Comment by penguindev
12 years ago
Is the navy project similar to power-to-gas projects in europe, like Audi?
Reading about that is probably one of only two positive things I've read about in the last decade. The other being birthrates dropping in the US and elsewhere.
I'm not familiar with the projects you're referring to, any links?
What I particularly like about the US NRL research is (pardon if I'm repeating myself):
• It's based on two very well-established technologies: hydrogen electrolysis and the Fischer-Tropsch process. I suspect other power-to-gas processes are based on this or similar (Sabatier process,
• The novel techology is reasonably minor: CO2 extraction from seawater. Much of the research involves improving the efficacy of this process.
• It addresses the feedstock challenge: CO2 content of seawater is relatively large.
• It is a good match for sustainable energy sources, both base-load (geothermal) and intermittent / variable (solar, wind, tidal).
• It produces well-understood liquid hydrocarbons for which we have considerable experience in utilization.
• Costs and scale appear reasonable.
• It appears highly sustainable.
Dropping birthrates is indeed another positive, though that's got to move far further.
BTW, from what I found on the Audi project, it's a Sabatier process. I haven't sorted out what its feedstocks for CO are, nor its source of energy.