This is very cool. Wouldn't it be great if it really works!
University of Texas at Arlington researchers can turn natural gas into vehicle fuel [The Dallas Morning News]
(Dallas Morning News (TX) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) June 03--The University of Texas at Arlington has sold a chemical process invented by researchers on campus that turns natural gas into fuel for airplanes and automobiles.
Two years ago, Fort Worth energy company 1st Resource Group Inc. contracted with UTA researchers to create a small-scale, low-cost, gas-to-liquid conversion unit that could be transported from well site to well site. The company's financial partner, UMED Holdings Inc., will announce a licensing agreement with the university on Friday to commercialize the process
large quantities of domestic reserves of natural gas will make the process a success.
"This process starts to solve the rising transportation costs we all face," Douglas McKinnon, chief executive of 1st Resource, said in a prepared statement. He said the researchers proved the process can be cost efficient and commercially viable.
The conversion unit's portability makes the product an attractive buy, Gary Fewell, chief operations officer of 1st Resource, said in a written statement. He said the low price and
"When you have a rancher sitting on a natural gas well, and that gas can be converted to an energy source like jet fuel, he is suddenly sitting on a gold mine," he said.
The new process relies on the old Fischer-Tropsch process, used by the Germans during World War II. That process turns natural gas into liquid fuels, and is clean and efficient, but has always been too expensive, researcher Frederick MacDonnell said.
But with the UTA invention, the market cost wouldn't be nearly as volatile as that of crude oil because of the large, reachable quantities of natural gas in the U.S., much if it stranded in areas that aren't served by pipelines.
The federal standards that regulate jet fuel prohibit any substance consisting of more than 50 percent of Fischer-Tropsch processed fuel. That makes 1st Resource's target market refineries, manufacturers, gasoline companies -- any companies that refine jet fuel and diesel.
MacDonnell, a chemistry and biochemistry professor at UTA, said the company is most excited that the process doesn't require a large capital investment.
"We do have something that is financially viable," he said.
The process is still patent-pending. MacDonnell said the company has some investors and is still attracting others to fund the first unit.
The agreement is also a big development for UTA.
"This advancement demonstrates how university research can respond to market demands," university President James Spaniolo said in a prepared statement.
___ To see more of The Dallas Morning News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to dallasnews.com.
tmcnet.com |
