New Technology Evaluation

Potential investors and lenders interested in participating financially in the advancement of new technologies often call on Barnes & Click to assist them in their evaluation of the op-portunity. This type of work is among the more enjoyable, yet challenging, aspects of our practice. It appeals to our "inner engineer" because it usually involves assessment of something that hasn’t been done before, or at least not in that way, which requires appli-cation of first principles engineering. Yet the question of economic feasibility is always forefront, satisfying our need to "follow the money."

Barnes & Click has evaluated such diverse technologies as a novel method of compressed natural gas storage and transport, a non-enzymatic process to produce cellulosic ethanol (the "holy grail" of the bio-fuels crowd), thermal cracking waste plastic (e.g., milk jugs) to produce diesel fuel, and several new processes for upgrading heavy oil or bitumen. Some work, some don’t, and some remain to be proven.

You can read examples of real-world technology evaluations in Barnes & Click Solutions:

CNG Ready for Waterborne Trade (Jan. 2003)
Evaluation of New Technologies (and other Weird Science) (Jan. 2006)
Heavy Oil Upgrading Advances (Jan. 2007)