Nintendo 3DS: 12 Games To Look Out For In 2012 (Digital Trends)

The dawn of a new year means 365 days of new gaming action to look forward to, and the pressure?s really on for Nintendo in 2012. Not only is the company launching its new Wii U console at the end of the year; there?s also a need to keep pushing with the 3DS, which suffered at launch a year ago due to a high price tag and a generally weak launch lineup. Some real gems have emerged since then, particularly on the first-party side of things. Super Mario Land 3D continues to be the best reason to own the system.

With Sony bringing the PlayStation Vita and its console-quality portable gaming to the masses in North America on February 22, the 3DS will be facing some stiff competition this year. There?s hope though. At least a few big-ticket games are fully confirmed and presumably arriving on schedule, which means that there?s some quality 3DS content to look forward to this year. Then there are others that aren?t so confirmed, but we?re all wishing and hoping that they firm up soon. Here are some of our most-anticipated from both sides of the fence?

?

The Binding of Isaac

To be fair, The Binding of Isaac is technically unconfirmed as a 3DS release. The hope is that Nintendo sees it being mentioned in lists like this and carries forward with approving the game for release on its portable platform. Edmund McMillen?s currently PC-only Roguelike (with shades of The Legend of Zelda) has been submitted to the handheld-maker for release approval. The hope is that it comes soon and that the port is ready for a fall release. McMillen is on record as a big Nintendo supporter, and hopes are high that this 3DS release will eventually happen.

?

Crush 3D

It?s kind of crazy to think that this 2007 PlayStation Portable puzzler is such a highly anticipated 3DS release, and yet here we are. Sega?s underrated puzzle-platformer was great on the PSP and it should really shine with the 3DS. The object of the game is to navigate through a series of environments by jumping between 2D and 3D layouts to play with perspective and bridge otherwise inaccessible locations. Crush 3D is already available in Europe and it?s coming to the U.S. soon, on March 6.

?

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kid Icarus: Uprising heralds the long-awaited return of one of Nintendo?s most vintage mascots, Pit. The hero of the NES classic Kid Icarus hasn?t been seen much since that original game and its Game Boy sequel; only the odd cameo and all-star lineup appearances. Uprising is the first new Kid Icarus game since the early ?90s, and it sports a fresh new 3D look and approach to gameplay, complete with online multiplayer. Look for it in North America on March 23.

?

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

The next Kingdom Hearts release puts players in control of two of the series? past protagonists: Sora and Riku. The story follows them as they visit and awaken a series of worlds as part of their Mark of Mastery Exam, the completion of which will mark them as Keyblade Masters. Early gameplay videos have shown the same sort of action-RPG play that fans of the series have come to expect. Dream Drop Distance arrives in Japan in March, and it?s confirmed as a North America release for sometime later this year.

?

Luigi?s Mansion 2

Nintendo revealed Luigi?s Mansion 2 at E3 last year. The sequel to the cult favorite GameCube launch title, the game casts Mario?s green-clad brother as a ghostbusting do-gooder armed with a spirit-sucking vacuum cleaner. The new game will see Luigi exploring multiple mansions (instead of the previous game?s one). It is also expected that the sequel will have more of a puzzle focus, one that likely takes good advantage of the 3DS?s unique display capabilities. There?s no release date set for this one yet; all we know is that it?s coming in 2012. Halloween, or thereabouts, seems like a safe bet.

?

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D

Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D is a portable remake of the Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater console game. It?s a prequel to the events of all other MGS games, putting players in the shoes of Big Boss back when he was just plain old Naked Snake. Portable isn?t an ideal format for this style of Metal Gear game, but that doesn?t matter to fans like me who are screaming for some quality stealth action on the go. The remake will add touch screen inventory access and gyroscope controls, and it?s coming to North America on February 21.

?

Monster Hunter 4

Nintendo revealed last year that Capcom is prepping a 3DS release of Monster Hunter 4. The series is HUGE in Japan, and it?s also big with discerning action-RPG fans who prefer a portable game that breaks hundreds of hours worth of play into bite-sized, minutes-long sections. The trailer reveal at TGS last year showed some gorgeous 3DS visuals in action, giving fans plenty to look forward to. It may be a little optimistic to put this down as a hoped-for 2012 release, but we?re a hopeful bunch here at Digital Trends.

