George Marchetti's Page
Gifts Received
George Marchetti has not received any gifts yet
Latest Activity
A bipartisan group of senators and representatives in the US Congress have introduced legislation, which, if enacted into law, would give renewable methane facilities the same tax advantages as are currently enjoyed only by wind and solar installati…
An even more exciting development with respect to the conversion of carbon dioxide to methane may be the microbial methanogenic cell, which is also a Penn State University project. In the context of the Pickens Plan, off-peak electrical wind energy…
The Pickens Plan's reliance on natural gas, which is a non-renewable resource, for the transportation sector has always seemed troublesome to me. However, natural gas is not the only source of methane for vehicles. There are at least three other rea…
Profile Information
- Are you interested in becoming an organizer in your area?
- Maybe--But Not Sure What to Organize
- Tell us about your experience with alternative energy:
- I have been exploring alternative energy issues for more than 15 years. I have several US patents related to fuel cell technology. Most recently, I have filed a patent application related to a method for the operation of a free piston motor/generator. In terms of thermal efficiency, various engine technologies rank as follows:
1) Internal combustion engine (gasoline)--37.5%
2) Diesel engine (petroleum or biodiesel)--42%
3) Turbocharged diesel engine--44%
4) PEM fuel cell (hydrogen)--50%
5) Free piston motor/generator (natural gas)--54%
Because I had recognized that hydrogen would not be a practical fuel for the transportation sector, in 2001 I began to look at other alternative engine technologies. The free piston motor/generator is an exciting, cutting-edge technology that, when fueled by natural gas, can be more thermally efficient than a fuel cell. Moreover, it allows the transportation sector to be fueled using the existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure. Consequently, natural gas can be used as a preferred transportation sector fuel with today's standard spark-ignition engines (like the Honda Civic GX) while free piston motor/generators, which are 50% more thermally efficient than spark-ignition engines, are developed and mass produced. Both engines use the same fuel: natural gas! Boone's natural gas plan presents the opportunity for the incremental shift away from spark-ignition engines to free piston motor/generator technology as the standard in the automotive industry.
- What excites you about this campaign?
- Based on my experience, I completely agree with Boone that the electric grid must be shifted toward "fuelless" power generation: wind, solar, ocean power and geothermal. I believe that the shift toward a fuelless electric power grid is a "no-brainer". We must invest in our energy security now.
Natural gas poses a different problem. While the US currently has abundant sources of natural gas, like any fossil fuel, its production will peak at some time in the future and then begin to decline. Therefore, there must be a two prong approach. In addition to exploiting our natural gas resources for the transportation sector, we must concurrently develop sustainable natural gas supplies.
Sustainable natural gas supplies will require technology that can convert cellulosic biomass to natural gas. Fortunately, sustainable natural gas technology is quite feasible using cellulosic biomass, methanogenic bacteria and algae. It was proven in the laboratory more than 25 years ago. It is time to implement the process commercially.
Initially, sustainable natural gas can only supplement fossil fuel natural gas. Over the long term, however, as fossil fuel natural gas resources decline, sustainable natural gas will become the predominate energy carrier.
This approach allows for the incremental development, over time, of the production facilities necessary for the manufacture of sustainable natural gas while still exploiting fossil fuel natural gas in a responsible manner as a "bridge" to a sustainable natural gas future.
- What do you want to do to help?
- I would like to work with other like-minded professionals in industry and science to promote the shift in the transportation sector from petroleum to natural gas. In particular, I would like to work in two areas: sustainable natural gas supplies and free piston engine technology, which, in my opinion, will permit Boone's plan for the transportation sector to succeed as a long-term energy strategy.
Comment Wall (3 comments)
- At 12:06pm on April 29, 2009,
Tom Bailey said… - George;
I feel dwarfed by your knowledge level. Have you pushed the blue print up through your regional ldr.
Also look up Dr. Paul Curto.
Keep up the good work. we will get there!!!
Best; Tom
- At 1:33pm on July 31, 2008,
Meg said… - George,
I'm currently working on a documentary entitled, "Feast or Famine: The Hunt for Natural Gas." It will focus on the necessity for responsible natural gas drilling while we experiment with renewable energy resources. Please check out my website for info about the film:
www.FeastorFamineMovie.com
You're developments in the renewable energy sector are very interesting. We will be traveling all over the US in the coming months, interviewing people with all sorts of concerns, ideas, plans, patents, you name it! We would love to sit down and talk with you about your achievements!
You can also email me directly at:
FeastorFamineMovie@yahoo.com
- At 7:27am on July 27, 2008,
Kim Anderson said… - PLEASE email the Pickens Plan video to everyone you know. Ask them to join. Ask them to pass it along. Time is of the essence. If every member had 10 friends join today, we could put the number of members over 1 million in a day!
Our leaders can not ignore millions of members of the Pickens Plan. One person can make a difference.
Let me know how it goes!
Featured Discussion
Twitter Feed
© 2009 Created by PickensPlan
Badges | Community Guidelines | Report an Issue | Privacy | Terms of Service
