How to beat the high gas prices forever

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: Chunkee
need to switch all vehicles to biodisel

Yep, biodiesel pwns all. Should build some of those angae growing plants down in arizona, nevada, new mexico, etc. Instead of sending all the cash for fuel out of the country, we could send it to farmers within our own borders.

 

[ColdFusion718]

Originally posted by: StevenYoo

Originally posted by: Queasy
1) Build more refineries
2) Explore domestic oil supplies including shale
3) Develop alternative sources
4) Build more nuclear power plants
5) Profit

6) get cold fusion working

.. I already have a job 😀

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: User1001
That would not be a perpetual motion machine because the Sun's 'fuel' (not exactly the right word) will eventually run out. By definition a perpetual motion machine is at least 100% efficient (not possible) and will run for an infinite amount of time.

That was my way of saying your example is total crap. Ethanol cannot be compared to a perpetual motion machine since corn gets energy from the sun. Sun energy + Our input Energy - Inefficiencies = Net gain or loss. All we have to do is to make certain that the inefficiency losses are less than the energy input from the sun.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: NL5

Originally posted by: SaturnX
in all honesty, I see more promise from Hydrogen Fuel (again my Uni is redesigning a GM SUV to run entirely on Hydrogen fuel cells)

--Mark

Where is all the hydrogen going to come from? Not a good plan either....

One option is reforming CH4 into CO2 and H2. It still produces CO2 but the process is 3 times more efficient than combustion so it still cuts emmissions.

Side note: ethanol also produces more NOx emmissions which leads to increased ozone.


This is from my Thermo professor who is really into this stuff.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: mugs
/waits for Amused...

Why? I'm all for finding economically VIABLE alternative fuels.

If this is genuinely cheaper, then the people will want it and the market will adopt it. If not, it will fail.

 

[NL5]

Originally posted by: Indolent

Originally posted by: NL5

Originally posted by: SaturnX
in all honesty, I see more promise from Hydrogen Fuel (again my Uni is redesigning a GM SUV to run entirely on Hydrogen fuel cells)

--Mark

Where is all the hydrogen going to come from? Not a good plan either....

One option is reforming CH4 into CO2 and H2. It still produces CO2 but the process is 3 times more efficient than combustion so it still cuts emmissions.

Side note: ethanol also produces more NOx emmissions which leads to increased ozone.


This is from my Thermo professor who is really into this stuff.

So, how hard is it to do that? From my understanding, albeit limited, any process for producing hydrogen takes quite a bit of energy, which defeats the whole purpose.