– Why can’t we just ‘produce’ gasoline, like synthetically?

Question

– Why can’t we just ‘produce’ gasoline, like synthetically?

In: 439

Answer 1

Without any knowledge about the process, I want to add something, what I am about to say applies in general.

To produce a synthetic fuel you first need to put more energy into it that you will get out.

Let’s say the process is 90% efficient, meaning that for every 1 kWh you put in you get 0.9 kWh out.

Now you put that 0.9 kWh into an engine which is about 30-40% efficient (let’s assume 33.3%). From your original 1 kWh you only have 0.3 kWh left as mechanical energy as output of the motor.

What we didn’t consider yet is the transportation of that fuel from the factory to the tank, or the loss in the transmission or any other losses.

So while others here are telling us we ‘could’ do that, the question is what we ‘should’ do with that synthetic fuel.

IMO we ‘should’ only do that if any more efficient option is not available/useful (long distance aviation, transport to/from remote locations, emergency situations like natural catasrophies)