Institute for Energy & the Environment

IEE celebrates graduating staff, students

hensleym — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:35:27 +0000

IEE congratulated its graduates last week, as five employees chart their post-graduation paths. Research assistants, Amjad Abu-Baker, Vineet Nair, and Aisha Abdul Wahab will all graduate this week with their respective doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate degrees. From the IEE media team, Ryle Yazzie and Mattie Hensley are receiving their undergraduate degrees. At the occasion, Dr. Abbas Ghassemi told some of each employees’ comings and goings and awarded the graduates certificates for their accomplishments. The graduates also received “lifetime membership in the WERC/IEE alumni association.” Amjad Abu-Baker, having successfully defended his dissertation, plans to continue into academic research. Vineet Nair, who has completed his Master’s degree in electrical engineering, has accepted a job with Schlumberger/Smith International in Houston, TX. Aisha Wahab will be returning to Singapore to work until she eventually returns to the US for her Master’s degree. Mattie Hensley has accepted a fellowship at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, where she will be pursuing her Master’s in English. Ryle Yazzie, IEE’s video editor, plans to work with a production company, and continue working with Time-Lapse photography, an intensive style of filming that captures landscapes over a period of time. Congratulations class of 2012!

Microalgae strain could reduce algae and desalination costs

hensleym — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:36:35 +0000

Researchers from New Mexico State University’s Institute for Energy & the Environment (IEE) are investigating how well microalgae can grow using brine concentrate and supernatant from anaerobic digested sludge (ADS). Dr. Maung Thein Myint and research assistant Waddah Hussein are growing a unique strain of algae which can grow in desalination concentrate. The team also uses wastewater to provide nutrients to the algae. In doing so, this process simultaneously reuses two waste streams, increasing sustainability and possibly decreasing the cost of producing algae for products like biofuel. Algae need four things to thrive: sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients. A promising site for algal biofuel production, New Mexico has an ample supply of sunlight, however water supplies are limited. Likewise, the nutrients for “feeding” the algae can be costly. The environment is another challenge. Algae are sensitive to higher concentrations of divalent ions. However, the microalgae that Myint and Hussein use originated from an evaporation pond at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility (BGNDRF), located near Alamagordo, NM. The algae are native to New Mexico. By seeding and culturing this microalgae species, they can improve how algae are produced in an open pond. The objective is to develop a species which can grow in desalination concentrate and is tolerant to divalent salts such as magnesium, calcium, and sulphate. To do this, Myint and Hussein are reusing brine concentrate from the facility as the water media for the algae. Supernatant from ADS (the liquid layer above the ADS) provides nutrients. “We conserve water required for microalgae by reusing the concentrate to gain sustainability,” said Myint. This effort may also reduce the costs of desalination and microalgae production. It provides a treatment for the waste from desalination and reduces the need to buy nutrients for algae.

IEE addresses water-energy nexus

hensleym — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:51:54 +0000

The Institute for Energy and Environment (IEE) is addressing the water-energy nexus through its programs, which include programs for biofuel, desalination, and photovoltaics projects. IEE’s water supply augmentation program investigates the use of innovative ways to conserve and get water. IEE’s energy programs look for additional ways to provide for stationary and mobile uses of energy. The water-energy nexus refers to the global connection between water and energy. Research and interest in the nexus revolves around the necessity of water to produce energy and energy to produce useable water. Water from aquifers is an example of this interrelation: energy is required to draw or pump the water to the surface, purify it, and deliver it to homes. In other words, acquisition, processing, transportation, and end-use of water all take energy. Likewise, the same processes for energy require water. According to an article in Power magazine, "fracking" a natural gas well -- the injection of water and sand into shale to free the gas -- can require around 4 million gallons of water per well. “If you have a lack of energy in New Mexico, you will not be able to get water,” explained Dr. Abbas Ghassemi, director of IEE and professor of chemical engineering at NMSU. “That on the water side is very clear.” New Mexico received a taste of this in February 2011 when a severe freeze interrupted power and water supplies across the state. IEE efforts address water and energy within the nexus. IEE’s biofuel program investigates the possibility of supplementary and mobile liquid fuel. The term mobile refers to energy use by planes, trains, cars and other modes of transport. Liquid fuel is preferred because it has the highest amount of energy per unit of weight. Biofuel uses water for cultivation and production. It takes water to grow the feedstock and then convert the plant matter into fuel. Its impact on water resources is uncertain. However, the impact may be mitigated by use of alternative water sources, such as brackish (containing 1,000 to 10,000 total dissolved solids “TDS” more salt than fresh water) water, which is a part of IEE’s biofuel research. IEE also runs a solar program which addresses stationary modes of energy (the electricity used by lights, laptops, or from wall outlets). IEE’s desalination program investigates the efficiency and parameters of electrodialysis reversal (EDR). In addition, IEE researchers are striving to develop a user friendly cost-of-water model with an emphasis on desalination technologies. Another facet of the program is researching better ways to manage the highly concentrated waste stream the process produces. Whereas energy production takes water, desalination processes require energy. Cognizant of this, IEE desalination research looks at the energy consumption, addresses the concentrate produced by the process, and looks at sustainability.

