[biofuel] Nation's Largest Biodiesel Plant Opens for Business
Nation's Largest Biodiesel Plant Opens for Business at West Central Cooperative Aug 28, 2002 - By: Teresa Halvorsen, Iowa Farm Bureau http://www.biobased.org/list.php?storyid=2521 More than 1,000 people gathered in Ralston last week to get a first look at the largest soy biodiesel production facility in the United States. West Central Cooperative held an open house Aug. 21 to celebrate the construction of its $6-million biodiesel plant. West Central, which is owned by 3,500 local farmers, has been in the biodiesel business since 1996 but was forced to rebuild its plant after a fire destroyed the facility in 2001. With its new plant, West Central will increase its biodiesel production capacity from 1.5 million gallons per year to 12 million gallons per year. The co-op will annually process more than 8 million bushels of Iowa-grown soybeans to make the fuel. And all of this will occur in a town with a population of fewer than 100 people. "It's a watershed for Iowa," said Jim Johnson, West Central's production/documentation coordinator. "It's a tiny town, but it has the biggest biodiesel plant in the nation. What does that say for Iowa?" West Central is significantly increasing its production capacity thanks to new technology that the co-op perfected in its own labs. The technology allows the co-op to produce biodiesel in a continuous flow rather than in individual batches, says Matt Schultes, biodiesel production superintendent. "In the beginning, we were doing a batch process, where we'd mix up 500 gallons of soyoil, decant it, pull the biodiesel off and then start over. We'd use the same vessel to react it and decant it," Shultes says. "Now it's a continuous process where we are adding oil in, mixing and separating" as the soy oil flows through different tanks, he says. The production facility contains a three-story maze of stainless steel pipes and tanks through which the soy oil is processed into biodiesel. The entire production process takes two hours, whereas before the process could take several days depending on the size of the batch, Schultes says. The plant can run 24 hours a day, but initial production will depend on sales, Schultes says. The continuous flow technology will allow the co-op to produce 36,000 gallons of biodiesel per day. This compares to the previous production capacity of 3,500 gallons per day. West Central has patented the technology and plans to create a new company to construct other biodiesel plants using the technology, says Nile Ramsbottom, vice president of West Central's soy and nutrition divisions. Demand potential The plant's opening comes at a time when biodiesel is receiving more public attention as a clean-burning, renewable fuel. Ramsbottom says the co-op has seen a 20-percent increase in biodiesel sales within the last year. "And we think it will increase even more than that. Every year will be exponential." West Central continues to add more Iowa fuel distributors to its customer list every month, Ramsbottom says. The co-op also sells biodiesel to customers in California, New York, Texas and Arizona. "The areas that have air quality problems have been extremely supportive (of biodiesel)," says Jeff Stroburg, West Central's chief executive officer. Biodiesel is also gaining more government support. The Senate energy bill, which was passed in April, includes a renewable fuel standard. The standard would require the use of 2.3 billion gallons of renewable fuels beginning in 2004, with an increase to 5 billion gallons by 2012. The energy bill also includes an excise tax exemption for biodiesel reimbursed by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). The bill is currently in conference. "The small amount of tax dollars that it's going to take to get soy diesel growing is minimal compared to the benefits to society that this product will bring," Stroburg says. Adding value West Central will purchase its soybean supply from a 20-mile-square area surrounding Ralston. . Farm Bureau member Marty Danzer, a grain and livestock producer from Carroll, says farmers are enthused about biodiesel's potential to add value to the price of soybeans. "This project is not just good for grain farmers but also for livestock producers," Danzer says, "because this is the only co-op in the county that produces feed." One of the co-products of biodiesel production is pre-fatty acid, a quality feed ingredient. Stroburg says Iowa farmers will own and control the crude oil reserves the biodiesel plant needs. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month. Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads! http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info http://us.click.yahoo.com/aHOo4D/KJoEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM --
[biofuel] Power breakthrough may speed alternative energy
From the August 23, 2002 print edition Power breakthrough may speed alternative energy Ben DiPietro Pacific Business News A Big Island company will be the exclusive seller of a new bladeless-turbine technology the manufacturer says will drastically reduce costs for electrical power generation and hydrogen fuel production for use in fuel cells and automobiles. Continued @ http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2002/08/26/story1.html Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month. Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads! http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info http://us.click.yahoo.com/aHOo4D/KJoEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] "SuperCar" Achieves 99 MPG
