Making Gasoline from Bacteria

[loki]

http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/19128/page1/

...The process can yield crude oil without the contaminating sulfur that much petroleum out of the ground contains. The crude, in turn, would go to a standard refinery to be processed into automotive fuel, jet fuel, diesel fuel, or any other petroleum product that someone wanted to make.

...

LS9's current work uses sugar derived from corn kernels as the food source for the bacteria--the same source used by ethanol-producing yeast. To produce greater volumes of fuel, and to not have energy competing with food, both approaches will need to use cellulosic biomass, such as switchgrass, as the feedstock. Del Cardayre estimates that cellulosic biomass could produce about 2,000 gallons of renewable petroleum per acre.

Producing hydrocarbon fuels is more efficient than producing ethanol, del Cardayre adds, because the former packs about 30 percent more energy per gallon. And it takes less energy to produce, too. The ethanol produced by yeast needs to be distilled to remove the water, so ethanol production requires 65 percent more energy than hydrocarbon production does.

we have the technology... we can make you better.

great reason ethanol isn't needed. now, we just need at least a few more refineries to spread the countries load out, and maybe even export "fuel".

[loki]

dang... forgot the joke.

"power that LS9, from LS9"

[ZL-1]

What about reversing the process and making bacteria out of gasoline? I'm sure that would make the evening news.

[Drew Dowdell]

What about reversing the process and making bacteria out of gasoline? I'm sure that would make the evening news.

Al Qeda is all over it.....

[LosAngeles]

Can't wait until they come with the trash fuel like in Back To The Future.

Or even something powered by toxic waste.

[Drew Dowdell]

Can't wait until they come with the trash fuel like in Back To The Future.

Or even something powered by toxic waste.

Grass clippings and yard waste anyone?

[LosAngeles]

Grass clippings and yard waste anyone?

Really though. The fermentation grass makes gotta power SOMETHING.

Same with stale urine.

[loki]

Can't wait until they come with the trash fuel like in Back To The Future.

Or even something powered by toxic waste.

changingworldtech.com

is what you're looking for then. it hasn't been updated since april 05 i think. last i heard was they were going to make a plant in scotland to process butchery waste. the process is supposed to work for any carbon based waste.