Fuels from Sunlight, Water and Carbon Dioxide?

Canadian tar sands

peak oil

Mill

ions

bar

rels

per

day

Year

hydrolic fracking

coral bleaching

Fukushima accident

BP Gulf Coast oil spill

400300

200100

0

150

200

250

300

350

400

Atm

osph

eric

CO

2 leve

ls (p

pmv)

Thousands of years before present (ky BP)

CO2 levels

gas prices

1 hr = 1 yr energy consumption

150 million km

Storing Energy

8 times the volume16 times the weight

gasoline

batteries

Chemical energy (liquid fuel) is high density

chemistry

heat sun

Just a pinch of chemistry

22 2H O +H ½O

2 2CO CO + ½O

2 2 242 CHH O + CO + 2O

The magic ingredient

cerium dioxide

hot warm

exhales oxygen inhales oxygen

CeO2

O2H2

H2O

Hot Warm

exhalation inhalationreleases fuel

Ce

O

Solar energy is abundant

Chemical fuels store energy well

Solar heat uses all wavelengths of light

Designer materials use heat to make fuels

Image creditsgas prices: http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/oct/05/calif-gas-prices-shock-drivers/

peak oil: http://www.paulchefurka.ca/Population.html

CO2 levels: Indermühle A., T.F. Stocker, F. Joos, H. Fischer, H.J. Smith, M. Wahlen, B. Deck, D. Mastroianni, J. Tschumi, T. Blunier, R. Meyer, B. Stauffer. 1999. Nature 398:121-126; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001 (http://www.ipcc.ch); Dr. Pieter Tans, NOAA/ESRL (www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/) and Dr. Ralph Keeling, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (scrippsco2.ucsd.edu/).

fukushima daiichi: http://journeys4good.com/on-location/fukushima-50-japans-volunteer-heroes-and-the-international-volunteers-they-inspire/

coral reefs: http://fooyoh.com/menknowpause_lifestyle_living/5141673

oil spill: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/06/photogalleries/100608-gulf-oil-spill-environment-birds-animals-pictures/

fracking: http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/06/nationals-fracking-response.html

solar energy map: http://www.alternative-energy-resources.net/solarenergydisadvantages.html

the sun: http://haysvillelibrary.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/the-song-of-the-sun/

magnifying lens: http://www.tutorvista.com/physics/magnifying-glass-lens

Canadian tar sands: National Geographic Magazine “Scraping Bottom” March 2009, photo Peter Essick

human respiration: http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookRESPSYS.html

solar collection field: http://kawngroup.com/solar-thermal-energy-systems/