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

[Jay Lozier]

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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