BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future

Subject: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: Amos
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 07:43 PM

Many voices clamor for attention in times of turmois such as this period, and of those many seek, for whatever reason, to underscore how bad the present is, especially compared tot he past. This is not very nourishing fare to say the least.

There is a great deal to be said in favor of seeking out and promoting those pieces of news which often get overlooked which actually are harbingers of good.

One example, from the current edition of Nature, follows:

29 August 2002 Nature 418, 964 - 967 (2002); doi:10.1038/ nature01009

Hydrogen from catalytic reforming of biomass-derived hydrocarbons in liquid water

R. D. CORTRIGHT, R. R. DAVDA & J. A. DUMESIC

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA

Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to J.A.D. (e-mail: [e-mail]).

Concerns about the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the pollution caused by continuously increasing energy demands make hydrogen an attractive alternative energy source. Hydrogen is currently derived from nonrenewable natural gas and petroleum, but could in principle be generated from renewable resources such as biomass or water. However, efficient hydrogen production from water remains difficult and technologies for generating hydrogen from biomass, such as enzymatic decomposition of sugars, steam-reforming of bio-oils and gasification, suffer from low hydrogen production rates and/or complex processing requirements. Here we demonstrate that hydrogen can be produced from sugars and alcohols at temperatures near 500 K in a single-reactor aqueous-phase reforming process using a platinum-based catalyst. We are able to convert glucose—which makes up the major energy reserves in plants and animals—to hydrogen and gaseous alkanes, with hydrogen constituting 50% of the products.

We find that the selectivity for hydrogen production increases when we use molecules that are more reduced than sugars, with ethylene glycol and methanol being almost completely converted into hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

These findings suggest that catalytic aqueous-phase reforming might prove useful for the generation of hydrogen-rich fuel gas from carbohydrates extracted from renewable biomass and biomass waste streams.

Regards,

Amos

Subject: RE: BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: Amos
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 09:57 PM

If we really wanted to break Hussein's spell, we'd put a couple of million into this sort of research instead of another Stealth fighter, and ruin the whole basis of his power.

It's all about energy, folks -- energy and water. Solve those, and the whole game gets a LOT more rationale.

A

Subject: RE: BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: Amos
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 01:10 AM

Geeze, you guys....whassup wid dat? Rather talk war and farts, huh? LOL!

A

Subject: RE: BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: The Pooka
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 02:39 AM

Well, yerright Amos, if th' Perfessers Cortright, Davda & Dumesic were proposing "generation of **methane**-rich fuel gas" it might be more up our, uhh, alley around here. "...biomass waste streams", to be sure to be sure. Hydrogen? You can't HANDLE hydrogen! However, they do cite "...methanol being almost completely converted into hydrogen...", so maybe it SkunkWorks or Us after all.

Well, the Flatulence Preference anyway. Now as to the Mudcat War Party part, I dunno, Amos. Matters have gone pretty fart nowait *FAR* yeh that's it, far, in this U.S. vs Canada business. No turning back. It's Chretien & Cheney, canu a manu. Kick ass, yesirree.

--Pook, up Mudpan Alley

Subject: RE: BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 02:50 AM

Not a damn' thing wrong with that Amos! The ever present danger is, however, that the usual blanket will be thrown over the implications of this research [ more than likely at the behest of the fossil fuel tycoons---again], or the chimera of wind-power will be further encouraged. The last thing that ANY of the oil-coal and nuke brigade want is for a viable clean and cheap alternative energy source to be brought to the fore. It has been my personal contention all through the powere-generation debate of recent years that the great publicity given to wind power has been deliberately at the expense of technologies which would REALLY diminish the importance of the dirty power generators. I believe strongly that the answer to the problem of alternative power source lies in the Oceans of the world. Air is constantly moving across the surface of the Earth. So too, just as constantly, is water. Which would give you the biggest jolt--a caress from anything from a mild breeze to a gale force wind, or an encounter with a current of water--either from a well-aimed fire hose or a fast-flowing tidal bore?

Subject: RE: BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: The Pooka
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 02:51 AM

But seriously fooks, yes Amos it is a hopeful sign, for which we do need to look for more of. Uh, look of more for. Um, of which we...nnyaah fook it, this is a grammatic blind alley, put with which I will not up. Everthing is such a big gramma around here. Lemme start over.

I think most hopeful signs of the future do come from science. Yeah, break Saddam's spell, good. And, better yet, the damn House of Saud's too. / Energy & water, like da man said. Fortune & glory, kid, fortune & glory.

Subject: RE: BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: hesperis
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 03:06 AM

Wow, this is cool.

Subject: RE: BS: Hopeful Signs of A Future
From: The Pooka
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 03:14 AM

Cool hesperis: Cold fusion, maaaan. Cold fusion.

Gotta go t'bed. Dream of windmills.