Quote:
Originally Posted by CapriRacer
I'm with darcane. This just sounds wrong. I can see the dissolved CO2, but where is the hydrogen coming from? I'm not aware that there is dissolved H2 in water that can be extracted. And even then, there appears to be a process that requires the input of energy.
Al in all, this sounds like a less than zero sum game.
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But, that is not the point of the exercise. And, this is far from being a Unicorn tech.
Electricity is needed along with catalysts to power the reaction and the equipment. This has been doable in the lab for decades. The unique part of the NRL application is the use of certain catalysts that provide long chain (C7 and above) output instead of the usual methane. This allows for a possible drop in fuel for diesel and JP-8.
The electricity is problematical, but not overly so if you allow a unit compact enough to be placed on a nuclear powered ship with an abundance of excess electrical output or in-theater where an electrical grid is available. The wild-ass-guesstimate of 6-8 dollars a gallon is the point of the exercise.
Providing fuel to front line units and protecting that fuel all along the supply chain becomes very expensive. 60-80 dollars a gallon are numbers I have heard thrown around for JP-8 to the front. In some theaters, that number can hit 120 dollars a gallon. Providing fuel in theater cuts your costs dramatically even at $10 a gallon pricing. And, it provides you with greater security.
Looking forward, the technology can be widely applied to consumer markets when nuclear power-plants become common. The ability to turn excess electricity into liquid fuel during off peak hours will be invaluable.
Here is more discussion from Green Car Congress:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014...0408-navy.html
And a link to the NRL download of the 2010 paper:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2014...0408-navy.html