Precis of PostPetroleum Energetics Including Seawater Agriculture

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/Agr
  iculture
• Technology MATTERS - For Both Good and ill

4
Humans Have Taken Over and Vastly Shortened
EvolutionHuman EngenderedE7 times Natural
Of the Planet Global Warming/Pollution/Deforestati
on 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
Rationals 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/material
  s/assemblers)
• Energetics (HEDM (various)/revol.
  solar/biomass/explosives/propellants/storage)
• Quantum crypto/computing/sensors/optics/Electroni
  cs
• 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-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

17
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

18
Biomass Energy Potentials

• 6 of U.S. land mass producing Biomass could
  supply the U.S. with current Oil AND Natural Gas
  Usage
• Estimates indicate that Biomass grown on the
  Sahara only could supply the Worlds Energy
  Requirements

19
Water Scarcity is now the single greatest
threat to Human Health,The Environment and the
Global Food Supply
20
The Emerging Desert MantraSome 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-prec
  ipitation
• Direct Plant Seawater Irrigation

26
Some Numbers

• Sahara some 2E9 (2 billion) Acres
• 1.2 Acre Meters Required for Agriculture/Irrigatio
  n 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 BTUs 2.75
  Barrels of Oil
• _at_ 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
• _at_ 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 Crops
  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
Sample Countries with Saline AG projects

• 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

30
Chinese Seawater AG Reporting

• Genetically Modified grown on Beaches using
  Seawater
• - Tomato
• - Eggplant
• - Pepper
• - Wheat
• - Rice
• - Rapeseed

31
The Potentials 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
  motions. 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 Hazards/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 lt 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
  WastelandsLand,water,food.energy,warming
• Plastic Nano PV
• Advanced Geothermal
• Genomic Bacteria H2 Production
• Artificial Photo-Synthesis H2 Production
• Photo-Catalytic Electrolysis of H2O
• H-B11 Fusion,LENRs
• 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 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
• Tapping ZPE
• Controlled Nuclear Isomer Release
• SMES with CNT Magnets
• Lithium Tantalate Crystals

51
Soliton Energy Transfer..

• Solitons are waves in non-linear systems which
  are non-dispersive,maintain amplitude
• Utilized in optical communications information
  transfer,up to 1,000,000 Km thus far
• Physics evidently allows utilization for Energy
  Transfer,Not yet accomplished
• - Would change Energetics MUCH DE weaponry,
  SPSats, Beamed Energy Propulsion,

52
First-Order Impacts of Nano upon
EnergeticsImproved Performance/Cost
Requirement Reductions

• Fuel Cells
• Photovoltaics
• H2 Storage Casimir Forces?
• Supercapacitors
• Batteries
• Structural dry weight reductions 1/3rd-1/8th

53
Hydrogen Sources

• Genomic Bio Photosynthesis
• Artificial Photosynthesis
• Electrolysis
• - Direct visible light Photo-Catalysis
• - Plastic Nano PV Energy
• - Bio Mass Incl.Seawater Agric. Energy
• - Ocean Thermal,Wind Energy
• - Usual Energy Sources Hydro,Nuc,.
• Reformation JP,Methane,Ammonia.
• Coal Gasificationw/H20
• Sulfur-iodine Thermo-chemical Cycle w/H2O

54
Hydrogen Storage

• Cryo incl. Slush, Solid
• CNTs/Zeolites Casimir Force Optimization,Doping
  , CNT Structure
• CNT Pressure Vessels,
• Lithium Nitride,Graphite Nanofibers
• Ammonia,Ammonia Borane PNNL
• Methane,Gas Hydrates
• Porous Magnesium Alloys
• Titanium doped Hydrides
• Glass/Polymer Microspheres
• Metal/Organic Frameworks

55
An Outlook for H2

• Biologic H2 sources could provide a Green H2
  Supply
• H2 Infrastructure would take too long to put in
  place compared to warming/petroleum problems
  time scales and is exceedingly expensive
• Hydrogen Storage is still nascent, Nano Tech
  including Casimir Force Engineering could help
• - Bottom LinesBiofuels using existing
  infrastructures are/will be the Green
  transportation fuel of choice.

56
Suggested Green Energy Best Bets/Ways Forward

• Seawater Ag, Aquaculture - Biofuels
• Nano Plastic PV
• Advanced Geothermal
• 20-30 Efficient Thermoelectrics Harvesting,
  cycle efficiency
• SMES w/CNT Magnets 10X Chem storage?
• Positron storage as Positronium?
• BTW - Conventional Nuc Fission Fuel Cycle
  Waste a Serious Problem near term waste
  storage approach is casks on an open parking lot
  at an Indian Reservation

57
Physics Outlook/Issues

• Quantum and Relativity do not Merge
• They do not explain Dark Energy
• They do not explain Dark Matter
• They do not provide an understanding of
  Non-Locality
• Where did the Anti-Matter Go?
• Many other Unsolved Problems..

58
The Great Unsolved Problems in Physics Smolin

• Combine Relativity and Quantum into a single,
  complete theory
• Resolve the problems in the foundations of
  Quantum
• Explain Dark Matter and Energy
• Explain the values of the some 20 constants in
  the Standard Model
• Unification of the Particles and Forces
  including gravity

59
Extant Explanation Approaches
Samples,Additional Degrees of Freedom,
Experimental Verification TBD..

• Time Reversals/Retrocausation
• Extra Spatial Dimensions
• - Many Worlds/Multiverses
• - String/M/Brane Theories to 11 Dim.
• - 5 Dim. Larger Universe/ The Bulk
• Larger Constructs
• - Bohm Quantum Potential
• - Holographic Universe
• - Puthoff ZPAether
• - The Bulk

60
What is Sought are Explanations for Dark
Matter/Energy and Non-Locality Etc. which
satisfy Occams Razor. Once Found/Determined the
Ensuing/Enabled Technologies should be Seriously
Revolutionary,including wrt Energy, Stay Tuned.