Algae biofuel learning resource available

hensleym — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:16:53 +0000

New Mexico State University’s Institute for Energy and the Environment is providing a free PowerPoint in PDF for download. The resource outlines why algae is likely to become a source of biofuel, its benefits to the environment, and the research needed before it can be used as a biofuel. Created by Dr. Jalal Rastegary, research scientist and manager of the IEE Water & Energy Laboratory, the presentation also details current efforts and research with algae at the Institute. Click here to open the Algae Biofuel informative powerpoint in PDF.

Environmental design contest winners announced

hensleym — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:07:50 +0000

Las Cruces, NM— Winners of the 22nd International Environmental Design Contest were announced last Wednesday at the Las Cruces Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum. Twenty-two student teams representing 15 universities from across the U.S. attended the April 1-4 contest. Hosted by New Mexico State University’s Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE), the contest awarded $20,000 to winning teams for solving technical environmental problems. Having spent nine months to a year on their projects, the student teams presented oral, written, poster and bench-scale demonstrations of their innovative solutions to real-world problems at the annual competition. “The University of New Mexico did an outstanding job during the competition,” said Dr. Abbas Ghassemi, Director of IEE. “The team had the highest overall total score and highest individual scores in each of the four categories.” The UNM team received first place in the Task 5 category for designing an improved method for pretreating water on sea-going ships. The team developed a realistic solution that could be applied to both seawater and inland application, reducing the environmental impact produced by the current pretreatment process. The team was composed of chemical engineering seniors Peter Crowder, Andrew Gomez, Zachariah Harris, Stephen Clark, and Craig Garcia, who was the team leader. The team was advised by Geoff Courtin, a research engineer who served as the mentor for the students. Among national winners were teams from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Harvey Mudd College, who attended the contest for the first time. Both teams were recognized with a judges choice award for their entries. University of California Riverside also sent a team to the environmental contest. The University of California team received first place in their category for an installable storm drain filter called “Sustain-a-drain.” A full list of winners and events at the contest is available at http://ieenmsu.org.This year’s event was sponsored by the State of New Mexico, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Intel Corporation, the Office of Naval Research, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Lean & Green training session provides cost-savings, efficiency

hensleym — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:59:16 +0000

On April 17, 2012, a workshop titled "Lean and Green 101" will take place at the New Mexico State University Albuquerque campus. It is a full day event that will cover how a company can reduce its energy-related costs, reduce the impact of energy production, and improve profitability. It is conducted by the New Mexico Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) in collaboration with the New Mexico Environment Department, and New Mexico State University's Institute for Energy and the Environment. To register for the event, email info@newmexicomep.org or call (505) 262-0921.

Lean & Green 101 flier (link opens in PDF)

LSU students design cost effective and unique system

hensleym — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:24:33 +0000

A group of students from Louisiana State University (LSU) is conducting research involving an updated aquaponics system. They will present their findings at the 2012 Environmental Design Contest, hosted by the Institute for Energy & the Environment (IEE), held April 1-4 at New Mexico State University. There, the team will be judged by environmental professionals from government, the industry and academia, on four different presentations: written, oral, a bench-scale model and a poster. Aquaponics is the combination of recirculating aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). The team hopes to get a lot out of the contest; student team leader Sarah Simmons explained, “We get the chance to meet new people from all over the country, make new contacts for our future, and learn about what it takes to present a project effectively.” Simmons and her teammates are all environmental engineering majors, with a passion for sustainability. Simmons believes their biggest challenge will be making their design cost-effective and unique. The team’s faculty advisor is Dr. John Pardue, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Louisiana Water Resources Research institute (LWRRI). He co-directs the EPA Hazardous Substance Research Center (South & Southwest), a multi-university consortium studying the remediation of contaminated sediments. LSU first attended the design contest in 1998. Since then, LSU teams have won 8 awards and attended 13 design contests. In 2005, an LSU team received the USDA Excellence award and a trip to USDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. More recently, in 2011, an LSU team received the Judges’ Choice award for their “Clean Energy Portable Safe Drinking Water System.” IEE/WERC’s Environmental Design Contest brings together industry, government and academia in the search for environmental solutions. Held annually since 1991 at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the contest draws hundreds of college students from throughout the United States and around the world. At the contest, LSU will compete against other teams in their category and showcase their findings alongside the results of 22 other design teams.

