[ale] OT Open-source energy (fuel from air)

[Jim Kinney]

I saw a blurb on this process a while back. A potential semi-practical
use was to use this in the stack of a power plant or cement factory.
Extremely high CO2 and heat.

Can't recall the blurb right now but a claim is out that a catalyst
has been found that lowers the hydrolysis energy level. I didn't read
the whole thing but vaguely recall some chemistry that sounded fishy.

On Wed, Nov 28, 2012 at 3:49 PM, Jay Lozier <jslozier at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 11/28/2012 02:01 PM, Rich Faulkner wrote:
>
> Found this via CNN and thought I'd share:
>
> http://www.airfuelsynthesis.com/investment-opportunity/projects/1000-tonne-a-day-plant-.html
>
> The gist of it is to take carbon dioxide and react it with hydrogen
> separated from water to create methanol.  Best of all, IT WORKS!!!
>
> Will be following this with great interest!
>
> Cheers!    Rich in Lilburn
>
> Looking at their blurb I am not convinced as a chemist the process will be
> commercially viable. Electrolysis of water requires dc current breakdown the
> water in hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogenation reaction to methanol or
> methane appears to require both pressure and temperature; more energy
> inputs; for the reaction to occur. They posit using only solar energy which
> will probably limit the locations a plant can be built - the middle of a
> desert for best solar efficiency.
>
> The basic thermodynamics of the propose process will require energy inputs
> in as electric current, pressure, and heat for the required reactions to
> occur. They do not occur spontaneously under normal pressures and
> temperature. Whether this is overall a better process I do not know but I
> tend to doubt it or it would be used commercially. The actual reactions have
> been know and studied for sometime with vary degrees of enthusiasm.
>
> Another issue is the concentration of carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere is
> about 0.04% and the amount of water for comparison is typically  1% near the
> surface. So they will need to concentrate the carbon dioxide to have an
> efficient process; more energy.
>
> --
> Jay Lozier
> jslozier at gmail.com
>
>
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-- 
--
James P. Kinney III

Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you
gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his
own tail. It won't fatten the dog.
- Speech 11/23/1900 Mark Twain

http://electjimkinney.org
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