Applied energy research for green diesel production and glycerol utilization

加拿大每年消耗400亿升柴油，而世界消耗量为7000亿升，主要用于采矿、运输和农业。加拿大交通部门产生超过40%的绿色温室气体（GHG）。生物柴油（由脂肪酸烷基酯组成）是可再生的、可生物降解的，具有高闪点、高十六烷值和高润滑性。加拿大已经在柴油中使用了2%的生物柴油，并计划到2012年使用5%。 原料的价格是整个生物柴油生产成本的60-75%。此外，该方法使用大量的水来从产物中除去催化剂。拟议的研究旨在通过使用新型固体介孔催化剂和低成本原料，如从油菜籽、芥末和大豆中提取的绿色种子油，以及其他非食用油，如油炸油脂和微藻，连续生产生物柴油。新型杂多酸催化剂将被开发用于生物柴油的生产。通过消除水的使用将提高加工效率，并且通过经由各种催化途径使用粗甘油副产物用于目标生化生产将降低下游加工成本。此外，还建议开发技术，以最大限度地从废弃生物质和城市固体废物中获得的合成气生产生物合成柴油和高级醇。由此生产的柴油具有高十六烷值的上级质量，并且不含硫、氮或芳烃污染物。拟议的工作涉及在碳纳米管和碳纳米角上使用多功能活性金属（Mo，Fe或Co）与促进剂（如Ru和Rh）和碱（K）合成纳米颗粒。这些材料具有高的机械和热性能，并且一旦通过温和的酸处理在载体上产生缺陷，就可以锚这些纳米颗粒。将尝试广泛表征（在反应之前和之后）并使用湿浸技术生产坚固且分散良好的颗粒，以便使它们对原料变化和采出水不太敏感。此外，催化剂的寿命，这往往是减少由于碳和蜡沉积，需要进行检查。最后，反应机理，动力学和反应器设计将评估这些过程。

Canada consumes 40 billion litres of diesel fuel per year with world consumption at 700 billion litres, mostly used in mining, transportation and farming industries. The Canadian transportation sector produces more than 40% green house gases (GHG). Biodiesel (composed of fatty acid alkyl esters) is renewable, biodegradable, has high flash point, high cetane number and high lubricity. Canada has implemented 2% biodiesel in diesel fuel and plans to use 5% by 2012. Price of the feedstock is 60-75% of the overall biodiesel production cost. Also, this process uses large volume of water for the removal of catalyst from the product. The proposed research aims at continuous production of biodiesel by using novel solid mesoporous catalysts and low-cost feed-stocks such as green seeds derived oils from canola, mustard and soya, and other non-edible oils such as fryer grease and micro-algae. Novel hetero polyacid catalysts will be developed for biodisel production. Processing efficiency will be enhanced by eliminating water use, and the down stream processing cost will be reduced by using crude glycerol byproduct via various catalytic routes for targeted biochemical productions. Also, it is proposed to develop technologies to maximize the production of biosyndiesel and higher alcohols from syngas obtained from waste biomass and urban solid wastes. The diesel thus produced is of superior quality with high cetane number and with no sulfur, nitrogen or aromatic pollutants. The proposed work involves the synthesis of nano particles using multifunctional active metals (Mo, Fe or Co) with promoters such as Ru and Rh and alkali (K) on carbon nanotubes and carbon nanohorns. These materials have high mechanical and thermal properties and can anchor these nanoparticles once defects are created on the supports by mild acid treatments. Attempts will be made to extensively characterize (before and after reactions) and produce robust and well dispersed particles with wetness impregnation techniques so as to have them less sensitive to feedstock variability and produced water. Also, the catalyst life, which is often reduced due to carbon and wax deposition, needs to be examined. Finally, the reaction mechanisms, kinetics and reactor design will be evaluated for these processes.