Frontiers of Engineering Reports on Leading-Edge Engineering from the 2013 Symposium (2014) / Chapter Skim
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Energy from Fossil Fuels: Challenges and Opportunities for Technology Innovation--Laura Daz Anadn
Energy from Fossil Fuels: Challenges and Opportunities for Technology Innovation--Laura Daz Anadn
Pages 77-86
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From page 77... ...
in 2011) , the energy sector is the largest contributor to what is increasingly recognized as the most intractable and dangerous environmental challenge posed by human activity: global climate change.1 Most energy-related US GHG emissions stem from the use of coal for power and of oil for transportation: 38 percent of the emissions are in the form of CO2 from the power sector -- three quarters come from coal -- and 30 percent from the combustion of oil in the 1 In 2005 the United States contributed one-sixth of global GHG emissions (data for later years are not available)
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From page 78... ...
report states that it is more than 50 percent likely that human activities have contributed to a rise in the number of heat waves, floods, droughts, and wildfires; hurricanes and typhoons of greater power; and higher risks to coastal property from the surging seas. Fossil fuel–based energy systems also emit substantial amounts of other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2)
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From page 79... ...
3 The Need for and Complexity of Energy Technology Innovation There is widespread agreement that innovation in energy-supply and end-use technologies is necessary to overcome the major energy challenges associated with US dependence on coal for power and oil for transportation.4 Partly as a result of the inherent uncertainty and complexity of the technology innovation process, there is more disagreement about the specific role of different technologies. Innovation starts (but does not end)
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From page 80... ...
and physical infrastructures needed to enable the deployment of new technologies. Now, however, most of the technologies with the potential to significantly displace coal in the power sector and/or oil in the transportation sector are not expected to offer significant comparative advantages in terms of services provided to consumers (with the exception of some of the environmental externalities, which are still not priced in the United States)
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From page 81... ...
Without judging whether the Brazilian government's plan was cost effective, its continuity and comprehensiveness (addressing yields, refineries, and vehicles -- end-use technologies) contributed to ethanol's achievement of cost competitiveness with gasoline in 27 years, replacing 40 percent of all the gasoline that would be consumed in Brazil.7 It took shale gas production 6 While some policies creating markets for some of these technologies are in place today -- e.g., federal production tax credits for wind, investment tax credits for solar, a renewable fuel standard for biofuels, vehicle fuel economy standards, loan guarantees for nuclear power, and renewable portfolio standards in 29 states -- many studies have questioned both their cost effectiveness and their ability to serve as a guide for long-term investments by firms.
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From page 82... ...
The development of biofuels that can more easily fit in with existing infrastructure (so-called drop-in fuels) should be an important factor driving research, without undermining research on alternatives that may require significant infrastructure changes but could in the long run result in significant cost reductions.
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From page 83... ...
, fermentation Ethanol, butanol hemicellulose & lignin (bagasse) fermentation C1-C6 n-alkanes APD/H Diaz Anadon Figure processes refer to Aromatics, alkanes, coke zeolite aq.
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From page 84... ...
(forthcoming) covered 25 technologies spanning solar photovoltaics, nuclear, bioenergy, carbon capture and storage, various vehicle technologies, and utility-scale energy storage and focused on incorporating uncertainty surrounding technical change.
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11 The aggressiveness and existence of waivers in the Renewable Fuel Standard reduce its ability to promote innovation and fail to encourage fuel efficiency, which can be achieved by fuel or carbon taxes.
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86 FRONTIERS OF ENGINEERING Narayanamurti V, Odumosu T, Vinsel L
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