Kinetics and Pathways for Gasification in Supercritical Water

CBET-0755617，SavageINTELLECTUAL MERIT有机材料和化合物的气化可以在高于其热力学临界点（374 °C，22 MPa）的水中进行。超临界水气化（SCWG）的技术，经济和能源的可行性已被证明。生物质，无论是“能源作物”还是农业和食品加工废物，都可以气化产生H2或合成气。生物质的SCWG是可持续能源生产的一种方法。虽然SCWG的可行性已被证明，很少有人知道的动力学和化学反应，支配SCWG的途径。这些信息在科学上是有意义的，因为它将把我们对热液有机化学的认识扩展到一个很少受到注意的新领域。这些信息在技术上也很有意义，因为它可以用于促进SCWG过程的设计、优化和分析。该项目的目标是确定一组模型化合物在良好表征条件下的均相和催化SCWG的动力学和途径。这项工作将侧重于报告SCWG在无金属反应器中的动力学和详细的分析结果的产品在液相和气相。PI将使用厚壁玻璃毛细管作为小型分批反应器。这项研究有两个主要组成部分。一个是确定一套生物质和生物废物模型化合物的SCWG反应动力学和非催化气化途径。二是确定这些模型化合物催化气化的反应动力学和途径。更广泛的影响该项目将产生科学进步，并最终产生技术进步。PI将公布科学进展，以广泛传播。如果实现技术进步，这项工作的好处将扩展到能源行业和公众（通过拥有政治上更稳定和可持续的电力和运输燃料来源）。该项目还将为一名研究生和大约六名本科生提供培训，因此有人力资源方面的好处。此外，PI将继续将他的研究成果纳入他在密歇根大学任教的本科生和研究生课程的实践，因此将有与教学和研究的整合有关的好处。因此，该项目的更广泛的影响包括技术进步的可能性，使我们走向更可再生和可持续的能源供应，科学和工程人力资源的开发，项目成果的广泛传播，以及研究和教学的整合。

CBET-0755617, SavageINTELLECTUAL MERITGasification of organic materials and compounds can be done in water above its thermodynamic critical point (374 °C, 22 MPa). The technological, economic, and energetic feasibility of supercritical water gasification (SCWG) has been demonstrated. Biomass, either "energy crops" or agricultural and food processing waste, can be gasified to produce H2 or syngas. SCWG of biomass is one approach for sustainable energy production. Though the feasibility of SCWG has been demonstrated, very little is known about the kinetics and pathways of the chemical reactions that govern SCWG. Such information is of interest scientifically because it will extend our knowledge of hydrothermal organic chemistry into a new region that has received scant attention. The information is also of interest technologically because it can be used to facilitate the design, optimization, and analysis of SCWG processes. The goal of this project is to determine the kinetics and pathways for both homogeneous and catalyzed SCWG of a set of model compounds under well characterized conditions. This work will focus on reporting the kinetics for SCWG in metal-free reactors and the results from detailed analysis of products in both the liquid and gas phases. The PI will use thick-walled glass capillary tubes as mini batch reactors. There are two primary components of this research. One is to determine the SCWG reaction kinetics and pathways for uncatalyzed gasification of a suite of biomass and bio-waste model compounds. The other is to determine the reaction kinetics and pathways for catalyzed gasification of these model compounds. BROADER IMPACTSThe project will generate scientific advances and, eventually, technological advances. The PI will publish the scientific advances to broadly disseminate them. If technological advances are achieved, the benefit of this work will extend to the energy industry and the general public (by having a more politically stable and sustainable source for electricity and transportation fuels). The project will also provide training for a graduate student and about six undergraduate students, so there are human resource benefits. Additionally, the PI will continue his practice of incorporating his research results into the undergraduate and graduate classes he teaches at Michigan, so there will be benefits related to the integration of teaching and research. Thus, the broader impacts of this project include the possibility of technological advances that move us toward a more renewable and sustainable energy supply, the development of human resources in science and engineering, the broad dissemination of project results, and the integration of research and teaching.