Synthetic fuel development

[7_Malc]

Interesting prospect… if wind-generated energy is such a key factor, perhaps Scotland can get in on the act too?

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/porsche-e-fuel-plant-siemens-sustainable-synthetic-gasoline/

[Nigel B]

I'd read somewhere that Porsche were looking into this, but I hadn't realised they'd made this much progress. It sounds like a very promising development.

[BobM]

There's been quite a bit about this on Twitter this week, naturally the likes of Andrew Frankel and Chris Harris see it as a very positive step. While it is of course welcome, I don't see it as much of an answer as it's still very wasteful of energy and even if electricity is very cheap it's still likely to be expensive given the processes required and the issues with storing/transporting hydrogen.

You can make hydrogen from water, but it takes about 55kWh of electricity to make 1kg of hydrogen, which has an energy density of about 33kWh/kg. You can then further process the hydrogen with CO2 and more electricity to make synthetic methanol. You then burn either the hydrogen or methanol in an internal combustion engine to give you propulsion, this also has a pretty significant loss, with an efficiency range of 20-30% or so.

So it's going to be expensive. Not a problem for the deep of pocket running their toy cars I guess. Not that those of us running toy cars are really the problem in the first place ...

Better I think to accept that a very small percentage of vehicle will continue to produce very small emissions in the grand scheme of things and find more efficient ways of using the electricity for propulsion.

[p.mole1]

What about the 2 stroke engine, there has been loads of development they are about 50% more efficient than a four stroke. I'm sure it has been said that a 4 stroke has 1 power stroke and 3 strokes to wear out the engine. Apparently the stumbling block with modern 2 stroke fuel injected engines is they run so lean that they can not get a catalyst to work 

[7 wonders of the world]

Cats were only designed to run at stoichiometric 14.7:1 the rush introduction of cats by an ill inform government is what killed the devolvement in lean burn, the likes of Mitsubishi GDI and Rovers K series were designed and were running circa 22:1.

[David Brown]

I think the exhaust emissions from a two stroke might be the killer but I may be wrong. Certainly on original bike engines that needed oil in the fuel. 

[Nigel B]

 

I thought this was an interesting video from Harry Metcalfe. It touches upon the subject of synthetic fuels towards the end.

[Golf Juliet Tango]

I regard synthetic "petrol" in much the same way as laboratory grown "meat". In both cases, I think the point is being missed.