fuel from water

Monday, December 7, 2009
Fuel From Water And Carbon Dioxide
Sandia National Laboratories researchers have built a prototype machine to convert water and carbon dioxide into the molecular building blocks as fuel by using the heat of the sun.Actually the basic work of this machine tool is a copy of the process of leaf photosynthesis.The machine consists of a cylinder as Counter-Rotating-Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5) and two chambers on each side.The machine utilize the heat from solar to activate a thermo-chemical reaction in an iron-rich composite material that can exposed to extreme heat and gives up an oxygen molecule and then retrieves an oxygen molecule once it cools down.The two chamber is one hot and cool of other.There is a set of 14 Frisbee-like rings in the center that rotating at one revolution per minute. The outer edge of each ring carries an iron oxide composite supported by a zirconium matrix.The solar concentrator also installed to heat the inside of one chamber to 1,500 º C. This results in giving up of oxygen molecules by the iron oxide on one side of the ring. Now the affected side of the ring rotates to the opposite chamber. Slowly it looses its heat and carbon dioxide is pumped in. This cooling helps the iron oxide to get back oxygen molecules from the CO2, leaving behind carbon monoxide. The process is repeated continuously using up an incoming supply of CO2 and giving out stream of carbon monoxide.If this prototype machine succeeded in cultivating the waste CO2 that very damaging our ozone layer, then we no longer have a headache to find ways to treat the carbon dioxide.But according to the scientists we have still wait about 15 to 20 years until the technology is ready for market. The scientists will develop a new prototype every three years to improve the work of machine .In addition they will continue to seek and develop the solar conversion into fuel more efficiency with the lower cost.
from e-mail of DR.V.T .SUNDARAMURTHY vtsmurthycbe@yahoo.co.in