United States Patent Application: 0110268617
Following hot on the heels of their receipt of a United States Patent, disclosing an efficient technology for transforming Carbon Dioxide into liquid hydrocarbon fuels, as we reported in:
US Navy Awarded September, 2011, CO2 Recycling Patent | Research & Development; concerning:
"United States Patent 8,017,658 - Synthesis of Hydrocarbons via Catalytic Reduction of CO2; Date: September 13, 2011; Inventors: Nick Tran, Dennis Hardy, et. al., DC and VA; Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy; Abstract: A method of: introducing hydrogen and a feed gas containing at least 50 % carbon dioxide into a reactor containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst; and heating the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a temperature of at least about 190 C. to produce hydrocarbons in the reactor. An apparatus having: a reaction vessel for containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, capable of heating gases to at least about 190 C.; a hydrogen delivery system feeding into the reaction vessel; a carbon dioxide delivery system for delivering a feed gas containing at least 50 % carbon dioxide feeding into the reaction vessel; and a trap for collecting hydrocarbons generated in the reaction vessel";
the United States Navy, and their same team of gifted scientists, have formalized variations and improvements on that CO2-recycling technology, and have applied for yet another, identically-titled, United States Patent on those improvements.
As seen, with comment appended, in excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"US Patent Application 20110268617 - Synthesis of Hydrocarbons via Catalytic Reduction of CO2
Date: November 3, 2011
Inventors: Nick Tran, Dennis Hardy, et. al., DC, MD and VA
Assignee: The Government of the USA as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
Abstract: A method of: introducing hydrogen and a feed gas containing at least 50 volume % carbon dioxide into a reactor containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst; and heating the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a temperature of at least about 190C to produce hydrocarbons in the reactor. An apparatus having: a reaction vessel for containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, capable of heating gases to at least about 190C.; a hydrogen delivery system feeding into the reaction vessel; a carbon dioxide delivery system for delivering a feed gas containing at least 50 volume % carbon dioxide feeding into the reaction vessel; and a trap for collecting hydrocarbons generated in the reaction vessel.
Claims: An apparatus comprising: a reaction vessel for containing a catalyst, capable of heating gases contained therein to at least about 190C; a hydrogen delivery system feeding into the reaction vessel; a carbon dioxide delivery system for delivering a feed gas containing at least 50 volume % carbon dioxide feeding into the reaction vessel; and a trap for collecting hydrocarbons generated in the reaction vessel; wherein the catalyst is a kieselguhr supported catalyst comprising cobalt, potassium, thorium, and magnesium.
(Don't be distracted by "kieselguhr". It is a special type of porous clay, and there is plenty of it around. Think of an old "meerschaum" tobacco pipe, and that's pretty close to what the stuff is. Maybe it has to be cleaned, molded and baked a little bit, but, so what?
The "thorium" is unpleasant, radioactive stuff; but: It isn't nearly as radioactive as Uranium; we don't need a lot of it; it's a catalyst that doesn't leave the reactor as a product contaminant; and, it is relatively abundant, at least as common as lead and tin. Further, it can be produced as the by-product of other mining activities, and, the United States is blessed with a large, economically-recoverable reserve of it.
More can be learned via: Thorium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
The apparatus ... wherein the hydrogen delivery system extracts hydrogen from water.
The apparatus ... wherein the carbon dioxide delivery system produces carbon dioxide as a product of a process.
(Can anyone think of a "process" in US Coal Country which might make CO2 "as a product" for "delivery" to "a reactor containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst ... to produce hydrocarbons"? Think hard, now.)
The apparatus ... wherein the carbon dioxide delivery system extracts carbon dioxide from seawater.
The apparatus ... wherein the carbon dioxide delivery system extracts carbon dioxide from air.
(See: CO2 Air Capture Practical - U of Colorado | Research & Development; "An idealized assessment of the economics of air capture of carbon dioxide in mitigation policy; University of Colorado; 2009".)
The apparatus ... wherein the carbon dioxide delivery system extracts carbon dioxide from combustion of the hydrocarbons.
(And, yes, of course: Coal may be thought of as a low-hydrogen "hydrocarbon". It qualifies.)
Summary: The invention comprises a method comprising: introducing hydrogen and a feed gas containing at least 50 volume % carbon dioxide into a reactor containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst; and heating the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a temperature of at least about 190C to produce hydrocarbons in the reactor.
The invention further comprises an apparatus comprising: a reaction vessel for containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, capable of heating gases contained therein to at least about 190C; a hydrogen delivery system feeding into the reaction vessel; a carbon dioxide delivery system for delivering a feed gas containing at least 50 volume % carbon dioxide feeding into the reaction vessel; and a trap for collecting hydrocarbons generated in the reaction vessel."
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Okay. According to our own United States Navy, we can, on a practical basis, recover Carbon Dioxide either "from the air" or "from ...combustion", and, then, convert that Carbon Dioxide into "hydrocarbons".
We need a little Hydrogen to do it. And, we remind you that, as we explained, for just two examples, in:
Germany Makes Economical Hydrogen from H2O | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20090026089 - System and Method for Splitting Water; 2009; Assignee: Hermsdorfer Institut, Germany; Abstract: The present invention relates to a ... method for cleaving water (and, by) the method according to the present invention it is possible to cleave the water economically into hydrogen and oxygen and obtain gases for technical purposes"; and:
More NASA Hydrogen from Water and Sunlight | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 4,051,005 - Photolytic Production of Hydrogen; 1977; Assignee: United Technologies Corporation; Government Interests: The invention described herein was made in the course of a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Abstract: Hydrogen and oxygen are produced from water in a process involving the photo-dissociation of molecular bromine with radiant energy at wavelengths within the visible light region";
getting the Hydrogen isn't that big of a challenge.
The costs would be more, much more, than offset by the US Department of Defense savings in not having to provide protection services for Big Oil in dangerous OPEC regions of the world.
With that economical Hydrogen, and some almost better-than-free Carbon Dioxide, we can, according herein to our own United States Navy, begin making all of the "hydrocarbons" we might ever want or need.
The whole deal seems pretty definitive to us.
If any more time and energy, at all, is wasted on Baloney Sandwiches like Cap & Trade taxation or Geologic Sequestration extortions, all of us, really, need to begin publicly questioning the public voices of this nation.
Maybe it's getting far past time some big changes were made in the people who are supposed to be leading us, and, especially, in the people who are supposed to be communicating the Truth to us.