Desalination group to attend Membrane Conference

hensleym — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:29:08 +0000

The Institute for Energy & the Environment (IEE) will have six staff attending the 2012 Membrane Technology Conference & Exposition that is taking place from February 27 to March 1. There, they will present recent work, network, and see the results of other research in the field. Held in Glendale, AZ, the conference is presented by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and American Membrane Technology Association (AMTA) and will showcase membrane applications and developments. “I expect it to be an inspiration,” said Connor Hanrahan, a graduate student within IEE. At the conference, Hanrahan will present the work “Inland Brackish Water Desalination in the Tularosa Basin, NM.” Dr. Ali Sharbat, postdoctoral researcher for IEE, holds similar expectations. Sharbat will be traveling to the conference with PhD and graduate students Azadeh Ghorbani Ardekani, Connor Hanrahan, Leila Karimi, Ghazaleh Vaseghi, and Waddah Hussein. Sharbat explained that the interaction with other professionals can often produce new ideas. In addition, they network, which can help students find jobs or research positions. Finally, it is a way to learn what questions are being asked about and within the industry. “If we don’t know the issue, we can’t address it,” Sharbat stated. Companies in attendance at the conference will be explaining some of their difficulties and desired areas of research. “Understanding the state of the problem is of value.” Membrane technology is lauded for its ability to help meet more stringent water quality requirements. It is also recognized for its potential to provide potable water from underutilized sources, such as brackish water, seawater, and even surface water. From 1970 to 2000, the number membrane treatments plants worldwide grew from 10 to 5,000. However, there is still much to explore: membrane technology researchers hope to further reduce capital costs associated with the technology, and find better ways to manage the highly concentrated waste stream the process produces. IEE research with membrane technology involves both of these areas, as part of their continued desalination research in partnership with General Electric Water & Process Technologies. The IEE research group—which includes Sharbat, Ardekani, Hanrahan, Karimi, Hussein, and Vaseghi—investigates the efficiency and parameters of electrodialysis reversal. In addition, they are striving to develop a user friendly cost-of-water model with an emphasis on desalination technologies. Hussein is also part of an effort related to concentrate management: the use of concentrate to grow algae for biofuel, turning the waste water into a productive resource. At the conference, Hussein will present a poster about the process of growing algae from desalination concentrate. The Membrane Technology Conference will conclude March 1. The IEE wishes the very best to its attendees and presenters in this exciting field.

Ohio University – green all over

hensleym — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:50:37 +0000

Ohio University is “green” in more ways than its teal, oval logo. Besides its status as home to the largest in-vessel composting system at a university in the nation, Ohio University has been identified as an Ohio Center of Excellence for energy and the environment. What you may not know about the university is that, 12 out of the last 13 years, it has sent teams to the International Environmental Design Contest, hosted by the Institute for Energy & the Environment (IEE). This April will mark the thirteenth trip of an Ohio University design team; the 2012 team is composed of chemical engineering students who hope to provide a treatment solution to invasive species in bilge water. “They [the team] are working on a problem of concern to the Great Lakes area,” said faculty member Dr. Daniel Gulino. Gulino is co-sponsor for the Ohio team with Dr. Darin Ridgway, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Ohio. “And that is the problem of invasive species getting into the lakes from international shipping and how to mitigate their effects.”

The Invader

According the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) an invasive species is “a plant or animal that is non-native (or alien) to an ecosystem, and whose introduction is likely to cause economic, human health, or environmental damage in that ecosystem.” A commonly cited example is the zebra mussel—since its introduction to U.S. waterways in 1988,

