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manure could heat your home

4/26/2019

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The book Chemistry on a Budget contains inexpensive chemistry labs that are useful with easy to obtain materials.
 
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 
A 5-Star Customer Review of Chemistry on a Budget at amazon.com states:

“[S]traight forward, to the point, using household chemicals… this is the lab book for you. 
I teach high school chemistry and this is exactly what I was looking for. Labs included simple household chemicals that could be easily found. Nice format, easy to follow along procedures, and touches on every topic of our chemistry curriculum.”
 
You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com. It will take 1-2 weeks to get to you -- Order Now.  It’s a great resource!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
 
*Some of you have already purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
 
“Farm manure could be a viable source of renewable energy to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Researchers at the University of Waterloo [in Canada] are developing technology to produce renewable natural gas from manure so it can be added to the existing energy supply system for heating homes and powering industries. That would eliminate particularly harmful gases released by naturally decomposing manure when it is spread on farm fields as fertilizer and partially replace fossil natural gas, a significant contributor to global warming.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180308085532.htm
 
 “In a paper published in January [2018] in the International Journal of Energy Research, chemical engineer David Simakov and his team proposed a technology that can convert manure into natural gas with the potential to heat homes, power factories, and supplement diesel fuel. …

The benefits of renewable natural gas are twofold, according to Simakov. For one, it’s biogenic, meaning it’s from a biological rather than fossil source, making it more easily replenished. It also doesn’t add more net carbon-dioxide to the atmosphere when it’s burned for heating.

The researchers developed a computer model of a 2,000-cow dairy farm that converts manure into biogas by starving it of oxygen. This biogas can be used to power generators, using 30 to 40 percent of its energy potential. But by feeding the biogas hydrogen gas (which the researchers suggest could be generated via wind or solar power) and running it through a catalytic converter, Simakov and his team hope to convert it to natural gas, utilizing most of its energy potential and significantly decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions."
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/manure-renewable-energy/
 
“Researchers want to take those benefits a significant step further by upgrading, or converting, biogas from manure into renewable natural gas. That would involve mixing it with hydrogen, then running it through a catalytic converter. A chemical reaction in the converter would produce methane from carbon dioxide in the biogas.

Known as methanation, the process would require electricity to produce hydrogen, but that power could be generated on-site by renewable wind or solar systems, or taken from the electrical grid at times of low demand. The net result would be renewable natural gas that yields almost all of manure's energy potential and also efficiently stores electricity, but has only a fraction of the greenhouse gas impact of manure used as fertilizer.

‘This is how we can make the transition from fossil-based energy to renewable energy using existing infrastructure, which is a tremendous advantage,’ said Simakov, who collaborates with fellow chemical engineering professor Michael Fowler.

The modelling study showed that a $5-million investment in a methanation system at the Ontario farm would, with government price subsidies for renewable natural gas, have about a five-year payback period.”
https://phys.org/news/2018-03-manure-home.html
 
Students seeking Extra Credit could be required to research this article as well as others related to the topic.
 
*This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
 
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
 
Remember, buying a copy of the lab book Chemistry on a Budget can be very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.

Have a great weekend!

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sunlight converted to liquid fuel

4/19/2019

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The book Chemistry on a Budget contains inexpensive chemistry labs that are useful with easy to obtain materials.
 
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 
A 5-Star Customer Review of Chemistry on a Budget at amazon.com states:

“[S]traight forward, to the point, using household chemicals… this is the lab book for you. 
I teach high school chemistry and this is exactly what I was looking for. Labs included simple household chemicals that could be easily found. Nice format, easy to follow along procedures, and touches on every topic of our chemistry curriculum.”
 
You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com. It will take 1-2 weeks to get to you -- Order Now.  It’s a great resource!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
 
*Some of you have already purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
 
“What if we could bottle solar energy so it could be used to power our homes and factories even when the sun doesn't shine?

Scientists have spent decades looking for a way do just that, and now researchers in Sweden are reporting significant progress. They've developed a specialized fluid that absorbs a bit of sunlight's energy, holds it for months or even years and then releases it when needed. If this so-called solar thermal fuel can be perfected, it might drive another nail in the coffin of fossil fuels — and help solve our global-warming crisis.
Unlike oil, coal and natural gas, solar thermal fuels are reusable and environmentally friendly. They release energy without spewing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/scientists-are-trying-bottle-solar-energy-turn-it-liquid-fuel-ncna930676
 The picture shows the scientist not wearing goggles in his lab setup, not usual in a lab.
 
“Hydrocarbons, in part, became the world's dominant energy source because they are relatively cheap to extract, can be stored for long periods of time, and can be utilized immediately. These factors make it a great source for energy to power on-demand. As batteries continue to develop in their capacity to store energy and for long periods of time, they have begun to supplant hydrocarbons, i.e. electric vehicles.

As an alternative to batteries, the specialized solar thermal fluid can hold the sun's energy for long periods of time and expel that energy on demand. Unlike batteries, which discharge electricity, the solar thermal fuel emits heat when activated through a catalyst. This means the fluid would be ideal for heating residential and commercial homes.

The fuel is composed of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen molecules. The molecules can be seen in the figure below, with the original fuel source being norbornadiene molecules. When these molecules are hit by sunlight, some of the bonds between atoms are rearranged to form quadricyclane.

This chemical conversion into a different molecular structure called an isomer traps energy within the molecule. The energized version of the molecule is stable, with strong chemical bonds. This is key in that the stable molecule can sit for nearly two decades without losing the stored energy.

To release the energy, the molecule can be passed through a catalyst, which rearranges the chemical bonds back to norbornadiene and with it releases quite a lot of heat. …

The team found that the catalyst process heats up the fuel by 63 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). This means if the ambient temperature in the room is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the fluid would heat up to 183 degrees F. The heated fluid could then be used to heat homes, commercial buildings, etc.
 
With additional testing and optimization, the team believes they can produce a molecule that can heat up the fuel by over 176 degrees F. The fuel could then be considered for electricity generation.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2018/11/06/scientists-reveal-strange-molecule-that-can-store-suns-energy-for-18-years/#3833f1363483
 
“The fluid has been in development for over a year by scientists from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. The exciting liquid is a molecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

When sunlight makes contact with the liquid the bonds between its atoms are rearranged and it transforms into an energized version of itself called an isomer. The sun's energy is then captured between the isomers' strong chemical bonds.
Incredibly, the energy stays trapped there even when the molecule cools down to the room temperature. To put the trapped energy to use, the liquid is put through a catalyst which returns the molecule to its original form, releasing energy in the form of heat. …

The system works as a loop. It has a concave reflector with a pipe at its center which tracks the sun position. The liquid is pumped through transparent tubes to be heated by the sun.
As it heats it changes from its initial form of the molecule norbornadiene into its heat-trapping isomer, quadricyclane. The energy full liquid is then stored at room temperature.

When an energy demand occurs, the fluid is pushed through a catalyst that converts the molecules back to their original form, warming the liquid by 63 degrees Celsius. This warm liquid can be used for can then have application in everything from domestic heating systems, powering a building's water heater, dishwasher, clothes dryer and much more.

The liquid is then pumped back to the roof to be reused. So far the researchers have put the fluid through this cycle more than 125 times without significant damage to the molecule. The most recent study in the series has been published in Energy & Environmental Science.”
 
A 17 minute Vimeo video segment interviewing the leader of the research team, Kasper Moth-Poulsen, Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.  The segment is about ¾ down the page:
https://interestingengineering.com/scientists-develop-liquid-that-can-store-solar-energy-for-more-than-a-decade
 
Notice that this scientist reminds viewers that replication of this method is being performed by other scientists -- it is very  important that the method is repeated by other scientists.
 
Here are past blog topics that may be useful for reference.
01/22/2014        Combustion of a Hydrocarbon
03/02/2014        Heating and Cooling Curves
03/05/2014        Heat and Energy
03/30/2014        Reaction Rates (includes Potential Energy
                            Diagram video & worksheets)
05/21/2014        Organic Chemistry – Alkanes, Alkenes
                             & Alkynes
05/25/2014        Organic Chemistry – Organic Compounds
05/28/2014        Organic Chemistry – Chemical Reactions
03/04/2015        Calorimetry
06/16/2017        Source of Energy Choices: An Article
 
*This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
 
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
 
Remember, buying a copy of the lab book Chemistry on a Budget can be very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.

Have a great weekend!

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The Hidden Air Pollution in our homes

4/12/2019

0 Comments

 
The book Chemistry on a Budget contains inexpensive chemistry labs that are useful with easy to obtain materials.
 
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 
A 5-Star Customer Review of Chemistry on a Budget at amazon.com states:

“[S]traight forward, to the point, using household chemicals… this is the lab book for you. 
I teach high school chemistry and this is exactly what I was looking for. Labs included simple household chemicals that could be easily found. Nice format, easy to follow along procedures, and touches on every topic of our chemistry curriculum.”
 
You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com. It will take 1-2 weeks to get to you -- Order Now.  It’s a great resource!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
 
*Some of you have already purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
 
Here is an article titled “The Hidden Air Pollution in Our Homes”. 
 
