Powerful Portable Alternative Energies

A principal value in the characteristic of petroleum oil as a energy source, is that is his highly portable, high yield power, and manageable safety and byproducts (exhaust). Man renewable and electrical sources do not have these key traits that make oil so attractive as a transportation fuel. Bio Fuel shows promise, yet the high cost of production off-sets much of the gain over other fuels.

Research is being conducted on another approach, combining a hydrocarbon with a catalyst to increase combustion energy output. An abundant and promising oxidant which is a powerful catalyst that has the potential to enable Bio Fuel to overtake the performance of traditional oil burning technologies is H2O2, common hydrogen.

Found naturally in rainwater, hydrogen peroxide when concentrated above 50% is a powerful oxidant that boosts fuel combustion rates tremendously. This technology is already employed by NASA and the military for rocket engines, technologies in development harnessing and controlling H202 combustion show strong promise for considerable high efficiency furnaces and engines. The USAF RLV program is an example of R&D projects considering employment of advanced H202 / RP propulsion systems, that is likely to yield inventions from the military research into the industrial and consumer markets.

Superconductivity is being research at many labs, with efforts directed to efficient methods to establish the phenomenon. Current state of the technology is using various cooling techniques to maintain the 0 Kelvin core temperature requirements.

Technologies such this other innovative combustion methods may substantially extend the value of existing fossil fuel reserves by accommodating less refined grades at higher efficiencies. These advancements also will reduce the carbon emission footprint of the consumer.

NASA RLV Concept

Image of Reusable Launch Vehicle released by NASA

How does Central Command Coridinate Resonse in the Gulf?

The well/transport operator, UU Coast Guard, Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement, Environmental Protection Agency. and the Federal Emergency Management Authority FIMA respond to off-shore oil spills under a joint operational command to employ Consequence Management Plan to initiate a response and recovery of the incident.

Consequence Management (CM) is employment of coordinated systems, method and policies to facilitate the efficient crisis response and deployment of emergency countermeasures to protect and contain the situation. In addition restoration services may be considered to reestablish essential government services and protect public health and safety. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the federal lead for consequence management, following the Federal Response Plan. The Environmental Protection Act’s also provides CM support to FEMA in situations involving solid waste and emergency response, emergency and remedial response and chemical emergency preparedness and prevention office, air and radiation.

Here are some helpful suggestions

Consider the suggestions implemented in these plans when developing contamination consequence management planning documentation for unintended Oil discharge and for oil containment in addition to specific site management recommendations and policies.

Chemical Exposure Consequence Management Plan Sample

http://www.ct.gov/demhs/lib/demhs/emergmgmt/

Drinking Water Contamination Consequence Management Plan Sample

This an example of a state Consequence Management Guide For Deliberately Caused Incidents Involving Chemical Agents which contains information regarding state, local, or private agency roles, responsibilities or interactions and is aligned with the with terminology of the new National Response Plan (NRP) and the National Incident Management system (NIMS).

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/

What goes up must come down

If we thought containing the oil floating on the sea is tough, does is make sense to further dilute the containment while we still have oil flowing in the Gulf? Conventional environmental health methods call for establishing an incidence rate, prior to applying consequence countermeasures so that you can fully appreciate the magnitude of the event and thereby be more effective at anticipating plume or direction of contaminate flow.

In the case of Deepwater Horizon by using dispersants and burns, we effectively distributed the spill to a broader area of micro-slicks on the surface, and into choking plumes subsurface. Skimming and recapturing fuel may prove be more effective without dispersants. Also by maintaining higher concentrations of oil in the slicks, the surfacte tension would maintain a smaller in area which may prove less harmful to wildlife and the fishing community.

Spill Oil Burn Off

Does dispersing and vaporizing the spill make sense?

From the outcome it appears that the magnitude and extreme depths of the Deepwater Horizon incident exceeded the risk management capacity of the operational and emergency response plans in place. Going back to WWII the Navy and the manufacturing industry has adopted W.E Deming methods for decision making and quality control. In essence, these are establish a and goal methods to measure performance, and measure performance against a prior baseline before proceeding with further change or improvements. In this manner incremental advancement is achieved with minimal adverse effect.

If the flow rate and magnitude of the spill is not adequately estimates, surly the risk of the scope of the responded being underestimated would be great, especially is response cost is a factor in decision making.