Yet ANOTHER way ethanol from corn is becoming more efficient

[HoosierRon]

Minnesota scientists create new biodiesel manufacturing process

Along with fellow scientist Ben Yan, Gyberg and McNeff built and tested a column that mixed oil and alcohol with the catalyst under high heat and pressure until the mix became supercritical, a state where the mixture contains properties of both a gas and a liquid. Under the right conditions in the column, the oil and alcohol were converted into biodiesel in six seconds. Gyberg said the column allows for continuous production of biodiesel – as opposed to the current batch method of production. A column about 4 inches in diameter and two feet long will be able to produce 3 million gallons of biodiesel per year. The process can also convert glycerin into dimethyl ether, which is more valuable in the current market.

McNeff, Gyberg and Yan named the method, the Mcgyan process, and have applied for a patent.

For the past six months a pilot plant using the Mcgyan process has been using a wide range of feedstocks with no problems, Gyberg said.

McNeff has formed the company, Ever Cat Fuels LLC, to build a commercial-sized 3 MMgy facility in Isanti, Minn. The company broke ground in November, and if permitting is on schedule, the plant should be operating by October. The plant will use hydrous ethanol, rather than methanol, and corn oil extracted from distillers grains as the feedstock. Gyberg said the feedstock will have up to 20 percent free fatty acids, which renders it almost useless for traditional biodiesel production, however, the Mcgyan process converts free fatty acids to biodiesel as easily as virgin vegetable oil. “The process converts it 100 percent to biodiesel with essentially no waste,” Gyberg said. At the end of the process, the finished biodiesel doesn’t need to be washed. And he added, the use of feedstocks from a nearby ethanol plant, will make Ever Cat Fuels' cost of production nearly $2 per gallon lower than other biodiesel plants.

That's right: after the ethanol producers use up the corn, this biodiesel company will take the leftover "waste" and turn it into very, very cheap biodiesel. So the next time you hear someone claim that making ethanol from corn is not energy efficient, ask them whether they are counting ALL of the energy that comes from the corn.

[Cortazzo]

How, this is pretty amazing. You set the creative minds of america to work and they will find solutions.

[SUPERBADD75]

now let's see some diesels worth buying in America. i'd love to see a midsized SUV or small crew cab pickup with a diesel in it. they do it overseas, why not here? also, why not offer something fun to drive with a diesel?

[CaptainDan]

BioDiesel from corn....bioDiesel from just about ANYTHING!

[killerrd2]

GM - NOW IS THE TIME TO BRING THE OPEL DIESEL HYBRID TO THIS MARKET AS A SATURN!

THEN E-X-P-A-N-D THE LINE-UP!!

I hope that got their attention. Seems too good to be true. A hybrid is one thing, but one that can run on biodiesel seems like the answer middle America (and America herself) has been waiting for. Forget farmers subsidies!! Now farmers can plant and make a profit, and even the waste isn't waste anymore!! How cool and "green" is that!

[killerrd2]

And check this out too:

******************************
After three years of clandestine development, a Georgia company is now
going public with a simple, natural way to convert anything that grows
out of the Earth into oil.
J.C. Bell, an agricultural researcher and CEO of Bell Bio-Energy, says
he's isolated and modified specific bacteria that will, on a very large
scale, naturally change plant material - including the leftovers from
food - into hydrocarbons to fuel cars and trucks.
"What we're doing is taking the trash like corn stalks, corn husks, corn
cobs - even grass from the yard that goes to the dump - that's what we
can turn into oil," Bell told WND. "I'm not going to make asphalt, we're
only going to make the things we need. We're going to make gasoline for
driving, diesel for our big trucks."

Link:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59402

[BigEnos]

This all is beginning to remind me of the "Mr Fusion" from Back to the Future. Where he just need a few pieces of celery and some trash to make energy for the time machine.

[CBECK]

Originally Posted by SUPERBADD75

now let's see some diesels worth buying in America. i'd love to see a midsized SUV or small crew cab pickup with a diesel in it. they do it overseas, why not here? also, why not offer something fun to drive with a diesel?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ THATS WHY.

