Care to comment Jtabeb

[oddlots]

Care of Yves at Naked Capitalism

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...n-fuel-problem

"The brains trust of the Pentagon says it is just months away from producing a jet fuel from algae for the same cost as its fossil-fuel equivalent."

Yves also posted this "game changer" recently:

http://www.physorg.com/news184310039.html

[jtabeb]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

Care of Yves at Naked Capitalism

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen...n-fuel-problem

"The brains trust of the Pentagon says it is just months away from producing a jet fuel from algae for the same cost as its fossil-fuel equivalent."

Yves also posted this "game changer" recently:

http://www.physorg.com/news184310039.html

Fuck, There goes the Idea for my biofuel firm. Oh well, I'm glad someone is doing this SOONER, rather than me doing it later.



Yes, easily doable, and PRACTICAL! I sent an idea about this to EJ, a bit ago. By my math we are talking about efficiencies of say 1 Million Gallons per acre or so. The KEY was this Idea from an Oregon state university researcher (which is about 2-3 years old, so there has been more than enough time to fully develop this).

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/...d-nation-44203

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February 28, 2006
Tiny Microreactor Rethinks Biodiesel Production for Farms and Nation

Corvallis, Oregon [RenewableEnergyAccess.com]
Chemical engineering researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have reportedly developed a tiny chemical reactor for manufacturing biodiesel that could enable farmers to produce a cleaner-burning diesel substitute on their farms using seed crops they grow on their own land in less time than current processes.
"By stacking many of these microreactors in parallel, a device the size of a small suitcase could produce enough biodiesel to power several farms, or produce hundreds of thousands of gallons per year."

-- Goran Jovanovic, the Oregon State University professor who developed the biodiesel microreactor

"If we're successful with this, nobody will ever make biodiesel any other way," said Goran Jovanovic, the OSU professor who developed the biodiesel microreactor. The microreactor developed at OSU eliminates the mixing, the standing time for separation and potentially the need for a dissolved catalyst. The new unit, which is said to be efficient, fast and portable, dispenses with what is often a tedious and costly process to make biodiesel.

I've already told everyone to BUY a DIESEL. It's the car of tomorrow, today (and also happens to be the original Eco-Friendly vehicle, the first diesels were to be powered by peanut oil, before Petroleum was cheaply available and supplanted vegetable oil sources).

Most importantly, this is a GAME CHANGE because is is a Liquid Transportation Fuel that uses our existing infrastructure and solves the "PLANES, TRAINS, and AUTOMOBILES" Problem. (Also for commercial Shipping).

This is it, it's all we need, and it don't take no stinking "electrification" which is REALLY GOOD, since there is not enough materials to electrify the global vehicle fleet and would do a damn bit of good to fix the problem of powering airplanes.

BUCK UP!


Happy days are here again!

See how much better the world would be if everybody just took my advice!

[Ghent12]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

Well that should more or less solve the sustainability issue. It's a good thing that a lot of the "eco-conscious" either don't understand or don't really care about the significance of algae, photosynthesis, and the like or they might (absurdly) protest this. They protest nuclear power, after all...

[raja]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

I've already told everyone to BUY a DIESEL. It's the car of tomorrow, today (and also happens to be the original Eco-Friendly vehicle, the first diesels were to be powered by peanut oil, before Petroleum was cheaply available and supplanted vegetable oil sources).

It would be great to have a new sustainable fuel source to replace or supplement oil . . . but my next car will be a plug-in, since I've got solar panels on the roof.

[jtabeb]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

It would be great to have a new sustainable fuel source to replace or supplement oil . . . but my next car will be a plug-in, since I've got solar panels on the roof.

Okay, but YOUR NEXT CAR, should be a diesel, ok?

(Or EVEN BETTER, why don't YOU WAIT, for a plug-in hybrid Diesel!?!?) That's the Cat's meow, my friend. Trust me, WAIT FOR THIS, I promise you won't regret it!

Why by an original IPHONE when the 4GS will comeout 24 months after initial launch. So MUCH MORE capability, cheaper price, surely you can stomach a mere 24 month wait now, can't you?;)

[Starving Steve]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

Just a few of the minor problems with diesel engines: crank-shaft damage due to failure of the connecting-bearings due to high compression in the engine, filth and dirt in the fuel and in the engine means a shorter engine life, starting problems in cold weather, fuel injector failure, warping of the head due to high compression, fuel gell in cold weather, battery weight to lug around, lack of availability of auto-diesel fuel, engine weight due to thicker materials required in diesel motors, among other problems.

The love affair in North America with diesels in cars never even got off the ground. Unlike Europeans, we don't enjoy pissing-away money servicing and repairing our cars to death. (We expect more from our cars in North America than Europeans do.)

[mesyn191]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

This sounds good but I'll believe it when I see it. Too many of these algae oil projects have so far depended on artificial fertilizers to get production up, but in order to produce that fertilizer they have to expend a lot of energy, which is counterproductive.

