United States Patent: 7378561
We have, and will continue, to cite the work of George Olah, and his colleagues at the University of Southern California, in our efforts to make it known that Carbon Dioxide, as arises in a small way, relative to natural sources of emission, from our productive uses of Coal, is, and should be treated as, a valuable raw material resource.
Most recently, on May 12 of this year, we reported Olah's United States Patent Application for the "Electrolysis of Carbon Dioxide in Aqueous Media ... For Production of Methanol".
Olah and his USC colleagues have at least one other, similar, application pending, which we will explain in a future dispatch. But, first, we wanted to bring to your attention the fact that some US Patents have already been issued to Olah for Carbon Dioxide recycling technologies, processes that echo themes already studied and proposed by USDOE scientist Rich Diver, and others, as we've documented, at the Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.
If you recall, those researchers have established the practicality of capturing Carbon Dioxide, not from power plant smoke stacks, and other point sources of emission, but from the atmosphere itself, for subsequent conversion into valuable hydrocarbons.
Herein, via this United States Patent, we see that Nobel Laureate Olah, the University of Southern California, and our own US Government, as embodied in the Patent Office, agree that capturing Carbon Dioxide from thin air, and then converting it, recycling it, into commercially valuable hydrocarbons is a reasonable and viable proposition.
Comment follows excerpts from:
"United States Patent 7,378,561 - Method for Producing ... Hydrocarbons from ... Air
Date: May 27, 2008
Inventor: George Olah, et. al.
Assignee: University of Southern California
Abstract: A method for producing methanol and dimethyl ether using the air as the sole source of materials is disclosed. The invention relates to a method for separating the water (i.e., the moisture in the air) and carbon dioxide content of atmospheric air for their use in the subsequent production of methanol, dimethyl ether and derived synthetic hydrocarbons as products. The method includes the conversion of carbon dioxide and water under conditions sufficient to produce methanol and/or dimethyl ether. Methanol and/or dimethyl ether can be used as fuel or fuel additives or further converted to synthetic hydrocarbons and their products. Carbon dioxide is captured on a suitable absorbent, preferentially polyethyleneimine supported on nano-structured fumed silica. The process can also involve hydrogenation with hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water obtained from the air or from any other water source. Methanol can be dehydrated to produce dimethyl ether or further processed to produce synthetic hydrocarbons, polymers, and products derived from them by other known methods.
Claims: A method for producing methanol from atmospheric air, which comprises: removing water from atmospheric air by dehumidification of moisture therefrom; obtaining hydrogen from the removed water by catalysis or other means of cleavage; obtaining carbon dioxide by absorption or adsorption from the dehumidified atmospheric air; and converting the carbon dioxide thus obtained by suitable methods of reduction and hydrogenation under conditions sufficient to produce methanol; wherein the carbon dioxide, water, and derived hydrogen are obtained solely from atmospheric air as the source material using any necessary form of energy. ... wherein all water ... is obtained by dehumidifying of the air (and) wherein the carbon dioxide is separated from the air subsequent to dehumidification.
Background: Carbon dioxide is present in high concentrations in the flue gases of fossil fuel-burning power plants and other various industrial exhausts. It also frequently accompanies natural gas. Many natural gas sources contain significant amounts (as much as 50% or more) of carbon dioxide. To mitigate carbon dioxide emissions and their adverse effects on the global climate, it considered to capture carbon dioxide from industrial exhausts and sequester the captured carbon dioxide in subterranean cavities or under the sea. However, sequestration does not provide a permanent solution because of its high cost and a potential for carbon dioxide leakage. Carbon dioxide is volatile and can eventually leak into the atmosphere. Inadvertent leaks of carbon dioxide can be greatly accelerated by earthquakes or other natural phenomena, and would have a catastrophic impact.
Summary: The invention relates to a method for producing methanol from atmospheric air, which comprises removing water from atmospheric air by dehumidification of moisture therefrom; obtaining hydrogen from the removed water by catalysis or other means of cleavage; obtaining carbon dioxide by absorption or adsorption from the dehumidified atmospheric air; and converting the carbon dioxide thus obtained by suitable methods of reduction and hydrogenation under conditions sufficient to produce methanol. In this process, the carbon dioxide, water, and derived hydrogen are obtained solely from atmospheric air as the source material using any necessary form of energy."
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Allow us to repeat the US Government-certified words of this Nobel Laureate, especially for any West Texas oil men who might be following our dispatches: Geologic "sequestration does not provide a permanent solution because of its high cost and a potential for carbon dioxide leakage. Carbon dioxide is volatile and can eventually leak into the atmosphere. Inadvertent leaks of carbon dioxide can be greatly accelerated by earthquakes or other natural phenomena, and would have a catastrophic impact".
And, note, in order to manufacture the commercially precious Methanol: "the carbon dioxide, water, and derived hydrogen are obtained solely from atmospheric air as the source material using any necessary form of energy."
Has anyone really looked at a modern-day coal-fired power plant? What, do you suppose, is, aside from Carbon Dioxide coming out of the smoke stacks, billowing out of the broad cooling towers that are usually nearby?
Water vapor and wasted heat energy, would be our guess.
Do you suppose George Olah would have some constructive suggestions about what we could do with those?
We assure that, as herein, and, as you will see in additional reports to follow, he would, and does.
You will then have your choice as to whether or not you should listen to a gang of West Texas oil-pumping cowboys, who insist that we Coal-digging hillbillies should, all at our expense, collect and ship them all of our CO2, for insecure "sequestration" in their leaky petroleum reservoirs, which could lead to a "catastrophic impact"; or, heed the words of a Southern California genius, who says that we can collect our CO2, our waste heat and water, and make valuable liquid fuels with them.
