SEP: Sustainable co-synthesis of cement and fuels

NSF可持续能源途径（SEP）计划，在NSF科学，工程和教育可持续发展（SEES）倡议的保护伞下，将支持Stuart Licht教授和同事在乔治华盛顿大学的研究计划，以开发一种新的水泥和燃料的共同合成方法。 为了在绿色电化学过程中生产水泥，“太阳能水泥”，研究小组将利用石灰在碳酸盐熔盐中意想不到的低溶解度，形成没有任何二氧化碳排放的水泥。后一种副产品，当与太阳能制氢的平行过程结合时，将用于形成合成气燃料。该项目的目标是：（一）水泥和燃料联产的基本反应优化，（二）研究地质资源可用性/非碳酸盐矿物对太阳能水泥的影响，（三）向绿色技术转变的行为研究，（四）生命周期评估，（五）组件和系统建模，以及（六）太阳能水泥室外优化。该研究计划将在乔治华盛顿大学最先进的太阳能/电化学研究实验室进行，并使用我们现场的NSF超级计算机“乔治”进行建模。“水泥将以50%的太阳能转换效率生产。将共同生产可销售的石墨和一氧化碳产品。该项目结合了乔治华盛顿大学在太阳能化学（Licht）、生命周期评估（LaPuma）、计算科学（LaPuma）和生物技术（Biochemistry）等领域的专业知识，（El-Ghazawi）、社会学/电影摄影（McCormick）和地球化学（Teng）。该研究项目将推进一种新的太阳能合成工艺，该工艺可以产生30-50%的太阳能化学能转换效率，并将这些能量储存为可运输的高能化学品。这是对现有电力分配和太阳能转换过程的一种范式转变。该项目将加快推进水泥这一主食的绿色生产的变革进程，并消除大气中人为二氧化碳的一个主要来源。在电力生产之后，水泥生产是人为温室气体排放的最大单一贡献者。 太阳能水泥可以以比传统工业水泥工艺更低的成本生产石灰，并且没有CO2排放。将制作视频，以加快水泥行业的这种绿色转变。视频将对比传统的水泥生产科学过程与拟议的创新，并传达新的太阳能合成工艺对普通消费的科学和潜在影响。该项目将有助于培训下一代多样化的可再生能源科学家。两名博士后研究员，以及4名研究生和10名本科生将接受最先进的电化学，可再生能源和无二氧化碳工业过程的培训。该项目将扩大能源转换的知识基础，作为实现“可持续化学经济”的途径。“水泥工业每生产10磅水泥就释放9磅二氧化碳。今天，水泥生产占所有人为二氧化碳排放量的5-6%。 需要一种替代这种二氧化碳密集型工艺的方法，乔治华盛顿大学的研究人员已经介绍了这种方法。不断上升的二氧化碳水平以及相关的气候后果是我们这个时代最严峻的挑战之一。如果成功的话，这个为期四年的NSF资助的研究项目将在一个没有任何二氧化碳排放的绿色电化学太阳能过程中生产水泥和燃料。

The NSF Sustainable Energy pathways (SEP) Program, under the umbrella of the NSF Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative, will support the research program of Prof. Stuart Licht and co-workers at the George Washington University to develop a new method for the co-synthesis of cement and fuels. To produce cement in a green electrochemical process, "solar cement," the research team will take advantage of the unexpected low solubility of lime in carbonate molten salts, and form cement without any CO2 emission. The latter co-product, when combined with a parallel process for solar hydrogen generation, will be used to form syngas fuels. The objectives of the project are: (i) fundamental reaction optimization of the co-generation of cement and fuels, (ii) studying geological resource availability/non-carbonate mineral effects for solar cement, (iii) behavioral study of a paradigm shift to a green technology, (iv) life cycle assessment, (v) component and system modeling, and (vi) solar cement outdoor optimization. The research program will be conducted in George Washington University's state-of-the-art solar/electrochemical research laboratories, and modelled with our on-site NSF supercomputer "George." The cement will be produced at 50% solar energy conversion efficiency. Marketable graphite and carbon monoxide products will be co-produced. This could potentially decrease the cost of solar cement to below that of conventional cement.The project combines advance the topical areas of (i) Energy Harvesting (ii) Energy Storage, (iii) Critical Materials for Sustainable Energy (iv) Reducing Carbon Intensity by combining George Washington University expertise in solar chemistry (Licht), life cycle assessment (LaPuma), computational science (El-Ghazawi), sociology/cinematography (McCormick) and geochemistry (Teng). This research project will advance a new solar synthesis process, which can yield 30-50% solar chemical energy conversion efficiencies, and store this energy as transportable, energetic chemicals. This represents a paradigm shift over existing processes to distribute electricity and convert solar energy. The project will expedite a path to bring forward a transformative process for green production of the staple, cement and eliminate a major source of anthropogenic atmospheric CO2. After power production, cement production is the largest single contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Solar cement can produce lime at less cost than that of conventional industry cement processes and without CO2 emission. Videos will be produced to expedite this green shift in the cement industry. Videos will contrast the traditional scientific process of cement production with the proposed innovations and communicate the science and potential impacts of the new solar synthesis process for general consumption. The project will contribute to training the next diverse generation of renewable energy scientists. Two postdoctoral fellows, as well as 4 graduate and 10 undergraduate students will be trained in state-of-the-art electrochemistry, renewable energy and CO2-free industrial processes. The project will expand the knowledge base of energy conversion as a path towards a "Sustainable Chemical Economy." The cement industry releases 9 lbs of CO2 for each 10 lbs of cement produced. Today cement production accounts for 5-6% of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. An alternative to this CO2 intensive process is needed and has been introduced by researchers at the George Washington University. Rising carbon dioxide levels, and the associated climate consequences, provide one the most daunting challenges of our time. If successful, this four year NSF funded research program will produce cement and fuels in a green electrochemical solar process without any CO2 emission.