Israeli technology turns gree... JPost - Environment & Technology
We had been preparing a report on the Carbon Dioxide recycling technology and business developments we bring to your attention herein, but a timely story appearing just today in Israel's Jerusalem Post motivated us to hurry it along.
First, an excerpt from the initial link in this dispatch to, with additional links and excerpts following:
"Israeli Technology Turns Greenhouse Gas Into Fuel
Jerusalem Post; 06/08/2012
Technology developed by head of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Energy Center creates mixture that can be used for car fuel.
A new Israeli solar technology is able to transform greenhouse gas emissions from the dirtiest of pollutants into a useable fuel for automobiles.
Israeli startup NewCO2Fuels Ltd., in partnership with Australian firm Greenearth Energy Ltd., has acquired the license for a technology developed by Prof. Jacob Karni, head of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Energy Center in the department of environmental sciences and energy research, as well as supervisor for the institute’s solar program.
The innovation uses concentrated solar energy to dissociate carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen, as well as water into hydrogen and oxygen, allowing for the synthesis of the carbon monoxide and hydrogen into a gaseous hydrocarbon mixture called Syngas.
The Syngas, in turn, can be converted into methanol for vehicular use.
Karni’s research, which was conducted in partnership with Dr. Avner Rothschild from the Technion, received a $200,000 grant from the Silicon Valley-based organization Israel Strategic Alternative Energy Foundation in 2010.
Logistically, the solar heat generation occurs on parabolic dishes, which reflect the light captured to a reactor, a focal point of the parabola that allows for extremely high temperature generation, explained David Banitt, the CEO and major shareholder of NewCO2 Fuels. At the reactor site, the carbon dioxide enters and splits due to the heat, with carbon monoxide exiting through one pipe and oxygen through a second, Banitt told The Jerusalem Post. The same process applies to water, for hydrogen and oxygen.
'The process becomes much more effective if it’s performed at much higher temperatures,' he said.
The hydrogen and carbon monoxide can then come together to form Syngas, which in turn can be converted into methanol for fuel.
Having acquired the technology license, NewCO2Fuels intends to begin a pilot project soon, presumably in Israel, and will likely launch its first commercial site in Australia, as its partner is an Australian firm. However, the company is also open to markets in the United States and China, according to Banitt."
'The possibility of converting carbon dioxide to fuel in a clean and efficient manner will turn brown coal into a source of environmentally friendly fuel,' the Weizmann Institute said."
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We don't want to clutter up our presentation overmuch with too many side references. However, the high temperature thermo-chemical conversion of CO2 and H2O into fuel materials, driven by Solar energy, is something that has been under development by our own USDOE, as well, as we reported, for just two examples, in:
West Virginia Coal Association | USDOE Solar CO2 Recycling Supplemental Technology | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent Application 20090277441 - Heat Exchanger for Use with Solar Gas Processors; 2009; Inventor: Reed Jensen; An apparatus and method for solar energy powered gas processing. There is disclosed a processor assembly for use in heating a process or feed gas by means of a convective heat exchanger which receives solar energy from a focused solar energy collector.The present invention relates generally to systems for solar heating and processing of gases, particularly to heat exchangers for use in such systems, and more specifically to a heat exchanger for use in association with a solar energy collector, such as a focusing dish, to convert solar energy into thermal energy to process gases ... (and) ... may be exploited to generate CO from CO2. The CO may then be used as feedstock for further processing into useable fuels. For example, produced CO can be feed directly into a known Fischer-Tropsch synthesis system to generate synthetic fuels"; and: "United States Patent 7,140,181 - Reactor for Solar Processing of ... Transparent Gases; 2006; Inventors: Reed Jensen, NM, et. al.; Solar-powered reactor for processing of slightly absorbing and transparent gases. An obvious path to providing storable, renewable energy is through solar dissociation of gas molecules. These dissociation products are the precursors of modern liquid and gaseous fuels such as hydrogen and methanol/ethanol. An apparatus and method using a solar concentrator (such as a focusing trough or dish) directed at the receiving end of a reactor are disclosed. There is provided according to the invention a solar powered endothermic reactor apparatus for processing slightly-absorbing or transparent gases ... (which) ... results in ... photolysis and pyrolysis of CO2 to CO by concentrated solar light"; and:
West Virginia Coal Association | USDOE Recycles CO2 to Methanol with Solar Power | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 6,066,187 - Solar Reduction of CO2; 2000; Inventors: Reed Jensen, (et. al.); 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. 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".
But, back to Israel and Australia, we have, as well, previously reported on the CO2 recycling efforts underway at the above-noted Weizmann Institute, in, for one example:
West Virginia Coal Association | Israel & Switzerland Recycle CO2 | Research & Development; concerning:
"Fuel saving, CO2 emission avoidance, and syngas production by tri-reforming of flue gases from coal and gas-fired power stations, and by the carbothermic reduction of iron oxide; Halmann, M.; Steinfeld, A.;
Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel (and) ETH-Zurich, Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering; Switzerland; Abstract: Flue gases from coal, gas, or oil-fired power stations, as well as from several heavy industries, such as the production of iron, lime and cement, are major anthropogenic sources of global CO2 emissions. The newly proposed process for syngas production based on the tri-reforming of such flue gases with natural gas could be an important route for CO2 emission avoidance. In addition, by combining the carbothermic reduction of iron oxide with the partial oxidation of the carbon source, an overall thermoneutral process can be designed for the co-production of iron and syngas rich in CO. Water-gas shift (WGS) of CO to H2 enables the production of useful syngas. The reaction process heat, or the conditions for thermoneutrality are derived by thermochemical equilibrium calculations. The thermodynamic constraints are determined for the production of syngas suitable for methanol, hydrogen, or ammonia synthesis. The environmental and economic consequences are assessed for large-scale commercial production of these chemical commodities. Preliminary evaluations with natural gas, coke, or coal as carbon source indicate that such combined processes should be economically competitive, as well as promising significant fuel saving and CO2 emission avoidance. The production of ammonia in the above processes seems particularly attractive, as it consumes the nitrogen in the flue gases."
