This blog every now-and-then must remind, even be reminded: photosynthesis does not break up carbon dioxide. Effectively the process breaks up dihydrogen oxide; the carbon dioxide is rather absorbed, with the extra hydrogen, into glucose. This blog can compare the hydrogen-drinking Sabatiers for methanol, acetates, and formic acid. All quite useful for artificial biospheres... in an Antarctic summer. But what if they've rationed the ice?
Nanjing and Fudan universities (the latter is in Shanghai) is promoting a process inspired by the photosynthetic process, using a lithium compound instead of water, one step down the 'Table.
They're touting it for Mars because everyone is, but we keep finding more and more water reservoirs there. I like better its application for low-water sites: S-type asteroids, Venus stations, our own Moon. Unscrub CO2 from the scrubbers, then use this to remove the C from the CO2. Oxygen returns immediately to the rest of the (nonfarm) station.
I assume there is still a farm because, yay glucose (and wood, cotton etc.).
No comments:
Post a Comment