Gas Usage

The NYTimes today had an article on Plug-in Hybrid Cars. It was a good piece, but did little to discuss the Issue in economic terms. A much better Piece, when all Comments are read, is:

http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2005/03/more_gas_for_wa.html
More Gas for Washington, March 31, 2005
by Arnold Kling

Be sure to read all the Links provided. The real solution to the current high Gas prices remains reduction in Demand. Increase in Oil Supply will remain incremental until new technological development lowers Supply Costs. Plug-in Hybrids are only one source of Demand reduction. They cancel the functional use liability over distance which pure Electric cars suffer under. Another unpublished version (likely unworkable) would substitute a miniature Steam generator for a Car radiator; such a operation would raise the engineering efficiency of fuel use with actual weight loss for the Vehicle in question. The Author, himself, suggested Vehicle braking systems be turned into regeneration systems feeding a battery system, but that may have been suggested by Others prior to himself.

The Author sincerely believes it is time to consider Surface manufacture of usable Fuel. Why?

Refinery processes to alter Crude Oil to Gasoline consists of highly complex chemical alterations, which must be as tightly regulated as any Process utilized in any Chemicals production. The technology to produce plastic explosives has been with Us for decades. Plastic explosives when formed are liquid in form, until the Cooling process solidifies the compounds. Plastic explosives have already been made which will not explode from heat or fire, but require electricity to set off a reaction. Additives are known to forestall solidification under Cooling, which additionally will not retard the chemical reaction of the plastic explosive when set off. The Chemical process of manufacturing plastic explosives is not more relatively complex than Oil refinement into Gas, and only marginally more expensive in mass production units.

Production of plastic explosives need Petroleum products, but not in the quantities mandated to produce Gasoline. Actual plastic explosive production needs only about 20% as much Petroleum product to produce equal quantities of plastic explosive as Gasoline produced by the refining process. Plastic explosives require Carbon content, but such Carbon can be supplied from Waste Carbon product--Sewage, Garbage, Lawn cuttings, and Waste ground cover--Weeds, Brush, etc. The complexity would be in the collection of Waste Carbon, not in the manufacturing process.

The plastic fuel would be safer to handle and utilize than Gasoline; it would actually be safer to produce. Redesign of Motors would get computerized carburetion, while plastic explosives would produce greater Power with smaller quantities than Gasoline. Plastic explosives remain essentially compacted Carbon molecules--Superpacked--which produce high Power when the molecular chain is broken. A Concept goal of 300 mpg would not be unrealistic. The greatest value of plastic explosive substitution for Gasoline would be reduction of the Carbon pollution of the Earth. The Author estimates actual Cost could be brought under $70/pbarrel. lgl