.
In modern times, we face unprecedented challenges in regard to energy, carbon emissions, other greenhouse gases, water supply, and wastewater treatment. In current statistics:
The table presents some astounding results. While all of the plants shown are used commonly for biofuels, algae far outstrips the highest producers in terms of growth. What becomes evident very quickly, is that algae theoretically is the only biofuel crop capable of the achieving the land use efficiency necessary to balance human activities. And based on these numbers, algae can accomplish it without even breaking a sweat.
It is mainly due to its astounding growth rate, and the ability to grow algae on non-arable land. For example, in the United States, corn has been used extensively to produce ethanol. It has been estimated that in order to replace all of the transportation fuels used in the USA, the amount of corn needed would take twice the total land area of the whole country. However, algae could replace all of the transportation fuel needs of the United States using an area about the size of a single small state – Maryland, according to the US Department of Energy.
The high growth rate of algae has been known for more than 30 years. But some major technical barriers needed to be removed in order for algae to realize its potential. Past implementation efforts have been largely misguided. In our view, algae is like a star player on a sports team. It can play a major role, but it needs teammates. In baseball, the ace pitcher performs the most important role. However, the pitcher cannot be expected to also run around the field and catch every ball that is hit, or to hit all of the home runs.
Yet in the past, algae has been treated that way. It has not been implemented in efficient ways, and has not been complemented by the right technologies surrounding it and interacting with it to make it successful. The good news is that when given the right context and support systems, algae thrive on all of the waste we humans are trying to get rid of, and return to us what we, in turn, need to thrive. But the real trick is to find the right “teammates” for success. Brisa has spent many years discovering that context, and creating systems to work together to optimize algae. That idea has been a major endeavor for Brisa that has yielded a wealth of exciting and amazing inventive technology.
Brisa’s team has removed technical barriers and has integrated this high-potential technology in synergistic ways into the major industrial systems in the EcoTech Complex. With this now accomplished the algae technology has a home and has become a major transformative factor, in conjunction with other technologies in our design.
Along with its promise as a biofuel, algae technology can be adapted to provide effective wastewater treatment. In EcoTech’s systems, municipal wastewater or farm runoff can be treated to a higher degree than traditional bacteria-based systems, especially in regard to nutrient removal, and treatment is accomplished using significantly less energy. Also, in contrast to traditional wastewater treatment, an algae treatment process can reach carbon neutrality, and useful biomass is generated, which may then be used as a biofuel or to make an array of non-fuel bio-products. The EcoTech has implemented powerful innovative technology designs in order to effectively use algae in this role.
Carbon dioxide has simply gotten well out of balance today, and there are no good solutions on the horizon, except one – algae. If all of the transportation fuels in the US can be grown on non-arable land (even desert) the size of Maryland, using algae as the US DOE has said many times, and technologies like the EcoTech can make it viable, then we have truly found our solution. At present algae consume more carbon dioxide and produce more oxygen than all other plants combined! If we can grow our fuels, sacrificing minimal non-arable land, and have a zero carbon footprint, it is by far the most attainable way to reach renewable energy goals and bring the carbon equation back into balance universally. And as time goes on, the algae technology will get better and better.
At the EcoTech, we use algae to consume carbon dioxide from power plants, and waste-to-energy systems. We can then use algae fuel generated as a substitute fuel for power plants, which can then become carbon-neutral multi-pass systems. Or algae can be turned into all of the same kinds of transportation fuels and heating fuels we derive from petroleum. If all emission are captured and turned into more permanent products, such as bioplastics, the system becomes carbon negative. In sum, the EcoTech can mitigate power plant and WTE emissions, turn wastewater treatment into a carbon-neutral process, and from those inputs, create carbon-neutral biofuels. These processes can be accomplished with astounding efficiency, creating major economic benefits as well.
FLEXIBILITY AND VERSATILITY
We believe the EcoTech embodies the best solutions now and for the future, because: It works with completely natural processes that have the power to accomplish the goals society needs in water treatment, water supply, pollution abatement, green energy, biofuels and bio-products.
And it works with existing infrastructure and local resources. Many times systems are built in isolation. The result is inefficiency and environmental damage. While the EcoTech has cutting-edge designs, it is designed to also fully integrate with any existing technologies. We add new, innovative technologies to existing technologies. For example, any existing combustion-based power plant can serve as the power plant in the EcoTech design, including the most polluting, such as coal or fuel oil, or industrial plants which are major polluters, like cement factories. If some pollutants may become too excessive for the algae, Brisa has designed inventive systems to mitigate and regulate those constituents.
We focus on turning harmful outputs of different systems into catalysts in other systems. Where waste streams exist, they will become valuable resource streams in the EcoTech.
The EcoTech is flexible as to local resources in the following areas:
Water: Input to the EcoTech system may include any water type(s) available locally, including fresh water, wastewater, salt water, or brackish water. No net consumption of water is needed. Water is used to transfer materials through many levels of the design, to carry and transfer heat, to dilute, and in the algae system. All water is conserved and reused in other systems where possible. The EcoTech was designed with the perspective that every drop of water is precious.
Land: the configuration and characteristics are very flexible. The algae component is by far the most land efficient biofuel technology by far in the world, and can utilize non-arable land.
Waste Streams: The EcoTech works effectively to turn whatever waste streams are available locally – solid waste, wastewater, carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions from potential negatives to decided positives. All of these waste streams are put to use in creating energy or valuable non-fuel products at low to zero carbon footprint.
Climate: Brisa has created breakthrough approaches that enable the algae technology to thrive in just about any climate, even those normally too cold for it.
Heat: The EcoTech has the most unique means to conserve and use heat productively ever conceived in any industrial system. That is because heat is another major negative that we can turn into a major positive. In combustion-based power plants, a portion of the heat generated by the fuel is used to perform work to generate power. Another portion of the heat, however, must be removed from the system. The portion of heat that is removed is commonly referred to as “waste heat”.
Waste heat comprises approximately 40% to 75% of the heat generated. That is a huge proportion of the fuel value. In many cases, cooling water is drawn into these plants from local sources and heated to unnatural levels, and then discharged back into the environment. This can cause severe damage to the environment. In other systems, heated water is sent to evaporation towers. A portion of the water is evaporated off in order to cool the remaining water. A significant amount of water is lost as this process continues over time. That is not a good solution going forward, as water becomes more and more a critical resource.
Recently an article was published about a power plant in the United States which discharged waste heat into a nearby river. The river was heated to a point that unnatural algae blooms occurred for miles downstream of the plant. The power plant’s heated discharge had elevated the water temperature to a level that was in the “sweet spot” for accelerated algae growth. This was considered a problem, and a discussion ensued about how to kill the algae by adding chemicals to the stream.
Whoa, Nellie, talk about working against nature! We humans create a problem, and then we propose to fix it with a completely unnatural and probably much more destructive solution. Yes, we will make the stream nice and clean by killing the algae with chemicals, but how many other aspects of that ecosystem have we will also wipe out by further changing the balance of nature with not only heat, but also chemicals?
HEAT IN THE ECOTECH
But there are very good solutions to this problem. Again if we study the lessons of nature, we will realize that waste heat is a very valuable resource that can be put to good use. With about 40 to 75% of the heat generated in power plants taking the form of waste heat, a huge problem stands to become a huge opportunity.
The EcoTech puts heat to use in many innovative and productive ways. In the EcoTech plan, we are intentionally growing algae in controlled systems. Power plant waste heat is used to regulate the temperature of all algae systems using our patent pending processes.
This is another example of a teammate coming alongside the algae technology to help it. Algae can normally grow only between approximately 37ᵒ N and 37ᵒ S latitude, but with much better results in warm, stable climates. This restriction is not due to the sunlight resource, which is sufficient in many locations around the world; rather it is due to temperature. But with Brisa’s many designs to deliver waste heat, algae can now be used in a wide range of climates. This provides a huge step forward for the technology. If algae can be grown effectively throughout most of Europe, Asia, and North America, where it would normally be too cold, it greatly multiplies the versatility of the technology. These systems also serve to dissipate the waste heat gradually into the environment, where it can cause no harm.
Brisa has developed many other highly innovative ways to use waste heat in the EcoTech. These applications greatly increase the efficiency of the other systems in the design, while mitigating environmental damage. That is turning a negative into a positive!
