My family laughs at me when I say I want my next car to run on water. But scientists are looking at other sources of biofuels. Although corn and beets have been used and algae is being considered, there's another renewable source that may hold promise-- kudzu -- "the plant that ate the South".
More below.
Here is the link to the quotes:
http://dsc.discovery.com/...
On trips down south, I could see this weedy vine covering trees, bushes, phone lines, and just about anything that didn't move. These pictures show houses covered by kudzu. The kudzu vine, also known as "the plant that ate the South," was brought from eastern Asia in 1876, can grow more than 6.5 feet a week(I guess you CAN see it grow) and is a very starchy plant.
It is a weed that nobody wanted. Until now.
Its roots grow deep into the soil, and just a little bit of the plant remaining in the ground is enough to allow it to come back next season. Easy to grow.
Kudzu is just a large amount of carbohydrate sitting below ground waiting for anyone to come along and dig it up.The question is, is it worthwhile to dig it up?
In the article, the researchers gathered samples, found that carbohydrates were present in all parts of the plant (but largest amounts were found in the roots), making the whole plant useful for production.
The researchers estimate that kudzu could produce 2.2 to 5.3 tons of carbohydrate per acre in much of the South, or about 270 gallons per acre of ethanol, which is comparable to the yield for corn of 210 to 320 gallons per acre. (snip)
Crucial to making the plan work would be figuring out whether kudzu could be economically harvested, especially the roots, which can be thick and grow more than six feet deep.
To balance this expense, the researcher said, this plant would require zero planting, fertilizer or irrigation costs. It is a weed!
in 2006, it was estimated that that kudzu could offer about 8 percent of the U.S. bioethanol supply.
Mr Mizell of Cleveland, TN, is moving on this idea. He calls kudzu-based ethanol "Kudzunol". On a Cleveland hillside, Mr. Mizell and wife, Sue, harvested lots of kudzu. A link to the story:
http://www.strategypage.com/...
Mr. Mizell, a locksmith who has spent most of his 54 years tinkering, was not about to throw in the towel, not into a patch of weeds anyway. Kudzu is a plant. It's full of natural sugars just like corn. It thrives in the South. So, what if you distilled the stuff?
"Oh, yes, we got some strange looks," his wife admitted.
The vines went into a chipper and then home and into a food processor. Then "Moonshine 101" came in. Mr. Mizell rigged a still on his mother's patio. The resulting 80-proof liquid, he said, smells like rum.
Five gallons of kudzu mash equals a half gallon of ethanol. But Mr. Mizell thinks he can improve the yield with some better equipment.
"That thing over there," he pointed to the still, "is much like the African Queen, leaking and belching steam."
Here is a link to a news video clip showing Mr. Mizell and his "still"
http://www.wdef.com/...
I found it interesting that in some of the reader comments, there is the statement that this should not be in the hands of the oil companies,that they'd just hide this away in Area 51, too.
Below is a another video of Mr Mizell and his colleague explaining the "AgroGas" company and their ideas for expanded porduction. It's a little lengthy, but you gotta love American ingenuity!
The ONLY way to reduce the stranglehold of soaring fuel prices is to reduce our use of oil. It will take a variety of fuel sources to make this happen. Kudzu, a plant that nobody wants, could turn out to be very valuable, indeed. Any more entrepreneurs out there?There's money in them thar vines!