Scientists Turn Air Into Petrol 580
rippeltippel writes "The Independent reports on a scientific breakthrough which would allow us to synthesize petrol from thin air. Quoting from the article: 'Air Fuel Synthesis in Stockton-on-Tees has produced five liters of petrol since August when it switched on a small refinery that manufactures gasoline from carbon dioxide and water vapor. The company hopes that within two years it will build a larger, commercial-scale plant capable of producing a ton of petrol a day. It also plans to produce green aviation fuel to make airline travel more carbon-neutral. ... Tim Fox, head of energy and the environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London, said: "It sounds too good to be true, but it is true. They are doing it and I've been up there myself and seen it. The innovation is that they have made it happen as a process. It's a small pilot plant capturing air and extracting CO2 from it based on well known principles. It uses well-known and well-established components but what is exciting is that they have put the whole thing together and shown that it can work." Although the process is still in the early developmental stages and needs to take electricity from the national grid to work, the company believes it will eventually be possible to use power from renewable sources such as wind farms or tidal barrages. "We've taken carbon dioxide from air and hydrogen from water and turned these elements into petrol," said Peter Harrison, the company's chief executive, who revealed the breakthrough at a conference at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London."
"Its not like gas comes from thin air" (Score:5, Funny)
Thin air into petrol (Score:5, Funny)
Wouldn't it be more efficient to turn thick air into petrol
specifically the CO2 exhaust of a fossil fuel power plant)
BTW has someone asked Romney if he supports the repeal of the Laws of Thermodynamics
Re:cold fusion fraud again? (Score:5, Funny)
.or we can cut out the inefficient middle man and use that power directly instead of converting it into hydrocarbons.
Yeah! Electric cars with windmills on top! A brilliant solution, Sir!
Oblig CSI Reference (Score:3, Funny)
*puts glasses on*
vaporware.
YEEEAAAAAAAHH!
I would be impressed (Score:5, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
NIMOY (Score:4, Funny)
Crocodile Dundee called. He said, "Not in my Outback yard!"
Re:I would be impressed (Score:5, Funny)
I would be more impressed if they made something useful like gasoline, instead of this petrol stuff!
Indeed, I can barely afford gasoline, let alone that expensive petrol they have in Britain.