Production of renewable synthetic fuels from electricity ...
Transcript of Production of renewable synthetic fuels from electricity ...
2014 INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENT AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGYIncreasing Space Mission Resiliency through Sustainability
22nd October 2014
Production of renewable synthetic
fuels from electricity using
ELECTROFUEL® concept
Luís Guerra ; João Gomes ; Jaime Puna ; José Rodrigues
Contents…Contents…Contents…Contents…
• ELECTROFUEL® concept
• Syngas applications
• Syngas to liquid fuels
• Preliminary tests
• Future work
• Conclusions2
Synthetic Fuels…Synthetic Fuels…Synthetic Fuels…Synthetic Fuels…
… are able to cut oil dependence
… contribute to reach low carbon targets• Without the need for heavy investments to replace the existing platform
… allow the development of more attractive technologies to follow their learning path• Hydrogen or Fuel Cells (mature technology)
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Water Electrolysis
Renewable Energy
Carbon
Source
ELECTROFUEL®
CONCEPT
Power and
Carbon to
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SYNGAS
Diesel
(Fischer-TropschSynthesis)
Methanol
(CO/CO2hydrogenation)
Methane
(Sabatier Process)
Gasoline
(Mobil process)
DME
(TopsoeTechnology)
to Liquid fuel
Syngas production by ELECTROFUELSyngas production by ELECTROFUELSyngas production by ELECTROFUELSyngas production by ELECTROFUEL®®®®
• One step from water electrolysis…
… without separation of gases
…with the use of carbon/graphite plates as electrodes and alkaline electrolyte
• Oxygen, on the anode, reacts with carbon from the electrode, • Oxygen, on the anode, reacts with carbon from the electrode, producing CO and CO2
• C + 2 H2O � CO2 + 4 H+ + 4 e-
• C + H2O � CO + 2 H+ + 2 e-
• Hydrogen is released directly from the cathode• H2O + 2 e- � 2 HO- + H2
• Syngas is then formed and can be used as a raw
material for synthetic fuel production5
Syngas and its Applications…Syngas and its Applications…Syngas and its Applications…Syngas and its Applications…
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Advantages of this technology…Advantages of this technology…Advantages of this technology…Advantages of this technology…• Use of renewable energy as power source
• Solar or wind…
• Electrolyzers: cheap and easy to build
Able to compete with the conventional technologies:• Able to compete with the conventional technologies:• Steam reforming, coal gasification…
• Renewable energy:• Stored in liquid state (diesel, gasoline) at a competitive cost
• Due to its simplicity:• economically feasible in small scale units7
SyngasSyngasSyngasSyngas to Liquid Fuels…to Liquid Fuels…to Liquid Fuels…to Liquid Fuels…
• Through a catalytic reaction
• Highly exothermic• Highly exothermic
• Intensive research to improve reaction conditions:• Pressure, temperature, catalyst activity…
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• Project partner:• Working on the best catalyst to produce methanol
• CuO+ZnO+Al2O3+MgO � Reference catalyst for testing
SLURRY REACTORSLURRY REACTOR
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ELECTROFUELELECTROFUELELECTROFUELELECTROFUEL®®®® Reactor…Reactor…Reactor…Reactor…
Water with
Fuel ReactorPurification
ELECTROFUEL®
vesselElectrolizer
electrolyte
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ElectrolyzerElectrolyzerElectrolyzerElectrolyzer Diagram…Diagram…Diagram…Diagram…
Plates for adjusting the distance between electrodes
Anode
Sidesection
Electrodes
Anode
Cathode
Frontsection
Vessel
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Laboratory set-up12
Where are we?Where are we?Where are we?Where are we?