Also it appears the microreactor you're talking about is still in development, and it does actually require a liquid catalyst, they're still working on one that has the catalyst permanently embedded. They have it working in a lab, and appear to have done so for quite a while now, but they don't seem to have a way to scale it up yet, which is a common issue with so many of these great ideas. They can almost never get them to work cheaply/effectively outside a lab which is why we still use so much old tech today.

I'm also skeptical of the spray on glass (they're actually using a form of quartz), its fantastic if it works the way they say it will but the company strikes me as shady to say the least. Also spin on glass has existed for years now (MEMS) and yet has seen limited use for various reasons, I don't think coating stuff in thin flexible layers of glass will be the near cure all the article writer does.

[mesyn191]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

Diesels are generally pretty reliable, and modern designs/materials have mitigated or eliminated most of the issues you're talking about, you're making mountains out of molehills. Those Ford Power Stroke diesels can easily last several hundred thousand miles if you maintain them properly even if you use them hard for instance. There are many tractor trailer trucks that run on diesel too that are pushing nearly a million miles believe it or not, that is more than reliable enough IMO.

The main problem with diesels in the US is that they never really took off and that their production for common use was discouraged due to regulation issues that only recently have been fixed. Its going to take years for diesels to become common in the US, and currently as well as for the foreseeable future car sales will be and remain depressed due to the recession. So even if algae BD works out like they expect we may still get a energy/transportation crisis.

[jtabeb]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

Just a few of the minor problems with diesel engines: crank-shaft damage due to failure of the connecting-bearings due to high compression in the engine, filth and dirt in the fuel and in the engine means a shorter engine life, starting problems in cold weather, fuel injector failure, warping of the head due to high compression, fuel gell in cold weather, battery weight to lug around, lack of availability of auto-diesel fuel, engine weight due to thicker materials required in diesel motors, among other problems.

The love affair in North America with diesels in cars never even got off the ground. Unlike Europeans, we don't enjoy pissing-away money servicing and repairing our cars to death. (We expect more from our cars in North America than Europeans do.)

You are very misinformed as to the longevity of a properly designed diesel engine.

[jtabeb]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

So even if algae BD works out like they expect we may still get a energy/transportation crisis.

But the point is, we CAN RECOVER from a temporary crisis with Algae BD. Don't forget that means we can be HOPEFUL vs HOPELESS. Big difference, IMHO.

[mesyn191]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

There wasn't any doubt of a possible recovery, the question was weather we could prevent a crisis of some sort, at least AFAIK it was.

[jtabeb]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

This sounds good but I'll believe it when I see it. Too many of these algae oil projects have so far depended on artificial fertilizers to get production up, but in order to produce that fertilizer they have to expend a lot of energy, which is counterproductive.

Also it appears the microreactor you're talking about is still in development, and it does actually require a liquid catalyst, they're still working on one that has the catalyst permanently embedded. They have it working in a lab, and appear to have done so for quite a while now, but they don't seem to have a way to scale it up yet, which is a common issue with so many of these great ideas. They can almost never get them to work cheaply/effectively outside a lab which is why we still use so much old tech today.

I'm also skeptical of the spray on glass (they're actually using a form of quartz), its fantastic if it works the way they say it will but the company strikes me as shady to say the least. Also spin on glass has existed for years now (MEMS) and yet has seen limited use for various reasons, I don't think coating stuff in thin flexible layers of glass will be the near cure all the article writer does.

Dude, read the release date: circa 2006! The process was selected for development a couple of years ago and is no longer available for acquisition. Meaning = it either HAS been or is being developed right now. (My guess is the former with a 2006 publish date, remember that's the PUBLIC release date, that comes WAY after the initial results are first available).

AND the major point is the catalyst is Alcohol, not really a shortage of that. (the metal catalyst would eliminate the need for alcohol injection, but it is a DEMONSTRATED Technology, not a potential one)

[jtabeb]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

There wasn't any doubt of a possible recovery, the question was weather we could prevent a crisis of some sort, at least AFAIK it was.

Preventing one was never possible, not with the trajectory we were on. Mitigating one, well, that's what we are doing right now.

[mesyn191]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

Dude, read the release date: circa 2006!

I know, that is why I linked to their page which has the latest info. from 2009 on it. Like I said, they've got it working in a lab, now they have to scale it up.

AND the major point is the catalyst is Alcohol, not really a shortage of that. (the metal catalyst would eliminate the need for alcohol injection, but it is a DEMONSTRATED Technology, not a potential one)

The problem with the alcohol or any other loose catalyst is that they'll have to strip it out to refine the fuel further. Integrating the catalyst into the microreactor would be a major win.

[jneal3]

Re: Care to comment Jtabeb

You are very misinformed as to the longevity of a properly designed diesel engine.

My dad put 350K miles on an '81 MBz 300SD turbodiesel; this after my having destroyed his Olds 88 'diesel' (poorly converted gasoline engine) by simply trying to see how fast it would go....