DISQUS

Next Big Future: Cheaper and greener biodiesel process

  • Brock · 1 year ago
    Brian, do you have any sources on how much biomass waste the USA currently produces? Do we make enough for this to be useful? What's the energy cost of collecting all of the biomass (meaning, does it take more than 1 gallon of fuel to make 1 gallon of biodiesel, once transport of raw materials is accounted for)?
  • Brock · 1 year ago
    Answer to my own question:

    "A joint study conducted by the Departments of Energy and Agriculture, the Billion Ton Study, estimates that 1.3 billion tons of biomass feedstock is potentially available in the U.S. for the production of biofuels."

    So, ~40 billion gallons of fuel, or 23% of what we currently need (forgetting about demand growth). This seems like a nice way to recycle biomass waste, but not a complete fuel solution. We don't create a enough feedstock for that. I will continue to pine for improved algae yields.
  • Will_Brown · 1 year ago
    The Ever Cat website specifically states that the process does not "require a large footprint". I wonder how scalable this is in the other direction - to the 20 to 30 gallon/batch range say? That's the sort of application that would bring this development into widespread use the quickest, I suspect. Half a dozen neighbors contributing the "components" for a percentage share of the result? I think I'll contact Mr. Wendorf at Ever Cat and enquire ...
  • CaptDMO · 1 year ago
    Produces no waste?
    How, exactly, does that sulfated zirconia column magically heat up to 300C?