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122 comments on Cellulosic Ethanol vs. Biomass Gasification

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Robert Rapier on October 26, 2006 - 12:40pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
As a result of my blogging, I have gotten at least 20 job offers or inquiries over the past year or so. Many of them were in California, and many of them were to run or build ethanol plants.

Here is an example, received just about 15 minutes ago, of the kind of inquiries I see on a weekly basis. I only deleted the name, area, e-mail address, and phone number:

As a fellow chemical engineer and business man, in my search for Bio Butanol technology, I came across you blogg and essays. I am based in [deleted] metro area and would like to talk to regarding any pilot plant work/scale up production plant design and production economics for the Bio Butanol manufacturing that is available under an NDA for evaluation. I am applying for a grant/ loan guarantee for commercialization Bio Butanol.

Please let me know of your interest and what number I can reach you. Thanks.

I have certainly seen some that piqued my interest, but none that were attractive enough to dislodge me until the offer from Scotland.

Further to my comments about the new job, one thing that I will be absolutely passionate about in doing projects is energy efficiency. That has always been important to me, and every unit I have ever been associated with saw an increase in energy efficiency during my tenure. So it is my hope that some of these projects that come online will do so with a higher level of energy efficiency than they otherwise might.

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ThatsItImout on October 27, 2006 - 4:28am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

To Robert Rapier,

First, Congrats, and best of luck in Scotland, anyone who can't understand the allure of that place either hasn't thought about it, or is jealous! :-)

On the Bio Butanol work of yours I have read, it certainly got my interest up and I am still studying it like mad!  It has all the right requirements to me, being high up the Hydrogen/Carbon balance ladder, that is to say, mostly hydrogen, and shows signs of being economical to produce, and able to make use of much infrastructure as it exists.

My current leanings run to this....a fuel of the type of your Bio Butanol providing heat for a Stirling cycle engine to be used in CHP (Combined Heat and Power) units, stored onsite like propane...also use as the prime mover fuel in hybrids comes to mind...:-)

I think it wins out for now over Cellulosic Ethanol, and could even be a better alternative in many ways than Bio Diesel for selected markets.

Man, there is a lot of work still left to do in the next decade or two, isn't there?

Don't forget, once your settled in, your promise to get back "on post" with us poor folks!

Roger Conner  known to you as ThatsItImout

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Robert Rapier on October 27, 2006 - 10:10am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
On the Bio Butanol work of yours I have read, it certainly got my interest up and I am still studying it like mad!

I probably get more inquiries on this than on any other topic. I would encourage folks to check out:

www.butanol.com

They have some good information there, and are working to promote bio-butanol.

Don't forget, once your settled in, your promise to get back "on post" with us poor folks!

It's going to be off and on for a while. I will be able to post a lot some days, and other times I will probably disappear for a week or more. Just wanted to let people know, especially if they e-mail and I don't answer.

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wimsey on October 28, 2006 - 1:17am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
As a result of my blogging, I have gotten at least 20 job offers or inquiries over the past year or so.

Is this what happened to Stuart as well?  Or did he get tired of the topic?

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Robert Rapier on October 28, 2006 - 1:39am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I have never heard a completely straight answer on this either. I think he is just pursuing some consulting, but he may have also gotten tired of the subject.
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122 comments on Cellulosic Ethanol vs. Biomass Gasification

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