?

Myst

Some of you might take issue with the selection of a vintage PC game for this ?most anticipated in 2012? list. I mean, let?s face it: Myst was new when CD-ROMs were still a freshly released technology. The game has been ported to any number of platforms, including the Nintendo DS. Whether you?ve played it with every new port or never touched it before, the game remains one of the most clever and challenging puzzle-based adventure games that?s ever been released. Don?t expect the 3DS version to change things up TOO much, though fans can expect to explore the newly added RIME Age. Myst comes to the 3DS on March 27.

?

Paper Mario

I?m not sure how many are convinced that Paper Mario really will be coming to 3DS this year, but it would be a smart move on Nintendo?s part to make that happen. Fans want to play this game, and badly. We don?t know a whole lot yet. Turn-based combat will make a return, and it will of course take advantage of the 3DS touchscreen. A 2012 release is expected, which means that we?ll very likely be hearing more soon, as the year?s trade shows start to ramp up.

?

Professor Layton Vs. Ace Attorney

This is one of those mysterious ?2012 release? titles that doesn?t have a proper date yet, but it?s such a cool mash-up that I couldn?t possibly ignore it. The 3DS will ALSO be seeing a new Layton game, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle, but it can?t compete with an adventure pitting gaming?s premiere lawyer versus gaming?s premiere? uhh? logic puzzle-solver. As you would probably expect from a mash-up like this, the game will feature of mix of the Layton puzzle-solving and Ace Attorney trial investigations. Expect plenty of colorful, anime-style weirdness.

?

Resident Evil: Revelations

Last year?s Resident Evil: Mercenaries offered some fun, arcade-style action, but Resident Evil: Revelations is the narrative-driven survival-horror-style adventure that fans of the series have been waiting for. The story follows Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine in a story set between the events of RE4 and RE5. Revelations is coming very soon too; the game arrives in North America on February 7! Are you ready for more zombie-fueled mayhem?!

?

Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is yet another Japan-only 3DS release for now, with a February 16 release date. It?s a popular series here in the West though, and Square Enix would do well to release it. Also, it?s important to note that Theatrhythm is a FINAL FANTASY RHYTHM GAME. The story is built from the same Chaos/Cosmos conflict used in the Dissidia fighting games, which allows it to spread across the entire history of the series. Expect to encounter plenty of familiar characters, locations and music as you play. Now, how about that U.S. release confirmation? Eh, Square Enix?

This article was originally posted on Digital Trends

More from Digital Trends

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Best Nintendo 3DS games of 2011

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personaltech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/digitaltrends/20120119/tc_digitaltrends/nintendo3ds12gamestolookoutforin2012

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Seven Rules For Dating Bachelorette Emily Maynard

Emily Maynard has been confirmed as The Bachelorette, a full six months before the summer premiere and well before filming has even begun on the new season.

While ABC has not officially announced that the 26-year-old North Carolinian will star on the show, it's been reported by People, EW, E! News and numerous others.

It's happening, and the casting was likely leaked early on purpose.

That's because Emily Maynard is a different kind of Bachelorette, and guys had better know what they're in for. Here's a little tip sheet for prospective suitors ...

• Ricki, Ricki, Ricki. Maynard and her 6-year-old daughter, are incredibly close. So much show that production is moving to their hometown of Charlotte, N.C. Any fellas coming on The Bachelorette are really wooing two women.

• The past matters. Maynard lost her fiance, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, at age 19. Days after Ricky's death, Maynard learned she was pregnant. She named their only child after him, and remains close to his family.

• The more recent past matters. While it didn't work out with Brad Womack after The Bachelor, he and Maynard are still close. Womack "taught me that I have it in me to love again," Emily said. "He's always going to be a part of my life."

• Image matters. As a mother, Emily is not likely to be sexualized or over-the-top in her pursuit of a good time on the show. Guys should act accordingly.

