Thermal Depolymerization!
Changing World Technologies, Inc. is an energy and environmental service company that provides funding and management expertise to its joint ventures and wholly owned subsidiaries. Our mission is to identify, introduce and commercialize environment-friendly energy technologies to the international marketplace. Our company’s products and services are aimed at providing energy independence, ensuring a better future for industry, business, engineering and science throughout the world.
CWT is the owner and developer of processes that convert industrial waste and low-value streams into fuels, oils, gases and carbons, with no hazardous emissions into the environment.
Go to www.changingworldtech.com for the company details. A great article on the process can be found at http://www.discover.com/may_03/featoil.html
(the links may be old)
These guys had problems getting started. Bad quality control on the part of construction contractors at their large scale operation. They also ran into gubmint interference when the diesel they produced was put into a higher tax category.
The technology is out there to turn municipal landfill materials into enviable sources of fuel.
Ruefully
Don’t call it a panacea yet, folks.
One word: CAPACITY.
What if he has developed a process that can churn out fuel for 1/10th the cost of a barrel of oil - or even 1/100th - but it produces one measly barrel a day from a facility the size of trailer?
It all boils down to whether or not these devices can keep up with demand.
(Disclaimer: I haven’t read the article yet, but have heard of this tech before. I was impressed, but was left wondering the same thing about capacity.)
That may be true, however, the cost of conversion may be greater than the benefit gained.
In a newspaper, The Tifton Gazette, (no, I have idea where this Tifton is), had an article with a bit of elaboration from Mr. Bell. On March 15, 2008 an article said that a genetically modified bacteria (probably e. coli) would produce a fuel that would require no further refining for auto use and that the initial plant would produce 500-1000 barrels/day.
Bell further stated that a full scale plant would be operational by Oct. 1, 2009.
Kudzu.
My primary interest is energy research and I always suspected something like this was around the corner. Animals or plants genetically modified to produce fuel would be a logical step.
Bacteria in cows already make methane from grass. Methane is a good fuel as it is.
I suspect it is possible to have similar bacteria run wild in a tank full of grass and have methane come out. The cost and capacity would still have to be determined vs. oil.
Say it ain't so!
Bush 41 is shouting, "Use that damn broccoli for oil!
Bill Clinton is asking, "Does that include a growing erection?"
Hillary Clinton is answering, "Yes! Yes! Hell, Yes!!!"