Audi’s futuristic factory in Dresden, Germany, produced its first batch of high-quality diesel a couple of days ago. That might not sound impressive at first – Shell has been turning dino juice into diesel for decades – but the fuel in question is a brand new synthetic diesel made primarily from water and CO2.
Audi has been kind enough to break the process down for us. First, water is boiled to form steam that is then electrolyzed at nearly 1,500 degrees in order to separate the hydrogen and the oxygen. The oxygen is released back into the atmosphere, while the hydrogen is set apart and transferred to a synthesis reactor where it reacts with CO2 supplied by a nearby facility.
Called blue crude, the end product is similar to the crude oil obtained when companies like Shell and Chevron refine mineral oil. Audi refines it, too, and ends up with a new synthetic fuel dubbed e-diesel. The fuel is free from sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons, two pollutants commonly found in regular diesel fuel, and it is produced in a factory powered exclusively by green energy such as wind and solar. All told, Audi promises that e-diesel can make it possible to drive long distances without having a negative impact on the environment.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/audi-e-diesel-news-specs/
Mass production may not be right around the corner, but this is truly a cool idea whose time is NOW.
But I would like to know more about two things:
- How much energy has to be input compared to the energy output from the fuel?
- What will be the source of energy used to drive the process? Hopefully not coal.
Damn! There's a cloud in every silver lining.
No comments:
Post a Comment