Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a promising reactor capable of producing fuel while recovering CO2.
The principle is simple: parabolic mirrors concentrate the sun's rays to obtain an energy comparable to that of 1500 suns. The flow is then directed to a reactor containing water and CO2. The operation turns it into synthesis gas (SynGas), corresponding to the preliminary stage to that of gasoline, kerosene or other fuels. By this process, cars and airplanes could travel with a neutral carbon balance.
This principle is no longer science fiction at the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), where such a machine was developed. Professor Aldo Steinfeld and his team have built a prototype that achieved a promising performance. Other teams of scientists have already tested this method, but results were disappointing.
For the time being, the energy efficiency of the installation Zurich is 0.8%. It should reach 19% in 2020, according to calculations made by researchers at ETH Zurich. "We can then imagine the construction of industrial reactors that would take place in huge towers", provides Aldo Steinfeld. For this, the ETH researches partners.
The oil lobby is already showing strong interest. "We will closely monitor this development," said Rolf Hartl. The director of the Swiss Oil adds cautiously that, in the past, attempts to research to produce gasoline have failed to pass on an industrial scale.
Laurenz Hanselman
(Translated with Google Translate)
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Comments: 12
Much of it is that oil has a lot of subsidies and the TCP does not. Give the subsidies to TCP and the oil problem goes away along with a lot of trash problems.
To soon to disclose technical details. But you have the data and no one impedes you to wright them for further questions.
Such feebates can most effectively facilitate the needed shift to clean energy, which typically will be electricity generated by facilities such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc. Problem is that most aviation will still require fuel for a long time. That's where technologies such as described in the post can help out. I therefore recommend additional fees to be imposed on aviation (on flights and/or on conventional jet fuel) to fund R&D and commercialization of such technologies.
Economically it will never work as it will penalize communications and exchanges.
I would prefer to use the energy balance index as currency standard.
But we are still far from anyecological and economical solution.