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-   -   Don't write off the ICE just yet (https://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12969)

tonupkid 4th May 2017 09:11 PM

Don't write off the ICE just yet
 
Liquid fuel packs far more energy than a battery of the same volume.
And there's recent discoveries into using microbes that consume electricity and produce liquid fuel.
I'd say we have a possibility of being propelled about by the infernal combustion engine for years to come.

https://www.newscientist.com/article...hange-society/

It's exciting stuff, and almost zero CO2

tintin 4th May 2017 09:22 PM

Hmm..outlandish, but good if true....

At the top of the article it says
"FEATURE DATE 11 April 2017" and I must admit, I thought the "1" key had been hit twice by mistake ;)

tonupkid 4th May 2017 09:51 PM

Fast on the draw there Steve :D

HPsauce 5th May 2017 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonupkid (Post 127480)
Liquid fuel packs far more energy than a battery of the same volume.

I'm pretty sure I've commented on that before in relevant threads.
Yes there are issues about certain pollutants that the combustion process generates, but of course the infrastructure is already there to distribute the fuel.

An efficient way of making petrol (or similar) from renewable sources and effectively recycling the products of combustion would solve a lot of problems.

tonupkid 5th May 2017 02:47 PM

The method in the article, if it were to prove economic, would recycle pretty much all the carbon emissions. In addition it would provide a viable means to store surplus wind and other types of cleanly produced energy

27litres 6th May 2017 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonupkid (Post 127480)
It's exciting stuff, and almost zero CO2

Obviously I haven't read the whole article (unless I want to stump up $45). However, if they intend to produce fuel for internal combustion, how do you end up with almost zero CO2?
With the burning of any hydrocarbon (nearly 100% of everything we burn), CO2 is a by-product.
Is there some sort of scrubbing process they've developed? If so, that could be applied to any combustion process.

ainarssems 6th May 2017 07:18 AM

I am not sure if there is any truth in article but by zero CO2 they mean zero net CO2- microbes creating fuel will consume the same amount of CO2 that is later released burning fuel. Similar like plants do with photosynthesis using sunlight to convert CO2 and water in to hydrocarbons.

27litres 6th May 2017 07:57 AM

Ah right - like the Al Gore 'Carbon Neutral Life'.

tonupkid 6th May 2017 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ainarssems (Post 127542)
I am not sure if there is any truth in article but by zero CO2 they mean zero net CO2- microbes creating fuel will consume the same amount of CO2 that is later released burning fuel. Similar like plants do with photosynthesis using sunlight to convert CO2 and water in to hydrocarbons.

Apologies folks, I had not realised that there was a paywall.

Ainarssems. You are spot on, perfect reasoning.
They are replicating photosynthesis, and that starts with CO2 end ends with.... many possible products, including ammonia and hydrogen.
This is very early days research and will, like most such, probably come to nothing. But if can be economically scaled up, the results will be world changing.

HPsauce 6th May 2017 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonupkid (Post 127580)
Apologies folks, I had not realised that there was a paywall.

Nor had I, being a New Scientist subscriber. :o


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