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Anonymous Poster

Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/23/2009 11:32 AM

Could we simply convert CO2 into carbohydrates? in the same way as nature does, using ultraviolet radiation plus water plus a catalyst?

Why wasting the CO2 then?

Geniuses ... why don't you do that? We would not need oil at all! would we?

Kazik

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#1

Re: conversion of CO2 into synthetic gasoline cost 7c/l

10/23/2009 11:54 AM
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#2

Re: conversion of CO2 into synthetic gasoline cost 7c/l

10/23/2009 12:46 PM

Right now there is no known better way to do this than through the use of plantlife.

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#4
In reply to #2

Re: conversion of CO2 into synthetic gasoline cost 7c/l

10/24/2009 2:01 AM

with algea.

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#15
In reply to #4

Re: conversion of CO2 into synthetic gasoline cost 7c/l

10/30/2009 7:11 AM

Duh!

The algae that do it ARE plantlife !

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#3

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/24/2009 12:52 AM

Hi Kazik,

It is called CHEMISTRY. Carbon dioxide is made up of one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen. To convert this into a carbohydrate would require the inclusion of hydrogen, thus requiring a certain amount of energy to obtain. To convert this to a hydrocarbon, which is what I think you meant, would require not only the addition of hydrogen, but the removal of oxygen from the molecule. The energy involved in these processes are high enough to make your idea financially stupid.

Mike

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#5

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/24/2009 8:33 AM

You are right, Kazik.

We need to discover how to do it.

It is possible, go on.

Arturo

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#6

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/24/2009 9:20 AM

I agree with Arturo. It is possible (since so many millions of plants are doing it) - without having that much of extra energy.

And if it does take at the concentration the plants are doing, even more welcome, it will solve the global warming.

But there is only one problem-

This is engineers forum, this is scientists work. Let them do it in lab scale and we will make the machine .

Any way quite a few of them must be already struggling on it.

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#7

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/24/2009 10:21 AM

Plant life as auto tropes has its own unique self carbohydrate production by means of photo synthesis. If we are able to mimic, then dependency of plant life as prime producers can be acheived. The hydrogen cell conversion is also under study based on this model.Nature is our sole inspiration in all our deeds. Take up your own study on plants and prove something worth. To me how the tender coconut gets into oil bearing dry coconut is something to keenly study about carbon conversion.

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#8

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/24/2009 11:39 AM

Google "photosynthesis".

The world doesn't need oil. Mankind only chooses to use it because it is addicted to it.

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#13
In reply to #8

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/28/2009 5:21 PM

.... or better put: addicted to it's (past & present) economic viability?

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#9

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/26/2009 8:07 AM

This gasifier seems to be starting point.

They describe the co2 and steam being partially converted to co and h2.

From what I have read, this was popular during WWII. I have seen plans on the net for this machine, but I lost that link and have moved another direction in my back yard experiments.

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#10

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/26/2009 10:36 AM

It can be done. The most common process to do so is called the Fischer-Tropsch process. It is a horribly inefficient way, in terms of energy return on invested energy, to produce usable hydrocarbons. Nazi Germany and apartheid South Africa resorted to the process to produce synthetic fuels when access to conventional oil supply was unavailable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischer%E2%80%93Tropsch_process

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Steamer Stan

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#11

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/26/2009 7:09 PM

«Carbon dioxide thus can be chemically transformed from a detrimental greenhouse gas causing global warming into a valuable, renewable and inexhaustible carbon source of the future allowing environmentally neutral use of carbon fuels and derived hydrocarbon products.» J. Org. Chem. 2009, 74, 487–498 and references sited herein. From: George A. Olah,* Alain Goeppert, and G. K. Surya Prakash Title is: Recycling of Carbon Dioxide to Methanol and Dimethyl Ether: From Greenhouse Gas to Renewable, Environmentally Carbon Neutral Fuels and Synthetic Hydrocarbons. It's a nice review on what you propose.

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#12

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/27/2009 4:52 PM

If you start converting CO2 you will confound all the global warming climate change greenies who think they have found a way of wrestling control of civilization away from the evil capitalist pigs.

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#14

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/30/2009 7:07 AM

I recall reading sometime ago that in New Zealand they are/were using geothermal energy to produce petrol (gasoline) from trees, something like this:

CO2 -> trees -> methanol -> + geothermal energy -> petrol (gasoline).

Richard Branson (of Virgin Airlines etc.) has been involved in the successful development of a plant derived jet fuel. Apparently at a recent press conference he presented a glass of the stuff, said that he'd been told it was so safe you could drink it, and proceeded to put his mouth where his money was and drink some! He then pulled a face and added that he wouldn't recommend drinking it . I understand that at least initially it will be blended with traditional jet fuel.

The real barrier to Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline, or using other renewable alternatives is that it is cheaper in the short term to pump oil from the ground than to develop and set up the technology and infrastructure to use alternatives.

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#16

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/31/2009 5:14 PM

Good Idea, yes we can!

Consequences: It we take a 100 engineers and scientists, a plant that can consume a lot of coal or other alternative energy, one month of work, a million dollar of enzymes and other ingredients plants used, to produce may be a 25 kg bag sold, in the market place,. for $13.00 when produced by nature.

Likewise, some people claim that so much eggs, we have, are engineering and technology products. They even claim that they know people who work in factory where they make eggs. "Eggs are relatively cheap because no chicken can make so much." I strongly believe if we had such technology an egg would cost $200.00

What about milk? when cow are on strike for abuse and calling "no more So like milk" we can tell them "o.k you' r fired we make our job ourselves. Good luck alien geniuses !

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#17
In reply to #16

Re: Converting CO2 into Synthetic Gasoline

10/31/2009 6:59 PM

Yeah, I (sort of) remember when I took my first hit of LSD!

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