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Fri Oct 12 15:41:10 EDT 2007
extract "gasoline" from biomass. His commitment was to improve the =
recipe and patent a fuel that the DOE would smile upon.
"As a nuclear researcher, dependent on government grants, I decided it =
was time to give something back for all that tax money."
Within a year the scientist had developed P-Series fuel from oat hulls =
purchased from the Quaker Oats Chemical Co. A breakthrough came from =
BioMetics Inc., a Massachusetts company that found a way to extract a =
high-value industrial acid from paper sludge.
Paul recognized the acid as key to recovering energy locked in waste =
cellulose. Paul quickly developed a formula that could be burned =
straight or blended with gasoline. His P-Series was used by the city of =
Philadelphia in some of its fleet.
So, how come Dr. Stephen Paul isn't rich and famous while our nation =
plunders landfills and sludge ponds for fuel?
It's the economics, stupid.
"I can deliver P-Series for $1.80 a gallon at the pump."
A year ago, that cost wouldn't give him a whiff of the market.
When gas hovered over $1 a gallon only government fleet owners with DOE =
mandates to switch to flexible fuels showed any interest in Paul's =
product.
Oil prices the key
And now, with gas pushing past $2 a gallon, the question is whether it =
will stay costly long enough to justify the massive capital investment =
required to bring renewables to market in volume. Another oil glut would =
wipe out an alternative fuel revolution in its cradle.
However, if gasoline does stay at $2 a gallon and continues to rise, =
alternative fuels come into play.
"Nobody is stepping up to the plate," Paul said. Then, trying another =
metaphor, he added: "We need to get people out on the dance floor =
jitterbugging."=20
That would take: 1. Alternative fuels at gas stations. 2. A willingness =
of car makers to adjust fuel systems to burn both gasoline and =
alternative fuels. 3. Millions of motorists willing to buy FFV vehicles =
and demand distribution of the cleaner -- and for now -- cheaper fuel.=20
So, P-fuel is peachy, it's keen, it's nice to grass and trees and lungs, =
and it's priced below gasoline.
What will it take to get somebody out on the dance floor?
Talk to us, Dr. Paul.
"Several years ago I said that as long as gasoline was cheap, P-Series =
was not solving an existing problem. I predicted that if there was an =
oil crunch or Saddam acted up, $1.60 to $1.80 a gallon alternative fuels =
delivered at the pump without subsidies or tax breaks would start to =
look good."
It might be too soon to tell the oil sheiks to pound sand. And what if =
we run short on garbage? We might have to import.
ron_wiggins at pbpost.com
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<P>Physicist patents garbage-to-gas substitute</P>
<P>By Ron Wiggins, Palm Beach Post Staff Columnist</P>
<P>Thursday, May 13, 2004</P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P>When Boynton Beach retirees Seymour and Bernice Paul called to say =
that their=20
son, the Princeton nuclear physicist, had patented a cheap, =
clean-burning,=20
renewable gasoline substitute made from garbage, I wanted to believe =
them.</P>
<P>If cheap Gas Helper from garbage were true, we could tell Mideastern =
oil=20
sheiks to pound sand.</P>
<P>Nobody's telling Saudi Arabia to pound sand.</P>
<P>And anyway, it sounded odd that an atom-splitting nuclear physicist =
would be=20
fooling around with the kind of cookbook chemistry required to extract =
fuel from=20
garbage dumps.</P>
<P>It goes to show how wrong I can be.</P>
<P>Dr. Stephen Paul, 50, a researcher at the Plasma Physics Laboratory =
at=20
Princeton University, drives his 1996 Taurus FFV (Flexible Fuel Vehicle) =
on=20
90-octane fuel he wrings out of oat hulls, corn cobs, scrap paper, and =
any other=20
kind of biomass you'd care to name. He has developed fuel from garbage=20
technology on his own time, with his own money since 1994, and in 1999 =
got his=20
P-Series fuel (P for Princeton) Department of Energy approval as an =
alternative=20
fuel suitable for FFVs.</P>
<P>Paul's day job is unlocking the secrets of the sun in hopes of one =
day=20
blessing the world with free energy from hydrogen fusion. A scientific=20
