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Fischer–Tropsch process
The Fischer–Tropsch process is a collection of chemical reactions that converts a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons. It was first developed by Franz Fischer and Hans Tropsch at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Kohlenforschung in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, in 1925. The process, a key component of gas to liquids technology, produces a synthetic lubrication oil and synthetic fuel, typically from coal, natural gas, or biomass.[1] The Fischer–Tropsch process has received intermittent attention as a source of low-sulfur diesel fuel and to address the supply or cost of petroleum-derived hydrocarbons. A Fischer–Tropsch-type process has also been suggested to have produced a few of the building blocks of DNA and RNA within asteroids.[2]
Reaction mechanism
The Fischer–Tropsch process involves a series of chemical reactions that produce a variety of hydrocarbons, ideally having the formula (CnH2n+2). The more useful reactions produce alkanes as follows:
- (2n + 1) H2 + n CO → CnH2n+2 + n H2O
where n is typically 10–20. The formation of methane (n = 1) is unwanted. Most of the alkanes produced tend to be straight-chain, suitable as diesel fuel. In addition to alkane formation, competing reactions give small amounts of alkenes, as well as alcohols and other oxygenated hydrocarbons.[3]
Fischer–Tropsch intermediates and elemental reactions
Converting a mixture of H2 and CO into aliphatic products obviously should be a multi-step reaction with several sorts of intermediates. The growth of the hydrocarbon chain may be visualized as involving a repeated sequence in which hydrogen atoms are added to carbon and oxygen, the C–O bond is split and a new C–C bond is formed. For one –CH2– group produced by CO + 2 H2 → (CH2) + H2O, several reactions are necessary:
- Associative adsorption of CO
- Splitting of the C–O bond
- Dissociative adsorption of 2 H2
- Transfer of 2 H to the oxygen to yield H2O
- Desorption of H2O
- Transfer of 2 H to the carbon to yield CH2
The conversion of CO to alkanes involves hydrogenation of CO, the hydrogenolysis (cleavage with H2) of C–O bonds, and the formation of C–C bonds. Such reactions are assumed to proceed via initial formation of surface-bound metal carbonyls. The CO ligand is speculated to undergo dissociation, possibly into oxide and carbide ligands.[4] Other potential intermediates are various C1 fragments including formyl (CHO), hydroxycarbene (HCOH), hydroxymethyl (CH2OH), methyl (CH3), methylene (CH2), methylidyne (CH), and hydroxymethylidyne (COH). Furthermore, and critical to the production of liquid fuels, are reactions that form C–C bonds, such as migratory insertion. Many related stoichiometric reactions have been simulated on discrete metal clusters, but homogeneous Fischer–Tropsch catalysts are poorly developed and of no commercial importance.
Addition of isotopically labelled alcohol to the feed stream results in incorporation of alcohols into product. This observation establishes the facility of C–O bond scission. Using 14C-labelled ethylene and propene over cobalt catalysts results in incorporation of these olefins into the growing chain. Chain growth reaction thus appears to involve both 'olefin insertion' as well as 'CO-insertion'.[5]
Feedstocks: gasification
Fischer–Tropsch plants associated with coal or related solid feedstocks (sources of carbon) must first convert the solid fuel into gaseous reactants, i.e., CO, H2, and alkanes. This conversion is called gasification and the product is called synthesis gas ("syngas"). Synthesis gas obtained from coal gasification tends to have a H2:CO ratio of ~0.7 compared to the ideal ratio of ~2. This ratio is adjusted via the water-gas shift reaction. Coal-based Fischer–Tropsch plants produce varying amounts of CO2, depending upon the energy source of the gasification process. However, most coal-based plants rely on the feed coal to supply all the energy requirements of the Fischer–Tropsch process.
Feedstocks: GTL
Carbon monoxide for FT catalysis is derived from hydrocarbons. In gas to liquids (GTL) technology, the hydrocarbons are low molecular weight materials that often would be discarded or flared. Stranded gas provides relatively cheap gas. GTL is viable provided gas remains relatively cheaper than oil.
Several reactions are required to obtain the gaseous reactants required for Fischer–Tropsch catalysis. First, reactant gases entering a Fischer–Tropsch reactor must be desulfurized. Otherwise, sulfur-containing impurities deactivate ("poison") the catalysts required for Fischer–Tropsch reactions.[3]
Several reactions are employed to adjust the H2:CO ratio. Most important is the water gas shift reaction, which provides a source of hydrogen at the expense of carbon monoxide:[3]
For Fischer–Tropsch plants that use methane as the feedstock, another important reaction is steam reforming, which converts the methane into CO and H2:
Process conditions
Generally, the Fischer–Tropsch process is operated in the temperature range of 150–300 °C (302–572 °F). Higher temperatures lead to faster reactions and higher conversion rates but also tend to favor methane production. For this reason, the temperature is usually maintained at the low to middle part of the range. Increasing the pressure leads to higher conversion rates and also favors formation of long-chained alkanes, both of which are desirable. Typical pressures range from one to several tens of atmospheres. Even higher pressures would be favorable, but the benefits may not justify the additional costs of high-pressure equipment, and higher pressures can lead to catalyst deactivation via coke formation.
A variety of synthesis-gas compositions can be used. For cobalt-based catalysts the optimal H2:CO ratio is around 1.8–2.1. Iron-based catalysts promote the water-gas-shift reaction and thus can tolerate lower ratios. This reactivity can be important for synthesis gas derived from coal or biomass, which tend to have relatively low H2:CO ratios (< 1).
Design of the Fischer-Tropsch process reactor
Efficient removal of heat from the reactor is the basic need of Fischer–Tropsch reactors since these reactions are characterized by high exothermicity. Four types of reactors are discussed:
- Multi tubular fixed-bed reactor
- This type of reactor contains a number of tubes with small diameter. These tubes contain catalyst and are surrounded by boiling water which removes the heat of reaction. A fixed-bed reactor is suitable for operation at low temperatures and has an upper temperature limit of 530 K. Excess temperature leads to carbon deposition and hence blockage of the reactor. Since large amounts of the products formed are in liquid state, this type of reactor can also be referred to as a trickle flow reactor system.
- Entrained flow reactor
- An important requirement of the reactor for the Fischer–Tropsch process is to remove the heat of the reaction. This type of reactor contains two banks of heat exchangers which remove heat; the remainder of which is removed by the products and recycled in the system. The formation of heavy waxes should be avoided, since they condense on the catalyst and form agglomerations. This leads to fluidization. Hence, risers are operated over 570 K.
- Slurry Reactors
- Heat removal is done by internal cooling coils. The synthesis gas is bubbled through the waxy products and finely-divided catalyst which is suspended in the liquid medium. This also provides agitation of the contents of the reactor. The catalyst particle size reduces diffusional heat and mass transfer limitations. A lower temperature in the reactor leads to a more viscous product and a higher temperature (> 570 K) gives an undesirable product spectrum. Also, separation of the product from the catalyst is a problem.
- Fluid-bed and circulating catalyst (riser) reactors
- These are used for high-temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (nearly 340 °C) to produce low-molecular-weight unsaturated hydrocarbons on alkalized fused iron catalysts. The fluid-bed technology (as adapted from the catalytic cracking of heavy petroleum distillates) was introduced by Hydrocarbon Research in 1946–50 and named the 'Hydrocol' process. A large scale Fischer–Tropsch Hydrocol plant (350,000 tons per annum) operated during 1951–57 in Brownsville, Texas. Due to technical problems, and lacking economy due to increasing petroleum availability, this development was discontinued. Fluid-bed Fischer–Tropsch synthesis has recently been very successfully reinvestigated by Sasol. One reactor with a capacity of 500,000 tons per annum is now in operation and even larger ones are being built (nearly 850,000 tons per annum). The process is now used mainly for C2 and C7 alkene production. This new development can be regarded as an important progress in Fischer–Tropsch technology. A high-temperature process with a circulating iron catalyst ('circulating fluid bed', 'riser reactor', 'entrained catalyst process') was introduced by the Kellogg Company and a respective plant built at Sasol in 1956. It was improved by Sasol for successful operation. At Secunda, South Africa, Sasol operated 16 advanced reactors of this type with a capacity of approximately 330,000 tons per annum each. Now the circulating catalyst process is being replaced by the superior Sasol-advanced fluid-bed technology. Early experiments with cobalt catalyst particles suspended in oil have been performed by Fischer. The bubble column reactor with a powdered iron slurry catalyst and a CO-rich syngas was particularly developed to pilot plant scale by Kölbel at the Rheinpreuben Company in 1953. Recently (since 1990) low-temperature Fischer–Tropsch slurry processes are under investigation for the use of iron and cobalt catalysts, particularly for the production of a hydrocarbon wa, or to be hydrocracked and isomerised to produce diesel fuel, by Exxon and Sasol. Today slurry-phase (bubble column) low-temperature Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is regarded by many authors as the most efficient process for Fischer–Tropsch clean diesel production. This Fischer–Tropsch technology is also under development by the Statoil Company (Norway) for use on a vessel to convert associated gas at offshore oil fields into a hydrocarbon liquid.[6]
Product distribution
In general the product distribution of hydrocarbons formed during the Fischer–Tropsch process follows an Anderson–Schulz–Flory distribution,[7] which can be expressed as:
- Wn/n = (1 − α)2αn−1
where Wn is the weight fraction of hydrocarbons containing n carbon atoms. α is the chain growth probability or the probability that a molecule will continue reacting to form a longer chain. In general, α is largely determined by the catalyst and the specific process conditions.
Examination of the above equation reveals that methane will always be the largest single product so long as α is less than 0.5; however, by increasing α close to one, the total amount of methane formed can be minimized compared to the sum of all of the various long-chained products. Increasing α increases the formation of long-chained hydrocarbons. The very long-chained hydrocarbons are waxes, which are solid at room temperature. Therefore, for production of liquid transportation fuels it may be necessary to crack some of the Fischer–Tropsch products. In order to avoid this, some researchers have proposed using zeolites or other catalyst substrates with fixed sized pores that can restrict the formation of hydrocarbons longer than some characteristic size (usually n < 10). This way they can drive the reaction so as to minimize methane formation without producing lots of long-chained hydrocarbons. Such efforts have met with only limited success.
A variety of catalysts can be used for the Fischer–Tropsch process, but the most common are the transition metals cobalt, iron, and ruthenium. Nickel can also be used, but tends to favor methane formation ("methanation").
