SBIR Phase I: Novel Microstrain Enhanced Catalyst Supports for Hydrogen Production

SBIR 第一阶段：新型微应变增强催化剂支持氢气生产

• 批准号: 1013097
• 负责人: Michelene Hall
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Excelerant Ceramics LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2011-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1013097&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Novel; Microstrain; Enhanced

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is a feasibility study to validate a novel process for forming innovative catalysts applicable to steam methane reforming. The factors that dictate heterogeneous catalytic activity are still not thoroughly understood. It is commonly believed that a material must have a high surface area to be catalytically active; yet, not all materials with high surface areas are catalytically active. Similarly, it is not surprising that porosity is also considered to be a desirable property for developing highly active catalysts. These microstructural features also do not constitute a highly reliable predictor of catalytic activity. Building on previous academic studies that identified a method to engineer structural defects in ceramic oxides that have demonstrated catalytic activity, the small business will induce structural defects in new materials and compositions to achieve new catalysts of higher activity and stability. The insights to be learned from synthesis, characterization and testing studies are expected to enhance the understanding and application of this new phenomenon in heterogeneous catalysis.The broader/commercial impact of this project is the opportunity to create significant energy and cost savings in hydrogen production. Hydrogen gas is a major feedstock for a number of industrial processes, including ammonia production and oil refining. The current production processes of hydrogen gas are very energy intensive. The novel approach pursued by the small business may be used to form catalysts for the steam methane reforming (SMR) process, one of the principal methods for converting natural gas into hydrogen. One of the energy intensive aspects of SMR is the generation of steam, also called "process steam". If successful, the new catalyst is projected to reduce the quantity of process steam needed for SMR, increase the plant capacity and reduce tube wall temperatures which will result in lower maintenance and operating costs. The reduction in process steam is expected to lower energy consumption, leading to an average annual savings of more than $1,000,000 per hydrogen production plant. These energy savings will have a direct impact on hydrogen producers and an indirect effect on consumers of derivative products such as agricultural fertilizers used by farmers.

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目是一个可行性研究，以验证一种新的工艺，形成适用于蒸汽甲烷重整的创新催化剂。 决定非均相催化活性的因素仍然没有完全理解。 通常认为材料必须具有高表面积才具有催化活性;然而，并非所有具有高表面积的材料都具有催化活性。 同样，孔隙率也被认为是开发高活性催化剂的理想性能也就不足为奇了。 这些微观结构特征也不构成催化活性的高度可靠的预测因素。 在以前的学术研究的基础上，确定了一种方法来设计陶瓷氧化物中的结构缺陷，这些陶瓷氧化物已经表现出催化活性，小企业将在新材料和组合物中引入结构缺陷，以获得更高活性和稳定性的新催化剂。 从合成、表征和测试研究中获得的见解有望增强对这一新现象在多相催化中的理解和应用。该项目的更广泛/商业影响是在氢气生产中创造显着能源和成本节约的机会。 氢气是许多工业过程的主要原料，包括氨生产和炼油。 目前的氢气生产工艺是非常耗能的。小企业追求的新方法可用于形成蒸汽甲烷重整（SMR）工艺的催化剂，这是将天然气转化为氢气的主要方法之一。 SMR的能量密集方面之一是蒸汽的产生，也称为“工艺蒸汽”。 如果成功，新催化剂预计将减少SMR所需的工艺蒸汽量，增加工厂产能并降低管壁温度，从而降低维护和运营成本。 预计工艺蒸汽的减少将降低能耗，从而使每个制氢工厂平均每年节省超过100万美元。 这些节能措施将对氢气生产商产生直接影响，并对农民使用的农业肥料等衍生产品的消费者产生间接影响。