ENERGY RESEARCH: ENERGY RESEARCH: TECHNOLOGICALTECHNOLOGICAL AND SCIENTIFIC AND SCIENTIFIC

BARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIESBARRIERS AND OPPORTUNITIESTomasz Wiltowski

Department of Mechanical Engineering and Energy ProcessesCoal Research Center

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901

Projekt InterEnergy Intenzifikace mezioborového výzkumu a posílení lidských zdrojů v oblasti nových technologií v energetice CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0075

Every

EVERY BABY BORN WILL NEED………

ENERGYENERGY

It is hard to believe that the term “energy” was only introduced into our language by Thomas Young in 1805 in his Bakerian Lecture to the Royal Society

Energy may be the most important factor that will influence the shape of the society in the 21st century

Energy has long played a critical role in our national security,

economic prosperity, and environmental quality.

Today concerns about how we produce and consume energy

are at the forefront of public attention.

Are we able to predict what energy we will use in the future?Are we able to predict what energy we will use in the future?

Sometimes doing this is like the weather forecast:

Weather forecast for tonight: darkWeather forecast for tonight: dark (-Gregory Carlin)

Moreover, we can follow Mark Twain who says that everybody talks about the weather (we may change this for the word energy), but nobody does anything about it.

The Reasons for the Concern

• Increase in world population,• Increase in individual expectation for energy – world wide,• Current dependency on fossil fuels,• Finite resources of fossil fuels,• Need to extend time to exhaustion,• Need to develop new alternatives to lower CO2 emissions.

2121stst Century: Primary Challenge Century: Primary Challenge

Prevent life-enhancing technologies from

destroying the environment

COALFuel of the Future or a Fuel of the Past?

U.S. Electricity Demand

Fuels used to generate electricity

COALExposing the Myth……

• advanced filtration, • Rankine cycle improvement, • reliability and cost reductions,• advanced combustion system design and analysis

Existing Technologies

COAL

New Technologies

• research on gasification,• design of the optimal gasifier• removal of NH3 and H2S• development of the new catalysts for gasification

Sustainable Coal Utilization

Gas Treating Shift Reaction

Gasification Gas Treating Shift Reaction

Carbon Dioxide

Building material Sulfur Transport Fuel Electricity Sequestration

Coal

Slag

Syngas

Hydrogen

CCGT

water

UNIVERSITY ROLE IN THE ENERGY INNOVATION CHAIN

Research &Development

Demonstration Deployment

Feedback of R & DFeedback of R & D

New Ideas Pilot Plant Commercial Plant

Basic R & DBasic R & DApplied R & D to address technical issuesApplied R & D to address technical issues

UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY

Transition to HydrogenTransition to Hydrogen

the "forever fuel" that we can never run out of the "forever fuel" that we can never run out of

Water + energy hydrogen + oxygen

Hydrogen + oxygen water + energy

Transition to Hydrogen

Is it safe?: A primer on Hydrogen safety

All fuels are hazardous, but…All fuels are hazardous, but…

Hydrogen is comparably or less so, but different:Hydrogen is comparably or less so, but different:

Clear flame can’t sear you at a distance; no smokeClear flame can’t sear you at a distance; no smoke

Hard to make explode; can’t explode in free air; burns firstHard to make explode; can’t explode in free air; burns first

22× less explosive power22× less explosive power

Rises, doesn’t puddleRises, doesn’t puddle

Hindenburg Hindenburg myth (1937) – nobody was killed by hydrogen myth (1937) – nobody was killed by hydrogen firefire

Completely unrelated to hydrogen bombsCompletely unrelated to hydrogen bombs

Where Does Hydrogen Come From?Where Does Hydrogen Come From?

95% of hydrogen is currently produced by steam reforming95% of hydrogen is currently produced by steam reforming

Partial Oxidation

Steam Reforming

Electrolysis

Thermochemical

Fossil Fuels

Water

Biomass

currently most currently most energy efficientenergy efficient

requires requires improvementsimprovements

not cost not cost effectiveeffective

requires high requires high temperaturestemperatures

Gasification

Microbial

requiresrequiresimprovementsimprovements

slow slow kineticskinetics

Bench Scale Flow Reactor

Fluidized Flow Reactor

Thermogravimetric Reactor

Quadrupole Product Analyzer

Technology that was developed at CoalTechnology that was developed at CoalResearch Center SIUCResearch Center SIUC

