Danish researchers at the University of Copenhagen discovered a new source of energy that comes from a reversed photosynthesis process, obtaining usable biofuel and plastic from the resulting product of the transformation of plant biomass using sunlight.
The reversed photosynthesis is a process where biomass is combined with an enzyme called lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase, this is mixed with chlorophyll and then it is exposed to sunlight, which is collected by this molecule, being the same molecule used in regular photosynthesis, and then the energy of the sun is used to break down the molecules in the biomass into smaller components, lastly producing fuels and chemicals.
Claus Felby, the University of Copenhagen professor who headed up the research, said: “This is a game-changer, one that could transform the industrial production of fuels and chemicals, thus serving to reduce pollution significantly.”
This discovery can help the world fight global warming. Climate change and environmental pollution is a huge concern and threat for human beings, and this whole process can change the way we use energy these days, and help reduce pollution, as well as increase production speed and decreasing energy consumption.
By using a natural source of energy, the power of the sun, for the chemical reactions, which is the key to this process, it helps to reduce the energy wasting in the world, as well as making faster productions of plastic, makeup, paints and different chemicals derived from petroleum. It also helps to lower temperatures and improve energy efficiency.
“The discovery means that by using the Sun, we can produce biofuels and biochemicals for things like plastics – faster, at lower temperatures and with enhanced energy-efficiency. Some of the reactions, which currently take 24 hours, can be achieved in just 10 minutes by using the Sun.”, says Postdoc David Cannella, lead author of the research.
The biggest influence of this process is the replacement of energy generated by petrochemical industries.
Source: Discovery News
We must think ahead to space travel, when our refuse and sewage needs to be convertible to energy. This seems applicable.
I think that we need to eliminate all the trash going into land fills and convert that trash into synthetic products before we start another project of using plants to make fuel. And if we use the Molten Salt Thermal Generator by Transatomic Power we can reduce the need for fossil fuels for transportation and making electricity. We have the technology to electrify much of our trucking industry.
Anyone interested if working on these projects ???
Molten salt does not work that way. It is just a method for storing heat while the sun is down. It is not something that is portable. It is used for transporting heat in locally inside a factory by pumping the salt around. It is not something that can be just bottled and tossed in a car as an energy source.
Any one who has taken a calculus class can prove it is a sham,
Seems you missed the entire post. The “Thermal Generator” (can’t use the work nuclear) is the new design of the molten salt reactor. You have to go to Transatomic Power’s web site.
So lets assume that we use 1/2 of all non-farm vegetation (like no food plants) to produce fuel and chemicals. What effect will this have on the production of oxygen that the plants make from CO2 ???
The biomass in question is the parts of the harvested plants which are not used for food. (stalks, inedible leaves, etc.), so the effect on oxygen production would be nil. IIRC, the current processes used do require additional oxygen, and this wouldn’t change that, but by lowering the temperatures needed, and using sunlight, the effective yield would be higher.
I’m not sure the yield would be higher. If this turns out to scale (there is nothing to indicate this), then it would increase efficiency of production.
Calling this a game changer seems a bit premature. All this seems to do is lower the amount of energy used in production of bio-fuels, and speed the process up.
Bio-fuels have already been shown to be far more damaging that oil production, so all this does is make a very dirty industry less dirty.
Since the current process uses fuel to heat the biomass and drive the chemical changes, part of the output is being used for this heat. Lowering the temperature and using non-fuel energy for the process increases the effective yield. (all other things being equal)
all the biomass to which you refer needs to be returned to the soil as compost. I think that we have to convert the existing trash first. Remove all the material going to land fills and into the ocean.
So lets assume that we use 1/2 of all non-farm vegetation (like no food plants) to produce fuel and chemicals. What effect will this have on the production of oxygen that the plants make from CO2 ???
Great, just what we need, more plastic…
I think it would be classified as “synthetic”, so it would be bio degradable.