Energy idea may be tested in Maine
An inventor looks at Yarmouth for a place to try out a process that pulls hydrogen from water.
By Tux Turkel tturkel@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
An inventor from California who claims to have found a commercially viable way to produce hydrogen from water wants to test the patented technology in Yarmouth.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To learn more and watch a lab test video, go to: www.genesys-hydrogen.com
AT A GLANCE
Hydrogen is the most plentiful gas in the universe, but is too light to remain in the Earth’s atmosphere unless it’s bonded with other elements. Hydrogen combines with oxygen to make water, but extracting it – a process known as electrolysis – is costly.
Most of the hydrogen produced today for industrial purposes comes from a steam process involving fossil fuels such as natural gas, which creates emissions that have been linked to climate change.
Hydrogen has great potential for clean energy applications. Hydrogen batteries – fuel cells – power the space shuttle’s electrical system. The only byproduct is water, which the crew drinks. On Earth, hydrogen fuel cells are being used in cars, but remain very expensive to build.
– Tux Turkel
The pilot project would use effluent from the town's wastewater treatment plant and hydroelectricity from the Royal River to produce hydrogen and other gases to supply all of the energy for the plant, and perhaps other town buildings.
The project could put Maine on the map as a demonstration site for the concept of using hydrogen as a carbon-free energy source that can power the world past the petroleum age.
Maine is an unlikely place to test such technology, but Ronny Bar-Gadda, founder and chief executive officer of Genesys LLC, said the state's small population and interest in energy independence and climate-change issues make it an appealing laboratory.
"If we could show this works in Maine, it would be an example for the nation," he said.
After seven years of development, Bar-Gadda has proven the technology on a small scale in his lab in San Jose, Calif. He now wants to scale it up for commercial applications, using Yarmouth and Taos, N.M., to showcase the ability to use wastewater to produce renewable hydrogen energy. Other applications are being contemplated in other states.
Genesys is a startup company, and the proposals are in an early stage. Yarmouth's town manager has been reviewing the plan and is supportive, but it's still being studied by town officials and has yet to go before the Town Council.
The company also will need to get government permits and raise money to start a venture, which could take three years.
The project in Yarmouth is estimated to cost $9 million, some of which would require federal funds. The exact amount will depend on how much Genesys can attract in private capital.
Bar-Gadda plans to be in Portland on May 20 to present the plan to officials, potential investors and business partners at an invitation-only event at the University of Southern Maine.
He has developed a proprietary technology called radiant energy transfer. It uses electromagnetic radiation to break the hydrogen-oxygen bond at certain frequencies. The process was demonstrated last fall in the lab by filling a balloon with hydrogen made from wastewater. The radiant energy transfer unit, as Bar-Gadda calls it, can be scaled up in modules, uses minimal energy and produces hydrogen at a rapid rate.
While the science behind the discovery is complex, the concept is simple, Bar-Gadda said. Skeptics should remember that other life-changing inventions, such as the light bulb, sprang from simple concepts, he said.
A chemical engineer, Bar-Gadda has a long background as an inventor, with 12 patents and five commercial projects developed. He commercialized biomass and coal-to-gasoline technologies as biomass energy program manager for what's now Exxon-Mobil, and held key management positions for other technology and research firms.
Bar-Gadda's interest in Maine, and in Yarmouth, is serendipity.
He's a college friend of Patty Johnson, a graphic artist for Swardlick Marketing Group in Portland. Johnson, who now is Bar-Gadda's publicist, told her boss, David Swardlick, about Genesys.
Swardlick was intrigued. He visited Bar-Gadda's lab last year during business trips to California.
When Bar-Gadda asked Swardlick if he knew of a wastewater treatment plant with a renewable energy source nearby, Swardlick thought of his hometown, Yarmouth. The Sparhawk Mill, which has hydro turbines, is a mile upriver from the treatment plant.
Swardlick put Bar-Gadda in touch with Nat Tupper, Yarmouth's town manager. Bar-Gadda prepared a presentation showing how the pilot project could make the plant energy-independent, reduce its operating costs and heat other buildings.
The project would have three phases. The first would produce hydrogen from wastewater and store it in a fuel cell. It also would produce ozone for disinfecting wastewater.
Phase two would use turbines at the mill to power additional radiant energy transfer units, producing enough hydrogen and ozone to eliminate chemicals and aeration at the treatment plant and get it off the power grid.
