[Waaaaay OT but who cares its cool] We might be able to turn anything in Oil soon.

[DerianCypher]

this reminds me of this

http://www.lifegem.com/secondary/whatislg.htm

 

[storyguide3]

Not doubting you, but what are some? Expand the minds of your fellow posters already.

I do believe that hydrocarbons are a major material in the production of many plastics.

 

[Umbran]

Only one problem - only one known energy source has the same kind of power output that gasoline and diesel engines have

There was a time, way back when, that a gas engine wouldn't out perform a horse. The only reason they perform so well now is that they've had lots of research done on them. Give other energy sources equivalent research, and you'll get better motors.

However, hybrid gasoline/hydrogen fuel cell autos are showing promise, but their strongest suit is in city driving less than 45 mph or so. On interstate travel, where long-haul commuters and diesel trucks prevail, I don't think one gets very good mileage.

The Toyota Prius gets 52 MPG city, 45 MPG highway. It's highway mileage is better than your usual 4-cylinder gasoline engine, and on par with car diesel engines as well.

Until then, electricity in any form is not going to be an easy replacement for piston-driven fossil fuel engines.

Blanket statements about what will, and won't, be the technology of tomorrow are notoriously weak Go take a look around at fuel cell technologies, and you might be surprised.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I work just down the street from the main Illinois US Dept of Agriculture research lab. They have come up with all kinds of stuff there just made from soy beans. Even a replacement for diesel fuel.

I'm fairly sure it won't be too much longer before we're all either driving hydrogen or soy cars.

 

[Moe Ronalds]

I work just down the street from the main Illinois US Dept of Agriculture research lab. They have come up with all kinds of stuff there just made from soy beans. Even a replacement for diesel fuel.

I'm fairly sure it won't be too much longer before we're all either driving hydrogen or soy cars.

Just no hemp seat covers....

But hey, if they can turn anything Carbon based into oil, I think I just found a whole new use for my body when I die...

 

[Destil]

I do believe that hydrocarbons are a major material in the production of many plastics.

Which then never (in a practical sense) biodegrades. Really plastic is more of a problem than atmospheric pollutants in some ways, I'd think. Particularly in a disposable material culture....

 

[KDLadage]

Just a thought about the plastics issue:

Could you take the plastics that you made, grind them up into this process, and break them back down to the oil they are making -- or even us it as a near universal recycling system?

 

[kenjib]

Which then never (in a practical sense) biodegrades. Really plastic is more of a problem than atmospheric pollutants in some ways, I'd think. Particularly in a disposable material culture....

If you read the article, it states that plastic is an ideal fuel for this process. Problem potentially solved!

This is really cool. I wonder if it will turn into a household appliance. Just take your trash down into the basement and put it into your combined furnace/generator/oil creator. The furnace powers itself, heats your house, generates electricity, and gives you gasoline for your car. If you have excess you can sell gasoline or put electricity back on the power grid or store the energy in a hydrogen cell for later use -- i.e. in the summer you bulk up hydrogen cells for use in the winter when your heating demands go up and people in colder regions up North can buy excess energy generated by people with fewer energy demands in the South.

Another way you could do it would be to exchange seasonal energy fluctuations between the north and south hemisphere.

This is the kind of energy revolution that people have been discussing since hydrogen cells hit the market. The problem you don't always hear about is that hydrogen cells are only a storage medium and it requires more energy to power them then they provide, thus they don't lessen dependance on foreign oil until we can move our power plants away from fossil fuels (fat chance without new technology like this article suggests).

If I understand right, this is *(&(*$#!& brilliant! In combination with fuel cells, it could very well mark an entire new historical era on the way...

EDIT: Oh, and it gives you drinking-quality water to boot! It seems almost like a "stillsuit" at the societal level.

 

[Umbran]

If you read the article, it states that plastic is an ideal fuel for this process. Problem potentially solved!

Quite true. If it works for a broad range of plastics at once. If it requires a large degree of fine tuning, you may need multiple facilities, which would be a large capital outlay.

The furnace powers itself, heats your house, generates electricity, and gives you gasoline for your car.

Not quite. The furnace helps to power itself. It even mostly powers itself, but you don't get out more than you put into it. The article says that it's only 85% efficient on the turkey feedstock. You need to come up with that extra 15% somewhere.

In addition, there seems to be a bit of a fib in here that might well keep you from wanting one in your home. They say that nothing hazardous comes out of the process. That is hogwash, especially if you're talking about using your old computers and electronics as feedstock. Those things are loaded with lead, and other heavy metals. Heavy metals are hazardous waste, pretty much however you slice them.

Not that this is an unmanageable or unreasonable risk. But between that and the likely need to grind stuff up to fit it through, you probably dont want it in your basement.

However, a municiple one of these would be a wonderful replacement for landfills...

 

[Destil]

If you read the article, it states that plastic is an ideal fuel for this process. Problem potentially solved!

Gladly standing corrected, now this has my interest. If for nothing else as a nice improvment on plastics recycling.