Posted on 08/02/2011 10:35:56 PM PDT by Titus-Maximus
Cambridge, Mass. – July 26, 2011 – Joule Unlimited Technologies today announced the issuance of its first two U.S. patents covering its fundamental method for producing ethanol at volumes and efficiencies far surpassing biomass-dependent processes.
The patents relate to methods for increasing the ethanol production capability of a photosynthetic microorganism. Unlike competing technologies that utilize microorganisms to produce ethanol by fermenting sugars from cellulose or other biomass materials, Joule's platform microorganism is engineered to produce and secrete ethanol in a continuous process, converting more than 90% of the CO2 it consumes directly to end product, with no reliance on biomass feedstocks.
U.S. Patent #7,981,647 and U.S. Patent #7,968,321, granted on July 19th and June 28th respectively, cover enzymatic mechanisms engineered into the cell by Joule to maximize its ethanol productivity. These innovations, together with Joule's advances in bioprocessing and solar capture and conversion, will help Joule achieve an ultimate target of 25,000 gallons per acre annually – a rate that is 10X greater than that of cellulosic ethanol and 100X greater than corn ethanol – while requiring no depletion of food crops, agricultural land or fresh water. In addition, by eliminating the need for biomass, Joule avoids the burden of fluctuating feedstock cost and supply, as well as the energy-intensive, multi-step conversion of biomass to product. At full-scale commercial production Joule expects to produce ethanol for as little as $0.60/gallon.
"The market for ethanol is strong and growing internationally, and our patented technology affords Joule an incredible opportunity to meet growing demand at productivities well beyond biomass-based approaches," said Bill Sims, President and CEO of Joule. "Rather than focus on incremental improvements along the supply chain, we have proven that a direct, continuous process from photons to fuel is the answer to highly-efficient, cost-competitive production that can scale without today’s feedstock constraints."
Joule is now producing ethanol at pilot scale, and has achieved nearly 50% of its ultimate productivity target in the lab. The company today holds a total of six U.S. patents and more than 70 applications pending, derived from four years of development across biology, processes and systems.
About Joule Unlimited Technologies Joule is advancing a production platform for Liquid Fuel from the Sun™, expected to eclipse the scale, productivity and cost efficiency of any known alternative to fossil fuel today. Its transformative Helioculture™ platform directly and continuously converts sunlight and waste CO2 to infrastructure-ready diesel, ethanol or commodity chemicals with no dependence on biomass feedstocks, downstream processing or precious natural resources. This process can yield renewable fuels and chemicals in unprecedented volumes with a fraction of the land required by current methods, leapfrogging biomass-dependent approaches and eliminating the economic and environmental disadvantages of fossil fuels. Founded in 2007 by Flagship VentureLabs, Joule is privately held and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Additional information is available at www.jouleunlimited.com.
The Company is making moves for acreage in New Mexico and it looks like things are happening. Will wait to see the results but the claim is 25,000 gallons of fuel per acre. They can do this at $60 per barrel, with no taxes and clean and renewable!
Some say they cannot harvest yet efficiently. Need much more info.
Promises, promises.
What happens if this gets loose, in nature?
The producing is the hard part, if they have a bit of heat harvesting will be a minor problem. Warm the liquid and evaporate the alcohol. Find a moonshiner, they’ll work it out.
“What happens if this gets loose, in nature?”
Two headed Volkswagon Beetles?
If it gets loose, The oceans will turn to whiskey, and we can stay drunk all the time!
What could happen?
all green things end ... including Kermit.
What will Miss Piggy do?
Oh ... she'll be gone too.
Will it do windows and cook breakfast in the morning?
I would think the problem is that it will evaporate from the ponds prior to harvesting it.
Taxes or subsidies?
Taxes are what Joule or its customers pay to the government. Subsidies are what the government pays to Joule.
Which is it? I'm too lazy to visit their website again, but the last time I did, the phrase "including subsidies" occurred with disturbing regularity, rendering their claims meaningless.
Too bad ethanol ruins engines. I won’t ever use it unless there is no other alternative.
What ozero care committee gets to determine THAT ?
actually, what they need is a cold sunny climate that will prevent evaporation.
Maybe that is what they are going after in New Mexico, there are some areas in the north that are cold but as sunny as the hot areas.
Pons and Fleiceman,
at it again
Not if Omama or his evil progeny the E.P.A. can get their evil grubby claws on it!!
Remember obummer's infamous vows to destroy everyone household budget by raising electric bills & to bankrupt all coal power plants.
“What happens if this gets loose, in nature?”
Two headed Volkswagon Beetles?”
LMAO.
“If it gets loose, The oceans will turn to whiskey, and we can stay drunk all the time!”
Only,If the Irish do not beat us too it!
Joule claims to produce something closer to diesel or gasoline.
That's fine and dandy if they can do it without government subsidies. Energy is good. But green energy is a scam if I have to pay for in taxes. I'm willing to pay for it at the pump if the fossil alternative is more expensive, net of government intervention.
“A co2 sucking organism turned loose?
What could happen?
all green things end ... including Kermit.
What will Miss Piggy do?
Oh ... she’ll be gone too.”
Plant food gone!
The bad news: Martians have landed in Washington and taken control of the government.We'll see if the invention pans out ... but right now I don't think it's wise to hold one's breath until it does.The good news: Martians eat liberals, pee gasoline, and are heading west.
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