Keep things as simple as possible,Keep things as simple as possible,but not simplerbut not simpler

Coal

H2O

H2

Air/O2

CO2

THE CONCEPTTHE CONCEPT

modified Ca sorbentmodified Ca sorbent

metal catalystsmetal catalysts

syngas

H2

H2 CO

CO disproportionation

carbon deposits

CO2

CO2 capture

metal catalystsmetal catalysts

modified Ca sorbent

air

carbon oxidation

CO2release

CO2

RegenerationHydrogen Separation

Water Gas Shift

SteamReforming

CO2 Capture

H2O

C

Oxidation by O Transfer Agent

C

H2

CH4

CO2

H2OCO, H2O

CO

CO,H2O

CO

H2

H2

CO2, H2O

H2

CO2

CH4, H2O SteamReforming

CH4, CO2Dry

Reforming

Excess H2O

H2

CO2, H2O

H2

CO

Oxidation by O Transfer Agent

Always increase the complexity in Always increase the complexity in order to justify failureorder to justify failure

Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss

1777 - 1855 1777 - 1855

Coal Gasification/

CO2 absorption

CO2 Release / Fe2O3

reduction

FeO oxidation / heat generation

H2 production:

C (coal) + H2O H2 + CO (+CO2)

CO2 absorption:

CO2+CaO CaCO3

Water-gas shift:

CO+H2O H2 +CO2

Fe2O3 reduction:

C (char)+H2O CO+H2

Fe2O3 + CO (+H2)

2FeO +CO2 (+H2O)

CO2 release:

CaCO3 CaO + CO2

FeO oxidation:

4FeO+O2 2Fe2O3+heat

CaO, heat

CaCO3, char

FeO

Fe2O3, heat

H2

CO2 N2

H2O Air

Generated heat is

transferred via hot solids

H2 purity increased to

~80% via CO2

adsorption and water-gas shift

Fe2O3/FeO cycling

generates heat and

eliminates external heating

Three fluidized

beds with continuous solids transfer

Fuel Cell CO2

Sequestration

Combined Cycle

Turbines

Three streams in: Coal Steam Air

Three streams out: H2

CO2 High T/P

vitiated air

Three-Reactors System Produces H2, Power and Sequestration-Ready CO2

Coal Gasification/

CO2 absorption

CO2 Release / Fe2O3

reduction

FeO oxidation / heat generation

H2 production:

C (coal) + H2O H2 + CO (+CO2)

CO2 absorption:

CO2+CaO CaCO3

Water-gas shift:

CO+H2O H2 +CO2

Fe2O3 reduction:

C (char)+H2O CO+H2

Fe2O3 + CO (+H2)

2FeO +CO2 (+H2O)

CO2 release:

CaCO3 CaO + CO2

FeO oxidation:

4FeO+O2 2Fe2O3+heat

CaO, heat

CaCO3, char

FeO

Fe2O3, heat

H2

CO2 N2

Coal, H2O

H2O Air

Generated heat is

transferred via hot solids

H2 purity increased to

~80% via CO2

adsorption and water-gas shift

Fe2O3/FeO cycling

generates heat and

eliminates external heating

Three fluidized

beds with continuous solids transfer

Fuel Cell CO2

Sequestration

Combined Cycle

Turbines

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000

Temperature (oC)

PyrolysisCO

CH4

H2

CO2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000

Temperature (oC)

Co

mp

osi

tio

n (

%)

CO

H2

CH4

CO2

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE

Catalytic process/SIUC

Steam ContentSteam Content

60

0

10

20

30

40

50

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

Water Flow Rate (mL/min)

Co

mp

osi

tio

n (

%)

CO

H2

CO2

CH4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Iron Oxide to Coal Ratio

Co

mp

osi

tio

n (

%)

H2

CO

CH4

CO2

Catalyst LoadingCatalyst Loading

Hydrogen production

Hydrogen storage

Fuel Cell components esp. catalysis

Institutional Barriers

Codes and Standards (safety)

Hydrogen delivery infrastructure

Education

Technology Barriers and Challenges for H2

The Fisher-Tropsch process converts The Fisher-Tropsch process converts syngas to syngas to liquid fuelsliquid fuels

I know that in XXI I know that in XXI century everyone century everyone

would like to apply my would like to apply my process in some formprocess in some form

F-T SYNTHESIS OF LIQUID FUELSF-T SYNTHESIS OF LIQUID FUELS

WORLD IS NOT FACING AN ENERGY CRISIS, WORLD IS NOT FACING AN ENERGY CRISIS,

BUT RATHER A LIQUID FUEL CRISIS !BUT RATHER A LIQUID FUEL CRISIS !

