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The US Navy has announced that they have a discovered a way to break saltwater into Hydrogen gas and CO2 gas, and then combine them to create a hydrocarbon fuel that can be used in conventional engines to replace oil. If this development pans out, it could be a game-changer in many regards.
Quote:
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy believes it has finally worked out the solution to a problem that has intrigued scientists for decades: how to take seawater and use it as fuel.
The development of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel is being hailed as "a game-changer" because it would significantly shorten the supply chain, a weak link that makes any force easier to attack.
The U.S. has a fleet of 15 military oil tankers, and only aircraft carriers and some submarines are equipped with nuclear propulsion.
All other vessels must frequently abandon their mission for a few hours to navigate in parallel with the tanker, a delicate operation, especially in bad weather.
The ultimate goal is to eventually get away from the dependence on oil altogether, which would also mean the navy is no longer hostage to potential shortages of oil or fluctuations in its cost. <more>
What's the catch? Simple... the energy put into creating the fuel is greater than the energy contained in the resulting fuel, so you need an independent source of energy, like a nuclear reactor, to produce the fuel. It's strictly a matter of convenience not to have to ship oil around the world to refuel conventionally powered vehicles.
But the process could also be powered by solar power, or wind power, so even fixed bases with access to saltwater could reduce or replace their dependence on oil and produce their own fuel.
This will be an interesting development to watch...
It's no game changer. The Navy could be all nuclear if it chose to be, but the cost is too high to justify that. In an earlier era there were nuclear powered cruisers and destroyers.
It is a pretty big deal. It has been a research project for decades and the consequences are far reaching. The ability to project naval power in parts of the world where friendly ports are few and far between has significant strategic geopolitical implications, particularly due to the relations we have with many of our oil exporting trade partners.
It is a pretty big deal. It has been a research project for decades and the consequences are far reaching. The ability to project naval power in parts of the world where friendly ports are few and far between has significant strategic geopolitical implications, particularly due to the relations we have with many of our oil exporting trade partners.
And IIRC, the USS Cole was attacked when it was going to port to refuel... Might have prevented that from happening.
I also think it is a big deal, because this means other people living close to seawater could potentially make fuel. Like others I hate the dependence on other countries for our fuel.
And I also agree, good catch with the timing of this and the Russia/Ukraine crisis.
Umm they'll still have to be resupplied dude. Ships will have to come in port some time no matter what. Yes even Nuclear submarines and air craft carriers need to be resupplied from time to time. They only have unlimited fuel they still need food. Although this is a really cool idea hopefully they'll be able to successfully do this.
This report is nonsense. Navy ships are not going to scoop up sea water and run it as a fuel. That violates basic physics. I'm not sure what the research has accomplished but it isn't logistics free fuel from sea water. More likely this is a small breakthrough on algae based fuels. Perhaps they are growing the algae in sea water.
Umm they'll still have to be resupplied dude. Ships will have to come in port some time no matter what. Yes even Nuclear submarines and air craft carriers need to be resupplied from time to time. They only have unlimited fuel they still need food. Although this is a really cool idea hopefully they'll be able to successfully do this.
Navy ships can replenish at sea.
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