JAN 14

Interestingly, another method has come to light (pardon the pun in advance) in creating carbon monoxide – from perhaps an even more undesirable source than trash. Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico are working on a prototype that will concentrate solar energy to “re-energize” carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, which can then be used to synthesize a variety of fuels.

Sandia Labs’ Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (also known as CR5, thankfully) was designed as a solar-powered hydrolyzer originally, but researchers also realized the potential of the system to convert carbon dioxide gases into energy sources.

Used to produce hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide and water, the CR5 could be used in synthesizing fuels – by feeding these products to Coskata’s bacterial ethanol machine or providing the starting point for the synthesis of other fuels, from methanol to jet diesel, or even plastics.

Initially, researchers hope to place the CR5 as a collector at point sources of carbon dioxide. Ultimately, they plan for the CR5 to trap carbon dioxide directly from the air.

Whether syngas is created from trash or carbon dioxide, these inputs would be highly preferable to conventional raw fossil fuels. Ever heard of IGCC? Clean coal energy through gasification? Tell me again why we should mine for inputs when there is so much free trash and carbon dioxide.

Via Renewable Energy Access

Comments (2)

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Timing ..
written by ASiegel1, January 14, 2008

Looks to be that this is perhaps 15 years off. Interesting technology but not something 'on the shelf'. The Coskata seems (press release material) to be far closer.

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Holy Grails of Sun Power!
written by Uncle B, March 16, 2009

One day, a magic series of processes and catalysts and complex Chemistry and Physics will be incorporated into a single factory that produces a fuel not unlike diesel, an idealized fuel, for use in personal transportation units, similar to our cars, and trains. Air travel is an extravagance of the "Cheap Oil Era", and will die away. Finding a replacement for the petroleum based fertilizers we now use with abandon, but will no longer have as the "Cheap Oil Era" draws to an end will possibly be a more important challenge for Science. We must avoid nuclear as it is one engineering error from Armageddon and requires fuels already owned by the Uber-rich of the world - we do not want to trade OPEC blackmail for "Uber-Rich blackmail" to fuel reactors already invested in, and holding us hostage to the blackmail process do we? Nobody owns the Sun, Wind, Tides, Rivers, and Geothermal areas, so we still have a chance at "Free" perpetual or renewable if you wish, energy sources! The Eureka! moment is coming, and when it hits we will rejoice in the streets, and until then, toil in the labs to fine it.

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