We frequently make reference - - in the course of our reportage concerning the technologies which exist that would, if we all were aware of them, enable us to start thinking of, and treating, Carbon Dioxide as a valuable raw material resource; rather than as a dangerous pollutant we have to spend a lot of money collecting and then stuffing down leaky "geologic sequestration" rat holes - - to the "Green Freedom"(TM) concept being developed by our USDOE's western National Laboratories.
Herein, via the initial link in this dispatch, we present the first of three United States Patents directly related to the Green Freedom (TM) concept - if not directly or specifically precedent to that technology itself - issued to multiple inventors, whose affiliations, since there is no assignment of patent rights, we must separately report, based on our conclusions drawn from information available in web-accessible publications, as follows:
Reed Jensen is with the USDOE's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in California;
John Lyman works at the USDOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory, in New Mexico; and,
Robert Guettler is now on the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University, although the University of California is specified as the contractor.
We have found no direct information concerning inventor Joe King.
Those conclusions are validated to some extent by the included statement of Government Interests, as seen below.
All of that said, we also include more information concerning the Green Freedom (TM) technology, following excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 6,066,187 - Solar Reduction of CO2
Date: May 23, 2000
Inventors: Reed Jensen, John Lyman, Joe King, and Robert Guettler
Government Interests: This invention was made with government support ... (from) the U.S. Department of Energy to The Regents of the University of California. The government has certain rights in the invention.
Abstract: The red shift of the absorption spectrum of CO2 with increasing temperature permits the use of sunlight to photolyze CO2 to CO. The process of the present invention includes: preheating CO2 to near 1800 K; exposing the preheated CO2 to sunlight, whereby CO, O2 and O are produced; and cooling the hot product mix by rapid admixture with room temperature CO2. The excess thermal energy may be used to produce electricity and to heat additional CO2 for subsequent process steps. The product CO may be used to generate H2 by the shift reaction or to synthesize methanol.
Claims: A method for generating carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide, which comprises the steps of: heating flowing carbon dioxide to a temperature such that absorption of the solar spectrum occurs; exposing the heated carbon dioxide to solar radiation whereby dissociation of the carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide takes place, forming thereby a hot gas mixture; and, cooling the hot gas mixture to stabilize the carbon monoxide.
The method for generating carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide ... wherein said step of heating the flowing carbon dioxide to a temperature such that absorption of the solar spectrum occurs is achieved in part by preheating the carbon dioxide by conventional gas heating processes and in part by exposing the preheated carbon dioxide to surfaces heated by solar radiation.
(How the "preheating" of the CO2 is to be accomplished, they don't say. Presumably, some sort of Solar furnace could be arranged; or, we could pass CO2 over electric heating coils energized by wind-, or hydro-, generated power.)
The method for generating carbon monoxide from carbon dioxide ... wherein the stabilized carbon monoxide is separated from the carbon dioxide and oxygen present therewith.
(Pure Oxygen would be a by-product of commercial value.)
Background and Field: The present invention relates generally to the red shift in the ultraviolet absorption spectrum of CO2 into the blue end of the solar spectrum with increasing temperature and, more particularly, to the use of this effect for the direct solar reduction of CO2 for removing and recycling this atmospheric greenhouse gas.
There has been a general recognition of the need for an efficient process to assist natural processes in photochemically removing CO2 (from the atmosphere) while storing solar energy. Ongoing developments in solar fuels involve either biological processes or hydrogen production from water splitting. No known research addresses the problem directly through the physical and spectral properties of CO2. It has been noted in the literature that CO2 has no spectral absorption in the visible or near-ultraviolet portion of the spectrum under normal circumstances; therefore, direct photoreduction of CO2 has appeared to be unlikely and has received little attention.
(However, the) visible emission seen by many in carbon monoxide/oxygen flames is evidence that transitions exist for CO2 to absorb visible and near ultraviolet light if the molecule is heated sufficiently.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the direct solar reduction of CO2 to CO.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for generating CO and hydrogen for liquid fuel production from CO2 in the ambient atmosphere."
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Wow. The essence of the thing is, or should be, a revelation:
Via the "direct solar reduction of CO2 ... in the ambient atmosphere", we can make "CO and hydrogen for liquid fuel production".
Such "CO and hydrogen", we remind you, are the components of hydrocarbon synthesis gas, or, "syngas", as can also be generated via the gasification of Coal; and, which can be passed over a Fischer-Tropsch, or related, catalyst, and be thereby condensed into liquid hydrocarbons and other products - products which would include, as specified by these scientists, the nearly-precious "methanol"; which can, we remind you, via ExxonMobil's "MTG"(r) process, and others, be further converted into Gasoline.
Again, we believe the technology disclosed herein to be related to the USDOE's "Green Freedom"(r) Solar Carbon Dioxide recycling technology. And, although we sent you information concerning it quite some time ago, it might be instructive to review the process, as illustrated by a presentation accessible via the following link:
http://www.lanl.gov/news/newsbulletin/pdf/Green_Freedom_Overview.pdf; in which we see details, such as:
"Green Freedom (TM): A Concept for Producing Carbon-Neutral Synthetic Fuels
We have developed a low-risk transformational concept ... for large scale production of carbon-neutral and sulfur-free fuels and organic chemicals from air and water.
Green Freedom (TM) uses carbon-neutral power to:
- Capture CO2 from the atmosphere;
- Split Water into H2 and O2; (and)
- Convert H2 and CO2 into Synthetic Fuels and Chemicals"
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We remind you that, in cloudy US Coal Country, "carbon-neutral power" can be obtained, from among other options, hydroelectric dams and windmills.
In any case, we see herein, again, that:
Carbon Dioxide, as arises in a small way, relative to natural and uncontrollable sources of emission, such as volcanoes, from our varied and productive uses of Coal, is a valuable raw material resource.
As confirmed by our own US Government scientists, and their academic colleagues, we can utilize environmental energy to capture CO2, even from the atmosphere itself, and, then, to convert that CO2 into valuable products, including, as specified above by those scientists, "methanol" and other "liquid fuel".