Chemical Engineering Commons^™

The Price Of Oil, R. W. Clack

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

An examination of major forces in the petroleum market with primary emphasis on the decade of the 1970s. The market force (s) responsible for the factor-of-ten increase in the price of crude oil is isolated, if not identified. The market's "message" is set forth for energy policy planners.

The Oil Industry And Antitrust Merger Policy, Pauline Weber

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

This paper examines the trends in merger activity in the petroleum industry in light of over-all merger activity and of the Justice Department's merger guidelines. Supreme Court precedents and economic conditions within the petroleum area are discussed. Some conclusions concerning the Justice Department's merger policy are included.

Low Btu Producer Gas -- A Fuel Of The Past And A Fuel Of The Future, Lee Carter

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

A prime purpose of this paper is to give conscious emphasis to an important type of coal gasification, one that does not demand hundreds of millions of dollars to launch an experimental program but instead is essentially ready to use after a reasonable and straightforward engineering check-out of the local coal sources and the prospective gas demand.

That type of coal gasification results in low Btu producer gas. This paper deals with its history, its technology and its economics. In the light of that information, the future of low Btu producer gas in America then is assessed.

Methane Production From Livestock Wastes By Anaerobic Digestion, Panos Kokoropoulos, Harlan H. Bengtson

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Increasing interest is being shown in anaerobic digestion as a process for both waste treatment and energy production. In this paper an experimental procedure for investigation of anaerobic digestion of livestock wastes is described, and data from experimental work is presented and analyzed. A model of anaerobic digestion is developed which includes conversion of soluble COD to volatile suspended solids by growth of microorganisms and solubilization of volatile suspended solids to soluble COD by enzymes. This model is used for the analysis of the experimental data.

Comparison Of Stirred And Immobilized Cell Reactors For Ethanol Production, Oliver C. Sitton, J. L. Gaddy

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Biomass can be converted to sugars by hydrolysis with enzymes or mineral acids. These sugars can be converted into a number of chemical intermediates in biological reactors. Biological reactions are generally slow and selection of the most efficient reactor is important in these applications.

Immobilized cell reactors allow high cell densities and high throughput by attaching microorganisms to a fixed support. This paper compares the rate of production of ethanol from glucose by Saccharomyces Cerevisiae in a packed column and a stirred reactor.

Continuous stirred reactor studies showed a washout rate of .27 hr^-1. The optimum rate of …

Effective Utilization Of Energy From Biomass Residues In Agricultural Applications, Harry W. Parker

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Biomass is one of the more attractive alternative energy sources. Use of existing biomass residues within the farm and ranch economy can be accomplished with a minimum of organizational problems since the producer, processor, and consumer may be the same person or organization. The major task is to provide potential agricultural biomass users with accurate cost estimates for the energy made available from the biomass, and contemporary technology for its utilization.

Specific examples are given with regard to powering irrigation well engines with cotton gin trash via a producer gas generator, and conversion of harvested mesquite wood to digestible energy …

Wood As An Energy Source In The Tennessee Valley Region, Richard L. Doub

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

TVA has been working with wood energy production systems for only a short time, but we have been involved with forest development for many years, and our experience has led us to believe in the viability of using wood for energy production. Commercial forests of the Tennessee Valley region (125 watershed counties, plus another 76 counties where TVA provides Power) occupy some 30.5 million acres. The annual total tree growth from these lands is about 2.3 billion cubic feet of wood-equivalent to 38 million tons of coal in heat value. Conventional forest products now consume some 580 million cubic feet …

Gasification Of Municipal Solid Waste In A Fluidized Bed Reactor, Craig W. Mosley, Radon Tolman

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Results of pilot plant municipal solid waste gasification studies conducted at the Adolph Coors Company, Golden, Colorado, are presented. The nominal one ton per hour, 150 psig, fluidized bed gasification system was operated during 1973- 1974 using steam and air as oxidants and fluidizing media. These studies show the feasibility of a one-stage, air blown, fluid bed MSW conversion system.

Energy Recovery From Organic Residues By Fluidized-Bed Combustion, V. F. Batson, L. G. Gale, W. L. Hurt, J. W. Stallings, C. M. Young

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The merits and drawbacks of energy recovery from organic residues by means of fluidized-bed combustion are discussed. A series of analytical laboratory tests are suggested as a means of analyzing potential fuels for combustion. Finally, a number of potential fuels are described, along with problems which may be encountered in the commercial application of energy recovery from the sample fuels.

