Atmosfuel

1. What is this project about?

This project is developing a small-scale synthetic fuel production system that converts atmospheric CO₂ and water into clean, usable liquid fuels such as petrol, diesel, and kerosene. It uses renewable energy, advanced reactors, and smart automation to create a carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative fuel cycle. The system is modular and scaleable, so each individual part can be replaced or upgraded to suit the user’s needs. There are also numerous additional, optional upgrades that can be included or added on later.

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2. What exactly are synthetic fuels, and how do they differ from fossil fuels?

Synthetic fuels (sometimes called e-fuels) are liquid hydrocarbons made from capturing atmospheric CO₂ and separating hydrogen from water via electrolysis. The carbon and hydrogen is then combined to form chains of hydrocarbon, the length of these chains dictates what type of fuel it is. Synthetic fuels are almost chemically identical to traditional petrol, diesel, or kerosene refined from crude oil, which means they can be used in today’s engines without modifications.

The critical difference is where the carbon comes from:

• Fossil fuels release new carbon that was locked underground into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect.

• Synthetic fuels recycle existing carbon already in the atmosphere, making them carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative if combined with biomass or algae (which are optional additions to Atmosfuel Systems)

The process involves several steps:

1. 1. CO₂ Capture: Fans draw in air, passing it over a sorbent material that binds CO₂. The CO₂ is later released using heat.

   2. Water Electrolysis: Renewable electricity splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.

   3. Reverse Water-Gas Shift (RWGS) Reactor: Hydrogen and CO₂ are reacted at high temperature to produce Carbon Monoxide and water.

   4. Fischer–Tropsch (FT) Reactor: The CO and H₂ (syngas) are reacted over a catalyst to form hydrocarbons (long-chain molecules).

   5. Separation & Fractional Distillation: The crude synthetic fuel is separated into usable products like petrol, diesel, kerosene that can be used in traditional combustion engines without modification.

The cycle is a closed-loop system, because the carbon produced by the combustion of this fuel is pulled out of the air to produce new fuel. So no new CO2 is being added to the atmosphere.

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3. How can synthetic fuels be carbon neutral?

Synthetic fuels are considered carbon-neutral because the carbon they release when burned is the same carbon that was originally captured from the atmosphere to produce the fuel. This creates a closed loop rather than adding new carbon to the environment.

As you can see in the image, any carbon produced from the combustion of the fuel is removed by the Carbon Capture Module

Step-by-step cycle

1. 1. Carbon Capture – The system pulls CO₂ directly out of the air (or from biomass).

   2. Fuel Production – This captured CO₂ is combined with hydrogen (from water electrolysis) in chemical reactors to make liquid fuels.

   3. Fuel Use – When the fuel is burned in an engine, it releases CO₂.

   4. Recycling – That same CO₂ can then be recaptured by the system to make more fuel.

Because the CO₂ released is equal to the CO₂ captured, the net effect on the atmosphere is zero.

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4. Why this is different from fossil fuels?

• • Fossil fuels release new carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years, permanently increasing atmospheric CO₂ and adding to climate change.

  • Synthetic fuels recycle existing atmospheric carbon, so they don’t add to the overall total.

Beyond Neutral – Carbon Negative

By integrating algae bioreactors or biomass gasifiers, the system can capture and use even more CO₂ than it emits, making the fuel cycle carbon-negative. This means the technology could not only replace fossil fuels but also help remove legacy CO₂ from the atmosphere.

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5. What scale is this being developed for?

We’re designing systems in modular sizes, from small pilot systems producing 50 - 100 Lt/day (ideal for research, farms, off-grid use or anyone looking to produce small amounts of fuel) up to industrial plants producing 1,000Lt - 5,000 Lt/day for commercial fuel production.

Our Kickstarter campaign focuses on building and testing the pilot-scale (50–100 L/day) system.

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6. How is this different from biofuels or hydrogen?

