Biomass Future-- Will It Replace Oil

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Author	Topic: Biomass Future-- Will It Replace Oil
Custer Bob's Big Date Member # 3151	written Wednesday, May 4 2005 12:53 Profile Homepage #50 I'm all for nuclear power with hydrogen as a storage medium. Biodiesel is a stopgap at best - for countries such as India and China, where the population isn't sitting on such a humongous surplus it exports fast food chains, using food as fuel would be insane. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 \| Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00
*i The Establishment Member # 6	written Wednesday, May 4 2005 13:15 Profile #51 quote: i'd rather think Hydrogen is a much more reliable energy, although currently expensive. but the electrolysis of water produces Hydrogen and Oxygen, together making a highly energetic mixture. if only we had a cheaper way of producing hydrogen, we would have our energy problems solved HYDROGEN IS NOT AN ENERGY SOURCE!! Sorry about that, but when people equate hydrogen to energy, I tend to get a little upset. Hydrogen, or at least the reactivity of hydrogen with other elements in exothermic chemical reactions, is an energy carrier much like a battery. Although there is plenty of free Hydrogen in the universe, most of the stuff on Earth is locked up in chemical compunds that require energy to liberate. It's not the fact that producing Hydrogen is expensive, it's the fact that as of right now the only way to economically produce it in large quantities is using the combustion of fossil fuels. There are proposals of using Wind and Solar, but unfortunately those are quite inefficient and costly on large scales. The electrolysis process is a lot more efficent at high temperatures, so achieving those saves a lot of energy. Nuclear fission is currently the only viable non-fossil fuel emitting way of doing electrolysis at high temperatures. There are other more complicated processes of producing hydrogen other than electrolysis that are not as well understood on the industrial scale. Given that we can produce it, now we have to store it and transport it which is very difficult to do because of its small molecular weight. It diffuses very easily through everything, so losses are expected to be frequent. Development of economical fuel cells are another important issue in and of itself. So, all and all, hydrogen is a ways off before become the staple of our economy. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power!! Posts: 3726 \| Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00
I'll Steal Your Toast Agent Member # 2210	written Wednesday, May 4 2005 13:57 Profile #52 India has a very successful biogas program based on fermenting cow manure. I think there are some 2 million small fermentation gas plants. Basically a large fermentation drum about the size of a house water tank. It is a very interesting program. It works well in a rural setting. http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/Courses/so191/SouthAsReadings/IndiaEnergySuccess.html -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 \| Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00
Thuryl ...b10010b... Member # 869	written Thursday, May 5 2005 00:08 Profile Homepage #53 Anyone know anything about the feasibility of mining methane clathrates? There sure is a lot of energy down there if only we can get at it. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 \| Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00