THE SUN - SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2002 BUSINESS SECTION - PAGE C12 SAN DIEGO COMPANY TESTS NEW BIODIESEL FUEL GEO METRO ACHIEVES 98.96 MILES PER GALLON By JIM STEINBERG Business Editor FONTANA - There was nothing outwardly distinguishing about the two-door 1994 Geo Metro doing 45 mph laps around the California Speedway Monday. Nothing about it to note except the car achieved an amazing 98.96 miles per gallon. Continued @ http://www.baat.com/pr02-08-30.htm Green Star Products "SuperCar" Achieves 99 MPG Using Green Star Biodiesel, TVT Lubricants And A Spiro Exhaust System http://www.baat.com/pr02-08-20.htm Business Editors & Environment Writers SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 2002-- Green Star Products, Inc. (OTC: GSPI), formerly BAT International, Inc. has just completed an independently verified test run of a high mileage "SuperCar" that achieved 99 miles per gallon (99 MPG). The two door 1994 Geo Metro, completed a set of laps around the California Speedway on 8/19/02 traveling at a 45 mph constant speed to evaluate the effects of several products including a special Spiro Exhaust device, SuperBAT TVT Anti-Friction Metal Treatment lubricants and Green StarĀ Bio-Fuel. The run provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate how various GSPI products now entering the market could work together to achieve an overall fuel efficiency goal. The Geo Metro had a standard diesel engine (3 cylinder Kabota), so that most fuel efficiency improvements were the result of the exhaust, lubricants and a high efficiency biodiesel fuel. The run was certified by a set of independent consultants including a consultant in the petroleum industry and other independent parties. Measuring a difference in volume of the fuel after a 10-lap run on the 2-mile-long circuit verified the fuel economy. Speed was verified by timing every lap. The media was also in attendance, including a representative of the local newspaper The San Bernardino Sun. The very high fuel efficiency goal was achieved using a very low-tech car and engine that was coupled with high-tech aftermarket products. The test was intended to provide data on how several products that improve fuel efficiency and/or lower pollution would work together to achieve a combined fuel efficiency result. The products included: Green Star Bio-Fuel: Biodiesel, a renewable & biodegradable alternative fuel produced by American Bio-Fuels, coupled with the additive "Viscon" to further improve fuel efficiency & lower emissions (typical fuel efficiency gains are from 10-20%). American Bio-Fuels, an affiliate company of GSPI, will be announcing plans for broad scale introduction of "Green Star" Biodiesel in several California Air Districts. SuperBAT TVT: SuperBAT's TVT Anti-Friction Metal Treatment Lubricants were used in the engine, differential and manual transmission to reduce friction, improved fuel efficiency (typically by about 3 to 8%) and extend engine life. SuperBAT, a subsidiary of GSPI, will be announcing continuing market efforts in industrial and export markets and a new initiative to introduce TVT in the US racing industry and retail markets. The TVT lubricant additive is an advanced biodegradable formula in competition with other non-biodegradable anti-friction additives seen in late night TV infomercials. . Spiro Exhaust System: Dolphin Automobile Co. (Dolphin ACI), an affiliate company of GSPI, has been developing advanced diesel exhaust retrofit devices to improve fuel efficiency of diesel engines (typically by about 4 to 10%). The technology improves "breathing" of the engine through changes in air circulation in the exhaust system. Details about the technology will be discussed in an upcoming release. The original purpose of the run was to complete testing of a vehicle GSPI is planning to send to the Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2002 (sponsored by the Michelin Tire Co.) that is scheduled for September 22-26, 2002 in Germany and France. The vehicle GSPI was planning to send, a 1998 Geo Metro Hatchback with a turbocharged, intercooled Yanmar 3-cylinder engine, had some last minute problems with the gears in the transmission. The transmission could not be repaired in time to participate in the run. Since GSPI was already committed to track time at the California Speedway, we had to quickly put on line the backup 1994 Geo Metro. The 1994 Geo Metro has a naturally aspirated diesel engine with a pre-combustion chamber and mechanical timing and has no turbo charging or intercooling. Note: Both of these engines are in marked contrast to other super-efficient vehicles. The most efficient vehicle in Europe, the Audi A2, has a lighter and more aerodynamic body, a TDI engine with electronic timing, direct injection intercooled with a turbocharger and the latest engine technology. The Audi A2 achieved an average of 95 miles per gallon in a const
[biofuel] ETHANOL PRICES SKYROCKET, MTBE CONTINUES SLIDE
