Apparatus and Method for Solar Hydrogen Synfuel Production

Abstract

An apparatus provides for a method of converting solar energy into a synthetic carbon fuel. Solar energy is separated into different spectral portions and each spectral portion is directed to a plurality of photocells tuned for that specific spectral portion. The photocells convert the solar energy into electrical energy which is used to produce hydrogen gas through the process of electrolysis. The hydrogen gas is then mixed with carbon and various catalysts in order to cause a reaction which produces methane or other useful carbon based fuels. A cooling system filled with coolant oil keeps the photocells at a reasonable temperature while simultaneously providing the heat necessary for the chemical reactions that produce the synthetic fuel to take place. Carbon may be supplied to the apparatus by directing CO2 exhaust or output of a carbon producing power generator such as a coal-fired power plant directly into the apparatus.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/183,441, filed on Jun. 2, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference and to which priority is claimed pursuant to 35 USC 119.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to the field of energy production, specifically using solar energy to produce a synthetic carbon fuel such as methane.

2. Description of the Prior Art

As the world population continues to grow, the demand for energy, particularly for that of carbon based fuels, has increased dramatically over the past few decades. Large, developing nations such as India and China have only added to the rate of consumption of fossil fuels making the world's natural reserves of oil and natural gas deplete that much faster. Meanwhile other plentiful sources of energy such as solar energy go largely untapped or underutilized.

One solution to obtaining ever-rarer carbon based fuels has been to make them synthetically. Several methods have been used in the prior art which have attempted to produce carbon fuels under controlled conditions. One such method was known as the Bergius method in which dry coal was mixed with a catalyst or series of catalysts and then placed within a reactor and brought to extremely high temperatures and pressures in a hydrogen environment. The method produced heavy oil which could then be converted to gasoline. Another method for producing carbon fuels is the Haber-Bosch process which uses nitrogen and hydrogen ammonia. The hydrogen can also be used with a catalyst to create a type of nitrogen fertilizer used in food production. However, the hydro-carbons that are produced by the Haber-Bosch method can be expensive as that method has not yet reached cost levels similar to that of creating hydrogen compounds by using fossil fuels such as natural gas.

Similarly, countless attempts have been made to collect power from the sun and convert it into a more accessible form of energy. However many of these attempts have included various forms of solar panels which currently have a low efficiency rating and thus require very large areas to be covered at great expense.

What is needed is an apparatus and method that creates a carbon based synthetic fuel from an inexpensive and easily available energy source that is highly efficient, cost effective, more environmentally friendly, and does not require the use of a large amount of fossil fuel to operate.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention provides for an apparatus to convert solar energy into synthetic carbon fuel. The apparatus includes means for efficiently converting solar energy to electrical energy using a plurality of selected solar photoelectric cells tuned to a corresponding plurality of selected spectral ranges of the solar energy for photoelectric optimization and heat management, an electrolyzer coupled to the means for converting solar energy to electrical energy, and a gas-reaction tube coupled to the electrolyzer and to the means for converting solar energy to electrical energy.

In one embodiment the means for efficiently converting solar energy to electrical energy comprises means for directing a violet-blue-green spectral portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of violet-blue-green tuned solar cells wherein the spectrally separated red-infrared portion of the solar energy does not appreciably thermally heat the more sensitive violet-blue-green solar cells and means for directing a red-infrared spectral portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of red-infrared tuned solar cells. Preferably, the means for directing the violet-blue-green and red-infrared spectral portions of the solar energy onto the plurality of their respective solar cells comprises a lens with means for focusing the solar energy onto a prism, wherein the prism comprises means for separating the violet-blue-green and red-infrared portions of the solar energy from each other and directing them in different directions so that only the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy makes contact with the violet-blue-green tuned solar cells and only the red-infrared portion of the solar energy makes contact with the red-infrared tuned solar cells.

In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a cooling system coupled between the means for efficiently converting solar energy to electrical energy and the gas-reaction tube, wherein the cooling system comprises means for transferring heat obtained at the means for converting solar energy to electrical energy and heat to the gas-reaction tube.

In yet another embodiment, the gas-reaction tube of the apparatus comprises a plurality of catalysts and a source of carbon capable of mixing and reacting with a sufficient amount of hydrogen gas produced by the electrolyzer. Preferably, the source of carbon in the gas-reaction tube is an exhaust or final output from a fossil fuel power generator.

