VOA标准英语2009年-New Process Uses Algae to Produce Alternat

Researchers around the world are trying to find alternative fuels to replace fossil fuels, which are finite and might not be available in sufficient quantities in coming decades to meet the growing world demand for energy. In addition, burning fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide, which is linked to climate change. One U.S. company may have found a partial solution to both problems by using carbon dioxide to grow algae¹, which can be used to produce fuel.
　
Sunlight from a solar collector on the roof of Utah State University's Energy Laboratory in Logan, Utah, is sent through fiber² optics to stimulate³ the growth of algae, 11 Jun 2009

On a 9.6-hectare tract⁴ of land on the Texas coast south of Houston, a start-up company from Florida called Algenol, in partnership⁵ with the Dow Chemical company, plans to build more than 3,000 bioreactors, starting next year. The bioreactors will grow algae that can produce ethanol fuel through a special process that involves using carbon dioxide from nearby coal-burning power plants to promote faster growth of the algae.

Algenol is already testing the process with 40 bioreactors in Florida, but the partnership with Dow and the U.S. Department of Energy on the Texas project is a major leap forward.

"There are very significant capabilities⁶ that Dow has that they are bringing to bear in this process," said Paul Woods, Algenol's Chief Executive Officer. "And I would say the same thing for the DOE [Department of Energy]. They will give us a financial ability to accelerate the process, to bring on more jobs, to have capabilities brought in from additional partners."

For Dow Chemical, the main focus will be producing material from algae that can be used to make plastics. The company currently uses natural gas for that purpose.

The Algenol bioreactors also produce oxygen as a byproduct and that can be fed into a power plant to burn coal more cleanly. Carbon dioxide produced by the power plant can be recycled back into the bioreactors to help promote more algae growth.

Once the site is developed, Paul Woods says the fuel it produces will be competitive with gasoline produced from petroleum⁷ at nearby refineries⁸.

"We do not, in any way, intend to come to market with fuel that is more expensive than gasoline," he said. "We, in fact, intend to come to market with fuel that is less expensive than gasoline."

Some energy experts and environmentalists have expressed skepticism about the benefits of biofuels, especially ethanol produced from corn. But Woods notes that algae, using Algenol's patented process, produces eight times more energy than the energy used to make it. Corn-based ethanol produces only slightly more energy than it takes to produce it. And unlike corn, algae is not grown for food.

The Alegnol process involves the long-term growth of algae with continual extraction of the ethanol rather than cooking material to produce alcohol, which is the most common way ethanol is made from corn, sugar cane⁹ or waste material.

Many energy experts favor the development of electric vehicles rather than a heavy investment in biofuels. But Paul Woods says that idea is limited by the batteries used to store energy and that there is no battery currently available that can power long-haul trucks or heavy machinery¹⁰.

"There will always be an advantage to a liquid transportation fuel. It has a lot more energy density¹¹ than batteries," he said. "It will for a long time, at least while I am alive. And it is not just trucks and heavy machinery. It is even for an average family taking a longer trip than just a work commute¹², you really are going to have to have transportation fuel."

Biofuels are also favored by U.S. federal energy policies. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 calls for increased use of biofuels in coming decades, with a goal of producing more than 136 billion liters of renewable fuels by the 2022.

1 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

2 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

3 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

4 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

7 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

8 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

9 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

10 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

11 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

12 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。