“...It is of concern to their area of the country,” -Daniel Gulino, Team Co-Sponsor

they have caused severe problems for power plants and municipal water systems, costing millions of dollars in removal and cleaning. The Ohio University team is examining invasive organisms, subjecting them to treatments, and evaluating the results. They will report on and demonstrate their findings at the design contest. “A reason for choosing this topic is because it is of concern to their area of the country,” added Gulino. Ohio University is located in Athens, Ohio, just 160 miles south of Lake Eerie, home to the sea lamprey—an invasive and parasitic species which has plagued the Great Lakes since the 1800s. The lamprey caused the near-disappearance of lake trout from the Great Lakes and remains an environmentally disruptive nuisance. The lake itself is part of the bi-national Great Lakes-Seaway navigation system which has more than 100 commercial ports. This makes it especially susceptible to foreign species: commercial shipping, according to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative action plan, “is a proven vector for invasive species transfer.” The port of Milwaukee alone, located on Lake Michigan and a member of the system, receives roughly 225 ships per year. When commercial ships, like the ships on Eerie and Lake Michigan, arrive in a port, they potentially carry exotic species in their bilge water, water stored in an interior compartment of a ship. These aquatic stowaways are introduced into U.S. and Canadian waters, an event which has proven destructive and costly.

Fighting Back

Finding ways to treat invasive species could have large application possibilities, providing a service to the $33.5 billion shipping industry shared between U.S. and Canada. Ohio receives $3 billion in economic contributions from the Great Lakes-Seaway System, according to a 2011 economic impact survey conducted by Martin Associates. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, signed into law in 2009 and in operation until 2014, is one such effort invested in combating invasive species. Back on the Ohio shore

“This is the real world now.” -Daniel Gulino, Team Co-Sponsor

of Lake Eerie, the restoration initiative lists six research projects focused on preventing, treating, and controlling invasive species. Treatment of bilge water, like the system being investigated by Ohio University students, could be a way to prevent such invasions. The team’s solution and process will be evaluated by industry professionals in April, when they travel to the design contest—which is, ironically, held over 1,600 miles from Ohio in the desert at Las Cruces, New Mexico. IEE/WERC’s Environmental Design Contest brings together industry, government and academia in the search for environmental solutions. Held annually since 1991 at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the contest draws hundreds of college students from throughout the United States and around the world. At the contest, Ohio University will compete against other teams in their category and showcase their findings alongside the results of 22 other design teams. “One of the greatest benefits the contest bestows, in our opinion,” said Gulino, “is the chance for the students to have to defend their work to a panel of impartial judges who will have no qualms about praising their work when they feel praise is justified and criticizing it when they believe criticism is justified. This is the real world now.”

The team has also received publicity from 33 Corridor News which can be seen here: Students Tackle Environmental Problems in Midwest Lakes.

The international environmental design contest, a history

hensleym — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:16:36 +0000

WERC’s Environmental Design Contest is a unique event that brings together industry, government and academia in the search for improved environmental solutions. Held annually since 1991 at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the contest draws hundreds of college students from throughout the United States and around the world. The 2012 event will be the 22^nd annual design contest. It challenges student to solve technical problems ranging from validation of water treatment technology to improving product stewardship. For the contest, students present and demonstrate their research and design solutions. The proposed solutions provide opportunities to address concerns about water, energy, and the environment. At last year’s contest, keynote speaker John Peichel, Global Technology Leader at General Electric’s Water & Process Technologies, pointed to predictions that global electricity needs will double by the year 2030, while water demands will triple. “Water and energy are intricately linked,” he stated. Challenges for the 2012 competition strike a very similar vein: tasks 3 and 5 deal with water, tasks 2 and 6 are energy-related, and tasks 1 and 4 address a variety of environmental concerns. The design contests have always addressed the interconnectedness of water and energy, a connection sometimes called “the water energy nexus.” In 1991, the first annual design contest, teams responded to a problem statement about water contamination. This year, 23 teams have entered the competition. Over half of the teams will address water treatment technologies. Roseann Thompson, project manager for the design contest, said that she most looks forward to meeting the students. “I am excited for this year’s event because every contest is different and the students bring energy and excitement that is evident in their presentations of their innovative designs. We look forward to seeing everyone!”

Other fun facts:

From 1998 until 2007, high school teams also competed in a high school task category. During this time, 28 high schools from around the Paso Del Norte region sent teams to the design contest.
In 2003, contest attendance peaked at over 300 participants.
Eighty-one institutions from 32 states and 6 countries have participated over the years.
International participants have included teams from Turkey, Mexico, India, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, and Canada.
In 2008, 38 judges attended, representing 22 organizations.
2012 marks the eleventh year Ohio University has sent teams to the design contest. Their journeys are chronicled here.
A 2011 team from University of Idaho received attention for their innovative-yet-simple bacteria detection mechanism, following a deadly national outbreak of Listeria. (Read more about it here.)
In 2012 new schools attending will include Harvey Mudd College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Utah State University.