Comments on: Alternative Energy: A Fuel Cell That Burns Charcoal

By: Jim McRae

Jim McRae — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:31:29 +0000

We have an annually renewable supply of English walnut shells and are very interested in turning this waste into a resource. We have a market for activated charcoal and the raw material but lack the knowledge of producing activated charcoal in an economical means.

By: John Hofmeyr

John Hofmeyr — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:32:22 +0000

We carbonised macadamia shells, & can briquette the carbon. Or wood carbon. But recently we prepared 10 tons of wheat-straw carbon for a trial. I see no reason why we cannot do the same with other grasses, corn stover, sugarcane bagasse other agri-waste. But ours is a start-up company; need revenue now, & can't afford philanthropy yet.
Other challenges are logistics (can't justify transporting waste), marketing, sustainable sources of waste biomass.

By: frank ferguson

frank ferguson — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:40:15 +0000

carbon sequestration combined ith Renewable Energies , environmental Protection and Poverty Reduction

By: frank ferguson

frank ferguson — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:38:20 +0000

Details of processes to carbonise and briquette grasses are required

By: frank ferguson

frank ferguson — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 09:37:12 +0000

During a recent visit to Southern Africa in a British Trade Mission I was appalled at the prolific cut out of virgin forests for Charcoal Burning for primary energies and no attempt at any reforestation and with disasterous results of :
Lowering Water Tables and increased:
> Soil Erosion
> Increased Desertification
In travels trough Zambia and in Game Parks the Dambos(swamps) and road verges are covered with very tall Grasses,
( Papyrus,Elephant grasses , Miscanthus,Reeds,Kenaf ) etc
It should be possible to effectively use these grasses for carbonising and briquetting thereby reducing the desecration of the Environments and reduce importation of Finite Fossil Fuels. We would be interested in obtaining information on technologies for utilising grass for charcoal.

By: flybum

flybum — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 05:08:54 +0000

I believe nuclear power plants could do a much more effective job of producing hydrogen. The new technology for nuke plants will allow them to be much safer.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 22:42:22 +0000

Yoel: The only problem with this theory is that Hydrogen is extremely difficult to transport for private use. Charcoal powder seems easier to transport than Liquid Hydrogen.

By: El Kabong

El Kabong — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 15:44:56 +0000

"power plants making them possible will still be furiously cranking out carbon dioxide (CO2) hundreds of miles away."
You omitted the word "some", as in some power plants. Unlike the internal combustion engine which "always" emits pollution, many power plants are hydro-electric, solar, wind, etc. and produce zero pollution.
Please try to be a little more accurate and emit a little less hype.

By: Yoel

Yoel — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 09:18:13 +0000

COOL! ... Errr, HOT!

This Fuel Cell in combination with Hydrogen fuel cells would make a great deal of economic sense - The charcoal FC for getting the hydrogen out of the water, and the hydrogen FC (seems like it would be much more compact and versatile) for private users.