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AssigneesInstitute for Laser Technology, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.
InventorsKazuo Imasaki, Masahiro Mori, Hiroyuki Nagayama
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A methane or methanol producing system is proposed in which laser beams are generated in space by excitation of sunlight, transmitted onto land or sea without loss to obtain optical energy with high efficiency, and irradiated on a hydrogen producing device to produce industrially inexpensive hydrogen with high efficiency, thereby producing methane or methanol. A laser generating device for generating laser beams by exciting radiant light in laser rods by irradiation of sunlight is installed in space. The laser beams generated are transmitted to a light-receiving facility on land or on sea, and irradiated on a hydrogen generating device having a semiconductor electrode with a wavelength suitable for absorbing by the semiconductor electrode or by converting or shifting to a suitable wavelength. Using the hydrogen, methane or methanol is produced by a methane or methanol producing unit.
A methane/methanol producing system comprising a laser generating device installed in space around the earth for generating laser beams by sunlight and transmitting the laser beams generated to a predetermined position on land or on the sea, a hydrogen generating unit comprising a semiconductor electrode for receiving the laser beams and generating hydrogen, said semiconductor electrode being irradiated with the laser beams to generate hydrogen by decomposition of water, and a methanol producing unit for producing methane or methanol by synthesizing the hydrogen generated with carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide under high pressure, said laser generating device comprising a plurality of laser rods containing a laser activating substance and adapted to condense and irradiate sunlight on said laser rods to generate radiant light from said laser rod by the action of said laser activating substance, and amplify and oscillate the radiant light, said semiconductor electrode being formed of a material having such properties as to absorb the laser beams generated in said laser generating device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.