NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=9064880

INEOS, the world's third largest chemical company, has come up with a solution that it said takes the production of ethanol away from the food versus fuel debate.

The process works by superheating waste to produce gases that are then fed to naturally occurring bacteria which produce ethanol.

The ethanol is then purified to make a fuel that is ready to be blended for use in cars.

INEOS Bio chief Peter Williams says just about any kind of waste can be used to make ethanol: "We want any waste that contains what we'd call bio-degradable carbon, so you could take waste from paper process, you could take agricultural waste, you can take forestry waste and you can take household waste once collected and use that in the process."

INEOS Bio says that although it's technically feasible it will focus initially on waste destined for landfill now, as well as agro and forestry waste, rather than from existing landfill.

Ok, this seems like it has to be a good idea. Eliminates waste and provides an alternative fuel source without abusing the planets resources as we have been. But you can't help wondering how they're going to super-heat the waste to create the gases (would be kind of pointless to use fossil fuels...) and what the implications for the environment would be, as in what would the other products of the process be.

Your thoughts?

Well, supposedly they would create more than enough fuel to use for superheating the waste; otherwise it's a rather pointless exercise.

Do these fuels work in all of the automobiles that we have now? Or would there need to be mass-production of compatible vehicles?

Well, supposedly they would create more than enough fuel to use for superheating the waste; otherwise it's a rather pointless exercise.

I think eventually that is the plan, however with any fledgling technology the efficiency is bound to be somewhat suspect. Will they be given enough time/funding to get to a self sustaining production cycle?

Doesn't that just increase CO2 emissions?

Do these fuels work in all of the automobiles that we have now? Or would there need to be mass-production of compatible vehicles?

The process of adaptation of an internal combustion engine that is designed to run on gasoline (petrol) to one that functions on any mixture of gasoline and ethanol from pure gasoline to pure ethanol is one that is relatively simple. Nearly all new cars manufactured here (Brazil) have this alteration made. I don't know how much it would cost per engine, but it would not be prohibitive.

Do these fuels work in all of the automobiles that we have now? Or would there need to be mass-production of compatible vehicles?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioethanol

It can be used as a fuel, although it is generally blended. If it can be proved as a viable alternative I would assume that more research would be put into creating engines which could run more efficiently with a higher ethanol content in their fuels, with an ultimate goal of having 100% ethanol run cars, etc.

Doesn't that just increase CO2 emissions?

not really if the stuff is going to decompose anyway.

Superheating waste is easy -- just use dividing statements (sucha s "god doesn't exist" or "macintosh is a worthwhile OS" or "PS3 will have a worthwile game beforer 2300 AD") and let the incessant flames take care of it. >_>

sounds good, though superheating stuff sounds fairly energy intensive.

i liked the sound of this one more: http://www.nextnature.net/?p=2495 (though it is still crude oil, co2, etc, etc)

Forget all of this nonsense! Invent a machine to convert fart gas into useable products. We just need to find a way of removing the anti-social "scent" and "stigma" when one farts. Farting should be encouraged, particularly if the sound could be used in some way to frighten off potential burglars for example! And anyway, we all know how satisfying it is to do a good fart! :eek: