r/science • u/Wagamaga • Aug 06 '20

Chemistry Turning carbon dioxide into liquid fuel. Scientists have discovered a new electrocatalyst that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into ethanol with very high energy efficiency, high selectivity for the desired final product and low cost.

https://www.anl.gov/article/turning-carbon-dioxide-into-liquid-fuel
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u/BlueShellOP Aug 06 '20

Yeah, like I said, it's barely a replacement for gasoline. Big industrial and marine engines tend to be diesels, though. Biofuels are promising, but I still think ICEs in general need to go the way of the dodo, what with mechanical efficiency ceilings.

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u/percykins Aug 06 '20

Big industrial and marine engines tend to be diesels

Weeeeell... while the prime mover is usually a diesel engine, many times it's simply a diesel engine generating electricity which is then used to power an electric engine. Locomotives also work this way, generally. They're diesels because bunker fuel is cheap as bejesus, not because there's something particularly optimal about diesel. You could certainly slot in an ethanol turbine if it was cheaper to run.