Cobalt-based catalysts are highly active, although iron may be more suitable for certain applications. Cobalt catalysts are more active for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis when the feedstock is natural gas. Natural gas has a high hydrogen to carbon ratio, so the water-gas-shift is not needed for cobalt catalysts. Iron catalysts are preferred for lower quality feedstocks such as coal or biomass. Synthesis gases derived from these hydrogen-poor feedstocks has a low-hydrogen-content and require the water–gas shift reaction. Unlike the other metals used for this process (Co, Ni, Ru), which remain in the metallic state during synthesis, iron catalysts tend to form a number of phases, including various oxides and carbides during the reaction. Control of these phase transformations can be important in maintaining catalytic activity and preventing breakdown of the catalyst particles.
In addition to the active metal the catalysts typically contain a number of "promoters," including potassium and copper. Group 1 alkali metals, including potassium, are a poison for cobalt catalysts but are promoters for iron catalysts. Catalysts are supported on high-surface-area binders/supports such as silica, alumina, or zeolites.[8] Promotors also have an important influence on activity. Alkali metal oxides and copper are common promotors, but the formulation depends on the primary metal, iron vs cobalt.[9] Alkali oxides on cobalt catalysts generally cause activity to drop severely even with very low alkali loadings. C≥5 and CO2 selectivity increase while methane and C2–C4 selectivity decrease. In addition, the alkene to alkane ratio increases.
Fischer–Tropsch catalysts are sensitive to poisoning by sulfur-containing compounds. Cobalt-based catalysts are more sensitive than for their iron counterparts.
Fischer–Tropsch iron catalysts need alkali promotion to attain high activity and stability (e.g. 0.5 wt% K
2O). Addition of Cu for reduction promotion, addition of SiO
2, Al
3 for structural promotion and maybe some manganese can be applied for selectivity control (e.g. high olefinicity). The working catalyst is only obtained when—after reduction with hydrogen—in the initial period of synthesis several iron carbide phases and elemental carbon are formed whereas iron oxides are still present in addition to some metallic iron. With iron catalysts two directions of selectivity have been pursued. One direction has aimed at a low-molecular-weight olefinic hydrocarbon mixture to be produced in an entrained phase or fluid bed process (Sasol–Synthol process). Due to the relatively high reaction temperature (approx. 340 °C), the average molecular weight of the product is so low that no liquid product phase occurs under reaction conditions. The catalyst particles moving around in the reactor are small (particle diameter 100 µm) and carbon deposition on the catalyst does not disturb reactor operation. Thus a low catalyst porosity with small pore diameters as obtained from fused magnetite (plus promoters) after reduction with hydrogen is appropriate. For maximising the overall gasoline yield, C3 and C4 alkenes have been oligomerized at Sasol. However, recovering the olefins for use as chemicals in, e.g., polymerization processes is advantageous today. The second direction of iron catalyst development has aimed at highest catalyst activity to be used at low reaction temperature where most of the hydrocarbon product is in the liquid phase under reaction conditions. Typically, such catalysts are obtained through precipitation from nitrate solutions. A high content of a carrier provides mechanical strength and wide pores for easy mass transfer of the reactants in the liquid product filling the pores. The main product fraction then is a paraffin wax, which is refined to marketable wax materials at Sasol; however, it also can be very selectively hydrocracked to a high quality diesel fuel. Thus, iron catalysts are very flexible.
Ruthenium is most active working at the lowest reaction temperature. It produces the highest molecular weight hydrocarbons ('polymethylene synthesis') Pichler and Buffleb performing thus the chain growth reaction in the cleanest mode; it acts as a Fischer Tropsch catalyst as the pure metal, without any promotors, thus providing the simplest catalytic system of Fischer Tropsch synthesis, where mechanistic conclusions should be the easiest—e.g., much easier than with iron as the catalyst. Like with nickel, the selectivity changes to mainly methane at elevated temperature. Its high price and limited world resources exclude industrial application. Systematic Fischer Tropsch studies with ruthenium catalysts should contribute substantially to the further exploration of the fundamentals of Fischer Tropsch synthesis. There is an interesting question to consider: what features have the metals nickel, iron, cobalt, and ruthenium in common to let them—and only them—be Fischer–Tropsch catalysts, converting the CO/H2 mixture to aliphatic (long chain) hydrocarbons in a 'one step reaction'. The term 'one step reaction' means that reaction intermediates are not desorbed from the catalyst surface. In particular, it is amazing that the much carbided alkalized iron catalyst gives this reaction similarly as the just metallic ruthenium catalyst. It will be seen in the next section that the kinetic principle of 'selective inhibition' might be the common feature which applies,in spite of differences in catalyst composition, reaction intermediates, steps of reaction and corresponding kinetic schemes. [10]
HTFT and LTFT
High-temperature Fischer–Tropsch (or HTFT) is operated at temperatures of 330–350 °C and uses an iron-based catalyst. This process was used extensively by Sasol in their coal-to-liquid plants (CTL). Low-Temperature Fischer–Tropsch (LTFT) is operated at lower temperatures and uses an iron or cobalt-based catalyst. This process is best known for being used in the first integrated GTL-plant operated and built by Shell in Bintulu, Malaysia.[11]
Since the invention of the original process by Fischer and Tropsch, working at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut for Chemistry in the 1920s, many refinements and adjustments were made. Fischer and Tropsch filed a number of patents, e.g., U.S. Patent 1,746,464, applied 1926, published 1930.[12] It was commercialized by Brabag in Germany in 1936. Being petroleum-poor but coal-rich, Germany used the Fischer–Tropsch process during World War II to produce ersatz (replacement) fuels. Fischer–Tropsch production accounted for an estimated 9% of German war production of fuels and 25% of the automobile fuel.[13]
The United States Bureau of Mines, in a program initiated by the Synthetic Liquid Fuels Act, employed seven Operation Paperclip synthetic fuel scientists in a Fischer–Tropsch plant in Louisiana, Missouri in 1946.[13][14]
In Britain, Alfred August Aicher obtained several patents for improvements to the process in the 1930s and 1940s.[15] Aicher's company was named Synthetic Oils Ltd (not related to a company of the same name in Canada).
The Fischer–Tropsch process has been applied in large-scale gas–liquids and coal–liquid facilities such as Shell's Pearl GTL facility in Ras Laffan, Qatar. Such large facilities are susceptible to high capital costs, high operation and maintenance costs, the uncertain and volatile price of crude oil, and the involvement of potentially environmentally damaging processes. In particular, the use of natural gas as a feedstock becomes practical only with use of "stranded gas", i.e., sources of natural gas far from major cities which are impractical to exploit with conventional gas pipelines and LNG technology; otherwise, the direct sale of natural gas to consumers would become much more profitable. Several companies are developing the process to enable practical exploitation of so-called stranded gas reserves.
Conventional FT reactors have been optimized for massive coal-to-liquids and gas–liquid facilities such as Shell's Pearl GTL facility. These slurry bed and fixed-bed reactors are much larger than the sizes needed for biofuel facilities or for smaller-scale natural-gas fields. The use of microchannel reactors, such as those developed by Velocys, intensifies the reaction, scales down the size of the reaction hardware and overcomes the heat and mass transport problems associated with conventional FT technology. Enhanced heat transfer inside the microchannels reactor allows for optimal temperature control, which maximizes catalyst activity and life. While no smaller scale plant is currently in commercial operation, indications show capital costs, operating costs and size could all be reduced relative to conventional FT facilities.[16][17]
In Australia, Linc Energy commenced construction in 1999 of the world's first gas–liquid plant operating on synthesis gas produced by underground coal gasification.[18] The GTL plant uses the F-T process, and produced liquids in 2008.[19]
The largest scale implementation of Fischer–Tropsch technology are in a series of plants operated by Sasol in South Africa, a country with large coal reserves, but little oil. The first commercial plant opened in 1952, 40 miles south of Johannesburg.[20] Sasol uses coal and now natural gas as feedstocks and produces a variety of synthetic petroleum products, including most of the country's diesel fuel.[21]
In December 2012 Sasol announced plans to build a 96,000 barrels a day plant in Westlake, Louisiana using natural gas from tight shale formations in Louisiana and Texas as feedstock. Costs are estimated to be between 11 and 12 billion dollars with $2 billion in tax relief being contributed by the state of Louisiana. The planned complex will include a refinery and a chemical plant.[22]
PetroSA, a South African company which, in a joint venture, won project innovation of the year award at the Petroleum Economist Awards in 2008,[23] has the world's largest Gas to Liquids complexes at Mossel Bay in South Africa.[24] The refinery is a 36,000 barrels a day plant that completed semi-commercial demonstration in 2011, paving the way to begin commercial preparation. The technology can be used to convert natural gas, biomass or coal into synthetic fuels.[25]
Shell middle distillate synthesis
One of the largest implementations of Fischer–Tropsch technology is in Bintulu, Malaysia. This Shell facility converts natural gas into low-sulfur Diesel fuels and food-grade wax. The scale is 12,000 barrels per day (1,900 m3/d).
Ras Laffan, Qatar
The new LTFT facility Pearl GTL which began operation in 2011 at Ras Laffan, Qatar, uses cobalt catalysts at 230 °C, converting natural gas to petroleum liquids at a rate of 140,000 barrels per day (22,000 m3/d), with additional production of 120,000 barrels (19,000 m3) of oil equivalent in natural gas liquids and ethane. The first GTL plant in Ras Laffan was commissioned in 2007 and is called Oryx GTL and has a capacity of 34,000 barrels per day (5,400 m3/d). The plant utilizes the Sasol slurry phase distillate process which uses a cobalt catalyst. Oryx GTL is a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Sasol.
Construction is underway for Velocys' commercial reference plant incorporating its microchannel Fischer-Tropsch technology; ENVIA Energy's Oklahoma City GTL project being built adjacent to Waste Management's East Oak landfill site. The project is being financed by a joint venture between Waste Management, NRG Energy, Ventech and Velocys. The feedstock for this plant will be a combination of landfill gas and pipeline natural gas.[26]
UPM (Finland)
In October 2006, Finnish paper and pulp manufacturer UPM announced its plans to produce biodiesel by the Fischer–Tropsch process alongside the manufacturing processes at its European paper and pulp plants, using waste biomass resulting from paper and pulp manufacturing processes as source material.[27]
A demonstration-scale Fischer–Tropsch plant was built and operated by Rentech, Inc., in partnership with ClearFuels, a company specializing in biomass gasification. Located in Commerce City, Colorado, the facility produces about 10 barrels per day (1.6 m3/d) of fuels from natural gas. Commercial-scale facilities are planned for Rialto, California; Natchez, Mississippi; Port St. Joe, Florida; and White River, Ontario.[28] Rentech closed down their pilot plant in 2013, and abandoned work on their FT process as well as the proposed commercial facilities.
