Comments on: Biofuel-powered jet engine

By: Bryce

Bryce — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:59:59 +0000

Air New Zealand isn’t the only kiwi company doing this sort of thing. There seems to be a partial solution to the biofuel dilemma there too = harvesting biofuels from plants grown on human shit, not arable land.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10381404

Apparently this company is going to start pumping out a million litres of fuel per year by April harvested from a small south island sewerage plant by the end of this year. With the amount of sewerage in the world imagine how much fuel that would make.

By: The Overthinker

The Overthinker — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 11:13:03 +0000

The idea about biofuel is that the carbon dioxide that is released through combustion is the same amount of carbon dioxide that was taken in by the plant as it grew.

By: yoga boy

yoga boy — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:04:30 +0000

Camelina may be inedible but the more resources (arable land, farming equipment, fertilizer) they devote to harvesting this the less there will be for growing actual food for human consumption.

So once again, we are back to fuel > food.

By: Level3

Level3 — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:01:57 +0000

The real question is, how much energy was used to make the biofuel?

Perhaps when they get the means to make fuel out of the wasted portions of edible/usable plants that are just going to be thrown out anyhow, AND some kind of genetically engineered bacteria that turns corn husks into oil…

But isn’t this still producing just as much, if not more, CO2, which the greens claim is the “real” culprit?

But then, anything that stops money flowing into the coffers of the oil producers who are not our friends (Islamic states, Venezuela, Russia) is a good thing.

By: Ducky Luv Fish > » Blog Archive » World’s First Biofuel-Powered Jet Engine

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:10:33 +0000

[...] [via Japanprobe] [...]

By: Jerry

Jerry — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 23:16:01 +0000

Lightning-powered aircraft?

By: Jet engine powered by bio-fuel! - Gadgeez.com

Jet engine powered by bio-fuel! - Gadgeez.com — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:47:13 +0000

[...] Japanprobe var addthis_pub = ‘admin’; var addthis_language = ‘en’;var addthis_options = ‘email, favorites, [...]

By: Video | dailytechnews.info

Video | dailytechnews.info — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:38:12 +0000

[...] [via Japanprobe] [...]

By: Haf

Haf — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:37:30 +0000

Exactly what I was thinking.

I think globally this is the third or fourth test for biofuel mad from plants or algae done on bigger airplanes.

Maybe this kind of fuel can balance things out a bit in the near future but I think in the long run electric engines are the best option.

To be able to use them in a good way, much better batteries and capacitors are needed, as well as better performing photovoltaic materials and alternative sources of energy that take advantage of the energy in wind, water and the earth’s core.
That what the nations should invest in now, instead of pumping the money in failing banks, old technology and broken investments.

By: Eddie

Eddie — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:18:07 +0000

Exactly.

BioFuel is a no go.

By: Briton

Briton — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:27:06 +0000

air new zealand did this months ago.

By: John

John — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:25:44 +0000

No to food for fuel!

The plant may be inedible but if it competes against edible plants for land then it will have an impact on the food market.

By: Vonskippy

Vonskippy — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 03:22:32 +0000

And how many Hectares to fuel one plane?

BioFuel is the BIGGEST fantasy ever – the world uses MILLIONS of barrels of oil EVERY day.

There is not enough land on the planet to grow even a teeny tiny portion of that quantity in biofuels.