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Ulrich Bonne,    Chemical Physicist

                        Energy Consultant and Analyst                        

                        S&T Advisor to BOD of H2-Technologies, Inc.

                        CTO of MinneFuel, LLC

                        CTO of Light on the Earth, LLC

                        Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740                                                         

                        808-324-0108,  ulrichbonne@msn.com

 

Education:        PhD,  Chemical Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany,  1964

                                  Thesis: “Studies of soot formation in the reaction zone

                                             of low-pressure flat flames”

                        MS,   Physics, University of Göttingen, Germany, 1960

                        BS,    Physics, University of Freiburg, Germany, 1957

Experience: 

Technical Consultant and CTO of MinneFuel, LLC,  with home office in Kailua-Kona, HI: Jan 2007- present.

With MinneFuel, LLC and associated companies (ARI and ALTEC) led the development of designs and economic models to demonstrate the economic feasibility of small residual-biomass gasification plants for production of liquid fuels, with preference given to commercially available hardware. This work included thermo-chemical computations to simulate the benefits of hydrogen extraction from within the gasifier, at temperatures high enough to let water gas shift equilibrium produce additional hydrogen from available water. He verified the notions that 1) residual producer gas after syngas “extraction” is still a valuable “low-Btu” fuel-gas with a flame temperature of only ~60°C below that of natural gas-air flames, and 2) the markedly different pressure dependence of Fischer-Tropsch catalytic production of methanol (high dependence) and of alkanes (low dependence).

Assisted a Minneapolis business with modeling the pressure rise of dust explosions in grain elevators, so that suitable suppression action could be implemented in time, before damage to the structure can occur.

 

Honeywell Labs, Plymouth, MN: From 1965 to 1967 and from 1968 to his retirement at the end of 2006, as group leader, senior scientist and fellow, proposed, directed and managed internally- and externally-funded R&D projects and contracts. Technical accomplishments: Developed thermo-physical sensors for fuel characterization, combustion control and process control, and transferred to production two combustion-related instruments: 1) Fuel/air ratio measurement based on flame ionization (FSP1400) and 2) A combustion efficiency meter based on flue gas measurement of O2 and temperature (A7001). Recent research efforts were dedicated to conceiving, demonstrating, and facilitating application and productization of new thermal microsensor-based technology. These include sensors of natural gas quality or traces of it (leak detection), oxygen, carbon-monoxide and -dioxide, dew point, heating value, octane and cetane numbers, flame presence; true volumetric, mass or energy flow, and toxic gas detection/analysis based on MEMS-GC technology.  

 

Factory Mutual Research Co (FMRC), Norwood, MA: During a leave-of-absence from Honeywell from 1967-68, studied the explosion suppression in confined spaces, and flammability of materials in zero-gravity (space) environments.

 

Physical Chemistry Department, Univ. of Göttingen, Germany: Research Associate from 1960-1965, while completing studies and thesis work on combustion kinetics of flame inhibition/extinguishment and of soot formation in low-pressure flat flames via optical spectroscopy

 

He has served on ASHRAE's "Fuels & Combustion" (5 years as chair) and "Research & Technical" Committees;  NAS's Panel to evaluate NIST/CSTL R&D and standards activities; and on DOE and DARPA advisory planning committees. He is a member of the Int’l. Combustion Institute, The Minnesota Futurists and a former member the American Chemical Society, the Optical Society of America, The Faraday Society, SAE and ASHRAE. He has published over 170 papers on above subjects and holds over 100 U.S.Patents.

 

Design experience relevant to the MinneFuels venture: His combustion, sensor and analyzer system design experience over the past 45 years covers R&D with 6”-diameter methane, hydrogen and acetylene burners for flames with oxygen or air in sub-atmospheric chambers, design of scanning vacuum spectrometers, high-temperature ceramic sensor systems and high-temperature micro-sensors and analyzers. Under contract to NIST, he developed the test method that later became the basis for the DOE/ASHRAE "AFUE Label" (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) on central furnaces and boilers. A sampling of publications of relevance to biomass conversion and small plant sensors and controls are listed below.

 

As a consultant, analyst and S&T adviser to the BOD or H2 Technologies since 2010, he verified the economic feasibility of producing H2 from ocean (or from air condensation) water; renewable fuel from H2 and CO2 captured from air; and the need and benefits to provide battery back-up to photo-voltaic (PV) installations. The on-site battery is needed to reduce grid overloads; continue to use the transmission, metering and billing infrastructure of utility companies to provide secondary back-up. Thereby PVs can help to reduce oil imports and electricity rates to below 20 c/kWh (down from the 44 c/kWh rate in Hawaii), while increasing economic activity to sustain government tax revenues lost from former oil imports and electricity sales. See recent papers on this subject at http://www.AlohaFuels.pbworks.com

 

U.Bonne (and founders of MinneFuel, LLC), “The Niche for Small Residual Biomass Plants,” presentation to the Minnesota Futurists, Minneapolis, MN, 23 Feb.’08 http://www.mnfuturists.org/IndexLinkPages/PreviousMtgMaterial.htm

 

U.Bonne and partners, “Viable Plant Design for Modular and Distributed Fuel Generation from Residual Biomass: 1. Technical, Economic, and Market Feasibility Demonstration,” proposal submitted to the Minnesota Department of Commerce Application - FY08 Renewable Energy Grant Round, “Focus Area C,” Minneapolis, MN, 26 Feb. 2008 

 

U.Bonne, Ronald Rich, George Crolick, Paul Anderson, Jack Ruff, Jim Jarvis, and  Dale Gunderson, “Packaged Cellulosic Bio-Fuels Plant,” CPAC Summer Institute, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA, 17-20 July 2007

 

U. Bonne, “Hydrogen Fuel for Space Conditioning of Buildings,” Joint CTC, APEO, IEEE, ASHRAE, “Hydrogen Energy Symposium,” London, Ontario, Canada, May 1, l981, Int'l.J.Hydrogen Energy, 8, 295 (1983)

 

U. Bonne, and A. Patani, “Combustion Controls for Alternative Fuels,” Seminar on Efficiency of Combustion System VI, ASHRAE l980 Semiannual Meeting, Los Angeles, February 3–7, l980; ASHRAE Transactions, 87-I, 361, 1981.