Fe-Zn-K

ZSM

C10 – C25

C15 avg

H2 CO

FT synthesis

Cracking

350 psi 300 °C

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Carbon Number

Pro

du

ct D

istr

ibu

tion

[%]

Fe-Zn-Ru/γ-alumina

Fe-Zn-Ru/K/γ-alumina

Fe-Zn-Ru/silica

Fe-Zn-Ru/K/silica

350 psi 350 °C

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Carbon Number

Pro

du

ct

Dis

trib

uti

on

[%

]

Fe-Zn-Ru/γ-alumina

Fe-Zn-Ru/K/γ-alumina

Fe-Zn-Ru/silica

Fe-Zn-Ru/K/silica

350 psi 400 °C

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Carbon Number

Pro

du

ct D

istr

ibu

tion

[%]

Fe-Zn-Ru/K/γ-alumina

Fe-Zn-Ru/γ-alumina

Fe-Zn-Ru/silica

Fe-Zn-Ru/K/silica

• Adding CO2 in the feed to inhibit the production of CO2

• Using supercritical CO2

– To help the suppression of CO2 production

– To improve syngas conversion

– To enable downstream fractionation

– To help remove the waxes that buildup on the catalyst surface

– To enhance heat transfer from the catalyst surface

FT SYNTHESIS IN SUPERCRITICAL CO2

INTEGRATED MODELING AND EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH FOR THE DESIGN OF PRODUCT ORIENTED FT CATALYSTS

Cluster catalysis - Co-Cu/Al2O3

Organic and Inorganic precursors

for catalysts synthesis

1. More selective catalysts2. Gas-phase FT synthesis with simultaneous cracking 3. Enhancing selectivity by mass transfer limitations4. Termination to either paraffins or olefins5. Re-adsorption of olefins6. Secondary reactions on different active sites such as cracking and hydrogenation

SyngasBiogas

Natural Gas

Coal

Fischer Tropsch

SynthesissCracking

Liquidd Fuels

Research has to be done on…..

BIOFUELSBIOFUELSEthyl tert-butyl ether

Fatty Acid Methyl Ester

The research in collaboration with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The research will go towards…….

BIOFUELS PATHWAYSBIOFUELS PATHWAYS

BIOFUELS PATHWAYSBIOFUELS PATHWAYS

GLOBAL WARMING - CO2 Management

POSSIBLE POSITIVE EFFECT S(?)

Carbon Management Technology Road Map

CO2 Based Industrial

Applications

CO2 CaptureMobile

Sources

CO2 GeologicalSequestration

CO2 research CO2 CaptureFixed Sources

Industrial & Research Alliances

Some thoughts……….. (not research based)

theories called "Free Energy," "Over Unity" or "Zero-Point Energy."

But none of these devices have ever been proven, either theoretically or physically. The "free energy" area is filled with artists selling unintelligible information, often clouded with technical sounding jargon, and seeking people with money to develop their inventions or ideas.

Some ideas are interesting, but they are still fiction……..

Though science fiction has a basis in some fact. Jules Verne wrote about traveling under the water more than a hundred years ago, and today we have submarines. He also wrote about going to the moon, and in 1969 humans first set foot there. So, while some ideas being used by writers are fiction... there could

be some basis in fact. Who knows….

CONCLUSION

The combined impact of increased fossil fuel costs, environmental concerns,

political instability has to accelerate the decline in consumption of fossil fuels

and an increase in reliance on renewable sources.

It is impossible to say with certainty what the 21st century energy mix will be,

but we may say that 21st century energy mix depends as much on choices

made by the society as it will on technology. This means that DEPENDS ON THE RESEARCH, this means depends on the researchers, it means depends on us.

ENDOWED CHAIRENDOWED CHAIR

endowment enhances the quality of research

honors the person for which the endowment is named

I look at this position as an opportunity to contribute toward energyin both research and teaching capacities.

What this opportunity means for me:

- possibility of contributing to the development of energy curricula at Missouri S&T; - helping to foster the faculty at different departments in to even great presence in energy education and research through Missouri S&T’s activities;- developing a strong, externally funded research program that complements Missouri S&T existing strengths;- significant potential for interdisciplinary research with international impact

THANK YOUTHANK YOU