From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Fri Jun 13 2003 - 23:10:27 MDT
I am a big fan of methane-based energy and look favorably on biomass too. Are
these solar ponds sealed from the environment with lexan plastic, which would
keep out dust, fungus, rain, grass, bird droppings, and insects? How much
methane, in cubic feet could these ponds produce? Enough to power a 100 million
car fleet? Could the methane be converted to methanol or should vehicles be run
on CNG? Would such a technology be "blown out of the saddle" with competition
from Alaskan natural gas, or the development of methane hydrates from
clathrate oceanic sources?
Mitch
Robert Bradbury stated:
<<Actually there is a solution very close to that. Creating methane in
solar ponds using engineered bacteria, put into the existing pipeline
system, sent to retooled refineries that convert it into propane or
octane, perhaps using some power from spike's windmills. Converting short
chain hydrocarbons into longer chain hydrocarbons I don't believe is
particularly difficult (though I'm not a chemist). The hard part
(currently) is having a sufficient quantity of the short chain
hydrocarbons (which are currently all being pumped out of the ground
rather than manufactured above ground).
You have to use a significant fraction of the rangeland in the U.S.
southwest, but if my numbers are correct the economics seem *very*
favorable, so the conversion from rangeland to solar ponds might take
place very quickly. The price of steak may go up (as there is less
rangeland on which to graze cattle), but I think I come out ahead -- I
fill up my gas tank much more frequently than I eat steak.
Robert>>
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