Maybe instead of Somalian pirates there will be Somalian steel smelters.
Posted on 05/17/2024 1:22:17 AM PDT by Jonty30
Swiss researchers have developed a solar energy method using synthetic quartz to achieve temperatures above 1,000°C for industrial processes, potentially replacing fossil fuels in the production of materials like steel and cement.
Instead of burning fossil fuels to reach the temperatures needed to smelt steel and cook cement, scientists in Switzerland want to use heat from the sun. The proof-of-concept study uses synthetic quartz to trap solar energy at temperatures over 1,000°C (1,832°F), demonstrating the method’s potential role in providing clean energy for carbon-intensive industries. A paper on the research was published on May 15 in the journal Device.
The Need for Decarbonization
“To tackle climate change, we need to decarbonize energy in general,” says corresponding author Emiliano Casati of ETH Zurich, Switzerland. “People tend to only think about electricity as energy, but in fact, about half of the energy is used in the form of heat.”
Glass, steel, cement, and ceramics are at the very heart of modern civilization, essential for building everything from car engines to skyscrapers. However, manufacturing these materials demands temperatures over 1,000°C and relies heavily on burning fossil fuels for heat. These industries account for about 25% of global energy consumption. Researchers have explored a clean-energy alternative using solar receivers, which concentrate and build heat with thousands of sun-tracking mirrors. However, this technology has difficulties transferring solar energy efficiently above 1,000°C.
(Excerpt) Read more at scitechdaily.com ...
Do you believe “climate change” is a serious problem?
No I don’t.
However, I still support developing technologies that can reduce our energy usage by shifting it over.
I have no problem with developing solar or wind or or renewables and using them where they work, but only if they can be made to work. I support honesty in the industry.
Maybe instead of Somalian pirates there will be Somalian steel smelters.
>> I still support developing technologies that can reduce our energy usage by shifting it over. I have no problem with developing solar or wind or or renewables and using them where they work, but only if they can be made to work. I support honesty in the industry.
I support those things too — with this exception:
PRIVATE MONEY ONLY. No taxpayer subsidies for developing “alternative energy”. If “alternative energy processes” benefit the industry to the extent that the industry is willing to fund the engineering out of its own pocket, go for it.
But the fact is — energy for making steel is a solved technical problem. Fossil fuel, especially coal, is plentiful and over the years its use in making steel has become “cleaner”. (Climate change is not a real problem, but air pollution is a real problem, mostly a solved one.)
Therefore it’s not likely that a steel industry interested in making the best steel for its customers at the lowest cost would spend money on solar heating, absent taxpayer-funded government incentives to do so.
(Swiss researchers have developed a solar energy method using synthetic quartz to achieve temperatures above 1,000°C for industrial processes)
I think this is fantastic news. 📰📰📰
Does this mean that I can FINALLY soften those little marshmallows in my Swiss Miss?
☕☕☕
Is the environmental impact of creating synthic quartz greater than using fossil fuels?
Steel is made of carbon. Cement is made of carbon.
We live in a carbon world.
So how many people are needed to keep the mirrors clean? Deserts are kinda dusty places.
Tell ya what, that thing can grill a hotdog 🌭🌭🌭 like nobody’s business.
Just be very, very careful when you go to pick it up. 🙃
Solar is not environmentally friendly.
That’s an engineering problem.
Unless we cannot move atoms around on a technology to make it better, it all comes down to engineering.
I generally agree with you. If a private business develops it, it is their technology to sell and make a profit on it.
That’s an enginnering problem. How it is today, does not mean it has to be that way over time as the technology advances.
Aaaand, WE are carbon-based creatures. (And Carbon Dioxide is essentially plant food).
So, carbon isn't bad?
I liked “Tropic of Cancer” better than “Tropic of Capricorn” ... wait, did I return that book? I thought I did.
“To tackle climate change, we need to decarbonize energy in general,”
Blows his credibility.
This is probably not going to pan out.
The only way to decarbonize completely is to either nuclearize or use sources of energy that doesn’t have carbon, like powdered metals.
That is a very good question. Another question is: There was, is, and always will be climate change, but is it currently man made or not, and is it harmful? Ok, two questions. I’m not so sure that the earth is warming, it seems the alarmists post pictures of glaciers melting, but not the ones growing, so there is plenty of room for doubt. Also, what does synthesized quartz cost, and how is it made? I could see where this could be a plus if it’s cheap enough and easy enough to be made, and getting the ingredients doesn’t harm the environment. It would cut down on the exhaust of furnaces which is not the best to breath, and really doesn’t look so great.
There is also that, if we can generate energy through other means, then it allows hydrocarbons to be used where they work best.
I will just give you a hypothetical world of my own to illustrate what I mean.
Nuclear power for the homes. Solar power for industrial uses, like in this article. Hydrocarbons for vehicles.
Or, if hydrocarbons have higher value than being used for fuel then would be better.
Creating an optimized world does not mean being a crazed environmentalist who thinks killing off 95% is necessary to bring balance.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.