Gasoline from water?

[Clonehomer]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/11/22/water-to-fuel/

So we've all seen these claims before and most of them are bogus, but this does seem interesting. This seems to be just pumping electricity into water and carbon dioxide to make hydrocarbons, which from my very basic understanding of chemistry sounds possible. It sounds like a similar proposal to creating hydrogen for fuel cell cars. The advantage of this is the potential that this may work with existing automobile technology rather than needing all new cars. So if this actually gets off the ground maybe you could start buying cars that would work with both traditional gasoline and synthetic.

 

[Turn2]

Wow! Instead of just polluting air and water, they can actually convert air and water into pollution. That's just awesome.

 

[brett108]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/11/22/water-to-fuel/

So we've all seen these claims before and most of them are bogus, but this does seem interesting. This seems to be just pumping electricity into water and carbon dioxide to make hydrocarbons, which from my very basic understanding of chemistry sounds possible. It sounds like a similar proposal to creating hydrogen for fuel cell cars. The advantage of this is the potential that this may work with existing automobile technology rather than needing all new cars. So if this actually gets off the ground maybe you could start buying cars that would work with both traditional gasoline and synthetic.

CO2 is a stable molecule. To get it to react with the water, hydrogenate, and do this 8 times to get octane is going to be an energy negative process. You will spend more on the electricity than you get back in HC combustion.

 

[MNclone]

CO2 is a stable molecule. To get it to react with the water, hydrogenate, and do this 8 times to get octane is going to be an energy negative process. You will spend more on the electricity than you get back in HC combustion.

Thankfully we have fusion generators.

 

[Clonehomer]

CO2 is a stable molecule. To get it to react with the water, hydrogenate, and do this 8 times to get octane is going to be an energy negative process. You will spend more on the electricity than you get back in HC combustion.

I guess I took it as an alternative to batteries. Anything other than fossil fuels is going to end up energy negative. So really any alternative to fossil fuels is just a question about what's most efficient and best for the environment. Batteries, hydrogen, and this all fall into the same principle, create potential energy in a power plant and put that into cars. This just seemed a way to do so without needing to have everyone adopt completely new types of cars to utilize.

 

[everyyard]

I love that some people are still trying to make sure we increase our use on hydrocarbons. Geez.

 

[ArgentCy]

And I suppose you walk or bike to work and ISU events... Either way I think the future is pointing towards Hydrogen, solar, wind, and several types of fusion and newer fission reactors.

 

[pourcyne]

Hey, I'm no scientist (where have we heard that before?), but wouldn't it be smarter to try that with beer, rather than water, since it already contains carbon molecules from the ethanol ?