Comments on: Seven Weeds That Could Power Your Car http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/ What is the future of fuel? What's new? What's next? Since 2007, Gas 2 has covered a rapidly changing world coming to terms with its oil addiction. Sat, 26 May 2012 14:59:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Marc http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-12509 Marc Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:50:52 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-12509 I wish THEY would harvest all of the Goat-Head weeds whos thorns are giving me flat tires on my bike, but I hope THEY don't start growing the stuff! I wish THEY would harvest all of the Goat-Head weeds whos thorns are giving me flat tires on my bike, but I hope THEY don’t start growing the stuff!

]]> By: Marc http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-35806 Marc Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:50:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-35806 I wish THEY would harvest all of the Goat-Head weeds whos thorns are giving me flat tires on my bike, but I hope THEY don't start growing the stuff! I wish THEY would harvest all of the Goat-Head weeds whos thorns are giving me flat tires on my bike, but I hope THEY don’t start growing the stuff!

]]> By: aphoric http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-12508 aphoric Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:12:36 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-12508 What about hemp??? This seems like a huge oversight, and you could have used some stupid puns. What about hemp??? This seems like a huge oversight, and you could have used some stupid puns.

]]> By: aphoric http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-35804 aphoric Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:12:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-35804 What about hemp??? This seems like a huge oversight, and you could have used some stupid puns. What about hemp??? This seems like a huge oversight, and you could have used some stupid puns.

]]> By: aphoric http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-35805 aphoric Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:12:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-35805 What about hemp??? This seems like a huge oversight, and you could have used some stupid puns. What about hemp??? This seems like a huge oversight, and you could have used some stupid puns.

]]> By: Allen in Atlanta http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-12507 Allen in Atlanta Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:30:08 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-12507 Great article and I am sure there are many more "weeds" that could be included. My opinion - the most important things now are: 1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process "weeds"? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical. 2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale? 3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our "problems" - how do we get them all together? Great article and I am sure there are many more “weeds” that could be included. My opinion – the most important things now are:

1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process “weeds”? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical.

2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale?

3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our “problems” – how do we get them all together?

]]> By: Allen in Atlanta http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-35801 Allen in Atlanta Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-35801 Great article and I am sure there are many more "weeds" that could be included. My opinion - the most important things now are: 1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process "weeds"? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical. 2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale? 3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our "problems" - how do we get them all together? Great article and I am sure there are many more “weeds” that could be included. My opinion – the most important things now are:

1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process “weeds”? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical.

2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale?

3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our “problems” – how do we get them all together?

]]> By: Allen in Atlanta http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-35802 Allen in Atlanta Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-35802 Great article and I am sure there are many more "weeds" that could be included. My opinion - the most important things now are: 1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process "weeds"? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical. 2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale? 3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our "problems" - how do we get them all together? Great article and I am sure there are many more “weeds” that could be included. My opinion – the most important things now are:

1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process “weeds”? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical.

2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale?

3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our “problems” – how do we get them all together?

]]> By: Allen in Atlanta http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-35803 Allen in Atlanta Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-35803 Great article and I am sure there are many more "weeds" that could be included. My opinion - the most important things now are: 1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process "weeds"? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical. 2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale? 3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our "problems" - how do we get them all together? Great article and I am sure there are many more “weeds” that could be included. My opinion – the most important things now are:

1. Can the existing corn-ethanol plants be converted cheaply and easily to process “weeds”? Since they are supported by the corn lobby and DOE this will be critical.

2. What would be involved in starting a weed-fuel plant? Small scale and large scale?

3. There are many similar ideas for using forces of nature to solve our “problems” – how do we get them all together?

]]> By: Brian_N http://gas2.org/2009/09/30/seven-weeds-that-could-power-your-car/#comment-12506 Brian_N Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:41:04 +0000 http://gas2.org/?p=3661#comment-12506 Everytime I do the math comparing biofuels to electric cars I get more skeptical about the long term potential for large scale use of biofuels. Here's my rough miles/acre for both. If an acre annually produces 15 tons of vegetation with say 7,000 btu (~2kWh) per lb we get 210 million btu (~60MWh) a year. If a process to turn that into a liquid fuel is 50% eff we end up with 105 million btu or 30MWh stored in some 750 gals of biodiesl. A good 60mpg car would do about 45,000 miles per acre. If the ave solar insolation for an ave U.S. site is 5kWh/day is converted with 25% eff solar thermal generator with a 10% land footprint, it would generate 5kWh * 365 * 4047 * 10% * 25% equals 184.6MWh/yr. If grid and battery losses total 50% ? we'd have about 90MWh for battery charges. If a Nissan Leaf really can go 100miles on a 24kWh charge, then it would do 375,000 miles per acre. Its gets 50-100% better if the solar thermal is located in the S.W. Everytime I do the math comparing biofuels to electric cars I get more skeptical about the long term potential for large scale use of biofuels. Here’s my rough miles/acre for both.

If an acre annually produces 15 tons of vegetation with say 7,000 btu (~2kWh) per lb we get 210 million btu (~60MWh) a year. If a process to turn that into a liquid fuel is 50% eff we end up with 105 million btu or 30MWh stored in some 750 gals of biodiesl. A good 60mpg car would do about 45,000 miles per acre.

If the ave solar insolation for an ave U.S. site is 5kWh/day is converted with 25% eff solar thermal generator with a 10% land footprint, it would generate 5kWh * 365 * 4047 * 10% * 25% equals 184.6MWh/yr. If grid and battery losses total 50% ? we’d have about 90MWh for battery charges.

If a Nissan Leaf really can go 100miles on a 24kWh charge, then it would do 375,000 miles per acre.

Its gets 50-100% better if the solar thermal is located in the S.W.

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