Swansea filter could help reduce environmental impact of fracking
26th September 2017 11:20 am
A novel filtration method developed by researchers at Swansea University could be used to clean-up the waste water produced during fracking operations it has been claimed.
Fracking, the hydraulic fracturing process by which shale oil and gas is removed from the ground, uses huge volumes of water. According to Swansea University’s Prof Andrew Barron, a hydraulically fractured well uses more than 5 million gallons of water on average and only 10 to 15 per cent is recovered during the flow back stage.
Currently this recovered water tends to heavily contaminate and often unsuitable for re-use. However, the new membrane, developed in collaboration with researchers from Rice University in the US is claimed to be able to remove more than 90 per cent of hydrocarbons, as well as all bacteria and particulates from contaminated water.
The work by Prof Andrew R Barron and his colleagues turns a ceramic membrane with microscale pores into a superhydrophilic (i.e extremely attracted to water) filter that is claimed to eliminate the problem of fouling. A paper on their research is published in Nature’s open-access Scientific Reports.
The filters keep emulsified hydrocarbons from passing through the material’s ionically charged pores, which are about one-fifth of a micron wide, small enough that other contaminants cannot pass through. The charge attracts a thin layer of water that adheres to the entire surface of the filter to repel globules of oil and other hydrocarbons and keep it from clogging.
The superhydrophilic properties result from the use of cysteic acid to modify the surface of an alumina-based ceramic membrane. The acid covered not only the surface but also the inside of the pores, and that kept particulates from sticking to them and fouling the filter.
According to Barron, the filter has a number of advantages over other filtration methods. Solubilised hydrocarbon molecules slip through microfilters designed to remove bacteria. Natural organic matter, like sugars from guar gum used to make fracking fluids more viscous, require ultra or nanofiltration, but those foul easily, especially from hydrocarbons that emulsify into globules. Whilst, a multistage filter that could remove all the contaminants isn’t practical due to cost and the energy it would consume.
In tests with fracking produced water that contained guar gum, the new alumna membrane showed a slow initial decrease in flux – a measure of the flow of mass through a material – but it stabilized for the duration of lab tests. Untreated membranes showed a dramatic decrease within 18 hours.
The researchers theorised...
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Japanese wave turbines combine generation with protection
25th September 2017 11:18 am
A new type of turbine designed at Japan’s Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) could generate electricity while simultaneously protecting coastlines from erosion.
(Credit: OIST)
The Wave Energy Converter (WEC) project involves using multiple turbines near the shoreline, which harvest the energy of crashing waves. Like the concrete tetrapods and wave breakers used on coasts around the world, the turbines would help dissipate the incoming power of the ocean, helping to limit erosion.
“Surprisingly, 30 per cent of the seashore in mainland Japan is covered with tetrapods and wave breakers,” said OIST’s Professor Tsumoru Shintake, who is leading the project.
“Using just 1 per cent of the seashore of mainland Japan can [generate] about 10 gigawatts [of energy], which is equivalent to 10 nuclear power plants. That’s huge.”
According to the researchers, the devices will be able to withstand the harsh wave conditions as well as extreme weather such as typhoons. Inspired by dolphin fins, the five blades on the 70cm diameter turbines are flexible, as is the supporting structure, which will allow the entire mechanism to “bend like a flower”. The flexible blades will also be calibrated to rotate at speeds that are not dangerous to marine life. Behind the blades, a permanent magnet electric generator is housed in a watertight ceramic casing, while energy is returned ashore via a cable in the anchoring structure.
(Credit: OIST)
The OIST team believes the turbines could operate in locations where tetrapods have already been placed, acting as a primary barrier and meeting the waves at their most powerful. ...
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Wind and solar on the up as National Grid hails greenest summer ever
26th September 2017 11:03 am
New data from National Grid has shown that growth in renewable energy helped make the summer of 2017 the greenest since industrialisation.
(Credit: National Grid)
From 21 June to 22 September, almost 52 per cent of electricity generation was met by low carbon sources, including solar, wind and nuclear. In comparison, the same period in 2013 saw just 35 per cent of energy needs coming from low carbon generation. June 7 also became the first day when over half of the UK’s energy came from renewables.
“It’s been an exciting year managing the many ‘network firsts’ – from a day where we operated the system with zero coal power, to one where over half of Great Britain’s energy demand was met by renewable generation,” said Duncan Burt, director of the System Operator at National Grid.
Growth in offshore and onshore wind has contributed significantly to the share of green generation. This week, ScottishPower Renewables announced that it has now installed over 2000MW of wind power across the UK, with eight new onshore wind farms coming online as part of a recent £650m investment programme.
(Credit: ScottishPower Renewables)
“It’s now cheaper, easier and faster to build onshore wind,” said Keith Anderson, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables. “In a little over 18 months we have built over 470MW of onshore wind, delivering enough power for more than 280,000 homes and with it significant environmental and financial benefits for the UK.”
“We have seen competitive auctions deliver huge price reductions in offshore wind, and we expect onshore prices to tumble as well.”
“If the industry was given a level playing field with other technologies a further 2,000MW could be built in Scotland by 2020. These projects will complement offshore and ensure that the UK has enough green electricity to power a clean energy future.”
Meanwhile, today will see climate minister Claire Perry cutting the ribbon on the UK’s first subsidy-free solar installation. Anesco’s Clayhill solar farm and energy storage facility, located near Flitwick in Bedfordshire, will provide 10MW of generation capacity, alongside 6MWh of battery storage. According to Anesco, construction and installation of the project was completed in 12 weeks.
(Credit: Anesco)
“For the solar industry, Clayhill is a landmark development and paves the way for a sustainable future, where subsidies are no longer needed or relied upon,” said Anesco’s executive chairman Steve Shine.
“Importantly, it proves that the government’s decision to withdraw subsidies doesn’t have to signal the end of solar as a commercially viable technology.”
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UK project aims to extend life and improve performance of nuclear plants
By Helen Knight 19th September 2017 4:56 pm
An EPSRC-funded project, led by researchers at Strathclyde University, is attempting to develop the technologies and expertise needed to extend the life of nuclear power plants.
Nuclear power is undergoing a renaissance in the UK, thanks to concerns about greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel plants, and a major government programme of investment in the sector.
Extending the lifetime of existing nuclear power plants like Sizewell B will be increasingly important
However, with the industry already facing significant skills shortages, investment in new nuclear plants and efforts to extend the lives of existing plants, alongside a parallel programme of renewal in nuclear submarines, is placing considerable strain on the industry.
The Strathclyde project, which also includes partners Babcock International Group, BAM Nuttall, Bruce Power, EDF-Energy, Kinectrics, the Weir Group, Imperial College, the Alan Turing Institute and the universities of Surrey and Cranfield, is aiming to reduce the cost of managing and maintaining existing nuclear plants, and increase their generating capacity, by improving their health.
This should help to reduce the cost of nuclear energy for consumers.
The expertise and technology produced as a result of the project will also be fed into the development of next generation nuclear plants, according to Professor Stephen McArthur at Strathclyde, who is leading the project.
“One of the big challenges facing the industry at the moment is plant lifetime extension, how you extend the life of nuclear power plants...
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