Universal Continuing Decision Process For: Sandia *
| Sandia Lab researchers are tapping the sun's power to minimize energy use in splitting CO2 to produce hydrocarbon fuels. They've invented a reactor containing a ceramic ring made of iron oxide and cobalt. A solar concentrator heats the ceramic material to 2,700ºF, forcing it to give up its oxygen. The ring then rotates to a colder chamber containing carbon dioxide. Having released its oxygen, the ceramic borrows oxygen atoms from the CO2, leaving carbon monoxide. The cycle repeats continuously. The same process removes oxygen from water to produce hydrogen. The carbon monoxide and hydrogen are joined to make a synthetic gas, which can be turned into methanol or gasoline. See, “Sandia’s Sunshine to Petrol project seeks fuel from thin air,” December 2007. |
| Link to Text Information |