Richard H. Snow

Advances in Process Control

Advances in electronics and computers have enabled industries to attain better control of their processes with resulting increases in quality, productivity, profitability, and compliance with government regulations. With a hierarchy of computers, distributed data acquisition, and information processing and control, it is possible to achieve overall optimum performance of a plant. While further advances in microprocessors and large-scale integration will be useful to the process engineer, major improvements in process control await advances in sensor technology and software.

Massive storage of wind power to reduce CO 2 emissions to produce wind-clean fuels

Wind power is being curtailed because large scale electrical energy storage systems are not available. However, a practical, large-scale, electro-thermal in situ energy storage system has been designed. Wind energy via the grid is transferred into unconventional oil deposits, such as the oil shale, tar sand or heavy oil deposits in the USA. This stored heat eventually converts the hydrocarbons into recoverable oil and gas products without generating CO2 emissions or needing much water. The energy in these wind clean fuels greatly exceeds the applied electrical energy. These wind-clean fuels can be used to offset use of foreign oil or to regenerate electrical power into back into the grid. The grid is stabilized by electronically controlling the system load. It can be used for smart grid functions. Fuel production can be sustained for over 100 years by the massive oil shale and tar sand deposits in the USA.