ETHANOL PRICES SKYROCKET, MTBE CONTINUES SLIDE By Suzanne McElligott http://quotes.freerealtime.com/dl/frt/N?art=C2002082000232u5921&SA=Latest%20News Aug 19, 2002 (Oxy-Fuel News/PBI Media via COMTEX) -- Ethanol prices rose an estimated 12-13 c/gal last week, after one producer suddenly raised prices, market sources said. Generally, prices around the Midwest were heard between $1.30/gal and $1.40/gal, up 12-13 c/gal over the week before. Williams Energy raised its rack prices by 13 c/gal on Aug. 9 and the rest of the market followed suit. Sources at Williams declined to comment when asked the reason for the price increase. However, some speculated that among other reasons, Williams was trying to keep ethanol prices high, as corn feedstock prices were still rising. Some producers tried to increase winter supply offers by around 10-15 c/gal over offers heard the week before. Market sources told OFN that while winter contracts were done at slightly higher levels last week, buyers fiercely resisted the full 10-15 c/gal increase. The current price level for winter contracts was somewhere between $1.18/gal and $1.30/gal, up between 3 c/gal and 5 c/gal from the week before. Traders said that ethanol spot and rack prices were so high as to be uneconomical to blenders and that unless gasoline prices moved up, ethanol prices would have very little upside left. Ethanol producers report they are happy with current margins, but were still trying to recover from a disappointing first half of this year. Currently, ethanol supplies are readily available, but looking forward, the ethanol market is expected to tighten substantially, when California refiners start taking material out of the market in late third quarter and early fourth quarter, producers said. Meanwhile, MTBE prices on the U.S. Gulf Coast dropped another 3 c/gal, to be quoted around 86.5 c/gal in the week ending Aug. 16, market sources said. MTBE's premium over gasoline was squeezed to a mere 6-7 c/gal, as gasoline spot prices were pegged around 80 c/gal in the Houston area. Producers generally say a 25 c/gal premium indicates a healthy margin for them. In mid-July, the MTBE premium over gasoline was around 15-20 c/gal. Supplies were considered ample, despite some operating glitches. Production outages were expected in the near future, but there hasn't been an affect on prices yet. Lyondell scheduled a seven-day maintenance and TCP is slated for a turnaround in September. On the Gulf Coast, September cargoes traded between 86.25 c/gal and 87.25 c/gal. Prices on the West Coast were heard trading around a 6-7 c/gal premium to those on the Gulf, but activity there was described as thin in the lead up to the oxygenate switch in California to ethanol. Many of the West Coast MTBE tanks were being taken out of service ahead of the switch to ethanol later this year and early next year, consulting firm DeWitt & Co. said. On balance, methanol prices remained remarkably steady at around 62 c/gal in relatively thin trade, market sources said. The supply/demand situation was considered balanced to snug ahead of several maintenance shutdowns scheduled for late August and September, producers said. Oxy-Fuel News, Vol. 14, No. 33 Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month. Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads! http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info http://us.click.yahoo.com/aHOo4D/KJoEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] oil weight
Thanks Ken. Just needed a general figure. Bill C. - Original Message - From: "Ken Provost" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2002 8:24 PM Subject: Re: [biofuel] oil weight Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] oil weight
>Does anyone know what a gallon of vegetable oil weighs? > >Bill C. > 'bout 7 lbs. or 3 kg -- if you want closer than that, you gotta say exactly what kind of oil, and what temperature... Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month. Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads! http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info http://us.click.yahoo.com/aHOo4D/KJoEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] oil weight
Does anyone know what a gallon of vegetable oil weighs? Bill C. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] SVO update [Was: Methanol and lye]
At 11:52 PM 2002-09-03 +0900, you wrote: >Hi Lori, nice to hear from you again, it's been a long time. Thanks, Keith! Yes, it has been a while. I think the Caveman to Chemist site is great! I've learned a lot from it. I'm still working on my alternative heating fuel project. I had a lot of fun experimenting with the tin can stoves to burn veggie oil. However, the mechanics of things like providing a proper chimney, and the benefits of added air (demonstrated for me very efectively by Kevin Chisholm from Crest lists ... Hi, Kevin, if you're on here too), and automatic feeding moved it beyond the realm of practical for me. So, I'm now working on Plan P or thereabouts. I was fortunate to acquire a recent model oil-fired kitchen range quite inexpensively. This unit comes complete with water heating coils and a water tank. I don't have it hooked up yet, so I can't report on its operation. So far, I've extended my hot water baseboard heating (running off