“These days, a ‘very unhealthy’ designation for outdoor air is rare. After the passage of the Clean Air Act, in 1963, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, in 1970, the chemical composition of outdoor air became federally regulated, with penalties for polluters. Since the seventies, emissions of many harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, have fallen by half, and particulate counts by eighty per cent. But this victory may be less significant than we assume, because, in America, we spend, on average, ninety per cent of our lives indoors. (By way of comparison, this means that humans spend more time inside buildings than sperm whales spend fully submerged in the ocean.) The statistic, from an E.P.A.-funded study conducted in 2001, might seem implausible, but it probably understates the case. More recent data, from the U.K., show that, on average, Britons are outside for just five per cent of the day—an hour and twelve minutes.
Unlike outdoor air, the air inside our homes is largely unregulated and has been all but ignored by researchers. “
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/the-hidden-air-pollution-in-our-homes
 
This article is several pages and may be appropriate for a Homework assignment our Extra Credit assignment.
 
Also, examining the scientific processes used may be a helpful reminder to your students.
 
Terms (22) that are mentioned in the article reading include:
 
acetaldehyde
 
acetone
 
asbestos
 
carbon dioxide
 
Clean Air Act, in 1963
 
condensation-nucleus counter
 
diesel engines
 
differential-mobility analyzer
 
Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index
 
formaldehyde
 
House Observations of Microbial and Environmental    
  Chemistry (HOMECHEM)
 
Hydroxyl radicals
 
H.V.A.C. filtration systems
 
isoprene
 
nitryl chloride
 
nitric oxide
 
ozone
 
“sick-building syndrome”
 
sulfur dioxide
 
syn-propanethial-S-oxide
 
VOC (Volatile organic compound)
 
World Health Organization

These terms do not always use the IUPAC (International Union of Practical and Applied Chemists) naming system, so they may take more research to accurately find the proper names.
 
You may have your students define a select list of terms from the article.
 
Some past related blog posts include:

06/05/2016      Air Pollution in China
02/24/2017      Cleaner Cookstoves
12/15/2017      Edible Coffee Cup
12/14/18          London Killer Smog in 1952


*This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
 
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
 
Remember, buying a copy of the lab book Chemistry on a Budget can be very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.

Have a great weekend!


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40th anniversary of 3-mile island accident

4/5/2019

0 Comments

 
The book Chemistry on a Budget contains inexpensive chemistry labs that are useful with easy to obtain materials.
 
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 
A 5-Star Customer Review of Chemistry on a Budget at amazon.com states:

“[S]traight forward, to the point, using household chemicals… this is the lab book for you. 
I teach high school chemistry and this is exactly what I was looking for. Labs included simple household chemicals that could be easily found. Nice format, easy to follow along procedures, and touches on every topic of our chemistry curriculum.”
 
You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com. It will take 1-2 weeks to get to you -- Order Now.  It’s a great resource!
 
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
 
*Some of you have already purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
 
Years before Chernobyl and Fukushima, there was an accident at the nuclear power plant at 3-Mile Island (TMI).
 
Here is a 26- minute PBS video that provides an overview of the incident https://www.alleghenyfront.org/meltdown-at-three-mile-island-40-years-later/
The video is at the top of the page.
 
Here is a another 26-minute documentary from WITF on Three Mile Island titled “Three-Mile Island: The New Nuclear Dilemma” which addresses the concerns of Global Warming and renewed interest in Nuclear Power.
 
This video is down at the bottom of the page:
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/28/707000226/40-years-after-a-partial-nuclear-meltdown-a-new-push-to-keep-three-mile-island-o
 
The combination of these 2 videos provides the history and current issues/concerns.  Your students may want to have small group discussions about these videos.  Also, your students may want to report 5 unique facts from each of these movies (total 10).
 
Past blog posts about Radiation include:
02/11/2015      Introduction to Nuclear Chemistry
02/18/2015      Nuclear Chemistry -- Part II
                            (Fission, Fusion & Half-Life)
10/30/2015       Current Event -- Radioactive Waste
                                                        from WWII
02/20/2016      Nuclear Waste and Lake Huron
03/26/2016      Nuclear Waste Storage
05/01/2016      30th Anniversary of Chernobyl  
05/29/2016      New Uses for Waste Glass
09/05/2016      US to Get Rid of Chemical Weapons
                             Stockpile
10/28/2016      Nuclear Power Plant Closure 
02/10/2017      High Fukushima Radiation Levels  
06/02/2017      Swiss Nuclear Power Ban
​09/01/2017      Radon in Houses
12/22/2017      The Radium Girls
 
*This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
 
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
 
Remember, buying a copy of the lab book Chemistry on a Budget can be very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.

Have a great weekend!


0 Comments

    Author

    Marjorie R. Heesemann is a chemistry teacher with 15 years of experience who is now working to develop resources for the Chemistry classroom.

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