In the United States and India, some coal-producing states have invested in Fischer–Tropsch plants. In Pennsylvania, Waste Management and Processors, Inc. was funded by the state to implement Fischer–Tropsch technology licensed from Shell and Sasol to convert so-called waste coal (leftovers from the mining process) into low-sulfur diesel fuel.[29][30]
Research developments
Choren Industries has built a plant in Germany that converts biomass to syngas and fuels using the Shell Fischer–Tropsch process structure. The company went bankrupt in 2011 due to impracticalities in the process.[31][32]
Biomass gasification (BG) and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis can in principle be combined to produce renewable transportation fuels (biofuels).[33]
U.S. Air Force certification
Syntroleum, a publicly traded United States company, has produced over 400,000 U.S. gallons (1,500,000 L) of diesel and jet fuel from the Fischer–Tropsch process using natural gas and coal at its demonstration plant near Tulsa, Oklahoma. Syntroleum is working to commercialize its licensed Fischer–Tropsch technology via coal-to-liquid plants in the United States, China, and Germany, as well as gas-to-liquid plants internationally. Using natural gas as a feedstock, the ultra-clean, low sulfur fuel has been tested extensively by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). Most recently, Syntroleum has been working with the United States Air Force to develop a synthetic jet fuel blend that will help the Air Force to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum. The Air Force, which is the United States military's largest user of fuel, began exploring alternative fuel sources in 1999. On December 15, 2006, a B-52 took off from Edwards Air Force Base, California for the first time powered solely by a 50–50 blend of JP-8 and Syntroleum's FT fuel. The seven-hour flight test was considered a success. The goal of the flight test program is to qualify the fuel blend for fleet use on the service's B-52s, and then flight test and qualification on other aircraft. The test program concluded in 2007. This program is part of the Department of Defense Assured Fuel Initiative, an effort to develop secure domestic sources for the military energy needs. The Pentagon hopes to reduce its use of crude oil from foreign producers and obtain about half of its aviation fuel from alternative sources by 2016.[34] With the B-52 now approved to use the FT blend, the C-17 Globemaster III, the B-1B, and eventually every airframe in its inventory to use the fuel by 2011.[34][35]
Carbon dioxide reuse
Carbon dioxide is not a typical feedstock for F-T catalysis. Hydrogen and carbon dioxide react over a cobalt-based catalyst, producing methane. With iron-based catalysts unsaturated short-chain hydrocarbons are also produced.[36] Upon introduction to the catalyst's support, ceria functions as a reverse water gas shift catalyst, further increasing the yield of the reaction.[37] The short-chain hydrocarbons were upgraded to liquid fuels over solid acid catalysts, such as zeolites.
Process efficiency
Using conventional FT technology the process ranges in carbon efficiency from 25 to 50 percent[38] and a thermal efficiency of about 50%[39] for CTL facilities idealised at 60%[40] with GTL facilities at about 60%[39] efficiency idealised to 80%[40] efficiency.
See also
- Air separation
- Algae fuel
- Bergius process
- Biogasoline
- Biomass to liquid
- Carbon neutral fuel
- Coal gasification
- Fischer assay
- Future energy development
- Hydrogenation, a generic term for this type of process
- Hubbert peak
- Industrial gas
- Karrick process
- Sabatier reaction
- Steam methane reforming
- Synthetic Liquid Fuels Program
- Unconventional oil
- Wood gas
- ↑ US Fuel Supply Statistics Chart
- ↑ Pearce, Ben K. D.; Pudritz, Ralph E. (2015). "Seeding the Pregenetic Earth: Meteoritic Abundances of Nucleobases and Potential Reaction Pathways". ApJ. 807: 85. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/807/1/85.
- 1 2 3 Takao Kaneko, Frank Derbyshire, Eiichiro Makino, David Gray and Masaaki Tamura "Coal Liquefaction" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2001, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a07_197
- ↑ Bruce C. Gates "Extending the Metal Cluster-Metal Surface Analogy" Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English, 2003, Volume 32, pp. 228 – 229. doi:10.1002/anie.199302281
- ↑ H. Schulz "Short history and present trends of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis" Advance Catalysis, 1999, Volume 186, 3-12. doi:10.1016/S0926-860X(99)00160-X
- ↑ Chemical Process Technology by Moulijn pg No 193-200
- ↑ http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/DOE/DOE_reports/510/510-34929/510-34929.pdf P.L. Spath and D.C. Dayton. "Preliminary Screening — Technical and Economic Assessment of Synthesis Gas to Fuels and Chemicals with Emphasis on the Potential for Biomass-Derived Syngas", NREL/TP510-34929,December, 2003, pp. 95
- ↑ Andrei Y. Khodakov, Wei Chu, and Pascal Fongarland "Advances in the Development of Novel Cobalt Fischer–Tropsch Catalysts for Synthesis of Long-Chain Hydrocarbons and Clean Fuels" Chemical Reviews, 2007, volume 107, pp 1692–1744. doi:10.1021/cr050972v
- ↑ Christine M. Balonek, Andreas H. Lillebø, Shreyas Rane, Erling Rytter, Lanny D. Schmidt, Anders Holmen "Effect of Alkali Metal Impurities on Co–Re Catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis from Biomass-Derived Syngas" Catalysis Letters 2010, volume 138, pp 8–13. doi:10.1007/s10562-010-0366-4.
- ↑ H. Schulz, Short history and present trends of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis Advance Catalysis, Volume 186, 3-12
- ↑ "Gas to Liquids (GTL) Technology". Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ↑ http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/primary_documents/patents/US/us1746464.pdf
- 1 2 Leckel, D., "Diesel Production from Fischer–Tropsch: The Past, the Present, and New Concepts", Energy Fuels, 2009, volume 23, 2342–2358. doi:10.1021/ef900064c
- ↑ "German Synthetic Fuels Scientists". Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ↑ For example, British Patent No. 573,982, applied 1941, published 1945"Improvements in or relating to Methods of Producing Hydrocarbon Oils from Gaseous Mixtures of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide" (PDF). January 14, 1941. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
- ↑ Smedley, Mark. "Small GTL's Market Reach as Great as Opec's, UK Firm Says" (PDF). World Gas Intelligence. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ↑ Jamieson, Andrew. "Keeping the Options Open" (PDF). Petroleum Economist. Retrieved 4 April 2015.
- ↑ Linc gears up for Chinchilla GTL.
- ↑ "Linc Energy - Company History". Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ↑ "Construction of World's First Synthesis Plant" Popular Mechanics, February 1952, p. 264, bottom of page.
- ↑ "technologies & processes" Sasol
- ↑ Clifford Krauss (December 3, 2012). "South African Company to Build U.S. Plant to Convert Gas to Liquid Fuels". The New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
- ↑ "PetroSA wins innovation award". SouthAfrica.info. 2008-10-10. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ↑ "PetroSA – South Africa's National Oil Company". Petrosa.co.za. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ↑ "PetroSA technology ready for next stage | Archive | BDlive". Businessday.co.za. 2011-05-10. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
- ↑ ""Setting the stage for the future of smaller-scale GTL", Gas Processing". August 2015.
- ↑ "UPM-Kymmene says to establish beachhead in biodiesel market". NewsRoom Finland. Archived from the original on 2007-03-17.
- ↑ http://www.rentechinc.com/ (official site)
- ↑ "Governor Rendell leads with innovative solution to help address PA energy needs". State of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11.
- ↑ "Schweitzer wants to convert Otter Creek coal into liquid fuel". Billings Gazette. August 2, 2005. Archived from the original on 2009-01-01.
- ↑ http://www.choren.com Choren official web site
- ↑ Fairley, Peter. Growing Biofuels – New production methods could transform the niche technology. MIT Technology Review November 23, 2005
- ↑ Oliver R. Inderwildi; Stephen J. Jenkins; David A. King (2008). "Mechanistic Studies of Hydrocarbon Combustion and Synthesis on Noble Metals". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 47 (28): 5253–5. doi:10.1002/anie.200800685. PMID 18528839.
- 1 2 Zamorano, Marti (2006-12-22). "B-52 synthetic fuel testing: Center commander pilots first Air Force B-52 flight using solely synthetic fuel blend in all eight engines". Aerotech News and Review.
- ↑ "C-17 flight uses synthetic fuel blend". 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
- ↑ Dorner, Robert; Dennis R. Hardy; Frederick W. Williams; Heather D. Willauer (2010). "Heterogeneous catalytic CO2 conversion to value-added hydrocarbons". Energy Environ. Sci. 3: 884–890. doi:10.1039/C001514H.
- ↑ Dorner, Robert. "Catalytic Support for use in Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation Reactions".
- ↑ Dominik Unruh, Kyra Pabst and Georg Schaub "Fischer−Tropsch Synfuels from Biomass: Maximizing Carbon Efficiency and Hydrocarbon Yield" Energy Fuels, 2010, 24, pp 2634–2641. doi:10.1021/ef9009185
- 1 2 Fischer-Tropsch Refining by Arno de Klerk
- 1 2 http://web.anl.gov/PCS/acsfuel/preprint%20archive/Files/48_1_New%20Orleans__03-03_0567.pdf
Further reading
- Klerk, Arno de (2011). Fischer–Tropsch refining (1st ed.). Weinheim, Germany: Wiley-VCH. ISBN 9783527326051.
- Klerk, Arno de., Edward Furimsky (2010). Catalysis in the refining of Fischer–Tropsch syncrude. Cambridge: RSC Publishing.
