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The only way a technology like this will help get us to carbon zero is using it in places where there is not much hope of replacing electricity. While small ele

The only way a technology like this will help get us to carbon zero is using it in places where there is not much hope of replacing electricity. While small elective airplanes have been demonstrated, it doesn't seem like we will be able to build, in the next couple of decades, large electric airplanes that can substantially replace current fuel powered ones. This would require the additional step of converting methane to jet fuel, but that is also a technology under development. That said, I personally think, in practice technology like this will only delay getting to net zero, because the existence of this will disincentivize investments in electrification. I recall Sun Tzu's claim that a force completely surrounded will fight fiercely, but if you give a way out, it will look to escape or retreat.

DarmokJalad1701 3y ago
You could theoretically run jet engines on directly on methane (liquid or not) - though I am not sure how much work would be required to refit an existing one for this purpose. Methane is already used for running the turbo-pumps in rocket engines like SpaceX's Raptor or Relativity's Aeon-R.
- Plasmoid 3y ago
  You'd be talking about liquid methane to get the energy density you want. Handling a cryofuel would be quite hard and you'd be redesigning everything to ensure it kept working.
trueismywork 3y ago
Electricity/energy consumption of developing world is going to be at least twice today's value. Better this than coal
orr94 3y ago
> I personally think, in practice technology like this will only delay getting to net zero, because the existence of this will disincentivize investments in electrification. I recall Sun Tzu's claim that a force completely surrounded will fight fiercely, but if you give a way out, it will look to escape or retreat. I think you’re misapplying Sun Tzu’s lesson. An attempt to completely and immediately replace the fossil fuel industry will be met with fierce resistance, and thus be more likely to fail. Whereas a more gradual approach (like carbon neutral-ish green hydrogen) gives much of the industry around fossil fuels an opportunity to survive longer, and perhaps gives you a better chance of success. Is this actually true? Maybe, maybe not. But that would seem to be the implication of Sun Tzu’s strategy.

DarmokJalad1701 3y ago

You could theoretically run jet engines on directly on methane (liquid or not) - though I am not sure how much work would be required to refit an existing one for this purpose. Methane is already used for running the turbo-pumps in rocket engines like SpaceX's Raptor or Relativity's Aeon-R.

Plasmoid 3y ago
You'd be talking about liquid methane to get the energy density you want. Handling a cryofuel would be quite hard and you'd be redesigning everything to ensure it kept working.

trueismywork 3y ago

Electricity/energy consumption of developing world is going to be at least twice today's value. Better this than coal

orr94 3y ago

> I personally think, in practice technology like this will only delay getting to net zero, because the existence of this will disincentivize investments in electrification. I recall Sun Tzu's claim that a force completely surrounded will fight fiercely, but if you give a way out, it will look to escape or retreat. I think you’re misapplying Sun Tzu’s lesson. An attempt to completely and immediately replace the fossil fuel industry will be met with fierce resistance, and thus be more likely to fail. Whereas a more gradual approach (like carbon neutral-ish green hydrogen) gives much of the industry around fossil fuels an opportunity to survive longer, and perhaps gives you a better chance of success. Is this actually true? Maybe, maybe not. But that would seem to be the implication of Sun Tzu’s strategy.