[URL]http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090828-ethanol-biofuel-watermelons/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ng%2FNews%2FNews_Main+(National+Geographic+News+-+Main)#17224[/URL]
[QUOTE]Watermelon, the quintessential summer fruit, may soon be helping to fuel your car as well as your picnic guests.
According to a new U.S. government study, juice from unwanted watermelons could be a promising new source for making the [URL="http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/biofuel-profile.html"]biofuel[/URL] ethanol.
Up to a fifth of all watermelons grown each year have odd shapes or scarred rinds that turn off consumers, said study co-author
Wayne Fish, a chemist with the Agricultural Research Service in Lane, Oklahoma.
Instead of picking the fruit, farmers leave these reject melons on the vine.
"If you figure a field of watermelon may yield somewhere between 60 and 100 tons per acre of watermelon, a fifth of that can be substantial," Fish said.
When he and colleagues were experimenting with extracting antioxidant compounds from watermelon juice, they realized the waste stream of sugary fluids could be a source of ethanol.
([URL="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/biofuels/biofuels-interactive"]Compare the costs and benefits of different biofuels[/URL].)
[B]
Mobile Homebrew[/B]
The researchers brewed several experimental batches of the fruity fuel in the lab and optimized the process to produce about 23 gallons (87 liters) of ethanol from an acre's worth of the unused fruit.
"For average-size growers that have 300 to 1,000 acres [121 to 405 hectares], they may just keep the ethanol themselves and use it in their own production," Fish said.
Larger farms could even produce enough fuel to sell.
(Related: [URL="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/070625-swedish-biogas.html"]"Alcohol, Feces, Carcasses Fuel 'Green' Vehicles in Sweden."[/URL])
However, it doesn't make economic sense to haul the unwanted watermelons to a processing facility. Rather, Fish envisions mobile breweries that go from farm to farm.
"In terms of the actual process that goes on, it is no different than making homebrew," he said, except on a larger scale and with a few special laboratory tweaks.
[/QUOTE]
Huh, watermelons are like 99.999999999% water how can you make fuel out of that
Reminds me of the Coke powered mobile phone. They're great ideas in theory but the chances of us really using them as a day to day fuel is pretty slim.
Right. Biofuels again, which failed because you're using A LOT of farmland to produce it. This won't work.
Also Ganerumo, have you heard about hydrogen fuel cells yet?
bullshit
[QUOTE=Memobot;32494592]Right. Biofuels again, which failed because you're using A LOT of farmland to produce it. This won't work.
Also Ganerumo, have you heard about hydrogen fuel cells yet?[/QUOTE]
No but I guess they aren't made of watermelons
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;32494551]Huh, watermelons are like 99.999999999% water how can you make fuel out of that[/QUOTE]
'experimenting with extracting antioxidant compounds from watermelon juice, they realized the waste stream of sugary fluids could be a source of ethanol.'
Directly from the article, try reading.
[QUOTE=Memobot;32494592]Right. Biofuels again, which failed because you're using A LOT of farmland to produce it. This won't work.
Also Ganerumo, have you heard about hydrogen fuel cells yet?[/QUOTE]
Aye. Farmland is needed for food production. Biofuels are not a viable alternative.
Corn was fine for fuel, but I actually EAT watermelon.
[QUOTE=dogmachines;32494935]Corn was fine for fuel, but I actually EAT watermelon.[/QUOTE]
I don't think any of you realize that they are going to use waste watermelons. They aren't going to grow more watermelons just to make ethanol.
I hope.
[QUOTE=Memobot;32494592]Right. Biofuels again, which failed because you're using A LOT of farmland to produce it. This won't work.
Also Ganerumo, have you heard about hydrogen fuel cells yet?[/QUOTE]They're wanting to use melon no one wants and is left to rot in the fields to make it, they're turning waste into fuel.
inb4 ebonics joke
Anyways, I fail to see how exactly this is much different from any other biofuel.