• Patience is a priority. A beautiful Southern belle, Maynard can find a date any time she wants, but a lasting relationship is a different story. Any potential mate must be prepared that this courtship will be an unconventional one.

• No douchebags please. Seriously, as offensive as Bentley Williams was on Ashley Hebert's season, a return by that ass clown would be 10 times worse.

• Hope you like Charlotte. It's a vibrant, booming city. One you're likely to live in for a long time if you want to be with Emily. Just saying.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/seven-rules-for-dating-bachelorette-emily-maynard/

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Tales emerge of missing and dead in ship disaster

In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, and made available Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Francesco Schettino, right, the captain of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia, which ran aground Friday off the tiny Tuscan island of Isola del Giglio, is taken into custody by Carabinieri in Porto Santo Stefano, Italy. Schettino, released on Tuesday, and currently under house arrest in his hometown of Meta di Sorrento, southern Italy, is being investigated for possible manslaughter charges and abandoning the ship. (AP Photo/Giacomo Aprili)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, and made available Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Francesco Schettino, right, the captain of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia, which ran aground Friday off the tiny Tuscan island of Isola del Giglio, is taken into custody by Carabinieri in Porto Santo Stefano, Italy. Schettino, released on Tuesday, and currently under house arrest in his hometown of Meta di Sorrento, southern Italy, is being investigated for possible manslaughter charges and abandoning the ship. (AP Photo/Giacomo Aprili)

This undated photo provided Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 by the St. Piux X Catholic Church directory in White Bear Lake, Minn. shows Jerry and Barbara Heil. The Heils are among those still missing after a cruise ship hit a reef off the west coast of Italy late Friday, Jan. 13, 2012 following an unauthorized maneuver by the captain. (AP Photo/St. Pius X Church Directory Photo, Olan Mills Studios)

Map locates cruise ship path and previous path

The cruise ship Costa Concordia leans on its side after running aground the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio, Italy, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The $450 million Costa Concordia cruise ship was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew when it slammed into a reef Friday off the tiny Italian island of Giglio after the captain made an unauthorized maneuver. The death toll stands at 11, with 22 people still missing. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

In this photo taken on Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012, and made available Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, Francesco Schettino, right, the captain of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia, which ran aground Friday off the tiny Tuscan island of Isola del Giglio, is taken into custody by Carabinieri in Porto Santo Stefano, Italy. Schettino, released on Tuesday, and currently under house arrest in his hometown of Meta di Sorrento, southern Italy, is being investigated for possible manslaughter charges and abandoning the ship. (AP Photo/Giacomo Aprili)

ROME (AP) ? An Italian dad and his 5-year-old daughter. A retired American couple treating themselves after putting four children through college. A Hungarian musician who helped crying children into lifejackets, then disappeared while trying to retrieve his beloved violin from his cabin.

As details emerged Wednesday about the missing and the dead in the grounding of the Costa Concordia, the captain was quoted as saying he tripped and fell into the water from the listing vessel and never intended to abandon his passengers.

The search for the 21 people still unaccounted for in the disaster ground to a halt after the cruise liner shifted again on its rocky perch off the Tuscan island of Giglio, making it too dangerous for divers to continue. Rough seas were forecast for the next few days.

The bad weather also postponed the start of the weekslong operation to extract the half-million gallons of fuel on board the vessel, as Italy's environment minister warned Parliament of the ecological implications if the ship sinks.

The $450 million Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew when it slammed into a reef and capsized Friday after the captain made an unauthorized diversion from his programmed route and strayed into the perilous waters.

Capt. Francesco Schettino, who was jailed after he left the ship before everyone was safely evacuated, was placed under house arrest Tuesday, facing possible charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning his ship.

The ship's operator, Crociere Costa SpA, has accused Schettino of causing the wreck by making the unapproved detour, and the captain has acknowledged carrying out what he called a "tourist navigation" that brought the ship closer to Giglio. Costa has said such a navigational "fly by" was done last Aug. 9-10, after being approved by the company and Giglio port authorities.

