On Jun 12, 2009, at 6:32 PM, Alexander Hollins wrote:
The problem is just that , conversion efficiency. The more conversions
you make, the more entropy in teh system, the more energy lost.
What are you going to "make" other than electricity? We have internal
combustion motors, and we have electical motors. so, if not
electricity, then some new burnable fuel? made how?
Growing algae in salt water. See:
http://www.oilgae.com/
Oil from algae can be produced at 15,000 gallons per acre per year,
9.6 million gallons per mi^2 year, or 0.229 Mbbl per square mile per
year.
Assuming world peak oil is about 13x10^9 bbls/yr (see http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil) we require about 57,000 square miles
to produce peak oil, or a square area about 238 miles on a side.
Much of that might be on water, as opposed to land. (The above are my
calculations and thus highly subject to error.)
However, given the conversion of much of the transportation industry
to electrical power, and the replacement of oil with coal or bitumen
for many chemical feed stocks and miscellaneous refined products,
that amount can be greatly reduced.
Here is how a barrel of oil is used:
http://knowledgenews.net/moxie/todaysknowledge/a-barrel-of-oil-
refined.shtml
http://tinyurl.com/6ncqyc
Product gallons
Gasoline 19.4
Diesel and Heating Oil 10.5
Jet Fuel 4.1
Heavy Fuel Oil 1.7
Propane 1.5
Asphalt and Road Oil 1.3
Petrochemical Feed Stocks 1.1
Other 5.0
Further, the creation of hydrogen from electrolysis, biomass or
nuclear energy can make a large dent in many energy needs, as well as
chemical process needs, especially for fertilizer. It is also notable
that specific species of algae have been used and can be bread or
engineered to produce specialty chemical needs or products, such as
specialty lubricants.
With the huge drop in demand that can happen with enough focus and
will, the petroleum reserves left may serve to meet remaining special
chemical needs for generations to come.
Best regards,
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
