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This article on producing gasoline the air and water caught my eye as I was reading the news at Al Jazeera. Let’s be upfront here people, get your skeptical hats on because the process described seems to be a little short on detail (and verification) at the moment.
“A small company working in two converted shipping containers says it has found a way to make petrol from fresh air and water. Air Fuel Synthesis Chief Executive Peter Harrison says the process could help curb climate change by providing a cleaner alternative to oil.
“We’ve taken carbon dioxide from air and hydrogen from water and turned these elements into petrol,” he told Al Jazeera. “For a country like the UK it means we could create all the fuel you want from renewable energy.”
Limitless hydrocarbon based energy? Tell us more.
“Harrison explained that they use a 30 foot tower on top of their first container to capture CO2 from the air. The process of separation involves combining the air with sodium hydroxide and passing it through an electrolyser.
A similar method is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The CO2 and hydrogen are then synthesised to make methanol, and eventually petrol.
It cost them around $800,000 to build the plant. Since the mini-refinery was switched on in August, they have made 15 litres of fuel that could be used to power any normal car.
Philippa Oldham, head of transport at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, is excited at the breakthrough. “The process of making petrol from air is relatively straightforward and really does work,” she told Al Jazeera.
Of course, there is a downside at the moment.
“The barrier to expansion is that the process uses lots of power. Much more energy is fed into the plant, in the form of electricity, than is extracted from it.
Because of this, Lee Cronin, professor of chemistry at the University of Glasgow, is cautious about its potential.
“The bottom line – making very optimistic assumptions about their efficiency, if this company was to scale up to produce enough gasoline to meet demand in the USA, it would require half the world’s energy consumption every day,” he said. “That is clearly unacceptable.”
Mmmm….good point. There is a counter argument though.
Harrison believes Scotland’s ambitious targets mean there will be plenty of spare power. “There is a lot of renewable energy around at the moment that is wasted,” he said. “What we want to do is to catch all that spare renewable electricity and use it in other forms. Petrol is something that is very useful and easy to store.”
Now doesn’t that just lace things up nicely. One of the problems with renewable energy is how to efficiently store the energy when demand has been met. One could imagine that the excess energy during non peak times could be transferred to into this process, creating gasoline that stores energy very efficiently and is easy to stockpile.
I’d like to see some numbers as to exactly how energy intensive this process is as that will play a deciding role in the viability of this new technology.
You know who should not have access to phone/mp3 player/distractothon 3000’s? Junior high students. Responsible use of electronics seems out of reach of many of my students. The best part is that they are willing to die on that technological hill with all the ensuing teen-age drama that seems to shadow their every step.
A solution could be cell phone jamming in particular areas where taking phone calls would not be appropriate. I just may have to ask Santa for such a device for testing purposes.
Apple Sheep – fall in! The next exceedingly incremental step of the latest Apple generative tech monolith is available. Blah blah blah better video, better camera. But hoo-boy, if you like the Ipad(3?) then just wait till the ipad(s?) comes out. I would have focused more on the generative aspects of Apple technology, but in lieu of making my own ranty video, this one will have to do.
It is not a burning hate of Apple that I possess, merely the facts about the hardware that makes my lip curl and snide comments usher forth. Hence, as always (or at least mostly always) I present the evidence for my point of view. :)
Apple products irk me to no end. They define the non-generative end of the technology spectrum. If Apple does not like your application it simply will not work on your ‘iwhatever’ (flash being a case in point). Apple seems to have dropped the ball again in one of their strong suits: design. (But it does blend well, a point in Apple’s favour.)
“Apple has acknowledged reception problems with its new iPhone 4, but the company is blaming the issue on how users are holding the device.
The new iPhone, which went on sale in several countries on Thursday, features an antenna built into the frame of the device itself. Some users immediately complained of losing reception, which prompted Apple to address the issue late Thursday.”
Huh. Well damn, I guess you just have to stop holding the phone to get good reception. But really, do you buy an Apple product for anything more than just to be seen with it. Functionality seems a distant second, at best. So what if the darn thing cannot pick up a signal, its an Apple and to be seen ‘using’ one should be enough.
‘Apple’s chief executive Steve Jobs further addressed the issue in an email to a user, which was posted on the Engadget website on Friday. The user wrote to complain about the problem, to which Jobs responded: “Just avoid holding it that way.”
Intend to get an Xbox off of eBay? Watch out, you might be getting one that Microsoft has banned from Xbox live for having illegal modifications – that is to say, you can play copied game disks on them.
I do not own an Xbox 360, nor will I. I am always a touch paranoid about buying into proprietary networks and systems just to be able to use a specific product.
I’m not particularly sorry for those who were banned, but neither am I feeling pain for MS either. It really just boils down to the move/counter-move dance of the corporations and pirates. I am sure the banned consoles will be back online soon enough.
bleatmop
Mystro
Dead Wild Roses 
Your opinions…