However, Lloyd's List Intelligence, a leading maritime publication, said Wednesday its tracking of the ship's August route showed it actually took the Concordia slightly closer to Giglio than the course that caused Friday's disaster.

"This is not a black-and-white case," Richard Meade, editor of Lloyd's List, said in a statement.

"Our data suggests that both routes took the vessel within 200 meters (yards) of the impact point and that the authorized route was actually closer to shore."

New audio of Schettino's communications with the coast guard during the crisis emerged Wednesday, with the captain claiming he ended up in a life raft after he tripped and fell into the water.

"I did not abandon a ship with 100 people on board, the ship suddenly listed and we were thrown into the water," Schettino said, according to a transcript published Wednesday in the Corriere della Sera paper.

Initial audio of Schettino's conversations made headlines on Tuesday, showing an increasingly exasperated coast guard officer ordering Schettino back on board to direct the evacuation, and the captain resisting, saying it was too dark and the ship was tipping.

The officer's order, "Get back on board, (expletive!)" has entered the Italian lexicon, becoming a Twitter hashtag and adorning T-shirts.

Eleven people have been confirmed dead so far, and 21 are missing. Italian officials have only released 27 names so far, including two Americans, 12 Germans, six Italians, four French, and one person each from Hungary, India and Peru.

The Hungarian victim was identified Wednesday as 38-year-old Sandor Feher, who had been working as an entertainer on the stricken cruise ship. His body was found inside the wreck and identified by his mother, who had traveled to the Italian city of Grosseto, according to Hungary's foreign ministry.

Jozsef Balog, a pianist who worked with Feher on the ship, told the Blikk newspaper that Feher was wearing a lifejacket when he decided to return to his cabin to retrieve his violin. Feher was last seen on deck en route to the area where he was supposed to board a lifeboat.

According to Balog, Feher helped put lifejackets on several crying children before returning to his cabin.

Others among the missing include 5-year-old Dayana Arlotti and her father, William Arlotti, who were on the cruise with the father's girlfriend. The girl's parents separated three years ago.

The girl's mother, Susy Albertini, said she has been desperately calling police, port officials and the cruise company for days for news of her daughter and estranged husband.

"I last heard from her on Thursday," when she waved goodbye at school, Albertini, 28, told the La Voce di Romagna newspaper.

"The absurd thing is that no one can tell me anything, and what little I know is from the newspapers," she said. "Sometimes they ask absurd questions, like if my daughter knows how to swim. Do they understand she is 5 years old? What kind of question is that?"

William Arlotti, 36, had gone on the cruise with his girlfriend, Michela Marconcelli, who survived. She reported seeing Dayana, who was wearing a lifejacket, slide into the water when the boat shifted, but said someone helped retrieve her, the newspaper reported.

Marconcelli said she was pushed forward onto the life raft, and lost track of her companion and his daughter.

Other missing include retirees Jerry and Barbara Heil of White Bear Lake, Minn.

Sarah Heil, their daughter, told WBBM radio in Chicago that her parents had been looking forward to the 16-day cruise after raising four kids and sending them all off to college.

"They never had any money," she said. "So when they retired, they went traveling. And this was to be a big deal ? a 16-day trip. They were really excited about it."

The Heil children said in a blog post Wednesday that their parents were not among the passengers whose bodies were recently recovered, and they were praying that weather conditions would improve so authorities could resume search operations.

A U.S. congressional committee announced Wednesday that it will hold a hearing next month on the safety implications of the Costa Concordia accident, saying U.S. and international maritime organizations need to ensure standards are in place to protect passengers' safety on cruise ships.

Passengers have complained vocally about the chaotic evacuation and poor treatment by Costa officials once they got on land, with some saying they were provided only a single night of hotel accommodations and denied help getting to their embassies to get new passports.

Costa owner, Miami-based Carnival Corp., responded Wednesday, saying it was offering assistance and counseling to passengers and crew and was trying to take stock of lost possessions.

"Costa has also begun the process of refunding all voyage costs including both passenger cruise fares and all costs incurred while on board," Carnival said in a statement. "Our senior management teams are working together to determine additional support."

