Turning CO2 to Electricity

[Hans Tucker]

https://www.inqld.com.au/insights/2024/04/18/its-a-miracle-uq-has-created-a-generator-that-turns-greenhouse-gases-into-energy

[ChrisD]

Interesting. Clearly carbon dioxide goes in to the reaction but what comes out, electricity and what? They don't state what the CO2 ends up as, I hope not carbon monoxide. :lol:

[RB]

:lol: :lol:

[tim.anderson]

CO2 is a pretty low-energy molecule (at least in the conditions of the Earth's lower atmosphere, which I guess is why it hangs about in the atmosphere for so long, being so unreactive). So if you wanted to generate electricity from CO2, you would have to react it with another chemical that has an even lower latent energy (or else pump additional energy into the process, which, of course, makes the whole process a waste of time from an energy-production point of view). Better to just stop using fossil fuels altogether.

It has always bothered me why so many people have trouble understanding chemistry, when it is really simple.

Regards

Tim

[JA]

I'm sure there's a long line of Research chemists, industrial chemists, chemical engineers, undergraduates, postgraduates, PhDs and Nobel Laureates in chemistry that would disagree.

[ChrisD]

No, no, maybe the Nobel Prize for Chemistry is the easiest one to win!

How about we start a chemistry syndicate and enter for the big prize. With luck we could win it when it jackpots. Hands up if you want a free trip to Stockholm and a medal!

:)

Chris

[sharkbite]

This Article goes into more detail about how it works...

https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2024/04/uq-turns-co2-sustainable-power#:~:text=University%20of%20Que ensland%20researchers%20have,it%20c onsumes%20the%20greenhouse%20gas.

To my simple mind - nothing happens to the CO2....it just gets stuck in the polyamine gel ....

so as long as the process for making the gel creates less CO2 than in can absorb....bonus...


'Course my trees can do that already - albeit they can't really charge my phone....

[ChrisD]

Sabine Hossenfelders critique here.

Energy from Air While Removing CO2: How does it work? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoJzs4fA4fo&ab_channel=SabineHossenfelder)

Chris

[iborg]

Hi


Thanks Hans and Chris, now I understand how it works. Simply a carbon capture and storage type system.


Possibly, connect the system to a solar panel to reverse the process during the day and capture CO2 at night for 24hr electricity supply, at least for small scale systems.


Finding a way to store the CO2 permanently would be good.


Philip

[Leo.G]

So my future CO2 laser cutter I'm gathering bits and pieces to build could potentially power itself?
I wish, I'll only ever use it when the sun is out and the solar cells are powering it. I do most of my welding in daylight hours too for the same reason.

[iborg]

Hi Leo


To run the laser, it may only need a house sized unit to provide power for 10min. Same for the welder!


Good project to start on if someone has the room!


:scared3:


Philip