bio-fuels

Bob Allen · 07-01-2004, 03:14 PM

I found an interesting article on bio fuel at a Pakistani web site. A lot of this is stuff most of us have heard or read before, but it is interesting to get an Asian view of the world's growing fuel crisis.
The site: Pakissan.com

When you get to the site, go to the search bar at the top right side of the home page and type "bio-fuel". You should get a Google listing and the top one will be the section from Pakissan.com dealing with bio fuels.

tms13 · 07-02-2004, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob Allen
The site: Pakissan.com

When you get to the site, go to the search bar at the top right side of the home page and type \"bio-fuel\". You should get a Google listing and the top one will be the section from Pakissan.com dealing with bio fuels.

Direct link for those who dislike jumping through hoops:
Biotechnology and Future Energy: BIO-FUEL.

twindad · 07-14-2004, 03:34 PM

I read through a very long and heated debate once about bio-fuels and if they are really a viable renewable resource. The contention: If you plant say 100,000 acres of bio-fuel plants, do you 'grow' enough fuel to allow you to harvest, refine, and replant 100,000 acres. If you can't then you aren't really creating any usable energy. I don't have a clue what the real answer is, but it is something to think about.
On a similar vein, I read an article long ago about one scientists argument that you extract the most energy from plants by burning them. High heat furnaces could burn the fuel to completion with a minimum of nasty gasses. Don't know the reality of that either. Part of the argument too was the carbon dioxide of combustion would be re-absorbed in the next crop of plants, yielding a Zero net on the environment.

Sun__Tzu · 07-15-2004, 09:03 PM

The only problem (besides inefficiency) might be soil exhaustion. As I understand it, soil exhaustion might be a problem for some areas of the world (and US) in the near future, such that food supplies will tighten.

Otherwise, it could work as a renewable source. Its all solar energy anyway...

twindad · 07-16-2004, 10:07 AM

The claim was the ashes would go back as the fertilizer. When you think about it, plants are great storehouses of energy. With solarpanels & windmills, you need to store energy somewhere to keep the grid humming when the sun is down and the wind isn't blowing. Wow. Imagine the size of the batteries!

07-01-2004, 03:14 PM	#1
Bob Allen Captainbaba Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,254 My Car: 2004 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	bio-fuels I found an interesting article on bio fuel at a Pakistani web site. A lot of this is stuff most of us have heard or read before, but it is interesting to get an Asian view of the world's growing fuel crisis. The site: Pakissan.com When you get to the site, go to the search bar at the top right side of the home page and type "bio-fuel". You should get a Google listing and the top one will be the section from Pakissan.com dealing with bio fuels.

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07-14-2004, 03:34 PM	#3
twindad Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Lake Forest, CA Posts: 60 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I read through a very long and heated debate once about bio-fuels and if they are really a viable renewable resource. The contention: If you plant say 100,000 acres of bio-fuel plants, do you 'grow' enough fuel to allow you to harvest, refine, and replant 100,000 acres. If you can't then you aren't really creating any usable energy. I don't have a clue what the real answer is, but it is something to think about. On a similar vein, I read an article long ago about one scientists argument that you extract the most energy from plants by burning them. High heat furnaces could burn the fuel to completion with a minimum of nasty gasses. Don't know the reality of that either. Part of the argument too was the carbon dioxide of combustion would be re-absorbed in the next crop of plants, yielding a Zero net on the environment.

07-15-2004, 09:03 PM	#4
Sun__Tzu Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 314 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	The only problem (besides inefficiency) might be soil exhaustion. As I understand it, soil exhaustion might be a problem for some areas of the world (and US) in the near future, such that food supplies will tighten. Otherwise, it could work as a renewable source. Its all solar energy anyway...

07-16-2004, 10:07 AM	#5
twindad Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Lake Forest, CA Posts: 60 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	The claim was the ashes would go back as the fertilizer. When you think about it, plants are great storehouses of energy. With solarpanels & windmills, you need to store energy somewhere to keep the grid humming when the sun is down and the wind isn't blowing. Wow. Imagine the size of the batteries!