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A Quest to Make Gasoline Out of Thin Air: Prometheus (YC W19)

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Re: A Quest to Make Gasoline Out of Thin Air: Prometheus (YC W19)

#83

Post by rmcginnis »

graycat wrote: post #68

Likely a lot easier to make gasoline out of: (1) Crude oil. (2) Coal, water, and electric power. (3) Some biological reactions. To address the hidden agenda here, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Mx0_8YEtg

Hi Graycat, it actually may be easier to make fuel by mining air. We used to make fertilizer by mining guano and collecting animal droppings, but once Haber and Bosch figured out how to make ammonia from atmospheric N2, it just make more economic and practical sense. It's hard to mine oil, transport it, refine it, etc. Compare that to making it where and when you need it with no waste. I think it will be better.

Re: A Quest to Make Gasoline Out of Thin Air: Prometheus (YC W19)

#84

Post by binichgross »

ForHackernews wrote: post #60
rayiner wrote: post #5

This is really, fundamentally important technology. Emissions reduction will not work: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nations-are-not-r... > The authors of the report stated in a press release that the kind of drastic, large-scale action the planet desperately needs has yet to be seen, even though global emissions have reached record levels at 53.5 billion metric tons in 2017, with no signs of peaking. >…

It has to be both. If we want to have any hope, we have to dramatically cut emissions AND we also have to invent magic new carbon-scrubbing technology and deploy it at a global scale in the next 30 years or so. https://www.vox.com/2016/10/4/13118594/2-degrees-no-more-fos... > As you can see, in either scenario, global emissions must peak and begin declining immediately. For a medium chance to avoid 1.5 degrees, the w…

Your children will die unless you lobby your representative to listen to this person. This shit is realer than any other crisis in the history of mankind and we face extinction if we do not fight it now. Pay attention.

Re: A Quest to Make Gasoline Out of Thin Air: Prometheus (YC W19)

#85

Post by azernik »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #62
dflock wrote: post #61

So, you spend a load of energy to reform atmospheric CO2 back into hydrocarbon fuel - and then just burn it again, turning it back into CO2 and putting it back into the atmosphere? The end state of the atmosphere is, at best, the same as the starting state, but you've expended a load more energy for nothing. If the energy to run this process isn't zero-carbon, then this is going to be a big net emitter when done at s…

not if the initial energy source had a lower CO2 impact than normal gasoline. eg: The Gas making machine used solar or wind for input . Now, I dont see the point over just using electric cars, but i guess this has a limited shelf life for those existing cars, or those who refuse to change?

Could also have continuing niche uses where energy density is paramount, like aircraft/rocket fuel and portable generators. e.g. the US military has been looking at biological or synthesized JP-8 substitutes for a while, for supply-chain risk reasons instead of environmental ones.

Re: A Quest to Make Gasoline Out of Thin Air: Prometheus (YC W19)

#86

Post by ip26 »

MuffinFlavored wrote: post #40
rayiner wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The author of the article (who does not appear to be an expert in anything) overlooks that renewables only address part of the emissions picture. Even if the U.S. switched tomorrow to 100% renewables and 100% electric vehicles (including trains, cars, planes, and ships), and you ignore the CO2 emissions of making all those new power plants and vehicles, U.S. usage would only go down by 3.5 gigaton: https://www.epa.go…

> The current cost of carbon capture is about $120 per ton. If it follows the same trend as improvements on solar panel cost, that could be $40 per ton in a decade. This sounds reasonable to me. Do you believe this will be the way forward most likely?

We can only hope. It's super early in the development of carbon capture, so hopefully there's still a couple 50% cost reductions ahead

Re: A Quest to Make Gasoline Out of Thin Air: Prometheus (YC W19)

#90

Post by Gibbon1 »

DennisP wrote: post #71
Gibbon1 wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I read about these schemes to produce gasoline from CO2 and water or whatever I can't help but think someone needs a couple of semesters of thermodynamics beat into them.

Nobody thinks they'll get net energy out of this. They're spending energy to make carbon-neutral liquid fuels. The energy would have to come from renewables or nuclear for this to be useful.

The energy return on energy invested is going to be abysmal.

No more than 20% if that. That translates into synth gasoline at $30/gallon

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