New York Startup Builds Fridge-Sized Machine That Can Turn Air Into Gasoline - Jalopnik
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While it's not quite the free energy it sounds like at first, Aircela's technology in its current state has some practical, small-scale applications.

The main reason why this process isn’t “something for nothing” is that it takes twice as much electrical energy to produce energy in the form of gasoline. As Aircela told The Autopian:

Aircela is targeting >50% end to end power efficiency. Since there is about 37kWh of energy in a gallon of gasoline we will require about 75kWh to make it. When we power our machines with standalone, off-grid, photovoltaic panels this will correspond to less than $1.50/gallon in energy cost.

Doesn’t it sort of defeat the purpose of gasoline being used because it’s so energy dense? Like, this seems to suggest little more than the benefits of electrification in transport.

  • 18107@aussie.zoneEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    Assuming we never get more energy dense batteries, this would be one way to make air transport carbon neutral.

    It’s far worse than batteries for cars, but batteries aren’t practical everywhere yet. Every bit helps.