Rescue operations were suspended early Wednesday after instruments attached to the ship detected it had shifted, raising concerns for the safety of rescuers. By evening, officials still did not have enough data to assure the ship had stopped resettling and it was unclear when the search would resume.

Environment Minister Corrado Clini, who has warned of an environmental catastrophe in the waters around Giglio, a sanctuary for marine mammals, briefed Parliament on the effort to extract the half-million gallons of fuel. He said the ship risked sinking if it slips off its rocky perch.

Schettino was questioned by a judge for three hours Tuesday, then ordered held under house arrest rather than jailed ? a decision that federal prosecutors plan to challenge.

The judge, in her reasoning released Wednesday, said Schettino didn't represent a flight risk since he had stayed near the ship even after abandoning it, the ANSA news agency reported.

Schettino's lawyer, Bruno Leporatti, told reporters house arrest made sense.

"He never left the scene," the lawyer said. "There has never been a danger of flight."

Leporatti added that Schettino was upset by the accident, contrary to depictions in the Italian media that he did not appear to show regret.

"He is a deeply shaken man, not only for the loss of his ship, which for a captain is a grave thing, but above all for what happened and the loss of human life," Leporatti said.

Criminal charges including manslaughter and abandoning ship are expected to be filed by prosecutors shortly. Schettino faces a possible 12 years in prison on the abandoning ship charge alone.

_____

Barry reported from Milan.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-18-EU-Italy-Cruise-Aground/id-f47b9cdf81c3447cb48b0e7dc1b2eb17

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ZTE Plans Huge Smartphone Push Into China, U.S.

We often forget about ZTE here in the states since the company does most of its operations outside of our home turf. Still, we shouldn't forget that the company ranks fourth in the world in terms of handset makers, largely due to its focus on budget handsets. The first half of last year brought about a loss of three percentage points in terms of profit, and ZTE is now ready to come back guns blazing. And where else is better to stage an attack than in two of the most mobile hungry countries on the planet: China and the United States.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4Ofoow6wBug/

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The great gas hydrate escape

Public release date: 18-Jan-2012
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Contact: Mary Beckman
mary.beckman@pnnl.gov
509-375-3688
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Computer simulations revealing how methane and hydrogen pack into gas hydrates could enlighten alternative fuel production and carbon dioxide storage industries

RICHLAND, Wash. -- For some time, researchers have explored flammable ice for low-carbon or alternative fuel or as a place to store carbon dioxide. Now, a computer analysis of the ice and gas compound, known as a gas hydrate, reveals key details of its structure. The results show that hydrates can hold hydrogen at an optimal capacity of 5 weight-percent, a value that meets the goal of a Department of Energy standard and makes gas hydrates practical and affordable.

The analysis is the first time researchers have accurately quantified the molecular-scale interactions between the gases -- either hydrogen or methane, aka natural gas -- and the water molecules that form cages around them. A team of researchers from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory published the results in Chemical Physics Letters online December 22, 2011.

The results could also provide insight into the process of replacing methane with carbon dioxide in the naturally abundant "water-based reservoirs," according to the lead author, PNNL chemist Sotiris Xantheas.

"Current thinking is that you need large amounts of energy to push the methane out, which destroys the scaffold in the process," said Xantheas. "But the computer modeling shows that there is an alternative low energy pathway. All you need to do is break a single hydrogen bond between water molecules forming the cage -- the methane comes out, and then the hydrate reseals itself."

Cagey Ice

Gas hydrates -- especially methane hydrates, which store natural gas -- look like ice but actually hold burnable fuel. Naturally found deep in the ocean, water and gas interweave in the hydrates, but little is known about their chemical structure and processes occurring at the molecular level. They have been known to cause problems for the petroleum industry because they tend to clog pipes and can explode. A methane hydrate produced the bubble of methane gas that contributed to 2010's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

In previous work, Xantheas and colleagues used computer algorithms and models to examine the water-based, ice-like scaffold that holds the gas. Water molecules form individual cages made with 20 or 24 molecules. Multiple cages join together in large lattices. But those scaffolds were empty in the earlier analysis.

