Roger Leir did it and you can too – There’s a $10 million prize waiting for the person who can design a car that gets 100 miles a gallon, and one engineer has modified a 1993 Geo Metro that he claims can do just that. Other researchers have found a way to convert ethanol and other biofuels into hydrogen very efficiently.
A new catalyst makes hydrogen from ethanol with 90% yield, at a workable temperature, and using inexpensive ingredients. The new catalyst is much less expensive than others being developed around the world, because it does not contain precious metals, such as platinum or rhodium.
Engineer Umit Ozkan says, “Rhodium is used most often for this kind of catalyst, and it costs around $9,000 an ounce. Our catalyst costs around $9 a kilogram.”
With oil prices skyrocketing, the search is on for efficient and sustainable biofuels. In order not to increase the cost of food, researchers suggest using the stalks and leaves of corn plants that are left in the field after harvesting. These could supply as much as 25% of the biofuel crop needed by 2030.
Trey Riddle, the designer of the 100 MPG car, says, “With some creativity and innovation, we have the technology now. This isn’t some far-off pie-in-the-sky.”
Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
This week, for subscribers only: Learn how Roger Leir converted a Geo Metro too! It runs on a mix of gasoline and hydrogen gas produced from a generator he has designed himself and installed in the trunk. And subscribers get to chat with Dreamland host Jim Marrs on Saturday, Sept. 6!
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