[QUOTE=GunFox;32494810]Aye. Farmland is needed for food production. Biofuels are not a viable alternative.[/QUOTE]
Why can't we make biofuel out of the byproducts of food production
Surely there's all sorts of organic material that just gets thrown out instead of being made into food
[QUOTE=Memobot;32494592]Right. Biofuels again, which failed because you're using A LOT of farmland to produce it. This won't work.
Also Ganerumo, have you heard about hydrogen fuel cells yet?[/QUOTE]Hydrogen fuel cells are bad too. A hydrogen fuel cell car costs one million USD. I think that electric vehicles are the way to go.
Goddammit everyone keeps finding all these dumb fuel sources that take a long time to harvet energy for everyone, wind, solar, biofuel, and others are retarded, why the hell doesn't fusion get the attention it deserves?
[QUOTE=SKEEA;32495511]Hydrogen fuel cells are bad too. A hydrogen fuel cell car costs one million USD. I think that electric vehicles are the way to go.[/QUOTE]
I'd drive them if they didn't have smug-looking stickers on them saying "This car is powered by electricity" or something.
[editline]26th September 2011[/editline]
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;32495533]Goddammit everyone keeps finding all these dumb fuel sources that take a long time to harvet energy for everyone, wind, solar, biofuel, and others are retarded, why the hell doesn't fusion get the attention it deserves?[/QUOTE]
Uhh... because that's what the sun does? And because that would be ludicrously expensive?
[QUOTE=dogmachines;32494935]Corn was fine for fuel, but I actually EAT watermelon.[/QUOTE]
nope
corn is in almost everything that comes in a can or bottle.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;32495533]Goddammit everyone keeps finding all these dumb fuel sources that take a long time to harvet energy for everyone, wind, solar, biofuel, and others are retarded, why the hell doesn't fusion get the attention it deserves?[/QUOTE]
because nobody can get fusion to produce more power than it consumes
[QUOTE=Zeke129;32495453]Why can't we make biofuel out of the byproducts of food production
Surely there's all sorts of organic material that just gets thrown out instead of being made into food[/QUOTE]
Ethanol comes with it's own set of problems as a fuel source. It isn't much better for the environment than petroleum when you get down to it (except in terms of scarcity, of course.)
[QUOTE=Cone;32495538]I'd drive them if they didn't have smug-looking stickers on them saying "This car is powered by electricity" or something.
[editline]26th September 2011[/editline]
Uhh... because that's what the sun does? And because that would be ludicrously expensive?[/QUOTE]
It would be an endless power source and it's probably one of the most efficient sources of energy we will find for hundreds or thousands of years, and scientists think they can get it working in a few decades.
[QUOTE=SpaceGhost;32495713]It would be an endless power source and it's probably one of the most efficient sources of energy we will find for hundreds or thousands of years, and scientists think they can get it working in a few decades.[/QUOTE]
Then I'm sure that's the best they can do. Fuel sources don't just change overnight, y'know.
Are we going to have black guys as watermelon barons?
[highlight](User was banned for this post ("racism" - GunFox))[/highlight]
[QUOTE=Zeke129;32495453]Why can't we make biofuel out of the byproducts of food production
Surely there's all sorts of organic material that just gets thrown out instead of being made into food[/QUOTE]
There is surprisingly little waste overall in the food production industry.
Stuff that isn't fit for human consumption, gets fed to the animals. There may be a bit left over beyond that, and they can certainly convert that into biofuel, but it isn't going to solve our energy problem by any stretch of the imagination. The best you can hope for in most cases would be to make the farm even out in terms of fuel production/consumption. Which would be awesome, though not particularly interesting overall.
[QUOTE=DangerStranger;32495807]Are we going to have black guys as watermelon barons?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]inb4 ebonics joke[/QUOTE]
I fucking knew it.
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;32494551]Huh, watermelons are like 99.999999999% water how can you make fuel out of that[/QUOTE]92%
[QUOTE=SKEEA;32495511]Hydrogen fuel cells are bad too. A hydrogen fuel cell car costs one million USD. I think that electric vehicles are the way to go.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, in 2005. Today they're less than a third of that cost.