The invention also provides a method for producing a synthetic carbon fuel from solar energy comprising converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy, producing hydrogen gas from the converted electrical energy, reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel, and removing the produced synthetic carbon fuel for transport.

In one embodiment, the method step of converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy comprises focusing the incoming solar energy onto a prism, separating the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy from the red-infrared portion of the solar energy, directing the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of violet-blue-green tuned solar photocells while simultaneously directing the red-infrared portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of red-infrared tuned solar photocells, and converting the violet-blue-green and red-infrared portions of the solar energy into electrical energy at their respectively tuned solar photocells.

In another embodiment, the method step of producing hydrogen gas from the converted electrical energy comprises producing a volume of hydrogen gas and a volume of oxygen gas through the process of electrolysis. The oxygen gas may also be removed or otherwise stored for transport.

In yet another embodiment, the method step of reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises producing the synthetic carbon fuel through the Fischer-Tropsch (hydrogen plus carbon-oxides) process.

In still another embodiment, the method step of converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy comprises further introducing an unheated coolant oil into thermal contact with the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar photocells, cooling the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar cells, and heating the coolant oil contemporaneously with the cooling of the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar cells. Preferably, the heated coolant oil is then directed into a turbo dynamo or other electricity producing generator.

In a separate embodiment, the method step of reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises heating the hydrogen gas and the plurality of catalysts by means of thermal contact with the heated coolant tube with oil.

In still yet another embodiment, the method step of reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises introducing carbon dioxide gas from the exhaust or output of a carbon producing power generator.

The current invention also provides for a method for producing synthetic carbon fuel from solar energy comprising converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy, producing hydrogen gas from the converted electrical energy through the process of electrolysis, reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel through the Fischer-Tropsch process, and removing the produced synthetic carbon fuel for transport.

In one embodiment, the method step of converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy comprises focusing the incoming solar energy onto a prism, separating the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy from the red-infrared portion of the solar energy, directing the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of violet-blue-green tuned III-V solar photocells, directing the red-infrared portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of red-infrared tuned III-V solar photocells, and converting the violet-blue-green and red-infrared portions of the solar energy into electrical energy at their respectively tuned III-V solar photocells.

In another embodiment, the method step of converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy comprises introducing an unheated coolant oil into thermal contact with the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned III-V solar photocells, cooling the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned III-V solar cells, heating the coolant oil contemporaneously with the cooling of the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar cells, and heating the hydrogen gas and the plurality of catalysts by means of thermal contact with the heated coolant oil tube.

In yet another embodiment, the method step of reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises introducing boron tri-iodide and other rare-earth-type catalysts that react with the hydrogen gas and produce the synthetic carbon fuel.

Finally, the method step of reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel further comprises introducing carbon dioxide gas from the exhaust or output of a carbon producing power generator.

While the apparatus and method has or will be described for the sake of grammatical fluidity with functional explanations, it is to be expressly understood that the claims, unless expressly formulated under 35 USC 112, are not to be construed as necessarily limited in any way by the construction of “means” or “steps” limitations, but are to be accorded the full scope of the meaning and equivalents of the definition provided by the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents, and in the case where the claims are expressly formulated under 35 USC 112 are to be accorded full statutory equivalents under 35 USC 112. The invention can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the solar energy separation/collection portion of the current apparatus.

FIG. 2A is a graphical representation of energy versus wavelength for the solar spectrum.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram of the entire current apparatus, including both the solar energy separation/collection and gas-reaction portions of the apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the gas-reaction portion of the current apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the entire current apparatus, including both the solar energy separation/collection and gas-reaction portions of the apparatus.

The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are presented as illustrated examples of the invention defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the invention as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic depiction of a solar concentrator converter system 10 of high efficiency. The principle underlying the illustrated embodiment is that with the right type of solar cell onto which concentrated solar energy is focused and which solar energy has been spectrally spread into two parts, for example the red-infrared spectral range and the violet-blue-green spectral range, and then converted by specially adapted III-V solar cells, the system 10 will yield overall energy conversion efficiencies in excess of 40%.

