Alternative/renewable fuels

[underworld]

Is anyone working on alternative/renewable fuels, or using them? I've been involved with biodiesel for a long time and am working on some other fuels for gas burners. I think with the knowledge base here we can really come up with something.

[megalomania]

No no no, don't delete this... He has special permission from me to address this topic so I can gauge interest in this.

[Charles Owlen Picket]

@ underworld:
Please elaborate on biodiesel fuel and especially on any inter-relationship with energetic materials and / or the mechanics of initiation, deflagration or for that matter any auto-contributory element in your experience that may be reflected in some of the discussion herein...

We all know that a fuel-air explosion (FAE) is what drives internal combustion engines... from a generalist perspective anyway. What is the element that (in your opinion) the stumbling block to alternatives? Hydrogen seems workable. Is it the basic mechanics of the "switch" to make present-day vehicles use an alternative? What are you searching for?

[Jacks Complete]

Any tips on production of energetic materials, even diesel, is great. If I can make biodiesel, I can save a fortune, too, as there is no duty on the first 3000 miles per year in the UK (or something like that) so slashing my bills.

Solar and wind are two great ways to power stuff. They complement each other well, as dark and wet and windy gets great wind power, while still and dry and sunny gets great solar input.

It works so well that in the UK vast amounts of the tax payers money gets spent on putting up solar/wind powered lights, when there is a power line under 20 feet away!

If the SHTF, having a means of power would make you rich beyond most other men. You could run CCTV while they had to send scouts, you could run a network of sensors whilst they forage in the dark, you could recharge your flashlights and NVGs while they stumble over rocks in the dark. And you could live underground without turning into some albino mutant race! :-)

[shooter3]

Google "wood gas". I've been experimenting a little bit with this. You can run motors (generators cars, etc), but I'm going to try to heat my house with it next winter. I just filled my tank with heating oil, cost $1080.00!! This is only for areas where you can get free wood chips.

Fear not though. At $120.00 a barrel, there will be LOTS more oil in a year or 2. There is a company in Nebraska?, i think, that is making crude out of coal, 50,000 barrels a day! They said they could make a proffit at $30.00/barrel! There is a reluctance to increase production, because they know there is so much oil out there that the price could very easily fall to $20.00/barrel.

[Hirudinea]

Any tips on production of energetic materials, even diesel, is great.

Heres one link I found with about 5 seconds of googling, theres plenty of info out there.

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/BioFuel/biofuels.htm

Please elaborate on biodiesel fuel and especially on any inter-relationship with energetic materials and / or the mechanics of initiation, deflagration

Could bio-diesel be used in the production of ANFO?

And you could live underground without turning into some albino mutant race! :-)

Ok, but what if, just for the sake of argument, I want to turn into some kind of mutant albino? :D

[monkeyboy]

I've been following alternative energy since the '70s. Haven't done much in practice, except a little solar. I have a wealth of information, though.

I like
http://www.knowledgepublications.com/


Has lots of info about hydrogen, a little about alcohol & a video about a soda can hydrogen gassifier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYA-Er2zmbE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5lUVYy37TY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akwI_zs1QDU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBmk8MNAuvQ


Wood gas stove he sells on his site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyofhLYYVC8

Homepower magazine is also good, if you look around on their site, you can get the current issue for free( I think I've got 105 of 125 issues...):
http://www.homepower.com/home/

Mother used to be good, but not worth the paper it's printed on now. Here's the archive:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/article-categories.aspx
The stuff from the '70s & '80s was the best.
The July '79 issue was the pinnacle, with an article on a DIY hybrid, a still form old hot water heaters & a solar still.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Transportation/1979-07-01/An-Amazing-75-MPG-Hybrid-Electic-Car.aspx
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-Homes/1979-07-01/Mothers-Wood-Burning-Still.aspx
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1979-07-01/An-Offbeat-Approach-To-Alcohol-Production.aspx

Yes, I have an original copy.

Backwoods home magazine is good, has a pretty good archive, too.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/

Bio-diesel from algae sounds like the way to go, there's basically 2 guys promoting it, google for Michael Briggs ( college prof/researcher)
or damn, can't remember the other guys name, but I think he's the guy from grassolean.com. Seems a lot more interested in cashing in, than sharing the info...

Some sites from my bookmarks:

http://biodiesel.rain-barrel.net/biodiesel-from-algae/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algaculture
http://www.oilgae.com/
http://www.grassolean.com/
http://www.castoroil.in/reference/plant_oils/uses/fuel/sources/algae/biodiesel_algae.html
http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/groupee/forums/a/frm/f/1501000031
http://biodieselnow.com/forums/13.aspx


Got a serious ton of books on alternate energy, both ebooks & physical books. I got to get a Megabookscanner tm put together & start scanning some of my books!

Ok, but what if, just for the sake of argument, I want to turn into some kind of mutant albino? :D
OK, but only if it's the kind with the eyelids grown over their vestigial eyes.

[Woland_91]

Actually, if you have a good supply to organic waste (coughtexasfarmcough) you can set up a biogas digester. All you need is 3 big tanks half buried in the ground, at around 30 to 40 C (I have no idea what that is in fahrenheit). The three tanks are lined up in this order:

1) The first tank is the mixing pit, basically where you dump all the manure and whatever else organic waste you have (has to be shredded though). This tank is connected to the 2nd tank by a pressurisied tube.
2) The second tank is the largest of the three. This is where all the crap gets digested by bacteria, first aerobically, then anaerobically as oxygen gets used up (tanks are air tight!). The anaerobic process produces around 70% pure methane, which is piped away from the top, to wherever you want to store it. A second pipe leads to the 3rd tank on the side.
3)The final tank is the oxidation pond. A pipe to it's side allows water to overflow (just in case pressure builds up).

This thing produces quite a lot of methane gas (for personal use, of course. If you want to power an entire block, then forget it). The main advantage is that you can chuck all sort of crap into it and it will convert it into methane gas. Anything, from manure to corpses (remember to cut it up though!). The only disadvantage I can think of is the smell, but you get used to it when you smell it 24/7.