I have an idea to convert my GQ to run on firewood. :D
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Just fit a few washing machine motors and run a pantograph to the power lines.
Interesting!!!
I thought back in ancient 1970's they were riding horse carts and bullock carts. ;) :D
Melbourne wasn't that different back then. :D
BTW, bio petroleum won't be a solution, 'cos we still have the emission issue.
Bio petroleum would've been a solution if some fifty years ago petroleum ran out.
The emissions are absorbed by the growing algae and as the article says, the solids are good as fertiliser.
I might whack one of these EmDrive engines into the Patrol...
http://www.news.com.au/technology/sc...9264e60b3a9d2f
Hmmm... couldn't find article saying that.
To match the equation will be lot harder in the real world, than in a laboratory.
The produced emissions need to be reabsorbed back into algae(or similar method) in all or else the fossil fuel emission problem continues with bio fuel as well.
Countries like Brazil apparently produces their own bio fuel(some 50% of their fuel) using corn, sugarcane, etc.
I'm not sure how energy efficient or "green" it is to clear up the virgin rain forest to grow sugarcane and then turn that to ethanol.
Same challenge will be there to produce bio fuel out of algae.
You need to use energy to produce the heat and pressure to produce bio fuel.
The existing ground petroleum was made by earth's natural process of heat and pressure over millions of years.
We do that in big plants means we have to inject our own energy into it.
And that energy has to come from somewhere.
I'm skeptical, 'cos the math doesn't add up to positive numbers, afaics.
I hope I'm wrong.
The ability to use solids as fertilizer is a good outcome for sure.
The problem is to grow this algae in vast quantities without causing anymore environmental disasters than we already have.
That would be a challenge as well.
I do like the idea of turning our poo into petroleum though.
We just have to make sure poo petroleum doesn't cost more energy to produce it and than the energy it produces.
The original diesel engine in late 1800's were made to run on vegetable oil, peanut oil, etc, 'cos fossil fuel diesel did not exist back then. Bio fuel for internal combustion engine is not a modern concept.
Imagine not having fossil fuel at all and we produce all the diesel, petrol out of bio material as above, which means vast amounts of land turned into vegetable oil growing farms, algae farms, sugarcane, corn, etc farms.
Can that end us with less emissions issues than we have now with fossil fuels?!
Can the fossil fuel triggered industrial revolution be the same with far less emissions had we've done that?!!
That's an important question we need to ask.
Physicists, engineers and environmentalists need to work out the math behind it and come up with a solid answer.
So that's how you squeeze the GQ slider through them crazy nooks that Stropp pointed out;-)