Symposia
UCONN 2008 SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYMPOSIUM
Our third symposium, highlighting Sustainable Energy
2008 Symposium Presentations
UCONN Sustainable Energy Symposium
March 31 and April 1, 2008
Program
Day 1 - March 31
7:30-8:25 Registration and Sign in
8:25 – 8:35 Welcoming Remarks by Michael Hogan, President – University of CT
8:35 -10:00 Federal Initiatives in Sustainable Energy
Moderator - Gregory Anderson, Vice Provost for Research
John Larson, Congressman, 1st US District
Joseph D. Courtney, Congressman, 2nd US District
Donald E. Williams, Jr. State Senate President Pro Tempore, 29th CT District
Denise W. Merrill, State House Chair, Appropriations Committee, 54th CT District
Rosa L. DeLauro, Congresswoman, 3rd US District
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-11:50 CT State Initiatives in Sustainable Energy
James A. Amann, Speaker of the House, 118th CT District
Gary LeBeau, Senate Deputy Majority Leader, 3rd CT Senate District
Lawrence F. Cafero, House Republican Leader, 142nd CT District
John Fonfara, Senate Co-chair of the Energy and Technology Committee. 1st Senate District
Sean Williams, Ranking Member, House Energy & Technology Committee 68th District
11:50-12:00 Lunch and the UCONN Biofuels Consortium
Richard S. Parnas, UCONN Institute for Materials Science
12:00- 1:30 Lunch break and laboratory tours
Tour 1 - Biodiesel Laboratories
Tour 2 - Plant Science Bioenergy Greenhouse
Tour 3 - CT Global Fuel Cell Center
1:30 - 3:00 Breakout Sessions
Session 1 – Biofuels. Co-Chairs, Richard Parnas & James Stuart
It's All About Scale: Biodiesel Production from Recycled Cooking Oils, Nat Harris, Newport Biodiesel
Microwaves for biodiesel production: Accelerating the biofuels Revolution, Nicholas Leadbeater, UConn
Critical Importance of Fuel Quality, Dan Walsh, Bently Tribology Services
Solar and Biofuel: Their Potential in Connecticut, Peter Gunther, CT Center for Economic Analysis
Session 2 - Solar Energy. Co-Chairs, Harris Marcus & Steven Suib
Solar Energy Progress in Connecticut, David Ljungquist, Connecticut Innovations, Clean Energy Fund
Passive Solar Opportunities, Martin Fox, UCONN
Catalysts in Solar Energy Devices, Steven Suib, UCONN
Nanomaterials Design For Increased Efficiency in Solar Collectors, Ramamurthy Ramprasad, UCONN
Organic Photovoltaic Devices, Fotios Papadimitrakopoulos, UCONN
Session 3 – Fuel Cells. Co-Chairs, Mehdi Anwar & Patricia Bergman
Fuel Cells for a Sustainable World, Ben Wilhite, UCONN
Fuel Cells, Sustainability thru Fuel Diversity and Efficiency, Frank Wolak, Vice President, FuelCell Energy, Inc.
Reducing Environmental Impact and Increasing Energy Security with Fuel Cells and Geothermal Solutions, Thomas Jarvi, Director of Technology, UTC Power
Comparative Fuel Cell Economics between Natural Gas and Biomass, Patrick O'Neill, CEF, Ct Innovations
Session 4 – Bioenergy Feedstock I: Development of Better Cellulosic and Oil Crops.