the domestic water heater) from the original two rooms to the entire downstairs. I'm in the process of switching the solar water heater from being a pre-heater for the oil-fired water heater to being the primary source. I've had an electric demand water heater installed as back-up. This will free the original water heater to just power the rads. I will hook the water tank of the kitchen range into the rad line ... as the last "rad" ... so it will heat the water going into the DHW unit. This doesn't require any modification of the DHWH, so if it doesn't work I'll not be taking cold showers. I'll mount the WVO container on the hip of the range water tank for preliminary pre-heating of the oil. I'll have the feed line for WVO hitchhike in to the range on the hot water copper pipe coming out of the range to the water tank, pre-heating it further. I don't have to modify the range at all ... there is room for the 3/8" copper tubing to fit through the opening where the pipe comes out. I intend to run the feed line along the water coil inside the range, then "spiral" down. By the time it drips out, it should be plenty hot enough to burn cleanly. The range is a "pot burner" - the fuel oil feeds in to the bottom of the combustion chamber. In operation, I'll start the stove normally with fuel oil. When the stove is hot, and hot water is thermosiphoning up to the water tank, I'll turn on the SVO feed, to drip into the flames. God willing and the crik don't rise, I'll have some free house heat, including in the radless kitchen, plus saving in electricity from cooking to offset the power the demand water heater will draw. Down the road, I'll reroute the solar panel plumbing so the sun can heat the water in the DHWH and the DHWH can heat the water in the solar tank, whichever is required. My solar system is a drainback one, with an inner tank holding the water that is pumped up to the panels and functioning as a heat exchanger for the supply water in the outer tank. What I'll do is install some bypasses such that the panels can drain into (or the water can be pumped directly from the tank to) the DHWH heater first, then into the solar tank. I hope. Regards to all, Lori Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuels-biz] some clarification?
Michael, Beat's the bejeebers out of anyone here as to what a crystalline structure capable of scratching glass would be at the bottom of a wash tank. You don't have any dishonest cousins in the diamond business do you? We've used wash waters that swing 1.0 + or - either way of neutral, inclusive of shallow well water, creek water, brackish water (sulfonated) city water and distilled, and such has never happened here. And were it a waxy crystalline structure, there would be no scratch potential. Mineral deposits could leave the appearance or feel of scratched glass, but can easily be removed using a mild HCl acid solution. Todd Swearingen - Original Message - From: Michael Allen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2002 5:24 AM Subject: Re: [biofuels-biz] some clarification? > Dear Paddy, > > >"It's great to get some input from a knowledgable > > person such as Michael Allen" > > Thanks for the ego massage Paddy but it's even greater > to have some input from someone with the knowledge AND > EXPERIENCE that Todd has! I think that this > demonstrates the real value of the biofuels-biz group. > > And thanks Todd . . . . . Now about these very hard > whitish crystals I get at the bottom of the wash-tank > sometimes . . . . they seem to scratch even glass . . > . . . could they be . . . . :-) > > > --- Appal Energy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear Mr. or Ms. Goat, > > > > The contents of the middle layer to which you refer > > are largely > > dependant upon the degree of reaction completion, > > the reaction > > type (acid/base or base) and the processing steps > > used > > (principally in an acid/base). > > > > The belief that this layer is primarily soap is > > largely in error, > > as soap is soluble in water. However soap does > > emulsify oily > > substances. The white layer you refer to is largely > > an > > emulsification. The extent of the emulsification is > > greatly > > dependent upon how well the initial reaction was > > conducted. > > Incomplete reactions when blended in 50/50 ratios > > with water in > > 55 gallon lots can result in literally as much as > > several feet in > > depth of emulsification. A complete reaction should > > yield no more > > than a fraction of an inch of an emulsion layer. > > > > The three layers yielded from a catalyst recovery > > attempt are > > from bottom to top: A) neutralized catalyst in > > precipitate form. > > B) crude glycerin (but not quite so crude as > > previously) > > consisting of glycerin, water, discolorants and > > perhaps excess > > acid. C) recovered free fatty acids (soaps that have > > been broken > > down by the acid to FFAs) with perhaps a fraction of > > soluble > > alkyl esters. > > > > The small alkyl ester fraction will be largely > > dependant upon > > your previous separation technique (how much > > biodiesel is > > imported into the FFA recovery process) and to what > > degree the > > FFA recovery process is acidified. > > > > As the ester fraction should be small to > > "non-existant," it is > > almost of no consequence to know that alkyl esters > > in either an > > acid or base environement are continually reverting > > between FFA > > and ester throughout an equilibrium reaction. > > Chances are that a > > FFA recovery step will be acidified in slight excess > > and all or > > almost all esters that existed at the beginning of > > the process > > will be non-existant by its end, having reverted to > > FFAs. > > > > Todd Swearingen > > > > - Original Message - > > From: goat industries > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: > > Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 2:40 PM > > Subject: [biofuels-biz] some clarification? > > > > > > > It's great to get some input from a knowledgable > > person such as > > Michael > > > Allen - Michael, could you do us a favour and tell > > us: > > > a) what is the major component of the 'creamy' > > middle layer in > > the post wash > > > methyl ester/water mixture that is commonly called > > soap? > > > b) what are the three layers that are formed when > > crude, black, > > glycerine is > > > neutralised with acid? > > > Your help would be greatly appreciated! > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups > > Sponsor -~--> > > > 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now > > > > > > http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/9bTolB/TM > > > > > > --- > > --~-> > > > > > > Biofuels at Journey to Forever > > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > Biofuel at WebConX > > > > > > http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm > > > List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at > > NNYTech: > > > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to > > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ___
Re: [biofuels-biz] Re: hi ffa feed stocks
Why not just drain off the small amount of glycerine (will also contain some water) from the bottom of the esterification reaction and decant the excess alcohol off the top (which will be slightly glycerin stained and also contain some water)? After doing so, you'll find that the transesterification can take place with as little as 1-1.5 grams of sodium or potassium catalyst if given enough alcohol and time. No need to boil between acid and base stages. Todd Swearingen - Original Message - From: David Teal <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 4:44 PM Subject: Re: [biofuels-biz] Re: hi ffa feed stocks > One fact in common to all the recent contributors to this thread has been > the bad effects of water produced in the acid esterification of FFAs; > including saponification in the subsequent base transestrification stage. > Most of us like to keep things simple, so I contemplate a boiling operation > between acid and basic stages to evaporate the unwanted water. This would > apply to our Scottish lard chip fat supply. The energy burden need not be > too onerous using heat exchangers to recover some of the sensible heat > (latent heat can't be easily recovered), and by using glycerol as heating > fuel. I am a little worried about what boiling sulphuric acid (albeit > dilute at this stage) will do to ordinary piping and vessel materials. > > David T. > > > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> > 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now > http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/9bTolB/TM > --- --~-> > > Biofuels at Journey to Forever > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > Biofuel at WebConX > http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm > List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/9bTolB/TM -~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] some observations and opinions about a couple of present issues in the alternative fuel industry (long)
If Electricity qualifies an alternative fuel for conventional vehicles such as cars and light trucks, then it could be said that major auto manufacturers have continued to show a rather impressive hostility to any push for its widespread use. Electrically fueled cars are the only auto technology which inherently steers a vehicle owner away from using fossil fuels toward more neutral territory (since the methods to generate electric power are completely open, from fossil fuels to solar energy) and the present monopolists of fuel, the oil companies, well know this. Yet, it is the auto companies and not the oil companies which determine what will be sold to consumers. And it is the auto companies which have recently re-affirmed their hostility toward highway-capable grid-chargeable vehicles. Ford, for those who don't follow some of the EV discussions, has not only announced a discontinuation of the golf-cart-level Th!nk NEV and a probable discontinuation of the highway-capable City, but in retrospect, they have probably always had some ill-intent to this program, they have perhaps not been in earnest in looking for a battery for the vehicle, and they are now less-than-fully-honest about, and less-than-responsive-to, consumer demand for the vehicles. There are eerie similarities to the EV1 situation, where there were waiting lists at dealerships for the extremely-well-liked City vehicles, but the manufacturer complained of a lack of sufficient demand to warrant further manufacturing of the