The third phase would use excess hydrogen to heat buildings such as Town Hall and the fire station.
The radiant energy transfer units also can pull off other gases, such as nitrogen, which have a market value and can be sold.
Details of the proposal have yet to be studied by the town engineer, fire chief and other officials. The town would likely have to enter into a formal agreement with Genesys, and perhaps lease some land.
But Tupper said it seems reasonable that he could present the plan to the council before Bar-Gadda's visit in May.
"There are a lot of benefits for the town of Yarmouth," he said. "Unless we discover some health and safety risks that we're not anticipating, I would think the council would say, 'This is cool, let's try it.'"
Staff Writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at: tturkel@pressherald.com
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41 COMMENTS
brightOne said...
Okay...I'm game. But I'd like to know how many BTUs of energy input is required to make 1 BTU worth of Hydrogen with this method? I guess we're going to find out...
March 10, 2010 at 2:21 AM Report abuse
ThorEau said...
Trust but verify - before committing funds.
March 10, 2010 at 5:21 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
All hydrogen is is a way to store energy. Energy is required to break the bond between hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can at this point be stored, and that energy is released when the hydrogen is bonded back with oxygen. There is no free lunch.
March 10, 2010 at 7:49 AM Report abuse
Scommentname said...
This is an april fools hoax. The story is peppered with inferences that it will only use "waste" water, the impact (lol) on global warming, and the biggee - the subsidies that will be needed. The science is bogus too. There is no potential energy in water, more energy is required to break the hydrogen bond than can subsequently be obtained by oxydizing the hydrogen. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, encapsulate potential energy (sunlight) from the photosynthetic process which created them. When they "burn" the energy is released and the fuel reverts to the same inert forms (dihydrogen monoxide and carbon dioxide) that they started with. That's why the gas and oil we're mining now makes such great things for us! The only thing that will be mined with this faiy tale is taxpayer's wallets. This is proposed for Maine because where in the county can bigger fools be found?
March 10, 2010 at 8:16 AM Report abuse
mynamehere said...
So someone else has come up with the modern version of the perpetual motion machine, a device that will somehow ignore the Second Law of Thermodynamics and create more energy than it uses. And wonder of wonders, he wants public money to prove it. Imagine my surprise. C'mon, Tux, TANSTAAFL. (There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.)
March 10, 2010 at 8:32 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
Is there anything, really anything, that you poor miserable folks can't pooh-pooh?
March 10, 2010 at 8:37 AM Report abuse
Steve0 said...
If he really can use some sort of resonance to break down water in a way that uses less energy than he can be created from recombining H2 and O, this would have been much bigger news when he first demonstrated it. We'd be talking Nobel prize work.
March 10, 2010 at 8:43 AM Report abuse
golf said...
Stick to wind mill power. Sounds to be a little bit safer.
March 10, 2010 at 8:53 AM Report abuse
Steve0 said...
@kidatheart: Sorry for being skeptical about something that appears to violate the fundamental laws of physics. I'd love it if I were wrong, because that would mean we'd have a limitless supply of free energy. water + X energy in = H2 + 0 + Y energy in = water + Z energy out, where Z>X+Y does not make sense. If he somehow made it work it would be one of the greatest discoverys of all time on the order of fire. Once independently verified, his small scale lab experiment would have been the biggest scientific news of our lifetimes and the guy would be a household name all over the world. It is more likely he is hiding some of what is really going on so he can milk some money out of gullible governments.
March 10, 2010 at 8:56 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
Beautiful sunny day... Sure...But it's still cold. Great game last night... Sure...But they should have scored more. Hey...You look great. Did you lose weight? Yeah...But now I have to buy new clothes.
March 10, 2010 at 8:57 AM Report abuse
badjuju said...
Sure, and if I can crap quarters we would all be rich.
March 10, 2010 at 8:58 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
Not a problem, steve...I actually agree with you and am skeptical. Wrong side of the bed this moring for me...Turn to the comments to find the usual everything sucks crowd.
March 10, 2010 at 8:59 AM Report abuse
Iwatch said...
Nice to hear they mention "health and safety risks". Isn't hydrogen one of the most explosive gases known? Remember the Hindenburg!! Otherwise the project probably has merit, depending upon precautions and care taken.
March 10, 2010 at 9:26 AM Report abuse
NickName123 said...
