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How does this compare to using microbes to produce hydrocarbons from CO2 and other waste gases? (NB, not from atmospheric CO2) Here a recent article on the top

by car 3y ago

How does this compare to using microbes to produce hydrocarbons from CO2 and other waste gases? (NB, not from atmospheric CO2) Here a recent article on the topic, specifically for making jet fuel, for an industry that would be impossible to electrify. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-024-02136-z https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-024-02136-z

avmich 3y ago
It's interesting that aviation is said to be industry impossible to electrify, and at the same time we have electric airplanes for some time and keep developing the technology.
- outworlder 3y ago
  Which electric airplanes are you talking about, other than electric demonstrators?
  - avmich 3y ago
    An example of commercially used electric airplane today could be one of this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqF55MjU9jc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqF55MjU9jc , Green Flight Academy in Sweden, used to train pilots.
    - avmich 3y ago
      Some more arguments for electric airplanes are here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4b3sAs-l8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4b3sAs-l8 .
- rgmerk 3y ago
  There's never been any doubt that you can make a small, short-range battery electric airplane. We will probably be able to make short-range battery electric and fuel cell airliners. There is no prospect whatsoever of making an intercontinental battery electric airliner; there is no plausible battery chemistry with enough energy density to give you sufficient range. There are slightly better prospects of hydrogen-powered intercontinental airliners, but even that is very challenging given how bulky the hydrogen propellant required will be. The only realistic medium-term prospect appears to be sustainable aviation fuel, though I wonder if future generations might one day have a crack at nuclear aviation.
0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago
I think that kind of technology does work, but scale up has been incredibly challenging. Let alone doing it profitably. Farming microbes in a nutrient rich slurry is continually fighting contamination from foreign species. The most interest has been in photosynthesizing varieties where delivering light throughout the vessel becomes impossible due to the required organism density.

by car 3y ago

avmich 3y ago

It's interesting that aviation is said to be industry impossible to electrify, and at the same time we have electric airplanes for some time and keep developing the technology.

outworlder 3y ago
Which electric airplanes are you talking about, other than electric demonstrators?
- avmich 3y ago
  An example of commercially used electric airplane today could be one of this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqF55MjU9jc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqF55MjU9jc , Green Flight Academy in Sweden, used to train pilots.
  - avmich 3y ago
    Some more arguments for electric airplanes are here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4b3sAs-l8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH4b3sAs-l8 .
rgmerk 3y ago
There's never been any doubt that you can make a small, short-range battery electric airplane. We will probably be able to make short-range battery electric and fuel cell airliners. There is no prospect whatsoever of making an intercontinental battery electric airliner; there is no plausible battery chemistry with enough energy density to give you sufficient range. There are slightly better prospects of hydrogen-powered intercontinental airliners, but even that is very challenging given how bulky the hydrogen propellant required will be. The only realistic medium-term prospect appears to be sustainable aviation fuel, though I wonder if future generations might one day have a crack at nuclear aviation.

0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago

I think that kind of technology does work, but scale up has been incredibly challenging. Let alone doing it profitably. Farming microbes in a nutrient rich slurry is continually fighting contamination from foreign species. The most interest has been in photosynthesizing varieties where delivering light throughout the vessel becomes impossible due to the required organism density.