vehicle. While, to be fair, there is a *slightly* plausible middle-ground here (that the number of dealerships in question is so modest that a wait-listing at those dealerships does not prove sufficient demand nationwide), there are so many factors which show modest and clear nationwide demand for a grid-chargeable highway capable electric vehicle that it seems implausible that Ford's decision is based on consumer demand and more likely that as a corporation they have simply decided to be hostile to such a different way of making cars, while not actually discussing their honest reasons for this. They, and all the other manufacturers (without exception that I'm aware) only produced these highway capable grid-chargeable vehicles under duress from California's ZEV mandate... not because they had any desire whatsoever to explore and exploit demand for such vehicles. A lot of activists are very upset, and others are understandably turning to discussion of this or that electric alternative. I am inclined to hope with them, but I also think it might be wise to take a lesson from this. We should not have trusted Ford. My new working hypothesis is that they never had it in mind to be the least bit responsive to consumer demand but simply to fulfill mandates. Their behaviour shows a bit of planning against EV's and a working hypothesis for me is that we will not soon see grid-chargeable highway-capable vehicles made widely available to consumers in the next few years. There is presently one last best hope for consumers in the 50 states to get a top-flight EV which is to lie to Toyota and claim to be a fleet-buyer and get a RAV4 EV. I guess the best way to do this would be to incorporate and be, in fact, a fleet-buyer. Toyota has no plans at present to expand the RAV4 Consumer purchase of EV's outside of California and I believe that it would be overly getting our hopes up to hope for a change in this. Putting EV hopes aside then for a few moments, what other hopes are out there for non-petroleum-fueled vehicles? If CO2 concerns, and concerns about ambient O2 levels, have any validity, and I believe that they do, (although I'll listen on occassion if some want to question the matter, even though they sometimes inspire skepticism as to their real agenda), then the decision by the auto manufacturers to eschew the one technology which put forth zero CO2 on the road is a not-unimportant decision. Putting aside even environmental concerns and looking at the issues of economics of technological change, it would be "easiest" for all concerned if our present vehicles could remain close to their present form. Failure to change over to EV form would mean failure to reap the benefits of EV's in terms of lowering the number of moving parts and lowering their maintenance costs (if those claimed benefits are real) but this difficulty of staying with present vehicles would be balanced somewhat by the ease of just continuing to buy vehicles powered by liquid fuels easily bought down the street. Can we stay with conventional vehicles but solve the problems of CO2 emissions, fuel depletion, etc.? I have seen very few academics weigh in on any interesting matters in this field. Doubtless in some cases I have missed a few geniuses-at-work, but there is a lot of fertile territory here in various obviously inter-related areas of transportation technologies, history-of-
Re: [biofuel] Wired 10.04 Must Read
Hello Ken New Scientist has indeed changed quite a bit, especially in the last decade, but I don't agree with you. I do know Tomorrow's World (which has also changed). New Scientist and Scientific American are different animals. I've had a high opinion of New Scientist for 30 years, and I still have it. I did write for them quite a lot awhile back, but that has nothing to do with it really, it's changed a lot since then (so have I!). I do have many New Scientist reports, both recent and not so recent, which have not at all disappeared from reality, quite the opposite, they were right on target, often before anyone else. I don't find them populist and trivial. Your original comment made them sound like the National Enquirer of the scientific world, and that's quite wrong, IMO. There are plenty of other contenders for that title. Oh well, to each his own. Best Keith >Keith, >Sorry not to concur and I did subscribe to New Scientist for many years. >It has bent towards the populist and trivial and now New Scientist seems to >have turned into News Cientist with headline grabbing reports that soon >disappear from reality. Those familiar with BBC's 'Tomorrows World' will >understand. I have given up my subscription and only purchase it when I see >something of particular interest in it > >Scientific American does a better job on fewer topics. >Ken >- Original Message - >From: Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: >Sent: 07 September 2002 14:51 >Subject: Re: [biofuel] Wired 10.04 Must Read > > > > Ken Basterfield wrote: > > > > >Usually lurking but tickled by this one and, spiritually, this is quite > > >uplifting and I hope it is true. However it sounds like one of those >stories > > >out of New Scientist! > > > > Um, have you got the right one? New Scientist is an excellent magazine. > > > > Keith > > > > > > >3 points: > > >What is the algae fuelled with? > > >Can an acre produce enough hydrogen in real time for the stated journey? > > >Do I have to tow an acre of pond behind the car? (not serious) > > >ken > > > > > >- Original Message - > > >From: kirk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >To: Biofuel@Yahoogroups.Com (E-mail) > > >Sent: 07 September 2002 07:23 > > >Subject: [biofuel] Wired 10.04 Must Read > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.04/mustread_pr.html > > > > > > > > > > > > Reengineering Algae To Fuel The Hydrogen Economy. > > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Pulse Jet Engines (was Unique heat engine)
