Posted on 03/20/2008 3:35:26 AM PDT by Neville72
A Tifton agricultural researcher says he has found the solution to the world’s energy crisis through genetic modification and cloning of bacterial organisms that can convert bio-mass into hydrocarbons on a grand scale. The local researcher believes his groundbreaking discovery could result in the production of 500 to 1,000 barrels of hydrocarbon fuel per day from the initial production facility. The hydrocarbon fuel — commonly known as oil or fossil fuel when drilled — will require no modification to automobiles, oil pipelines or refineries as they exist today and could forever end the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, he said.
J.C. Bell, who brought the world powdered peanut butter, has spent the last four years, identifying the bacteria that produces hydrocarbon and then finding a way to genetically alter it so that it could produce hydrocarbon in greater volume.
Bell cited a USDA study that projected it was possible to produce two billion tons of bio-mass that could be converted to hydrocarbon with some modification to agriculture and forestry practices.
Pamela Serino, Chief of the Department of Defense Energy Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Va., said she was very excited about Bell’s technology. “The DOD Energy Support Center is the energy purchasing arm of the defense logistics agency,” Serino said. She said she became acquainted with Bell when he met with a senator about his hydrocarbon research. “We give support to the Hill,” she said. “When he was briefing the senator, we were there to see if his technology was viable.” Serino said her job was to question the science behind the technology. “It looks good to me,” she said.
Serino said she envisions a near future where “we have multiple regional energy sources.” She said the growth in China and India makes the work in bio-energy more critical.
Now that his discoveries have been patented, his corporation formed — Bell Bio-Energy, Inc. — and his government communications established, Bell announced his discoveries to the local press on Friday morning.
“I have received a tremendous amount of support from the state and federal government,” Bell said. “I could not have gotten this far without the help of (U.S. Sen.) Saxby Chambliss, (U.S. Sen.) Johnny Isakson, (Rep.) Jim Marshall, (Rep.) Jack Kingston and Floyd Gabler, the deputy undersecretary of the USDA.” He said, “They have opened doors for me at the Department of Defense and the EPA and EPD.”
Bell said he never considered ethanol for his research. “He who burns his food goes hungry,” Bell said. “That’s an old Chinese proverb.” Instead he concentrated on bio-mass and hydrocarbons. “If it grows it’s bio-mass,” Bell said. Bio-mass is any living or recently dead biological material. Hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Decomposed organic matter provides an abundance of carbon and hydrogen and is naturally occurring in crude oil.
Sources for bio-mass to be converted to hydrocarbon fuel are the forestry industry, pulp plants, agriculture and waste derived from the construction and demolition industry.
“This is the ultimate recycling,” Bell said. “Environmentalists should rejoice. We are only using waste products.” Bell said his company would take all of the waste of the plants: The tree limbs and tree tops, husks and cob of the corn, wheat stubble and corn stover.
Bell said that with ethanol, “The United Stated would have to totally rebuild our infrastructure.” He said, “We wanted to make hydrocarbon that could immediately be pumped.”
Bell said the original idea came from observing cows expel gas. “That is natural gas,” Bell said. “Cows release methane gas.” He said the gas is created by bacteria in the cow’s rumen or stomach. “These bacterial organisms are responsible for biological conversion of bio-mass into hydrocarbons,” he said.
With his research complete, Bell is in the process of building his pilot plants and production facilities. At the pilot plants, the bio-mass will be tested to select bacterial strains, bacterial genetic modification will be tested, revision of production protocols will be established, and a determination will be made of the best method of bio-mass conversion.
“We are exploring several locations for our pilot plants and production facilities,” Bell said. “We have the opportunity to put our plants in several locations.”
He estimated the budget for the research facility to be at $60 million annually and the production facilities at $250 to $300 million a year. He anticipates being in full scale production by October 1, 2009.
“Wherever this is located, the community will reap tremendous economic benefit,” he said.
Bell cites a number of benefits of bio-mass conversion: The energy shortage issue can be effectively addressed, it is a totally renewable energy source, it calms global warming fears, utilizes industrial waste and supports the agriculture industry.
“We can reduce the waste stream by 70 percent,” he said.
For more information e-mail questions to marketing@bellplantation.com.
To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.
You really don’t have to get to that level of detail in calculating biomass. We know how much energy the earth receives in sunlight, we know what percentage is converted to biomass by plants, and we know the quantity used.
What’s left over includes your kudzu and water weeds. I’m not including ocean biomass, which is not available for energy conversion. Maybe in some future time.
Plants convert about one tenth of one percent of solar energy into usable biomass. Even the worst solsr cells are a hundred times more efficient. I have seen arguments that genetic engineering could produce more productive plants.