And, concerning the "Israeli startup NewCO2Fuels Ltd." and the "Australian firm Greenearth Energy Ltd."; more can be learned via:
Greenearth Energy » Home; and, Greenearth Energy » New Technologies; and:
CO2 to Fuel Technology Overview July 2011 final.pdf; wherein we can learn, variously, that:
"Greenearth Energy Limited is a diversified Australian renewable energy company that has interests in conventional geothermal resources in Australia, Indonesia and the wider Pacific Rim as well as technology opportunities and project applications in the waste heat recovery, energy efficiency and CO2 to fuel conversion markets.
NewCO2Fuels Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of Greenearth Energy that aims to utilise its technology to deliver low cost clean fuel. It does this through a highly efficient process of converting solar radiation to chemical potential in the form of fuel. The NewCO2Fuels technology was developed in Israel by Professor Jacob Karni and his team at the Weizmann Institute of Science. This progressive technology has been proven in laboratory trials and has the potential to reduce emissions substantially, with the added potential to offset substantial power cost increases in the future. In today's climate of debate regarding the carbon tax, the importance of alternatives for clean technology is magnified and Greenearth Energy is excited to move forward with its NewCO2Fuels technology. We are working with the Weizmann Institute Israel. Professor Jacob Karni of the Weizmann Institute is a recognised world leader in his field and he has developed a world class team to deliver this project. We have proven this revolutionary patent protected technology in the laboratory. We now aim to take this proven technology to a successful field trial. Our primary source of CO2 will be existing and new coal-fired power stations. We aim to substantially reduce CO2 emissions while at the same time producing commercially viable fuels in the form of Syngas and Transportation fuels."
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And, yeah, while we're at it, here's the kitchen sink:
United States Patent Application: 0110108435 - System ... For Chemical Potential Energy Production
Date: May, 2011
Inventors: Jacob Karni, et. al., Israel
Abstract: The present invention relates to a system comprising a heat source to provide heat at the desired temperature and energy field (e.g. a solar concentrator); an electron source configured and operable to emit electrons; an electric field generator generating an electric field adapted to supply energy sufficient to dissociate gas molecules; and a reaction gas chamber configured and operable to cause interaction between the electrons with the molecules, such that the electrons dissociate the molecules to product compound and ions via dissociative electrons attachment (DEA) within the chamber.
Claims: A system for gases dissociation; the system comprising: an electron source including a cathode and configured and operable to emit electrons; an electric field generator generating an electric field having an energy sufficient to dissociate reactant gas molecules; and an anode spaced apart from the cathode at a predetermined distance defining a reaction gas chamber configured and operable to cause interaction between the electrons with said reactant gas molecules via a dissociative electrons attachment (DEA) mechanism within said chamber, such that electrons having the required energy dissociate said molecules into product compounds; said reactant gas molecules being at least one of CO2 and H2O, said product compounds are O2 and at least one of CO and H2.
The present invention combines photo, thermal, electric and chemical (PTEC) processes to develop a new method, maximizing the efficiency and the conversion rate of thermal radiation to chemical potential, in the form of CO2 reduction to CO and O2 and H2O reduction to H2 and O2 in the same system. The dissociation of CO2 and H2O may occur in the same system simultaneously or either one of them can be preformed alone. The ratio of CO to H2 is controlled during the process and the mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be used directly as a synthesis gas (syn-gas) gaseous fuel (e.g. in power or chemical plants), or converted to methanol or other hydrocarbons, which can be used, for example, as transportation fuels."
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Now, we don't really know if you've actually been ignoring all of our reports over the past few years; a lot of evidence suggests, sadly, that you have. But, nonetheless, we remind you that the above Israeli invention is very similar in concept, i.e., high-temperature Carbon Dioxide and Water co-electrolysis, to the "Syntrolysis" technology developed by scientists at our own USDOE's Idaho National Laboratory, in concert with the Utah company, Ceramatec, about which we have made several reports, including, for just one example:
USDOE Idaho Lab Recycles More CO2 | Research & Development | News; concerning, in part:
"Model of High Temperature H2O/CO2 Co-electrolysis; 2007; G. Hawkes, J. O'Brien, C. Stoots, Stephen Herring, Joe Hartvigsen; Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL); Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been created to model high temperature co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide in a planar solid oxide electrolyzer (SOE) using solid oxide fuel cell technology. A research program is under way at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to simultaneously address the research and scale-up issues associated with the implementation of planar solid-oxide electrolysis cell technology for syngas production from CO2 and steam".
There's a lot more comment we would like to make, but our report is already overlong.
And, the point of it all is this:
It is now known and established, pretty much around the world, that Carbon Dioxide, as it arises in only a very small way, relative to natural sources of emission, such as volcanoes, from our varied and productive uses of Coal, is a valuable raw material resource.
We can, as herein, capture CO2 from "coal-fired power stations" and, then, convert that CO2, in combination with Water, via an initial production of "syngas", into "methanol or other hydrocarbons, which can be used, for example, as transportation fuels"