I can understand the interest for the Pulse Jet Engine in this group. It is not really my field but I remember of hearing about turbines that was used in cars and that was multifuel. I posted an animated drawing on Pulsonex, http://energy.saving.nu/images/pulseanim.gif Compared to an engine, it is decompressing during more distance to get the heat and therefore the sound levels are lower. In an engine the heat is losses, for this case the losses are maximized. Hakan At 10:42 AM 9/8/2002 -0600, you wrote: >- Original Message - >From: "Hakan Falk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: >Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 09:23 >Subject: Re: [biofuel] Unique heat engine > > > > The principle is a > > propulsion engine (like the ones in the V1 second world war missile), > > encapsulated by a water tank. > >I found pulse Jet plans (as well as ramjet plans) on the internet last year, >I think that they cost all of $15-20 bucks. Just doing a new search I found >some new sights with plans: > >http://home3.inet.tele.dk/kennethm/ > >http://www.geocities.com/pulse_jet_2000/ > >This is just a couple of sights. and the plans might be modified for use >with BioDiesel. > >Greg H. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month. Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads! http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info http://us.click.yahoo.com/aHOo4D/KJoEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Pulse Jet Engines (was Unique heat engine)
- Original Message - From: "Hakan Falk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Thursday, September 05, 2002 09:23 Subject: Re: [biofuel] Unique heat engine > The principle is a > propulsion engine (like the ones in the V1 second world war missile), > encapsulated by a water tank. I found pulse Jet plans (as well as ramjet plans) on the internet last year, I think that they cost all of $15-20 bucks. Just doing a new search I found some new sights with plans: http://home3.inet.tele.dk/kennethm/ http://www.geocities.com/pulse_jet_2000/ This is just a couple of sights. and the plans might be modified for use with BioDiesel. Greg H. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month. Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads! http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info http://us.click.yahoo.com/aHOo4D/KJoEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[biofuel] Re: [biofuels-biz] Pulsonex
Marc, You are right, the V1 was not and Pulsonex is not a ramjet nor an immersion burner. Coming back to noise, it is generated by the high drops in pressure and turbulence. It is a large difference if your goal is to translate the energy to mechanical movement or heat. They are totally opposite and the noise is easier to handle in the latter. To use the energy for heat, does mean that you do not want a high sudden drop in pressure and the generation of sound will be lower. To get the heat, you must control the pressure drop from the combustion. The only mechanical forces you want are for the process and the removal of the used fuel. Pulsating burning is a technic that is very interesting, since the burning process is more efficient and controlled. The results are higher efficiency and less pollution. My interests are energy saving and if I can see methods and products that give 30% savings and cleaner environment, I will support them. 12 years on the market and 15,000 installations, are very compelling arguments for the viability of the product. It is however large forces against it. The oil companies and the traditional burner/boiler companies does not like it. Many of our leaders are supported by the existing structure and will participate in creating road blocks. One thing is to talk about solutions, an other is when those solutions create products not supported by the existing infrastructure. When we engineers discuss and develop, we often forget that this is an exiting foreplay and when the action comes, we often do not know what to do. Investigate and prepare is exiting, but to be successful it has to be followed by implementation at the right moment. Implementation always creates a new set of challenges, that can be equally exiting if the interest is there. If we are successful in the foreplay and the implementation, the result can be a quite rewarding. This is a process that most people have experiences from. Hakan Noise is generated in this cases by the sudden and large difference At 12:07 PM 9/8/2002 +0800, you wrote: >Quick correction: the V1 used a pulsejet, not a ramjet. The noise may or >may not have been welcome by the Germans, but in any case it was not an >option, but a consequence of intermittent combustion. A ramjet has >continuous combustion, so it is not inherently noisy, though the >"screaming" effect in combustion behind a flameholder does make most of >them noisy in practice. > >The advantage of the pulsejet is that it can be started with the craft >at rest and will produce static thrust, unlike a ramjet which must be >started at a speed high enough to give good ram pressure recovery in the >inlet diffuser, and will not run under static conditions. > >Best, >Marc de Piolenc Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuel] Wired 10.04 Must Read
