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View Full Version : Audi & Sunfire develop fossil fuel alternative using water & CO2



alanjg007
03-05-2015, 11:59 PM
Audi and Sunfire have successfully developed a synthetic fuel, which they?re touting as a viable alternative to fossil fuel

The Audi ?e-diesel? is the result of a collaborative effort between Audi AG and the Dresden-based company Sunfire. According to the duo, the renewable fuel is extremely efficient, with the overall process of converting raw materials to hydrocarbons being set at around a 70% yield rate.

To make the e-diesel, Audi and Sunfire have set up a lab to first heat up water into steam, and breaking down the fluid into hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis. The hydrogen then reacts with CO2 in synthesis reactors to form long chains of hydrocarbons (?blue crudes?) that are then refined into e-diesel. Both the process of breaking down water and creating the blue crudes require high temperature and pressure, which Audi deems as something that the grid can leverage to produce other forms of energy.

In the coming months, Audi and Sunfire say they have the capacity to produce 3,000 liters of e-diesel by using just water and CO2 extracted from the ambient air.

Notable industry analysts are dubbing the Audi e-diesel as being the true alternative to fossil fuel. Douglas Perry of The Oregonian says electric vehicles are most likely powered by the grid, which relies heavily on ?dirty? fuels?such as coal?to produce electricity. Therefore, the e-diesel might just be that ?technological breakthrough? that the automotive industry has been looking for.

A car that runs on water and at the same time extracts pollutants such as CO2 from the air in the process is a dream that many have been looking for.

source (https://www.audi-mediaservices.com/publish/ms/content/en/public/pressemitteilungen/2015/04/21/fuel_of_the_future.html)

alanjg007
04-05-2015, 12:18 AM
If this does beome a viable alternative to fossil fuels..... i'm gonna invest in the water company, water could be a more valuable resource than it is now!

berley
04-05-2015, 09:09 AM
That sounds really promising.

The plant is operated purely on electricity generated from wind, solar PV and hydro, with the CO2 supplied from a biogas facility – making the produced fuel ‘climate neutral’, according to Sunfire. The companies estimate that the e-diesel will cost between €1-1.50 per litre, depending on the electricity price. The companies estimate that the e-diesel plant is capable of producing over 3,000 litres of e-diesel “over the coming months”. Sunfire added that it hopes to boost the factory to an industrial scale over the coming years.

http://www.nextenergynews.co.uk/news/transport/audi-produces-fuel-of-the-future-diesel-from-co2-water-2314