SBIR Phase I: Carbon Neutral Renewable Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel Production System

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在提高使用聚合物电解质膜(PEM)电池从二氧化碳生产液体有机燃料的电化学过程的转换效率。这项工作利用了广泛的大学研究，在这些研究中，基础研究证明了二氧化碳可以转化为各种有机产品，但由于阴极上的质量传输不佳，导致法拉第效率较低。我们的研究目标将是增加二氧化碳压力，从而提高其支持阴极反应的有效性，以提高这些效率，以及修改阴极材料和结构，以更好地支持电化学反应。使用一种新型的高压质子交换膜电池，将在大于800磅/平方英寸的压力下进行电还原研究，目标是在经济可行的电流密度(500 mA/cm2)下实现对甲醇等碳氢化合物90%的法拉第效率。这将通过使用高压实验室系统进行仔细的实验来实现，以促进该PEM电池的操作。将制定和实施分析化学方案，以确定和量化反应产物的混合物。根据这些数据，我们将计算通过电池的电流转化为所需液体有机产品的效率。该项目的更广泛/商业影响是其结果，如果成功，将解决人们对二氧化碳水平不断上升的担忧。许多人认为，温室气体排放与全球变暖之间存在联系，这推动了社会对开发碳中性燃料解决方案的兴趣。该项目中正在研究的电化学二氧化碳还原系统计划在单个电化学反应器中以具有成本竞争力的方式从二氧化碳和电力中生产甲醇。甲醇既可用作燃料，全球市场为500万吨/年，也可用作商品化学品，全球市场约为5000万吨/年。这项工作将加深对二氧化碳电还原反应科学的理解，并将这项技术从实验室单电极研究转化为可为商业产品提供基础的高压电池体系结构。该系统提供了从清洁的可再生电力生产甲醇燃料的潜力，提供了一种将家用煤炭转化为液体燃料的方法，提供了一种捕获和再利用工业过程中释放的二氧化碳的途径，并可用于封闭环境的生命支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to improve the conversion efficiency of an electrochemical process that produces liquid organic fuels from carbon dioxide using a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) cell. The work leverages extensive university research wherein fundamental studies have demonstrated the conversion of CO2 to various organic products, but at low Faradaic efficiencies caused by poor mass transport at the cathode. Our research will target increasing the CO2 pressure, and hence its availability to support the cathode reaction, to improve these efficiencies, as well as modifying cathode materials and structures to better support the electrochemical reaction. Using a novel, high pressure PEM cell, electro-reduction studies will be conducted at pressures greater than 800 psi with a goal of achieving a Faradaic efficiency of 90% to hydrocarbons such as methanol at economically viable current densities (500 mA/cm2). This will be achieved through careful experimentation using a high-pressure laboratory system to facilitate operation of this PEM cell. Analytical chemistry protocols will be developed and implemented to identify and quantify the mix of reaction products. From these data we will calculate the efficiency at which current, passed through the cell, is converted to desirable liquid organic products.The broader/commercial impact of this project is its outcome, if success, will address the concern about the increasing level of carbon dioxide. Many believe that there is a connection between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, driving societal interest in developing carbon-neutral fuel solutions. The electrochemical CO2 reduction system being investigated in this program projects to cost-competitively produce methanol from CO2 and electricity in a single electrochemical reactor. The methanol can be used either as a fuel with a worldwide market of 5 M tonne/yr, or as a commodity chemical, with a worldwide market of ~50 M tonne/yr. This work will develop a better understanding of the science of CO2 electro-reduction reaction, and effect a translation of this technology from laboratory single electrode studies to a high-pressure cell architecture that can provide the basis for a commercial product. This system offers the potential to produce methanol fuel from clean, renewable electricity, provides a means of transforming domestic coal to liquid fuels, offers a pathway for the capture and reuse of CO2 released from industrial processes, and can be used for closed environment life support.