External links
- Fischer–Tropsch Archive
- Fischer–Tropsch Fuels from Coal and Biomass
- Abiogenic Gas Debate 11:2002 (EXPLORER)
- Unconventional Ideas About Unconventional Gas (Society of Petroleum Engineers)
- Process of synthesis of liquid hydrocarbons – Great Britain patent GB309002 – Hermann Plauson
- Clean Diesel from Coal by Kevin Bullis
- Implementing the "Hydrogen Economy" with Synfuels (pdf)
- Carbon-to-Liquids Research
- Effect of alkali metals on cobalt catalysts


text: RussiaFeed News Politics US Ambassador meets Russia's top general, says closer cooperation necessary Jon Huntsman stressed the need for both nations to work together in his meeting with Russian Chief of Staff Gerasimov Published 9 months ago on February 21, 2018 By Matfey Shaheen 0 Views Share Tweet With the current relations between the US and Russia being non-ideal, and hardly the fault of Russia, there are still voices in the US that think they need "tougher' or "stricter" relationships with Russia. Apparently, the US Ambassador Jon Huntsman is NOT among them, preferring the elusive and concepts of common sense and reason that has been missing in most US diplomacy for years now. You may remember him from when we covered his icy plunge into the Russian Faith. WATCH: US Ambassador takes the pain, jumps into icy waters in Russia Apparently, Huntsman is a believer in the revolutionary idea that a diplomat should embrace the culture and people they work with, promoting dialog and cooperation. And when he met with the Russian Chief of General Staff, it is precisely those communications he advocated for. If he is truly sincere in all his recent actions, he is proving a very capable ambassador. Russia does not expect idealistic profound love to exist between the two states, Russia understands most great powers rarely have permanent friends, only permanent interests; all she expects is normal, diplomatic relations. Hopefully, with Ambassador Huntsman, that is what she will get: TASS News reports: MOSCOW, February 19./TASS/. Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov and US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman discussed on Monday prospects for bilateral relations in the military sector, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. It said Gerasimov and Huntsman "exchanged views on the situation in the security sphere, as well as views on the current state and prospects for bilateral relations in the military sphere," the ministry said. Jon Huntsman spoke in favor of more active contacts between Washington and Moscow, the US Embassy in Moscow said on Monday. "There is obviously a low level of trust between our two countries. It is precisely at moments like these, when more communications are needed, not less," it quoted the US diplomat as saying. The embassy also said "They discussed Ukraine, Syria, Strategic Stability, Afghanistan, and the DPRK". Liked it? Take a second to support The Duran on Patreon! Related Topics:Russia newsValery GerasimovJon HuntsmanRussia-U.S. relationsimgx Up Next Russia, CIS intelligence black ops took down 99 terrorists in 2017 Don't Miss Washington deep state seeks to distract public with Mueller's Russia inquisition Advertisement You may like Donald Trump at G7: 'Crimea is Russian because everyone there speaks Russian' ARRESTED: Bill Browder detained in Spain on Interpol warrant US policy BACKFIRES: why Turkey may buy Russian Su-57s instead of US F-35 jets Click to comment Leave a Reply This comment form is under antispam protection This comment form is under antispam protection Subscribe Notify of new follow-up comments new replies to my comments Latest 'Iron' Mike Pence Stares-Down Putin In APEC Showdown Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Advisor John Bolton were seen shaking hands and chatting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Singapore. Published 2 days ago on November 19, 2018 By Tyler Durden Via Zerohedge… Forget the All-Blacks 'Haka', ignore Foreman-Frasier, Drago-Balboa, and Ortiz-Liddell, the honor of the greatest (or perhaps most awkward) staredown in history now goes to US Vice President Mike Pence… Having been blamed for everything from Trump's election victory to USA soccer team's loss to England last week, Russia faced accusations all weekend and was reportedly confronted by the US contingent over "meddling." As The Sun reports, Pence and Putin "discussed the upcoming G20 Summit and touched on the issues that will be discussed when President Trump and President Putin are both in Argentina for the summit," according to the vice president's press secretary, Alyssa Farah. An NBC reporter tweeted: "New per the @VP's Office—> The VP's office says Vice President Pence directly addressed Russian meddling in the 2016 election in a conversation with Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Singapore. "The conversation took place following the plenary session this afternoon at ASEAN." But, it was the following clash of the titans that caught most people's attention. As the Russian president joined the that Pence shook Putin's 'deadly' hand, met his 'steely KGB-trained' gaze, and desperately tried not to smile or blink for 20 seconds as Putin appeared to chat amicably with the US VP… While Putin has (if his accusers are to be believed) grappled his opponents to death with his bare hands (remember he is a sinister KGB agent and jiu-jitsu expert); we suspect the only thing VP Pence has gripped tightly in his hands is his bible. Sadly, John Bolton then blew the tough guy act (or is he Mike Pence's 'good cop') as he does his best impression of a teenage girl meeting their popstar idol for the first time… Liked it? Take a second to support The Duran on Patreon! Continue Reading Latest Orthodox Churches begin to respond forcefully to Ukrainian situation Two jurisdictions, including one with a difficult history with Russia, move to condemn uncanonical acts in Ukraine. Published 2 days ago on November 19, 2018 By Seraphim Hanisch Two local jurisdictions within the Eastern Orthodox Church announced their refusal to accept the legitimization of two schismatic groups in Ukraine, a move authorized by the Ecumenical Patriarch, but spurred by powers in the United States and Petro Poroshenko's secularist-oriented Ukraine. On October 11th, 2018, the Ecumentical Patriarch, Bartholomew I of Constantinople, authorized his legates to pronounce two schismatic Orthodox "churches" in Ukraine to be restored to canonical communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and by extension, across the entire Orthodox world. This move was strongly condemned by the authorities of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has the only canonically accepted church presence in Ukraine, a situation that the Ecumenical Patriarch himself agreed with only a few years ago. Russia moved to break communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, creating a split in the Orthodox Church, but a split that at first risked Russia standing alone in their statement of disapproval of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's actions. For a time the reaction of the other "local" Orthodox Churches was cautious, with the vast majority (excepting only the Greek Church in the USA) coming out in support of the canonical group in Ukraine, but without taking similar action to Moscow. That appears to be changing. On November 12 and 16, respectively, the Churches of Serbia and Poland issued strong statements. They both categorically refused to recognize the Ukrainian schismatic groups and they forbade their clergy to concelebrate with the "clergy" within these groups. The Serbs' statement on this was as follows: "The Assembly does not recognize the mentioned figures and their followers as Orthodox bishops and clergy and, consequently, does not accept liturgical and canonical communion with them and their supporters." The Polish Church made a similar announcement, but with even more force: "The Holy Bishops' Council forbids the priests of the Polish Orthodox Church from having liturgical and prayerful contact with the 'clergy' of the so-called Kiev Patriarchate and the so-called 'Autocephalous Orthodox Church,' which have committed much evil in the past," the statement reads. According to the Polish hierarchs, persons deprived of episcopal and clerical ordination cannot be leaders in establishing peace in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. "Only the observance of the dogmatic and canonical norms of the Church and the preservation of the centuries-old tradition will protect Orthodoxy from severe ecclesiastical consequences on an international scale. The Polish Orthodox Church prays fervently for the unity of the holy Orthodox Church and for peace for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the message further reads. And while yet officially under the omophorion of Constantinople, several Greek monasteries on Mount Athos, the Orthodox monastic republic that is the spiritual center of all of Eastern Orthodoxy, inserted special petitions in their services to pray for Metropolitan Onufry and the people of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – that is, the canonical group that is a highly autonomous, or independent, Church while yet under the Moscow Patriarchate. This is an interesting situation because in terms of ecclesial jurisdiction, Mount Athos is actually under the Ecumenical Patriarchate. However, the monasteries there often are known for taking the hardest of hardline stances when even their own Patriarchate takes actions they feel to be wrong: Thousands of Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians go on pilgrimage to Mt. Athos, which is under the jurisdiction of Constantinople, every year. However, the Russian Church, of which the Ukrainian Church is an autonomous, self-governing part, broke communion with Constantinople on October 15, which the Ukrainian Church confirmed yesterday, due to unilateral Constantinople's interference in ecclesiastical life in Ukraine. "We know that the majority of the abbots of the Athonite monasteries do not agree with the anti-canonical decisions of the Phanar," Met. Anthony said. "In several monasteries—Greek ones, by the way—they have included a special petition in the Litany of Peace in the morning and evening services: 'For His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry with his suffering flock.,'" he explained, adding, "We are very grateful to the Athonites for their brotherly love and prayers." This is a story that it still developing, but the recent moves by Poland and Serbia may be outlining the path that other local Orthodox Churches will take. That move is to deny recognition to the schismatics that Patriarch Bartholomew lifted the anathemas and depositions for. If this step were to be taken by all the local Churches that have expressed support for the canonical Ukrainian Church, the result would be not much different than where the schismatics were on October 10th: Filaret Denisenko's group and Makary's group would indeed have communion with Constantinople, and presumably the Greek Orthodox Church in the USA, but with no one else. This move would be a severe repudiation of the Ecumenical Patriarch's repeated declaration that he has the sole authority to grant autocephaly to anyone anywhere in the Orthodox world (or even to take it away), which is a canonical absurdity. Given the substantial problems that Filaret Denisenko continues to create, such as refusing to be considered only a Metropolitan (this was the Ecumenical Patriarchate's order), and to still consider himself a patriarch, blessing a blasphemous "icon" that is really just a monument to Ukrainian ultra-nationalism and secularism (note the neo-Nazi wolfsangel and machine guns in the upper right of this photo: And given the ideations of Patriarch Bartholomew himself, who is also recently reported to be pushing towards creating unity with the Roman Catholic Church, while acting like a pope himself by insisting that all the local Orthodox Churches will accept his decisions, it does not look like this situation is going to go away by itself. However, by placing the problem of the schismatics squarely in Patriarch Bartholomew's hands (since he created the problem), the pressure created by other churches refusing to concelebrate with the Ukrainian schismatics may be enough to isolate the Ecumenical Patriarchate itself, rather than fulfilling the highly likely goal that the US, Ukraine and Patriarch Bartholomew may have had initially – to isolate Russia and create a situation where Russia is made to look like the bad guy, once again. Liked it? Take a second to support The Duran on Patreon! Continue Reading Latest Whose Money Stoked Religious Strife in Ukraine – and Who Tried to Steal It? Was $25 million in American tax dollars allocated for a payoff to stir up religious turmoil and violence in Ukraine? Published 4 days ago on November 17, 2018 By Jim Jatras Authored by James George Jatras via Strategic Culture: Was $25 million in American tax dollars allocated for a payoff to stir up religious turmoil and violence in Ukraine? Did Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (unsuccessfully) attempt to divert most of it into his own pocket? Last month the worldwide Orthodox Christian communion was plunged into crisis by the decision of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Constantinople to recognize as legitimate schismatic pseudo-bishops anathematized by the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which is an autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church. In so doing not only has Patriarch Bartholomew besmirched the global witness of Orthodoxy's two-millennia old Apostolic faith, he has set the stage for religious strife in Ukraine and fratricidal violence – which has already begun. Starting in July, when few were paying attention, this analyst warned about the impending dispute and how it facilitated the anti-Christian moral agenda of certain marginal "Orthodox" voices like "Orthodoxy in Dialogue," Fordham University's "Orthodox Christian Studies Center," and The Wheel. These "self-professed teachers presume to challenge the moral teachings of the faith" (in the words of Fr. John Parker) and "prowl around, wolves in sheep's clothing, forming