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Secret box traps car fumes to produce green fuel
The world's big corporations and finest minds spend billions trying to solve the problem of carbon emissions, but three fishing pals in North Wales believe they have cracked it.
- Reuters
- Published: 23:32 July 20, 2007
- The captured gases can be processed to create a biofuel using genetically modified algae.
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Queensferry: The world's big corporations and finest minds spend billions trying to solve the problem of carbon emissions, but three fishing pals in North Wales believe they have cracked it.
They have developed a box which they say can be fixed underneath a car in place of the exhaust to trap the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming - including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide - and emit mostly water vapour.
The captured gases can be processed to create a biofuel using genetically modified algae.
Dubbed "Greenbox," the technology developed by organic chemist Derek Palmer and engineers Ian Houston and John Jones could, they say, be used for cars, buses, trucks and eventually buildings and heavy industry, including power plants.
"We've managed to develop a way to successfully capture a majority of the emissions from the dirtiest motor we could find," Palmer, who has consulted for organisations including the World Health Organisation and GlaxoSmithKline, said.
The three, who stumbled across the idea while experimenting with carbon dioxide to help boost algae growth for fish farming, have set up a company called Maes Anturio Limited, which translates from Welsh as Field Adventure.
With the backing of their local member of parliament they are now seeking extra risk capital either from government or industry: the only emissions they are not sure their box can handle are those from aviation.
Although the box the men currently use for demonstration is about the size of a bar stool, they say they can build one small enough to replace a car exhaust that will last for a full tank of petrol.
More than 130 tests carried out over two years at several testing centres have, the three say, yielded a capture rate between 85 and 95 per cent.
They showed the box to David Hansen, a Labour MP for Delyn, North Wales, who is now helping them. "Based on the information, there is a clear reduction in emissions," Hansen said.
If the system takes off, drivers with a Greenbox would replace it when they fill up their cars and it would go to a bioreactor to be emptied. The inventors say they have spent nearly £170,000 over two years developing the "three distinct technologies" involved. Not surprisingly, the trio won't show anyone - not even their wives - what's inside the box.
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