To find out how fuels can be accommodated inside the water cages, Xantheas and PNNL colleague Soohaeng Yoo Willow built computer models of the cages with either hydrogen gas -- in which two hydrogen atoms are bound together -- or methane gas, a small molecule made with one carbon and four hydrogen atoms.

In the hydrogen hydrates, which could potentially be used as materials for hydrogen fuel storage, a small hollow cage made from 20 water molecules could hold up to a maximum of five hydrogen molecules and a larger cage made from 24 water molecules could hold up to seven.

The maximum storage capacity equates to about 10 weight-percent, or the percentage of hydrogen by mass in the chunks of ice, although packing hydrogen in that tight puts undue strain on the system. The Department of Energy's goal for hydrogen storage -- to make the fuel practical -- is above 5.5 weight-percent.

Experimentally, hydrogen storage researchers typically measure much less storage capacities. The computer model showed them why: The hydrogen molecules tended to leak out of the cages, reducing the amount of hydrogen that could be stored.

The researchers found that adding a methane molecule to the larger cages in the pure hydrogen hydrate, however, prevented the hydrogen gas from leaking out. The computer model showed the researchers that they could store the hydrogen at high pressure and practical temperatures, and release it by reducing the pressure, which melts it.

Water Gates

Understanding how the gas interacts and moves through the cages can help chemists or engineers store gas and remove it at will. Willow and Xantheas' computer simulations showed that hydrogen molecules could migrate through the cages by passing between the figurative bars of the water cages. However, the cages also had gates: Sometimes a low-energy bond between two water molecules broke, causing a water molecule to swing open and let the hydrogen molecule drift out. The "gate" closed right after the molecule passed through to reform the lattice.

With methane hydrates, some fuel producers want to remove the gas safely to use it. Others see the emptied cages as potential storage sites for carbon dioxide, which could theoretically keep it out of the atmosphere and ocean, where it warms the earth and acidifies the sea. So, Willow and Xantheas tested how methane could migrate through the cages.

The water cages were only big enough to comfortably hold one methane molecule, so the chemists stuffed two methanes inside and watched what happened. Quickly, one of the water molecules forming the cage swung open like a gate, allowing one methane molecule to escape. The gate then slammed shut as the remaining methane scooted into the middle of the cage.

"This process is important because it can happen with natural gas. It shows how methane can move in the natural world," said Xantheas. "We hope this analysis will help with the technical issues that need to be addressed with gas hydrate research and development."

Xantheas said performing computer simulations with carbon dioxide instead of methane might help determine whether it's chemically feasible to store carbon dioxide in hydrates.

###

This work was supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science (BES). Computer resources used were at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif.

Reference: Soohaeng Yoo Willow and Sotiris S. Xantheas, 2011/12. Enhancement of Hydrogen Storage capacity in Hydrate Lattices, Chem. Phys. Lett. Dec. 22, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.cplett.2011.12.036. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009261411015314)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory where interdisciplinary teams advance science and technology and deliver solutions to America's most intractable problems in energy, national security and the environment. PNNL employs 4,250 staff, has a $918 million annual budget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965. Follow PNNL on Facebook, Linked In and Twitter.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 18-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mary Beckman
mary.beckman@pnnl.gov
509-375-3688
DOE/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Computer simulations revealing how methane and hydrogen pack into gas hydrates could enlighten alternative fuel production and carbon dioxide storage industries

RICHLAND, Wash. -- For some time, researchers have explored flammable ice for low-carbon or alternative fuel or as a place to store carbon dioxide. Now, a computer analysis of the ice and gas compound, known as a gas hydrate, reveals key details of its structure. The results show that hydrates can hold hydrogen at an optimal capacity of 5 weight-percent, a value that meets the goal of a Department of Energy standard and makes gas hydrates practical and affordable.

The analysis is the first time researchers have accurately quantified the molecular-scale interactions between the gases -- either hydrogen or methane, aka natural gas -- and the water molecules that form cages around them. A team of researchers from the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory published the results in Chemical Physics Letters online December 22, 2011.

