International Conference on Bridging Technology and Sustainable Science: Industry 5.0, Innovation and Ethics, Feb 13-15, 2025

Keynote Topic:

The Intersection of Science, Automation and AI in Industry.  Should We be Afraid?

Throughout history these have had a great influence on how we make things, do things and see things. The tools available today are just as frightening as new tools have been in the past. Where have we seen this before and how should we prepare for tomorrow? 

Session Topic:

Waste Valorization, when does it make sense?

Much research has revealed methods for converting waste biomass materials into something potentially more useful. At what point does it make sense to make these discoveries operational? In this talk we look at an example of a waste oil conversion process and constraints.

Bringing world-class expertise to our ecosystem!

Norman Fraley, Executive Director at Frolich Institute for Research in Sustainable Technology, is joining us for a power-packed session on Systems Science. From dissecting complex problems to building sustainable solutions, learn how systems thinking can be your secret weapon in the startup journey

Your journey from chaos to clarity begins here!

A 1995 Taylor outdoor hydronic wood stove is being repurposed to work with the over all home heating system. Refurbishment began and plumbing to start soon.

2500 feet added and 1000 feet removed from Phase 1 to correct for thermal dissipation concerns. Biomass heat exchanger removed and methane heater converted to a gas insert in fireplace to retain the ambiance.

A total of 72 PV modules were acquired, each with a maximum power production of 500 watts. The first 15,000 watt inverter and 42 KWH lithium iron phosphate battery bank was secured. Details to follow as time permits.

A 5 ton water circulating geothermal system with 2500 feet of 3/4” waterline buried 6 feet deep was installed as phase 1 of the HVAC upgrade to replace fireplace, wood stove and natural gas heat.

Phase 2 has begun to add an additional 2500 ft of waterline.

A central room on the second floor was opened up and six solar shade skylights installed. Temperature and humidity sensing units were installed to raise/lower the shades as needed.

A log home assembled from 31 reclaimed tobacco barns from wood aged 125-150 years will be brought into the 21st century using technology to bring energy efficiency and comfort.

The property was acquired in August 2022 from the original builder’s estate. Sustainability projects planned include: Ground source geothermal, solar skylights, biomass hydronic heating, solar photoelectric, water condensate regeneration/purification.

EMCMRE-6 was held in Marrakech, Morocco June 27-30 2022 where we shared the biowaste conversion technology to the world.

A continuous-flow catalytic esterification of free fatty acids with methanol in the presence of sulfonated hydrothermal carbon as catalyst was studied. Using a Box-Behnken experimental design protocol the effects of retention time, methanol/acid molar ratio and water concentration on the conversion of oleic acid into methyl oleate in the continuous-flow packed bed reactor were investigated. The optimum conditions for achieving an esterification of greater than 90% was seen at 100 ºC for a 11-minute residence time, a MeOH/FFA molar ratio > 14.6 while in the presence of up to 14.9% water. The SHTC was used continuously for 4.5 days without any significant decrease in catalytic performance. The results confirmed that SHTC is an effective solid acid catalyst in a continuous flow system for the esterification of FFA.

Flow system prototype in operation

We are actively participating in the development of an amorphous carbon catalyst prepared by 100% green chemistry processes which has already shown great success in the conversion of free fatty acids directly into biodiesel. This exciting development stands to change the way the industry makes this valuable liquid biofuel.

We were retained to present a keynote address and a workshop at the Commissioning, Qualification & Validation University | Computer Systems Validation & Data Integrity Compliance Congress - November 19 - 21, 2018 in Dublin, Ireland.

The keynote was on the "Impact of Human Factors on Data Integrity in the Laboratory".

The workshop taught methods to "Develop a Roadmap for Analytical Methods Validation"

Over 100 attendees from major pharmaceutical companies around the world participated in the event and praised the insights shared.

Many in the neighborhood arrived to begin the building of "Unity Park."  We had visits from a master drone pilot to assist in our documentation, a visit from the South Ward Councilman, and a surprise discovery that Laura's former Professor lives next door to us!

We cleared more brush and old fence plus began digging the water retention swales this Easter weekend. A swale is a low tract of land, especially one that is moist or marshy.  Artificial swales are infiltration basins designed to manage water runoff, filter pollutants, and increase rainwater infiltration. By building these early, we begin the long process of increasing the overall moisture content of the soil.

Our soil, like that of most abandoned urban lots, is pretty poor. Although we will be receiving the official soil test results back from the NC Dept of Agriculture, after a few hours of digging it was obvious that a major amount of attention needs to be spent on remediation of the soil health and nutrition.  Soils are their own ecosystems and to reach the sort of soil that our "Food Forest" needs, it will require a lot of human assistance! Next up is the incorporation of mulching materials, wood chips, sand and aeration to help rebuild the soil. 

If you can help in any way, please let us know. 

Next 

We have been retained to present a seminar and a workshop at the conference in San Diego, CA.

The seminar will be on the "Impact of Human Factors on Data Integrity in the Laboratory".

The workshop will be teaching methods to "Develop a Roadmap for Analytical Methods Validation"

Learn more

We were invited to speak at the National Center for Biotech Workforce SciTech Lecture series to give a Seminar on the "Analytical and Physical Chemistry of Smoke" .

All lectures are free and open to the public.  WATCH IT HERE

Oak Grove Auditorium
Forsyth Tech Main Campus
2100 Silas Creek Parkway
Winston-Salem, NC

Ms. Laura Gardea has received a grant from the Winston-Salem Arts Council to bring beauty to urban areas and asked the Institute if we could help with an urban permaculture "food forest" concept.

The Institute was granted access to a vacant lot on the South side of Winston-Salem. We have begun planning for a project to create a sustainable urban food forest for the Washington Park - Historic District - neighborhood. We envision an outdoor perennial garden/park space suitable for public lectures, small performances, teaching and relaxation. The project will include support from area universities, faith groups, neighborhood businesses and interested individuals.

Would you like to volunteer to help work on this project or sponsor it with additional donations? 

Contact us!