What Economists Really Struggle with--Waste to Octane, those damn Aggies

Submitted by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 8:04pm. Tags:

Science and Tech

...Dr. Kenneth Hall, associate director of TEES and the Jack E. & Frances Brown Chair and professor in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University, and his colleagues, Mark T. Holtzapple, a professor in chemical engineering, and Sergio A. Capareda, a professor in biological and agricultural engineering, have developed a process to make converting biomass to high-octane gasoline possible....

Texas A&M University's Department of Chemical Engineering is world-renowned in the area of process design, integration and optimization. A team led by professor Mahmoud El-Halwagi, a pioneer in the field of Process Integration, has been assembled to conduct the initial process integration work to provide a detailed set of design and operating procedures that will lead to the most competitive biofuels production processes for this technology.

There is one economist, who is an exception, Paul Romer

Well how long will we have to wait for this new technology, about two years for the first plant.
Future capacity, about 2% of domestic demand by 2022.
Cost, it has to be expensive, well between $1.70 and $2.00 per gallon, excluding tax perks.
Will there be any premiums, something about free Collie puppies.

"Making sure your tires are properly inflated, simple thing, but we could save all the oil that they're talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could actually save just as much." Ob

Timmy the Wonder Dog's blog
Login or register to post comments

There's a lot of this stuff in the pipeline (#111409)

by Chuchundra on Thu, 08/21/2008 - 8:54am

Various types of biofuel production methods using everything from algae to agricultural waste products to jatropha plants. A lot of this stuff is in the development or early pilot production stages. There's a giant leap from that stage to full-on industrial production.

I've said before, biofuels are going to be the Dot Com boom of the next decade. There's a lot of snake oil here (of course, if I could run my car on snake oil, I'd be more than happy to). A few people are going to get very rich and a lot of people are going to lose their shirts.

I like this blog quite a bit for all things biofuel and alternative energy.

Guard, protect and cherish your land, for there is no afterlife for a place that started out as Heaven.

(

)

There's a giant leap from that stage to full-on industrial... (#111744)

by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Thu, 08/21/2008 - 10:55pm

there certainly is but A&M is very well situated in delivering that giant leap.

(

| parent )

The Future is Termites (#111411)

by Model 62 on Thu, 08/21/2008 - 9:03am

or actually, the future is the bacteria and protein goo in the termite's third gut.

(

| parent )

Aggies? Free collie puppies? (#111204)

by catchy on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 8:37pm

I have no idea what you're talking about... so here's a bunny with a pancake on it's head

http://heresabunnywithapancakeonitshead.com/

(

)

i count two pancakes. (#111306)

by Zelig on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 10:52pm

Me: We! -- Ali

(

| parent )

the big question is how many bunnies? (#111308)

by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 10:53pm

(

| parent )

Hate to burst your bubble, (#111218)

by aireachail on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 9:23pm

but that looks like two pancakes to me.

I'd just like to see a little more attn to detail 'round here.

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. - W. Somerset Maugham

(

| parent )

Nah. . . (#111220)

by M Scott Eiland on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 9:27pm

. . .it's a single pancake releasing a sigh of relief that it isn't a guinea pig stuck in there with the rabbit.

(

| parent )

a reference to the A&M mascot (#111209)

by heet on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 8:53pm

Reveille

The dog is treated like a king and I hear cadets of the A&M corps (don't ask) must salute her.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President. - Bruce Springsteen

(

| parent )

Thanks heet (#111215)

by catchy on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 9:08pm

Really I was just lookin for an excuse to fire off the bunny pic.

(

| parent )

completely appropriate (#111320)

by heet on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 11:08pm

and my post should in no way be construed as a disapproval of the bunny pic.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President. - Bruce Springsteen

(

| parent )

God forbid! (#111331)

by catchy on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 11:18pm

Why you might just as well hate rainbows!

(

| parent )

the name of the bunnie must be butter (#111221)

by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 9:28pm

(

| parent )

free collie puppies! (#111199)

by heet on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 8:33pm

As a senior in a Houston high school I attended the A&M bonfire. It was truly one of the most astounding things I'd ever seen up until that point of my life. I'd never drank so much cheap beer or seen so many flirty college women (women!). And I could pretend to be a college student for a weekend. Well, until we couldn't sing the college songs, do the A&M "yells", or perform all the other weird traditions they have over there in College Station. It was a legendary trip among me and my friends.

As much as the Aggies are ridiculed here in Texas, I have to admit they sure know how to have a good time.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President. - Bruce Springsteen

(

)

If I remember correctly (#111222)

by Timmy the Wonder Dog on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 9:32pm

they have stopped the A&M bonfire due to a deadly accident.

Notwithstanding, it is an exceptional school.

(

| parent )

A great school (#111326)

by heet on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 11:19pm

with a lot of resources. They live in the shadow of UT (or vice versa if you ask an A&M grad) and certainly one of the best public schools in the nation. I almost went there myself.

Edit : Not that being a public school is any kind of slight! That's the only kind I've attended.

Over here on E Street, we're proud to support Obama for President. - Bruce Springsteen

(

| parent )

It's no longer officially sanctioned... (#111268)

by Soothsayer on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 10:20pm

...but the tradition continues.

"In large states public education will always be mediocre, for the same reason that in large kitchens the cooking is usually bad."~Nietzsche

(

| parent )

Recent Diaries