and shaping false ideas about the reality of our life in Christ." Unsurprisingly such groups have embraced Constantinople's neopapal self-aggrandizement and support for the Ukrainian schismatics. No one – and certainly not this analyst – would accuse Patriarch Bartholomew, most Ukrainian politicians, or even the Ukrainian schismatics of sympathizing with advocacy of such anti-Orthodox values. And yet these advocates know they cannot advance their goals if the conciliar and traditional structure of Orthodoxy remains intact. Thus they welcome efforts by Constantinople to centralize power while throwing the Church into discord, especially the Russian Church, which is vilified in some Western circles precisely because it is a global beacon of traditional Christian moral witness. This aspect points to another reason for Western governments to support Ukrainian autocephaly as a spiritual offensive against Russia and Orthodoxy. The post-Maidan leadership harp on the "European choice" the people of Ukraine supposedly made in 2014, but they soft-pedal the accompanying moral baggage the West demands, symbolized by "gay" marches organized over Christian objections in Orthodox cities like Athens, Belgrade, Bucharest, Kiev, Odessa, Podgorica, Sofia, and Tbilisi. Even under the Trump administration, the US is in lockstep with our European Union friends in pressuring countries liberated from communism to adopt such nihilistic "democratic, European values." Perhaps even more important to its initiators, the row over Ukraine aims to break what they see as the "soft power" of the Russian Federation, of which the Orthodox Church is the spiritual heart and soul. As explained by Valeria Z. Nollan, professor emerita of Russian Studies at Rhodes College: 'The real goal of the quest for autocephaly [i.e., complete self-governing status independent of the Moscow Patriarchate] of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a de facto coup: a political coup already took place in 2014, poisoning the relations between western Ukraine and Russia, and thus another type of coup – a religious one – similarly seeks to undermine the canonical relationship between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Moscow.' In furthering these twin objectives (morally, the degrading of Orthodox Christianity; politically, undermining the Russian state as Orthodoxy's powerful traditional protector) it is increasingly clear that the United States government – and specifically the Department of State – has become a hands-on fomenter of conflict. After a short period of appropriately declaring that "any decision on autocephaly is an internal [Orthodox] church matter," the Department within days reversed its position and issued a formal statement (in the name of Department spokesperson Heather Nauert, but clearly drafted by the European bureau) that skirted a direct call for autocephaly but gave the unmistakable impression of such backing. This is exactly how it was reported in the media, for example, "US backs Ukrainian Church bid for autocephaly." Finally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo weighed in personally with his own endorsement as did the US Reichskommissar for Ukraine, Kurt Volker. The Threat… There soon became reason to believe that the State Department's involvement was not limited to exhortations. As reported by this analyst in October, according to an unconfirmed report originating with the members of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (an autonomous New York-based jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate), in July of this year State Department officials (possibly including Secretary Pompeo personally) warned the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (also based in New York but part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate) that the US government was aware of the misappropriation of a large amount of money, about $10 million, from estimated $37 million raised from believers for the construction of the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in New York. The State Department warning also reportedly noted that federal prosecutors have documentary evidence confirming the withdrawal of these funds abroad on the orders of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. It was suggested that Secretary Pompeo would "close his eyes" to this theft in exchange for movement by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in favor of Ukrainian autocephaly, which helped set Patriarch Bartholomew on his current course. [Further details on the St. Nicholas scandal are available here, but in summary: Only one place of worship of any faith was destroyed in the September 11, 2001, attack in New York and only one building not part of the World Trade Center complex was completely destroyed. That was St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, a small urban parish church established at the end of World War I and dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is very popular with Greeks as the patron of sailors. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attack, and following a lengthy legal battle with the Port Authority, which opposed rebuilding the church, in 2011 the Greek Archdiocese launched an extensive campaign to raise funds for a brilliant innovative design by the renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava based on traditional Byzantine forms. Wealthy donors and those of modest means alike enthusiastically contributed millions to the effort. Then – poof! In December 2017, suddenly all construction was halted for lack of funds and remains stalled to this day. Resumption would require having an estimated $2 million on hand. Despite the Archdiocese's calling in a major accounting firm to conduct an audit, there's been no clear answer to what happened to the money. Both the US Attorney and New York state authorities are investigating.] This is where things get back to Ukraine. If the State Department wanted to find the right button to push to spur Patriarch Bartholomew to move on the question of autocephaly, the Greek Archdiocese in the US is it. Let's keep in mind that in his home country, Turkey, Patriarch Bartholomew has virtually no local flock – only a few hundred mostly elderly Greeks left huddled in Istanbul's Phanar district. (Sometimes the Patriarchate is referred to simply as "the Phanar," much as "the Vatican" is shorthand for the Roman Catholic papacy.) Whatever funds the Patriarchate derives from other sources (the Greek government, the Roman Catholic Church, the World Council of Churches), the Phanar's financial lifeline is the ethnic Greek community (including this analyst) in what is still quaintly called the "Diaspora" in places like America, Australia, and New Zealand. And of these, the biggest cash cow is the Greek-Americans. That's why, when Patriarch Bartholomew issued a call in 2016 for what was billed as an Orthodox "Eighth Ecumenical Council" (the first one since the year 787!), the funds largely came from America, to the tune of up to $8 million according to the same confidential source as will be noted below. Intended by some as a modernizing Orthodox "Vatican II," the event was doomed to failure by a boycott organized by Moscow over what the latter saw as Patriarch Bartholomew's adopting papal or even imperial prerogatives – now sadly coming to bear in Ukraine. …and the Payoff On top of the foregoing, it now appears that the State Department's direct hand in this sordid business may not have consisted solely of wielding the "stick" of legal threat: there's reason to believe there was a "carrot" too. It very recently came to the attention of this analyst, via an unsolicited, confidential source in the Greek Archdiocese in New York, that a payment of $25 million in US government money was made to Constantinople to encourage Patriarch Bartholomew to move forward on Ukraine. The source for this confidential report was unaware of earlier media reports that the same figure – $25 million – was paid by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to the Phanar as an incentive for Patriarch Bartholomew to move forward on creating an independent Ukrainian church. Moreover, Poroshenko evidently tried to shortchange the payment: 'Peter [Petro] Poroshenko — the president of Ukraine — was obligated to return $15 million US dollars to the Patriarch of Constantinople, which he had appropriated for himself. 'As reported by Izvestia, this occurred after the story about Bartholomew's bribe and a "vanishing" large sum designated for the creation of a Unified Local Orthodox Church in Ukraine surfaced in the mass media. 'As reported, on the eve of Poroshenko's visit in Istanbul, a few wealthy people of Ukraine "chipped in" in order to hasten the process of creating a Unified Local Orthodox Church. About $25 million was collected. They were supposed to go to the award ceremony for Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople for the issuing of a tomos of autocephaly. [A tomos is a small book containing a formal announcement.] However, in the words of people close to the backer, during the visit on April 9, Poroshenko handed over only $10 million. 'As a result, having learned of the deal, Bartholomew cancelled the participation of the delegation of the Phanar – the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople, in the celebration of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Russia on July 27 in Kiev. '"Such a decision from Bartholomew's side was nothing other than a strong ultimatum to Poroshenko to return the stolen money. Of course, in order to not lose his face in light of the stark revelations of the creation of the tomos of autocephaly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Peter Alexeevich [Poroshenko] had to just return those $15 million for the needs of Constantinople," a trusted source explained to reporters. 'For preliminary information, only after receiving the remaining sum, did Bartholomew finally give his consent to sending a delegation of the Phanar to Kiev … ' Now, it's possible that the two identical figures of $25 million refer to two different pots of money (a cool $50 million!) but that seems unlikely. It's more probable the reports refer to the same sum as viewed from the sending side (the State Department, the Greek Archdiocese) and the delivery side (Poroshenko, Constantinople). Lending credibility to the confidential information from New York and pointing to the probability that it refers to the same payment that Poroshenko reportedly sought to raid for himself are the following observations: When Poroshenko generously offered Patriarch Bartholomew $10 million, the latter was aware that the full amount was $25 million and demanded the $15 million Poroshenko had held back. How did the Patriarch know that, unless he was informed via New York of the full sum? If the earlier-reported $25 million was really collected from "a few wealthy people of Ukraine" who "chipped in," given the cutthroat nature of disputes among Ukrainian oligarchs would Poroshenko (an oligarch in his own right) have risked trying to shortchange the payment? Why has not even one such Ukrainian donor been identified? Without going into all the details, the Phanar and the Greek Archdiocese have a long relationship with US administrations of both parties going back at least to the Truman administration, encompassing some decidedly unattractive episodes. In such a history, a mere bribe for a geopolitical shot against Moscow would hardly be a first instance or the worst. As one of this analyst's Greek-American connections puts it: "It's easy to comprehend the Patriarchate bowing to the pressure of State Dept. blackmail… not overly savory, but understandable. However, it's another thing altogether if Kiev truly "purchased" their autocephalous status from an all too willing Patriarchate … which would relegate the Patriarch to 'salesman' status and leave the faithful wondering what else might be offered to the highest bidder the next time it became convenient to hold a Patriarchal 'fire sale' at the Phanar?!" To add insult to injury, you'd think Constantinople at least could pay back some of the $7-8 million wasted on the Crete 2016 debacle to restart the St. Nicholas project in New York. Evidently the Phanar has better things to spend it on, like the demonstrative environmentalism of "the Green Patriarch" and, together with Pope Francis, welcoming Muslim migrants to Europe through Greece. Of course maybe there's no need to worry, as the Ukraine "sale" was consistent with Constantinople's papal ambitions, an uncanonical claim to "universal" status, and misuse of incarnational language and adoption of a breathtakingly arrogant tone that would cause even the most ultramontane proponent of the Rome's supremacy to blush. Finally, it seems that, for the time being at least, Constantinople doesn't intend to create an independent Ukrainian church but rather an autonomous church under its own authority. It's unclear whether or not Poroshenko or the State Department, in such event, would believe they had gotten their money's worth. Perhaps they would. After all, the issue here is less what is appropriate for Ukraine than what strikes at Russia and injures the worldwide Christian witness of the Orthodox Church. To that end, it doesn't matter whether the new illegal body is Constantinopolitan or Kievan, just so long as it isn't a "Moskal church" linked to Russia. Liked it? Take a second to support The Duran on Patreon! Continue Reading JOIN OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL Your donations make all the difference. Together we can expose fake news lies and deliver truth. Amount to donate in USD$: 5 100 Validating payment information... Waiting for PayPal...Validating payment information...Waiting for PayPal... 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subset: commoncrawl


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Five Easy Thanksgiving Crafts to Replace the Hand-Traced Turkey [VIDEOS]
Thanksgiving is fast approaching, but while you may be mulling dinner preparations and seating charts and such, don't forget about the kids. They'll need something to do, especially since children who are normally in school will be home for the holiday.
