Clean fuel, the dream of the global warming era has moved one step closer. As the world struggles to find a system that offers the convenience of our petrol economy with the future proofing of green fuels Air Fuel Synthesis (AFS) may have cracked the code on the impossible, producing hydro-carbon fuel from air and water.

The AFS solution holds the promise of addressing many of the modern dilemmas, all in one foul swoop; oil depletion and dependency, energy security and climate change solved. With none of the downsides of BioFuels the AFS fuel holds the potential to be a game changer for the entire world.

Still in the early stages of development AFS have constructed a demonstrator capable of producing 5 to 10 litters of fuel per day. The technology itself is off the shelf but the process has been years in development.

AFS currently uses mains power to run the system but it’s able to be powered by any renewable energy source, guaranteeing the fuel produced by the system is carbon neutral. Carbon from many sources can be utilized by the reactor, currently AFS are using carbon floating free in the air but carbon captured at coal or gas fired power stations could also be used. The hydrogen component is extracted from water using electrolysis, another electricity intense activity.

At the core of the process is the carbon / hydrogen reactor that is able to reform the source molecules into hydro-carbon molecules, fuel. Reactors of this type have been in existence for decades but the process used by AFS has been designed to ensure carbon neutral fuel, fuel that adds zero carbon to the atmosphere.

What may initially seem to be a simple and potentially obvious idea is in fact an extremely complex and difficult process. With issues of immense importance facing humanity it is going to take some extremely clever solutions to solve these immense issues. Will AFS come to our rescue? Only time will tell.

Reference: AFS