Magnesium injection cycle

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Magnesium Injection Cycle (MAGIC) is an engine design based on solar powered lasers currently under development by Mitsubishi Corporation and the Tokyo Institute of Technology which uses magnesium and water to generate power.^[1][2][3][4]

The joint project, initiated in 2005 and still at the experimental stage, has developed a prototype carbon dioxide (CO2) free engine in 2006 that has successfully worked without the need for fossil fuels. The chemical reaction between magnesium (in a powder form) and water at a room temperature produces high energy steam and hydrogen. The hydrogen is burned at the same time to produce additional high energy steam. These two steam sources power the engine. The energy cycle produces no carbon dioxide or other harmful emissions. The only by-products of this reaction are water and magnesium oxide. The magnesium (a common metallic element) is separated from the oxide through a solar powered laser process (whose development is already well advanced) and is reused over and over again as fuel.^[1][2][4]

Despite its small dimensions (approx. 5 cm in diameter and 13.5 cm in height), the engine can generate a heat output of several tens of kW from which power is obtained.^[4] The engine is aimed to be used in cogeneration, automobiles, ships and many other areas. Further research is planned with the aim of commercialization in the next three years.^[1][4]

The engine development was led by Professor Takashi Yabe with the help of Professor Ikuta and others of Tokyo Institute of Technology with the cooperation of Ono Denki Seisakusho, K.K., a precision manufacturer located in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Professor Yabe performed experiments of the techology in 2007 at the Hokkaido Toyako G8 environmental summit hosted in Chitose, Japan.^[2][3][4]

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