Comments on: Back to the future http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/ The unbearable lightness of Lex. Enjoy! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:11:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim Collins http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/comment-page-1/#comment-425928 Jim Collins Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:41:06 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/#comment-425928 Recycle the steam heat from a nuclear powerplant to liquify coal for motor fuel. That should send the environmental mental cases into fits of apoplexy. I like it. We have a local guy who has a Segway and he was bragging about how Green it was, until I showed him how much coal had to be burned to create the electricity for him to recharge its batteries. Turns out he'd be cleaner if he used a chainsaw motor to power it. Recycle the steam heat from a nuclear powerplant to liquify coal for motor fuel. That should send the environmental mental cases into fits of apoplexy. I like it.

We have a local guy who has a Segway and he was bragging about how Green it was, until I showed him how much coal had to be burned to create the electricity for him to recharge its batteries. Turns out he’d be cleaner if he used a chainsaw motor to power it.

]]> By: Justthisguy http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/comment-page-1/#comment-425924 Justthisguy Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:53:08 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/#comment-425924 Yeah, but all of it is still fossilized sunshine. We _will_ run out sooner or later. 'Druther use the remaining petroleum for chemical feedstocks, and build nuke plants, lotsa nuke plants, for electricity. And, yes, fast breeders, too, with all of that icky plutonium and thorium. Until we get solar power satellites, or the humans I dislike (most of 'em) die back to a reasonable level. Yeah, but all of it is still fossilized sunshine. We _will_ run out sooner or later. ‘Druther use the remaining petroleum for chemical feedstocks, and build nuke plants, lotsa nuke plants, for electricity.

And, yes, fast breeders, too, with all of that icky plutonium and thorium.

Until we get solar power satellites, or the humans I dislike (most of ‘em) die back to a reasonable level.

]]> By: OmegaPaladin http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/comment-page-1/#comment-425930 OmegaPaladin Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:59:30 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/#comment-425930 This is the Fischer-Tropsch process, and Jimmy is right that the Germans used this process in WWII. It's a great way to convert carbon sources into liquid fuel. It requires a very large heat source though. You can run it off the surplus steam from a power plant for improved efficiency. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer-Tropsch_process This is the Fischer-Tropsch process, and Jimmy is right that the Germans used this process in WWII. It’s a great way to convert carbon sources into liquid fuel. It requires a very large heat source though. You can run it off the surplus steam from a power plant for improved efficiency.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer-Tropsch_process

]]> By: Humble1390 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/comment-page-1/#comment-425931 Humble1390 Sun, 23 Mar 2008 05:56:04 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/#comment-425931 Yeah, but it all comes down to cost. Airplanes are not cheap to operate and anywhere we can shave a few shekels off the price per passenger mile, we need to. All of these alt energy schema have that same core problem: they all make the fuel more expensive than the fuel it is supposed to replace. Which means the replacement never actually happens (except for maybe a small community of hippies in Berkely who have told gas stations that they are "not welcome" in Berkeley). I'm holding out for shale oil. That could do it for us. Doesn't so much solve the problem as puts it off for a generation or so, but baby steps. Yeah, but it all comes down to cost. Airplanes are not cheap to operate and anywhere we can shave a few shekels off the price per passenger mile, we need to. All of these alt energy schema have that same core problem: they all make the fuel more expensive than the fuel it is supposed to replace. Which means the replacement never actually happens (except for maybe a small community of hippies in Berkely who have told gas stations that they are “not welcome” in Berkeley).

I’m holding out for shale oil. That could do it for us. Doesn’t so much solve the problem as puts it off for a generation or so, but baby steps.

]]> By: asm826 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/comment-page-1/#comment-425927 asm826 Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:33:56 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/#comment-425927 If that pic is accurate, there will be no more worries about cockpit bird strikes. How does the steam from the boiler turn the turbines? If that pic is accurate, there will be no more worries about cockpit bird strikes. How does the steam from the boiler turn the turbines?

]]> By: Jimmy J. http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/comment-page-1/#comment-425925 Jimmy J. Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:44:19 +0000 http://www.neptunuslex.com/2008/03/22/back-to-the-future-2/#comment-425925 The Germans used coal to make fuel for their army and air force during the last two years of WWII. When the U.S. Air Force took out the Ploesti oil fields, oil supplies got very tight for the Germans. The process has been around a long time and has been improved on. It is commercial with oil at $50/barrel. If we start moving in the direction of high mpg diesel cars in this country, coal to oil and bio diesel could give this country a big boost toward less dependence on foreign oil. The Germans used coal to make fuel for their army and air force during the last two years of WWII. When the U.S. Air Force took out the Ploesti oil fields, oil supplies got very tight for the Germans.

The process has been around a long time and has been improved on. It is commercial with oil at $50/barrel.

If we start moving in the direction of high mpg diesel cars in this country, coal to oil and bio diesel could give this country a big boost toward less dependence on foreign oil.

]]>