Turning to FIG. 1, a plurality of lenses 12 focuses the solar light into local regions such as a horizontal band onto a prism or other spectral spreading optic 14. In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of Fresnel lenses are used as lenses 12, however any type of lens now known or later devised that is capable of focusing light into horizontal bands may be used without departing from the original spirit and scope of the invention. Each of the plurality of prisms 14 separates the incoming solar light into a red-infrared portion of the solar spectrum and focuses it into a first set of beams 13 and a violet-blue-green portion of the spectrum and focuses it into a second set of beams 15, each set of horizontal beams 13, 15 interlaced with the other according to the optical output pattern of the prism 14.

In an alternative embodiment, a thin film prism (not shown) is coupled to the Fresnel lens 12. The thin film prism may be coupled to the lens 12 which is concave in shape by means known in the art, or the lens 12 and thin film prism may be manufactured in a single fused component. Additionally, a plurality of Fresnel lenses 12 with a corresponding plurality of fused prisms 14 may be optically coupled together in series.

Normally in nature, the red-infrared portion of the solar spectrum is usually absorbed by matter to produce thermal heat. This is less the case with the violet-blue-green portion of the solar spectrum. A corresponding bank of photocells 16, such as Ga_xIn_1-xN/GaN cells, which have been optimized for photoelectric conversion in the red-infrared portion of the solar spectrum are arranged in horizontal lines to receive the focused and spread red-infrared portion of the solar spectrum 13. Photocells 16 are also specifically designed and manufactured to accept and tolerate the high heat loads that result from exposure to the red-infrared portion of the solar spectrum 13, which would over time degrade or destroy photocells which were designed for photoelectric conversion over the unspread solar spectrum or other portions of the solar spectrum. A corresponding bank of differing photocells 18, such as Ga_xAl_1-xN/GaN cells, which have been optimized for photoelectric conversion in the violet-blue-green portion of the solar spectrum 15 are arranged in horizontal lines to receive the focused and spread violet-blue-green portion of the solar spectrum 15.

As seen in the graphic depiction of FIG. 2A, the larger the wavelength of light within the solar spectrum, the larger proportion of energy from the sun is converted into thermal heat, thus raising the temperature of the photocells. In other words, surfaces receiving light in the red-infrared range will have a much higher temperature than surfaces receiving light within the violet-blue-green range. Because the thermal heat load from the violet-blue-green portion of the solar spectrum 15 is considerably less than that for the red-infrared portion of the solar spectrum 13, photocells 18 need not be designed to carry as high a sustained heat load as photocells 16.

Therefore it is an object of the illustrated embodiment to efficiently convert solar energy to electrical energy by arranging III-V solar photoelectric cells 16, 18 tuned to the spectral ranges of the solar energy separated by the prism 14 for optimization and heat management and to avoid exposure of the sensitive violet-blue-green solar cells 18 to the heat flux of the red-infrared spectral range of solar energy 13.

The device and method directs the violet-blue-green spectral range of the solar energy 15 onto a tuned III-V solar cell, such as GaAlN/GaN cells 18, where the spectrally separated violet-blue-green portion of the concentrated and prism-separated portion of the solar spectrum 15 is separated from the red-infrared spectrum 13 and thus does not appreciably thermally heat the sensitive cells 18. Similarly, the solar cell 16 tuned to the red-infrared portion of the solar spectrum 13, such as GaInN/GaN cells receive only the light in the red-infrared spectral range. In this way the efficiency loss due to heating of the violet-blue-green spectral range 15 is decisively diminished. This is especially the case for the violet-blue-green sensitive range cells 18 which lose efficiency by being heated through the heat flux of the infrared portion of the spectrum 13.

The electrical energy produced from photocells 16 and photocells 18 may then be directly coupled into the electrical power grid or other applications like electrolytic sources by conventional means.

