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Precis of Post-Petroleum Energetics Including Seawater Agriculture

Precis of Post-Petroleum Energetics Including Seawater Agriculture. Dennis Bushnell Chief Scientist NASA Langley Research Center. The (Economic) Ages of Humankind. Hunter/Killer groups (~1 Million - ~5K BC) Agriculture (~5K BC - ~1850 AD) Industrial (~1850 AD - ~1950 AD)

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Precis of Post-Petroleum Energetics Including Seawater Agriculture

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  1. Precis of Post-Petroleum Energetics Including Seawater Agriculture Dennis Bushnell Chief Scientist NASA Langley Research Center

  2. The (Economic) Ages of Humankind • Hunter/Killer groups (~1 Million - ~5K BC) • Agriculture (~5K BC - ~1850 AD) • Industrial (~1850 AD - ~1950 AD) • Information/BIO/NANO(~1950 AD - ~2030 AD) • Virtual (~2030 - ?)

  3. Hunter-Gatherer - “Nature Provided” • Agriculture - Controlled Nature (Plants/Animals) • Industrial - Mechanized Agriculture • [1800-97% Farmers,Now-2%] • IT/BIO/Nano - Automating Industry/Agriculture • Virtual - Robotization of IT/Bio/Nano/Industry/Agriculture Technology MATTERS - For Both Good and ill………

  4. Humans Have “Taken Over” and Vastly Shortened “Evolution”[Human Engendered~E7 times “Natural”] • Of the Planet • Global Warming/Pollution/Deforestation • Huge “Public Works” (e.g. 3 Gorges Dam) • Of the Human Species • Genomic Design and Repair • “Mind Children” (Moravec) • Products/Life Forms • Cross Species Molecular Breeding • “Directed Evolution” (Maxygen etc.)

  5. Human Environment changing from “Natural” [before], to “Manmade” [Now] To VIRTUAL [Evolving Future]

  6. - CO2 levels are NOW greater than at any time in the last 650,000 Years………- Tundra Melting,Releasing huge amounts of Methane…….- European Gulf Stream Heating reduced by 30% [overlying fresh water from melting glaciers?]…….

  7. “Prevention of collapse of the Ecosystem has now become the overwhelming issue” European Commission on Key Technologies for Europe,2005

  8. Rational[s] for “Going Green” • Escalating Price of Petroleum • “Warming” [ Including Acidic Oceans] • National Security/Geo-Politics • Economics/ Balance of Payments • Personal Economics/ “Independence”

  9. THE KEY TECHNOLOGIES(highly synergistic / at the frontiers of the small / in a “feeding frenzy” off each other) • IT (comms/computing/sensors/electronics/machine intelligence) • Bio (genomics/molecular biology/designer life forms) • Nano (coatings/barriers/computers/sensors/materials/“assemblers”) • Energetics (HEDM (various)/revol. solar/biomass/explosives/propellants/storage) • Quantum [crypto/computing/sensors/optics/Electronics] • Societal Technological Systems (motivational asynchronous “distance learning,” immersive/virtual presence, “tele-everything,” “robotic everything,” digital earth/digital airspace)

  10. The [Major] Societal Problems • Warming [Anthropogenic CO2-Induced,Attendant Arctic and Ocean Methane Release] • Consequent “Green Energy” Requirement,Simultaneous Demise of “Cheap Oil” • Shortages of Water & Arable Land • An Increasing Food Shortage

  11. Current Worldwide Energy Usage • Petroleum - 140 Exojoules • Natural Gas - 85 • Coal - 90 • Biomass - 55 [ Potential to 4,000+ ] • Nuclear Fission - 28 • Hydroelectric - 9 • Geothermal - 2 [ potential to 5,000 ] • Solar - .2 [ Potential to 1,600+ ] • Others [Wind, etc.] - ~7