Keith, Sorry not to concur and I did subscribe to New Scientist for many years. It has bent towards the populist and trivial and now New Scientist seems to have turned into News Cientist with headline grabbing reports that soon disappear from reality. Those familiar with BBC's 'Tomorrows World' will understand. I have given up my subscription and only purchase it when I see something of particular interest in it Scientific American does a better job on fewer topics. Ken - Original Message - From: Keith Addison <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: 07 September 2002 14:51 Subject: Re: [biofuel] Wired 10.04 Must Read > Ken Basterfield wrote: > > >Usually lurking but tickled by this one and, spiritually, this is quite > >uplifting and I hope it is true. However it sounds like one of those stories > >out of New Scientist! > > Um, have you got the right one? New Scientist is an excellent magazine. > > Keith > > > >3 points: > >What is the algae fuelled with? > >Can an acre produce enough hydrogen in real time for the stated journey? > >Do I have to tow an acre of pond behind the car? (not serious) > >ken > > > >- Original Message - > >From: kirk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: Biofuel@Yahoogroups.Com (E-mail) > >Sent: 07 September 2002 07:23 > >Subject: [biofuel] Wired 10.04 Must Read > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.04/mustread_pr.html > > > > > > > > > Reengineering Algae To Fuel The Hydrogen Economy. > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuels list archives: > http://archive.nnytech.net/ > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> Home Selling? Try Us! http://us.click.yahoo.com/QrPZMC/iTmEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM -~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [biofuels-biz] Pulsonex
Marc, You are right, the V1 was not and Pulsonex is not a ramjet nor an immersion burner. Coming back to noise, it is generated by the high drops in pressure and turbulence. It is a large difference if your goal is to translate the energy to mechanical movement or heat. They are totally opposite and the noise is easier to handle in the latter. To use the energy for heat, does mean that you do not want a high sudden drop in pressure and the generation of sound will be lower. To get the heat, you must control the pressure drop from the combustion. The only mechanical forces you want are for the process and the removal of the used fuel. Pulsating burning is a technic that is very interesting, since the burning process is more efficient and controlled. The results are higher efficiency and less pollution. My interests are energy saving and if I can see methods and products that give 30% savings and cleaner environment, I will support them. 12 years on the market and 15,000 installations, are very compelling arguments for the viability of the product. It is however large forces against it. The oil companies and the traditional burner/boiler companies does not like it. Many of our leaders are supported by the existing structure and will participate in creating road blocks. One thing is to talk about solutions, an other is when those solutions create products not supported by the existing infrastructure. When we engineers discuss and develop, we often forget that this is an exiting foreplay and when the action comes, we often do not know what to do. Investigate and prepare is exiting, but to be successful it has to be followed by implementation at the right moment. Implementation always creates a new set of challenges, that can be equally exiting if the interest is there. If we are successful in the foreplay and the implementation, the result can be a quite rewarding. This is a process that most people have experiences from. Hakan Noise is generated in this cases by the sudden and large difference At 12:07 PM 9/8/2002 +0800, you wrote: >Quick correction: the V1 used a pulsejet, not a ramjet. The noise may or >may not have been welcome by the Germans, but in any case it was not an >option, but a consequence of intermittent combustion. A ramjet has >continuous combustion, so it is not inherently noisy, though the >"screaming" effect in combustion behind a flameholder does make most of >them noisy in practice. > >The advantage of the pulsejet is that it can be started with the craft >at rest and will produce static thrust, unlike a ramjet which must be >started at a speed high enough to give good ram pressure recovery in the >inlet diffuser, and will not run under static conditions. > >Best, >Marc de Piolenc Yahoo! Groups Sponsor -~--> 4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/MVfIAA/9bTolB/TM -~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
