New Machine Converts CO2 into Gasoline, Diesel, and Jet Fuel

Very interesting technology. The researcher says it could be a very viable technology within the next 10-20 years.

Source = www.physorg.com...

(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have built a machine that uses the sun's energy to convert carbon dioxide waste from power plants into transportation fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The system could provide an alternative to carbon sequestration; instead of permanently storing CO2 underground, the CO2 could be recycled and put to use.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1830da8c113d.jpg[/atsimg]

It works currently, but its low efficiency needs to be upped, in order to be viable.

It will probably take 15-20 years before the technology is ready for the market, with the biggest challenge being to increase the system's efficiency. The researchers' goal is to achieve an efficiency of a few percent, which is about twice as efficient as photosynthesis' real-world efficiency of 1%. One way to increase efficiency is to develop new ceramic composites that release oxygen molecules at lower temperatures.

[edit on 12/4/2009 by VonDoomen]

haha i can see it now, these machines will have to be shut down because there stealing away the plants precious co2! (that's sarcasm)


pretty cool tho, anything that can convert something that's abundant into something useful gets a thumbs up from me.

Carbon Monoxide is a deadly by-product of combustion. It binds tightly to hemoglobin and can kill a person in minutes.

Carbon Dioxide is a byproduct of clean combustion and organic respiration.

To make any sort of fuel you still need a source of hydrogen, heat (energy from coal, natural gas, etc.) and a dangerous setup of boilers and reactors.

I say fail.

reply to post by emsed1


Im going to guess that this will become more viable when we have nano/molecular manufacturing. This seems to be a method for consolidating a building block of combustible gas. This is a technology that would have to be supported by other similar technologies. By creating a composite substrate of these simple elements, future molecular assembly systems could create a usable fuel source.

nice. did anybody see that plants are now being genetically engineered to photosynthesize into fossil fuels? i think it was in scientific american...

anyway, back on topic. how long until commercialization? Cost?