• Unlike biofuels, it doesn’t require large amounts of farmland or compete with food production.

• Unlike hydrogen, it produces liquid fuels that work in today’s engines and infrastructure with no modifications required.

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7. Who is this technology for?

Different scales serve different users:

• Small (50–100 L/day): Research, off-grid cabins or communities, enthusiasts, research groups or backup supply.

• Large (1,000–5,000 L/day): Regional fuel supply, distributors, on-site fuel production for mining or agriculture or businesses aiming for carbon-neutral fuel options.

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8. Why not just switch to electric vehicles instead of synthetic fuels?

Electric vehicles are excellent in many cases, and certainly play a role in a “greener” future but they still have some limitations and problems:

• It takes quite a substantial amount of use before electric vehicles are canon neutral, taking into consideration the mining of the precious minerals required for their batteries, along with the carbon used to produce the car itself. Then there’s an issue of where the power comes from, if it’s coming from the grid then it’s generally powered by coal, which is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 being released into the atmosphere,

  • Aviation, shipping, and heavy machinery are hard to electrify because batteries are too heavy or energy-dense fuels are required.

  • Synthetic fuels work in existing engines and infrastructure — no need for new vehicles or distribution systems.

  • This makes them a transition technology that can rapidly cut emissions while electrification scales up.

If you are purchasing a new vehicle then certainly weigh up the options of an electric car, but it’s far greater for the environment to get as much milage from a current internal combustion engine.

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9. What power does the system run on?

It can be run as:

• Solar + Battery (Off-grid)

• Hybrid Solar + Grid

• Grid-only

This flexibility makes it suitable for both remote and urban locations.

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10. How much does the fuel cost to produce?

Excluding capital recovery:

• Small pilot scale: ~$0.80–$1.30 per litre (consumables only).

• Industrial scale (5,000 L/day): As low as ~$0.60 per litre.

Costs vary depending on electricity source (solar, hybrid, or grid).

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11. Can this really replace fossil fuels?

Yes. While early systems will be small-scale pilots, industrial versions can produce thousands of litres per day. With scaling, efficiency gains, and renewable energy, synthetic fuels could become a mainstream replacement for fossil fuels.

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12. How will the Kickstarter funds be used?

Funds raised will go toward:

• Building the pilot-scale 80–100 L/day system

• Testing and maximising the efficiency and safety in real-world operation

• Publishing results and preparing for scaling to larger systems

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13. Is this safe?

Yes. Each system includes:

• Fire suppression and gas leak detection

• Automatic shutoffs

• Redundant safety controls (digital + analog)

• Industrial-grade components

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14. How reliable and safe is the system?

Each system includes:

• Gas leak detection (H₂, CO, CO₂ sensors)

• Automatic fire suppression

• Redundant analog backups in case of digital failure

• Industrial safety design (pressure vessels, heat exchangers, catalysts all rated for continuous operation)

The modular design also makes systems easier to shut down, isolate, or service without taking the whole plant offline.

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15. What upgrades are possible?

The modular design allows:

• Solar panel tracking arrays (+25–35% solar gain)

• Biomass gasifier or CHP (Combined Heat and Power) unit (additional CO₂ + energy source)

• Algae bioreactor (carbon-negative operation)

• Peltier/thermoelectric recovery (converts waste heat to trickle electricity)

• Wood Fired Heat Generator with Carbon Capture Module reduction in energy usage needed to pre-heat the reactors and can use the captured carbon from combustion of the wood as an additional carbon source

• AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning) automation (predictive maintenance and yield optimisation)

• Vacuum distillation or PSA units higher efficiency, purer products

• Generator run by fuel produced from system reduces energy required to run the system and waste heat can be used to pre-heat the reactors

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16. How can I support the project?

• Back the Kickstarter campaign to help fund the pilot system.

• Share the project on social media to spread awareness.

• Partner with us if you’re in research, agriculture, or energy sectors.