PFI-RP: Carbon Dioxide (CO2)-free Hydrogen and High Value Carbon from the Conversion of Natural Gas

这种创新伙伴关系的更广泛的影响/商业潜力可以促进阿巴拉契亚地区的工业投资、经济发展和熟练劳动力的发展。页岩气的勘探和使用将使环境友好的分布式氢气和固体碳产品的生产成为可能。这项技术将允许学习工程学的第一代大学生在当地接受培训和保留，以发展制造业。成功将意味着西弗吉尼亚州立大学拥有支持21世纪天然气转化为附加值产品所需的高科技劳动力。这项技术将实现分布式生产，帮助在当地制造成品，而不是出售原材料页岩气。在国家层面上，几个工业部门将受益于这项技术，包括氢汽车、碳复合材料、电子和碳纤维。从环境角度来看，NSF PFI项目的更广泛影响可能有助于缓解页岩气运输面临挑战的地区采矿井口二氧化碳(CO2)排放的影响。该项目将促进本科生和研究生的研究，并培养创新创业方面的未来领导者。拟议的项目是基于天然气转化为氢和固体碳产品的发现和基础研究，而不会排放二氧化碳。这一PFI项目的智能优点在于微波辐射用于将天然气直接转化为氢和结晶碳结构的催化剂，例如碳纳米管(CNTs)或碳纳米纤维。现有的将天然气转化为氢气的技术会释放二氧化碳。该项目旨在通过论证协同整合微波反应化学和催化甲烷分解反应的可行性来解决环境挑战。无二氧化碳制氢的价值主张在于对氨生产、燃料电池汽车和发电等多个大型行业进行脱碳。该项目的目标是将技术从实验室的180W微波反应堆扩大到大规模的2kW微波反应堆。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation can lead to industrial investments, economic development and skilled workforce development in Appalachia. The exploration and use of shale gas will enable the environmentally-beneficial, distributed production of hydrogen and solid carbon products. The technology will allow first-generation college students studying engineering to be trained and retained locally to grow the manufacturing industry. Success will mean that West Virginia State University has the high technology workforce needed to support 21st Century natural gas conversion to value-added products. The technology will enable distributed production, helping to manufacture finished products locally rather than selling the raw feedstock, shale gas. At the national level, several industrial sectors will benefit from the technology, including hydrogen vehicles, carbon composites, electronics, and carbon fibers. From an environmental standpoint, the broader impact of this NSF PFI project may help mitigate the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at mining wellheads in the region where transportation of shale gas is challenged. The project will promote undergraduate and graduate research and train of future leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship. The proposed project is based on the discovery and fundamental research for conversion of natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon products without carbon dioxide emissions. The intellectual merit of this PFI project lies in the microwave irradiation of a catalyst used to directly convert natural gas to hydrogen and crystalline carbon structures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or carbon nanofibers. Existing technologies converting natural gas to hydrogen gas releases CO2. This project aims to solve environmental challenges by demonstrating the feasibility of synergistically integrating microwave reaction chemistry and catalytic methane decomposition reactions. The value proposition for CO2-free hydrogen production lies in decarbonizing multiple large industries such as ammonia production, fuel cell vehicles, and power generation. The goal of the project is to scale up the technology from a laboratory 180W microwave reactor to a large scale 2kW microwave reactor.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.