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

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。为了到2050年实现净零排放的目标，美国正在优先考虑运输、航空和能源生产部门的脱碳。氢燃料作为化石燃料的清洁替代品前景广阔。然而，现在氢气主要是通过蒸汽甲烷重整（SRM）和煤气化过程生产的，这两种过程都会排放大量的二氧化碳，加剧了气候变化。该工程研究计划（ERI）项目旨在同时解决两大环境威胁：消除清洁氢燃料生产途径中的二氧化碳，同时减少目前在垃圾填埋场处理的废混合塑料的数量。具体来说，该项目将开发生产碳中和或碳负的富氢合成气的方法。成功的结果将通过推进清洁能源技术为国家健康、繁荣和福利作出贡献，并通过走向能源独立为国家安全作出贡献。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，他们将学习如何在不同的团队中有效地工作和沟通。他们的研究参与将为他们继续接受教育和成为21世纪清洁能源劳动力的领导者做好准备。该项目将通过生物炭与废旧混合塑料的共气化生产清洁的富氢合成气。具体目标是：1)修改固定床反应器，以产生利用生物炭和混合废塑料的催化蒸汽共气化生产富氢合成气的基础数据；2)确定最佳的催化剂与原料和蒸汽与原料的比例，以提高合成气中的氢含量；3)确定温度和饲料组成对合成气产量和组成、冷热气效率、焦油含量和碳转化效率的影响；4)建立数值模型，预测和优化生物炭与混合废塑料共气化合成气的组成。实验室规模的固定床间歇式气化系统将用于实现目标。数值模型将使用市售的有限元分析（FEA）软件开发。研究成果在碳中和或碳负多联产过程（如发电）和商业产品（如喷气燃料、甲醇、烯烃和塑料）中具有潜在的应用前景。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.