Green Crude: Fuel of the Future???

[redgtxdi]

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gr...uel-of-the-future.html

So my thing is..........WTF took so long to figure this out???


And, if so, why ain't it up & running....like......TOMORROW???

(excuses will probably be........testing, takes a while, needs more testing, costs a lot, needs more testing, etc. etc.???)

 

[Throckmorton]

Algae grown in vats fed nbis the only good biofuel. Even better if CO2 emissions from industry is used to feed it

 

[mwmorph]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biohydrocarbon
Cost is the main issue, though it's going down while gas is still going up.
Also, lower mpg numbers. Ethanol has about 70% the energy density of gasoline so it's not that good and while algae fuel is better, it's still only 85%.

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: mwmorph
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biohydrocarbon
Cost is the main issue, though it's going down while gas is still going up.
Also, lower mpg numbers. Ethanol has about 70% the energy density of gasoline so it's not that good and while algae fuel is better, it's still only 85%.

But you get that fuzzy feeling that you've helped save the planet

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: potato28

Originally posted by: mwmorph
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biohydrocarbon
Cost is the main issue, though it's going down while gas is still going up.
Also, lower mpg numbers. Ethanol has about 70% the energy density of gasoline so it's not that good and while algae fuel is better, it's still only 85%.

But you get that fuzzy feeling that you've helped save the planet

If you can spare $10 per gallon on the lowest cost estimates for 85% of the miles you can go on 1 gallon of $4 gasoline, be my guest. I'm poor.

edit: never mind I got biogasoline confused with biobutanol. The cost still stands, but the mileage should be the same. Still 250% cost at least (with some estimates at close to ~500%) for the same miles is still a wold of hurt.

 

[dwcal]

You could grow algae in open ponds, but native species will compete with the high-oil species you're trying to grow. To get the best yield you have to grow it in enclosed bioreactors (clear tubes). Try pricing out a few square miles of glass or plastic tubing, and then consider what a hailstorm or UV degradation of plastic might do to your algae farm.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: dwcal
You could grow algae in open ponds, but native species will compete with the high-oil species you're trying to grow. To get the best yield you have to grow it in enclosed bioreactors (clear tubes). Try pricing out a few square miles of glass or plastic tubing, and then consider what a hailstorm or UV degradation of plastic might do to your algae farm.

That's why these algae farms are out in the desert, lots of light, little weather to worry about. There was something on the history channel awhile ago showing a facility that grew algae, but they were growing it for tests as a food substitute.

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: redgtxdi
http://www.leftlanenews.com/gr...uel-of-the-future.html

So my thing is..........WTF took so long to figure this out???


And, if so, why ain't it up & running....like......TOMORROW???

(excuses will probably be........testing, takes a while, needs more testing, costs a lot, needs more testing, etc. etc.???)

It took the oil industry decades to grow to the size it is now, it would take decades for any alternative to achieve the same size. It costs a lot of money, and takes a lot of time to build out that much infastructure.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: mwmorph

Originally posted by: potato28

Originally posted by: mwmorph
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biohydrocarbon
Cost is the main issue, though it's going down while gas is still going up.
Also, lower mpg numbers. Ethanol has about 70% the energy density of gasoline so it's not that good and while algae fuel is better, it's still only 85%.

But you get that fuzzy feeling that you've helped save the planet

If you can spare $10 per gallon on the lowest cost estimates for 85% of the miles you can go on 1 gallon of $4 gasoline, be my guest. I'm poor.

edit: never mind I got biogasoline confused with biobutanol. The cost still stands, but the mileage should be the same. Still 250% cost at least (with some estimates at close to ~500%) for the same miles is still a wold of hurt.

True, but the cost is trending downward and should continue that trend for a while. At some point it will cost less than gasoline, but that may not come for a while.

ZV

 

[Bignate603]

It sounds like a good opportunity. It will be interesting to see what would happen to gas prices as alternatives come on line. It should make a good dent in cost.

 

[potato28]

A better question would be if you could mix this fuel with regular gas and still run?

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Dailytech did an article on this not so long ago.

Dailytech

LiveFuels hopes to using its genetically engineered algae to produce 100 million gallons of fuel by 2010.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: PlasmaBomb
Dailytech did an article on this not so long ago.

Dailytech

LiveFuels hopes to using its genetically engineered algae to produce 100 million gallons of fuel by 2010.

Not bad but the US currently uses 385 million gallons of gas per day and that does not count diesel! :shocked:

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Oh, I forgot to mention, Green Crude is PEOPLE!!!!!!