What's Your Petrol Price? (Don't go to Scam Antionio TX!!!)

kthulhu · Post by **kthulhu** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 11:39 pm

I'm down on hydrogen, myself. It's reinventing the wheel for no real reason, especially since we have biodiesel and diesel vehicles that can already take it.

As for hybrids, perhaps a combo market of hybrid and regular vehicles might work...

With a nuclear based power system and biodiesel, we could very well not have to deal with the Middle East ever again.

Methane might be viable, though. It's produced so readily by most anything that we could have a lot of it.

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Mon Aug 04, 2003 11:48 pm

Mr Pilkington wrote:Bah! Give me dino fuels any day of the week!

I'm a rootin', tootin', and a palootin'

I'm certainly aware of the efficiency issues... here's my scenario:

The closest rail station is about 3 or 4 miles away. Too far to be walking to work, good enough for bicycling though. But if you're going to be late that way? It's time for the car... with the stop and go traffic here that's just as much of a pain. Time for firmware hacked Vespa and Segway - mod chip, reqrite the 1-Wirte keys and you're going 25MPH!

Methane is produced in large quantities by rail passengers, people in restaurants, and EVERYWHERE you DONT want it. With a biomethane fart-collection system on the local metro, we can make millions and still have free energy! No wonder there's "No Smoking" in the trains... (sarcasm)

Toecutter · Post by **Toecutter** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 12:17 am

Methane might be viable, though. It's produced so readily by most anything that we could have a lot of it.

Methane can be easily produced by processing corn, which would help strengthen the weakening farming industry in the U.S., and other first-world nations. Right now, the agriculture industry has had to increase their efficiency at an exponential rate to keep up with demand, and those who weren't run out of business by those capable of upping the efficiency with technology, are having to compete at increasingly challenging odds.

Corn production for methane fuel would offer farmers the chance to rotate their crops in the same field, which ensures the soil isn't depleted of the major nutrients required to support one primary crop. This would strengthen the economy also, by giving farmers having difficulty making a buck in the agricultural business at least being able to make a profit competing against OPEC, and other sources of energy.

danielwang · Post by **danielwang** » Tue Aug 05, 2003 1:52 am

Toecutter wrote:
Methane might be viable, though. It's produced so readily by most anything that we could have a lot of it.
Methane can be easily produced by processing corn, which would help strengthen the weakening farming industry in the U.S., and other first-world nations. Right now, the agriculture industry has had to increase their efficiency at an exponential rate to keep up with demand, and those who weren't run out of business by those capable of upping the efficiency with technology, are having to compete at increasingly challenging odds.

Corn production for methane fuel would offer farmers the chance to rotate their crops in the same field, which ensures the soil isn't depleted of the major nutrients required to support one primary crop. This would strengthen the economy also, by giving farmers having difficulty making a buck in the agricultural business at least being able to make a profit competing against OPEC, and other sources of energy.

Great news then.

For consumers, it doesn't matter that the farmers are now making more money. Methane, as an organic product, is cheaper in terms of efficiency.

Why not start now by releasing hybrid All-Fuel-In-One Methane-Petrol-CNG and then add the infrastructure later? Methane and CNG work quite well with normal engines, with some tweaking it could be the next Large But Not Big Thing.