3 ms·
Agreed. Hydrocarbon fuel is going to be hard to get rid of entirely. Especially in applications where energy density is important. But beyond aerospace I’m n
by mulmen 3y ago
Agreed. Hydrocarbon fuel is going to be hard to get rid of entirely. Especially in applications where energy density is important. But beyond aerospace I’m not sure what those applications actually are. Once (if?) we start accounting for actual costs the more energy efficient option should win out just based on economics.
Is seawater sourced carbon actually carbon neutral? I always imagined the neutrality of synfuel relying on atmospheric carbon. I know the ocean absorbs some but is it enough to not be adding CO2 to the atmosphere? And if not then whats the energy efficiency of atmospheric carbon captured synfuels?
- dredmorbius 3y agoCO2 in seawater is in equilibrium with that in the atmosphere, so there's a constant exchange, and the ocean is a primary (short-term) sink of CO2. The advantage of sourcing CO2 from seawater as opposed to the atmosphere is that the energy cost of doing so is far lower. That's a key message (unsure if it's an original finding) of 2010s USNRL research by Willauer et al I'd looked at when it made news a ways back. <https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/22k71x/us_navy_electricitytofuel_synthesis_papers_and/ https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/https://old.reddi...> - "The Feasibility and Current Estimated Capital Costs of Producing Jet Fuel at Sea Using Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen". Heather D. Willauer, Dennis R. Hardy, Frederick W. Williams. Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability, Chemistry Division. September 29, 2010. NRL/MRi6180--10-9300 <https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA539765 https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.m...> - "Extraction of Carbon Dioxide from Seawater by an Electrochemical Acidification Cell Part I--Initial Feasibility Studies". Felice DiMascio, Heather D. Willauer, Dennis R. Hardy, M. Kathleen Lewis, Frederick W. Williams. Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability, Chemistry Division. July 23, 2010. NRL/MR/6180--10-9274 <https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA544002 https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.m...> - "Extraction of Carbon Dioxide from Seawater by an Electrochemical Acidification Cell Part II--Laboratory Scaling Studies eather D. Willauer". Heather D. Willauer, Felice DiMascio, Dennis R. Hardy, M. Kathleen Lewis, Frederick W. Williams. Navy Technology Center for Safety and Survivability, Chemistry Division. April 11, 2011. NRL/MR/6180--11-9329 <https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA544072 https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.m...> - "Extraction of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen from Seawater by an Electrochemical Acidification Cell Part III: Scaled-up Mobile Unit Studies (Calendar Year 2011)". Heather D. Willauer, Dennis R. Hardy, Frederick W. Williams, Felice DiMascio. May 30, 2012. NRL/MR/6300--12-9414 <https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA565466 https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.m...> - "Extraction of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen from Seawater by an Electrochemical Acidification Cell Part IV: Electrode Compartments of Cell Modified and Tested in Scaled-Up Mobile Unit". Heather D. Willauer, Dennis R. Hardy, Frederick W. Williams, Felice DiMascio. September 3, 2013. NRL/MR/6300--13-9463 <https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=ADA589263 https://web.archive.org/web/20230604174145/http://www.dtic.m...> Other and earlier research: <https://web.archive.org/web/20230601122020/https://old.reddit.com/r/dredmorbius/comments/28nqoz/electrical_fuel_synthesis_from_seawater_older/ https://web.archive.org/web/20230601122020/https://old.reddi...>