  12. Petroleum [Transportation Fuel] Outlook • In General,”Cheap Oil” Production is peaking or has peaked.Residual supplies will have greater production costs.Increasing Petroleum demand,particularly from the developing world ,will ensure ever increasing oil prices and shifts,from purely economic drivers, to “Alternatives” [H2,Biomass] • Demand Example - U.S. has 745 vehicles per 1,000 population.China,the second largest oil importer, has 3 vehicles per 1,000 population.If China goes to 5 Vehicles per 1,000 Population they will have to DOUBLE their Oil Imports to 10 Million Barrels/Day

  13. Energy and Warming • 75% of Energy Usage is releasing climate-changing amounts of Fossil Carbon as CO2 • This Fossil CO2 warming is releasing Fossil Methane from the Tundra and seabeds,Methane some 22X more of a warming gas than CO2,A Warming “Accelerant” • Of the “Renewables”,only Solar [via Biomass and “Other Approaches] has the potential to provide the requisite “Capacity” [Wind,Hydro,Conv. Nuc cannot….] • Biomass Produces Liquid Fuels and is less expensive than “other Solar”

  14. [Direct] Solar Energy Utilization Spectrum • Biomass • PV [emerging Plastic/Nano PV,1/10th the cost…., to 70% efficiency?] • H2 from Photosynthesis [Genomic Biologics and artificial Photosynthesis] • Photo-Catalytic Disassociation of Water • Solar Furnaces/Concentrators/Direct Heating [including Zn production for H2 “Storage”/ Generation..]

  15. Biomass Benefits • Renewable • Nearly “CO2-Neutral” • No New H2 infrastructure Required • Minimal Sulfur • Relatively Inexpensive • Energy costs of biomass production/Processing up to an order of magnitude less than Energy “Yields” - Capacity/Tonnage Currently limited by “sweet” water and arable land

  16. Bio Mass Potential Biomass grown on some 6% of the U.S. Land mass could replace current U.S. oil and natural gas consumption

  17. “Bio-Refineries” • Bio-Chemical,Enzymatic Hydrolysis/Fermentation of Biomass into Sugars,Lignin,alcohol and Methane • Thermochemical,Pyrolysis/gasification,Conversion to gas/liquid/solid mix,catalysis producing Biopolymers and Liquid or Gaseous Fuels • Chemical,Biomass Oil conversion to “BioDiesel” etc. fuels - Due to costs of Biomass transportation,Bio-refineries should be “Distributed”/”Scalable”,Products largely delivered/deliverable via Pipelines

  18. Sampling - Biomass Utilization Archipelago • Transportation/Liquid Fuels [Distill/Refine it] • Direct Heat Generation [Burn it] • Direct Electricity Generation [Bio Fuel Cells] • Food [via Genomics] • “Petro-Chemical Feed-Stock [Plastics etc.] • Direct H2 Production [e.g. Fermentation/Algae feeding] • On Site Micro-Power/Co-[electricity] Generation

  19. “Water Scarcity is now the single greatest threat to Human Health,The Environment and the Global Food Supply”

  20. The Emerging Desert Mantra[Some 44% of land worldwide is “Wasteland”] • Desert Area Characteristics - Sunlight - Brackish/Saline Ground Water - Many near/on seacoasts • Utilize these “Resources” For: - Nano-Plastic PV - Saline-Seawater Agriculture for Biomass/Energy and Food

  21. Conventional/Historical “Wisdom” - Seawater/Saline incursions/occurance Detrimental-to-Disasterous for Agriculture Unconventional - Saline/Salt water Agriculture a Viable-to-Desirable Alternative to Conventional Agriculture

  22. Saline/Seawater Agriculture • Quasi-Conventional: - For Food & Fodder - “Reclaim”/Desalinate land via Biologics • Unconventional - For Land,Water,Energy,Warming,Minerals,Food and Terra-Forming/enhanced Rainfall i.e. STRATEGIC Not Tactical, to Contribute to ALL the Major Problems,not just food

  23. Advantages of Seawater AG • 97% of all water is seawater,will not “Run Out” • Seawater Contains: - wide variety of important minerals - ~ 80% of Nutrients required for Agriculture [need to add Nitrogen,Phosphorus and Iron] • In proximity to a number of Dry/Desert Areas

