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Artificial Carbon Fixation
by CharlesC » Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 am
- CharlesC
- White Belt
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:10 am
Hey guys,
Looking over the science behind photosynthesis i found quite a few interesting things which seem...well, interesting.
Its common knowledge that photosynthesis takes energy from the sun, and after a few complicated steps, turns it into chemical energy in the plant, and this supports all life. That’s the first invention I wonder about- a machine capable of taking light and converting it into something usable. Solar Panels are the obvious device, but I am under the impression that they are rather inefficient, and though I don't have any exact numbers for photosynthesis, I believe they're much better than solar panels.
What I believe to be more important is a device which completely mimics the processes of photosynthesis. By this, I mean a machine capable of artificial carbon fixation. This machine would intake water, O2, and CO2, and from these ingredients form synthetic woods or foodstuffs. This has obvious pros. Imagine having coal fired power plants simply pump their otherwise environmentally harmful by-products into a panelling factory or food processing facility. Global warming (if it exists, but no reason to start that argument) would slow considerably, depending on the prevalence of the machines of course. Deforestation would slow and reforestation could finally begin in earnest across the globe.
The only real con would be, quite obviously really, that the technology does not exist. Unless it does, and then it can't be scaled to a useable level? Or it's too expensive? I don't know.
Possible? Plausible?
-Charles
Looking over the science behind photosynthesis i found quite a few interesting things which seem...well, interesting.
Its common knowledge that photosynthesis takes energy from the sun, and after a few complicated steps, turns it into chemical energy in the plant, and this supports all life. That’s the first invention I wonder about- a machine capable of taking light and converting it into something usable. Solar Panels are the obvious device, but I am under the impression that they are rather inefficient, and though I don't have any exact numbers for photosynthesis, I believe they're much better than solar panels.
What I believe to be more important is a device which completely mimics the processes of photosynthesis. By this, I mean a machine capable of artificial carbon fixation. This machine would intake water, O2, and CO2, and from these ingredients form synthetic woods or foodstuffs. This has obvious pros. Imagine having coal fired power plants simply pump their otherwise environmentally harmful by-products into a panelling factory or food processing facility. Global warming (if it exists, but no reason to start that argument) would slow considerably, depending on the prevalence of the machines of course. Deforestation would slow and reforestation could finally begin in earnest across the globe.
The only real con would be, quite obviously really, that the technology does not exist. Unless it does, and then it can't be scaled to a useable level? Or it's too expensive? I don't know.
Possible? Plausible?
-Charles
Re: Artificial Carbon Fixation
by JoeWaisman » Mon Mar 29, 2010 5:26 pm
-
JoeWaisman - Green Belt
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:10 pm
Charles,
These are good ideas, and they've been written about before. You could start researching this today if you have a background in chemical engineering or enough $$ to employ a university study or gang of chemical engineers. Good reading here:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/earth/ ... thesis.htm
It's worth noting that certain bacteria can be made that produce sugar when fed the right ingredients and exposed to sunlight. The sugar of course can be fermented into alcohol, which of course can be distilled and burned as fuel...that's about as close as we are now - unless I've missed something.
These are good ideas, and they've been written about before. You could start researching this today if you have a background in chemical engineering or enough $$ to employ a university study or gang of chemical engineers. Good reading here:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/earth/ ... thesis.htm
It's worth noting that certain bacteria can be made that produce sugar when fed the right ingredients and exposed to sunlight. The sugar of course can be fermented into alcohol, which of course can be distilled and burned as fuel...that's about as close as we are now - unless I've missed something.
___________________________________________
"The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty, a fad."
Fun links:
*http://www.scribd.com/doc/441708/Bad-Predictions-About-Great-Inventions
"The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty, a fad."
Fun links:
*http://www.scribd.com/doc/441708/Bad-Predictions-About-Great-Inventions
Re: Artificial Carbon Fixation
by randyNH » Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:14 pm
- randyNH
- Yellow Belt
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2008 5:16 pm
I thought I read somewhere that MIT was doing a project of making a car that runs of photosynthesis
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