Re: Cooking oil at $5.50/gallon at Food Lion...

DK wrote:

<snip>

In other words, given the current technology, even under most ideal,
completely unrealistic scenario, no more than 10% of current oil
consumption can be compensated by biofuel-like approaches.

Which will burn more efficiently in an engine? One reason for inefficiencies are that energy that's released after ignition goes into heating combustion products, particularly unburned fuel, which go into the exhaust. If excess air is introduced, then that will be heated as well, further reducing the efficiency of the engine.


Irrelevant. We simply don't have enough land to produce enough biofuel. I am all for biofuel, progress and efficiency - my only point is that unless we agree to go back to the caves,
it can only be a *part* of solution (and, seemingly, a small part as it stands now).

Actually, it is a relevant point. Biofuel supplies will last longer if they are burned efficiently. You'll see my point if you look at the actual combustion reactions.



Now, of course there are bits and pieces everywhere and I am sure the ratio eventually can (and should!) be cut by ~ 2X but given what we know about photosynthesis and cellulose hydrolysis, I think it would be simply stupid to ever count on a 10X gain.

Then how does Brazil manage it?


Brasil manages 20% of its *cars*, not total oil consumption. Big difference. Plus, Brasil, I suspect, is nowhere next to the USA in the amount of cars. Keep in mind tracking industry here! What
USA really has to do is to resurrect railroads.

Automobiles are the single greatest source of oil consumption, as well as one of the major sources of atmospheric pollution. This becomes particularly apparent in densely populated areas, such as the major cities in Brazil.

I do agree with you about railways.



Note that the above does not even take into account the hugely controversial issues of a) the actual energy efficiency of biofuel
production, b) environmental pollution factors.

Perhaps you should compare the amount of energy required to produce a given volume of each.


But that would put biofuel at HUGE disadvantage with oil. In energy
terms, oil is dirt cheap to get and ethanol is very expensive.

I'll dispute that. I worked in the oil industry and I also grew up with farmers. Producing oil is a terribly wasteful and expensive process. I know because I saw it first-hand.



DK

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