https://singularityhub.com/2022/07/25/this-solar-tower-syste… The facility, described in a paper in Joule, features 169 sun-tracking reflective panels that redirect and concentrate sunlight into the solar reactor perched on top of a 49-foot-high tower. Water and CO2 are pumped into the solar reactor, which contains a porous structure made of ceria, an oxide of the rare-earth metal cerium.
The ceria helps drive a redox reaction that strips oxygen from the water and CO2 to create a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen known as syngas. The ceria is not consumed by this process and can be re-used, while the excess oxygen is simply released into the atmosphere. The syngas is pumped down the tower to a gas-to-liquid converter, where it is processed into liquid fuel that contains 16 percent kerosene and 40 percent diesel.
By using the heat of the sun to drive the entire process, the setup provides a way around the considerable electricity demands of more conventional approaches. However, the researchers note that the efficiency of their system is still relatively low.
I’ll also be more impressed when they have a process that produces hydrocarbons, rather than carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220720121020.htm
“With our solar technology, we have shown that we can produce synthetic kerosene from water and CO2 instead of deriving it from fossil fuels”…The solar-made kerosene is fully compatible with the existing aviation infrastructure for fuel storage, distribution, and end use in jet engines, Steinfeld says. It can also be blended with fossil-derived kerosene, he adds.
In 2017, the team started scaling up the design and built a solar fuel-production plant at IMDEA Energy Institute in Spain. The plant consists of 169 sun-tracking reflective panels that redirect and concentrate solar radiation into a solar reactor mounted on top of a tower. The concentrated solar energy then drives oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction cycles in the solar reactor, which contains a porous structure made of ceria…Subsequently, syngas is sent into a gas-to-liquid converter, where it is finally processed into liquid hydrocarbon fuels that include kerosene and diesel…
During a nine-day run of the plant reported in the paper, the solar reactor’s energy efficiency – the portion of solar energy input that is converted into the energy content of the syngas produced – was around 4%. Steinfeld says his team is working intensively on improving the design to increase the efficiency to values over 15%.
Oh, and I’m also wondering how long it will be before the excess oxygen is declared to be a pollutant.
Wait! How much do insurance companies charge for oxygen in a tank? I see lots of folks walking around with oxygen tanks. Let’s not waste that precious resource - Let’s charge an arm and a leg for it.
The fossil fuels states will gladly take the case to SCOTUS where it will be declared a pollutant (by the majority of 6 to 3). Shows that no science is required to declare oxygen a pollutant, just like no science required to declare CO2 is not a pollutant and not a climate change driver.
During a nine-day run of the plant reported in the paper, the solar reactor’s energy efficiency – the portion of solar energy input that is converted into the energy content of the syngas produced – was around 4%.
That’s vastly more efficient than nature is in converting solar energy to fossil fuels.
The fossil fuels states will gladly take the case to SCOTUS where it will be declared a pollutant (by the majority of 6 to 3). Shows that no science is required to declare oxygen a pollutant,…
Whoa!
First you make a prediction The fossil fuels states will gladly take the case to SCOTUS where it will be declared a pollutant (by the majority of 6 to 3).
Then you claim that your prediction shows something. Shows that no science is required to declare oxygen a pollutant,…