  24. Mineral Extraction from Seawater - “[Conventional] mining is one of the most environmentally damaging activities carried out by Humans” • Seawater AG puts “missing/trace Minerals” back into Food Supply • Current Seawater Mineral Extraction - Magnesium,Bromide,Salts,Phosphorites,Metallic Sulfides, • “Seawater and Brines appear destined to replace Mineral Ores as the main source of Light Metals” • Nascent [low cost/energy] Bio/Algae Extraction Approaches….

  25. Alternative Seawater AG Employment Approaches • Desalinization [in General,too expensive for Agriculture] • Cold/deeper Ocean water to [via heat exchangers] precipitate moisture from the atmosphere • Seawater Greenhouses [involve vaporization/re-precipitation] • Direct Plant Seawater Irrigation

  26. Some Numbers • Sahara some 2E9 Acres • 1.2 Acre Meters Required for Agriculture/Irrigation [per year] • Average Sahara Elevation some 450 Meters • ~ cost to pump 1.2 acre meters of Seawater to 450 Meters altitude [vertical lift only] some $1200/Acre • 1 Acre produces 10-to-40 tons of dry Biomass per year • I Ton of dry Biomass provides 16E6 BTU’s = 2.75 Barrels of Oil • @ $60/Barrel of oil,1 ton of Biomass worth [after “refining”] ~ $165 [other estimates,which include Addit. Goodness factors [e.g. countering warming] are as high as $300-$700/ton] • @ 20 Tons/Acre and $165/ton Value of an Acre of Biomass = $~3300

  27. Irrigation Influences Upon Rainfall • “Irrigation can Represent an Enormous Perturbation of the Regional Atmospheric Water and Heat Balance” • Cool,Wet Surface increases low level Atmospheric Instabilities,incites “Storms” • Various Studies Indicate - - 18%-25% precipitation Increase [from only .4 acre meter Irrigation] - Irrigation increased Rainfall by 91% - Irrigation and Vegetation changes are clear dominating factors with direct influence upon atmospheric water content

  28. Halophyte [Salt-Plant] Utilization [Per Yensen] • Patents issued for Halophyte Crop[s] [Genetics,Genomics] • 10,000+ “Natural” Halophyte Plants,250 of these are potential “Staple” crops • Research ongoing on/for Halophilic [Salt-LOVING] Halophytes,The more salt the faster the growth… • Huge areas worldwide are already salt-affected [1 B Hectares] and another Billion Hectares overlie Saline Aquifers. • Over 100 halophyte plants now in “trials” for “Commercial” applications

  29. China Mexico Eritria India Pakistan Israel Libya Jordan Tunisia - Current Status,Prototype Farms/Experiments for FOOD Egypt Iran Morocco U.S. Saudi Arabia Syria UAE Kuwait Australia Sudan [Sample] Countries with Saline AG projects

  30. Chinese Seawater AG Reporting • Genetically Modified [grown on “Beaches” using Seawater]: - Tomato - Eggplant - Pepper - Wheat - Rice - Rapeseed

  31. The Potential[s] for enhanced [Halophyte] Plant Growth via Nano/Bio Technology thought to be Large,60% improvements thus far,”Only Beginning” - An Example Requisite Capability - Nitrogen Fixation [utilization/extraction from the air]

  32. On-going Research Areas • Enhanced Plant growth rates and enhanced “Salt-Loving” • Reduced water/nutrient Requirements • Irrigation Efficiency Improvements • Plant /Lifeform tailoring for specific Bio-Conversion/Refining Processes • ‘Safe”/’Contained” Saline/Seawater Irrigation Practices,Avoid-to-Obviate Fresh Aquifer Contamination

