Article

2007-12-04 Science & Technology

Range Fuels Breaks Ground on the Nations First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Plant

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Posted by 3dc 2007-12-04 14:30|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 To put in perspective the 100 million gallons of alk. it will produce per year is (assuming all of a bbl of oil == it) about 1/4 of one days worth of oil imports.

However this is made from waste wood products..
So its 1/4 day of treasure stay in the country.
We need more like this. Many more.

Posted by 3dc 2007-12-04 14:46|| 2007-12-04 14:46|| Front Page Top

#2 Robert Zubrin's new book apparantly suggests the government mandate cars have engines that can run on gas or methonal (perhaps ethonal I'm not sure) as they do in Brazil. He suggests that such a move in the US would pretty much get the major car folks to switch over globally and really start the various non-oil industries.

Sounds like a decent plan to me, I'm wondering if anyone here sees any obvious holes besides the cost of government mandating such things.

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-12-04 17:56|| 2007-12-04 17:56|| Front Page Top

#3 Ethanol absorbs water, so storing and shipping it will incur cost over gasoline.

It also contains less energy than octane, so you'll need to burn more to go as far. Is that a big deal? I dunno... we're already talking about different materials for gas tanks--might as well make them bigger while we're at it.

I had once heard about issues with alcohol burners having a hard time starting in the extreme cold. (Not a problem in Brazil, but it would be a potential problem in Minnesota.) Frankly I'm not sure of the particulars of that one. I imagine E85 is used up north. (Even if it becomes E70 in the winter.) Anyone know the truth about that one?

Posted by eLarson 2007-12-04 20:06|| http://larsonian.blogspot.com]">[http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2007-12-04 20:06|| Front Page Top

#4 IRAN-DAILY > GLOBAL ENERGY > A WORLD WITHOUT ELECTRICITY + GEOTHERMAL VERSUS CONVENTIONAL SOURCES.

ION, REDDIT SCIENCE > RADIATION FLASHES MAY HELP CRACK SPACE MYSTERY + HOW THE WORLD WILL LOOK LIKE IN 250 MILLION YEARS [Pangea Ultima].

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-12-04 20:50|| 2007-12-04 20:50|| Front Page Top

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