Burning Wood As A Supplement To Solid Waste, Andrew R. Banta, William P. Smith

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The University of Kansas at Lawrence uses natural gas and oil to generate steam for heating and other campus needs. The projected price increase of these fuels has led to a study of burning solid waste and wood. This study discusses the technical and economic considerations of burning wood. Topics included are sources and availability, collection and transportation, preparation and burning, and environmental effects. It is concluded that sufficient wood is available; truck transport is the only feasible option; drying some wood is desirable; and that the burning can be done separately or directly with the solid waste.

University Of Missouri--Rolla Wood Energy Research, Yildirim Omurtag, V. J. Flanigan, Nathan E. Welch

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The overall objective of this project is to conduct a research and development program which will lead to the early commercialization of wood gasification technology to process wood residues typical of those found in the Ozark region.

Energy From Swine Manure, J. R. Fischer, E. L. Iannotti, D. M. Sievers

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

This paper discusses results of anaerobically digesting swine manure. Facts and figures are given on utilization of the energy from the anaerobic digester. Design parameters and some of the biochemical changes that occur during digestion are also given.

5th Annual Umr-Dnr Conference On Energy -- Entire Proceedings, University Of Missouri--Rolla

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

This volume is a collection of refereed papers presented at the Fifth Annual UMR-DNR Conference on Energy held at the University of Missouri--Rolla on the dates of October 10 - 12, 1978.

Guided by the President's goal of energy independence by 1980, the UMR-DNR Conference on Energy organized in 1974 with the purpose of providing social scientists, scientists and engineers a means for rapid communication of their most recent research results in the field of energy and to offer solutions to the energy related problems of local government, business, industry and the general public. Since that time, there has been …

Introductory Remarks, Dudley Thompson

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

No abstract provided.

Energy Conservation And U.S. Farm Production Patterns, Angelos Pagoulatos

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Energy conservation practices in crop production would not substantially reduce energy use. Substantial reductions of energy would imply major structural changes in terms of extensive systems of crop production. The tradeoffs between land and energy for future desired crop outputs are derived.

Stability Of Premixed H₂/O₂/N₂ Combusting Turbulent Jets, H. F. Nelson

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Experimental measurements and theoretical predictions of the stability of hydrogen-air-nitrogen premixed turbulent flames have been carried out. The turbulent flame is theoretically modeled using finite rate chemical kinetics and a well-stirred reactor. The model contains a free parameter, which is evaluated by comparing the theoretical predictions to experimental results. A hydrogen flame stability experiment was carried out and the results were compared to the theory. The theory and experiment were found to agree, if the free parameter in the theory varied as the reciprocal of the turbulent jet radius squared.

Current State-Of-The-Art Of Electrochemical Batteries From A Users Point Of View, John G. Wolter, John A. Gilbert, James V. Leonard

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

This paper will present a description of some of the battery types (couples) on the market, energy densities, and recycle lives. The possibility that some of these could be used in the transportation industry will be explored. Speculation of future battery development will be discussed.

Control Of Trace Elements During The Increasing Development Of Coal For Energy, Bobby G. Wixson, Ernst Bolter

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The question of an energy crisis continues as many people in the United States have difficulty and become confused with what seems to be a continuing excess of gasoline, oil products and questionable reporting of price increases and profit margin by energy companies. However, the majority of the scientific and engineering community, knowledgable politicians and the general public realize that the energy crisis is real. Fortunately there still remains time to practice conservation and the development of alternative and new sources of energy if the United States can unite and implement a viable energy plan.

Forest Residues As An Alternate Energy Source, John G. Riley, Norman Smith

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Forest residues, in combination with more intensified timber production systems have potential as a substantial source of fuel wood. The extent and availability of this resource is discussed, with particular reference to the energetics and economics of existing and proposed harvesting systems. Utilization of residue wood fuels is considered and recent developments in small scale automatic wood chip burning heating systems for residential and commercial use are described.

Steam Raising With Low-Btu Gas Generators And Potential For Other Applications, Robert Owen Williams, John R. Goss, Brian C. Horsfield, Robert Hodam

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

A pilot plant gas producer was installed at a Walnut processing plant to recover usable energy from cracked walnut shell. The shell was converted to a low-Btu fuel gas (producer gas) and this was used to replace natural gas in a steam boiler. Longterm continuous operation of the producer has yet to be achieved due to mechanical inadequacies of the fuel feed and grate systems. These problems are a result of special fuel characteristics of walnut shell, which are being further investigated on a laboratory scale gasifier. It is expected that component changes and/or fuel preparation can facilitate satisfactory long …