  33. Suggested Seawater Ag Biomass “Solution” Mix • Seawater Irrigation near “dry” and flattish Coastal areas • Saline irrigation where Saline Aquifers are available at Reasonable Pumping Depths • Seawater Irrigation inland where Economics appear feasible • Enhanced rainfall induced by Irrigation [the “Terraforming” aspect[s]]

  34. TerraForming -1 • Altering a Planetary Surface to make it suitable for Terrestrial life • Seawater AG for Biomass Energy can be of sufficient magnitude to qualify as Terra-Forming • Humans have long practiced “Anti-Terraforming” with neither plan nor prediction • It appears timely/necessary to attempt terraforming but with both Plan and Prediction…

  35. TerraForming -2 [Raddatz and Knom] • The Biosphere/Surface vegetation plays a dominant role on climate • Vegetation can affect continent-scale atmospheric motion[s]. The interaction between Atmosphere and land cover can be HIGHLY NON-LINEAR…..

  36. [Obvious] Terraforming Modeling/Computation Requirements/Inputs • Irrigated Land Area • Type of Vegetation/Evaporation Rate • Vegetation Coverage • Atmospheric Particulate details [allow cloud formation at .1% super-saturation] • Utilization of both “Boundary Layer Meteorology and Global Circulation/Earth System Models • ETC……

  37. Bottom Line Enablers/”Pull” - Saline/Seawater Biomass Irrigation • Oil Prices now high enough [and going higher] to make the economics worth looking into [again] • H2 Infrastructure Costs & Storage issues • Potential Halophyte Genomic improvements • Global Warming,Green Energy Requirements • Increasing shortages of Sweet water/”Arable Land” - Requires SERIOUS Forecasting……

  38. Advantages of Shallow Sea/Desert Production of Biomass (Via Seawater Irrigation - energy, warming, food,land, water]) • Closed CO2 Cycle (Obviates Global Warming) • Food • Petro-chemical feedstock [plastics etc.] • ENERGY • Terraforming, alter desertification etc. • Preservation/Production of Fresh Water • Rich Mineral source (Seawater) • Utilization of “Wastelands” (Sahara, etc.) • Seawater has 85% of plant nutrients

  39. Frontier Energetics(Production/Storage) • Biomass via saltwater agriculture • Solar H2 production • efficient visible light (vs. just ultraviolet) photocatalytic electrolysis of water • CNT H2 storage, Zeolite H2 storage • Direct plant and bacteria H2 production • SMES/CNT magnets • 2 to 20 X energy density of O2- H2 fuel (in a battery) • Efficient direct conversion (thermal to electric), “thermal diodes (~24%),Nano-Voids [~30%] • Advanced Geothermal

  40. Frontier Energetics(Production/Storage) • LENRS and “nano-fusion” (ala G. Miley, DOE/NAVY),Muon-Catalyzed Fusion • CNT Flywheels • Isomers/Quantum nucleonics • Several, ~105 X HE • Offshore methane hydrate • 106 greater than known natural gas reserves • Hydrogen/Boron-11 Fusion - charged particle/Direct conversion,”Dense Plasma Focus fusion” • Z-Pinch Fusion

  41. Aneutronic H-B11 Fusion Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion [QED,IEC,IEF] • Produces Protons,Direct MHD Electricity Generation vice [Neutron] Thermalization • Reduced Radiation Hazard[s]/Weight • High Thrust-to-weight AND High Isp [via reduced shielding,magnetics,High Power Drivers] • For SSTO,Payload Mass Fraction is ~ 14%,Launch Cost Estimate ~ $100/lb

  42. Frontier Energetics(Production/Storage) • Femto-second laser/other production of anti-matter/positrons • Bose-Einstein condensate/Positronium storage of Positrons • HEDM (MIC, SBER, nano-powders, cold silicon, solid H2, atomic C/B/H, cubanes, metastable He,Etc…) • Bacteria-based fuel cells • Plastic Nano PV,factor of 10 cost reduction,2X Efficiency [Nanocrystals] • Piezo-Electric Energy Extraction [M-E] • ZPE • Deep Earth Prod.-Non-Bio Hydrocarbons

