Mark Tomlinson
11-02-2007, 01:24 AM
Okay, here's a goodie!
KDV-500 (http://alphakat.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=37&Itemid=63) is a pressurless catalytic depolymerization process that claims to extract diesel fuel from anything - especially municipal household waste. Amazing! No more landfills.
Here's the catch. Although they seemed to have built and shipped several of their plants, no one wants to go on record as saying they actually work. The only plant that even allows you to visit is the Mexico City plant - which only processes waste oil. Waste oil to diesel is no technological miracle. In fact, the inventor, Dr. Christian Koch, claimed to have university studies that validate his claims, but the universities deny they ever issued said studies.
Also disturbing is the number of hucksters that promote the plant and are later discovered to be snake oil salesmen. It's so bad that the manufacturer, Alphakat, actually prominently posts the names of distributors who are not authorized to sell the thing (http://alphakat.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=39&Itemid=65).
So how on earth do they manage to keep manufacturing and selling multi-million dollar plants if they don't work? My theory is that they do work, but Dr. Koch is an eccentric with no head for business who won't let go of the corporate reigns. He undoubtedly overstates the effectiveness and then blames the customer when the production rates fall short.
KDV-500 (http://alphakat.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=37&Itemid=63) is a pressurless catalytic depolymerization process that claims to extract diesel fuel from anything - especially municipal household waste. Amazing! No more landfills.
Here's the catch. Although they seemed to have built and shipped several of their plants, no one wants to go on record as saying they actually work. The only plant that even allows you to visit is the Mexico City plant - which only processes waste oil. Waste oil to diesel is no technological miracle. In fact, the inventor, Dr. Christian Koch, claimed to have university studies that validate his claims, but the universities deny they ever issued said studies.
Also disturbing is the number of hucksters that promote the plant and are later discovered to be snake oil salesmen. It's so bad that the manufacturer, Alphakat, actually prominently posts the names of distributors who are not authorized to sell the thing (http://alphakat.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=39&Itemid=65).
So how on earth do they manage to keep manufacturing and selling multi-million dollar plants if they don't work? My theory is that they do work, but Dr. Koch is an eccentric with no head for business who won't let go of the corporate reigns. He undoubtedly overstates the effectiveness and then blames the customer when the production rates fall short.