"This invention, though probably a good 15 to 20 years away from being on the market, holds a real promise of being able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while preserving options to keep using fuels we know and love," said Ellen Stechel of Sandia. “Recycling carbon dioxide into fuels provides an attractive alternative to burying it.”

Diver
Diver

The prototype Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (or CR5) will break a carbon-oxygen bond in the carbon dioxide to create carbon monoxide and oxygen in a two-step process. Combining the carbon monoxide with water will then create methanol, gasoline or another liquid fuel. The team says that liquid fuels fit in well with current oil and petrol infrastructure.

"What’s exciting about this invention is that it will result in fossil fuels being used at least twice, meaning less carbon dioxide being put into the atmosphere and a reduction of the rate that fossil fuels are pulled out of the ground," said Rich Diver, who came up with the CR5 device.

The original plan was to use the device to break down water into oxygen and hydrogen for use in fuel cells. Stechel says that researchers have known for a long time that it might theoretically be possible to recycle carbon dioxide but many thought it could not be made practical, either technically or economically.

Solar
Solar

"Hence, it has not been pursued with much vigour," she said. "Not only did we think it was possible, the team has developed a prototype that they fully anticipate will successfully break down carbon dioxide in a clever and viable two-step process."

While the first step for the device would be to capture carbon dioxide from sources where it’s concentrated, such as power plants, smokestacks and breweries, the researcher’s ultimate goal is to remove carbon dioxide from the air. They say that a Sunshine-to-Petrol system using atmospheric carbon dioxide capture could produce carbon-neutral liquid fuels.