奥迪用“空气和水”合成新燃料

　　Creating an alternative green or carbon neutral fuel to replace gasoline has been the holy grail for scientists for many years. However, while there has been some progress with inventions like electric batteries and biofuel, most options are either too expensive or not commercially viable to compete effectively with the fossil fuel. Now automobile manufacturer Audi is stepping up to the challenge with a fuel made from carbon dioxide and water.

　　研究出环保且碳中性的燃料来代替汽油，一直被看做是科学界的圣杯。然而，虽然最近在蓄电池和生物燃料领域有些许进步，有些原材料还是因为过于昂贵或者不具商业价值，难敌化石燃料。奥迪公司现在正加快脚步，挑战一种由二氧化碳和水合成的新燃料。

　　合成新燃料

　　Called e-diesel, the fuel developed in collaboration with Dresden-based Sunfire, was created in a lab using a simple but innovative technique. The scientists began by boiling water to temperatures exceeding 800°C (1,472°) using a renewable source of energy like solar, wind or hydropower. The resulting steam was decomposed into its two constituents, hydrogen and oxygen with the help of electrolysis. The researchers then transformed the carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide. The hydrogen and carbon monoxide were piped into a reactor and subjected to extreme pressure and temperatures, to produce what scientists call long-chain hydrocarbons. This liquid that Audi refers to as "blue crude" was then refined in a similar way to standard crude oil to produce e-diesel.

　　这种叫e-diesel的燃料是奥迪公司与德国Dresden工厂的Sunfire公司联合开发的，用的是一种简单但是先进的技术。科学家们先要利用太阳能或风能等绿色能源把水加热至800°C (1,472°)，而后把产生的蒸汽电解为氢气和氧气。然后，在把二氧化碳转化为一氧化碳。接下来，他们把氢气与二氧化碳在高压和高温下混合，生成一种名为“blue crude”的燃料。最后再提炼这种燃料，方法类似于把化石燃料炼成汽油。

　　While most of the CO2 used in the production of e-diesel comes from a biogas facility, it also absorbs some from the surroundings, helping remove the harmful greenhouse gas from the atmosphere.

　　虽然生产e-diesel所需的二氧化碳来自沼气生产设施，有些也可以来自环境，这样就可以帮助减少温室气体。

　　E- diesel is certainly not the first attempt at making carbon neutral fuel, and it will by no means be the last. However, the development is certainly a step in the right direction for clean energy. As Johanna Wanka, Germany's minister of education and research states, "If we can make widespread use of CO2 as a raw material, we will make a crucial contribution to climate protection and the efficient use of resources, and put the fundamentals of the 'green economy' in place."

　　E-diesel绝不是人们对制造碳中性燃料的第一次尝试，也绝不会是最后一次。然而，这绝对是洁净能源探索历程中对的一步。德国联邦教育及研究部部长Johanna Wanka评论称，如果可以广泛使用二氧化碳作为原料，就会对环保和节能做出重要贡献，为打造绿色经济奠定基础。