Chair: Harrison Yang
Om Parkash, UMass: Developing Crambe abyssinica as an Ideal Crop for Biofuels and Bioproducts
James LaMondia, CAES: Oilseed Crops in Connecticut, a Value-Added Approach
Jeremy Johnson, Agrivida: Cellulosic Biofuels: A Role for Agricultural Biotechnology
Wolf-Dieter Reiter, UConn: Genetic Modifications of Hemicelluloses and Their Influence on Cellulose Content
Yi Li, UConn: Gene-Deletor Technology and Its Potential Applications in Cellulosi and Oil Seed Energy Crops
Session 5 – Posters. Monoswita Saha
1.)Monitoring Biodiesel Reactors by Raman Spectroscopy
Michael Donahue and Stuart Farquharson
Biodiesel has become the foremost alternative fuel to those refined from petroleum products. It can be produced from renewable sources, such as vegetable and animal oils, as well as from wastes, such as used cooking oil. Transesterification is the primary method of converting these oils to biodiesel. However, due to the variability in the starting materials, both type and composition, it is highly desirable to monitor the reaction as it proceeds to optimize yield. For this reason we have been examining the ability of Raman spectroscopy to monitor the esterification reaction, the disappearance of the triglyceride raw material and the appearance of the methyl ester and glycerin products, with the goal of controlling yield. This poster will present our preliminary measurements performed on a small scale reactor.
Dr. Stuart Farquharson
President & CEO
Real-Time Analyzers, Inc.
362 Industrial Park Rd. (#8)
Middletown, CT 06457
860-635-9800, x230
www.rta.biz
2) "Modification of Hemicellulose increased cellulose content in Arabidopsis". The authors are: Lijuan Wang, Xuemei Li, Maria Pena, Israel Condero, Amy Amin, Nick Carpita, Malcolm O'Neill, William York, Wolf-Dieter Reiter.
3) "Gene-Deletor:' A Newly Developed Technology to Address Invasive and
Gene Flow Problems of Bioenergy Crops Yi Li. New England Invasive Plant Center and UConn Plant Science.
We have recently developed the "gene-deletor' technology that addresses the environmental and food safety concerns over genetically improved
crops. With the technology, all of the introduced genes will be automatically deleted when the functional of these genes are no longer
needed or their presence may cause concerns. The technology is of particularly useful to prevent invasive and gene flow problems of
genetically improved bioenergy crops. The technology we published last year has been well received worldwide. Thousands of websites,
newspapers, and magazines worldwide have reported or commended the technology. Two examples are Dr. Savidan, the Chairman of the International Agriculture Center in France in his commentary article states: "The 'gene-deletor' technology constitutes a true revolution in the modern biotechnology." Social Technologies http://socialtechnologies.com , a DC-based global research and consulting firm specializing in the integration of foresight, strategy, and innovation, recently "released a series of 12 briefs that shed light on the top areas for technology innovation through 2025." In one of the 12 briefs entitled "The Future of Engineered Agriculture," the 'gene-deletor' technology is highly praised and takes 50% the length of
the entire brief.
Development of Faster Growing Poplar Trees for Bioenergy Applications in
Connecticut
Yi Li. UConn Dept of Plant Science.
Our estimate indicates that energy (heat, electricity, gas & liquid fuels) from fast-growing trees planted on 10% - 20% of the total CT land that
is currently idle, marginal agricultural and forest land: 1) Can provide 10-30% of the energy need in CT; 2) Is sustainable, environmentally
friendly and economically feasible; and 3) Can be optimized through the UConn's bioenergy R &D initiative. Because poplar trees, a non-food
crop, are one of the most suitable bioenergy crops for CT and the Northeast US, we have recently developed a gene technology to optimize growth rate of poplar, resulting in a 50 to 80% increase in biomass production. The technology also produces several other desirable traits such as easy
propagation and high survival rate of poplar stem cuttings under field conditions. The growth promoting technology we developed should be
useful in other cellulosic energy crops and therefore make heat, electricity, gas- or liquid fuels from bioenergy crops price-competitive.
------------------------------------------------
Yi Li
Address:
U-5082
105 Ahern Lane
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269
USA
Phone: (860) 486-6780
Fax: (860) 486-6777
E-mail: yi.li@uconn.edu
5.) Wheat gluten as a viable plastic
6.) Present and Future State Regulations related to Biofuel
7.) Biomass for Energy: Global development of a short-rotation willow crop, by Julia Kuzovkina
8.) Kinetics of Potassium Hydroxide-Catalyzed Transesterification of Soybean Oil, by Matthew B. Boucher, Clifford Weed, Si-Yu Li, James Stuart, Richard Parnas, and Benjamin Wilhite.