Pollution Control: because the EcoTech uses power plant exhaust to grow algae, and we are interested in capturing emissions, as well as regulating their flows, and treating any pollutants that would harm the algae, Brisa has developed some amazing exhaust gas recovery, treatment, and regulation designs. Some of these designs may be used either with or without algae systems to reduce harmful emissions. In conjunction with algae, the results are very impressive. We feel we will be able to implement major emissions reductions in even the most polluting plants, including coal, fuel oil, incinerators, or other systems.
EcoTech can be used as a powerful means to mitigate emissions from existing power or other industrial plants. Brisa is currently in process to begin studies at six international locations where power plant pollution is a crippling issue. In two of the locations, the plants are unable to meet local emissions standards, and have been partially or fully shut down. Brisa anticipates the ability to mitigate all emissions issues at those plants, and to reclaim all of the infrastructure in place that is sitting idle. Over time, inexpensive algae biofuels may be used in the plants to replace the fuels currently causing the emissions issues, and these plants may become energy independent and near zero carbon footprint. Clean burning carbon neutral transportation fuels may also be produced.
We at Brisa International are proud to introduce the next generation in pollution control, green energy, water supply, water treatment, and waste treatment, the EcoTech Complex.
There are many more features at work in the EcoTech Complex, which we would be glad to discuss. For more information, please visit our website at www.brisainternational.com, or contact us in the USA at (770) 495-2300.
Note from the Editors: the preceding article is an advertorial by Brisa International.
- Worldwide energy consumption has grown to nearly 600 exajoules per year, up from about 350 exajoules in 1980. About 68% of power plants worldwide are fossil fuel plants.
- Carbon emissions worldwide have soared to approximately 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide, up from about 19 billion tons in 1980, and continue to increase.
- Landfills emit large quantities of methane into the atmosphere worldwide. This gas greatly increases the greenhouse effect, being 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
- Current water use worldwide is about 4.7 billion cubic meters. That is up from about 2.5 billion cubic meters in 1970. Within the next 40 years, the world’s population is projected to increase by another 40 – 50%. This population growth and increasing demand for water is projected to have serious consequences on society and the environment. Drinking water will dwindle in many locations, and wastewater will increase.


The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
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The EcoTech Complex: Working with Nature

||
February 2, 2016
In modern times, we face unprecedented challenges in regard to energy, carbon emissions, other greenhouse gases, water supply, and wastewater treatment. In current statistics:
The table presents some astounding results. While all of the plants shown are used commonly for biofuels, algae far outstrips the highest producers in terms of growth. What becomes evident very quickly, is that algae theoretically is the only biofuel crop capable of the achieving the land use efficiency necessary to balance human activities. And based on these numbers, algae can accomplish it without even breaking a sweat.
It is mainly due to its astounding growth rate, and the ability to grow algae on non-arable land. For example, in the United States, corn has been used extensively to produce ethanol. It has been estimated that in order to replace all of the transportation fuels used in the USA, the amount of corn needed would take twice the total land area of the whole country. However, algae could replace all of the transportation fuel needs of the United States using an area about the size of a single small state – Maryland, according to the US Department of Energy.
The high growth rate of algae has been known for more than 30 years. But some major technical barriers needed to be removed in order for algae to realize its potential. Past implementation efforts have been largely misguided. In our view, algae is like a star player on a sports team. It can play a major role, but it needs teammates. In baseball, the ace pitcher performs the most important role. However, the pitcher cannot be expected to also run around the field and catch every ball that is hit, or to hit all of the home runs.
Yet in the past, algae has been treated that way. It has not been implemented in efficient ways, and has not been complemented by the right technologies surrounding it and interacting with it to make it successful. The good news is that when given the right context and support systems, algae thrive on all of the waste we humans are trying to get rid of, and return to us what we, in turn, need to thrive. But the real trick is to find the right “teammates” for success. Brisa has spent many years discovering that context, and creating systems to work together to optimize algae. That idea has been a major endeavor for Brisa that has yielded a wealth of exciting and amazing inventive technology.
Brisa’s team has removed technical barriers and has integrated this high-potential technology in synergistic ways into the major industrial systems in the EcoTech Complex. With this now accomplished the algae technology has a home and has become a major transformative factor, in conjunction with other technologies in our design.