[QUOTE=Cone;32495784]Then I'm sure that's the best they can do. Fuel sources don't just change overnight, y'know.[/QUOTE]
I know, but we can hope they make a breakthrough soon.
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;32494551]Huh, watermelons are like 99.999999999% water how can you make fuel out of that[/QUOTE]
You know why they taste sweet? Yeah it's this shit called energy.
Go burn a potato chip or gummy bear and you'll see. They burn hot as fuck, you can boil water with a bag of doritos.
You know i love how we invest so much time and energy into more efficient and powerful ways to turn a rod, which turns a gear, which turns a wheel.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;32495453]Why can't we make biofuel out of the byproducts of food production
Surely there's all sorts of organic material that just gets thrown out instead of being made into food[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure we actually use virtually everything, even if it just goes back into the feedstock.
[QUOTE=GunFox;32495811]There is surprisingly little waste overall in the food production industry.
Stuff that isn't fit for human consumption, gets fed to the animals. There may be a bit left over beyond that, and they can certainly convert that into biofuel, but it isn't going to solve our energy problem by any stretch of the imagination. The best you can hope for in most cases would be to make the farm even out in terms of fuel production/consumption. Which would be awesome, though not particularly interesting overall.[/QUOTE]Actually, GunFox... Ethanol can be made from the stalks and leaves of corn, for example. Those aren't used for animal food and those plant parts aren't alone, there's others. There is tons of plant material that is either burned, mulched, baled or otherwise discarded every season, sometimes mid-season depending on the location and crop. Even the corn that everyone assumes to be "unfit for human consumption" isn't going to animals and for good reason! See, when you grow corn for animals it's more often than not an entirely different breed of corn that's tough, tasteless and otherwise gross all around. The corn grown for humans goes to humans 99% of the time, only the gimp cobs get sorted out. However, when a farmer has a field that's diseased, you CANNOT give it to animals as they'll get sick too, especially if it's fungal growth. This is usually burned to contain it, but can be used for biofuel just fine. Hell, there's plenty of plants out there that require little land but give high yields, (beets, for example) but aren't popular to grow for a multitude of reasons.
There is waste in farming, usually in the methods used to recycle. Plus, when people think of "biofuel" the idea of "biodiesel" doesn't even come into play. There are metric fucktons of inedible vegetable oils that aren't being used but they do burn. Animal fat is included in this, but that's unsuitable because it solidifies at a higher temperature. Though, if you're used to cold temperatures you're used to warming up diesel fuel anyway.
[QUOTE=JumpinJackFlash;32498001]Actually, GunFox... Ethanol can be made from the stalks and leaves of corn, for example. Those aren't used for animal food and those plant parts aren't alone, there's others. There is tons of plant material that is either burned, mulched, baled or otherwise discarded every season, sometimes mid-season depending on the location and crop. Even the corn that everyone assumes to be "unfit for human consumption" isn't going to animals and for good reason! See, when you grow corn for animals it's more often than not an entirely different breed of corn that's tough, tasteless and otherwise gross all around. The corn grown for humans goes to humans 99% of the time, only the gimp cobs get sorted out. However, when a farmer has a field that's diseased, you CANNOT give it to animals as they'll get sick too, especially if it's fungal growth. This is usually burned to contain it, but can be used for biofuel just fine. Hell, there's plenty of plants out there that require little land but give high yields, (beets, for example) but aren't popular to grow for a multitude of reasons.
There is waste in farming, usually in the methods used to recycle. Plus, when people think of "biofuel" the idea of "biodiesel" doesn't even come into play. There are metric fucktons of inedible vegetable oils that aren't being used but they do burn. Animal fat is included in this, but that's unsuitable because it solidifies at a higher temperature. Though, if you're used to cold temperatures you're used to warming up diesel fuel anyway.[/QUOTE]
Best post of the thread right there.
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