Run your car on compost

There's numerous research efforts going for alternative biofuels for heat engines. But need to see how much carbon emissions are emitted during processing of biofuels also. What kind of power they use to convert compost into ethanol. The upcoming field of Solar chemical biofuels shows the way

Interesting info ! But the same thing happening in india is out of question becasue R&D is hardly given any impetus in india. I used to hear about jatropha a lot and how it was the wonder fuel of the 21st century etc. But nothing seems to have come out of it even though there are vast tracts of uncultivated land with us. Neither is the govt. seriously pursuing alternative sources of energy even though the fuel bill is looming every other day !

Good article Ms.Mridula and however, the increasing trend in the prices of petrol may force to think of this type of fuel to find application. Hope this will lead to further research & development in future for the commercialization. 

Hope and Wish, Government of India as well wakes up and begins to encourage some result oriented research projects. We have several resources that we can use.

India ,specially west Bengal is doing good in solar energy.Bio-mass is also getting popularity in small industries.But we have to move fast to get cheap energy.thanks Mridula........you send a "wake up" call. Itz important.













  

good information Thank you

There are a number of well researched energy alternatives available in this country.  The system basically hovering around electrolysis of water in the presence of carbon (carbon source being right from activated carbon, charcoal, coal, lignite as well as the boiler bottom ash of  Thermal power plants wherein the carbon content is more than 28%.). Even the Indian coal with very high ash content and very low ash fusion temperature, which are normally not used in the Indian Industrial environment, has also been found to be a very good source of carbon material.  The gas generated through this patented process has been found to have a calorific value of around 90,000kJ/m3, which is akin to DME (Di Methyl Ether), a gaseous fuel which almost all advanced countries are pursuing as an alternative for LPG and CNG.  The static electrodes are supplied with low voltage high current electricity, which basically splits water into hydrogen and oxygen and this gas of hydrogen and oxygen is made to react with the solid carbon particle readily present so as to form an oxygenated hydrocarbon gas of high calorific value. The system is self contained with the electrolytic cell and the associated control system separately housed in the control panel. Because of this it ca be conveniently scaled up and also cascaded whenever the situation demand s for higher gas production.  The terminals are all made of pure copper like the ones used in the chloro-alkali plants (caustic soda manufacturing plants) world over. The simplicity of construction makes it convenient to have a very low startup as well as shut down time. 

It is very simple to operate and maintain since the gas generation system is made of stainless steel material for longer endurance and is static equipment and the power generating system is a conventional Diesel Gen. Set which is already in use world over.

2.	The system can be installed anywhere because the raw materials are water, coal and self generated power whereas wind power, hydel power and locational specific.

3.The system can  have a very high PLE (plant Load Factor) since it can be operated on throughout the year basis unlike the wind power (wherein the power generation  is only during monsoon period), Solar (wherein the power generation is only during day time.)

4.The cost of feed stock (carbon and water) and the availability of feed stock are in abundance.  The coal is a very commonly available resource and also water (since the system does not require DM water etc., the ground water can be directly used), unlike the Biomass power plants where the availability and the cost of the Biomass material in any location year after year can pose problems.

I think that the article referred here is an old talk in the field of e-fuels/bio-fuels. There are hidden powers under work which exist for only one reason: to stop all innovative ideas that can decrease the consumption of petroleum! Any guesses? And these powers had stopped the growth of electric cars a 100 years before! Watch this video which speaks of how some organizations were actually successful in killing the electric car in the US and hence, the world: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39K36Rw7LYc&feature=related

But now, people are understanding the need for bio-friendly fuels as the threat has reached the neck with a knife in hand!

We can only wish that some big shark picks up the technology and distributes it world wide with affordability as the keyword and keeping the future of mankind in view!

Thanks for sharing such "green" articles @Mridula although most of the articles on the net point mostly to the US! :) Thanks again!

Yes, its possible in the near future or soon in India.

it is not economical than the car going to run with water as fuel, going produced by tatas

A good article to read. This may be possible for US conditions. We have to see the cost effectiveness for producing the e-fuel in our India,because we are already  used to run our cars mostly on composts( Compost dumped on all the roads)but not with the e-fuel of compost.

Thats a great article and quite a bit of precious info 
wish we can have more info to initiate that in India
Thanks Mridula  for that info

Simply Great!
Thanks Mridula , for posting it on Toostep. 
Please keep it up.