9.) Biodiesel Processing from Hemp Oil Feed Stock, by Si-Yu Li, and Richard Parnas.
10.) Selectivity of Free Fatty Acid Esterification with Homogenous Catalysts, by Matthew B. Boucher, Steven Unker, Kyle Hawley, Benjamin Wilhite, and Richard Parnas.
11.) Analytical Techniques for Monitoring Competing Esterification and Transesterification, by Alyssa Midgette and Firadous Chalhaoui.
12.) "Thiophene Based Materials: Towards High Efficiency Printable Solar Cells"
by Jayesh G. Bokria, Zeki Buyukmumcu, Tanmoy Dey, and Gregory A. Sotzing.
13.) Setting up at UConn a Biodiesel Testing Laboratory Following ASTM methods, by James D. Stuart, Richard Parnas and Matthew Boucher
14.) Modification of Carbon Aerogel Supports for PEMFC Catalysts. The authors are, Alevtina Smirnova, Taylor Wender, Yan-Ling Hu, John McCartney, Mark Aindow, Pete Menard, Daniel Goberman, Xing Dong, Wendell Rhine.
3:00 - 3:30 Break
3:30 - 5:00 Breakout Sessions
Session 1 – Investment Opportunities in Sustainable Energy. Moderator, Vincent Caprio, Founder & Executive Director, New York NanoBusiness Alliance
Panelists:
Mark Barnett, Co-Chair, Energy Technology & Renewable Practice, Foley Hoag, LLP
Mark Modzelewski, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Bang Ventures
Pauline Murphy, Managing Director, Connecticut Innovations
Andrew Ziolkowski, Partner, MidPoint Food & Ag Fund
Session 2 – Public Policy. Co-Chairs, William Leahy, ECSU & Richard Miller
Panelists:
Elliot Ginsberg, President & CEO, CT Center for Advanced Technology
Don Downes, Chairman, Dept. of Public Utility Control
Paul Michaud, Regulatory Director, CT Clean Energy Fund
Ray Wilson, Office of Policy Management
Session 3 – Bioenergy Feedstock II: Plantation, Utilization, Economic and
Environmental Prospects
Chair: Yi Li
Peter Miniutti, UConn: Environmental Design for Bioenergy Crop Plantation
Julia Kuzovkina, UConn: Development of Production Systems of Cellulosic and Oil Bioenergy Crops
James Potter, Clearview: Renewable Energy Solutions Providing Economic, Environmental and Rate Payer Benefits to Connecticut
Rigoberto Lopez, UConn: Economic Prospects of Bioenergy Crops
Harrison (Xiusheng) Yang, UConn: Environmental Issues in Bioenergy Crop Production
Day 2 - April 1
9:00 -12:00 Morning Workshops
Workshop 1 - Biodiesel Production, Richard Parnas & Matthew Boucher Room 114B, Engineering 2
The basic chemistry and safety issues will be covered for producing biodiesel while producing a 50 gallon batch of the fuel. We will make use of the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Laboratory where a simple batch reactor and associated equipment is located. While producing the 50 gallon batch of biodiesel in the batch reactor, the theory and operation of a more advanced continuous flow reactor will be discussed and demonstrated.
Workshop 2 – Fuel Cell Basics, Ugur Pasaogullari Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center, Depot Campus
Fuel Cell Fundamentals and Applications:
In this course, fuel cells will be introduced, along with theory, operating principles, materials, design and operation. Several fuel cell types will be discussed, and the fundamental electrochemistry and thermodynamics of fuel cell operation will be investigated. Special focus will
be given to low temperature fuel cells based on polymer based electrolytes, along with contemporary issues in design, operation, performance and reliability/durability of these systems.
