As our fossil fuel is depleting day by day, scientists all over the world are trying to search other fuel sources. A team of scientists from Clean Energy Research Centre at the University of B.C. are working on a process that can convert carbon dioxide into fuel.
According to David Wilkinson, executive director of Clean Energy Research Centre, the carbon dioxide that is emitted from the factories can be combined with water to produce methane, methanol, formic acid and other fuels. The major problem with this process is that it requires a lot of energy because carbon dioxide is a very stable molecule and difficult to break. Scientists are planning to use solar energy to initiate the reaction.
The concept behind this process is to use electrodes made of sheets of titanium oxide coated with platinum, copper and other materials that act as catalysts and with the help of solar energy convert carbon dioxide to useful fuel in the presence of water. This process will basically result in an energy cycle, where the fuel produced will again burn to give carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.
The scientists are presently facing problem in developing microscopically small structures in the catalyzing material that are actually able to extract a required amount of fuel from the process. At present, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is also using a similar process on Gemini space missions to produce water from the carbon dioxide present in cabin.
If this research is successful, it will help in eliminating significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As we all know that carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas, its removal will definitely help in controlling global warming.
Scientists have first planned to test this process on a small scale. If they are able to get a positive result, this process will be installed in factories where production of carbon dioxide is high.
Source: vancouversun
