UK-based Cella Energy has developed a synthetic fuel.
Apart from promising a future transportation fuel with a stable price regardless of oil prices, the fuel is hydrogen based and produces no carbon emissions when burned. The technology is based on complex hydrides, and has been developed over a four year top secret program at the prestigious Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford. Early indications are that the fuel can be used in existing internal combustion engined vehicles without engine modification.
According to Stephen Voller CEO at Cella Energy, the technology was developed using advanced materials science, taking high energy materials and encapsulating them using a nanostructuring technique called coaxial electrospraying. “We have developed new micro-beads that can be used in an existing gasoline or petrol vehicle to replace oil-based fuels,” said Voller. “Early indications are that the micro-beads can be used in existing vehicles without engine modification.”
“The materials are hydrogen-based, and so when used produce no carbon emissions at the point of use, in a similar way to electric vehicles”, said Voller.
The development team is led by Professor Stephen Bennington in collaboration with scientists from University College London and Oxford University.
Professor Bennington, Chief Scientific Officer at Cella Energy said, “our technology is based on materials called complex hydrides that contain hydrogen. When encapsulated using our unique patented process, they are safer to handle than regular gasoline.”
The price of this synthetic fuel could lead to US$1.50 per gallon gasoline.
Sounds fine and dandy but what does it take to create this fuel and what does it emit as a waste product?
Byproduct would be water, but, as with all hydrogen fuels first you have to produce the hydrogen. Unless you are using nuclear power there is a tremendous cost in carbon emissions for the power to produce hydrogen from water.
Yeah, sounds pretty good. Ever notice all these hydrogen fueled cars / vehicle technologies popping up everywhere now? The Japanese have a couple cars that run on hydrogen. Funny that all this is ok now that the man who REALLY found out how to run a car on hydrogen, Stan Meyers,,,,,,,(who had an add on to any internal combustion engine for $1500.00. Whose dune buggy would make it from California to New York on 22 gallons of water)is dead? Poisoned at a restaurant in his home town. Funny too how “they” are all scrambling for the next big “strike” because “they” are really really close to having thier nipple at the oil wells run dry. 25000 products made from one barrel of oil, with gasoline as the waste product,,,,,,hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Could “prohibition” have had anything to do with it?