  43. Antimatter Fuels/Propulsion Approaches • Positrons - Stored as Positronium?,Gamma emission used for heating,also - via direct conversion could yield Electrical Energy for 2000 Sec. Isp High Thrust MHD Acceleration, negligible fuel fraction… • Trigger Fission at 100% [vice < 5%] for fission “nuc” Propulsion • Antihydrogen - Stored as Bose-Einstein Condensate,”Harvest” from Van Allen Belts

  44. Energetics in the “Post-Petroleum” Age • BioMass via Seawater Agriculture on Wastelands[Land,water,food.energy,warming] • Plastic Nano PV • Advanced Geothermal • Tidal Currents • Genomic Bacteria H2 Production • Artificial Photo-Synthesis H2 Production • Photo-Catalytic Electrolysis of H2O • P-B11 Fusion,LENR’s • Wildcard - ZPE • Conservation via “Light Diodes”,Thermal Diodes,CNT Computing,”Tele-Everything”, Fuel Cells,CNT-enabled weight reductions

  45. Worldwide IT Revolution • Comms/Computing/Sensors/Electronics • Factor of E07 since ’59 [Moores’ Law] • Factor of E08 to E12 further improvement [Silicon,Molecular/CNT, Quantum, Bio, Optical] • Beyond Human Machine Intelligence? • Automatics/Robotics “in the large” • Immersive multi-sensory VR/”Holodecks” • Ubiquitous multi physics/hyperspectral sensors [land/sea/air/space]

  46. IMPACTS OF ONGOING ITREVOLUTION UPON SOCIETY • Work (at home telecommuting, reduced local/corporal travel) • Shopping (at home web based, (robotic?) delivery) • Entertainment/leisure (at home immersive 3-D interactive/multi-sensory via VR/holographic projection) • Travel (3-D/interactive/multi-sensory tele-travel) • Education (at home low cost asynchronous, web based on-demand, highly motivational, life-long distance learning, .edu) • Health (at home interactive tele-medicine) • Politics (increased real-time virtual involvement of the body politic) • Commerce (tele-commerce already ubiquitous) • Tele-Socialization, Tele -[onsite] Manufacturing

  47. SOME IT “PREDICTIONS” • Quantum computing initially available in 5 years • 15% of all power today is used by computers, will reach 60% by 2020? • Wearable/implantable (on-person) electronics--comms, computing, sensory augmentation, health monitoring, brain stimulation

  48. Global Warming “Solutions” • Green Energy • Conservation • Genomic Biologics w/greatly increased CO2 Uptake • Trigger/Engineer Calderas [Nascent Volcanoes],Put massive amounts of dust in the Atmosphere • Nano-Particulates spread on the monolayer of surfactant on the Oceans’ Surface to alter Albedo • Gigantic reflective films/membranes in orbit • Seed Oceans with iron to provoke/enable Phytoplankton Blooms

  49. Nominal Power Densities • ZPE……………………..E108 X Chemical • Anti-Matter/Positrons….. E10 X Chemical • Fission/Fusion………….. E6 X Chemical • Isomers…………………. E5 X Chemical • SBER…………………… E2 X Chemical • Hydrogen……………..……..38 KWH/Kg • HC…………………………..14 “ • Advanced Flywheels………. .9 - 20? “ • Batteries………….. ………. .04 - 10? “ • SMES……………………… .0015 - ~100? “ • Super/ultra Capacitors……… .0007 -8? “

  50. Energetics “Wild Cards” Being Worked • Solitons for Low Divergence Power Beaming • Positron Storage as Positronium • High Efficiency Plastic Nano PV • 30%+ Thermo-Electrics • High Efficiency [KW/KG] Fuel Cells • “On-Site” H2 Generation vice Storage [Zinc,….] • Room Temperature S-C, IECF P-B11 • Tapping ZPE, Higher Yield LENR’s • Controlled Nuclear Isomer Release • SMES with CNT Magnets • Lithium Tantalate Crystals

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