US Navy successfully demos jet fuel made from seawater

[1prophet]

(I didn't see your post before posting this) - it would take huge changes in our infrastructure - but going from nuclear to electrical is far far more efficient than nuclear to chemical to combustion. We don't have the infrastructure presently for battery recharging stations, but implementing that would be much better in the long run.

That road is already being paved.


http://money.cnn.com/infographic/pf/autos/tesla-map/

 

[tynopik]

This also has potential for various alternate energy sources with high variability. For instance wind can supply no more than x% of the total grid power because it's too variable and the grid can't cope with it.

Now you can use excess wind generation capacity to create liquid fuel which can be used somewhere else at some other time.

Basically it's a way of storing the (temporary) excess production capability in a more convenient form


On a bigger scale, if we could create a ton of really cheap nuclear power (oxymoron), we could use that to replace our need for conventional oil. Because no matter how much electricity you have, you still need liquid fuels for some things. Not to mention it might be able to be used as a building block for plastics, many of which also require conventional oil at the moment.

 

[mnewsham]

Isn't the new generation of super carrier supposed to have like 70% of it's power untapped at launch for future upgradability? The new generation of nuclear reactor is also I believe not much larger in size, I could see this being able to work for the planes and such, not sure if that would give it enough excess power to supply the whole battle group though. Potentially in the future large floating nuclear reactors may provide mobile fueling for a battle group situation, but I find that unlikely anytime soon.

 

[CZroe]

Isn't the new generation of super carrier supposed to have like 70% of it's power untapped at launch for future upgradability? The new generation of nuclear reactor is also I believe not much larger in size, I could see this being able to work for the planes and such, not sure if that would give it enough excess power to supply the whole battle group though. Potentially in the future large floating nuclear reactors may provide mobile fueling for a battle group situation, but I find that unlikely anytime soon.

Think of it more as a diversification strategy. Their tankers are that much less of a target because they are that much less critical, especially when there are several vessels in a carrier group that can compensate for the loss of some jet fuel.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Its interesting how so many here are scientifically illiterate. I would go on a stretch to say that the battle group still needs logistic support to refuel the ships in it. Jet fuel would pale in comparison to the amount needed by the ships so I doubt this would change a lot.
Unless they start floating carriers just by itself.

It`s interesting how some people compelled to post who have no clue....

 

[norseamd]

the problem with running a water sation to fuel cars and other vehicles has always been how to effectivly divide water into hydrogen and oxygen without using massive power.

when this is possible you could theoriticly fuel any car or plane or boat or even spaceship just by dropping into the ocean and grabbing some of the massivly plentiful water

 

[tynopik]

when this is possible you could theoriticly fuel any car or plane or boat or even spaceship just by dropping into the ocean and grabbing some of the massivly plentiful water

no, it will always take more energy to split water than you get from recombining it

 

[norseamd]

no, it will always take more energy to split water than you get from recombining it

maybe you could use a passive proccess or draw energy from solar while gaining fuel from water

 

[SSSnail]

I think the implication is with this technology, potentially we can trade one form of energy for another, more portable form of energy, exchange rate be damned. Whether it be solar, wind, or nuclear into combustible liquids, which is far more likely than Mr. Fusion in your car.

1.21jiggawatts, awwwww yeahhhhh....

Edit: so China is going to be richer? All that pollution over there...

 

[tynopik]

I think the implication is with this technology, potentially we can trade one form of energy for another, more portable form of energy, exchange rate be damned.

pretty much

 

[John Connor]

This is laughable. The government (Area-51) already has nuclear powered aircraft. HA!

 

[John Connor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgGlE97rJl4

I post this video not for the steam, but that hydrogen fueling station. This could be done on board a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

 

[norseamd]

I post this video not for the steam, but that hydrogen fueling station. This could be done on board a nuclear powered aircraft carrier.

the advances in algae production might make the hydrogen economy entirely feasable

 

[Ruptga]

I finally got around to finding the source, and here's another article by the same people.

The original release is from 2012, the one with the model plane flying on that fuel is recent.