However, it is a preferred embodiment of the current device that the electrical energy collected from the sun is converted into hydrogen gas and thence into a synthetic carbon fuel. The illustrated embodiment seen in FIG. 2B uses solar thermal energy taken from a cooling system 24 thermally coupled to photocells 16 and photocells 18. Photocells 16 and photocells 18 convert each of their respectively received portions of the solar spectrum into electrical power by means currently known in the art. This electrical power is then sent from photocells 16 and photocells 18 to an electrolyzer 20 in step 26 to electrolyze a volume of water into H₂ and O₂, both of which are or can be used as useful output products. Meanwhile the solar energy focused by the optical concentrator lenses 12 and absorbed by the photocells 16 and photocells 18 as thermal heat is absorbed by the cooling system 24 coupled to the photocells 16 and photocells 18. This heat is then transferred through a set of chemical reaction tubes 28 to a chemical reactor 22 to catalytically convert the H₂ from the electrolyzer 20 with carbo-oxides from the sequestration of coal-fired power stations or other sources into higher carbohydrides, such as CH₄ (methane), which can be liquefied and used as a fuel as will be described in further detail below herein. The generated electrical power, heat and the hydrogen from the electrolyzer 20 may also be diverted and used in any number of synthetic fuel production processes, including coal liquefaction processes.

The illustrated embodiment also includes the combination of solar hydrogen production with the sequestration of the CO₂ from a coal-power station 50 seen in block diagram form in FIG. 4, to produce fuel or any of the higher carbohydrates. The “Fischer-Tropsch” synthesis is a well known method to make synthetic fuel. In principle the basic reaction which is exploited includes:

nC0₂+2nH₂→C_nH_2n+2H₂0  (1)

The hydrogen is supplied from electrolysis of water by electrolyzer 20 and the carbon dioxide for sequestration to carbo-hydrides from a coal-fired generator; an alcohol can also be produced by:

nC0₂+(2n)H₂→C_nH_2n+1OH+2nH₂0  (2)

Using this F-T synthesis one can thus use the obnoxious CO₂ gases of a coal firing power station 50 directly with the solar hydrogen to produce kerosene, propane etc. If the solar hydrogen is produced at a high solar exposure site, such as in the desert, and the coal-fired power station is located elsewhere, the hydrogen can be supplied directly or in the form of methane CH₄; or carbohydrates in pipes to the location of the coal-fired power station.

Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, this embodiment of the current device is shown in more detail which depicts a solar concentrator system 10 comprising the split-spectrum III-V-solar photocells 16, 18 disclosed above that are combined with cogeneration, i.e. the use of a cooling system's high-temperature output for the purposes of promoting chemical reactions of carbon-oxide with the solar-electrolyzed hydrogen to produce methane and useful carbohydrides which can be used in vehicles.

The split-spectrum concentrator system 10 comprises a plurality of prisms 14 used as beam splitters in conjunction with a plurality of lenses 12 for concentration as best seen in FIG. 4. Light from the sun enters the plurality of lenses 12 and is focused into each of the corresponding prisms 14. As disclosed above, the prisms 14 separate the incoming solar light into the violet-blue-green spectrum 15 and the red-infrared spectrum 13. Each portion of the spectrum 13, then passes through a secondary plurality of lenses 30, each portion of the spectrum 13, 15 passing through its own respective secondary lens 30. The secondary lenses 30 focuses the portion of the spectrum 13, 15 onto its corresponding photocell, namely Group III-V GaInN/GaN photocells 16 for the red-infrared potion of the spectrum 13, and Group III-V GaAlN/GaN photocells 18 for the violet-blue-green portion of the spectrum 15. It is preferred that the split-spectrum sensitive Group III-V compound solar cells 16, 18 are made using the alloy epitaxy-equipment produced by AIXTRON in Aachen, Germany and in the United States, however other comparable photocells, especially hardened cells on sapphire crystal bases, now known or later devised may be used without departing from the original spirit and scope of the invention.

Using the optical separation of the violet-blue-green from the red-IR, 40% energy conversion efficiencies are possible. Such efficiencies would provide enough power in an area of 250×250 miles to make all the fuel used by all the vehicles in the United States. Solar sites in equatorial regions would provide even higher solar energy densities over a smaller area.

Also seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 is how the system 10 is coupled to a photoelectric cell cooling system 24 and an electrolyzer 20 which is used to combine the generated hydrogen gas with carbon to produce CH₄ and other carbonoxides.