Why is Maine a magnet for offbeat energy? because their guaranteed press coverage by the PressHerald?....what ever happend to the ex-massage therapist that was going to make those 1000sq ft homes in Wiscasset that would not require any energy source?...an article on that ~1 year past...In this case obviously one can hydrogen from water - that is known technology. But what do you do then with the hydrogen?...and in the end is it competitive to natural gas, oil, coal whatever?? very doubtful on the face of it....there better be no public tax funding on this scheme...
March 10, 2010 at 9:32 AM Report abuse
brightOne said...
Mainers are pretty stupid. The posts about this article prove it.
March 10, 2010 at 9:37 AM Report abuse
ProConserv said...
It really is a waste of time to even consider this new technology. If this is a viable replacement for fuel, he will end up dead by our government, oil companies or the middle eastern oil interests. Realistically, if proven viable and the inventor lives, somehow, it will be marketed as too expensive and this idea will be neatly folded and placed in the apropriate receptacle. We are being played hard!
March 10, 2010 at 9:38 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
NO FREE LUNCH INDEED! One problem is the cost of obtaining absolutely pure water; another may be expensive rare minerals. Chewonki was using solar energy nearly a decade ago to refine hydrogen and these were two of the problems they encountered. ..and wouldn't you know that the largest supplier of electrolysis equipment is in China..."QL-17000 by Shandong Saikesaisi Hydrogen Energy Co., Ltd.
March 10, 2010 at 9:39 AM Report abuse
ZZZzzz said...
All the armchair physicists posting here should actually read the article. He does not claim to achieve energy parity, just that his method is more efficient than current methods of electrolysis - a claim that can be easily proved or disproved (before committing any public monies.) Duh.
March 10, 2010 at 9:43 AM Report abuse
brightOne said...
Maine is home to the Chewonki Renewable Hydrogen Project (http://www.chewonkih2.org/) as well as dozens of other University, company, and citizen initiatives in the renewable energy sector in this state. So no, we are not being played. The article does NOT say there is potential energy in water. It says they will be using geothermal, solar, and biomass to input energy in the form of heat. You people really need to read before critiquing something you know very little about. The question is how much energy will be required to make it viable? The inference is that the energy required is less than what has been required to date and if that is true then indeed it would be a breakthrough. My other question is why can't they do this on a small scale first to see what the results are. If this experiment has been done I don't see the results in the article or on the Genesys website.
March 10, 2010 at 9:44 AM Report abuse
xcalibur1066 said...
Why is Maine a magnet for these types of projects? Think Saco and York wind projects. The town/city councils are filled with liberals who skipped all science classes. The are easy to fool by slick snake-oil salespeople who promise everything. If this was revolutionary or even economically viable, there would be ample private funding. This is what massive "green" tax credits buys you, economically non-viable projects.
March 10, 2010 at 9:47 AM Report abuse
brightOne said...
Why do I always have to wade through this swamp of childish m0r0nic babel about "THE GUMMAMENT IS TO GET ME" idiotic paranoia, before we can get to the real story? It's really pathetic and boring already.
March 10, 2010 at 9:49 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
Maine has long been a center of hydrogen extraction research...Chewonki has been using solar and an expensive electrolysis machine for nearly a decade. Lots of endemic problems...like the cost of obtaining chemically pure water; the cost of hydrogen compression at 10,000 psi; etc. Wish the guy luck, but don't subsidize it!
March 10, 2010 at 9:51 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
Two years ago, the Maine Hydrogen Society sponsored he world's first course on extracting and using hydrogen. I took it, so I guess I'm a bit of an expert on the topic; there is a training manual should you be curious about the details.
March 10, 2010 at 9:55 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
...so I guess I'm a bit of an expert on the topic No you're not. Your politics are wrong. You're not a liberal. If you were a liberal like brightOne then you could claim to be an expert, but you're not a liberal so you're dumb. /sarcasm
March 10, 2010 at 9:58 AM Report abuse
brightOne said...
This "discussion" will inevitably lead to the topic of climate change and then the toothless masses will come out of the woodwork and spoil it so I'm out of here. Have a nice day gumming each other to death...LOL!!!
March 10, 2010 at 10:05 AM Report abuse
brightOne said...
