ERI: Fertilizer-Based Liquid Desiccants: New Possibilities for Energy Efficient Dehumidification and Water Recycling

ERI：肥料基液体干燥剂：节能除湿和水循环利用的新可能性

• 批准号: 2301488
• 负责人: Jonathan Maisonneuve
• 金额: $ 20万
• 依托单位: Oakland University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2301488&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ERI; Fertilizer; Based; Liquid; Desiccants

Increasing food production to sustainably feed a growing population requires innovation to improve the efficiency of energy, water, and fertilizer use in agriculture. One promising solution for sustainable food production in indoor plant environments is the novel concept of using fertilizer as a dehumidification agent for climate control. In this process, fertilizer-based liquid desiccant is used to draw water vapor out of the humid environment for delivery to the plants. In this way, water is recycled while the indoor environment is dried, and significant energy savings are achieved by avoiding the need for intensive regeneration cycles that are common to most liquid desiccant systems. To realize the goal of unlocking the potential of fertilizer desiccant for efficient dehumidification and water recycling, this project addresses two fundamental scientific and engineering challenges: (1) to develop operational protocols for the real-time control of liquid desiccant temperatures so as to maintain high dehumdification rates and low specific energy use throughout the dynamic recirculation batch process; and (2) to identify mechanisms for improved performance by advancing fundamental understanding of polarization when it occurs across multiple concurrent domains. In addition, this project will support the development of sustainability hubs in Detroit and Pontiac through collaboration with student, community, and industry partners on a series of outreach and education initiatives.A computational model of polarization across multiple concurrent domains will be developed to describe temperature, vapor concentration, and individual ion concentrations. Because polarization across multiple concurrent domains occurs in a great many different membrane processes, the models developed from this work may have far reaching utility to the membrane science community to improve treatment of polarization analysis. Likewise the analysis of fertilizer dehumidification performance in response to desiccant temperature, and then the subsequent development of appropriate control protocols, will provide insight into batch process dynamics and thermal management strategies more generally. Fertilizer-based liquid desiccant dehumidification can open up new possibilities for energy efficient closed-loop water recycling and humidity control of indoor plant environments, and thereby contribute to a sustainable farming future. In addition, an important teaching and outreach component of this project is included to complement research activity and help align scientific progress with the needs of society. A series of at least 6 student-led volunteer projects will support community gardens and other sustainability initiatives throughout Detroit and Pontiac. Involvement of at least 60 university students is targeted, and will be facilitated by student clubs. This will help to connect students to their communities and foster lasting partnerships between student clubs and community organizations. In addition, new curriculum focused on energy engineering will be developed in close collaboration with industry partners, to help prepare the next generation of engineers for a sustainable energy future.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.

增加粮食产量以可持续地养活不断增长的人口需要创新，以提高农业中能源、水和肥料的使用效率。在室内植物环境中可持续粮食生产的一个有前途的解决方案是使用肥料作为气候控制除湿剂的新概念。在这个过程中，以肥料为基础的液体干燥剂被用来从潮湿的环境中吸收水蒸气，然后输送到植物中。通过这种方式，在室内环境干燥的同时，水被循环利用，并且通过避免大多数液体干燥剂系统常见的密集再生循环的需要，实现了显著的节能。为了实现释放肥料干燥剂高效除湿和水循环潜力的目标，本项目解决了两个基本的科学和工程挑战：(1)制定实时控制液体干燥剂温度的操作协议，以便在整个动态再循环批处理过程中保持高除湿率和低比能耗；(2)当极化发生在多个并发域时，通过推进对极化的基本理解来确定提高性能的机制。此外，该项目将通过与学生、社区和行业合作伙伴合作开展一系列推广和教育活动，支持底特律和庞蒂亚克可持续发展中心的发展。将开发一个跨多个并发域的极化计算模型来描述温度、蒸汽浓度和单个离子浓度。由于在许多不同的膜过程中会发生跨多个并发结构域的极化，因此从本工作中建立的模型可能对膜科学界改善极化分析的处理具有深远的实用价值。同样，分析肥料除湿性能对干燥剂温度的响应，然后开发适当的控制协议，将提供对批处理动态和更普遍的热管理策略的见解。基于肥料的液体干燥剂除湿可以为节能闭环水循环和室内植物环境湿度控制开辟新的可能性，从而为可持续农业的未来做出贡献。此外，该项目还包括一个重要的教学和推广组成部分，以补充研究活动，并帮助将科学进步与社会需求结合起来。一系列至少由6个学生主导的志愿者项目将支持整个底特律和庞蒂亚克的社区花园和其他可持续发展倡议。目标是至少有60名大学生参与，并将由学生俱乐部促进。这将有助于将学生与社区联系起来，并促进学生俱乐部和社区组织之间的持久伙伴关系。此外，学院将与行业伙伴密切合作，开发能源工程方面的新课程，帮助下一代工程师为可持续能源的未来做好准备。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。