[baldwincng]

Forget hydrogen, relax about Peak Oil, the cows of California will come to the rescue....

There are 8.5 million cows in the United States, each producing enough manure to potentially generate about 30 cubic feet of biomethane per day, which could replace significant amounts of natural gas at today’s prices. If used as vehicle fuel, biomethane could power a million cars.

The technologies for converting dairy manure to biomethane are already used at several landfills around the United States. Sweden has 20 plants producing biomethane and runs 2,300 buses on it. As natural gas prices continue to rise, biomethane fuel is becoming cost-competitive with natural gas and diesel, and is much cheaper than hydrogen.

Switching to biomethane improves air quality, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves water quality and strengthens rural economies.

See
www.greencarcongress.com/2005/10/biomet ... .html#more

Whilst on that site, look at the fantastic daily developments worldwide re Compressed Natural Gas!!

[Devil]

Funny you should mention that today. Only last night, I watched my favourite comedy programme on BBC Prime, Top Gear. Jeremy Clarkson explored the possibilities of cow dung powering his car and he took us through the digester and the compressor into a tank (which incidentally filled the boot or trunk of the car) of a car that had been totally modified to run on methane. He had an identical car running on methane from human poop (as if this would be different!) and another identical car except without the modifications, running on petrol (gasoline). As a gauge of performance, he lined the three cars up into a drag race. Sorry to say that the petrol car left the other two standing, with roughly twice the acceleration over ~½ km (my estimation). The other two were, as to be expected, pretty well neck and neck to reach their top speed in the fullness of time. It certainly seemed as if they wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding.

Maybe he used the stuff from bulls, and not cows

[FoxV]

keep in mind, manure is not actually a waste product. I don't know if the usage is 100% but its used to fertilize the hay fields used to feed the cows. If this isn't done it would lead to a serious problem with hay production (unless nitrate fertilizers are used )

Human shit however is completely wasted and could be tapped as a source of fuel

[FrankRichards]

keep in mind, manure is not actually a waste product. I don't know if the usage is 100% but its used to fertilize the hay fields used to feed the cows. If this isn't done it would lead to a serious problem with hay production (unless nitrate fertilizers are used )

It can however be composted for methane first. The fertilizer is the nitrogen left in the manure. The grass will happily replace the carbon and hydrogen made into methane from the air and rain.

This is actually a win greenhouse-wise: the C would go back to CO2 anyway, with a methane digester you get to heat your house for 'free' on the way.

[Googolplex]

Sorry to say that the petrol car left the other two standing, with roughly twice the acceleration over ~½ km (my estimation).

The result would have been quite the oppisite if he had used the biomethane, or any source really, to generate electricity for electric cars. Electrics can be mighty tough to beat in a drag race.

When will people finally accept that the future is in:

1. Fewer cars.
2. Electric cars powered by a combination of high efficiency, and hopfully rewnewable, central electical generation and distributed localized generation.

[pilferage]

When will people finally accept that the future is in:

1. Fewer cars.
2. Electric cars powered by a combination of high efficiency, and hopfully rewnewable, central electical generation and distributed localized generation.

When FF and auto companies feel they've an acceptable investment in these next gen infrastructures.