Workshop 3 – Development of a Connecticut Biofuels Industry, William Leahy Room 134, Center for Undergraduate Education
An interactive workshop on steps needed to build a successful Biodiesel
Industry in Connecticut
Presentations:
1. CT's Biodiesel Initiatives - David Kalafa, Office of Policy and Management
2. CT Biodiesel Association - Gus Kellogg, President of GreenLeaf Biofuels LLC and the CT Biofuel Assoc.
3. State Fire and Building Codes Governing Biofuel - John Doucette and Bob Upton, State Fire Marshal’s Office
4. Incentives for growing, producing, distributing and using Biofuel – Paul Hoar, AgriFuel LLC
Discussion:
Where do we go from here?..the 2009 Legislative Session - Discussion led by William Leahy, Director of Institute for Sustainable Energy, ECSU
12:00- 1:00 Lunch
1:00 - 4:00 Afternoon Workshops
Workshop 1 - Biodiesel fuel quality testing, James Stuart & Paul Hoar Room 114B, Engineering 2
Biodiesel quality is paramount in order to expand the usage of this alternative fuel in the United States. The objective of this workshop is to explore the numerous standards this fuel must meet and the techniques and test equipment available in the marketplace to insure its quality. A brief
classroom description of various services and laboratory test equipment will be followed by hands on testing demonstrations in the UCONN laboratory.
Paul Hoar of AgriFuels LLC will discuss the ASTM D 6751 standard and the need for surveillance testing of biodiesel in the supply chain.
Dan Walsh will describe Bently Tribology Services' (BTS) capabilities as a commercial biodiesel laboratory and the importance of testing certain properties to ASTM standards throughout the supply chain.
Jim Stuart will describe the setting up of certain key tests in UCONN's Biodiesel Laboratory of the Dept. of Chemical Engineering and results of his participation in ASTM's Biodiesel Cross Check Program.
William Goodman of PerkinElmer in Shelton, CT will be describing a novel, dual purpose gas chromatograph that allows for both the testing of free and total glycerin as well as methanol.
Dylan Wilks of Wilks Enterprise, Inc will describe a VFA-IR Spectrometer with a spectral range analyzer capable of monitoring % biodiesel in diesel, total glycerides, and free fatty acid (FFA) in feedstock.
Workshop 2 - Hydrogen/Air Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC): Manufacturing and Testing, Alevtina Smirnova
Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center, Depot Campus
The objective of this laboratory is to implement basic experimental and analysis techniques to manufacture, demonstrate and characterize performance of hydrogen PEMFC as a function of temperature and /or gas relative humidity. Demonstration of experimental procedures include deposition of catalyst layers on the surface of the Teflon substrate using screen-printing technique, hot-pressing of MEAs, fuel cell assembly and testing.
Workshop 3 – Financing Sustainable Energy Ventures, Konstantine Drakonakis Room Monteith Room 119
Workshop: "Financing Sustainable Energy Ventures"
1:00 pm - The Array of Capital Sources - David Sturgess, CVG Executive Director
1:30 pm - Grants - Merrie London, CCAT/SBIR Office
2:00 pm - Equity Capital (Angel and VC Financing) - David Sturgess, Updike Kelly & Spellacy
2:30 pm - BREAK
2:40 pm - Pitching Investors - Mike Roer, Connecticut Venture Group
3:00 pm - How Investors Will Evaluate Your Proposal – Konstantine Drakonakis, Connecticut Innovations Inc.
3:30 pm - Q&A. Discussion panel with an Investor, an Entrepreneur, and an Attorney
2007 UCONN BIOFUEL CONSORTIUM SYMPOSIUM
Our second symposium, highlighting biofuel efforts in the area
The second UConn Biofuels meeting was held on January 11, 2007. The presentations from the symposium we have permission to place on this web site are provided below in downloadable pdf format. Approximately 230 people attended from the CT State Government, the business, farming and academic communities, and the general public. The Biofuels Consortium especially appreciates the assistance of the State Government, the University of Connecticut, United Technologies, Decker Printing, and Hosmer Mountain Soda in defraying some of the costs of the symposium. Presentations by Plant Scientists illustrated the high yield energy crops that will make possible the replacement of large fractions of currently used petroleum fuels. Presentations by fuel cell scientists illustrated the connections between biofuels and highly efficient energy utilization technologies to further reduce the need to import energy. Presentations by engineers illustrated the activities in Massachusetts and New York leading to the creation of biofuel production facilities in those states. Most encouraging was the panel discussion with elected leaders in the CT State Legislature indicating the high priority biofuels now enjoy, and the possibility of meaningful legislation in 2007.
