CAREER: Composite Catalytic Micromembranes. Tailoring Reaction and Transport at the Microscale for Efficient Hydrogen Extraction from Green Hydrocarbons

CBET-0748016 Wilhite这是一个职业生涯的赠款，以资助研究和教育活动，旨在重新设计选择性渗透催化膜。智力优点：随着世界上不断增长的能源需求，污染问题和需要更大的能源多样性，一个解决方案，寻求一个通用的，零排放的燃料。 氢已成为一种有前途的能源替代品。 本研究旨在改善从绿色碳源中提取氢的方法。 PI将结合联合收割机的建模和实验工作，旨在开发一种多层催化膜反应器，该反应器可用作单一设备来改革乙醇，丁醇或甘油;选择性氧化一氧化碳;并提供用于燃料电池的氢气。 该提议旨在通过将（i）复合或多层催化和选择性渗透膜的概念与（ii）经由施加的热（传导）、浓度（扩散）和压力（对流）梯度对反应和分离的外部操纵相结合来改进选择性渗透催化膜的设计。所得到的复合催化膜将直接应用于实现能够从绿色烃源提取氢的具有成本效益和能量效率的重整器的社会、环境和工业关键任务。 更广泛的影响：该研究旨在建立一种新的设计范式，用于实现选择性化学反应和/或气体分离的具有成本效益的催化膜。 这种反应堆设计的新概念推动了国内农产品的清洁可再生能源生产。 由此产生的科学发展和基本发现将为产生新的教学工具和教学实验提供基础，丰富本科生和研究生教育。 PI还将使用这些教育材料来提高公众对绿色能源技术的认识，并通过康涅狄格大学工程学院、康涅狄格全球燃料电池中心和康涅狄格生物燃料联盟提供的多种外展活动，培养K-12学生对科学和技术职业的兴趣。

CBET-0748016WilhiteThis is a CAREER grant to fund research and educational activities aimed at re-designing permselective catalytic membranes.Intellectual Merit: With the world's growing energy demands, pollution concerns and the need for greater energy diversity, a solution is sought for a universal, emission-free fuel. Hydrogen has emerged as a promising energy alternative. This research seeks to improve the extraction of hydrogen from green carbon sources. The PIs will combine modeling and experimental efforts aimed at developing a multi-layered catalytic membrane reactor, which can be used as a single device to reform ethanol, butanol, or glycerol; selectively oxidize carbon monoxide; and deliver hydrogen for use in fuel cells. This proposal aims to improve the design of permselective catalytic membranes by combining concepts of (i) composite or multi-layer catalytic and permselective membranes, with (ii) external manipulation of reaction and separation via applied thermal (conductive), concentration (diffusive) and pressure (convective) gradients. The resulting composite-catalytic membranes will be directly applied to the socially, environmentally and industrially critical task of realizing cost-effective and energy efficient reformers capable of extracting hydrogen from green hydrocarbon sources. Broader Impact: The research seeks to establish a new design paradigm for realizing cost-effective catalytic membranes for selective chemical reactions and/or gas separations. This new concept in reactor design advances clean, renewable energy production from domestic agricultural products. The resulting scientific developments and fundamental discoveries will provide a basis for generating new pedagogical tools and teaching experiments enriching both undergraduate and graduate education. The PIs will also use these educational materials to increase public awareness of green energy technologies and to foster interest in science and technology careers amongst K-12 students through multiple outreach activities provided by the University of Connecticut School of Engineering, Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center and Connecticut Biofuels Consortium.