This "discussion" will inevitably lead to the topic of climate change and then the toothless masses will come out of the woodwork and spoil it so I'm out of here. Have a nice day gumming each other to death...LOL!!!
March 10, 2010 at 10:05 AM Report abuse
xcalibur1066 said...
Oak is right.. in today's world a D after your name gives you instant credibility and instant protection from doing any wrong. If this project is going to use hydro as the input, why not just hook the hydro the town buildings?
March 10, 2010 at 10:07 AM Report abuse
weatherfreak said...
Welcome back, Kid! Nice to see you again.
March 10, 2010 at 10:11 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
Oh please, X...Point out anywhere in the article a "D". Or in any posts other than Saint Oakis.
March 10, 2010 at 10:20 AM Report abuse
Bole said...
Why wastewater? Ocean ain't big enough?
March 10, 2010 at 10:24 AM Report abuse
Kidatheart said...
Bole...It always helps to read the article to see if your question can be answered. "The project would have three phases. The first would produce hydrogen from wastewater and store it in a fuel cell. It also would produce ozone for disinfecting wastewater. Phase two would use turbines at the mill to power additional radiant energy transfer units, producing enough hydrogen and ozone to eliminate chemicals and aeration at the treatment plant and get it off the power grid." The project would have three phases. The first would produce hydrogen from wastewater and store it in a fuel cell. It also would produce ozone for disinfecting wastewater. Phase two would use turbines at the mill to power additional radiant energy transfer units, producing enough hydrogen and ozone to eliminate chemicals and aeration at the treatment plant and get it off the power grid.
March 10, 2010 at 10:33 AM Report abuse
xcalibur1066 said...
The question was asked why Maine is duped so frequently on these types of projects. The answer is Maine is run by D's.
March 10, 2010 at 10:35 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
kidding about the expert part...'class' had Ph.D. level engineers and scientists....most with irrelevant degrees, so in a way we were all equal. Liberals are so, so smart you know! sighs
March 10, 2010 at 10:46 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
First to bring up "Liberals" are evil.. I was making a comment about bias. I don't think liberals are evil. Educated idiots capable of regurgitating information but incapable of independent thought? Yes. Emotional creatures that confuse feelings for thought processes? Yes. Fools who only see their good intentions as they pave the Road to Hell? Most certainly. Evil? No.
March 10, 2010 at 10:47 AM Report abuse
common_cents said...
It's safer and cheaper to run fuel cells with natural gas; hydrogen handling is tricky and dangerous. I wonder what process they are using to extract H from waste water? membrane filters?
March 10, 2010 at 10:49 AM Report abuse
null said...
If you live your life afraid to try out new ideas, you are destined for mediocrity at best.
March 10, 2010 at 11:08 AM Report abuse
Oak said...
null - there is a difference between being afraid to try new ideas (implying that no ideas are tried), and recognizing that some (as in not all) ideas are stupid and not worth being tried.
March 10, 2010 at 2:24 PM Report abuse
mrrogers said...
This guy has shopped this allover the world with NO takers, but hoping Maine will jump because of a ad man suggestions?
March 10, 2010 at 3:04 PM Report abuse
NickName123 said...
from the article: " It uses electromagnetic radiation to break the hydrogen-oxygen bond at certain frequencies. " - - -pretty ironic for a state that thought cell phone electromagnetic radiation was dangerous!!....so here is the problem as per the article "uses minimal energy and produces hydrogen at a rapid rate".....OK - making hydrogen is common place today. It is done all the time for industrial uses. If he has a lower cost method to make it - then he has a business - - - - but all this gobbledegook about wastewater 'green' and 'climate change' makes one think he is blowing smoke...or rather blowing hydrogen...
March 10, 2010 at 5:48 PM Report abuse
Jack_Pine said...
A somewhat similar process was written up in a Scientific American blog last week. It also talked about waste water saying if it were clean water they would drink it. Would the lats person who hasn't died of Cholera please turnhttp://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=shift-happens-will-artificial-photo-2010-03-03 out the lights.
March 10, 2010 at 6:50 PM Report abuse
Jack_Pine said...
Trying againn, sorry: A somewhat similar process was written up in a Scientific American blog last week. It also talked about waste water saying if it were clean water they would drink it. Would the last person who hasn't died of Cholera please turn out the lights? http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=shift-happens-will-artificial-photo-2010-03-03
March 10, 2010 at 6:52 PM Report abuse