• Provisory Patent Registration
• Proof concept � Syngas
• COMPETE: Portuguese Innovation Incentive Schemes (Project 38940)
• Laboratory models undergoing:• Optimization and evaluation studies
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Where are we headed?Where are we headed?Where are we headed?Where are we headed?• Catalytic reactor to produce Methanol and DME
• First Industrial Prototypes tests:• 1 L/h and 10 L/h of Methanol / DME
• Motorization tests
• Scale-up to 100 L/h of Methanol / DME
• Demonstration plan
• Patent protection14
Preliminary Tests…Preliminary Tests…Preliminary Tests…Preliminary Tests…Conditions:
-V = 20 V- NaOH 0.06 M- Electrolyzer:
1 cell2 graphite electrodesdist. 6 mm1200
1500
1800
2100
Applied
Curren
t (m
A)
-T = 25 ºC- P = 1 atm
0
300
600
900
1200
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
Applied
Curren
t (
Reaction Time (min)
I ≈ 550 mA
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0.45
0.50
0.55
0.60
4.5
5.0
5.5
6.0
Consumed
Energy
(Wmin/mL)
Electric Potential (V)
Conditions:
- NaOH 0.06 M- Electrolyzer:
1 cell2 graphite electrodesdist. 6 mm
-T = 25 ºC- P = 1 atm
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
Consumed
Energy
(Wmin/mL)
Electric Potential (V)
Applied Current (mA)
V = 4 V
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Conditions:
-V = 4 V- Electrolyzer:
1 cell2 graphite electrodesdist. 6 mm
-T = 25 ºC- P = 1 atm
0.30
0.35
0.40
0.45
0.50
Consumed
Energy
(Wmin/mL)
0.10
0.15
0.20
0.25
0.30
0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60
Consumed
Energy
NaOH concentration (M)
[NaOH] = 0.4 M
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Conditions:
-V = 4 V- NaOH = 0.4 M- Electrolyzer:
1 cell2 graphite electrodes
-T = 25 ºC- P = 1 atm
Distance between electrodes: 4 mm1450
170019502200245027002950
Applied
Curren
t (m
A)
electrodes: 4 mm
200450700950
12001450
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Applied
Curren
t
Distance between electrodes (mm)
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• Graphite Electrodes Loss
Conditions:
-V = 4 V- NaOH 0.4 M- Electrolyzer:
1 cell2 graphite electrodesdist. 4 mm
- Formation of nanocarbon particles
- Anode ≈ 1.5 % less mass after a 7 hours reaction
- Some of the mass lost is gained on the cathode
dist. 4 mm-T = 25 ºC- P = 1 atm
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Conditions:
-V = 4 V- NaOH = 0.4 M- Electrolyzer:
1 cell2 graphite electrodesdist. 4 mm
-T = 25 ºC- P = 1 atm
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20
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CO compositions (%)
composition (%)
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0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
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0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
O2e CO compositions
CO
2co
mposition
Applied Current (A)
CO2
O2
CO
• Gas analysis
• With a best optimization we were able to achieve an interesting composition of syngas as follows (dry basis):
H2 70 %
CO 10 %
CO2 16 %
O2 4 %
Others (hydrocarbons) ≈ 0 %
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• Steel + Graphite vs. Graphite
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Electrodes Graphite Steel + Graphite
H2 70 % 58 %
CO 10 % 4 %
CO2 16 % 28 %
O2 4 % 10 %
Others (hydrocarbons) ≈ 0 % ≈ 0 %
Further tests still onFurther tests still onFurther tests still onFurther tests still on----going …going …going …going …
• Hydrocarbons were found on the gas analysis
• Temperature influence is not yet fully explored
• Pressure influence is not yet fully explored• Pressure influence is not yet fully explored
• The destination of the nanocarbon particles:• Steam reforming…
• Use of catalysts spread in the electrolyte to improve syngascomposition• Vanadium…
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To summarize…To summarize…To summarize…To summarize…
• Water electrolysis: renewable energy as electricity, carbon/graphite electrodes, without separation of gases and an alkaline electrolyte � syngas
• We reached 10 % of CO and 70 % of H2, with 4 % of O2We reached 10 % of CO and 70 % of H2, with 4 % of O2
• Laboratory models for syngas production undergoing:• Optimization and evaluation studies �Temperature, pressure…
• Improve reaction conditions of methanol production:• Pressure, temperature, catalyst activity…
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PROJECT SYM
QREN 38940
PARTNERS:
Thank You For Your Attention…Thank You For Your Attention…Thank You For Your Attention…Thank You For Your Attention…
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