breakthrough could come next year, or it may never happen. Paul is =
doubtful that=20
the predicted and much touted hydrogen fuel cell revolution will ever =
propel our=20
cars in significant numbers.</P>
<P>"Eleven years ago, I saw that oil and natural gas is running out and =
that we=20
need a renewable energy source to fuel our cars," Paul said.</P>
<P>Garbage is better than renewable. It's inescapable, begging to be=20
exploited.</P>
<P>Alcohol from food crops, while usable in fuel blends, costs more to =
make than=20
it yields.</P>
<P>Even methanol -- fuel from natural gas and other fossil fuels -- is=20
non-renewable, and with demand spiraling, way more expensive than =
gasoline.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Success with oat hulls</P>
<P>Folks will pay you to take garbage away and avoid tipping fees. As =
long as we=20
grow food crops, biomass waste from corn cobs, stalks, oat hulls, rice =
hulls,=20
and even trees are energy sources that can be chemically converted into=20
clean-burning, middle octane fuels. </P>
<P>The trick is to capture garbage energy for our cars at a price that =
doesn't=20
vapor lock our pocket books.</P>
<P>From his own reading, Paul knew that the technology already existed =
to=20
extract "gasoline" from biomass. His commitment was to improve the =
recipe and=20
patent a fuel that the DOE would smile upon.</P>
<P>"As a nuclear researcher, dependent on government grants, I decided =
it was=20
time to give something back for all that tax money."</P>
<P>Within a year the scientist had developed P-Series fuel from oat =
hulls=20
purchased from the Quaker Oats Chemical Co. A breakthrough came from =
BioMetics=20
Inc., a Massachusetts company that found a way to extract a high-value=20
industrial acid from paper sludge.</P>
<P>Paul recognized the acid as key to recovering energy locked in waste=20
cellulose. Paul quickly developed a formula that could be burned =
straight or=20
blended with gasoline. His P-Series was used by the city of Philadelphia =
in some=20
of its fleet.</P>
<P>So, how come Dr. Stephen Paul isn't rich and famous while our nation =
plunders=20
landfills and sludge ponds for fuel?</P>
<P>It's the economics, stupid.</P>
<P>"I can deliver P-Series for $1.80 a gallon at the pump."</P>
<P>A year ago, that cost wouldn't give him a whiff of the market.</P>
<P>When gas hovered over $1 a gallon only government fleet owners with =
DOE=20
mandates to switch to flexible fuels showed any interest in Paul's =
product.</P>
<P> </P>
<P>Oil prices the key</P>
<P>And now, with gas pushing past $2 a gallon, the question is whether =
it will=20
stay costly long enough to justify the massive capital investment =
required to=20
bring renewables to market in volume. Another oil glut would wipe out an =
alternative fuel revolution in its cradle.</P>
<P>However, if gasoline does stay at $2 a gallon and continues to rise,=20
alternative fuels come into play.</P>
<P>"Nobody is stepping up to the plate," Paul said. Then, trying another =
metaphor, he added: "We need to get people out on the dance floor=20
jitterbugging." </P>
<P>That would take: 1. Alternative fuels at gas stations. 2. A =
willingness of=20
car makers to adjust fuel systems to burn both gasoline and alternative =
fuels.=20
3. Millions of motorists willing to buy FFV vehicles and demand =
distribution of=20
the cleaner -- and for now -- cheaper fuel. </P>
<P>So, P-fuel is peachy, it's keen, it's nice to grass and trees and =
lungs, and=20
it's priced below gasoline.</P>
<P>What will it take to get somebody out on the dance floor?</P>
<P>Talk to us, Dr. Paul.</P>
<P>"Several years ago I said that as long as gasoline was cheap, =
P-Series was=20
not solving an existing problem. I predicted that if there was an oil =
crunch or=20
Saddam acted up, $1.60 to $1.80 a gallon alternative fuels delivered at =
the pump=20
without subsidies or tax breaks would start to look good."</P>
<P>It might be too soon to tell the oil sheiks to pound sand. And what =
if we run=20
short on garbage? We might have to import.</P>
<P>ron_wiggins at pbpost.com</P></FONT></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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