Keep those little hands busy without reducing yourself to that hand-traced turkey. This collection of craft projects will keep you both entertained while also decorating your Thanksgiving table.


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Ten Ways to Ensure Disaster Protection in the Cloud
In a sense, the cloud is all about trust: You're outsourcing critical IT functions such as storage, data management, tech support and application oversight to a third party. The cloud is saving organizations a lot of money on operational and capital expenses, and it's freeing up in-house teams to focus on tech initiatives that support the company's core strengths and strategic mission. But what happens in the case of a disaster? Should a fire, storm, earthquake or other unforeseen catastrophe strike your physical space, what kind of plans will you need to make with your cloud vendors to keep mission-critical apps and infrastructure up and running? And what happens if your cloud partner happens to go offline? Do you have any backup plans ready to go in case that partner goes MIA indefinitely? Ignoring these possibilities could ultimately hurt your business and damage your reputation. To address these issues, Janco Associates has come up with the following to-do list to stay afloat when disaster strikes.


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A head-in-the-sand energy policy
When it comes to policymakers and the climate crisis, I've long believed there are basically three categories: (1) those who deny the problem; (2) those who recognize the problem; and (3) those who support taking concrete steps to mitigate the problem.
Mitt Romney, at least the current iteration of him, falls comfortably in Group #2. The Republican is willing to publicly acknowledge that the problem is real, and has no use for climate deniers, but just doesn't want to do anything to address the crisis.
This was evident when he chose his running mate – Paul Ryan has consistently opposed climate change legislation, and appears to have some strange beliefs on the subject – and it was even clearer yesterday when Romney unveiled his energy plan. As Stephen Stromberg noted:
According to a 21-page proposal his campaign released Thursday, Romney's vision is to achieve "North American energy independence" by 2020 by opening up America's Continental Shelf and federal lands for more drilling, and by approving projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline, which will move crude oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast.
The most obvious problem with Romney's latest pronouncement on energy is that there is not a single mention of the fact that the Earth is warming and human energy production is at least partially responsible for it. It's possible to favor expanding access to U.S. energy resources and addressing global warming; Romney just doesn't try.
It was bad enough that Romney's "plan" – I use the word loosely – was devoid of real policy details. As Simon Maloy joked, "This isn't even a 'plan.' It's a wish list with citations."
But nearly as troubling is Romney's reluctance to even consider real challenges. How will he address global warming? He won't. How will he try to reduce oil consumption? He won't. How does Romney explain why his plan will create 3.6 million job in the energy sector? He doesn't say.
Romney opposes investments in renewable energy, and believes wind and solar don't count as "real" energy, but is confident that even more oil drilling will solve our problems. So much for the push towards policy substance in the presidential campaign.


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25 June 2013|
10 Years in the making, and Mike Houck's GTB is as fresh as ever
In the modified car world, it's safe to say that every person vividly remembers their first endeavor into modifying. In some cases it started with intake or exhaust, others with wheels and a drop, but ultimately it was usually something minor, leading to major modifications down the road. Some of us pine for our first car, others revel in their demise, saying good riddance to the embarrassment that resulted from rookie mistakes. But rarely does a person have the good fortune of holding onto their first love and seeing it through a variety looks and phases.
In Michael Houck's case it started back in 2002, when he acquired the Volkswagen GTI 1.8T seen here. It had only 13 miles on the clock.
"It was all I could have wanted," Houck remembers. "As they pulled the protective plastic off, a small piece of paint came away with it!" Not exactly the greatest first experience with a car, but definitely a memorable one for Mr. Houck.
"It wasn't long after buying the car that the modding bug bit me," Houck explains when asked about the car's first modification that opened the flood gates. "With the help of 20vturbo.com, all the normal bolt-ons started to show up – diverter valve, three-inch down pipe, three-inch cat-back, chip and so on."
If it's not apparent yet, Mike is somewhat of a 'go big or go home' type of guy. We can definitely appreciate, given the masterpiece you see here.
After graduating from university, the GTIs progression was suspended temporarily while Mike focused on competitive waterskiing for a few years. It was only a matter of time though, before a daily driver was purchased and the fourth-gen Golf was back under the knife. An Oettinger body kit, H&R suspension and Corbeau Racing seats and harnesses defined the car's next revision, but to Houck's dismay, it was only for a limited time. "I ran over a big rig tire re-tread and it completely destroyed my illustrious Oettinger kit, leaving me with nothing other than cracked and hacked up OEM bumpers," Houck remembers.
"At that point all the hot Mk4 cars were getting pulled fenders to fit super wide tires," Houck says about the arches that define the stance of his Golf. Trying his hand at fabricating, he bought a fender roller and hammer/dolly set and started hammering away. A miscalculation on some widened steelies, mixed with the roughly extended arches, led him to retire his hammers and dollies, handing the task over to some professionals. In the interim, a GT2871r turbo and the associated components were acquired to "freshen things up," and Mike was finally ready to bring the car to its first show at Southern Worthersee in 2009. To his surprise, Houck was selected by the hosting club, H2O Tuning, for the Club's Choice Award. That set the next build stage in stone.
Having only one major show under his belt by fall of that year, Houck couldn't resist the urge to change it up in time for H2O International. Sitting on black BBS CHs, the primer body was re-sprayed in satin black with a thin red stripe at the perimeter of each wheel, completing the GTIs new sinister look just hours before the 600 mile journey back home to Ocean City, Maryland. With an overwhelming excitement and a nine hour trek home to let the new ideas stew, Houck had the next staged planned even before he parked the GTI for the night. When it was taken apart for the previous turbo upgrade, Houck stumbled upon an array of Haldex AWD components that he couldn't pass up, so he finally decided it was time to give the Mk4 a little more traction.
Assessing the Mk4 GTI body, Houck was convinced that the AWD setup could work without its original floor pan (from an R32 Golf), so he mocked it up and tacked mounts in place. Barber Raceworks was enlisted to construct the rest of the components and build an extensive cage to help maintain rigidity. Porsche GT3 seats were delivered and added to the lot of parts awaiting installation.
After attending a couple events in 2010, Houck's heart was set on converting the big-turbo 1.8T motor over to its diesel counterpart, so the old power plant was parted out and the search for a replacement began.
"Compound turbo setups are very common in the US within the truck tuning world," Houck says. "But very little has been done with VWs."
Working in the fiber optic field as an applications engineer, Houck is no stranger to research and innovation, so it wasn't long before he found another like-minded soul (care of tdiclub.com) embarking on a similar adventure into the world of compounding turbochargers. Darkside Developments was contacted to source the high pressure turbo, while Bullseye Performance handled low pressure counterpart. His friend's brother, Jesse Brozyna, was an exhaust manifold fabricator in the JDM world and was going to be in town for Christmas. To simply say Jesse is a fabricator is a crime, because the intricacy and vision that has gone into the creation of this manifold is nothing short of amazing.
In the haze of bringing his compound turbo diesel to life, Houck happened upon a set of extraordinarily rare Image Billet 88 three-piece 19-inch wheels. With a little grinding on the Porsche 6-piston calipers, they fit perfectly inside the widened arches. The matte black paint was wrapped with a metallic blue vinyl to transform the car and better compliment the mirror-polished wheels, while certain parts of the diesel motor were painted Caterpillar yellow. Fitting, given the power it produces.
Despite being over a decade in the making, Houck is sure the car will never be completely done. He already has plans for the next stage of its life. While it's the first car he's ever modified, there are a couple other projects challenging the GTD for his attention, so who knows what we'll see next!
Vehicle: 2002 VW GTi
Driver: Michael Houck
Engine: Pump Deuce TDi w/Compound Turbo
Horsepower: TBD (not yet dyno'd)
Torque: TBD
Engine Modeifications
1.9L BEW Pump Deuce TDI Block
2.0L BHW Pistons (machined to lower compression to 17:1)
Total Seal gapless second ring
Rosten rods
Performance Diesel Engineering ½-in. girdle
BRM Oil Pump
Balanced rotating assembly
Port, polished & gasket matched heads
Bosio R783 nozzles
PD150 intake manifold
Darkside Developments EGR delete pipe
Malone Tuning custom Stage-5 tune
Garrett GTB2056vk high pressure turbo
Bullseye S247 low pressure turbo
Precision 46mm X-over waste gate
JDL Auto Designs custom compound turbo manifold
Custom FMIC
Custom 3-in. straight-pipe exhaust
Drivetrain / Chassis / Suspension
02M 6MT (Quattro Gearbox, TDI gearing swap)
Pelican front LSD
South Bend OFE SS Stage-5 clutch
Single mass flywheel
Raxles axles
Haldex rear end swap
F-Town Street Machines stand-alone Haldex controller
R32/TT (sub frame & A-arm conversion)
RideTech e3 Air Ride Management
Bagyard Bombers front struts
Slam Specialties RE-5 rear bags
Wheels / Tires / Brakes
Image Billet 88s wheels – 19x9 (f), 19x10.5 (r)
Tires - 215/35 R19 (f), 235/35 R19 (r)
Brakes (Porsche six-piston calipers (f), Wilwood four-piston calipers (r), ABS Delete w/custom hardlined brakes)
Custom (all metal wide body)
OEM R32 bumpers (front and rear)
OEM R32 side skirts
Seat Cupra lip
Stubby mirrors
OEM shaved notch carbon fiber hood
2bar grill
Carbon fiber hatch
OEM HIDs
Ocean tails
Shaved (fender markers, bumper turns, side moldings, bay)
Recaro GT3 cloth seats
RaceQuip five-point cam-lock harnesses
CAE shifter
Sparco steering wheel
Barber Race Works custom four-point welded cage
Custom (metal rear seat delete, smooth hatch area)
Aluminum fuel cell
Dual 3-gallon air tanks
R32 black headliner
Malone Tuning, Protech Motorsports, JDL Auto Design


text:
The YMCA in Grayslake, IL, will close on Sept. 1 due to space and expansion issues, according to Y officials.
