Planes that run on bug poop

ScottM

ScottM

Taxi to Parking
Joined
Jul 19, 2005
Messages
42,530
Location
Variable, but somewhere on earth
Display Name
Display name:
iBazinga!
Don't you guys have anything better to do?

Bug poop...eesh! hehe
 
I hope this works out in the end. There's plenty of ag waste for them to chew on, and the concept of getting something useful at the other end sounds great.
 
Now if we could just genetically alter about 546 individuals to accomplish the same thing on a larger scale. It would be a more useful job for them than what they are currently doing.
 
So... when you scrape all the smashed bugs off the plane after a summertime flight, you could just put that stuff in the tank? :D
 
rottydaddy said:
So... when you scrape all the smashed bugs off the plane after a summertime flight, you could just put that stuff in the tank? :D
Click to expand...

No you put them out back in the Crude Oil Barrel (compost pile). Make sure it's good and buggy and wait. Then sell the crude oil at $140 a barrel. Keeping the bugs off the top for the next barrel.:)

Now if they could alter them bugs a little further to put out 100LL with a light blue color that would be something.:fcross:
 
That is really, really cool. Perhaps less than practical on a global scale, although it would be a good excuse to demolish Chicago and turn it into something useful... :D

The 205 square mile sized plant they suggesed isn't really that big of a deal. Put 205 plants in various locations around the country, thus minimizing the amount of transport of the oil required and making it so you have more facilities such that one shutting down isn't a big deal.

Probably won't be the solution, but sounds like it could be a part of it. I've always thought it makes more sense to just make something that I can dump in my gas tank now rather than changing the entire infrastructure around a new fuel.
 
rottydaddy said:
So... when you scrape all the smashed bugs off the plane after a summertime flight, you could just put that stuff in the tank? :D
Click to expand...

that's what im talkin bout!!!
or imagine a modified leading edge with some sort of a gutter system to run all the bug juice off your wings into an oil storage tank which when ready, automatically refills your oil levels.

ok, yes, it's ridiculous, but then so is running airplanes off of bug crap! (although if it works, I'm ALL FOR IT)
 
ntbjounin said:
ok, yes, it's ridiculous, but then so is running airplanes off of bug crap! (although if it works, I'm ALL FOR IT)
Click to expand...

150 years ago the concept of running a vehicle on combustible liquids as we know it today probably seemed pretty ridiculous, they were still working on external combustion (steam locomotives).

But would ever I love to ride on an old train...
 
that is really cool. but what you really want them to do is put out unleaded 100 octane gasoline, and eliminate lead from airplane gas.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
150 years ago the concept of running a vehicle on combustible liquids as we know it today probably seemed pretty ridiculous, they were still working on external combustion (steam locomotives).

But would ever I love to ride on an old train...
Click to expand...

Like this one? The engineer is the bell choir director at our church and this is a major hobby for him. Oh, and I've ridden in the cab.
 

Attachments

  • Locomotive.JPG
    Locomotive.JPG
    71.2 KB · Views: 8
  • Locomotive #5.JPG
    Locomotive #5.JPG
    92.1 KB · Views: 6
  • Rick .JPG
    Rick .JPG
    89.9 KB · Views: 5
Ghery said:
Like this one? The engineer is the bell choir director at our church and this is a major hobby for him. Oh, and I've ridden in the cab.
Click to expand...

Right! Like that one!

I'm jealous, too!
 
This sort of out of the box thinking could really be our savior in the long run. Bacteria and microbes have what appear to us to be crazy metabolic systems, and can manufacture and digest things that we can't. Cellulose, both plentiful and indigestible to us, is a staple of many bacteria. Assembling long chain hydrocarbons is really not that hard for a bacterial cell. And because we've been throwing money away on all those useless government programs you guys like to complain about we know a great deal about bacterial genetics and the kinds of metabolic processes that create and digest xenobiotics.
 
Cool! I'm going to have to go riding on one sometime then. :)

I brought this up at lunch, and the other engineers ate up the idea as well (pun intended). Then we started talking about other alternate means with which to produce energy and remove our dependence on foreign oil.

Funny how when you get a bunch of engineers around a table and leave the politicians out of the matter we come up with ideas that work. :D
 
Last edited:
Ted DuPuis said:
Cool! I'm going to have to go riding on one sometime then. :)

I brought this up at lunch, and the other engineers ate up the idea as well (pun intended). Then we started talking about other alternate means with which to produce energy and remove our dependence on foreign oil.

Funny how when you get a bunch of engineers around a table and leave the politicians out of the matter we come up with ideas that work. :D
Click to expand...

That's our job. And one we got because we enjoy doing that sort of thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top