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Scientists invent way to create 'unlimited renewable energy'
FoxNews.com/Science ^ | Sept 7, 2018 | Lauren Tousignant

Posted on 09/09/2018 7:19:16 AM PDT by ETL

Scientists have reached a “milestone” in a technique of semi-artificial photosynthesis that could eventually create an “unlimited source of renewable energy,” according to a new study.

Artificial photosynthesis has been around for decades, but scientists haven’t been able to develop it on a scale large enough to support an industrial level, or that could operate without the use of expensive or polluting devices.

Semi-artificial photosynthesis, a relatively new field of study, aims to address those concerns by combining manmade technologies with biological processes in order to mimic nature’s method of splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.

In the latest study, researchers at the University of Cambridge focused on an enzyme found in algae called Hydrogenase – which has lied dormant for millennia. Their findings were published Sept. 3 in Nature Energy.

“Hydrogenase is an enzyme present in algae that is capable of reducing protons into hydrogen,” Katarzyna Sokól, first author of the study, said in a statement. 

“During evolution, this process has been deactivated because it wasn’t necessary for survival but we successfully managed to bypass the inactivity to achieve the reaction we wanted — splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen.”

The hydrogenase also dramatically improves the amount of energy that’s produced and stored. Sokól believes this new process will enable new innovations in the world of renewable energy.

In addition to developing new technologies, these types of studies are essential for the future of space travel — as scientists continue to figure out the most efficient ways to keep spacecrafts running on deep space voyages.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Science
KEYWORDS: hydrogenase; photosynthesis; stringtheory
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To: Telepathic Intruder
The problem is that the sun produces only so much energy per square unit of the earth’s surface. The only way to increase the energy per demand is to allocate more acreage to solar farms.

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_consumption the total energy production in 2015 was 168,519 Trillion watt hours. Divide that over the entire year and the entire surface of the Earth and you need to harvest 0.15 watts / square meter. Solar energy is about 1000 watts / square meter. We aren't close to needing to pave the Earth with solar panels.

That needs to be adjusted for cloud coverage and conversion efficiency, but there is still a lot of room.

21 posted on 09/09/2018 8:06:33 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (Leave the job, leave the clearance. It should be the same rule for the Swamp as for everyone else.)
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To: ETL

Bad idea. hydrogen tends to go boom. Lots of static electricity on Mars to ignite it. Oxygen storage near by would just fuel the explosion.

Stick with what works (nuclear) and stop trying to reinvent the wheel because being PC is so ‘in’ these days.


22 posted on 09/09/2018 8:09:06 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: ETL

Takes energy to split h2o. More than is given back due to inefficiencies (entropy?).


23 posted on 09/09/2018 8:09:19 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: KarlInOhio

It’s still a lot of space, which has to come from somewhere. It’s basically like turning otherwise useful land into a parking lot, since you can’t grow anything on it.


24 posted on 09/09/2018 8:11:44 AM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: PIF

Better solution than this IMHO. Hydrogen is “plentiful” in space. How about a scoop on the front of the ship? Best of all you don’t have to carry the extra weight.

Lastly, the fusion reaction doesn’t have to be controlled. Just fire off a small scale nuke at the back end of your ship.

Brainstorming here....


25 posted on 09/09/2018 8:14:08 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: Migraine

Mongo only Pawn in game of life.


26 posted on 09/09/2018 8:16:03 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: dhs12345

Lastly, the fusion reaction doesn’t have to be controlled. Just fire off a small scale nuke at the back end of your ship.

That was Project Orion, killed in 1964 mostly due to failure of political will, service infighting, and a treaty with the Soviets. Else, we would have been on Mars by 1965 and Saturn by 1970, but settled for 12 guys to spend 80 some hours on the Moon 45 years ago.


27 posted on 09/09/2018 8:20:04 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: ETL

28 posted on 09/09/2018 8:22:28 AM PDT by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZGw2M)
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To: ETL

I’m no scientist, but I’d like to learn the definition of the word “reduce” as used in this quote:

“. . . is capable of reducing protons into hydrogen,” Katarzyna Sokól, first author of the study, said in a statement.