A notice sent by the Y to existing members stated that the facility, which has been open since 1999, was located in a small storefront with limited space. That situation presented several challenges, including the inability to expand in order to provide a pool or additional programming to support the Y's mission.
"This is not the experience we wish to provide for our members," the notice stated.
Y officials have no plans to open a new location in Grayslake.
"We are not exploring options to build another Y in Grayslake," Sherrie Medina, vice president of marketing and communications with the YMCA of Metro Chicago, told the Grayslake Patch. "We understand some of our members are unhappy, and [we] are grateful for their connection to the facility and how much they care about the YMCA."
Members can use the Y through Aug. 31. The Grayslake YMCA is offering open houses to the four surrounding YMCAs and is encouraging members to transfer their memberships to one of those facilities. Members who transfer will receive two months of free membership at their new Y.


text:
Bontrager's Interchange Handlebar Basket is perfect for the farmer's market or carrying your books to class. It adds a touch of class and convenience to every bike. Plus, it fits all handlebars, goes on and off in a breeze, features sturdy wire construction and has a built-in carrying handle, too.
(based on 2 reviews)
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
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This basket is HEAVY DUTY
By Diane
from Arlington, Texas
About Me Avid Cyclist
My bike is my only form of transportation, and I even use it to haul groceries to feed a family of three. I overload this basket multiple times a week with groceries, books and other things -- and it held up beautifully for 2 1/2 years before the mesh attached to the locking mechanism finally began to break. Note: that I had the brace professionally installed at a bike shop, so maybe that is why I have not had any problems with it.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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Great Idea, bad mechanics
By Bicycling Buddy
from Columbia, SC
About Me Casual/ Recreational
Maybe it was installed incorrectly, but the brace that the basket attaches to (on the handlebars),
broke the first day I used it.
Basket will slide onto the brace now, but there is no "locking" device. That is the part that broke. Seems too small for the basket's weight.
Now, if I go over a medium size bump, the basket usually falls off.
Very disappointed. Love the basket.. Wish it could be attached some other way.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
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text:
UTSA-Louisiana Tech Preview
Louisiana Tech might be in the midst of one of the best seasons
in school history, but it collectively understands it can't take
anything for granted.
After a lackluster performance in their last contest, the No. 22
Bulldogs hope to maintain full focus when they try for a third
consecutive victory Saturday against visiting Texas-San Antonio in
a Western Athletic Conference matchup.
Louisiana Tech (7-1, 2-0) moved back into the Top 25 by piling
up a school-record 839 yards during a 70-28 rout of Idaho on Oct.
20. However, the Bulldogs held a 7-0 halftime lead against a
one-win New Mexico State squad before totaling 530 yards in a 28-14
road victory last Saturday for their first-ever win as a ranked
"I guess we are human," said senior Colby Cameron, who was 29
of 44 for 292 yards with a touchdown. "It was kind of like a gut
check to us that we need to get better."
Though the Bulldogs rank in the top 10 in the FBS averaging 52.6
points and 328.6 passing yards, they learned last weekend that even
the most favorable matchups can be a challenge.
"We are not taking any team lightly," receiver Myles White, who
had season highs of seven receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown
last Saturday, told Louisiana Tech's official website. "We have to
step our game up some more. (This last game showed) anything can
happen. We expect to be great so we have to execute at all
Cameron has certainly done that while ranking among the national
leaders completing 70.5 percent of his passes for 2,598 yards with
21 TDs and throwing an NCAA single-season record 319 passes without
an interception. Dating back to last season, Cameron has thrown 335
passes without a pick and is in position to break the national
record of 379 set by Russell Wilson over the 2008 and 2009 seasons
while at North Carolina State.
Cameron's top target, Quinton Patton, has 65 receptions for 848
yards and 10 TDs, but has been limited to 10 for 83 yards and a
score in the last two games.
While the Bulldogs' offense sputtered some at New Mexico State,
it got back on track thanks to 130 rushing yards and a touchdown
from senior Ray Holley.
Whether through the air or on the ground, the Bulldogs pose a
major challenge to a Texas-San Antonio team playing its second full
season of football and first in the WAC. The Roadrunners (5-3,
1-2), guided by former Miami coach Larry Coker, have been outscored
134-55 during a three-game skid after winning their first five
contests – three against non-FBS schools.
"(UTSA) is actually a good football team, and you can see them
improving," Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Dykes said. "I think what
has happened is they played a pretty favorable schedule early and
gained a little confidence. I really think they did a smart thing
scheduling and got some confidence, and then they played some of
the better teams in the WAC."
Freshman Ryan Polite has completed 60.3 percent of his passes
for 550 yards with three TDs and three INTs over the last two games
in place of Eric Soza, who could return from a fractured hip
suffered during a 34-14 loss at Rice on Oct. 13. Polite threw for
248 yards with a touchdown and two picks during last Saturday's
48-17 loss to Utah State.


text:
Bachelor of Jewish Education
Thank you for your interest in applying to the Bachelor of Jewish Education completion program at Hebrew College. Please read these instructions carefully before completing your application. Should you have any questions about the application process or regarding the status of your application, please contact us:
Office of Admissions
M-Th, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; F, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Selection of Candidates
Admissions decisions are based on a careful review of a candidate's completed application, credentials, supporting documents and appropriateness for the degree program. Applicants for graduate-degree programs must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a competitive GPA. Hebrew College admits qualified students without regard to age, sex, religion, disability, race, color or national origin. An application for financial aid does not in any way affect a candidate's application for admission.
Application Submission
You may fill out the application by clicking here. Please send supporting materials to email@example.com or to:
Office of Admissions
Hebrew College
160 Herrick Road
Newton Centre, MA 02459
You are responsible to ensure that all of your application materials are received; we welcome calls or emails from candidates regarding the status of their applications.
Application deadlines are May 15 for fall admission and Nov. 15 for spring admission. Extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis, though financial aid awards may be more limited for late applications.
Application Checklist
All applicants must submit the following materials:
- A completed, signed application form
- Two essays, as described below
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies from accredited academic institutions. Please have official copies of transcripts forwarded directly from the issuing institution to the Office of Admissions.
- Two letters of recommendation, including at least one (if possible), from an academic instructor. Letters should be completed on this form and mailed directly to the Office of Admissions, or sent electronically to email@example.com.
- A nonrefundable application fee of $50.
The interview is an essential and required part of the application process for all Hebrew College graduate-degree programs. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to learn more about the college and program for which you are applying. You may conduct your interview via phone, Skype or on campus.
Financial Aid
Information about our financial aid policies may be found here. If you are applying for financial aid, please complete the required forms and submit with your application materials according to the deadline schedule above.
Essay Questions
Please compose responses to the following questions, in one- to two pages each:
- Why are you applying to the Bachelor of Jewish Education completion program at Hebrew College? How would studying here enable you to reach your personal and/or professional goals?
- Discuss your reactions, impressions and opinions to the following text:
"חנוך לנער על פי דרכו" ("Educate a child according to his/her own needs and direction...")
משלי כב ו (Proverbs 22.6)
Office of Admissions
160 Herrick Road
Newton Centre, MA 02459


text:
Foxborough turns focus to slots bid
A representative from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission heads to Foxborough next Tuesday, Feb. 26, to answer questions and address residents' concerns should slot machines land at a horse track in neighboring Plainville.
The special appearance of the gaming commission's ombudsman, John Ziemba, will take place nine months after a proposal to build a full-scale resort casino near Gillette Stadium fell apart in the face of heated opposition in Foxborough.
Plainridge Racecourse has more modest plans, with the harness track's owners applying for the single license for a slots-only operation offered under the
law expanding gambling.
The gaming agency's representative was invited "to come to our board meeting to summarize the review and permitting process, and answer questions from the board and residents,'' said James J. DeVellis, chairman of the Foxborough Board of Selectmen. "There will be only one slot house permitted in the state, and being a potential abutter, I want to make sure we understand the responsibilities and obligations from the developer.''
The slots license is expected to be issued by year's end. Full casino licenses — up to one each for Greater Boston, Western Massachusetts and Southeastern Massachusetts — are expected to be issued starting next February, according to the Gaming Commission.
Plainridge is not the only bidder vying for the slots license.
Raynham Park, a former greyhound-racing track 15 miles southeast of Foxborough, has partnered with Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment to seek the same permit. To the north, PPE Casino Resorts wants to open a 24-hour slots parlor at the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers. A wild card in the mix is Chicago casino tycoon Neil Bluhm, who filed a last-minute application last month without specifying whether he was seeking a license for a casino or a slots parlor — or where in Greater Boston it would be built.
What seems certain is none of the gambling facilities will be built in Foxborough, where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Las Vegas casino developer Steve Wynn dropped their plans after casino opponents were elected to the Board of Selectmen last May. Wynn has since set his sights on putting a casino in Everett.
"I think there will always be concerns about the impact of a casino regardless of the location, as many believe it is one business that takes rather than gives to the area and in general,'' DeVellis said.
"Obviously, this was a contentious issue here in Foxborough, and there are two distinct opinions on the topic,'' DeVellis said. "In my opinion, the negative impact to Foxborough is diminished the farther away a casino or slot house is when built. Others feel it was a missed opportunity.''
Mark Sullivan, vice chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said little has changed in Foxborough since last year.
"I don't think any feelings have changed at all,'' Sullivan said.
"Speaking for myself, here is something that has totally turned the town upside down, turned friend against friend. The whole thing has been a disaster.''
