Re: nuclear separation of hydrogen from water vs. electrolysis

From: Eunometic (eunometic_at_yahoo.com.au)
Date: 06/16/04 

Date: 15 Jun 2004 17:55:46 -0700

"charliew2" <charliew2@ev1.net> wrote in message news:<10cuec2dfnq986e@corp.supernews.com>...
> Eunometic wrote:
> > Dan Bloomquist <EXTRApublic20@lakeweb.com> wrote in message
> > news:<40CD61B9.8080000@lakeweb.com>...
> >> brianb wrote:
> >>> Someone mentioned there is a process to split or "crack" hydrogen
> >>> from water using heat, I guess, instead of a electrolysis. Which
> >>> is more efficient?
> >>
> >> See iodine sulfur. By two times theromo. And if not, may be much
> >> cheaper. ( six-eight bucks a watt (+-) just to get 55%
> >> thermo-electric from coal.)
> >>
> >> Best, Dan.
> >
> > There is also a copper-chlorine thermochemical water spliting cycle
> > expected to achieve 45% at the far more achievable temperature of
> > 550C.
> >
> > Considering that HTGR achieve about 45% conversion to electricity from
> > 825C this would represent a great advancement.
>
> If low temperature is so desireable, perhaps we need to continue pursuing
> genetic engineering. I've read that some species of genetically modified
> under-water green plants (or was that bacteria?) can split water in the
> presence of sunlight.

Aren't there deep sea thermogenic bacteria and even worms that live
near volcanic fizzures at 130C? If they can be pursuaded to split
water low grade waste heat instead of sunlight........