[logansowner]

Originally Posted by CBECK

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ THATS WHY.

I'm not sure, I mean we are a nation that spends over $60,000 on half ton trucks or SUV's, I think if people were given the option, they would pony up a coupe more grand for a diesel.

[Ambalanche]

Plus, until all these inventions start showing up and affecting the cost of Diesel they won't sell. Diesel is over $4.00 here and reg unleaded is $3.21 or so.

[hrcslam]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

Plus, until all these inventions start showing up and affecting the cost of Diesel they won't sell. Diesel is over $4.00 here and reg unleaded is $3.21 or so.

Yes, and the government is doing nothing to help push alternative fuels along. If the government would tax ONLY fossil fuels then the demand for bio-fuels would increase substantially. Demand increases then supply increases and so on. But, until gas reaches a price that is significantly higher than E85, the American public wont get away from what they already do.

Imagine if E85 was $2.85-$3.00/gal ans gasoline was $6.00-7.50/ gallon. People would convert to E85 in a flash. Demand would increase then supply would decrease. Investment companies will notice the demand and build more refineries then the supply will increase until supply and demand is met. Public transportation and better driving habits will be observed and the use of oil will cut at least 25% over night. IMO.

[SUPERBADD75]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

Plus, until all these inventions start showing up and affecting the cost of Diesel they won't sell. Diesel is over $4.00 here and reg unleaded is $3.21 or so.

it would actually even out a little if you offer diesels getting 40-45 mpg versus equivalent gas engines getting 25-30 mpg.

[tholland]

McNeff, Gyberg and Yan named the method, the Mcgyan process

Too bad they didn't call it the Macgyver process

[CaptainDan]

Originally Posted by tholland

Too bad they didn't call it the Macgyver process

Then they could make a nuclear weapon out of a broken rubber band, half a shoelace, and a dixie cup!

[HoosierRon]

Originally Posted by hrcslam

Yes, and the government is doing nothing to help push alternative fuels along. If the government would tax ONLY fossil fuels then the demand for bio-fuels would increase substantially. Demand increases then supply increases and so on. But, until gas reaches a price that is significantly higher than E85, the American public wont get away from what they already do.

Imagine if E85 was $2.85-$3.00/gal ans gasoline was $6.00-7.50/ gallon. People would convert to E85 in a flash. Demand would increase then supply would decrease. Investment companies will notice the demand and build more refineries then the supply will increase until supply and demand is met. Public transportation and better driving habits will be observed and the use of oil will cut at least 25% over night. IMO.

1. The federal government is spending billions of dollars to research alternative fuels.

2. The federal government is spending billions of dollars to subsidize the construction of cellulosic ethanol plants.

3. The federal government is subsidizing the production of ethanol by giving tax credits to companies that blend ethanol into gasoline.

4. The federal government is creating a demand for ethanol by mandating that (eventually) 15 billion gallons be blended into the nation's gasoline supply.

5. The reason E-85 is not cheaper is because notwithstanding the fact that America's production of ethanol is skyrocketing (it is increasing by 1 to 2 billion gallons per year), the supply cannot keep up with demand. Why the demand? Simple: as long as ethanol is priced a few cents less than the wholesale price of gasoline, refiners will by the cheaper ethanol and blend it with the more expensive gasoline. Therefore, ethanol producers are simply increasing their prices as the price of gasoline goes up.

6. Retailers are not going to charge $3.00 for E85 if gasoline is selling for $7.50. Why? Because people still would by E85 if it were priced at $5.00. The only way the price of E85 would drop more than that is if the supply were so great it could replace all gasoline. However, for the foreseeable future, there is no way we can make that much ethanol.

7. American demand for ethanol has gone from 4 billion gallons in 2006 to 8 billion gallons this year. That is a 100% increase in 2 years. Plants are being constructed by the dozens all over the country. Over one dozen cellulosic ethanol plants are under construction. Seriously, what more do you want?