Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (1527)	10/24/2005 7:40:51 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 218124

CB, here's a better idea, which I've just made up, so it might need some fine tuning. But it does have some sound scientific and engineering principles which were proven in my BP Oil days. Anyway, I think that there is a huge market for waste plant parts to be superfinely ground with water into a mixture of 30% water, 70% plant silt, to make furnace fuel. I suspect it might be fairly stable in density as wet wood is borderline buoyant and when finely macerated should form a nice neutral suspension. That would be important so you don't get a layer of water and a layer of mostly wood. A small stirrer would ensure a constant mixture. That mix could be injected through normal nozzles and it would burn beautifully and cleanly. With water, combustion is enhanced. Even with 30% water content, there would be only a 3% loss of energy by evaporation as proven in BP Oil's orimulsion trials in furnaces. It might even work in large engines [such as marine diesels or power stations], but I'd try it out in a regular furnace first. For example, after a huge wheat field has been harvested, there is a LOT of cellulose left over which is I guess dug back into the ground, or burned off or something. Same in forestry. When the trunks are taken, there's a LOT of offcut. Around cities, there is a LOT of tree pruning [in Auckland trees grow like crazy and it's a problem keeping them down]. All that waste could go straight into the mincer and furnace. There might need to be some biocides used as it would all start to rot and ferment if left too long. Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing as the production of ethanol from wood waste would supply vehicles. The Forest Research Institute in Rotorua was making ethanol from trees 25 years ago - it was never economic of course as oil was too cheap. But it can be done. Anyway, there's some food for thought and a business opportunity for anybody who can be bothered. The ash could be spread back over the land to restore mineral levels if that's an issue. Maybe there would need to be lots of fixed nitrogen to keep the plants growing. Australia is just begging for vast fuel-producing forests to be planted. It just need some water, which could be supplied by photovoltaics splitting salt water, to H2 and O2 which could be burned to generate electricity and pumped to the forests as water. That would only work if the trees were much cheaper than the photovoltaics, which would be like a loss leader to get the cheap stuff. Otherwise, the photovoltaics might as well just be spread across the deserts instead of trees. Or supertankers of water could be brought from rivers around the world. There's no shortage of fresh water at places such as Manapouri in New Zealand. Backload water to Australia and fill up with oil to come back [for efficient transport]. Mqurice

To: Ilaine who wrote (1527)	10/24/2005 10:45:02 PM
From: Roebear	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 218124

CobaltBlue, I don't know what area of the country you live in, but here in PA I was notified by my HO dealer that soybean oil for heating would be available as a 10% blend by Jan 06 and they hoped to be up to 25% by fall 06 and possibly 50% blend soon after. If you are interested, I can try and get some details on availability. Best, Roebear