Sullivan and DeVellis both are keeping an eye on developments across the town line, and recently attended a hearing on the expected traffic impact of expanding operations at the usually sleepy Plainridge.
Plainridge president Gary Piontkowski said he understands Foxborough's interest in his plans but he will not be attending the meeting. He also dismissed concerns about the traffic that a slots parlor would add to roads in either town.
Traffic generated by Plainridge would grow from 2,800 to 6,534 vehicle trips per day if slot machines were added, according to a traffic analysis included with Plainridge's draft environmental impact report.
By contrast, the nearby Lowes hardware store sees 7,856 vehicle trips a day, and the local Target department store has 17,610 vehicle trips per weekday and more than 25,000 on weekends.
The report also looked at traffic in Foxborough, where 34,000 vehicles a day go in and out of Patriot Place, next to Gillette Stadium.
"How do you think the traffic is going to be impacted by 6,000 cars 7 miles away? They already have 34,000 a day at Patriot Place. What's the impact of adding slot machines?'' Piontkowski said. "It's a red herring.''
But DeVellis said selectmen would be remiss if they did not ask questions now. During the months of casino debate in town, residents and officials from surrounding towns raised their concerns and Foxborough officials listened.
He said it is in Foxborough's best interest to examine the gambling issue from all angles — even in a neighboring town — rather than be left with regrets later.
For his part, Plainville Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes said he planned to attend the Foxborough meeting, which takes place on Feb. 26 in the Andrew A. Gala Jr. Meeting Room of Foxborough Town Hall.
"Obviously, this is something that has an impact on Plainville,'' Fernandes said.
Correction: Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article gave an incorrect date for a Foxborough Board of Selectmen meeting where a representative from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will answer questions about Plainridge Racecourse's application for the state's sole slot parlor license. The discussion is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 26.


text:
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'iPod' started by klm9210, Apr 25, 2012.
When did you get your first iPod? What model was it?
Me? A white 2GB Nano in 2005.
A black 4 gig nano.
A silver second gen 2GB nano, about five or six years ago now I guess! I remember when it arrived.. I was ecstatic
2 gen green nano 2006
1st gen black nano in 2005, bought with my own money when I was 11. that's what started it all for me with apple
3rd generation with the four buttons bought in 2003. I still have it but it's been dead for a few years. It feels like an absolute brick compared to my 5th gen. nano. I've owned two classics, a mini, and a nano and that little 3rd gen. beast was by far my favorite.
3rd generation with buttons and red lights. Best iPod ever. Still works but the battery won't hold a charge. I use it almost every day.
2nd gen iPod Shuffle 2GB, got it when it came out late 2007. Such a solid little iPod. The following fall, got myself a first gen iPod Touch
all but final (can we say that yet?) release of the classic, 160gb.
now just use a shuffle.
a 20GB in 2004.
First gen iPod 5GB (with moving click wheel) in early 2002
Well I hafta admit,
I never did the iPod thing. In my mind, there were tons of competitive products with similar or more storage for a fraction of the price (and usually, more features like FM radio). So my first iPod was my iPhone 4 32GB I got in 2010!
That said, I really do like the accessory market, compatibility and integration with everything, and how much better it plays with iTunes, et al. Definitely the best mp3 player out there, but it took them adding a smartphone into it to finally sell me. That kind of a feature is hard to look past
A blue 8GB iPod Nano 4th Generation. It was a gift for Christmas 2008.
iPod Mini 2nd Gen 4GB in blue, paid £2 for it
iPhone 4S 32GB White, iPad 3 16GB Black, iPod Video 5.5G 30GB Black, iPod Mini 8GB CF Mod, Shure SE 425's
A white 5G 30gb iPod Video. Got it in January 2006.
2nd generation iPod touch was my first. It started my downward spiral into the Apple universe. Now almost every piece of tech I own has an Apple logo on it.
My first iPod was a 2nd gen touch. I then moved to a zune after getting mine stolen. Then a 3rd gen touch followed by and 4th gen touch then a second gen nano. Finally the iPhone 4.
nano 4 gen, in early fall '08. I bought it in the green, because I have a weakness for green in general. I was pretty happy with the color...until the next generation came out and the lineup included a gorgeous, dreamy emerald green that was *exatly* my favorite shade of green
It burned, but I got over it quick because I knew I had gotten mine when I honestly needed it, not just as a random whim - my ancient little creative Muvo from like '04 had finally given up the ghost Of course, it could be that what made the biggest difference was the brand new iphone that was in my pocket and piping music in my ears when I saw those new ipods
But I didn't stop using the ipod, it actually turned into he perfect setup because I began to use the ipod for hooking into my sound system at home (and in the car for road trips) so even though I got my iphone when my ipod was still fairly new, I still got tons of use out of the ipod. Still am!
Blue first-gen 4 gb iPod mini.
30 GB black iPod Video, purchased in December of 2005, and still in fairly regular use. The battery only lasts a few hours now, but I mainly use it docked in my speakers in my kitchen, so not too big of a deal.
1st Gen iPod Touch. A friend I used to play poker with had got it for Christmas and didn't want it, so I bought it on a whim.
I used the heck out of that thing. It was really my introduction to how Apple did things.
3rd generation 10GB white iPod with the clickwheel and red buttons. I love it so much still.
Same, mine is an usable brick now but it is still in my possession.
We bought 2 iPods on the same day.
A 512MB shuffle 1st gen for me and a 6GB mini 2nd gen for my wife.
30gb iPod Photo I believe it was called, back in 2005. I lost it a couple of years later though.


text:
|You are replying to: Grill not getting hot
Topic Title: Grill not getting hot
Created on March 14, 2010 at 09:22 PM
I own a legacy grill which is about 10 years old. I began having problems with low temperatures towards the fall of last year. This winter, I completely disassembled the burner and cleaned it thoroughly. I also removed the filters from the stacks and cleaned the grill pan to nearly new condition. The problem continued. The grill has always been hooked up to the larger propane tank which services the house. I tried hooking it up to a small bbq tank with the regulator it came with and I still could not get the reading on either the thermometer on the grill or a stand alone oven thermometer to read above 325 after 1 hour of being on. I have tried a variety of settings on the adjustable air inlet from a perfect blue flame to a higher flame with 1/2 yellow flame and nothing seems to improve the temperature. I waited until today (outside temp 54 degrees) to see if the cold weather was the issue (it never had been a problem before)> I know the grill and burner are as clean as a whistle. Am I overlooking something, or is the burner at the end of its life?
@ Bill
Blockage in the gas valve, possibly in the orifice?
If your burner is in one piece, it should be okay. It is most likely not getting enough gas pressure.
The air-shutter adjustment will not be effective until you get full gas flow through the burner.
Bill--check the orifice. I did the same thing you did and it still wouldn't get hot. Holland told me how to clean out the orifice and sure enough, there was a little cobweb blocking the very tiny hole in the orifice. good luck
I guess I should have mentioned that I also disassembled the orifice and checked it out. It was clean as a whistle. Again, the flame on the burner appears to be good - I can get a perfect blue flame or change the airflow to increase the size of the flame but it will turn to more blueish yellow. Thanks for the suggestions, but I really can't seem to put my finger on this one. The grill never had a problem getting hot any time of year before (albeit it takes a little longer in the winter to get up to temperature). The burner itself appears to be in excellent over shape for its age. I'm really baffled! Does anyone have a picture of what the flame should look like?
@ Bill
Sorry, no pictures, but the flame should be 2 1/2"-3" long all around the burner. It should be mostly blue with small yellow tips. It should come out of the burner with enough pressure so that it "sqirts" out horizontally for about 3/4" before curling up. You should also hear a light "hissing" sound coming from the burner.
One other thing, if you have an early Legacy with the filters in the smoke-stacks, you probly have a slightly smaller orifice than current SS grills. You can order the current #57 orifice in the "Parts/warranty" section. Not much difference in size, but it should help.
I had the same problem. I replaced the regulator and that solved the problem.
I can't understand how the orifice could suddenly become too small after a decade of fine service. Again, I checked this carefully when I switched the supply from the house service to the smaller portable tank, using the Holland regulator I had never used before. The temperature remained nearly the same. I am going to remove the orifice again and check it, and I'll let you know what I find. I can't imagine this grill being cleaner or more checked out than I have done. Perhaps a recheck will discover some problem. I looked at every possible troubleshooting problem on this website when I first encountered the issue, including cleaning, filters, orifice, air shutter, pressure, regulators - none have solved the problem.
I had to order a new regulator for mine when I experienced similar heating concerns and it solved the problem.
@Bill--a rule of thumb is, with any gas cooking appliance--"if it was getting hot and now it's not, something is blocking the flow of gas". You just have to find it. Orifices don't change sizes but they can become clogged by something very small. Regulators go back, and occasionally tank valves are not right. good luck
Since you are hooked up to your house propane tank did you use copper tubing that may have gotten kinked and restricting gas flow?
Bill, I have a Legacy also and have the same problem, not heating up when the outside air tempature starts falling. I live in Kentucky and my grill works fine during the late spring too early fall. I called Holland and they are sending me a larger orifice for my grill. I am sure this will fix my problem.
I have a six year old Tradition that allways heated good, this Spring would not get above 325. I removed the orifice then used a set of torch tip cleaners on the orifice hole. After that I went up one size with the tip cleaner and that fixed my problem. Nice blue flame with temp staying around 400.The torch tip cleaners are small needle files.
Another tip while the orifice is out is to run a brush up into the burner to brush out the rust. You can tilt the grille over to remove the rust. Do not blow up into the burner because there is a screen that will get clogged up.
Don Stephens
Not getting hot Found the cast burner head blocked with rust slag took the head off cleaned above screen and below was blocked with scale3/4 of the opening hahapa
If anyone has a used SS Holland for sale please send me a email at cooper firstname.lastname@example.com does not matter what model
I have had my stainless legacy grill for over 10 years. I was not getting any flame and the problem proved to be the regulator. I ordered a new one from Holland for the Legacy. My grill is now getting real hot very fast. It normally cooked at around 400 degrees with full gas flow. Now it is getting to over 500 degrees and I am having to turn down the gas flow. Is this normal for a Legacy or did I get the wrong regulator.
@ Bill
Are you sure that the hose/regulator you bought is a "Low pressure" hose/regulator? If by chance you bought a "High pressure" unit, you should exchange it. You can damage your grill & it can void your warranty.