Breakthrough solar cell captures CO2 and sunlight, produces burnable fuel

Started by azgreg, August 02, 2016, 11:02:24 AM

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azgreg

This looks promising.

https://news.uic.edu/breakthrough-solar-cell-captures-co2-and-sunlight-produces-burnable-fuel

QuoteResearchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have engineered a potentially game-changing solar cell that cheaply and efficiently converts atmospheric carbon dioxide directly into usable hydrocarbon fuel, using only sunlight for energy.
The finding is reported in the July 29 issue of Science and was funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. A provisional patent application has been filed.
Unlike conventional solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity that must be stored in heavy batteries, the new device essentially does the work of plants, converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into fuel, solving two crucial problems at once. A solar farm of such "artificial leaves" could remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and produce energy-dense fuel efficiently.

MountainDon

Interesting, but don't hold your breath or put off buying a conventional system just ecause of the news report.

Imagine having so manh we run into a CO2 deficit.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


Don_P

That's neat.
Syngas has so far been a fuel that is best produced and used right then. If the catalyst can make a good liquid fuel that can plug and play with our current engines, at a decent price, they are on to something.
I know syngas, or producer gas, from wood gasification, that is another way to produce it. Some of the serious tinkerers with that have produced a liquid "gas" using pretty much the same method, passing their woodsmoke syngas through an expensive metal catalyst. Their nano catalyst might work for that as well.

flyingvan

Find what you love and let it kill you.

Don_P

Although you can motor around on that, one of the grails of this research is a direct gas or diesel replacement type of liquid fuel. There is some pretty neat research going multiple directions with all this though. We live in interesting times.

An overview is on wiki;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_photosynthesis


MushCreek

How long before California claims that they own the rights to the CO2, and you're not allowed to modify it? d*
Jay

I'm not poor- I'm financially underpowered.

Don_P

I hadn't thought about that. If they do actually "take" carbon in the long haul they could sell carbon credits as another source of revenue.

Going back to what I've been reading up on, making producer gas, syngas, from wood waste. Students at VT have been running a gasifier/ generator setup as well as various charcoal and biochar research. One way to run the setup is to remove and use the volatiles for whatever process you are running and stop the reaction when the wood becomes charcoal, pure stable carbon. That is a valuable soil amendment and also ties up the carbon the tree pulled in for a long time vs say the carbon credits they claim when I build a house. Wandering further OT, when breaking the wood down that way it can provide electric power, engine rotational power, heat to run a kiln or house, a saleable soil conditioner and a carbon credit. I've thought that several of the small tight mountain communities I've worked in could power themselves by weeding the garden they live in, providing work and helping the surrounding forest. Aaanyway, I enjoy seeing all these alternatives being explored.

Dave Sparks

Me too!It almost sounds too good!   I like living in the small mountain communities!  Keep them small and tight!  [cool]

Adding on too this breakthrough will be affordable energy storage.
It won't be long now and it will not have to be expensive after the R&D and supply chain is paid off.
70% less weight and 70% more energy density. ;D
"we go where the power lines don't"