Multi-functional catalysts and reactors for direct methane fuel cells

从理论上讲，这项资助申请中描述的直接碳氢化合物燃料电池（dhfc）比目前的燃烧技术节能得多。尽管化石燃料很可能继续是成本最低的能源，但其排放（颗粒物、二氧化碳等）正在加速气候变化。越来越多的人相信，目前的情况是不可持续的，需要采取一些措施。我们的研究目标是以更有效的方式使用化石燃料（每单位化石燃料的有用能量更多），从而减少化石燃料的需求，从而降低气候变化的速度。这个提议是关于将理论转化为实践，减少化石燃料对气候变化的影响。

Theoretically the direct hydrocarbon fuel cells, DHFCs, described in this grant application can be much more energy efficient than the current combustion technologies.  Although fossil fuels are likely to continue to be the lowest cost energy source, their emissions (particulate matter, carbon dioxide, etc.) are accelerating climate change.  There is growing conviction that the present situation is not sustainable and that something needs to be done.  Our research objective is to decrease the rate of climate change by using fossil fuels in a more efficient manner (more useful energy per unit of fossil fuel) so less fossil fuel will be needed.  This proposal is about turning theory into practice and diminishing the impact of fossil fuels on climate change.     The successful operation of DHFs would have many advantages.  The existing infrastructure can be used to deliver fossil fuel feedstocks: natural gas (methane) in cities, liquefied petroleum gas, (LPG or propane) in rural areas, gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel.  They can be used to provide electrical power for most applications: energy for transportation (automobiles, airplanes), stationary electrical energy (homes, office buildings, central power generating plants).     In DHFCs the fuel is fed directly into the anode where the electrochemical reaction occurs, without conversion to an intermediate species like hydrogen or methanol.  Because the intermediate species are not needed, the fuel processor used with hydrogen fuel cells can also be eliminated, thereby eliminating one-third of the capital cost of hydrogen fuel cell systems.     Laboratory experiments will be performed with DHFCs containing membrane electrode assemblies, MEAs, that will be prepared in our laboratory.  MEAs are the part of the fuel cell where the fuel cell reactions occur.  They combine an anode catalyst layer, an electrolyte layer, and a cathode catalyst layer.  To guide the experiments the fuel cell reactor will be modeled using computational fluid dynamics and the fuel cell catalysts will be modeled using density functional theory.  The expectation is that the fuel cell reactor geometry and the fuel cell catalyst composition will be tailored specifically for direct hydrocarbon fuel cells.     If high efficiency DHFCs became commercially viable, substantially less fossil fuel would be used.  The carbon dioxide emitted to the atmosphere could decrease by 25 - 50 %.  It would diminish the rate of climate change more than any other single technology.  It would be a major paradigm shift.