Hydrogen fuel made from corn husks could be renewable energy breakthrough for cars

[SASKFARMER3]

Researchers from Virginia Tech have discovered a new biological way of creating hydrogen fuel that takes a lot less time and is much cheaper, which could be a breakthrough to help end the human race's dependence on fossil fuels, reports International Business Times. The Virginia Tech method involves using dirty biomass, i.e. the husks, cobs and stalks of corn plants in order to create the fuel>
So one day maybe all that useless straw we grow in SE and East Sask could make fuel. So no more Burning. Wouldn't that be nice.
Oh wait this is Canada the last place in the world their is innovation in Ag.

[Hopalong]

Have been hearing about making ethanol from biomass for years, still waiting for cost effective process.
Wonder if hydrogen fuel will come any more sooner.
Compared with other places, Saskatchewan has nothing to be ashamed of in innovation.
Think of direct seeding and soil conservation.
Provincial government spends substantial money on research and innovation, should we be asking it to spend more?

[SASKFARMER3]

Yes we are home of direct seeding but it was farmers who figured that one out and ran with the ball. Indian head I believe was a starting point. We were on board in early 80s.

[sumdumguy]

Biomass must get picked up and delivered to processing plant, there's the rub. All these ideas sound good at first glance only.

[sumdumguy]

Direct seeding was invented by Jerome Bechard at Lajord or was there a start before him in Australia? In 1965, Jerome used discer boxes mounted over a cultivator, then by 1967 the Bechard seeding system with cultivator, leading wagon with a PTO driven fan was being watched. He started the pressurization of the cart and a sequential ram system for the air drill. His gear box for seed rationing and divider heads are being used til today. The divider heads were cast right in Regina. Even though government and universities pour billions into innovation, profound changes originated in farmers shops during cold prairie winters.

[hobbyfrmr]

About 10(?) years ago ION or Shell company were going to use the recently closed down pulp mill in prince albert to make ethanol from biomass. They had farmers as reps working the area to get farmers to contract baled wheat straw to them. Somehow I want to say birch hills was involved. Nothing really happened. I dont think there was much wrong with the idea it just didnt come to fruition.
Woody Harrelson is a rep or celebrity endorsement for step up paper company making paper from wheat straw.
Its interesting that dope smoking earth muffins like Harrelson et. al can reach tangible (not necessarily profitable) results but the genuine farmer producers, even with all their land and machines and associations and groups can only get as far as dumping grain through the grates for someone else.
I am aware that a the farmers money, skills and productive efforts are tied up in the above mentioned.

[hobbyfrmr]

I stand corrected. Agreed on the innovations. Flexi coil Bourgault seed hawk seed master schulte morris degelman highline and several more in Saskatchewan.

[sumdumguy]

The Hanson Bros at Lajord, the self-propelled combine, Emil Pakosh, the articulated four wheel drive tractor and the Bast Bros at Sedley, the self- propelled swather. On and on. I hope that you can add to this list from your area.

[riders2010]

If I m not mistaken getting product out of P A to bigger markets was an issue. Sound familiar? Wasn t the only issue but was a considerable part of the equation from what I heard.

[Oliver88]

Birch Hills was on a short list to get a cellulose ethanol plant at one time.

Company was Iogen, they might have been bought out by She'll eventually?

http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=2622e3be-cb21-4b24-ac0e-fec9ecf59de3&sponsor=

[pourfarmer]

Does anyone know of books about to the development of farm equipment on the Canadian prairies? I love reading about that kind of stuff.

[cottonpicken]

Couple Germans wrote a paper called the methanol economy and won a Nobel prize for it pretty interesting stuff.

[ColevilleH2S]

Here is SaskscratchUwan we've been doing this crop waste powered automobile thing for almost a 100 years now.

[URL="http://wdm.ca/artifact_articles/strawgas.html"]Straw Powered Car Western Development Museum[/URL]

[TASFarms]

All that is needed to make hydrogen is water, electricity, and lye

[wmoebis]

We give away about 1.5% of our income to elev companies, they call it dockage, we pay to deliver it to them. clean it out and transport it to port. then they sell it for big profit both locally and export. Al hidden in price and basis.

They also tell us how much they are going to take, they and the Gov't admit to taking more than they should.

Would by product like corn husks, have a higher value as fuel than feed?