By:-Anush Malhotra

1810718-A3

What is ‘Air Fuel' technique?

Air Fuel is a technique for producing

gasoline from air and water. And while

quite a lot of energy is needed for its

production, this "air fuel" could be

environmentally friendly.

About ‘Air Fuel' technique.. British company Air Fuel Synthesis has unveiled a

process by which it says it can extract carbon

dioxide (CO2) from the air and combine it with

hydrogen from water to create methanol, which

can be converted into petrol to fuel cars and

planes.

It sounds like a joke. But the technique could

eventually play an important role in the green

energy mix of the future - provided the electricity

used to extract the molecules and create the

chemical reaction comes from sustainable

sources.

Process of producing fuel from air and water

Air is blown up into a tower and meets a mist of a sodium hydroxide

solution. The carbon dioxide in the air is absorbed by reaction with

some of the sodium hydroxide to form sodium carbonate. Whilst there

are advances in CO2 capture technology, sodium hydroxide has been

chosen as it is proven and market ready.

The sodium hydroxide/carbonate solution that results from Step 1 is

pumped into an electrolysis cell through which an electric current is

passed. The electricity results in the release of the carbon dioxide which

is collected and stored for subsequent reaction.

Optionally, a dehumidifier condenses the water out of the air that is

being passed into the sodium hydroxide spray tower. The condensed

water is passed into an electrolyser where an electric current splits

the water into hydrogen and oxygen. Water might be obtained from

any source so long as it is or can be made pure enough to be placed in

the electrolyser.

The carbon dioxide and hydrogen are reacted together to make a

hydrocarbon mixture, the reaction conditions being varied

depending on the type of fuel that is required.

There are a number of reaction paths already in existence and well

known in industrial chemistry that may be used to make the fuels.

Thus a reverse-water-gas shift reaction may be used to convert a

carbon dioxide/water mixture to a carbon monoxide/hydrogen

mixture called Syn Gas. The Syn Gas mixture can then be further

reacted to form the desired fuels using the Fisher-Tropsch (FT)

reaction.

Alternatively, the Syn Gas may be reacted to form methanol and

the methanol used to make fuels via the Mobil methanol-to

gasoline reaction (MTG).

For the future, it is highly likely that reactions can be developed

whereby carbon dioxide and hydrogen can be directly reacted to

fuels.

People involve... Only the British engineer works on this and the £1.1m

project, in development for the past two years, is being funded by a group of unnamed person who believe the technology could prove to be a lucrative way of creating renewable energy.

Company officials say they had produced five litres of petrol in less than three months from a small refinery in Stockton-on-Tees, Teesside.

The fuel that is produced can be used in any regular petrol tank.

Benefits... Produced fuel can be used in any regular petrol tank

without any filtration because the synthetic petrol is

itself clean and green because it generates no toxic by-

products, such as sulfur.

Provides Fresh air.

Renewable Energy use.

Energy Saving and Climate Benefits.

Help in controlling Rising prices of fuels and many more.

Applications.. Petrol produced by AFT can be used in Bikes, Cars, etc

Diesel can be used in Buses, Trucks, Generators ,etc.

Kerosene can be used in stoves.

Any Query..???

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