18/07/2011
Algae bio-fuel from the Roman Baths
We bring you such an interesting variety of car news on this blog – flying cars, boat-cars, ghost cars – and here’s another.
Algae-fuelled cars.
Scientists are at this very moment growing seven different types of algae to determine which would be best as a bio-fuel.
Confused?
Apparently, scientists have found that the Roman Baths, in Bath, have an array of algae growing in their waters and extracting oil from one of the cells in these plant-like organisms could result in a replacement for petrol and diesel.
The idea of running vehicles on algae has been around for years, but there have been two potential problems. One drawback is that algae “are usually happiest growing at temperatures around 25C and that can limit the places in which it can be cultivated on a large scale,” states a PhD student working on the project.
Hindrance number two is that, as researcher Professor Scott states, “One species might produce a lot of oil, but if we can't harvest the algae or break the cell walls easily then the production costs of the bio-diesel will rise and it will no longer be a suitable alternative to other fuels”.
What the scientists are trying to do now is find the best, and most easily mass-produced, algae for the job.
So far they’ve established and begun to grow seven types, but there are many more to be found.
Sounds difficult. We’ll leave them to it and wait for the results.
Algae-fuelled cars.Scientists are at this very moment growing seven different types of algae to determine which would be best as a bio-fuel.
Confused?
Apparently, scientists have found that the Roman Baths, in Bath, have an array of algae growing in their waters and extracting oil from one of the cells in these plant-like organisms could result in a replacement for petrol and diesel.
The idea of running vehicles on algae has been around for years, but there have been two potential problems. One drawback is that algae “are usually happiest growing at temperatures around 25C and that can limit the places in which it can be cultivated on a large scale,” states a PhD student working on the project.
Hindrance number two is that, as researcher Professor Scott states, “One species might produce a lot of oil, but if we can't harvest the algae or break the cell walls easily then the production costs of the bio-diesel will rise and it will no longer be a suitable alternative to other fuels”.
What the scientists are trying to do now is find the best, and most easily mass-produced, algae for the job.
So far they’ve established and begun to grow seven types, but there are many more to be found.
Sounds difficult. We’ll leave them to it and wait for the results.
Photo by bongo vongo via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: algae, bio-fuel, car, diesel, motor vehicle, petrol, Roman Baths
11/04/2011
Take that, petrol station!
One 58-year-old man from Northampton has become so frustrated with fuel prices, and damage to the environment caused by petrol and diesel emissions, that he’s started making his own bio-fuel instead.
The former mechanic uses leftover vegetable oil from various Indian restaurants in his area. He explains, “Indian restaurants have the best vegetable oil because they don’t fry so many fatty meats. I just leave my tub with them and then come back a few weeks later and it is full up. I am looking at some fish and chip shops which only fry fish and chips, no meat.”
Apparently he only pays the restaurants “between 15p and 24p for a litre,” and even after he mixes in a few other ingredients it still costs him less than 40p per litre of fuel.
He adds that, “since 2007 the Government has allowed every home to make up to 2,500 litres of bio-fuel tax free for a year. You will never use this much, it is an excellent way to combat the fuel crisis.”
Although the equipment he uses to make the fuel cost him £350, he is confident that it will soon have paid for itself with all the money he’s saving.
The man is now running his Vauxhall Corsa using home-made vegetable-oil bio-fuel…and we think we’re going to pop out to the Indian restaurant with an empty bucket.
The former mechanic uses leftover vegetable oil from various Indian restaurants in his area. He explains, “Indian restaurants have the best vegetable oil because they don’t fry so many fatty meats. I just leave my tub with them and then come back a few weeks later and it is full up. I am looking at some fish and chip shops which only fry fish and chips, no meat.”
Apparently he only pays the restaurants “between 15p and 24p for a litre,” and even after he mixes in a few other ingredients it still costs him less than 40p per litre of fuel.
He adds that, “since 2007 the Government has allowed every home to make up to 2,500 litres of bio-fuel tax free for a year. You will never use this much, it is an excellent way to combat the fuel crisis.”
Although the equipment he uses to make the fuel cost him £350, he is confident that it will soon have paid for itself with all the money he’s saving.
The man is now running his Vauxhall Corsa using home-made vegetable-oil bio-fuel…and we think we’re going to pop out to the Indian restaurant with an empty bucket.
Image by not_so_silent via photobucket
Labels: bio-fuel, diesel, fuel, petrol
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