ERI: Elucidating co-gasification of biochar and waste mixed plastics to produce low-cost, net-zero carbon, hydrogen-enriched syngas for polygeneration systems

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。为了到2050年实现净零排放目标，美国正在优先考虑交通、航空和能源发电部门的脱碳。氢燃料作为化石燃料的清洁替代品大有可为。然而，现在主要通过蒸汽甲烷重整(SRM)和煤气化过程生产氢气，这两个过程都会排放大量二氧化碳，加剧气候变化。该工程研究计划(ERI)旨在同时应对两大环境威胁：从清洁氢燃料生产途径中消除二氧化碳，同时减少目前被丢弃在垃圾填埋场的混合塑料废物的数量。具体地说，该项目将开发生产碳中性或碳负、富氢合成气的方法。成功的成果将通过推进清洁能源技术，为国家健康、繁荣和福祉做出贡献，并通过走向能源独立，为国家安全做出贡献。该项目还将为研究生和本科生提供实验和建模方法的实践培训，他们将学习在不同团队中有效地工作和沟通。他们的研究工作将为他们继续深造和职业生涯做好准备，成为21世纪清洁能源劳动力的领导者。该项目将通过生物炭与废弃混合塑料的共同气化生产清洁的富氢合成气。具体目标是：1)改造固定床反应器，以产生生物质炭和混合废塑料催化水蒸气共气化生产富氢合成气的基本数据；2)确定提高合成气中氢含量的最佳催化剂原料比和水蒸气原料比；3)确定温度和原料组成对合成气产率和组成、冷气和热气效率、焦油含量和碳转化效率的影响；以及4)开发预测和优化生物质炭和混合废塑料共气化合成气组成的数值模型。将使用实验室规模的固定床间歇气化系统来实现这些目标。将使用商用有限元分析(FEA)软件开发数值模型。研究成果在碳中性或碳负多联产过程中有潜在的应用，如发电，以及商业产品，如喷气燃料、甲醇、烯烃和塑料。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。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). To achieve a net-zero emissions goal by 2050, the United States is prioritizing decarbonization of the transportation, aviation, and energy-generation sectors. Hydrogen fuel holds great promise as a clean alternative to fossil fuels. However, hydrogen is now produced primarily through steam methane reforming (SRM) and coal-gasification processes that both emit significant CO2, exacerbating climate change. This Engineering Research Initiative (ERI) project is designed to address two major environmental threats simultaneously: eliminating CO2 from clean hydrogen fuel production pathway while reducing the amount of waste mixed plastics now disposed of in landfills. Specifically, this project will develop methods to produce carbon-neutral or carbon-negative, hydrogen-enriched syngas. Successful results will contribute to national health, prosperity, and welfare by advancing clean energy technology and to national security by moving toward energy independence. The project will also provide hands-on training in experimental and modeling approaches to graduate and undergraduate students, who will learn to work and communicate effectively in diverse teams. Their research engagement will prepare them for further education and careers as leaders of the 21st-century clean-energy workforce. The project will produce clean, hydrogen-enriched syngas through the co-gasification of biochar with waste mixed plastics. The specific objectives are: 1) to modify a fixed-bed reactor to generate fundamental data on hydrogen-rich syngas production using catalytic steam co-gasification of biochar and mixed waste plastics; 2) to identify the optimal catalyst-to-feedstock and steam-to-feedstock ratios to improve hydrogen content in syngas; 3) to determine the effects of temperature and feed composition on syngas yield and composition, cold and hot gas efficiencies, tar content, and carbon-conversion efficiency; and 4) to develop numerical models to predict and optimize syngas composition from co-gasification of biochar and mixed waste plastics. A laboratory-scale, fixed-bed, batch-gasification system will be used to accomplish the objectives. Numerical models will be developed using commercially available finite-element analysis (FEA) software. Research outcomes have potential applications in carbon-neutral or carbon-negative polygeneration processes, such as power generation, and commercial products, such as jet fuels, methanol, olefins, and plastics.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.