Re: vegetable oil for running diesel engines

[Peter Singfield <snkm@btl.net>]

At 09:42 AM 11/24/2002 +0900, Keith Addison wrote:
>Thanks for the cohune info, Peter.
>
>Do you know about this one?
>http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Copaifera_langsdorfii.html
>Copaifera langsdorfii
>

No -- and how very interesting indeed!! I am not aware of this tree growing
in this area -- need to find out more. Will search and investigate.

Thanks for a great lead -- a "real" oil tree!!

The Url give a great technical description -- but I need to find some local
names for this tree to identify it.

>I keep trying to find out more about it, no luck so far.

So will I -- we shall compare notes. Certainly -- at those yields --
plantations make economic sense here.

Peter Singfield / Belize


>That the oleoresin called copaiba could be obtained by incising the 
>trunk was first reported in England in 1625, in a work published by 
>Purchas, "...a single tree is said to yield about 40 litres." 
>(Grieve, 1931, reprinted 1974). Quoting nobel-laureate Calvin, Maugh 
>says (1979), "Natives ... drill a 5 centimeter hole into the 1-meter 
>thick trunk and put a bung into it. Every 6 months or so, they remove 
>the bung and collect 15 to 20 liters of the hydrocarbon. Since there 
>are few Rabbit diesels in the jungle, the natives use the hydrocarbon 
>as an emollient and for other nonenergy-related purposes. But tests 
>have shown, he says, that the liquid can be placed directly in the 
>fuel tank of a diesel-powered car."
>
>I keep trying to find out more about it, no luck so far.
>
>I think there are a great many such plants and trees with energy 
>potential, very few seem to have been investigated thoroughly. My 
>choice would always be a crop that local people knew and were used 
>to, even if only as a weed. That some other plant might have higher 
>yields isn't nearly so important as what fits best.
>
>A Paraguayan farmer wrote to me asking for advice on energy crops, 
>and complaining about the local weeds - which turned out to be a 
>species of euphorbia that's also known as the "Petroleum plant", 
>Euphorbia lathyris, which produces "a hydrocarbon substance very much 
>like gasoline".
>
>Best
>
>Keith Addison
>
>
>>Dear Listers;
>>
>>Simply reminding --
>>
>>In the original contribution in regards to this subject --
>>
>>I was suggesting that using tree oil to fuel a very small diesel for micro
>>electrical power needs is hard to beat.
>>
>>Granted -- running a full scale power plant would be "wasteful".
>>
>>Of further interest --
>>
>>Jatropha is native to the Yucatan -- this same area I write from.
>>
>>Processing is extremely labor intensive. Even more so than Cohune. So many
>>small "seed" to harvest for any quantity of oil.
>>
>>In densely populated areas -- anything that makes "shade" has to be
>>productive.
>>
>>The oil produced to shade created ratio of jatropha is not so good. The
>>rest of the plant is of no great value.
>>
>>We must always consider the efficiency of conversion in regards to
>>available land -- sunlight -- and product.
>>
>>I believe when it comes to tree oils -- India is quite advanced in this
>>aspect.
>>
>>Their palm oil "plantations" being extremely productive.
>>
>>The "trash" left after oil extraction from coconut is of high protein and a
>>"food". Both for humans and livestock.
>>
>>Jatropha yields no such bounty. Palm "trash" is a more difficult "food" as
>>well.
>>
>>Cohune palm nut -- another local species to this area has never existed in
>>plantations -- only wild.
>>
>>But the "trash" from cohune nut oil extraction is quite nutritious. And
>>from observing wild yields -- I am prepared to believe that plantations of
>>such would exceed yields from present palm plantations.
>>
>>Curious about Cohune??
>>
>>"The nuts of the Cohune Palm can be a source of oil, the meat pounded into
>>flour, and the husks burned to make charcoal.  The fronds are used to make
>>thatched roofs."
>>
>>Here are a few urls:
>>
>>http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/ipgri/fruits_from_americas/frutales/Ficha%20Attale
>>a%20cohune.htm
>>
>>http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0043e/X0043E06.htm
>>
>>Discusses 3 "oils" -- cohune is the last -- so read through well.
>>
>>http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0043e/X0043E06.htm
>>
>>Good picture of "cluster"
>>
>>http://www.caske2000.org/ngo/survival/cohunepalm.htm
>>
>>Importance to local indigenous people here still living "stone-age"
>>
>>http://www.floridata.com/ref/A/atta_coh.cfm
>>
>>http://www.indiana.edu/~wanthro/sust.htm
>>
>>Interesting "paper" on "sustainable-development" for this area that has
>>info on cohune nut.
>>
>>***********************
>>
>>Cohune palm appears to be totally disease resistant. Probably would plant
>>in India/Africa as well.
>>
>>I never could understand how "Janus" could go crazy over jatropha yet miss
>>Cohune.
>>
>>But then -- always beware when dealing with "experts" from modern
>>industrialized nations!
>>
>>Cohune is a bounty for food -- oil -- construction material and very high
>>quality charcoal.
>>
>>So I feel it is proper to suggest utilizing the oil here for "diesels" --
>>as at present -- 99.9 percent of this fine material lays abandoned -- and
>>eventually decomposing -- all about our plentiful jungles here.
>>
>>Granted -- this is not the situation in India.
>>
>>I am trying to encourage a few farmers here to try small plantations. But
>>it takes 5 to 7 years to know.
>>
>>Still -- though "Janus" was not interested -- surely -- India should be!
>>
>>Peter / Belize
>
>
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