Cost Effectiveness Of Bio-Gas Systems For Dairy Farms, J. C. Oppenlander, E. A. Cassell, R. N. Downer

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Considerable attention has recently been focused on the development of farm management practices that utilize the total resource potential of animal wastes. In addition to the fertilizer value of manure, energy in the form of bio-gas can be generated from manure wastes by an anaerobic digestion process. The purpose of this economic analysis was to evaluate the feasibility of producing energy from the anaerobic digestion of dairy-cow manure. Anaerobic digestion systems were rationally designed for several farm management practices on Vermont dairy farms. These designs were sized to accommodate dairy herds of 20, 50, 100, and 200 cows for both …

Coal Gasification And Its Alternatives, Robert L. Huffman

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

This paper presents the importance and need for coal gasification to the homeowner in light of the available alternatives. The status of coal gasification and announced projects are outlined citing the regulatory and financial problems which have caused unnecessary and unreasonable delays. Present energy systems are compared showing the efficiency and cost advantages of natural gas to the consumer over electricity. Energy projections stress the importance of coal and nuclear energy for the future. In this regard, utilization of U.S. coal resources for coal gasification and electric power generation are compared. These comparisons show that synthetic gas from coal is …

Recovery Of Oil From Oil Shale -- An Overall Technological Perspective, Abu Ahmad, Sayeed Hasan

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The hydrocarbon content of oil shale can be converted into liquid oil which is a possible energy resource for the future. Different aspects of shale oil recovery is briefly discussed. The technology of modified in situ oil shale retorting, which is receiving increasing attention for commercialization, is discussed in a little more detail.

Economic Incentives In The Exploration, Extraction And Refining Of Crude Oil, Angelos Pagoulatos, David Debertin, Emilio Pagoulatos

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

A simultaneous econometric model consisting of 37 stochastic equations and 3 identities which captures the decisions affecting the supply of new discoveries, the size of proven reserves, the production out of reserves, the demands and supplies of refined products and the imports of crude oil and refined products, is estimated. Simulation with the econometric model analyzed the effect of alternative pricing policies on domestic oil production, consumption and imports.

Systematic Implementation Of Local, State And Federal Regulations To Control Transportation And Land Use Can Reduce Energy Required For Transportation, J. Larry Josey, J. Edwin Clark

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Petroleum is available in limited amounts and the Transportation industry is currently using a giant share of the petroleum based fuel used in America. Ways are explored in this paper to reduce the amount of fuel needed to maintain mobility. Regulations on Transportation and Land Use are shown to be potential tools for fuel savings.

The Current Status Of The Canadian Coal Industry, Philip S. Martin

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Mineable reserves of coal are known to exist right across Canada and some 30 mines are currently operating in five provinces, plus one small mine in the Yukon. Total production in 1977 will a- mount to some 30 million short tons with a value of approximately $700 million, which will be a new record tonnage.

The Opec Oil-Pricing Policies, Vaman Rao

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The capital-theoretic model suggested for determining the price- quantity combinations does not hold in the case of most natural resources, including petroleum, since the inelastic demand function would vitiate the optimal solution. The specification of a dynamic demand function, with necessary, attributes, no doubt, results in a valid optimal solution in period t, but that could be achieved only at the cost of sub-optimal solution in other periods. If the OPEC starts behaving as a discriminating monopoly, instead of as a pure monopoly, the optimal solution is assured in all markets and in all time periods.

Theoretical And Empirical Approaches To The Analysis Of Opec, Albert L. Danielsen

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

Formal theoretical models of world oil price determination have been developed in recent years. In addition, some empirical estimates of expected future prices have been proposed. This paper explains how exhaustible resource and cartel theory are integrated into the opitmal control framework. Some empirical studies in the optimal control tradition are surveyed and evaluated.

Manufacturers' Responses To Fuel Supply Problems, Evelyn R. Rosenthal

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The progress of energy conservation in industry was investigated with the aim of identifying barriers to strong energy conservation efforts. One of these barriers proved to be fuel supply problems as exemplified by the natural gas shortage of 1976-77.

The Energy Needs Of The Developing Countries, Vaman Rao

UMR-MEC Conference on Energy / UMR-DNR Conference on Energy

The energy needs of the developing countries are enormous. They will grow with the passage of time as the pace of economic development accelerates and those countries enter the industrial epoch. The sheer physical non-availability of coal and petroleum to most of them makes it obligatory to choose an unconventional resource as an energy-base. The nuclear fission is the only option now available which is feasible, less-expensive and plentiful. Solar and fusion may be the ultimate sources in the steady state, when appropriate technologies are developed.