Does anyone here know about alternate fuel technologies?

[VinceAtReal4x4s]

This question has to do with a fictional writing assignment I'm working on.

Let's say you had a farm-like environment (but no large animals; mostly smaller gardens, chickens, etc) that keeps about a dozen families fed and you needed to make some kind of fuel that could power an older gas (Pinz) motor.

Conditions: There's plenty of time to make, lets say, 100 gallons and store it for one trip, so it doesn't need to be a fast process.
And in theory this situation takes place in the future, maybe around 25 years from now, so there could be some kind of technology that would help that doesn't exist right now, but I don't want to theorize on anything remotely unrealistic or that needs much infrastructure to be made to work.

It may not be that practical but wanted to explore any realistic ideas out there.

[CentAr712]

Modify the carburetor of the engine to run off pure ethanol and build a large still to distill alcohol from things you can grow like sugar beets, corn, sugar-cane, sorghum, or even plant waste. Generally, I think carbs for straight alcohol are usually made of brass, because of something to do with icing problems. I think they did it in drag racing if I recall correctly, but I know they do it in some form of racing.

[TechMOGogy]

Run it off of human and animal waste?
Sounds gross but here is a VW bug (new) that runs on methane
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... waste.html

[audiocontr]

Run it off of human and animal waste?
Sounds gross but here is a VW bug (new) that runs on methane
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... waste.html

Who runs Bordertown? Master Blaster runs Bordertown!

Mel Gipson and Tina Turner at their finest!

[undysworld]

Wasn't Patrick Robb into some sort of alternative fuel? I don't think he lurks here anymore, but he might still be reachable through CWR. Maybe. If so, I recall him as a willing talker. He might have some ideas.

[edzz]

For a small farm ethanol would likely be the easiest current alternative fuel. Being that you specified a gas engine that rules out bio diesel unless someone comes up with a way to blend bio diesel with ethanol.
http://www.revenoor.com/home.html

Or with water turbines in your stream to provide the electricity to run a MicroFueler.
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/05/make-your-own-e/

Not to travel too far off point however I believe (don't have any evidence) that ethanol may play a role in the red death.

Another proven technology that may see future development (and size reduction) would be a wood gas generator.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/01/ ... -cars.html

[CentAr712]

I'm pretty sure the Germans used wood and coal gas generators on the Opel trucks in the war. I recently saw a youtube video of a guy running an old Ford pickup off a big wood-gas generator he had mounted in the bed.

[undysworld]

Here's a link to wood-burning cars: http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010/01/ ... -cars.html

I saw a modern station wagon that supposedly ran on wood pellets near here a couple years ago. It had some similar apparatus mounted at the rear, and several large diameter PVC tubes running lengthwise on the roof and one that angled down the passenger A-pillar and entered through the front right fender. It had a great putt-putt sound as it drove off. Can't find a picture though.

Edit:

Here's a Swiss guy who heats his car with wood: http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012 ... n-car?lite

Edit:

This just gets better. Here's Henry Ford's hemp-powered car made from hemp. (!?!?) http://www.pot.tv/video/2012/07/12/Henr ... owered-Car

[krick3tt]

Thanks Paul.
For posting that.

That article about Ford's hemp car is astounding. Industrial hemp will not get one high but since it LOOKS like the other it causes problems.
Many things are done already but 'new and different' seems to run our world. Hurray Henry.

[undysworld]

Hi Morris,

Yeah, pretty weird. My brother has always been after me to apply for a permit to grow industrial hemp on our farm. Unlikely, but curious.

Perhaps you guys would have better luck with something like that in Colorado, where the recreational stuff is allowed. As a crop, it sure sounds promising to me.

Paul

[krick3tt]

I gave up the recreational stuff years ago. Now I live where it is legal. But, if I had a thousand acres...who knows?

[GenevaPinz]

Algae fuel could be an idea...
It sounds futuristic while being a realistic perspective 25 years or so from now.

[norcal pinz]

I would say Hemp fuel , its easy/fast to grow. and doesn't require sophisticated refineries to produce. But its more like bio diesel than gasoline.

[audiocontr]

Urine.


http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/07/21/ ... ell-phone/

[stiffler4444]

A fellow in my neck of the woods has started turning plastics into gas. Not sure about that kind of setup on your fictional farm though.......