Solar energy that cannot be converted into electrical energy by the photocells 16, 18 is instead converted to thermal heat which is transferred to the photoelectric cell cooling system 24 coupled to the plurality of photocells 16, 18. It is preferred that the photoelectric cell cooling system 24 carry oil to be used as a coolant in close contact with the hot photocells 16, 18 as oil is more efficient for higher temperatures than other substances such as gas, however other coolants may be used without departing from the original spirit and scope of the invention. As the oil travels through the cooling system 24, it removes heat from the solar cells 16, 18 and reaches temperatures of approximately 500-800 degrees Celsius. Once it has run the length of the cooling system 24, the heated oil may then pass through a coolant output 32 and continue on to drive a generator or other dynamo to produce electricity as is known in the art. Fresh unheated coolant oil enters the cooling system 24 through a coolant input 34 from an outside source.

Meanwhile, the electrolyzer 20 which receives all of its electricity generated from the photocells 16, 18, produces quantities of hydrogen and oxygen gas as detailed above. The oxygen gas may be taken from the electrolyzer 20 via an oxygen output 36 and used for a variety of applications as is known in the art, while the hydrogen gas may simultaneously be fed into a gas-reaction tube 38 portion of the system via a pipe 40. The hydrogen gas enters the gas-reaction tube 38 through a gas input 42. As the hydrogen gas travels through the length of the gas-reaction tube 38 it reacts with a plurality of catalysts 44 and a carbon dioxide source 46. The plurality of catalysts 44 are preferably boron tri-iodide and other rare-earth-type catalysts, however other similar catalysts now known or later devised may be used within the scope of the invention. The resulting chemical reactions as detailed above produce methane or benzene gas which is then diverted out of the gas-reaction tube 38 through a gas output 48 and on to either a storage facility or another suitable form of transport as is known in the art.

In another embodiment, the heat that is transferred to the cooling system 24 from the photocells 16, 18 may be used for dual purposes, namely as an oil cooler for driving a generator or other dynamo to produce electricity, and for providing a sufficient amount of heat for the production of benzene and/or methane through a series of chemical reactions with the plurality of catalysts 44 by coupling the cooling system 24 to the gas-reaction tube 38 as seen in FIG. 4. Heat transferred from the photocells 16, 18 to the coolant oil within the cooling system 24 is also partially transferred to the gas-reaction tube 38, thus raising the temperature within the gas-reaction tube 38 and facilitating the chemical reactions required to convert hydrogen gas to other useful products. Thus it can be seen that the cooling system 24 may be used as a heat sink for the photocells 16, 18 while contemporaneously providing a sufficient heat source for the gas-reaction tube 38 in order to induce the chemical conversions necessary to make hydrocarbides or methane for the transport of energy to remote areas.

In one embodiment, the carbon dioxide source 46 is a sufficient amount of burning coal within the gas-reaction tube 38, however it is preferred to couple the exhaust or end product of an outside carbon dioxide source, for example the exhaust from a coal-fired power plant 50, directly into the gas-reaction tube 38 as seen in FIG. 4. This not only provides a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide in order to produce methane, but it also helps the cleaning up of the atmosphere by lessening the carbon footprint of fossil fuel fired electrical plants. The combination of the solar concentrator converter system 10 with the gas-reaction tube 38 and a traditional fossil fuel fired power plant forms a type of double power system which eliminates the need for expensive carbon-oxide sequestration. One can envision a future double system within this embodiment that uses a normal carbon-based power generator in conjunction with the hydrogen or CH₄ produced by solar concentrator system 10 and gas-reaction tube 38 to produce carbohydrides for the use in vehicles or in any other number of applications while at the same time protecting the atmosphere.

In yet another embodiment, the high pressures that are needed in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor for the production of fuel from carbon and hydrogen in connection with a solar cogeneration plant for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis is provided by the production of nuclear energy.

Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following invention and its various embodiments.

Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed above even when not initially claimed in such combinations. A teaching that two elements are combined in a claimed combination is further to be understood as also allowing for a claimed combination in which the two elements are not combined with each other, but may be used alone or combined in other combinations. The excision of any disclosed element of the invention is explicitly contemplated as within the scope of the invention.

The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself.

The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.

