Title: Audi creates green 'e-diesel fuel of the future' using just carbon dioxide and water Source:
International Business Times, UK URL Source:http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/audi-creat ... t-carbon-dioxide-water-1498524 Published:Apr 27, 2015 Author:Ewan Palmer Post Date:2015-04-27 10:34:58 by Tooconservative Keywords:None Views:11564 Comments:26
German car manufacturer Audi says it has created the "fuel of the future" made solely from water, carbon dioxide and renewable sources.
The synthetic "e-diesel" was made following a commissioning phase of just four months at a plant in Dresden, Germany.
Unlike regular diesel, the clear fuel does not contain any sulphur or fossil oil, while it has an overall energy efficiency of around 70%.
Germany's federal minister of education and research, Dr Johanna Wanka, said she has already used the fuel in her Audi A8, while the company hopes the Dresden factory, operated by clean tech company Sunfire, will produce 160 litres of it every day in the coming months.
"This synthetic diesel, made using CO2, is a huge success for our sustainability research," Wanka said. "If we can make widespread use of CO2 as a raw material, we will make a crucial contribution to climate protection and the efficient use of resources, and put the fundamentals of the 'green economy' in place."
Creation of the fuel, which Audi and Sunfire are calling blue crude, first requires heating water to 800C (1,472F) to trigger a high temperature electrolysis to break down the steam to hydrogen and oxygen.
The hydrogen then reacts with the CO2 in synthesis reactors, again under pressure and at a high temperature. The reaction product is a liquid made from long‑chain hydrocarbon compounds, known as blue crude.
This synthetic fuel, which is free from sulphur and aromatic hydrocarbons, is suitable for mixing with fossil diesel or being used as a fuel in its own right.
Reiner Mangold, head of sustainable product development at Audi, said: "In developing Audi e-diesel we are promoting another fuel-based on CO2 that will allow long‑distance mobility with virtually no impact on the climate. Using CO2 as a raw material represents an opportunity not just for the automotive industry in Germany, but also to transfer the principle to other sectors and countries."
Poster Comment:
One of a number of promising alt energy technologies on the horizon.
Creation of the fuel, which Audi and Sunfire are calling blue crude, first requires heating water to 800C (1,472F) to trigger a high temperature electrolysis to break down the steam to hydrogen and oxygen.
The hydrogen then reacts with the CO2 in synthesis reactors, again under pressure and at a high temperature. The reaction product is a liquid made from long‑chain hydrocarbon compounds, known as blue crude.
This process runs to 1400° for the hydrolysis.
Sorry to break it to you, I was going to let it slide but thought naw. The hydroloysis part of the process chain is not F-T technology. F-T is the conversion of CO2 and H2 into liguid fuesl. This is what the Germans were forced to use in WWII and the South Africans when the world boycotted them. It is very old and very expensive technology that keeps getting recycled over and over and over again as the answer to the world's energy needs.
My junior year HS organic chemistry class final (circa 1960) had five problems each stated as follows: Starting with coal, air and water synthesize .......... I got a 100%. Actually it is theoretical quite easy to do. Elimianting what essentially are feedstock concentration steps, all you need to do is partially burn coal in air to produce CO. Use the Water Shift reaction to convert CO and H2O to CO2 and H2 and then use F-T to produce longer chain hydrocarbon compounds. If money is no object, voila you have lquid hydrocarbon fuesl made from nothing but coal, air and water. Neat, no?
So ask yourself this, why isn't anyone doing this? Knock yourself out if you don't have a better waste of your time.
So ask yourself this, why isn't anyone doing this? Knock yourself out if you don't have a better waste of your time.
As long as you're around, I don't need a waste of time.
The hydroloysis part of the process chain is not F-T technology.
Which is why they don't bother to call this F-T. There are a number of new subsystems in this process, no matter how much you love reliving the glory days of SoSo, Boy Genius back in 1960.