By Jenner, Mark ENERGY INDEPENDENCE IN REYNOLDS, INDIANA Technologies are described to facilitate the conversion from fossil fuels to biomass-based power - including anaerobic digestion, fermentation and distillation, gasification, biodiesel conversion and hybrid systems.
Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have designed and built ceramic microreactors for the on-site reforming of hydrocarbon fuels, such as propane, into hydrogen for use in fuel cells and other portable power sources. Applications include power supplies for small appliances and laptop computers, and on-site rechargers for battery packs used by the military.
Pilot models of next-generation nuclear plants are being built around the world, but such plants are not likely to produce consumer electricity in the United States for 20 years or more, said Pavel Hejzlar, a principal research scientist in MIT's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering. In the meantime, MIT researchers are working on several innovations that could make existing plants more
Iowa State University researchers are working with an Iowa company to replace the natural gas burned to make ethanol with a renewable gas made from biomass.