Tag Archives: NH3 Production: Distributed

Our Iowa Renewable Hydrogen and Ammonia Generation System

Posted on October 1, 2017 by | 2 comments

Jay Schmuecker1*, David Toyne2*
[1] Pinehurst Farm; and [2] Solutions for Automation, United States

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 2, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

The presentation will summarize the development of the demonstration size renewable fuel and fertilizer system on my Iowa farm. Solar power, water, and air are used to make hydrogen and ammonia fuel used to power a modified John Deere 7810 tractor. The ammonia can also be used to fertilize corn cropland. The development of the ammonia reactor will be described and its performance discussed. There are no carbon emissions in either the generation or consumption of the hydrogen and ammonia. Continue reading →

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Design Optimization of a Distributed Ammonia Generation System

Posted on October 1, 2017 by | 2 comments

Matthew Palys*, Alon McCormick, Prodromos Daoutidis
University of Minnesota, United States

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 2, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

Distributed ammonia generation located near farms is a promising alternative to the current practice of large-scale, centralized production. This production mode would reduce the need for transportation of ammonia over long distances currently caused by the mismatch between production and consumption locations. In addition, a small-scale ammonia synthesis process could more easily take advantage of distributed power generation based on wind or sunlight to reduce energy costs and lessen the dependence on fossil fuels. Distributed, renewables-based fertilizer production would largely insulate farmers against market uncertainty while also increasing the sustainability of the agricultural supply chain.

However, a technically proven, economically competitive small-scale ammonia synthesis process which would facilitate this distributed generation paradigm does not currently exist. A wind powered plant which uses a scaled-down Haber-Bosch process has been installed in Morris, Minnesota [1], but ultimately, this process is too complex to operate and too costly for deployment on the scale of a farm or small group of farms. Recently, a novel reactive-separation process for ammonia synthesis has been proposed and proven on a lab scale [2]. A conventional catalyst is used to carry out the synthesis reaction. Then, ammonia is removed via chemisorption while unreacted hydrogen and nitrogen are recycled. This allows equilibrium limitations to be overcome and can facilitate operation at lower pressure and without the large temperature change exhibited in the Haber-Bosch process. Continue reading →

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Design of Iron-Nickel Nanocatalysts for Low-Temperature Electrochemical Ammonia Generation

Posted on October 1, 2017 by | 1 comment

Lauren Greenlee1*, Shelby Foster1, Prashant Acharya1, David Suttmiller1, Charles Loney2, Julie Renner2, Wayne Gellett3, Katherine Ayers3
[1] University of Arkansas; [2] Case Western Reserve University; and [3] Proton OnSite, United States

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 2, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

The Haber-Bosch industrial process for ammonia production is the cornerstone of modern commercial-fertilizer-based agriculture. Haber-Bosch ammonia fueled the global population growth of the 20th century, and approximately half of the nitrogen in human bodies today originates from ammonia-based fertilizer produced by the Haber-Bosch process. However, the Haber-Bosch process operates at high temperature and high pressure to achieve high conversion efficiencies, and the hydrogen input comes from steam reforming of coal or natural gas. In addition to the energy costs, the large production of carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas and the large required economies of scale motivate research efforts to explore other possible options for ammonia production. One potential option is low temperature electrochemical synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and water. An electrochemical process that directly synthesizes ammonia molecules from nitrogen gas and the hydrogen atoms of water molecules would eliminate the need for fossil-fuel-based hydrogen as a reactant and decrease CO2 emissions. Further, an electrochemical system based on already-developed technology in the fuel cell and electrolysis arenas would enable a modular, scalable, and energy efficient process that could be connected to renewables (i.e., wind or solar) as the energy input. Continue reading →

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Atmospheric-Pressure Synthesis of Ammonia Using Non-Thermal Plasma with the Assistance of Ru-Based Multifunctional Catalyst

Posted on October 1, 2017 by | 1 comment

Peng Peng*, Yanling Cheng, Nan Zhou, Raymond Hatzenbeller, Paul Chen, Roger Ruan
University of Minnesota, United States

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 2, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

Ammonia has much more uses than being a fertilizer. Its emerging applications include hydrogen carrier, fuel cells, clean transportation fuels, and other off-grid power applications. The traditional Haber Bosch process used to synthesize ammonia must be achieved at high temperature and pressure. The non-thermal plasma (NTP) allows for the synthesis of ammonia at a lower temperature and pressure conditions. It is proposed that the moderate process conditions can potentially allow a more economical construction and operation of ammonia production systems on distributed farms and renewable hydrogen production sites. In this study, we report the NTP synthesis of ammonia using dielectric discharge, and a Ru-based, multi-functional catalytic system deposited on mesoporous silica MCM-41. Continue reading →

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Lower Pressure Ammonia Synthesis

Posted on October 1, 2017 by | 2 comments

Mahdi Malmali1*, Alon McCormick1, Edward L. Cussler1, Joshua Prince1, Mike Reese2
[1] University of Minnesota; [2] University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, United States

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 1, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

Ammonia is a very important chemical, mainly produced through the Haber-Bosch process. This process requires high temperature (>400 °C) and pressure (>150 bar) in order to ensure fast kinetics and high conversions, respectively.1 As a result, ammonia synthesis is known to be very complex and energy-intensive.2 To alleviate the complexity and energy requirements of ammonia synthesis, and to reduce the CO2 emissions, we are proposing an innovative reaction-absorption process to synthesize carbon-free ammonia in small plants.3 This green ammonia can be synthesized in wind-powered plants, with hydrogen from electrolysis of water and nitrogen from pressure swing adsorption of air.4 Continue reading →

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Future of Ammonia Production: Improvement of Haber-Bosch Process or Electrochemical Synthesis?

