http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/21/news/economy/vegetable_cars/index.htm

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84 300SD - bought in April '06 with 237,000 mi

Yet another novelty article lacking any new content whatsoever. They again passively dismiss any solution based on a biologically based oil source because of lack of frying oil and lack of acreage while ignoring that there are non-agriculture means of producing oil.

This article from a few months ago is a little less novelty discuss briefly how to overcome the shortcomings of squeazing oil out of plants. Check out the UNH algae oil project too.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2006-01-10-algae-powerplants_x.htm

It's going to have to happen someday. Diesel is a far superior technology to gassers and electric (for the time being). More efficient, more power, and when built right (like MB does) durable as heck.

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1982 300TD 210K miles ("The Replacement" aka "The Anvil") - SOLD
1979 300SD 245K miles (never ending project)
2007 Pinarello F3:13
1995 Ducati 916 (SOLD, sniff)
1999 Ducati 900SSie (SOLD)

I agree that the article is hardly all that informative, but it has some interesting figures, and it just might let some folks discover that diesel engines are really cool and that they can run on grease

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84 300SD - bought in April '06 with 237,000 mi

After reading your posts above I was wondering if you guys are aware of anyone producing a hybid car that used a diesel engine rather than a gasoline one?

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Mercedes has been working on one and I believe showed one off at a car show or two. There are also a few cities in the US (and probably abroad) that are already using diesel powered hybrids. Try searching on google, you'll find a few.

here's a starting point

http://www.wired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,66949,00.html

I don't rate Wired when it comes to assessing fuel technologies, but it's got a few good tidbits in this article.

__________________
1982 300TD 210K miles ("The Replacement" aka "The Anvil") - SOLD
1979 300SD 245K miles (never ending project)
2007 Pinarello F3:13
1995 Ducati 916 (SOLD, sniff)
1999 Ducati 900SSie (SOLD)

3500$$ to convert his truck to run on veggie.. man he got shafted.. running on vegetable oil is a good idea its just the techniques and the proper algae for algae based feed stocks need more funding.. i think the funding for ethanol should be cut back just a little bit and handed over to the biodiesel sector... hello diesel 40% more efficient.. why toss money away on something that is a waste

When has the government actually done something that makes sense?

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

I'm a bit concerned with the algae biomass recovery as it's either underfunded as you say or maybe not the silver bullet some people thought it once was. The UNH program site has not been updated since 2004 and I couldn't find any obvious reference to either professors research areas within their personal bios..in fact if I remember correctly one of the professors (the physics one) was not even there anymore.

This is not new stuff. If you search on google scholar, there's references dating well back into the 80's. One ref is Shay, 1993 Diesel fuel from vegetable oils. Status and opportunities. Or an overview Biodiesel Production : A Review

It's definitely working in certain markets though. There's several business making omega-3 and omega-6 oils using organisms pulled out of regular old water, cultured, tricked into producing oil and then harvested to make what is probably many millions of dollars in the alimentary supplements business.

__________________
1982 300TD 210K miles ("The Replacement" aka "The Anvil") - SOLD
1979 300SD 245K miles (never ending project)
2007 Pinarello F3:13
1995 Ducati 916 (SOLD, sniff)
1999 Ducati 900SSie (SOLD)

Yes, and Omega-3 fatty acids lower cholesterol, too.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Thanks. That was an interesting article.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles