A Better Alternative Fuel

[Bubba]

I saw on CNN today a piece about a South African Company that has refineries that convert Coal into Gasoline. It also talked about how the US has enough coal that it dwarfs the proven reserves of all the middle east oil producing countries. They are currently looking at a few locations in the US to put this process to work.

It sounds like a really good alternative way to create gasoline, much better than using food products to make a fuel additive. Here is an article on it that I found on the internet.

Green Car Congress: Sasol Scouting US for Locations for $5-Billion Coal-to-Liquids Plant, Considering China Too

[ksgrainman]

'It sounds like a really good alternative way to create gasoline, much better than using food products to make a fuel additive. Here is an article on it that I found on the internet.'

Might be something to look into, so I did.


How Competitive Is Coal-To-Liquids Conversion? - Knowledge Problem

BTW, have anyone of you tried to eat the corn they use in Ethanol production. Give it a try, tell me what recipe you used.

[aft_lizard01]

Originally Posted by ksgrainman

'It sounds like a really good alternative way to create gasoline, much better than using food products to make a fuel additive. Here is an article on it that I found on the internet.'

Might be something to look into, so I did.


How Competitive Is Coal-To-Liquids Conversion? - Knowledge Problem

BTW, have anyone of you tried to eat the corn they use in Ethanol production. Give it a try, tell me what recipe you used.

The problem isnt with the actual corn being used, its the fact that farmers are converting existing to crops to it that is the problem, or one of the many myriad of problems. Now crops that used to be used for feed or food are now being used for ethanol. Now corn takes more water to grow than wheat, so now we deplete even further the water tables. Next there is the fertilizer problem, corn is very nutrient hungry and requires lots of fertilizer so now you are poisoning water wells and increasing the dead zone in the gulf of mexico(yeah for dead fish and cancer). There is the amount of energy that is needed to convert to alcohol, a ratio of 1 to 1.2, that is 1 gallon of fuel to 1.2 gallons of ethanol end product. Since alcohol itself is less energy efficient than foossil fuels you need to burn more of it. There is a reason why no reasonable company invested in ethanol until the government began subsidizing it.

[ksgrainman]

Originally Posted by aft_lizard01

The problem isnt with the actual corn being used, its the fact that farmers are converting existing to crops to it that is the problem, or one of the many myriad of problems. Now crops that used to be used for feed or food are now being used for ethanol. Now corn takes more water to grow than wheat, so now we deplete even further the water tables. Next there is the fertilizer problem, corn is very nutrient hungry and requires lots of fertilizer so now you are poisoning water wells and increasing the dead zone in the gulf of mexico(yeah for dead fish and cancer). There is the amount of energy that is needed to convert to alcohol, a ratio of 1 to 1.2, that is 1 gallon of fuel to 1.2 gallons of ethanol end product. Since alcohol itself is less energy efficient than foossil fuels you need to burn more of it. There is a reason why no reasonable company invested in ethanol until the government began subsidizing it.

USDA Expects Corn Acres To Drop In 2008

[Justoo]

Yup. Corn acreage is expected to drop... to the second largest since 1949.

[jeezeweeze]

Seems the head of the nations corn growers has a conflicting opinion

Video - Breaking News Videos from CNN.com

[ksgrainman]

I will not bother you again on this, YOU WIN

I LOVE MUSLIM OIL

[jeezeweeze]

Grainy

If you are talking to me...I just don't understand how using more Muslim oil to produce the product than the product will supply, How is that working ? Its very confusing to me. Seems to be a catch 22

[Bubba]

Originally Posted by ksgrainman

I will not bother you again on this, YOU WIN

I LOVE MUSLIM OIL

Contrary to your narrow minded view, oil isn't muslim. This thread wasn't started about oil, it was showing how turning one of our most abundant resources, coal, into usable gasoline.

[ksgrainman]

Sorry Bubba, didn't mean to steal the thread, Grainy