Home Power Station

[More Power]

Saw a cool power station sold by Honda being discussed on one of the auto channels a week or so ago. The system attaches to the home natural gas supply, then makes hot water for the home and hydrogen for the family auto... ;)

Big oil would blink if something like this became popular....

Jim

[ZZ]

I wonder how feasable it would really be with the high Natural gas prices.

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

"Big oil would blink if something like this became popular..." It was my impression that natural gas came out of those same Big Oil wells. :confused: IMHO until Big Oil completely controls ethanol too, nothing's gonna change.

Blessings!

[JeepSJ]

That technology has been around for a while. We did some development on natural gas cars for Ford back in '93 and those units were available then. The problem wasn't with the oil companies - it was with the Feds trying to collect all their fuel taxes. The feds were the ones that were restricting their use.

[GMC Hauler]

You could make your own power station for home use, and mobile use if you desired, although home use is probably the better bet, by using a old technology called woodgas. More information about them can be read about in these PDF files:

ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/t0512e/t0512e00.pdf

http://www.webpal.org/webpal/b_recovery/3_alternate_energy/woodgas/fema_wood_gas_generator.pdf

It requires some work, but has the possibility to make one energy independent, particurally when used for home use.

[ronniejoe]

The problem wasn't with the oil companies - it was with the Feds trying to collect all their fuel taxes. The feds were the ones that were restricting their use.

Hit the nail squarely on the head there. The libs have conditioned most Americans to hate the big oil companies. Let's consider all the evil that they do... They ensure that we have a steady supply of fuel and oil even through times of natural disaster, they enable our modern economy to function, they provide the raw material for many of our most prolific consumer goods, they manage to deal with despotic regimes to get the material out for us to use, they work in some extremely hostile and insecure areas and much more.

As for alternative fuels and the "big oil conspiracy"...

I worked on a program 15 years ago for a while to develop proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology for electric cars. The PEM fuel cell is an electrochemical engine (as is a battery) that can run on liquid methanol. In 1990, folks thought that this would revolutionize the auto industry. Well, it didn't. Not because the big oil companies squashed it, but because the technology just wasn't ready and could not compete head-to-head with our current means of propulsion. Simple as that.

As for running out of oil... don't bet on it any time soon. A major find is on the horizon. Furthermore, the conventional wisdom of how long it takes for oil or coal to form is wrong as well. If you doubt me, spend a little time studying before you throw your darts. If you do, those darts will not be thrown...

[HammerWerf]

GMCHauler,

That reactor mounted on the tractor in your second link looks a lot like what was used by civilians in Europe during WWII. Army Cartoonist Bill Mauldin pictured one in his Cartoon for the Army Paper "Stars & Stripes" back about 1943-44 in Italy.

HammerWerf

[More Power]

I agree with you Ron. The only problem I have with "big oil" is the cost of gas/diesel refined from oil pumped out of the ground on US public lands.

Why are domestic oil prices tied to OPEC? I can understand rising diesel/gas prices as a result of refining OPEC imports, but what about oil pumped out of the ground here in Montana on public lands, piped a short distance and then refined in Billings, MT? Shouldn't that gas/diesel cost less - way less?

Is this a windfall on domestic oil?

Jim

[ronniejoe]

That's a good question. However, the reality is that oil from Montana is being sold in a global market where supply and demand on a global scale establish the price. And really, the supply and demand issues right now are dominated by speculation. Most of the high prices are caused by jitters in the futures market because of the geopolitical situation.

That doesn't make it hurt any less, but I think it does help to really understand the problem. That might help us to get the right response out of our politicians.