Josua Vieten*, Dorottya Guban, Martin Roeb, Christian Sattler, Institute of Solar Research, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Germany; Patrick Huck, Matthew Horton, Kristin Persson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA; Brendan Bulfin, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
15th Annual NH3 Fuel Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, October 31, 2018
NH3 Energy+ Topical Conference at the AIChE Annual Meeting
ABSTRACT
Converting heat from renewable sources into other forms of energy is considered an essential factor in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, high temperatures can be reached using concentrated solar power (CSP), and the thus-captured energy can be converted into so-called solar fuels via thermochemical processes. These consist of the partial reduction of a redox material, usually a metal oxide, at high temperatures following the exothermic re-oxidation of this material at a lower temperature level using steam or CO2, which are thus converted into hydrogen or carbon monoxide, respectively. These two gases can be combined to generate syngas for the production of hydrocarbons (see Fig. 1). Through the same process, a stream of mostly inert gas can be produced by re-oxidation with air, allowing air separation using renewable energy sources. Hydrogen production and air separation can also provide the feedstock for ammonia production through the Haber-Bosch process, as the achieved oxygen partial pressures can be kept low enough to avoid catalyst poisoning. [2] Ammonia produced through this method can be used for fertilizer production, or as a fuel for energy storage. Continue reading
