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NASA's GreenLab Research Facility: A Guide for a Self-Sustainable Renewable Energy EcosystemThere is a large gap between the production and demand for energy from alternative fuel and alternative renewable energy sources. The sustainability of humanity, as we know it, directly depends on the ability to secure affordable fuel, food, and freshwater. NASA Glenn Research Center (Glenn) has initiated a laboratory pilot study on using biofuels as viable alternative fuel resources for the field of aviation, as well as utilizing wind and solar technology as alternative renewable energy resources. The GreenLab Research Facility focuses on optimizing biomass feedstock using algae and halophytes as the next generation of renewable aviation fuels. The unique approach in this facility helps achieve optimal biomass feedstock through climatic adaptation of balanced ecosystems that do not use freshwater, compete with food crops, or use arable land. In addition, the GreenLab Research Facility is powered, in part, by alternative and renewable energy sources, reducing the major environmental impact of present electricity sources. The ultimate goal is to have a 100 percent clean energy laboratory that, when combined with biomass feedstock research, has the framework in place for a self-sustainable renewable energy ecosystem that can be duplicated anywhere in the world and can potentially be used to mitigate the shortage of food, fuel, and water. This paper describes the GreenLab Research Facility at Glenn and its power and energy sources, and provides recommendations for worldwide expansion and adoption of the facility s concept.
Document ID
20120001794
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Technical Publication (TP)
Authors
Bomani, B. M. McDowell
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Hendricks, R. C.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Elbuluk, Malik
(Akron Univ. Akron, OH, United States)
Okon, Monica
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Lee, Eric
(Ohio Aerospace Inst. Brook Park, OH, United States)
Gigante, Bethany
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2011
Subject Category
Energy Production And Conversion
Report/Patent Number
NASA/TP-2011-217208
E-17888
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 561581.02.08.03.16.03
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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