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Registered Member #1911
Joined: Mon Jan 05 2009, 06:30PM
Location: Salem, Oregon, USA
Posts: 165
This is an impressive invention because it reverses the consumation of fuels used that produce CO2
But isn't it true that this simply consumes cobalt oxide that could be used for other industrial applications, while the methanol, when burned, releases the same CO2 back into the atmosphere? Also, isn't methanol considered a 'carbon-neutral' fuel, since it's created from plants and, since the plants have to consume carbon-dioxide to make the sugars, which then convert into methanol, which, when burned, releases the same carbon dioxide the plant consumed?
Registered Member #235
Joined: Wed Feb 22 2006, 04:59PM
Location:
Posts: 80
Harry wrote ...
I wonder how much energy is needed for the mining, trans-shipment, refining, and synthesis of the cobalt oxide nanocrystals?
To expound upon that, I think the real question is the lifetime of the catalyst. Sure you need to look at the initial energy investment, but if the catalyst lasts for 1 million gallons of fuel, one would expect the net production of fuel to still be quite high.
Registered Member #27
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 02:20AM
Location: Hyperborea
Posts: 2058
But isn't it true that this simply consumes cobalt oxide that could be used for other industrial applications
They stated that it was a catalyst so it is not consumed in the process but it will suffer some degradation over time so it will not last forever.
while the methanol, when burned, releases the same CO2 back into the atmosphere?
Yes.
Also, isn't methanol considered a 'carbon-neutral' fuel, since it's created from plants and, since the plants have to consume carbon-dioxide to make the sugars, which then convert into methanol, which, when burned, releases the same carbon dioxide the plant consumed?
Methanol production on a large scale is usually done from natural gas. It is possible to create all fuels of this type in a carbon neutral way as long as you have access to energy to drive the process. There are both biological and synthetic ways to do it.
Registered Member #1617
Joined: Fri Aug 01 2008, 07:31AM
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 139
...I think the real question is the lifetime of the catalyst...
Also, how does the energy 'density' (correct term for enegy produced per volume/weight?), efficiency, cost per unit of energy etc compare with other already available solar technologies like solar panels etc?
Registered Member #543
Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992
It's one thing to think about refreshing the degraded catalyst in a small panel, but the suggestion was made that this invention would solve global energy needs - petawatts and growing.
Vast quantities of cobalt ore would have to be extracted and processed, degraded catalyst collected and re-cycled by an entire global industry, huge energy farms would have to be established in areas with sufficient sun and water, and so on.
But, it might, I s'pose, provide one small strand of a multi-source approach to energy production, if indeed it works at all, and is suitable for up-scaling.
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