Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

US Offers $30M For High-Risk Biofuel Research

Posted by samzenpus on from the dream-fuel dept.

coondoggie writes "This one sounds a bit like really wishful thinking. The US Department of Energy today announced $30 million for research projects that would develop advanced biofuels that could replace gasoline or diesel without requiring special upgrades or changes to the vehicle or fueling infrastructure. The $30 million would be spent over the next four years to support as many as five 'traditionally high-risk biofuels projects,' such as converting biomass into biofuels and bioproducts to be eventually used for hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals."

1 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. But the engine upgrades are what make it fun... by rwa2 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Biofuels like Ethanol have a very high octane rating, so you can increase power output with really high compression ratios with superchargers and turbochargers. Supposedly these turbo gasohol vehicles are popular in Brazil, where they can actually grow and produce their cane sugar ethanol with a net positive energy output (whereas corn-based ethanol in the US costs more energy to make than you get from it in return... so it's really just an agricultural subsidy as well as a way to water down imported petroleum-based fuels and decreasing your gas mileage - FTW!)

    Meh, some interesting reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel