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Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

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Re: Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

#321

Post by rmcginnis »

rfrey wrote: post #286

Hi Rob. I'm CTO of a company that generates electricity from waste heat at industrial facilities. Pipeline compressor stations often generate 35MWth+ in waste heat, which we can use at about 20% efficiency to generate electricity. Many pipeline compressor stations are not anywhere close to distribution lines so just merrily pump this heat up their stack. Especially with new pipelines where companies are battling (leg…

You could certainly do this, using distillation or the thermal processes Carbon Engineering is doing, and it could be worth pursuing, from a business opportunity perspective. We're focused on an implementation that can scale to >300 B gallons per year, so are pursuing an electricity only path.

Re: Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

#322

Post by rmcginnis »

_Nat_ wrote: post #320

Why open-air capture? I mean, it's typically much cheaper to capture CO2 from concentrated streams, such as the flue gases from coal-fired power plants. So why accomplish the same CO2 mitigation at higher cost by getting it from open-air capture?

We want to get to >300 B gallons per year of gasoline, and only direct air capture will scale to that level.

Re: Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

#323

Post by freebear »

"Google, Audi, Carbon Engineering, Global Thermostat, Climeworks, and labs at universities and national labs have all done it before us. What no one has been able to do so far is do it at a low enough cost to compete with fossil fuel." So Google failed but Prometheus will succeed.

Are you just trying to make a buck in The End Times?

I have no feedback, Mother Earth has, probably a couple of hundreds of them loops... We are screwed.

Re: Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

#324

Post by rmcginnis »

maelito wrote: post #303

Correct me if I'm wrong, but planes look like a bad target for this fuel substitute : for 1 kg of CO2 emitted, estimates give a ~2 (or worse, 2.7 - 4) factor of radiative forcing (the potential for climate warming), due to the water vapor released at high altitudes. You'd have to capture 2 or 3 times more fuel that you'd burn in the sky for this to be "net zero climate", which is a better metric than "net zero carbon…

We think air travel will be dramatically better with zero carbon jet fuel. That doesn't remove all of the impacts, but it's worth doing.

Re: Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

#327

Post by quickthrower2 »

teej wrote: post #38

I don't have anything new to add, other than to say - this is a very well written startup pitch. I'm in awe of how clearly you've laid out the opportunity.

I hope this startup does well and can get this tech widespread across developed and developing countries. It’ll mean we can be carbon efficient with our existing ICE cars.

Re: Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

#328

Post by rmcginnis »

billions wrote: post #256

Can you make vodka out of thin air?

Yes, we have thought about having an "air bar" at events. Downside is we'd have to make sure it was pure ethanol. Gasoline is easier, because it can be a mix of many things that burn. Engines are much less picky than our livers.

Re: Launch HN: Prometheus (YC W19) – Remove CO2 from Air and Turn It into Gasoline

#329

Post by rmcginnis »

pulse7 wrote: post #302

One can get alcohol out of water at room temperature (28 degrees Celsius) by using pressure. Dr. Carl Jung used the distillation under pressure in 1908 to get alcohol out of wine and get alcohol-free wine. Wouldn't the same process work here?

It's possible to do a deep vacuum distillation (and some people do this for moonshine, etc) to get a useable fuel out. Farmers have made their own fuel from time to time doing this. The economics aren't good enough to compete with fossil gasoline though.
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