Waste Into Oil?

[BullyDog]

Below is an article from Discover magazine about a company that has created a thermal conversion process plant in Missouri. The plant takes thousands of tons of waste from nearby slaughterhouses and turns it into fuel oil, clean enough to run generators right out of the box and can easily be refined into gasoline. The process is energy efficient, meaning there is more energy in the oil that they create than what they use to create it. The only byproducts are nitrogen rich fertiliser and waste water. The process dismantles proteins responsible for mad cow disease, and can even make oil from the millions of tons of unrecyclable plastics from junk automobiles that normally go into landfills. One would think with our country's current energy situation the government would be putting these plants in every state, but unfortunately that is not the case. We have been painfully slow to provide subsidies for this kind of fuel, while several European countries have been scrambling to create incentives to create a favorable and profitable situation for this company.

http://www.discover.com/issues/apr-0.../anything-oil/

[camaro_freak]

Originally Posted by BullyDog

One would think with our country's current energy situation the government would be putting these plants in every state, but unfortunately that is not the case. We have been painfully slow to provide subsidies for this kind of fuel, while several European countries have been scrambling to create incentives to create a favorable and profitable situation for this company.

http://www.discover.com/issues/apr-0.../anything-oil/

it's BIG OIL lobbying in Washington... until that stops and the oil companies are forced to take a back seat, then we will see some significant changes made.

[nadepalma]

How proven is the process? I think this is fascinating if it can be commercialized.

[mbukukanyau]

If there is money to be made.. someone will invest in it.. Including BIG oil...

[Saturn69]

I've been screaming for this for years! Thermal depolymerization creates a light oil suitable for use as diesel fuel, which is great because everyone knows diesels get better mileage. If we had diesel hybrids like this, we could seriously put a dent in oil imports and cut down on landfill waste, since TDP will break down everything but nuclear waste.

[VibenPontiac]

It will take a Shell or a BP to invest to get any real traction. Neither Exxon/Mobil nor ConnocoPhillips are market leaders when it comes to innovation or taking a risk.

[Masospaghetti]

Promising if its as good as it sounds, however...

The process is energy efficient, meaning there is more energy in the oil that they create than what they use to create it.

Not sure if I can believe that, any process is not 100% efficient, unless you're referring to using solar energy or some other type.

And its a sad fact that Big Oil has so much control in our government, especially when our president is involved in it himself.

If we had diesel hybrids like this,

Diesel Hybrids are not in the consumer market for a reason, they cost too much. The hybrid technology adds a few thousand per vehicle at least, and same for diesel engines. And the inherent design of diesels mean they get less benefit from hybrid technology than a regular gasoline engine. Diesel hybrids don't make much sense except on a large scale. Diesel engines in general, however, make a tremendous amount of sense.

Why do diesels gain less from hybrids than gasoline counterparts? In a regular gasoline engine, the engine usually is small in displacement and lacks much low end torque. The electric motor suppliments this deficiency well because the motor excels at low end torque. The two compliment each other. Diesels, on the other hand, have plenty of low end torque without electric motors.

[mjd1001]

It's one step closer to getting us to a "Mr. Fusion" like the one that powered the flying Delorean in Back to the Future 2!

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by Masospaghetti

Not sure if I can believe that, any process is not 100% efficient, unless you're referring to using solar energy or some other type.
.

Obviously. But there is inherent energy in the waste already, as anyone who has ever say, barbecued and had some piece of fat fall into the grille and had a huge flare up happen...

[Knucklehead]

Originally Posted by nadepalma

How proven is the process? I think this is fascinating if it can be commercialized.

The plant works, however the smell is so bad the Department of Natural Resourses has them shutdown, until they can find a solution. Recently they were starting back up with some emission control changes installed.

It is in Carthage Missouri.......

[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by Knucklehead

The plant works, however the smell is so bad the Department of Natural Resourses has them shutdown, until they can find a solution. Recently they were starting back up with some emission control changes installed.

It is in Carthage Missouri.......

The shut-down was months ago.
They aren't shut down, and the factories smells no worse than a landfill....my mother-in-law lives near it. She says that after a few days they didn't even notice it anymore.

[uncleho]

I actually wrote Rick Wagoner about this a couple years ago when some magazine or other wrote about it.

He wrote back and said it was the talk of the town (he was evidently in DC lobbying something). He said he would forward it to the GM R&D people to review, because I suggested the waste some factories put out could maybe utilize such a process one day.

[jkrende]

I have news for you all. This will work, it will eventually be wide spread, and it still won't curb our taste for oil nor will it bring prices down to $1.00 a gallon. The demand is just too high and cheap oil is all but gone.

Look at the bright side... inflation will soon make $3.00 a gallon gas cheap. :-)

[Xcursionliveson]

That is very interesting, if only i were rich i would invest into these kind of things.

[Havasavana]

Originally Posted by jkrende

I have news for you all. This will work, it will eventually be wide spread, and it still won't curb our taste for oil nor will it bring prices down to $1.00 a gallon. The demand is just too high and cheap oil is all but gone.

Look at the bright side... inflation will soon make $3.00 a gallon gas cheap. :-)

Inflation would make $3 a gallon gas cheap, but gas won't be $3 a gallon. As the USD falls, the price of oil will increase, and the time may come when oil is not priced in USD, but in some other currency like the euro. Then we'll find out what high energy prices are. The oil producers, whether here or abroad will demand real value for their products, like everyone else.