Posted by: zardiw
In reply to: zardiw who wrote msg# 18121 Date:1/9/2007 8:57:09 AM
Post #of 19471
•••••• The Chemistry, by JKN ••••••
This is a catalytic breakdown of the existing long-chain hydrocarbon components naturally present in the plant structure. High-oil containing plant components (like soybeans, cottonseeds, etc...) are broken down into smaller, simply hydrocarbons similar to a petroleum cracking process. It occurs in a vacuum over a catalytic bed. The output is high in alkanes and alkenes that have a higher energy density than biodiesel as it is in the ester form. Some hydrogen is also present. Its been 20 years since I had thermodynamics so I can't remember that much about heat capacity of hydrocarbons.
They are not promising to make something from nothing. It is just a simpler, more direct method for getting hydrocarbons out of a plant source. The liquid products from this are just more useful in that they can be directly blended with existing fuels like gas, diesel, and biodiesel. The gaseous output can be burned (just like natural gas) and used to fire turbines to generate electricity. The solid material remaining contains carbon char (carbon black, which can also be burned) and the inorganic components present in whatever the feedstock is. The inorganic materials are the fertilizer. Yes, it does not contain all of the nutrients that the plant has because it is just the bean or seed. The rest of the plant can be tilled back in. What part of a soybean is reintroduced to the soil after harvest now? In this proces, at least some of the nutrients naturally present in the soil can be replenished.
You ask alot of valid questions but they are just as valid for the burgeoning biodiesel industry as they are for this process.
I'll say it again, the technology works and it is for real. It is not a zero sum game by any means at all. There is nothing 'theoretically' that could possibly be construed as not being zero sum. It is exactly analagous to a petroleum cracking process, the difference is that this is done on biomass input and not crude. That's it. You can't possibly get anymore out of it than what is fed in. The biomass is simply being converted into some very useful materials and the remaining soilds used as fertilizer. There is energy consumed in the form of heat to initiate the reaction. There is no more energy created than comsumed. What is created is just a range products that can be sold at a cost higher than the energy and raw materials...just like the petroleum refining process.
Now, bringing this tech to market from the lab is usually where alot of problems occur due to scale-up. They already have a scaled-up working reactor so the next phase becomes either another scale-up or a serial operation of reactors. The latter is planned, so it just matter of plumbing and refinement of the gas/liquid/solid separation. As I have stated before, the question I have is how variable is the output based on the input.
The setup of the company is such that it takes full advantage of the green credits and is not in direct competition with petroleum producers.
z
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