Solar Powered Fuel Production From CO2
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beatlefan
Feeling the Heat
I saw this a couple days ago from the university where the research is taking place:
https://news.uic.edu/breakthrough-solar-cell-captures-co2-and-sunlight-produces-burnable-fuel
It's not inherently solar powered. The real gist of the research is the production of fuel from CO2, which is something that's been done in the lab for decades, but has been very difficult to make economical. It sounds like they made a pretty decent step in the right direction with their nanoflakes of catalyst.
It can use any electricity source. Solar is one of the more intriguing options, including because of the obvious comparison to leaves, so it's the source they tested it with.
Ideally, the syngas produced would be further processed into a fuel more easily storable and transportable. This is also well-established science in laboratory environments, but so far also not generally economical. Again, however, steps are being made in the right direction.
You actually can get syngas from wood, and I know of applications where it is used to run modified internal combustion engines.
https://news.uic.edu/breakthrough-solar-cell-captures-co2-and-sunlight-produces-burnable-fuel
It's not inherently solar powered. The real gist of the research is the production of fuel from CO2, which is something that's been done in the lab for decades, but has been very difficult to make economical. It sounds like they made a pretty decent step in the right direction with their nanoflakes of catalyst.
It can use any electricity source. Solar is one of the more intriguing options, including because of the obvious comparison to leaves, so it's the source they tested it with.
Ideally, the syngas produced would be further processed into a fuel more easily storable and transportable. This is also well-established science in laboratory environments, but so far also not generally economical. Again, however, steps are being made in the right direction.
You actually can get syngas from wood, and I know of applications where it is used to run modified internal combustion engines.
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