 

U. Bonne, and A. Patani, “Performance Simulation of Residential Heating Systems with HFLAME,” T. Paper, No. (2580) ASHRAE l980 Semiannual Meeting, Los Angeles, February 3–7, l980, ASHRAE Transactions, 86-I, 351, 1980.

 

A. Patani, Jacobson, R.D., and U. Bonne, “Energy Conserving Controls for Combustion and Heat Pump Systems,” presented at 2nd International Gas Research Symposium, Los Angeles, CA, September l981; Proceedings, p. 1400.

 

U. Bonne, “Controls for Farmer’s Ethanol Plants,” 3rd World Energy Engineering Congress, Atlanta, GA, October 14–16, l980.

 

Janssen, J.E., Glatzel, J.J., and U. Bonne, “Performance of a Thermal Aerosol Oil Burner (low-emission blue-oil flame burner)”, 22nd Symposium on Stationary Source Combustion,” sponsored by EPA, New Orleans, LA, September l977; Proceedings (EPA-600/7-77-108).

 

U.Bonne, K.H.Homann, and H.Gg.Wagner, “Carbon Formation in Premixed Flames,” 10th International Symposium on Combustion, Pittsburgh, PA (1965), p. 503.

 

U.Bonne, Th.Grewer and H.Gg.Wagner, “Messungen in der Reaktionszone von Wasserstoff-Sauerstoff und Methan-Sauerstoff-Flammen” (Measurements in the Reaction Zone of Hydrogen-Oxygen and Methane-Oxygen Flames), Z. Phys. Chem. N.F., 26, 93 (1960); Fire Research Abstracts and Reviews, 4, 130 (l962).

 

U.Bonne (Honeywell Labs), G.Eden (U.Illinois), G.Frye-Mason (Nomadics), R.Sacks (U.Michigan) and R.Synovec (U.Washington), "Micro Gas Chromatography Tradeoff Study. Final Report," to DARPA / AFRC / UTC No.: AFRL-PR-WP-TR-2004-2060; Contract No. 03-S530-0013-01-C1, Plymouth, MN,  1 December 2003, http://www.stormingmedia.us/89/8975/A897524.html

 

U.Bonne, K.Johnson and R.Higashi (Honeywell Labs), W.Whitten and B.Warmack (ORNL), O.Bakajin and M.Stadermann (LLNL), S.Pau (U.Ariz), R.Sachs (U.Mich), M.Ramsey (U.NC), R.Synovec (U.Wash), C.Herring (Caviton, Inc), "PHASED MGA (Micro Gas Analyzer)," Contract with DARPA-MTO; 2004-2007, webpage at: http://www.darpa.mil/mto/programs/mga/index.html

 

U.Bonne, R.Higashi, K.Johnson, N.Iwamoto, R.Sacks and R.Synovec, "Stationary Phase Films for MicroAnalytical Measurements," PittCon 2005, Orlando, FL, 27 Feb. - 4 Mar. 2005, Paper Number: 420-1 

 

Ulrich Bonne, Klein Johnson, Robert Higashi, Fouad Nusseibeh, Karen Newstrom-Peitso, Terry Marta, Eugen Cabuz, and Tzu-Yu Wang, John Mosher, Nancy Iwamoto, and Nelson Lytle, Honeywell International, Rob Synovec, Vanessa Reid, Bryan Prazen, Gwen Gross, and Dave Veltkamp, Chemistry Department/CPAC, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Cyrus Herring, Kirsten Kunze and David Kellner, Caviton, Inc., Champaign, IL, "PHASED*: Development of a µGC-on-a-Chip with Interface to NeSSI," Sensors Expo, Chicago, IL, 6-9 June 2005, Session on "2005 ITP Sensors & Automation Annual Portfolio Review," http://www.eere.energy.gov/industry/sensors_automation/pdfs/meetings/0605/bonne_0605.pdf

 

U.Bonne, T.-C.Nguyen and D.Polla, “Developments in Ultra Micro Gas Analyzers, Chapter 9.3 in: M.V.Koch, K.M.Van den Bussche and R.W.Chrisman (eds.) “Micro-Instrumentation for High Throughput Experimentation and Process Intensification – a Tool for Process Analytical Technology,” Wiley-VCH, ISBN: 978-3-527-31425-6, Weinheim (2007)

 

U.Bonne, “Gas Sensing Systems” chapter in “Comprehensive Microsystems” (co-edited by Prof. Y.Gianchandani, U.Mich.), submitted 10 Oct.’06, published by Elsevier (2007)

 

U.Bonne, “HELCO’s requests for (1) Rate hike to subsidize AKP’s biofuel at 1/6 ¢/kWh and (2) a 4.2% rate hike, vs. an individual PV+battery approach for clean, secure, ~20 ¢/kWh Big Island energy future,” HELCO PUC hearing in Kailua-Kona, HI, 30 Oct.’12, rev. 27 Nov.’12, http://alohafuels.pbworks.com/f/PB-12-HELCO-AKP-PUC-1.pdf  

 

 

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