It may sound like science fiction, but wastewater treatment plants across the United States may one day turn ordinary sewage into biocrude oil, thanks to new research at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
The technology, hydrothermal liquefaction, mimics the geological conditions the Earth uses to create crude oil, using high pressure and temperature to achieve in minutes something that takes Mother Nature millions of years. The resulting material is similar to petroleum pumped out of the ground, with a small amount of water and oxygen mixed in. This biocrude can then be refined using conventional petroleum refining operations.
Wastewater treatment plants across the U.S. treat approximately 34 billion gallons of sewage every day. That amount could produce the equivalent of up to approximately 30 million barrels of oil per year. PNNL estimates that a single person could generate two to three gallons of biocrude per year.
"...a single person could generate two to three gallons of biocrude per year." Some people can manage that in a day if they eat Mexican food the night before.
(Score: 2) by Fluffeh on Friday November 04 2016, @04:15AM
Some people can manage that in a day if they eat Mexican food the night before
Wow guys, that actually sounds a bit racist?
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday November 04 2016, @05:48AM
Yeah, let's be inclusive here. Indian food will do that to you too.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Friday November 04 2016, @01:05PM
And vegan food. But the default cuisine for such conversations seems to be Mexican, so, you know, you run with that.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by t-3 on Friday November 04 2016, @08:13AM
It's not really racist, it's just a lot of people can't really digest certain types of legumes. It's genetically determined and almost everyone has problems digesting some pulse that's a staple of another group. Not just pulses/legumes but that's where these differences are most commonly seen because they're staples.
(Score: 2) by termigator on Friday November 04 2016, @06:24PM
Maybe most folks do not know what real Mexican food is like. When you have folks going to places like Taco Bell and Del Taco, and calling it Mexican food, I have little faith about folks being a good judge of proper Mexican cuisine.