🚀 go-pugleaf

DonH <donlhumphries@bigpond.com> wrote:
> Well, if science can split the atom (nuclear power), this should be a cinch.
>   There was a TV doco on SBS last night, about evolution of the submarine, 
> and the modern nuclear-powered sub solves its oxygen supply problem by 
> electrolysis of sea water.
>   How do astronauts in the space station recycle their air?
>   Presumably, it involves reduction of carbon dioxide back into carbon and 
> oxygen.
>   By photosynthesis?  Or, electrolysis of "dry ice"? 

Nova has done a couple programs on this.

Short missions usually don't bother with recycling -- some of the liquid O2 is
used to make "air" and CO2 and some other dangerous chemicals are
scrubbed out with absorbers or filters; some waste is just vented.

In the space station solar power is the basis for a more comprehensive
recycle scheme. O2 is generated from elocrolysis. The hydrogen is
vented. There are plants to use it later to make methane and water
from atm CO2 and H to partly replace the water that's used to make O2.

There are a range of nasty substances long-libed missions accumulate --
acetone, carbon monoxide and methyl alcohol. These have to be scrubbed out.

The "recycle" even in the near future will be nowhere near perfect and 
supplies from the ground are needed to replaced "full" filters
and replace O2, water and other requisites that leak out of the system
(or just collect places it's not easy to get them out of).

-- 
Another problem that has to be taken seriously is a slow rise of sea level
which could become catastrophic if it continues to accelerate. We have
accurate measurements of sea level going back 200 years. We observe a
steady rise from 1800 to the present, with an acceleration during the last
50 years. It is widely believed that the recent acceleration is due to
human activities, since it coincides in time with the rapid increase of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere.
  -- Freeman Dyson, "Many Colored Glass: Reflections on the Place of Life in the

Professor Freeman Dyson, World Renowned "Heir To Einstein" Physicist
  -- BONZO@27-32-240-172 [daily and sometimes hourly nyms], 27 Feb 2011 12:50 +1100

"DonH" <donlhumphries@bigpond.com> wrote in message 
news:7uzvq.5815$7r4.4501@viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com...
> Well, if science can split the atom (nuclear power), this should be a 
> cinch.
>   There was a TV doco on SBS last night, about evolution of the submarine, 
> and the modern nuclear-powered sub solves its oxygen supply problem by 
> electrolysis of sea water.
>   How do astronauts in the space station recycle their air?
>   Presumably, it involves reduction of carbon dioxide back into carbon and 
> oxygen.
>   By photosynthesis?  Or, electrolysis of "dry ice"?

If you think that we can eliminate or reduce CO2 emissions by "splitting" 
CO2 molecules into Carbon and Oxygen, you are simply demonstrating ignorance 
of the law of conservation of energy.

The energy produced by burning fossil fuels is released when Carbon and 
Hydrogen joint with Oxygen in the air to produce CO2 and H2O. The only way 
that you can split these molecules apart again is by supplying more energy 
than was released when they were created, meaning fossil fuel plants would 
consume more energy than they produce, rendering them useless.

If you are really unfamiliar with the law of conservation of energy - which 
is primary school science - you are probably better off not posting your 
ideas to science newsgroups.

"Peter Webb" <webbfamily@optusnetDIESPAMDIE.com.au> wrote in message 
news:4ebf35dd$0$22473$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
> "DonH" <donlhumphries@bigpond.com> wrote in message 
> news:7uzvq.5815$7r4.4501@viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com...
>> Well, if science can split the atom (nuclear power), this should be a 
>> cinch.
>>   There was a TV doco on SBS last night, about evolution of the 
>> submarine, and the modern nuclear-powered sub solves its oxygen supply 
>> problem by electrolysis of sea water.
>>   How do astronauts in the space station recycle their air?
>>   Presumably, it involves reduction of carbon dioxide back into carbon 
>> and oxygen.
>>   By photosynthesis?  Or, electrolysis of "dry ice"?
>
> If you think that we can eliminate or reduce CO2 emissions by "splitting" 
> CO2 molecules into Carbon and Oxygen, you are simply demonstrating 
> ignorance of the law of conservation of energy.
>
> The energy produced by burning fossil fuels is released when Carbon and 
> Hydrogen joint with Oxygen in the air to produce CO2 and H2O. The only way 
> that you can split these molecules apart again is by supplying more energy 
> than was released when they were created, meaning fossil fuel plants would 
> consume more energy than they produce, rendering them useless.
>
> If you are really unfamiliar with the law of conservation of energy - 
> which is primary school science - you are probably better off not posting 
> your ideas to science newsgroups.
>
>

#  Carbon dioxide is not an inert gas (eg argon), and there can be several 
ways of coping with it, apart from using more electricity than is economic - 
like a desal plant using reverse osmosis (as compared with distillation).
     Trouble is, the polluting industries don't want to bother doing a 
clean-up, unless forced.
     Chimney/vehicle discharge is merely one example of failure to recycle, 
and everything we humans don't recycle accumulates as waste - until we 
"drown" in our own polluted habitat.
     To revert to the original topic: a submarine has sea water to draw on, 
but a space station has no such luxury. 

"Peter Webb" <webbfamily@optusnetDIESPAMDIE.com.au> wrote in message 
news:4ebf35dd$0$22473$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
> "DonH" <donlhumphries@bigpond.com> wrote in message 
> news:7uzvq.5815$7r4.4501@viwinnwfe02.internal.bigpond.com...
>> Well, if science can split the atom (nuclear power), this should be a 
>> cinch.
>>   There was a TV doco on SBS last night, about evolution of the 
>> submarine, and the modern nuclear-powered sub solves its oxygen supply 
>> problem by electrolysis of sea water.
>>   How do astronauts in the space station recycle their air?
>>   Presumably, it involves reduction of carbon dioxide back into carbon 
>> and oxygen.
>>   By photosynthesis?  Or, electrolysis of "dry ice"?
>
> If you think that we can eliminate or reduce CO2 emissions by "splitting" 
> CO2 molecules into Carbon and Oxygen, you are simply demonstrating 
> ignorance of the law of conservation of energy.
>
> The energy produced by burning fossil fuels is released when Carbon and 
> Hydrogen joint with Oxygen in the air to produce CO2 and H2O. The only way 
> that you can split these molecules apart again is by supplying more energy 
> than was released when they were created, meaning fossil fuel plants would 
> consume more energy than they produce, rendering them useless.
>
> If you are really unfamiliar with the law of conservation of energy - 
> which is primary school science - you are probably better off not posting 
> your ideas to science newsgroups.
>
>
>

Geez Peter - looks like the charisma bypass was an outstanding 
success.......