Fuel and Energy Alternatives » Biodiesel

Waste Coffee Grounds Potential Biodiesel Source

admin — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:57:06 +0000

THIS is exactly the kinds of thinking we need to be doing. I’ve said it for a long time that we need to find a way to make fuel out of the things that NO ONE wants and is plentiful. (Kudzu…) Add coffee grounds to the growing list of things that could be a biodiesel source. I know many people use spent coffee grounds as a fertilizer of sorts, but the article reports that they estimate that spent coffee grounds could contribute over 300 million gallons of biodiesel around the world (I assume annually.)

The conversion process taking the oils from the grounds and converting to a biodiesel was cheap, the excess solids can be used as compost and is more stable than traditional biodiesels. Waste coffee grounds contain as much as 20% oil.

Natural Fungus Synthesizes Diesel

admin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:01:40 +0000

This from the WOW – “where can I get some of that” category. A fungus has been found growing in the Patagonian Rainforest that naturally synthesizes a hydro-carbon compound that dramatically resembles diesel. From the article:

A fungus that lives inside trees in the Patagonian rain forest naturally makes a mix of hydrocarbons that bears a striking resemblance to diesel, biologists announced today. And the fungus can grow on cellulose, a major component of tree trunks, blades of grass and stalks that is the most abundant carbon-based plant material on Earth.

“When we looked at the gas analysis, I was flabbergasted,” said Gary Strobel, a plant scientist at Montana State University, and the lead author of a paper in Microbiology describing the find. “We were looking at the essence of diesel fuel.”

What’s fantastic about this is that it could basically synthesize diesel fuel from any cellulose matter (the waste matter from corn plants for example) allowing us to make use of the OTHER components of plants for food or whatever other purposes we need.

Amongst the impacts and bottom line to take out of this: 1) no ideas yet as to production scales of this 2) essentially make diesel a (hydrocarbon) from cellulose, 3) is petroleum then REALLY a “fossil fuel” or could it be produced from a similar process… 4) the ultimate benefit of this may come from the genome research that’s already started on this fungus.

Started a new tips for better gas mileage page

admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:20:24 +0000

Page link should be here. It’s a bit lean now, but there are some good mileage and biodiesel links. More to be added as time allows.

Our Best Solution is a Highly Diversified Energy Plan

admin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:33:23 +0000

In the last several decades there has been an argument over the energy policy in the United States. On the one side there are efforts to allow for more oil discovery and drilling, greater refinery capacity, etc. The other side says NO drilling that fossil fuels are bad and we need to invest in their replacements. The problem is that in all of this there has been little real progress. Yes, our technologies are improving, but the reality is that we need to develop a broad, comprehensive and DIVERSE energy security plan. Drilling for more oil alone will not answer our energy problems, neither will investing in ONLY wind and solar. I’m not saying this to

take sides, I’m saying this because I’m right in the middle here. I see great potential for solar, microhydro power and wind power. I’ve made use of solar extensively in certain projects. I’ve planned and considered microhydro power as a supplemental power source. I see it’s potential as very good. Biofuels have potential. The problem is we really need diverse energy supplies because we have diverse energy needs.

Yes it’s possible to have battery powered cars. However, batteries can be expensive to replace, heavy and contain potentially hazardous materials. There are still downsides. Biofuels would make a great substitute for petroluem fuels, but…. the demand for more soybean and corn to make them puts pressure on food prices (slightly more crucial in many parts of the world.)

So, this is why I say we need a DIVERSIFIED plan.

I’m sure there are some that say – well the government just needs to invest in research to perfect these technologies. That’s certainly possible, but the development time for the kinds of improvements take several years. Fortunately with the recent years pressures on oil prices there has been private research for several years already on many alternative energy fronts. Hopefully things are such that we may start seeing an easement in our energy problems in the next five years.

What’s really nice is that as new energy solutions come online they will take pressure off of existing sources of energy.