James Stuart's presentation from the Connecticut Separation Science Council can be found here here
The Itinerary for the Symposium can be found here
The presentation from Paul Hoar and be found here
The presentation from Gus Kellog and be found here
The presentation from Frank Preli and be found here
The presentation from Michael Raab and be found here
The presentation from Stan McMillen and be found here
The presentation from Ray Wilson and be found here
The presentation from Shaw Ling Hsu and be found here
The presentation from Larry Smart and be found here
The presentation from Li Yi and be found here
The list of poster presentations and abstracts can be found here
The poster from Richard Parnas and be found here
The poster from James Stuart and be found here
The poster from Li Yi and be found here
The poster from Julia Kuzovkina and be found here
The poster from Walter Krol and James LaMondia and be found here
The poster from Paul Niznik and be found here
The poster from Chetan Shende, Frank Inscore, Wayne Smith, and Stuart Farquharson be found here
The poster from William Leahy and be found here
2006 UCONN BIOFUEL CONSORTIUM SYMPOSIUM
Topic: Production and Use of the Fuel of the Future
The UConn Biofuel Consortium and UConn Office of Environmental Policy held a ½ day workshop at UConn on Tuesday May 9, 2006 in collaboration with the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District. It was attended by approximately 110 people from the emerging biodiesel industry in New England, members of the Connecticut State Government, UConn and Yale faculty, students and staff, and high school students.
Jim Stuart, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, presented an engraved plaque to graduating senior Chemical Engineering student Nicholas AuYeung as a token of the Consortium’s appreciation. Nick energized the consortium during its formative period, and our message on the plaque reads “For Dedicated and Energetic Leadership, and his Effective Environmental Internship, Nicholas AuYeung, University of CT’s Biodiesel Consortium, Presented on May 9, 2006”. Thank you Nick, and best of luck in graduate school.
We began with presentations by UConn consortium members Richard Parnas (Polymers), Stan McMillen (Center for Economic Analysis), and Jim Stuart (Chemistry). Gus Kellog (GreenLeaf Biofuels) then illustrated the convergence of policy decisions and industry decisions critical to the development of this new industry. Those presentations are available as downloadable pdf files (see below).
An open discussion followed the presentations, led by a panel consisting of Scott Gordon (Green Technologies, LLC), Paul Hoar (Agrifuels), Richard Hosley (Hale Hill Farm Biofuels), Gus Kellogg (Greenleaf Biofuels ™), Wayne Landry (UConn Motor Pool), and Ernie Tarca (Paines, Inc.). Many questions and issues were raised that cannot all be reproduced here. One of the more notable points focused on the cost of biodiesel. Many thought a major cost driver is the current difficulty in distributing biodiesel to a low density user community. Others thought a cost driver is the current reliance on soy crops, which are relatively inefficient for biodiesel, producing roughly 100 gallons per acre.
Our contingent of high school participants from the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science informed us of their work evaluating several types of algae for biodiesel production. We learned that algae will be much more efficient than soy for producing biodiesel, with estimates ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 gallons of biodiesel per acre of algae. After the discussion was brought to a close, with difficulty, all workshop participants went on tours of the pilot scale production facility in Chemical Engineering and the novel processing laboratory in Chemistry.
The UConn Biodiesel Consortium thanks all who attended, and we offer the forum on this website as a community tool for exchanging information about the developing biodiesel industry in Connecticut and the Northeast. Many requested that we begin planning a larger workshop in the near future. Plans for such an event will be posted here in late Summer or early Fall.
The welcome by Professor Parnas can be found here
The presentation from the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis can be found here
Professor Stuart's presentation can be found here
The Business & Politics of Biodiesel presentation can be found here