I’m just saying that with current technology, biomass could not replace more than ten percent of fossil fuel.
http://www.changingworldtech.com"
Changing World Technologies has been around for going on a decade. They do have a pilot plant in Carthage Missouri that takes in turkey offal. It uses a totally different method though than the one described here. It uses thermal conversion process, or TCP. The method is described below:
The Thermal Conversion Process, or TCP, mimics the earth’s natural geothermal process by using water, heat and pressure to transform organic and inorganic wastes into oils, gases, carbons, metals and ash. Even heavy metals are transformed into harmless oxides.
They have not been overly successful with this plant, I think primarily due to the amount of complaints and fines due to the overwhelming stench that is emitted by the plant. They've really been hamstrung by regulators in the state of Missouri and have been shut down several times and been threatened with very substantial fines.
Anyhow, they don't use any bacteria to accomplish their conversion process, just lots of heat and pressure.
There had been a another thread on FR dealing with one of the large oil companies looking at algae to produce biodiesel - do you see the same obstacles with that type of system?
“There had been a another thread on FR dealing with one of the large oil companies looking at algae to produce biodiesel - do you see the same obstacles with that type of system?”
Not at all. See response 80.
Rice (imported from China)
Sorry, I missed that. Thanks
California can not produce enough power cause their environazi agenda crippled them for years, to bad for them, it does not mean the rest of the union has to follow those socialists losers. We can produce enough electricity (clean coal and clean nuclear) to power electric cars, if not why the excuses about "not enough battery capacity" to power practical electric car?
Secondly I am not " a little off basic" do your homework before you get into details of PHEV.
They are two systems now (Honda and Toyota), Honda has gas and electric working in unison, Toyota has a system where a hybrid is powered by electric motor only, up to 40 mph.
It only takes to add another pack of batteries to make it an electric car with gasoline back up capable of driving about 40 miles on purely electric power, thats what average American drives in 1 day around a town.
There is an American company producing kits for Toyota Prious and other hybrids which make it possible.
The kit is expensive, but the price would come down if the car manufacturers got to it, they just DON'T WANT TO, CAUSE THEY ARE IN BED WITH OIL COMPANIES. This is not a fantasy google PHEV and find it yourself.
Most of the public falls for the government, car and oil companies propaganda, being fed with utopia of biofuels, hydrogen cells and similar promises which are pure bs.
As far as GM they are will go bankrupt 3 times before they develop anything useful unless Governement bails them out.
How much does it cost to Convert a Prius to a plug in?
http://www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/Prius_PHEV#Kits_and_Conversions
I believe the electric car is a real product of the future. I think the series system is better than the parallel. However, Telsa motors has shown that the Lithium Ion technololgy is viable but still expensive. I don't think GM is going to come close to the $30K (ops, just announce $35k) for the Chevy Volt unless they sell at a loss. Toyota has announced it is sticking with the proven Nickel Cad.
Federal Tax Credits for Prius have already been phased out.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid.shtml
Last time I checked it a while ago it was about $6000, but it may have changed by now.
"Gas passers?"
I prefer to think of my saddle mule as "jet-propelled."
I'm told you can't find an owner willing to part with one.
A good saddle mule, however, will run you between $3,000 and $5,000, unless it's gaited, in which case add a couple grand.
No, I'm not kidding!
Fer a mule? I have thought that when I get moved out of town I might like one for getting around the mountains. But I don’t know much about horses or mules.
I s’pose you’re right about broke ones. {:0)
I have been closely monitoring the developments at Bell Bio-Energy, Inc. They have recently put up their web site. At last we have more detail about possibly the most important discovery in alternative energy ever.
I believe that it is of crucial importance information about their work be spread immediately everywhere. . If they are successful we will be able at one stroke to sever once and for all our dependence on foreign oil.
EVERYONE, please go to: http://www.bellbioenergy.com. For those who specialize in biochemistry and energy from Biomass, pay particular attention to their FAQ section. There you will find out specific details on how they intend to convert literally “Anything that grows” into oil.
I reviewed the Faq as well as the “roadmap”. According to the original article, they (you?) expect to be in full production within a year or 2. From the web site it looks like the research has barely begun. From my several decades experience in microbiology and molecular biology, I estimate that it will take a team of 20 at least 10 years to accomplish a fraction of the goals.
The roadmap also states that a genomic library will be screened for enzyme activity. Apparently the researchers at Auburn don’t know the difference between DNA and enzymes.
J.C. Bell Interviewed on Iowa’s WHO Radio yesterday afternoon - podcast:
http://www.whoradio.com/cc-common/podcast/single_page.html?podcast=simonconway&selected_podcast=WHO-05-12-1700.mp3
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