Self-Evident Energy Truth No. 3
Self-Evident Energy Truth No. 3
Work Is More Important than Juice
Diesel Fuel is the Most Important Form of Energy Known to Humans
Rudolph Diesel's Engine is the most nearly perfect way (thermodynamic efficiency) to convert fuel into valuable Work (moving Stuff) for Civilization.
The next best engine, the steam engine, finds itself in museums for good reasons. The next best engines - horses, mules, and oxen - are much happier at pasture and we are all the better for it.
Diesel Fuel is even more important to Civilization than electric energy.
Industrial work is even more valuable to humans than human transportation - mobility. We have legs. We can ride bicycles and take trains. Compare farming, mining, and construction using hand tools. Industrial work is even more valuable to humans than the work performed by electrical energy. We can go to bed early. We can use kerosene lanterns. We can read books. Imagine making clothing by hand from—animal skins and flax.
A. Diesel Fuel as Limiting Factor
Diesel Fuel is a limiting factor for Civilization.
So, if we must build Machines just to produce Energy, it is best to build the Machines that consume the least volume of Diesel Fuel in their creation and operation.
1. Diesel Fuel Conservation
The creation and operation of Nuclear Power Machines consumes the lowest volume of Diesel Fuel than any other Energy-producing Machine, per unit of useful energy production, net net.
To Support Nuclear Power is to Support Civilization. Orders of magnitude more production of what we need with orders of magnitude less burden on Mother Earth who provides for us all. Source
2. Diesel Fuel Production
If we must build machines just to produce Energy, it is best to build the machines that have the energetic potential to produce the most Diesel Fuel in return for our total resource investment.
Nuclear Power Machines have the most energetic potential to produce the most diesel fuel—be it from petroleum, coal or other carbon feedstock—or Diesel Fuel Equivalent (any fuel that can be made to run in a Diesel Engine such as methanol), than any other energy-producing Machine, net net.
B. Metals as Limiting Factor
Metals are a limiting factor for Civilization.
1. Metal Consumption
If we must build Machines just to produce Energy, it is best to build the Machines that consume the least volume of metals in their creation and operation.
Nuclear Power machines consume the smallest volume of metals in their creation or operation than any other energy-producing machine net net.
Because diesel fuel provides Civilization's best kinetic work energy, and metals provide Civilization's tools, structures, machines, etc., to flourish, Civilization requires abundant, low-cost diesel fuel and metals. Wasting metals on Energy-producing machines is dumb.
2. Useful Isotope Production
If we must build Machines just to produce Energy, it is best to build the Machines that produce the largest volume of metals and useful isotopes in their operation.
Nuclear Power has the potential to produce a wide variety of metals and useful isotopes such as ruthenium ($525 usd/oz), palladium ($1,950 usd/oz), rhodium ($13,500 usd/oz), in addition to many other metals and useful isotopes. Humanity has not even begun to unlock the value of these materials. Rather, we are conditioned to think of these minerals as scary Waste.
Coconut oil works well in a diesel engine with good filters. That's only practical on isolated islands in the south pacific with an excess of coconuts. It is refined by burning the husks to boil water to extract a high grade of oil that floats to the top and is skimmed off.
Synfuel, of course, will work, it can be made to order for mean length. Synfuel has the advantage that some of it is wasted, which mostly ends up as locked up carbon. (Spills, evaporation, leakage into soil.)