Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumFar-Out Tech Department Fuel Your Future Car With Aluminum
Link http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1076758_far-out-tech-department-fuel-your-future-car-with-aluminum
Thats the idea being proposed by an Israeli company called Alchemy Research, according to GreenCarReports.com.
The startup says it has developed a reactor that that combines aluminum and water to create hydrogen, which is then used to generate electricity in a fuel cell or burned to create steam and run a turbine.
To do this, powdered aluminum is introduced into a pre-heated reactor where it is melted at a temperature of 900 degrees Celsius and reacts with steam to form aluminum oxide, a process that creates hydrogen and heat. The heat generated by the reaction then takes over powering the reactor, making it a self-sustaining system. The non-toxic aluminum oxide byproduct can be processed back into aluminum at a recycling facility to create new fuel.
TheMadMonk
(6,187 posts)One does not "recycle" alumina back into aluminium. It's REFINED using exactly the same energetically expensive process as the one used to turn ore dug from the ground into metal.
elifino
(366 posts)It requires 50MJ of electric energy to convert oxide to 1 Kg of aluminum, containing 31MJ of energy. 60% efficiency, not that bad. Electricity is not the only component of conversion cost, there are also costs of smelter construction and running. Market price of aluminum is $1.9/kg, including all costs and manufacturer's margin. Assuming this cost, it is less expensive to run electric car on aluminum than ICE / gasoline car.
NickB79
(19,243 posts)"Assuming this cost, it is less expensive to run electric car on aluminum than ICE / gasoline car."
I'd like to see the math on that, since the article doesn't exactly say how many miles per kg such a car would get. It only discusses miles per liter of aluminum powder.
GideonYampolsky
(3 posts)According to the process model and results we obtained from prototype, eventually one kilo of aluminum ends up as 8.6MJ (2.4KW-h) of useful electric power. Tesla car consumes 13.5 KW-h per 100 km. So it will need 5.6 Kg of aluminum, at total cost less than $11.
NickB79
(19,243 posts)You've worked on the prototype of this vehicle? Wow.
GideonYampolsky
(3 posts)eppur_se_muova
(36,262 posts)How many times has this idea been proposed ?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=307593&mesg_id=307932
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5164545&mesg_id=5164828
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=96944&mesg_id=96958