Energy

Botanical origin : Calotropis procera Family : Asclepiadaceae Arka, an important drug of Ayurveda is known in this country from the earliest time. It is mentioned by the earliest Hindu writers and the ancient name of the plant which occurs in the vedic literature was Arka alluding to the form of leaves, which was used in the sacrifical rites. There are two common species of Calotropis, viz. C. gigantea (Linn.) R.Br. and C. procera (Ait.) R.Br. described by the Sanskrit writers. Both the species are used as substitutes for one another and are said to have similar effects. One species is more…

Euphorbia tirucalli L.: Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Euphorbia Species: tirucalli, insulana Common names: English: Indian tree spurge, Milk hedge, Petroleum-plant, aveloz, milk bush, pencil tree, Sehund, Thohra, and Konpal-sehnd. E. tirucalli is a succulent cactus-like plant growing to a height of about 10 m. It was introduced from Africa as a garden plant; and it is now naturalized in tropical areas and rainforests in the Amazon, Madagascar, and South Africa. The main trunk and branches are woody and brown, but the younger branches are green and cylindrical, looking like many pencils and…

Biofuels According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory [NREL] (see http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biofuels.html): “Unlike other renewable energy sources, biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels, called “biofuels” to help meet transportation fuel needs. The two most common types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel.” “...[Ethanol] is made by fermenting any biomass high in carbohydrates through a process similar to beer brewing. Today ethanol is made from starches and sugars, but NREL scientists are developing technology to allow it to be made from cellulose and…

If you find it ironic that members of Congress take private jets to meetings on global warming or debate raising taxes to pay for government health care they get for free, a RAND study may warm your Republican heart.  Except it means saying Europe did something right, which could make it run cold again. The new study says that wealthier countries use more than a third of their energy to heat, cool and illuminate buildings - but not always efficiently. Recent steps taken by the European Union (and some states in Australia) to inspect, rate and publicly disclose the energy efficiency of…

silvicultural production systems and nutrient requirements of Jatropha curcas which can be summarized as below: • What are the best management techniques (planting practices, spacing, etc.) to promote the optimum growth of Jatropha to optimize for instance nut production? • What types of edaphic factors, climatic conditions provide best for Jatropha curcas, both from the perspective of fruit and biomass? What is the ideal rotation age for nuts and the plant? What varieties, including non-toxic varieties perform better in southern Africa? • How can Jatropha curcas plantations by themselves or…

Growing Jatropha on fences for fuel project carried out by Social Policy Research Institute , Jaipur in collaboration with Humana People to People India with aid from World bank has resulted in vast awareness in Jaipur districts and over 2,75000 plants of Jatropha has been raised on fences. However Subsidies and quotas for biofuels are wreaking social and environmental havoc and in many cases actually exacerbating climate change, says a new Christian Aid report. The report ‘Growing pains: the possibilities and problems of biofuels’ calls for a radical overhaul of governments’ multi-billion…

DECENTRALIZED biofuel production, or small-scale factories built on degraded or underused lands, has the potential to provide energy to half a billion people living in poverty in rural Asia. However the plant selection has to be based on the agroclimatic conditions and plant associations play important role in it. Growing Jatropha without applying much basic knowledge could be a disaster to environment and local flora. It can be grown in areas with rainfall more than 300 mm and sandy loam to loamy soils. It will need irrigation for two years at least at monthly intervals. The yield could be…

The Jatropha plant or shrub like tree can grow in a wide variety of climates. Its seeds contain about 40% oil that can be extracted for energy as feedstock for renewable biodiesel production. Currently, the early stage Jatropha emerging market is growing at 18% annually. This promising biofuel feedstock receives about $600 million invested annually in targeted Jatropha developments. Today, there are 242 Jatropha cultivation projects worldwide totaling roughly 930,000 hectares. The plantation production capacity is rapidly growing and should reach 13 million hectares exceeding well over $1…

Around 80% of the population lives in rural areas which primarily utilize biomass for their energy requirement. Depending on the agroclimatic zone by diversity and plant productivity the biomass utilization varies in different parts of the country. A large number of laticiferous plants have been reported to yield hydrocarbons which could be converted into petroleum like substances. Initially E. abyssinica J.F. Gmel. Was used by French in Morocco and Italians in Ethiopia. Subsequently, a systematic search was made for renewable sources of liquid fuel. United States Department of Agriculture…

Polymer solar cells don't have the high efficiencies of the silicon kind yet, which isn't saying much, but they can be printed in roll-to-roll processes and at very high speeds so in time the technology could be very cost-effective.  Polymer solar cells are also flexible and lightweight so they could be used on vehicles or clothing or to be incorporated in the design of objects. Researchers from the Eindhoven University of Technology and the University of Ulm have made the first high-resolution 3D images of the inside of a polymer solar cell, giving them new insights in the nanoscale…