I’m hosting this webpage for my friend Christopher Maxwell. He is working on solar synthetic fuel (otherwise known as fossil fuel sovereignty). Because he is dealing with cancer, he would like to get his ideas to the public so others could move forward with them, in the hopes of minimizing further effects of climate change.

The idea?

Grab carbon from atmosphere to make kerosene.

Is it possible?

Early pilots of this have happened in Europe (University ETH Zurich), and proven that sun kerosene could power diesel and jet engines.

What do existing systems look like?

They require “coherent light”, which means a stream of light where particles are not bouncing. They use tracking mirrors that reflect or collect light.

Their systems are 4 stories high, and insulated. They run through hot (2007 degrees farenheight) and cold cycles, which causes rapid disintegration of parts.

Their systems also require a lot of CSP (concentrated solar power) and direct thermal energy.

In order to make their system effective enough to be efficient, they need to reduce heat loss.

Max’s System

• Max’s system still collects light, but without mirrors and trackers. He is suggesting adopters of his method find a collection of commercial PV panels - that can withstand 600 - 1000 volts system voltage.

• (In parallel voltages must match, but preferable to be in series amperage must match.)

• You would then feed that into a soft start capacitor and a water pump motor.

• When the sun hits, the water pump would pumps water from a lower reservoir uphill to higher reservoir (pumped water storage, functionally a battery because gravity). When it comes back down the hill through a water wheel, that potential energy because realized energy. That cycle is "pumped water storage."

• A Water wheel powers a resistive strip (like in a toaster, anything that you run electricity to and it gets hot) coated in cerium oxide (lens or rock polishing compound).

• Then, carefully cleaned moist airflow coming in from the bottom keeps it at 1500 Celsius (2700 F). A tube shaped kiln acts as insulation surround with Aerogel, which is an insulation used for spaceships. All of it is contained by a barrel structure.

• During this process,internal and external airflow should be throttled, to not overwhelm the resistive strip.

• Cerium oxide is then used as a catalyst. The catalytic reaction breaks the bonds in the H20. The bonds break to H2 and O2, creating something called “Brown’s Gas.” The carbon dioxide becomes carbon monoxide and free carbon (called sin gas, which is flammable but not used commercially).

• Feed that into a “Fischer Tropf” (a common system to make fuels). Kerosense results! You’ve made gas from the sun.