EAGER/Collaborative Research: Solid Freeform Fabrication of a Conceptual Artificial Photosynthesis Device

这一早期概念探索性研究资助(AGIRE)研究项目的主要目标是制造一种人工光合作用设备，能够将阳光、二氧化碳和水转化为糖，用于生产生物燃料。利用高分辨率非均质印刷技术增强的固体自由曲面制造技术将被用于设计和制造具有多层互联通道和微孔结构的创新器件。这项研究将使大规模太阳能转换系统的制造和部署成为可能，这些系统不仅可以模拟生产生物燃料的光合作用的自然过程，而且还可以使这些反应独立于自然植物的生命。一个跨学科的研究团队已经成立，协同结合了来自德雷克塞尔大学和堪萨斯州立大学的两名研究人员在固体自由形式制造、系统设计和控制、生物材料、生物燃料和分子生物学方面的专业知识。美国政府的目标是到2030年用生物燃料取代20%(510亿汽油当量加仑)的化石运输燃料。在使用目前可用的任何生物来源(生物质)时，生产这种数量的生物燃料将需要不可持续的大片种植面积。作为一种替代技术，人工光合作用由于其极高的太阳能转换效率和碳中性性质，可以产生大量清洁和可再生的生物燃料。然而，由于缺乏商业化的人工光合作用设备，实验室规模的人工光合作用技术与田间应用之间存在很大差距。本项目将研究一种新的制造系统和方法，首次制造出树叶状的人工光合作用装置。这项研究将是首次将聚合物和蛋白质/酶集成在一起的人工光合作用装置的固体自由形式制造。这项研究将指导人工光合作用装置的结构设计和制造方法的确定，最终将导致大规模使用商业可展开结构来制造生物燃料。这项研究的成功完成将导致设计和制造人工光合作用装置的新技术，这将有助于实现负担得起的生物能源制造的愿景。经济上可行的生物燃料制造将极大地有利于美国经济和能源安全，以及整个社会和环境。拟议活动的成功将有助于扩大制造业研究社区的作用，在美国创造一个价值1万亿美元的新能源制造业。将培训两名博士生，并创建三个基于项目的学习模块，以加强本科工程课程，让学生参与设计、制造和能源工程方面的设计项目。

The main objective of this EArly Concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) research project is to fabricate an artificial photosynthesis device that is capable of converting sunlight, CO2 and water into sugars for the production of biofuels. Solid freeform fabrication (SFF) enhanced by high-resolution heterogeneous printing technology will be investigated to design and build the innovative device with multi-layer interconnected channels and micro-porous structures. This research will enable manufacturing and deployment of large-scale solar conversion systems that not only mimic the nature process of photosynthesis for the production of biofuels, but also make these reactions independent of the life of nature plants. An interdisciplinary research team has been formed, synergistically combining the expertise of two investigators from Drexel University and Kansas State University in solid freeform fabrication, system design and control, biomaterials, biofuels and molecular biology. The U.S. government aims to replace 20 percent (51 billion gasoline-equivalent gallons) of fossil-based transportation fuels with biofuels by the year 2030. Producing this amount of biofuel would require an unsustainably large cropping area when using any bio-based sources (biomass) that are currently available. As an alternative technology, artificial photosynthesis can produce tremendous amounts of clean and renewable biofuels because of its extremely high solar conversion efficiency and carbon neutral nature. However, lacking commercially available artificial photosynthesis devices, there is a big gap between lab-scale artificial photosynthesis technologies and in-field applications. This project will research a new manufacturing system and method to first-time fabricate a leaf-tree-like artificial photosynthesis device. This research will be the first of its kind in solid freeform fabrication of artificial photosynthesis device integrated with polymers and protein/enzyme. Knowledge obtained from this study will guide design of structures and determination of manufacturing methods of the artificial photosynthesis device, which will eventually lead to large-scale use of commercially deployable constructs for biofuel manufacturing.Successful completion of this research will lead to a new technology for designing and manufacturing an artificial photosynthesis device, which will help realize the vision of affordable bio-based energy manufacturing. Economically viable manufacturing of biofuels will greatly benefit the U.S. economy and energy security, as well as society and the environment in general. Success of the proposed activities will help expand the role of the manufacturing research community to create a new, trillion dollar energy manufacturing industry in the United States. Two doctoral students will be trained and three project-based learning modules will be created to strengthen the undergraduate engineering curricula, engaging students with design projects in design, manufacturing and energy engineering.