What's wine making got to do with electricity?

So here we are scratching our heads on how to create power. Here is an idea that might work, and it's just one possibility, of course.

So, I'm trying my luck with making wine lately. My first batch is underway. The yeast is busily at work as I speak, bubbling out carbon dioxide and making alcohol. So, I've been doing my reading on wine making, and I've read about how pressure can build in a fermenting bottle, so much so that it can explode. And I read that you would create a lot of carbon dioxide if you provided your yeast with plenty of oxygen, but you might not get much alcohol. Ok, so it finally hits me with all this talk of pressure, carbon dioxide, and stuff, so I start thinking about cars that can run on compressed air. Ok, so you have enough pressure to create a "bomb" with all this carbon dioxide, so why couldn't you use this pressure drive an engine or a turbine or something?

We'll call it the "nature engine." Yeast needs sugar to ferment and/or release carbon dioxide. Ok, so we slap some sugary material in a container that can handle lots of pressure, throw in some yeast, maybe some water if needed, have a way to enter some oxygen into the mix, then bam, we have a pressurized CO2, which can drive things when the pressure is released and used. As far as CO2, we'll have a bunch of trees planted around the area, that will just love the extra CO2, and the trees can also provide at least some of the fuel for the engine(s) by means of bearing fruit. For electricity purposes those engines could just as easily be generators. Maybe we need many smaller generators for this to work. The left over pulp from the process gets recycled back into the earth for use as fertilizer for the trees.

We've used pressurized steam before with fire, but this seems very containable, unlike fire. Simple utilization of solar warming and/or having the "power plant" underground could help insulate and keep yeast at their best temperature for doing their jobs in different climates.

The cool thing about yeast, is that they can be taken from a one batch of wine to start a new batch of wine. And a yeast packet may not even be necessary to start the process, but I think it does help to kick it off.

The idea is kind of raw, and the concepts are kind of rolling around in my mind. A quick growing source of sugar would be good too.

Troy

I have some mead bubbling now. I guess you could say mead is wine made from honey. Seems like there is some kind of energy potrntial here. It's been bubbling for two days now, and there is still a lot of honey in the bottom of the gallon container. I guess there is about a quart in the bottom.

Basically I have this balloon over the top of a gallon jug, with pin holes in it, to release the carbon dioxide. I have maybe a cup of sugar, some water, and about a quart of honey in the jug. I dumped in some yeast to kick it off. That balloon has sat there inflated for two days. I think it will be bubbling for quite a while now. Yes folks this is proof we have other forms of energy at our disposal. If this energy could blow up a container, then it could be released periodically and used. All the yeast asks is that it be warm enough to do their jobs. Some of the answers we seek might be right in nature itself. This may not be the perfect solution, but I think it points to options, which some folks would rather us not discover.

Think about these little tanks sitting there, bubbling, releasing energy and turning little generators and charging our electric cars, even on a cloudy day. Or helping to charge our batteries for our electric homes. Similarly to the previous example, no sun is needed for the yeast to do their job. All the while, your house plants are soaking up some extra CO2.

I guess the point is that I don't believe we are trapped by oil companies for energy. We could flip them the bird and find another form of energy to use, and it surely does exist. I think we could produce the energy we desire without belching nasty exhaust fumes into the atmosphere. You know the gas prices are just going to go back up.

Troy

The bubbles continue. I just wonder how much energy you could get from this?

Troy

yep thats a good one.

If the oil were to truly disappear all of a sudden, we already have ways/technology to operate.

Of course we are in the baby stages still. Operating hybrid & solar powered small vehicles.

By the time all the oil is consumed in years to come, we will be in some of the later stages, operating heavy machinery such as bulldozers, tanks, jets, completely off natures energy. Its the only way to evolve.

As our resources are emptied, we slowly evolve to survive without them.

Eventually, if you really think about it, we will have capability to leave this planet once the time calls.


Just remember, we are in the baby stages. Military machinery needs oil to proceed. We will slowly control enough oil to dismantle everyone before new technology is implemented. By then no nation will be as advanced as the US in warfare technology to compete.

Remember high school chemistry and those equations - that's where you start....

You will find that the pressure is quite small when plotted over time and not really usable for any significant energy production. Try spinning a 10hp electric motor by hand for kicks - that is the kind of force you need to get some electricity as a motor in reverse is a generator afterall....

I don't know how practical it really is, but there was a lot of energy over time. I haven't tried to make it usable yet, except for a sweet alcoholic beverage.

I do think it demonstrates that there are possibilities other than oil, definitely. And we know that biodiesel and solar work.

I think there is tons of energy we could tap into, but the profit machines of the world would object. I like profit, but profit does not come before the good of all. I'd rather see giant biodiesel corps profiting, if profit is wanted. At least biodiesel can be non-toxic and biodegradable. And the waste product can be food.

But, even biodiesel will take up acres of land. We are staring really at overpopulation beyond what the earth's resources can support. Along with any "world fix" plan we need to look at cuting back on baby creation, because it's not fair to bring too many kids up on a planet that may not support them, so they end up suffering horrible deaths from things like starvation.

Biodiesel and solar certainly aren't the only possibilities.

Troy