The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for converting solar energy into synthetic carbon fuel comprising:

means for efficiently converting solar energy to electrical energy using a plurality of selected solar photoelectric cells tuned to a corresponding plurality of selected spectral ranges of the solar energy for photoelectric optimization and heat management;

an electrolyzer coupled to the means for converting solar energy to electrical energy; and

a gas-reaction tube coupled to the electrolyzer and to the means for converting solar energy to electrical energy.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 where the means for efficiently converting solar energy to electrical energy comprises:

means for directing a violet-blue-green spectral portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of violet-blue-green tuned solar cells wherein the spectrally separated red-infrared portion of the solar energy does not appreciably thermally heat the more sensitive violet-blue-green solar cells at the maximum energy point of the solar spectrum; and

means for directing a red-infrared spectral portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of red-infrared tuned solar cells.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 where the means for directing the violet-blue-green and red-infrared spectral portions of the solar energy onto the plurality of their respective solar cells comprises a lens with means for focusing the solar energy onto a prism, and

wherein the prism comprises means for separating the violet-blue-green and red-infrared portions of the solar energy from each other and directing them in different directions so that only the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy makes contact with the violet-blue-green tuned solar cells and only the red-infrared portion of the solar energy makes contact with the red-infrared tuned solar cells.

4. The apparatus of the claim 1 further comprising a cooling system coupled between the means for efficiently converting solar energy to electrical energy and the gas-reaction tube, and wherein the cooling system comprises means for transferring heat obtained at the means for converting solar energy to electrical energy to the gas-reaction tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 where the gas-reaction tube comprises a plurality of catalysts and a source of carbon capable of mixing and reacting with a sufficient amount of hydrogen gas produced by the electrolyzer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 where the source of carbon in the gas-reaction tube comprises an exhaust or final output from a fossil fuel power generator.

7. A method for producing a synthetic carbon fuel from solar energy comprising:

converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy;

producing hydrogen gas from the converted electrical energy;

reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel; and

removing the produced synthetic carbon fuel for transport.

8. The method of claim 7 where converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy comprises:

focusing the incoming solar energy onto a prism;

separating the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy maximum from the red-infrared portion of the solar energy;

directing the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy maximum onto a plurality of violet-blue-green tuned solar photocells;

directing the red-infrared portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of red-infrared tuned solar photocells; and

converting the violet-blue-green and red-infrared portions of the solar energy into electrical energy at their respectively connected solar photocells.

9. The method of claim 7 where producing hydrogen gas from the converted electrical energy comprises producing a volume of hydrogen gas and a volume of oxygen gas through the process of electrolysis.

10. The method of claim 7 where reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises producing the synthetic carbon fuel through the Fischer-Tropsch process.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

introducing an unheated coolant oil into thermal contact with the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar photocells which are heated by the sun;

cooling the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar cells; and

heating the coolant oil contemporaneously with the cooling of the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar cells.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising directing the heated coolant oil into a dynamo or other electricity producing generator.

13. The method of claim 11 where reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises heating the hydrogen gas and the plurality of catalysts by means of thermal contact with the heated coolant oil.

14. The method of claim 7 where reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises introducing carbon dioxide gas from the exhaust or output of a carbon producing power generator.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising removing or storing the produced volume of oxygen gas for transport.

16. A method for producing synthetic carbon fuel from solar energy comprising:

converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy;

producing hydrogen gas from the converted electrical energy through the process of electrolysis;

reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel through the Fischer-Tropsch process; and

removing the produced synthetic carbon fuel for transport.

17. The method of claim 16 where converting incoming solar energy into electrical energy comprises:

focusing the incoming solar energy onto a prism;

separating the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy maximum from the red-infrared portion of the solar energy;

directing the violet-blue-green portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of violet-blue-green tuned III-V solar photocells;

directing the red-infrared portion of the solar energy onto a plurality of red-infrared tuned III-V solar photocells; and

converting the violet-blue-green and red-infrared portions of the solar energy into electrical energy at their respectively tuned III-V solar photocells.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

introducing an unheated coolant oil into thermal contact with the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned III-V solar photocells;

cooling the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned III-V solar cells;

heating the coolant oil contemporaneously with the cooling of the plurality of violet-blue-green and red-infrared tuned solar cells; and

heating the hydrogen gas and the plurality of catalysts by means of thermal contact with the heated coolant oil.

19. The method of claim 16 where reacting the hydrogen gas with a carbon source and a plurality of catalysts to produce the synthetic carbon fuel comprises introducing boron tri-iodide and other rare-earth-type catalysts that react with the hydrogen gas and produce the synthetic carbon fuel.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising introducing carbon dioxide gas from the exhaust or output of a carbon producing power generator.