Free Market invents an artificial leaf

[Truthmatters]

Debut of the first practical 'artificial leaf'



This is why we need to seek alternative energy instead of continuing to use sources that do as much or more harm than good

 

[Mr. H.]

I'd hate to jump into a pile of those.

 

[Truthmatters]

That is not what they are for.


This is a perfect example of why we should not be commiting billions to forms of energy that fouls the planet for generations

 

[Ernie S.]

Someone could get awful rich from this. Can it be manufactured cheaply enough to compete with oil?
Will battery technology advance enough to make electric powered vehicles viable? Can we safely store Hydrogen and Oxygen in close enough proximity to make them practical for use as a motor fuel?

NOT YET

Until then, we need OIL

Drill, baby, DRILL

 

[Douger]

It's probably petroleum based.

 

[Ernie S.]

It's probably petroleum based.

Or requires 2 gigawatts of electricity to produce enough power to blow TM's nose

 

[Midnight Marauder]

This is a perfect example of why we should not be commiting billions to forms of energy that fouls the planet for generations

Hundreds of generations, with NF3.... NF3 is a totally inorganic compound released ONLY by mankind's activities, such as in the making of solar panels. It's not natural, it does not belong on the planet, yet we spew tons of it into the atmosphere in the name of "green technology."

NF3 is a greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential (GWP) 17,200 times greater than that of CO2 when compared over a 100 year period. Its GWP would place it second only to SF6 in the group of Kyoto-recognised greenhouse gases, although NF3 is not currently included in that grouping. It has an estimated atmospheric lifetime of 740 years

You fucking ignorant idiot stick.

 

[Truthmatters]

The device bears no resemblance to Mother Nature's counterparts on oaks, maples and other green plants, which scientists have used as the model for their efforts to develop this new genre of solar cells. About the shape of a poker card but thinner, the device is fashioned from silicon, electronics and catalysts, substances that accelerate chemical reactions that otherwise would not occur, or would run slowly. Placed in a single gallon of water in a bright sunlight, the device could produce enough electricity to supply a house in a developing country with electricity for a day, Nocera said. It does so by splitting water into its two components, hydrogen and oxygen.

The hydrogen and oxygen gases would be stored in a fuel cell, which uses those two materials to produce electricity, located either on top of the house or beside it.

Nocera, who is with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, points out that the "artificial leaf" is not a new concept. The first artificial leaf was developed more than a decade ago by John Turner of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Although highly efficient at carrying out photosynthesis, Turner's device was impractical for wider use, as it was composed of rare, expensive metals and was highly unstable — with a lifespan of barely one day.

Nocera's new leaf overcomes these problems. It is made of inexpensive materials that are widely available, works under simple conditions and is highly stable. In laboratory studies, he showed that an artificial leaf prototype could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.

 

[Mr.Fitnah]

Im reminded of a prank I set up for a woman I know, She was moving into her first house we were doing some prep,
I screwed a outlet cover rigged with a print out of a couple of three pronged outlets into a tree in the back yard she had.

I knew we were going to have a conversation about lawnmowers specifically electric mowers, On que she said " where would I plug it in", and I of course was able to say right there while pointing to the practical joke it went off nicely .

I dont recall what she eventually when with.

 

[The Infidel]

Im reminded of a prank I set up for a woman I know, She was moving into her first house we were doing some prep,
I screwed a outlet cover rigged with a print out of a couple of three pronged outlets into a tree in the back yard she had.

I knew we were going to have a conversation about lawnmowers specifically electric mowers, On que she said " where would I plug it in", and I of course was able to say right there while pointing to the practical joke it went off nicely .

I dont recall what she eventually when with.

Awesome!

 

[Mr. H.]

Im reminded of a prank I set up for a woman I know, She was moving into her first house we were doing some prep,
I screwed a outlet cover rigged with a print out of a couple of three pronged outlets into a tree in the back yard she had.

I knew we were going to have a conversation about lawnmowers specifically electric mowers, On que she said " where would I plug it in", and I of course was able to say right there while pointing to the practical joke it went off nicely .

I dont recall what she eventually when with.

LOL.
When my boys were young, we camped at a local state park. I had a radio that used battery backup, but also had an electric cord. I would touch the cord to a tree while secretely activating the switch. Had them convinced it was running off of tree power.

 

[Ernie S.]

Tree power isn't real OMG!

 

[Mad Scientist]

From your link:

Nocera, who is with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, points out that the "artificial leaf" is not a new concept. The first artificial leaf was developed more than a decade ago by John Turner of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Although highly efficient at carrying out photosynthesis, Turner's device was impractical for wider use, as it was composed of rare, expensive metals and was highly unstable — with a lifespan of barely one day.

Nocera's new leaf overcomes these problems. It is made of inexpensive materials that are widely available, works under simple conditions and is highly stable. In laboratory studies, he showed that an artificial leaf prototype could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.

Wow! An improvement of almost 100%! Let' stop all oil exploration!

Interesting, but it's not a solution for anything really.

 

[Mr. H.]

A more recent article on the subject:

'Artificial leaf' eyed as holy grail in energy research - Yahoo! News

 

[daveman]

Someone could get awful rich from this. Can it be manufactured cheaply enough to compete with oil?
Will battery technology advance enough to make electric powered vehicles viable? Can we safely store Hydrogen and Oxygen in close enough proximity to make them practical for use as a motor fuel?

NOT YET

Until then, we need OIL

Drill, baby, DRILL

No, no, no. It might work economically and large-scale...someday.

So we should make the use of fossil fuels illegal today.

Right, USMB lefties?