The results could also provide insight into the process of replacing methane with carbon dioxide in the naturally abundant "water-based reservoirs," according to the lead author, PNNL chemist Sotiris Xantheas.

"Current thinking is that you need large amounts of energy to push the methane out, which destroys the scaffold in the process," said Xantheas. "But the computer modeling shows that there is an alternative low energy pathway. All you need to do is break a single hydrogen bond between water molecules forming the cage -- the methane comes out, and then the hydrate reseals itself."

Cagey Ice

Gas hydrates -- especially methane hydrates, which store natural gas -- look like ice but actually hold burnable fuel. Naturally found deep in the ocean, water and gas interweave in the hydrates, but little is known about their chemical structure and processes occurring at the molecular level. They have been known to cause problems for the petroleum industry because they tend to clog pipes and can explode. A methane hydrate produced the bubble of methane gas that contributed to 2010's Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

In previous work, Xantheas and colleagues used computer algorithms and models to examine the water-based, ice-like scaffold that holds the gas. Water molecules form individual cages made with 20 or 24 molecules. Multiple cages join together in large lattices. But those scaffolds were empty in the earlier analysis.

To find out how fuels can be accommodated inside the water cages, Xantheas and PNNL colleague Soohaeng Yoo Willow built computer models of the cages with either hydrogen gas -- in which two hydrogen atoms are bound together -- or methane gas, a small molecule made with one carbon and four hydrogen atoms.

In the hydrogen hydrates, which could potentially be used as materials for hydrogen fuel storage, a small hollow cage made from 20 water molecules could hold up to a maximum of five hydrogen molecules and a larger cage made from 24 water molecules could hold up to seven.

The maximum storage capacity equates to about 10 weight-percent, or the percentage of hydrogen by mass in the chunks of ice, although packing hydrogen in that tight puts undue strain on the system. The Department of Energy's goal for hydrogen storage -- to make the fuel practical -- is above 5.5 weight-percent.

Experimentally, hydrogen storage researchers typically measure much less storage capacities. The computer model showed them why: The hydrogen molecules tended to leak out of the cages, reducing the amount of hydrogen that could be stored.

The researchers found that adding a methane molecule to the larger cages in the pure hydrogen hydrate, however, prevented the hydrogen gas from leaking out. The computer model showed the researchers that they could store the hydrogen at high pressure and practical temperatures, and release it by reducing the pressure, which melts it.

Water Gates

Understanding how the gas interacts and moves through the cages can help chemists or engineers store gas and remove it at will. Willow and Xantheas' computer simulations showed that hydrogen molecules could migrate through the cages by passing between the figurative bars of the water cages. However, the cages also had gates: Sometimes a low-energy bond between two water molecules broke, causing a water molecule to swing open and let the hydrogen molecule drift out. The "gate" closed right after the molecule passed through to reform the lattice.

With methane hydrates, some fuel producers want to remove the gas safely to use it. Others see the emptied cages as potential storage sites for carbon dioxide, which could theoretically keep it out of the atmosphere and ocean, where it warms the earth and acidifies the sea. So, Willow and Xantheas tested how methane could migrate through the cages.

The water cages were only big enough to comfortably hold one methane molecule, so the chemists stuffed two methanes inside and watched what happened. Quickly, one of the water molecules forming the cage swung open like a gate, allowing one methane molecule to escape. The gate then slammed shut as the remaining methane scooted into the middle of the cage.

"This process is important because it can happen with natural gas. It shows how methane can move in the natural world," said Xantheas. "We hope this analysis will help with the technical issues that need to be addressed with gas hydrate research and development."

Xantheas said performing computer simulations with carbon dioxide instead of methane might help determine whether it's chemically feasible to store carbon dioxide in hydrates.

###

This work was supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science (BES). Computer resources used were at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif.

