[Sca-cooks] OT & OOP: Greasecar?

[Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise]

Hm... looking at http://www.greasecar.com/

> How much energy does it take to convert veggies to oil?  Can this be done
> efficiently with replaceable energy sources?

If you use already used oil, then you can discount this, since it's
already been used for the primary purpose for which it was created.
Canola oil and soybean oil, which are already mass produced, are
vegetable oils and are widely trumpeted by Magdalena vander Brugge's
favorite sources as relatively energy efficient land uses. Soybean oil
could be produced without using any petroleum products if the soybeans
were grown by people not using minimally-mechanized growing methods. 
Pressing seeds for oil could be done with a minimally mechanized press 
run by waterpower or animal power. :)
 
> What are the costs of storage, transport, and dispensing?  

For fresh oil, the costs would be less than for petroleum as seed oils 
can be grown close to the consumers, and the safety requirements for 
transporting vegetable oils are less because they pose slightly lower 
safety hazards.

At the moment, the cost of storage, transport and dispensing for used 
oil is pretty much a negative number as it results in lowering the costs 
of storage, transport and disposal of used oil.

>What kind of
> pumping equipment will be required?

Apparently, pumping can be done with a siphon and a filter. The cost for 
this runs about $10 per filter, apparently

> What are the emissions and by-products?  How will they affect air quality,
> particularly in less than optimal conditons (I suspect the smog might be
> veddy nasty)?

Again, burning vegetable oil is much more efficient than burning 
petroleum diesel fuel, so there is less soot. (Not difficult to 
imagine.) I remember this from something my Dad said back in the 70s.

The Greasecar people have some techspecs up:
http://www.greasecar.com/tech.cfm

Right now, as an alternative to a petroleum engine, seems like a 
vegetable oil/diesel combination running on used fryer oil would be a 
step up. Electric cars using electricity generated by Wind energy would 
be even better, obviously...

> Once upon a time, nuclear energy was an "alternative, sustainable energy
> source."  It still is for that matter, but the side issues are a real dream
> killer.


-- 
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net 
"If the injustice ... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the 
agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. Let your life be a 
counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at 
any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong, which I condemn." 
-- Thoreau, "Resistance to Civil Government"