Posted on October 1, 2017 by | 2 comments

Grigorii Soloveichik
US Department of Energy – ARPA-E, United States

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 1, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

Ammonia, the second most produced chemical in the world (176 million tons in 2014), is manufactured at large plants (1,000 – 1,500 t/day) using Haber-Bosch process developed more than hundred years ago. A simple reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen (produced by steam methane reforming or coal gasification) consumes about 2% of world energy, in part due to the use of high pressure and temperature. With the global transition from fossil fuels to intermittent renewable energy sources there is a need for long term storage and long range transmission of energy, for which ammonia is perfect fit. To make it practical, it is necessary to match the scale of ammonia production with the scale of renewable energy sources, at the same or better capital cost per ton of NH3, and reduce the energy consumption. Continue reading →

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The Role of “Green” Ammonia in Decarbonising Energy Systems: Practical Demonstration and Economic Considerations

Posted on September 26, 2017 by | 2 comments

Ian Wilkinson
Siemens, United Kingdom

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 1, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

Ammonia has the potential to contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of energy systems, by offering a practical, carbon-free hydrogen storage and transportation vector as well as a green fuel in its own right. To better understand the prospects and challenges surrounding the use of ammonia in energy systems, Siemens is leading a collaborative project to build and test an ammonia-based energy storage system at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. Together with its project partners (the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, the University of Oxford and the University of Cardiff), and supported by Innovate UK, Siemens will demonstrate the full energy cycle of renewable power converted into ammonia and then back into electricity for grid export. Continue reading →

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Comprehensive Evaluation of NH3 Production and Utilization Options for Clean Energy Applications

Posted on September 26, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Yusuf Bicer1, Ibrahim Dincer1, Greg Vezina2*
1 Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and 2 Hydrofuel Inc., Canada

NH3 Fuel Conference, Minneapolis, November 1, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

The project proposes a comprehensive investigation on the analysis, assessment and optimization of ammonia synthesis processes under renewable energy portfolio, including low-cost hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, ocean, biomass, etc. Furthermore, ammonia production via hydrocarbon decomposition, which will be investigated in the study, is a promising option to utilize fossil fuels in a cleaner and environmentally benign way. Case studies for various locations and applications in communities, cities and provinces to develop and implement clean solutions are performed. The objectives of this project include energy and exergy analyses, environmental impact assessments, thermo-economic analyses and evaluations, optimization studies, experimental investigation, scalability and feasibility analyses. The analyses results will show the optimized solutions for the ammonia synthesis depending on different locations in Canada. Moreover, emerging ammonia synthesis methods will be investigated which can bring additional cost and efficiency benefits. Continue reading →

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Dutch Initiatives to Store Sustainable Energy in the Form of Ammonia

Posted on September 25, 2017 by | 1 comment

Hans Vrijenhoef
Proton Ventures, The Netherlands

NH3 Fuel Conference 2017, Minneapolis, November 1, 2017
AIChE Annual Meeting, Topical Conference: NH3 Energy+

ABSTRACT

Proton Ventures BV is a company dedicated to supply mini ammonia units for storing decentralised produced (sustainable) energy. Proton has developed a commercial unit for the production of small amounts of ammonia, which can store up to 25 MW of power or equivalent (bio-) gas energy.

Hans Vrijenhoef, as the director of the company, will give an overview of existing plans in The Netherlands to store this decentralised energy and to make use of this in an economic way. The N-Fuel units will be skid-mounted, safe in operation, and almost fully automated in order to keep CAPEX and OPEX costs lowest and show that ammonia units can be effective in saving costs versus other means of storage, like batteries. Continue reading →

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Small Scale Low-Pressure Ammonia Synthesis

Posted on August 23, 2016 by | Leave a comment

Mahdi Malmali1*, Michael Reese2, Alon McCormick1, Edward L. Cussler1
1Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and 2West Central Research and Outreach Center, University of Minnesota, USA

NH3 Fuel Conference, Los Angeles, September 19, 2016

ABSTRACT

Ammonia is one of the most important chemical commodities in the US and will be a key component in helping the world meet the rising demand for food and energy. Ammonia is needed in distributed locations for agriculture (as fertilizer for small grain and corn production), for indirect hydrogen storage1 (transported as a liquid at moderate pressure to hydrogen stations), or as a liquid fuel2 (for internal combustion engines or solid oxide fuel cells). Continue reading →

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