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Turning Black Coal Green
Popular Science ^ | 2005 | Seán Captain

Posted on 02/17/2007 8:40:00 PM PST by SunkenCiv

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To: SunkenCiv

Limestone(CaCO3)is nature's way of sequestration. CO2 + CaO(lime) = CaCO3. Coal burning plants are only about 45% efficient, leaving 55% going to waste heat. Can anyone here explain why that 55% of exhaust heat can't be mixed with lime dust to make CaCO3?


21 posted on 02/19/2007 10:37:23 AM PST by timer (n/0=n=nx0)
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To: timer

Remember we are talking about 4 to 6 million metric tons of CO2.

In order to make that much lime you need to decompose CaCO3 ...which only liberates more CO2...so you get no net gain. You just release the CO2 somewhere else.

CaCO3=CaO (lime) + CO2


By the way...you just gave me an idea. I'm going to try your suggestion next week at one of our coal plants and look for a CO2 reduction result. We have this very system in place to knock out the SO3 blue plume from our stacks.

I'll be in touch.


22 posted on 02/21/2007 8:07:11 PM PST by I got the rope
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To: I got the rope

You seem like a knowledgeable fellow about this, pleasure to talk to someone who knows the business. Yes, you have to decompose limestone to get that much lime, but it can be in a controlled environment(chemical tanks and such). That in turn means the CO2 is easier to sequester in some further process.

A distant possibility : CF/LENR(Cold Fusion/Low Energy Nuclear Reactions) : We KNOW we can transmutate isotopes with this process, I've even done it on my kithchen counter for under $100 for the whole experiment. My mass spectrometer test($50 of the $100)showed a doubling of K41 from 8% to 16%(K39 = 92% and K41 = 8% of normal isotopic distribution). The K(potassium)was from the KOH electrolyte I used(photographic developer fluid).

So, would it be possible to transmutate the CO2 nuclei to other isoptopes(Boron or Nitrogen)? I'll have to ask Dr Miley about that. He's at Urbana and has done LOTS of CF work over the years. We've concentrated out efforts on nuclear waste remediation, I haven't heard anyone even mention CO2 as a possible waste product to tansmutate/clean up.

As to CO2 bubbling thru limewater, consider the stepped formations just south of Gardner MT, in Yellowstone Park. Over the eons CO2 has bubbled up from the pluton below this DORMANT supervolcano(for how much longer will it remain DORMANT?)and built up these layers upon layers of limestone.

That then is your model of fine, hot bubbles of CO2 coming up in limewater, nature does it, why can't we? Hey, as simple and dumb as it sounds, if it WORKS, make million$ on it... And 6 million metric tons, hey, that's just another average mountain range in MONTANA...


23 posted on 02/21/2007 8:48:57 PM PST by timer (n/0=n=nx0)
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To: I got the rope

Did a bit more thinking about this CO2 + CaO = CaCO3 idea. I'm no expert but here goes. Ok, you have 6 million metric tons of CO2 that you would like to sequester somehow. Solid CO2(dry ice)is 1.53g/cc at -79 deg C.

Ok, if you air-blow tiny, hot CO2 bubbles thru lime-rich water you'll get CaCO3 dust settling to the bottom of the tank(the Yellowstone Park number). You then take that creamy dust into another chemical process where you again split it into CaO and CO2.

You then take that CO2 and cool it into a 45 deg cone-mountain as solid dry ice(super insulated walls). How big? 6 x 10^6 x 10^3 x 10^3 = 6 x 10^12 grams/1.53 = about 4 x 10^12 cc. bh/3 is volume of the cone and h = r for 45 deg cone. Thus an insulated cone-mountain 156 meters high, or 522 ft high.

Now, ASSUMING this all works as a practical approach to removing CO2 fom coal fired power plant's exhaust stacks, a BIG IF to be sure, you'd have your global warming CO2 either stored as an ICE MOUNTAIN, or as a CO2 reservoir for comm'l uses.

Yes, I know, the energy equation is all important here, and yet, if it works....


24 posted on 02/22/2007 4:56:59 PM PST by timer (n/0=n=nx0)
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To: SunkenCiv

bump


25 posted on 02/22/2007 5:00:03 PM PST by VOA
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To: timer

Way too much energy involved in this scheme. Personally I don't think warming is a problem. We know from the geologic record that CO2 was as high as 7000 ppm in the atmosphere at one time. I suspect that is why we see some diatomaceous earth deposits that are so huge...just a guess. I think the Golgi apparatus found in some algal cells will be able to handle the increase in CO2 with ease. Plants too. Someone should try to calculate how much CO2 is being taken up by plant and plant-like life forms on earth.


26 posted on 02/22/2007 7:52:12 PM PST by I got the rope
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To: I got the rope

Yes, could be too energy intensive as a process, prelim idea anyway. In a recent Infinite Energy Magazine article by Zebuhr he states that if the level is 350 ppm now, it will level off at around 600 ppm from increased organic take-up and higher temps = increased ocean evaporation = increased rainfall.

Anyway, there is a lot of fear-mongering with this global warming, an obvious marxist plot allied with beach property owners. Personally, I don't mind at all that summer may be edging out winter, it's february, CRANK IT UP.....


27 posted on 02/22/2007 8:42:37 PM PST by timer (n/0=n=nx0)
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To: I got the rope

Another concept : the Pantone Catalytic converter. It removes all pollutants from the car exhaust except oxygen. I've seen it demonstrated by Dennis Lee(ucsofa.com)at his science magic show. But why isn't it on the shelf?

Only two reasons I can think of is that it's far too expensive(precious metals)for your average car, and Pantone himself. He had a lot of investors pump money into the concept. Instead of using that money to bring the product to market, he ****ed it away on houses, yachts, etc; the usual thing that happens when you give too much money to an undisciplined IDIOT.

So they had him thrown in jail and that was 2-3 years ago, haven't heard anything since on Pantone. I THINK the active ingredient is silver hollandite but not sure of that...


28 posted on 02/23/2007 12:55:43 AM PST by timer (n/0=n=nx0)
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