EAGER: Photo-Thermo-Chemical CO2 Reforming of CH4 by Concentrated Sunlight

1548091(李)这项研究将探索两种温室气体--二氧化碳和甲烷--在减少温室气体排放的同时，通过热和光驱动的组合反应来产生一氧化碳和氢气，这些一氧化碳和氢气可用于生产燃料或化学品。这项工作的独特之处在于，热和光将通过太阳能收集器/加热器同时使用，比单独使用热或光更有效地激活二氧化碳和甲烷的反应。这种方法有可能用于偏远或小规模的应用，如沼气发生器或垃圾填埋场，在那里没有传统的燃料来源。甲烷和二氧化碳之间的反应需要大量的能量输入来激活反应物并提供吸热反应所需的热力学驱动力。阳光为实现良好的能量平衡提供了一种手段。通过使用设计得当的太阳能集热器，在波长和强度上进行优化，以提供直接光子激活和二次热激活，该研究将解决热和光子能量输入的组合效率，以驱动二氧化碳-甲烷反应。这将是此类研究的首批研究之一，并应为综合方法与单独的热催化或光催化方法的相对有效性提供重要指导。此外，这项研究还将开发专为利用热能和光子能源而设计的催化剂，并探索光-热联合催化反应的机理。如果方法成功，它可能会打开更多催化反应的大门，从而使更多的催化反应受益于联合热光方法。这些类型的方法依靠太阳提供能源，因此提供了一条通向更可持续的能源未来的道路，以及一种减少温室气体排放或将温室气体升级为有用产品的手段。这一概念也非常适合处理偏远地区或小规模气源的气体，在这些气源中，太阳能集热器和反应堆可以以模块化的形式使用，而不需要辅助电源。

1548091(Li)The study will explore the combined heat- and light-driven reaction of two greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide and methane - to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen that can be used to generate fuels or chemicals while decreasing levels of greenhouse gases. The unique aspect of the work is that the heat and light will be used simultaneously via a solar collector/heater to activate the carbon dioxide and methane reaction more effectively than by either heat or light alone. The approach has potential to be used in remote or small-scale applications such as biogas generators or landfills where conventional fuel sources are not available.The reaction between methane and carbon dioxide requires significant energy input to both activate the reactants and provide the thermodynamic driving force required for the endothermic reaction. Sunlight provides a means to a favorable energy balance. By use of a properly designed solar collector, optimized in wavelength and intensity to provide both direct photon activation and secondary thermal activation, the study will address the combined effectiveness of thermal and photonic energy input to drive the carbon dioxide - methane reaction. This will be one of the first studies of its kind, and should provide important guidance into the relative effectiveness of the combined approach versus either thermal or photocatalytic approaches alone. In addition, the study will develop catalysts that are specifically designed to utilize both thermal and photon energy sources, and it will also explore the mechanism of the combined photo-thermo-catalyzed reaction.If the approach is successful, it could open the door to more catalytic reactions that could benefit from the combined thermo-photo approach. These types of approaches rely on the sun for energy, and thus present a path to a more sustainable energy future as well as a means of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions or upgrading greenhouse gases to useful products. The concept also fits well with treating gases in remote locations or from small-scale gas sources, where solar collectors and reactors can be utilized in modular form without the need for ancillary power sources.