Synthetic fuel

[SUBMAN1]

Why isn't this happening faster? You can make synth fuel for less than half of what normal barrels of sulfer rich hard to refine oil costs today.

-S

Air Force seems to be leading the charge:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/busines...nt_in_montana/

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...alpower30.html

Montana can make superior fuel/gas than natural oil can for $55 a barrel:
http://neo-natura.blogspot.com/2008/...rporation.html

http://www.free-eco.org/articleDisplay.php?id=475

This article is spot on - Suicidal Superpower:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/24/beck.oil.prices/

[Kapitan]

All the busses use this fuel in my area i spoke to one of the engineers the big problem with it is the bio diesel stuff once it heats up it turns to sludge in the tank so the bus will break down and also it can ruin the engine.

[STEED]

Oil is Money and Money is Power and Power is Control.

[PeriscopeDepth]

Originally Posted by STEED

Oil is Money and Money is Power and Power is Control.

QFT.

PD

[August]

Another article on Synthetic fuel. Commercial startup.

http://www.dailytech.com/Startup+Use...ticle12108.htm

[Stealth Hunter]

Originally Posted by STEED

Oil is Money and Money is Power and Power is Control.

And so long as there is money in oil, invested shall the government stay in oil.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Kapitan

All the busses use this fuel in my area i spoke to one of the engineers the big problem with it is the bio diesel stuff once it heats up it turns to sludge in the tank so the bus will break down and also it can ruin the engine.

This is not Biofuel (which we all know is a pathetic excuse for a fuel). This is Synthetic fuel made from Natural gas or Coal. Superior to even gas from natural oil - lacking contaminates such as arsenic.

-S

[joea]

Don't coal reserves dwarf oil reserves if I am not mistaken??

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by joea

Don't coal reserves dwarf oil reserves if I am not mistaken??

Yep - to the tune that coal converted to gas from the reserves in this country alone could run this country at it's current level of consumption for 250 more years. Basically, long enough to design clean and efficient alternative power sources before it even came close to running out.

[Jimbuna]

It makes me wonder just how many alternative power sources have been invented but bought by the oil giants and locked away in a safe. (so the theory goes)

[VipertheSniper]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

Yep - to the tune that coal converted to gas from the reserves in this country alone could run this country at it's current level of consumption for 250 more years. Basically, long enough to design clean and efficient alternative power sources before it even came close to running out.

That's just not true, current coal reserves last, according to the American Coal Foundation, 245 years, if consumption stays the same. The Fischer-Trops synthesis gives a yield of about 50% gas. The yearly demand of fuel per capita in the USA in the year 2005 was 604 gallons, which is about 1,7 tons of fuel. Given the 50% yield of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis you would need 3,4 tons of coal to produce that fuel, given that current coal consumption per capita per year is 3,8 tons of coal that is nearly doubling the demand of coal per capita per year.... how should that last for 250 years? Just doesn't add up. Even if the synthesis process has been refined, how much does it yield? I've searched hard and haven't found anthing on it, but even if it were 100% which is impossible, it would still drive the demand up by 1,7 tons per capita per year which would nearly be a 50% increase in demand for coal, which cuts the 245 years down to roughly 165 years (and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle between that and 130 years)... Still long enough to design clean and efficient alternative power sources, but not nearly as long as you say.