TDP...is it or ain't it?

[qtizzle]

Okay, I was googling information on E85 this morning when I ran across this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_Depolymerization

And this:

http://forums.biodieselnow.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=829

I'm a little skeptical...what do the rest of you think?

[BushRocks]

I believe we've had a previous thread on this, but you're the new guy, so we'll let this one slide. I'm from Minnesota, and we already have E85 Ethanol at our pumps, it isn't the only thing you can buy, but it is significantly cheaper. BUT, it takes more energy for the current automobile to produce MPG than gasoline does, so really, it isnt that great of a deal at all. And by 2006 or 2007 here in MN, all gasolines will have at least 20% alcohol(ethanol) in them, and cars, boats, and small gas engines like your lawn mower, weed wacker, snowblower etc, can only run at 15% alcohol because they are not built to have more than that in theiir engines, they do not run well with that much alcohol in them, and it will over time eventually ruin your motor. So, the fleet needs to be changed. EVERYTHING needs to change now, cars and boats and small gas engines need to start being assembled so that they are compatible, and theat wont happen if Minnesota is the only state on board.

Farmers love it, they're subsidized by the government $$$$$$$.

I'm really not with the President or my Governor Tim Pawlenty on this one at all. My proposal is that we focus on hydrogen fuel, that is the best route to take, just make it permanent. I don't want to go through gas, ethanol, switchgrass, woodchips, and then to hydrogen(because I do believe that is the fuel of the future).

I'm going to make my case for hydrogen. First, the technology is there, there may be some chinks in the armor, but we could start mass producing this soon. But there is one major problem. This would take a huge change in infrastructure, and it would take at least 10 years to switch over to hydrogen. But it is practical, it is the cleanest form of full on Earth, it produces guess what, PURE WATER! And we would never run out of hydrogen, it makes up 99% of our atmosphere.

But just think about this for a second, Arab countries who are living it up, like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, etc, would become third world countries! There economies rely almost soley on oil exports. I believe that resources will be the cause of the next major war, between the West and the Middle East. But it won't be for those resources(oil) it will be BECAUSE of those resources. When we stop buying, they are gonna be pissed.

[Schmitty27]

BR, if our atmosphere was 99% hydrogen we'd be pretty much screwed. The predominant element in our atmosphere is nitrogen around 70% and oxygen at about 20%. Hydrogen comes around somewhere less than 0.004%. You might be thinking that the universe is comprised of 99% hydrogen and helium.

Anyways, I like hydrogen too, but its just too hard to harvest. Running an electric current through water gets you some hydrogen, but only very small amounts. Truth is we have oil, our biggun now, and all the others are just mediocre alternatives.

I really wish we could have small nuclear powered engines, but no one would ever go for that.

[BushRocks]

my bad schmitty