Reference: Soohaeng Yoo Willow and Sotiris S. Xantheas, 2011/12. Enhancement of Hydrogen Storage capacity in Hydrate Lattices, Chem. Phys. Lett. Dec. 22, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.cplett.2011.12.036. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009261411015314)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory where interdisciplinary teams advance science and technology and deliver solutions to America's most intractable problems in energy, national security and the environment. PNNL employs 4,250 staff, has a $918 million annual budget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965. Follow PNNL on Facebook, Linked In and Twitter.

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/dnnl-tgg011812.php

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Mark Zuckerberg Posts Against SOPA, Suddenly Remembers Twitter Account

Facebook may not be opposing the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act as prominently as some other websites ? it's not blacking out the site today, or even posting an anti-SOPA/PIPA message on its homepage ? but CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke out against the legislation in a post on his Facebook account.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/XmhgrbxhnKY/

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Could Israel live with a nuclear Iran? A gaming exercise suggests yes.

Israeli intelligence experts role-played Iran in a simulation exploring the 'day after' scenario if Iran were to launch a nuclear explosive test. The results suggest war would not break out immediately.

Three months before the recent upsurge in tension with Tehran over its nuclear program, an Israeli think tank simulated fallout from what many here consider the unthinkable: an Iranian nuclear explosive test.

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The results of the simulation, published this week, are not the Middle East doomsday that some here have warned of.

Rather than use the weapon to attack the Jewish state ? as many Israeli leaders fear ? the experts playing Iran leveraged the newly unveiled military power as a bargaining chip with the US and Europe. Those representing Israel played down the new threat.

"It doesn?t mean immediate war, and this can be a surprise," says Yoel Guzansky, a fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies, a think tank affiliated with Tel Aviv University. "The sky won't fall."

The simulation reflects an effort to grapple with "the day after," a taboo scenario that many Israeli leaders have suggested should by preempted by a military strike because it would mean an intolerable situation for Israel, which is a sworn enemy of Iran and lies within range of its missiles.

In the simulation, a role-playing exercise used to think through national security questions, Israel was played by a former national security adviser and former deputy foreign minister, while Iran was played by experts from the university and the intelligence community.

Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian expert based in Tel Aviv, says the simulation adds to a relatively new but growing idea among Israeli experts in a society where fears of a nuclear Iran have long dominated.

"It's becoming more acceptable that Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb will be like driving in Tel Aviv: It could be very dangerous but precautions can be taken to reduce the danger,?? says Mr. Javedanfar.

But plenty of concerns remain. Just today, military planning division chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel warned of a "global nuclear jungle" if Iran acquired a nuclear weapon, an event he suggested would set off a global arms race.

The general also said that a nuclear Iran could also deter Israel from striking at Hamas and Hezbollah.

Escalating tensions

In recent weeks, concerns about the standoff have heightened as Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to oil-tanker traffic and an Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated on the streets of Tehran.

That triggered Iranian accusations against Israel and pledges of retaliation against Israeli targets. In an apparent effort to defuse tension, Israel said on Monday that a missile-defense drill to be carried out jointly with the US planned for the coming weeks had been postponed.

There is little if any discussion in public that Israel, an undeclared nuclear power, might be compelled to become accustomed to a situation of mutual deterrence with Iran. Statements by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad that Israel will be wiped off the map have prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others to draw comparisons between Iran and Nazi Germany.

However, many consider this to be an inaccurate view of the Iranian leadership. The recently resigned chief of Israel's Mossad, Meir Dagan, recently suggested that Iranian strategy is not irrational and that its leaders might be sufficiently deterred from an attack by Israel?s capability to strike back.

'Game-changing' step

But the results of the simulation do suggest a "game change" for the Middle East, as had been expected. ?

In the simulation, Saudi Arabia moved to acquire its own nuclear weapon. Israel considered for the first time a formal defense pact with the US, while keeping the option open of a military strike against a nuclear Tehran. Iran decided to use its new status to get economic sanctions lifted in return for a promise not to use the weapon.

"It?s a political tool," says Mr. Guzansky. "I think that Iran is rational, although it?s a different type of rationality than ours."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/q8NA9AQDh_8/Could-Israel-live-with-a-nuclear-Iran-A-gaming-exercise-suggests-yes

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