TO QUOTE
Production of Audi e?diesel involves various steps: First, water heated up to form steam is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen by means of high-temperature electrolysis. This process, involving a temperature in excess of 800 degrees Celsius, is more efficient than conventional techniques because of heat recovery, for example. Another special feature of high-temperature electrolysis is that it can be used dynamically, to stabilize the grid when production of green power peaks.
In two further steps, the hydrogen reacts with the CO2 in synthesis reactors, again under pressure and at high temperature. The reaction product is a liquid made from long?chain hydrocarbon compounds, known as blue crude. The efficiency of the overall process – from renewable power to liquid hydrocarbon – is very high at around 70 percent. Similarly to a fossil crude oil, blue crude can be refined to yield the end product Audi e?diesel. This synthetic fuel is free from sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons, and its high cetane number means it is readily ignitable. As lab tests conducted at Audi have shown, it is suitable for admixing with fossil diesel or, prospectively, for use as a fuel in its own right.
Therein lies the rub. Heat. From what? 1,500F is a lot of energy. Taken at it's most economical basis this means that CO2 has to be extracted from the atmosphere. For free? Ever see a "gas" facility? Huge tanks of petroleum and line transmission directly to a plant substation. To wit: Price Dry Ice
A worldwide subsidized race should be organized with the "winner" gaining a hundred billion dollar prize - tax free. Economical extraction of CO2 from the air. Carbon fiber raw to replace steel and aluminum (aluminum is a gargoyle of electrical energy requirement).
Ah well. Tis nice to dream...
