Bio - Fuels

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 12-15-2011 03:20

Nations that are somewhat succsessful with bio-fuels, Brazil as an example, don't use food to make the bio-fuel

Our midwestern infrastructure is built on corn and soy... so rather than invest in equipment that would harvest something more effective, we make food into fuel.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 12-15-2011 05:00

I'm no scientist but I believe the petroleum and coal are not considered "biofuel" because they are from what was once alive, dinosuars and such. Also it is, in theory renewable, if you have a few hundred million years to wait around for it.

If the price of food skyrockets then it's not the farmer getting the extra "bling". My friend does soy and corn and he said it has not done anything for his bottom line but as you may have noticed biodiesel and gas cost more at the pump, sooooo, somebody is making the extra money!

They are working on fuel from algae, think they still have a ways to go though. They've been working on this stuff for years now however, been talking about it since about 2006 with the biofuels, corn, soy and so on. The problems are still there however, biodiesel in cold weather with gel at higher temps than regular diesel. I quit using it around October. The ethanol in the gasoline tends to damage o-rings and things in older vehicles but I don't know how true this is as I've got a '94 saturn, '95 ford and no issues from them and no problems from my '91 Sa250.

By Jaxddad (**)

Date 12-15-2011 11:15

The bigest problem with ethonal is in fuel systems that are open and can draw in moisture. If you have a boat that has a vented fuel system it will cut the life span of the motor in more then half. All of the outboard makers have come out with how to deal with ethanol sections in their owners guides. I found this out after I blew the power head off of my 200 Merc. and a 3,000 rebuild.

The biggest problem I see with the production of "Biofuels" is the amount of energy that it takes to make them. If you notice most biofuel plants are built near a power plant and I have seen a few that they built power plants next to.

By 357max

Date 12-15-2011 13:36

CumminsGuy, your footnote "hydrogen" how would that be for a heating fuel?

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 12-15-2011 15:25

Seems to work pretty much well for the sun! And every other star in the universe....LoL!!

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 12-16-2011 05:23

The "problem" with hydrogen is that nearly all of it that We have here on earth is linked up with that pesky, dirty carbon atom.

In the case of H20 [water], that hydrogen has already been burned, no energy there.

What We need is for one of You smart guys to invent a processing plant that We can shovel coal into one end of and get pure hydrogen and structural carbon fiber out the other end of.

By JLWelding (***)

Date 12-16-2011 05:47

What happen to the good old days when we just used lead, cars ran for ever. And you could just pull up to the pump and say filler with premium and check that oil while your at it. Also that left rear tire might be a little low. Hand the man 10 bucks and drive out with 20 galllons. Oh and the bell would go ding ding :lol:

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 12-16-2011 06:38

I remember a [slacker] kid in the area that would beg $1.00 from His Mom, go the the Shell station and get 1 gallon of regular & a pack of smokes. That would last Him and His VW Bug about 2 days, then He would bum another buck. This was about '77 or '78.

I also remember most ['60s era] cars being pretty completely worn out by 150K miles if they went that far.
Many would go 100K and the owners were happy with that.

My Dad got a '50 Ford convertable and a '50 Ford 1/2 ton truck new. He put rings & bearings and did the valves in them at 50K. They had bypass oil filters & oil bath aircleaners, but the roads werent all paved back then, engines didn't last as long. He ran the car 'till '65 and the truck 'till '67. There were not many cars & trucks that old on the road back then.