29 posted on 09/09/2018 8:29:49 AM PDT by Chad N. Freud (FR is the modern equivalent of the Committees of Correspondence. Let other analogies arise.)
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To: PIF

Lol. “Scifi” is always overly optimistic. But it does point us in the right direction. :)

For propulsion, it might make sense. Maybe the problem is more misconceptions. Those evil nukes kill people.


30 posted on 09/09/2018 8:30:12 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: Chad N. Freud

Need electrons? Hydrogen is one proton, one electron.


31 posted on 09/09/2018 8:35:02 AM PDT by dhs12345
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To: dhs12345

Project Orion was not “Scifi” - it was a real project with some of the finest scientists, engineers, and small nuclear bomb designers we had at the time.

It was not “evil nukes” either - it was just as I said earlier. There are all sorts of documentaries on the Project and a fair number of books.

Later, the NERVA nuclear power plant was killed for much the same reasons.


32 posted on 09/09/2018 8:38:29 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: BlueLancer

Drinking some wine, eating some cheese...Woof! Woof!


33 posted on 09/09/2018 8:40:44 AM PDT by Regulator
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To: ETL

Makes a lot more sense than the ‘liberal/alGoreEnergyCredit Scam’:

https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/al-gores-climate-change-hypocrisy-is-as-big-as-his-energy-sucking-mansion/

A new analysis by the National Center for Public Policy Research found that Gore’s Tennessee home “guzzles more electricity in one year than the average American family uses in 21 years.”

The electricity used just to heat Gore’s swimming pool would power six homes for a year.


https://www.wnd.com/2007/03/40445/

Al Gore defends his extraordinary personal energy usage by telling critics he maintains a “carbon neutral” lifestyle by buying “carbon offsets,” but the company that receives his payments turns out to be partly owned and chaired by the former vice president himself.

Gore has built a “green money-making machine capable of eventually generating billions of dollars for investors, including himself, but he set it up so that the average Joe can’t afford to play on Gore’s terms,”


34 posted on 09/09/2018 8:41:27 AM PDT by GOPJ (Anonymous & the White House "Shoeless Joe Jackson Cabal" need to resign.)
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To: Chad N. Freud

Reduce means adding electrons. Protons are hydrogen atoms without the electron. Adding the electron gives you hydrogen. The electron comes from oxygen in water being converted to oxygen. Overall it is a redox reaction of water being converted to hydrogen and oxygen by reduction of the hydrogen and oxidation of the oxygen.
Thermodynamically that is going uphill so you need to input energy. That is where the light comes in.


35 posted on 09/09/2018 8:44:22 AM PDT by organicchemist (Without the second amendment, the first amendment is just talk)
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To: Regulator
Drinking some wine, eating some cheese...Woof! Woof!

Is that your other dog impression?

36 posted on 09/09/2018 9:03:09 AM PDT by BlueLancer (Democrats are National Socialists)
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To: BlueLancer

That’s funny

Too many good scenes from Kelly’s Heroes


37 posted on 09/09/2018 9:04:52 AM PDT by Regulator
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To: ETL

Key ingredient = Unicorn Farts?


38 posted on 09/09/2018 9:10:39 AM PDT by nuke_road_warrior (Making the world safe for nuclear power for over 20 years)
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To: PIF

fusion reactors do not exist may as well just use zero-point energy.


Fusion reactors do exist. They just don’t work very well, or for very long.


39 posted on 09/09/2018 9:11:02 AM PDT by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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To: dhs12345

Takes energy to split h2o. More than is given back due to inefficiencies (entropy?)


Yes, but the energy, in this case, comes from the sun. So the difference between 100% efficiency and 90% efficiency due to losses doesn’t really matter.


40 posted on 09/09/2018 9:14:33 AM PDT by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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