In what could be a major breakthrough, Joule Biotechnologies announced that it has directly produced fuel from the plentiful carbon dioxide in the air around us using highly engineered photosynthetic microbes.
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Biofuels Breakthrough: Making Fuel From Air With Engineered Microbes
Posted in November 10th, 2009
by Nick Chambers in Biodiesel, Diesel, Ethanol, joule, Joule Biotechnologies, microbes, photosynthesis, Science
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Scientists Researching How Plants Can Make Petroleum
Posted in October 2nd, 2009
by Nick Chambers in Algae, Biogasoline, Diesel, genetics, hydrocarbons, iowa state university, National Science Foundation, NSF, Oil, petroleum, plants, research, Science
As part of a National Science Foundation grant program to examine cutting edge ways to make nature work for us, a team of scientists at Iowa State University have been awarded $2 million to unravel how some plants and algae can make hydrocarbons and discover if the genes that govern that process might be isolated.
“These plants are capturing solar energy and creating something that’s chemically identical to petroleum,” said Jackie Shanks, Iowa State’s Manley R. Hoppe Professor of Chemical Engineering, in a statement.
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Update: Breakthrough Biodiesel Process Now Running At Commercial Scale
Posted in September 30th, 2009
by Nick Chambers in Arlin Gyberg, Augsburg College, Ben Yan, Biodiesel, Biofuels, Brian Krohn, Clayton McNeff, commercialization, Diesel, Discovery, energy crops, Invention, Mcgyan, Mcgyan Process, research, Science, transportation
Just about this time last year I reported on the very promising and innovative Mcgyan® biodiesel process. It was one of the most popular stories gas 2.0 ran that year, and rightly so: the breakthrough seemed to deliver the possibility of making biodiesel in mere seconds from start to finish, reducing costs by half the price of other biodiesel, producing no waste, using no chemical reactants, and using any animal fat or vegetable oil as a feedstock.
At the time the company in charge of the project, Ever Cat fuels, had only succeeded at making a small-scale pilot operation of 50,000 gallons per year. But, as of 2 days ago, the process has been completely commercialized.
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Apparently the Highest Mileage Clean Diesels Are For European Eyes Only
Posted in September 21st, 2009
by Nick Chambers in audi, BMW, clean diesel, Diesel, Diesels, Europe, European, Fuel economy, Mercedes, mileage, Volkswagen, VW
I’ve been happy with all the recent efforts by European auto manufacturers to bring fuel-efficient diesels back to the States. From Volkswagen to Mercedes, diesels seem to be the new attempt at pleasing the US “green” crowd with classy, low-emissions fuel-sippers.
Reading that last sentence over, it seems funny to call them a “new attempt” because these high mileage diesels have been available to Europeans for a LONG time — but that’s another story.
So, while it’s debatable whether a gasoline-powered Prius at 40 mpg is more “green” than a diesel-powered Jetta at 40 mpg — it all has to do with how much of each type of fuel comes out of one barrel of oil — It’s a fact that having these new clean diesels as an option is certainly something the US has been lacking for a long time. And I appreciate having that option, I really do.
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Caterpillar Builds World’s First Hybrid Bulldozer
Posted in September 18th, 2009
by Christopher DeMorro in bull dozer, bulldozer, cat, caterpillar, D6, D7E, D7R, D8, Diesel, diesel electric, Diesels, electric, hybrid, tractor
This one may offend you more sensitive types as “ironic” or not green at all. But the fact is, the world needs bulldozers. Lots of them. But until now, anyone seeking a hybrid bulldozer was out of luck. But Caterpillar, the prolific maker of construction equipment has announced that for 2010 they will be selling the D7E, a diesel-electric bulldozer.
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