US Navy develops way to turn SEAWATER into FUEL (liquid hydrocarbon fuel)

[CougarKing]

I could have sworn there was another earlier thread on this, but there seems to be something wrong with our search function here as of this posting...

Defense News

US Navy: Converting Seawater Into Fuel a 'Game-Changer'
Apr. 7, 2014 - 04:15PM  |  By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

(...SNIPPED)

The development of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel is being hailed as “a game-changer” because it would significantly shorten the supply chain, a weak link that makes any force easier to attack.

The US has a fleet of 15 military oil tankers, and only aircraft carriers and some submarines are equipped with nuclear propulsion.

All other vessels must frequently abandon their mission for a few hours to navigate in parallel with the tanker, a delicate operation, especially in bad weather.

The ultimate goal is to eventually get away from the dependence on oil altogether, which would also mean the navy is no longer hostage to potential shortages of oil or fluctuations in its cost.

Vice Adm. Philip Cullom declared: “It’s a huge milestone for us.”

(...EDITED- More at the link above)

 

[Journeyman]

....and some submarines are equipped with nuclear propulsion

Some?  Name one that isn't

 

[dimsum]

Some?  Name one that isn't

Diesel-electric subs (e.g. our Victoria-class ex-Upholders) and Air-Independent Propulsion (e.g. Swedish Gotland-class and German U-212 class), for a start.

 

[Jungle]

Diesel-electric subs (e.g. our Victoria-class ex-Upholders) and Air-Independent Propulsion (e.g. Swedish Gotland-class and German U-212 class), for a start.

I think the article's author was talking about US subs.

 

[dimsum]

I think the article's author was talking about US subs.

Right, my mistake. 

 

[Journeyman]

Yes, I guess I clipped the quote too short:

"The US has a fleet of 15 military oil tankers, and only aircraft carriers and some submarines are equipped with nuclear propulsion."

 

[CombatDoc]

Wow!  Very promising technology. This reminds me of the movie "The Water Engine" which threatened the primacy of the automobile-petrochemical industry duopoly.

We shall see if this technology is sufficiently scalable and efficient to permit the USN to curtail dependence on POL resupply.

 

[NavyShooter]

Aha, the fuel leak from the Deepwater Horizon has finally paid off!!!

 

[a_majoor]

Extracting CO2 and Hydrogen from seawater, then combining it to make hydrocarbon fuel is a pretty exciting development, but I wonder about the energy requirements to do so. If it takes more energy to extract the raw materials and reformulate them into fuel than you get from burning it, then you are running at a net loss (much like turning corn into ethanol fuel).

If that is true of this process, then the irony will be that only nuclear powered ships can mount the equipment needed to make fuel from seawater...

 

[Journeyman]

If that is true of this process, then the irony will be that only nuclear powered ships can mount the equipment needed to make fuel from seawater...

So the next generation of AORs will be nuclear-powered. 

 

[Colin Parkinson]

and then still not allowed into foreign ports.

It's sort of been done before

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NS_Savannah