Episode 5 | Generous Gasification | Proton Power
While researching a subject for my biofuels episode, I was pointed in the direction of Proton Power, a Lenoir, TN-based manufacturer of gasification equipment.
Gasification will be covered a lot on this podcast. It is essentially the closest thing we have to "Mr. Fusion" from Back to the Future, in that it will convert matter into energy. Gasification is the process by which heat and pressure convert a carbon-based feedstock into Syngas, a combination of Hydrogen, Carbon Monoxide, and Carbon Dioxide. Unlike combustion (burning), Gasification is performed in an oxygen-free environment.
Feedstocks for Gasification include Coal, Petroleum Coke, Textiles, Used Tires, and grassy matter like Switchgrass. The products produced include Hydrogen, chemicals, and fuels, such as Synthetic Diesel.
Proton Power believes their technology is superior to Gasifiers produced by heavyweights like GE or Siemens in that their competitors' technology is not true Gasification.
Another benefit to Proton Power's technology over their competitors is a purer form of "BioChar," the waste stream following the gasification process. According to research performed by Auburn University, the BioChar increased plant growth by about 5X on average. In addition, BioChar created one of the purest streams of Graphene, a substance that could usher in a new era of technological innovation for construction, medicine, computing, and yes, energy!
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