pup55 wrote:a. I tried to tell you this thing would stink.
b. The company's own website says that the process inputs 126 mmbtu/hr of energy, and only gets out 107 mmbtu/hr out the other side. It's kind of an interesting trick to turn organic waste into oil, but it's an energy sink, that is more suited to getting rid of the organic waste rather than production of energy.
c. If they could get it dry, they'd be better off just trying to burn the stuff
directly to power a generator or something, rather than try to convert it to oil. Of course, that would seriously stink.
http://www.changingworldtech.com/pdf/Ge ... 3_3_04.pdf
A. Well, you were right. However, as the news story indicates, they've had the stink problem before, adjusted their processes, and it went away, only to come back the next time they raised production levels. Since they only just started at 100% capacity, this may be the last time they'll need to address this.
B. "inputs 126 mmbtu/hr of energy, and only gets out 107 mmbtu/hr out the other side" -- I assume this includes the energy in the carcasses themselves? If not, how do they manage to make the 85% efficiency claim with a straight face? Do you have a page reference to this stat handy?
C. This does seem logical, conversion to another form of energy is seldom as efficient as simply releasing the energy in the most direct way possible. However, the process ends with energy that is portable as fuel, which is of considerably greater value than energy only usable at the point where it is released. Whatever inefficiencies there are don't seem to match those of ethanol (not even nearly). And, this being the first commercial application, it seems a safe assumption that improvements of efficiency are possible if not inevitable.