

Algal Fuel

• Algae can be genetically engineered to produce octane.

• Left over cellular “mush” can be used for flash pyrolysis to generate more oil.

Carbon sequestration and biofuels;some thoughts and strategies

• Coal/Oil : CO2 into old reservoirs OR char waste / biomass, leave on fields as biochar ( keep pyrolysis oil as fuel). Every 12g (tablespoon of biochar) added to soil is equal to 22.4L CO2 (STP) sequestrated from the local power station and pumped into the local oil reservoir’s . Can be used as carbon offsets.

Transportation of biomass

• Costly because of very low density even if dry.• Convert to biochar and pyrolysis oil; much higher

density • Then burn in power station as coal substitute

and sequestrate the CO2 ( negative carbon)• Best of all either burn H2; or algal fuel or

pyrolysaste in power station then sequestrate the CO2.(negative carbon)

Conclusions

• Earths climate can be regulated by sprinkling biochar on fields (terra preta del indio) or injecting NON fossil fuel CO2 into reservoirs.

• Recycling manufactured materials – paper, plastic, metals, glass, construction materials.

• Use alternate fuels (only)• Don’t use first generation biofuels• Don’t use wood as fuel except from forest

thinning

More Conclusions

• Don’t cut down old growth forests or tropical hardwoods

• There is enough organic waste to substitute for fossil fuels.

• If you char all this waste you can take out 1ppm CO2 per year from the earths atmosphere