Along with its promise as a biofuel, algae technology can be adapted to provide effective wastewater treatment. In EcoTech’s systems, municipal wastewater or farm runoff can be treated to a higher degree than traditional bacteria-based systems, especially in regard to nutrient removal, and treatment is accomplished using significantly less energy. Also, in contrast to traditional wastewater treatment, an algae treatment process can reach carbon neutrality, and useful biomass is generated, which may then be used as a biofuel or to make an array of non-fuel bio-products. The EcoTech has implemented powerful innovative technology designs in order to effectively use algae in this role.
Carbon dioxide has simply gotten well out of balance today, and there are no good solutions on the horizon, except one – algae. If all of the transportation fuels in the US can be grown on non-arable land (even desert) the size of Maryland, using algae as the US DOE has said many times, and technologies like the EcoTech can make it viable, then we have truly found our solution. At present algae consume more carbon dioxide and produce more oxygen than all other plants combined! If we can grow our fuels, sacrificing minimal non-arable land, and have a zero carbon footprint, it is by far the most attainable way to reach renewable energy goals and bring the carbon equation back into balance universally. And as time goes on, the algae technology will get better and better.
At the EcoTech, we use algae to consume carbon dioxide from power plants, and waste-to-energy systems. We can then use algae fuel generated as a substitute fuel for power plants, which can then become carbon-neutral multi-pass systems. Or algae can be turned into all of the same kinds of transportation fuels and heating fuels we derive from petroleum. If all emission are captured and turned into more permanent products, such as bioplastics, the system becomes carbon negative. In sum, the EcoTech can mitigate power plant and WTE emissions, turn wastewater treatment into a carbon-neutral process, and from those inputs, create carbon-neutral biofuels. These processes can be accomplished with astounding efficiency, creating major economic benefits as well.
FLEXIBILITY AND VERSATILITY
We believe the EcoTech embodies the best solutions now and for the future, because: It works with completely natural processes that have the power to accomplish the goals society needs in water treatment, water supply, pollution abatement, green energy, biofuels and bio-products.
And it works with existing infrastructure and local resources. Many times systems are built in isolation. The result is inefficiency and environmental damage. While the EcoTech has cutting-edge designs, it is designed to also fully integrate with any existing technologies. We add new, innovative technologies to existing technologies. For example, any existing combustion-based power plant can serve as the power plant in the EcoTech design, including the most polluting, such as coal or fuel oil, or industrial plants which are major polluters, like cement factories. If some pollutants may become too excessive for the algae, Brisa has designed inventive systems to mitigate and regulate those constituents.
We focus on turning harmful outputs of different systems into catalysts in other systems. Where waste streams exist, they will become valuable resource streams in the EcoTech.
The EcoTech is flexible as to local resources in the following areas:
Water: Input to the EcoTech system may include any water type(s) available locally, including fresh water, wastewater, salt water, or brackish water. No net consumption of water is needed. Water is used to transfer materials through many levels of the design, to carry and transfer heat, to dilute, and in the algae system. All water is conserved and reused in other systems where possible. The EcoTech was designed with the perspective that every drop of water is precious.
Land: the configuration and characteristics are very flexible. The algae component is by far the most land efficient biofuel technology by far in the world, and can utilize non-arable land.
Waste Streams: The EcoTech works effectively to turn whatever waste streams are available locally – solid waste, wastewater, carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions from potential negatives to decided positives. All of these waste streams are put to use in creating energy or valuable non-fuel products at low to zero carbon footprint.
Climate: Brisa has created breakthrough approaches that enable the algae technology to thrive in just about any climate, even those normally too cold for it.
Heat: The EcoTech has the most unique means to conserve and use heat productively ever conceived in any industrial system. That is because heat is another major negative that we can turn into a major positive. In combustion-based power plants, a portion of the heat generated by the fuel is used to perform work to generate power. Another portion of the heat, however, must be removed from the system. The portion of heat that is removed is commonly referred to as “waste heat”.
Waste heat comprises approximately 40% to 75% of the heat generated. That is a huge proportion of the fuel value. In many cases, cooling water is drawn into these plants from local sources and heated to unnatural levels, and then discharged back into the environment. This can cause severe damage to the environment. In other systems, heated water is sent to evaporation towers. A portion of the water is evaporated off in order to cool the remaining water. A significant amount of water is lost as this process continues over time. That is not a good solution going forward, as water becomes more and more a critical resource.
