# Comment on this "Gasification Machine"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-on-this-gasification-machine/330603>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 11, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-on-this-gasification-machine/330603 "2005-11-11T18:33:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-on-this-gasification-machine/330603/1 "2005-11-11T18:33:08Z")

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[Story](http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1105/276802.html)

> [@](#):
>
> The gasification machine’s inventor, Simon Romana, says it can use garbage or sewage to create pollution-free electricity and drinking water.
> 
> Romana says his machine burns hotter and cleaner than sewage gasification plants and large incinerators, but he won’t explain why.

I caught the last few seconds of a news spot on this. The thing looks like like a coal train engine turned inside-out. I was even less impressed that it was Marion “the bitch set me up” Barry acting like a gameshow prize model, grinning and gestering towards the monstrosity. I can’t dig up any links to pictures, and there is very little available online about the inventor, Simon Romana.

Anybody know anything about this machine? Is the input of energy plus biomass supposed to generate more energy at the output?

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**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-on-this-gasification-machine/330603/2 "2005-11-11T18:44:42Z")

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Didn’t Dean Kamen invent one of those a few years back?

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**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\
**Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comment-on-this-gasification-machine/330603/3 "2005-11-11T18:45:24Z")

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Sounds like a simple methane burning engine connected to a generator.