Recently an article was published about a power plant in the United States which discharged waste heat into a nearby river. The river was heated to a point that unnatural algae blooms occurred for miles downstream of the plant. The power plant’s heated discharge had elevated the water temperature to a level that was in the “sweet spot” for accelerated algae growth. This was considered a problem, and a discussion ensued about how to kill the algae by adding chemicals to the stream.
Whoa, Nellie, talk about working against nature! We humans create a problem, and then we propose to fix it with a completely unnatural and probably much more destructive solution. Yes, we will make the stream nice and clean by killing the algae with chemicals, but how many other aspects of that ecosystem have we will also wipe out by further changing the balance of nature with not only heat, but also chemicals?
HEAT IN THE ECOTECH
But there are very good solutions to this problem. Again if we study the lessons of nature, we will realize that waste heat is a very valuable resource that can be put to good use. With about 40 to 75% of the heat generated in power plants taking the form of waste heat, a huge problem stands to become a huge opportunity.
The EcoTech puts heat to use in many innovative and productive ways. In the EcoTech plan, we are intentionally growing algae in controlled systems. Power plant waste heat is used to regulate the temperature of all algae systems using our patent pending processes.
This is another example of a teammate coming alongside the algae technology to help it. Algae can normally grow only between approximately 37ᵒ N and 37ᵒ S latitude, but with much better results in warm, stable climates. This restriction is not due to the sunlight resource, which is sufficient in many locations around the world; rather it is due to temperature. But with Brisa’s many designs to deliver waste heat, algae can now be used in a wide range of climates. This provides a huge step forward for the technology. If algae can be grown effectively throughout most of Europe, Asia, and North America, where it would normally be too cold, it greatly multiplies the versatility of the technology. These systems also serve to dissipate the waste heat gradually into the environment, where it can cause no harm.
Brisa has developed many other highly innovative ways to use waste heat in the EcoTech. These applications greatly increase the efficiency of the other systems in the design, while mitigating environmental damage. That is turning a negative into a positive!
Pollution Control: because the EcoTech uses power plant exhaust to grow algae, and we are interested in capturing emissions, as well as regulating their flows, and treating any pollutants that would harm the algae, Brisa has developed some amazing exhaust gas recovery, treatment, and regulation designs. Some of these designs may be used either with or without algae systems to reduce harmful emissions. In conjunction with algae, the results are very impressive. We feel we will be able to implement major emissions reductions in even the most polluting plants, including coal, fuel oil, incinerators, or other systems.
EcoTech can be used as a powerful means to mitigate emissions from existing power or other industrial plants. Brisa is currently in process to begin studies at six international locations where power plant pollution is a crippling issue. In two of the locations, the plants are unable to meet local emissions standards, and have been partially or fully shut down. Brisa anticipates the ability to mitigate all emissions issues at those plants, and to reclaim all of the infrastructure in place that is sitting idle. Over time, inexpensive algae biofuels may be used in the plants to replace the fuels currently causing the emissions issues, and these plants may become energy independent and near zero carbon footprint. Clean burning carbon neutral transportation fuels may also be produced.
We at Brisa International are proud to introduce the next generation in pollution control, green energy, water supply, water treatment, and waste treatment, the EcoTech Complex.
There are many more features at work in the EcoTech Complex, which we would be glad to discuss. For more information, please visit our website at www.brisainternational.com, or contact us in the USA at (770) 495-2300.
Note from the Editors: the preceding article is an advertorial by Brisa International.
- Worldwide energy consumption has grown to nearly 600 exajoules per year, up from about 350 exajoules in 1980. About 68% of power plants worldwide are fossil fuel plants.
- Carbon emissions worldwide have soared to approximately 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide, up from about 19 billion tons in 1980, and continue to increase.
- Landfills emit large quantities of methane into the atmosphere worldwide. This gas greatly increases the greenhouse effect, being 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
- Current water use worldwide is about 4.7 billion cubic meters. That is up from about 2.5 billion cubic meters in 1970. Within the next 40 years, the world’s population is projected to increase by another 40 – 50%. This population growth and increasing demand for water is projected to have serious consequences on society and the environment. Drinking water will dwindle in many locations, and wastewater will increase.


The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.