PFI-RP: Carbon Dioxide (CO2)-free Hydrogen and High Value Carbon from the Conversion of Natural Gas

这种创新伙伴关系的更广泛的影响/商业潜力可以导致阿巴拉契亚的工业投资，经济发展和熟练劳动力的发展。 页岩气的勘探和使用将使氢和固体碳产品的分布式生产对环境有利。该技术将使学习工程的第一代大学生能够在当地接受培训和留住，以发展制造业。成功将意味着西弗吉尼亚州立大学拥有支持21世纪世纪天然气转化为增值产品所需的高科技劳动力。该技术将使分布式生产成为可能，有助于在当地生产成品，而不是出售页岩气原料。在国家一级，几个工业部门将受益于该技术，包括氢汽车，碳复合材料，电子和碳纤维。 从环境的角度来看，NSF PFI项目的更广泛影响可能有助于减轻页岩气运输面临挑战的地区开采井口二氧化碳（CO2）排放的影响。 该项目将促进本科生和研究生的研究，并培养未来的创新和创业领袖。该项目的基础是将天然气转化为氢气和固体碳产品而不排放二氧化碳的发现和基础研究。该PFI项目的智力价值在于微波辐射催化剂，用于直接将天然气转化为氢气和结晶碳结构，如碳纳米管（CNT）或碳纳米纤维。现有的将天然气转化为氢气的技术会释放二氧化碳。 该项目旨在通过展示协同整合微波反应化学和催化甲烷分解反应的可行性来解决环境挑战。无二氧化碳制氢的价值主张在于使多个大型行业脱碳，如氨生产、燃料电池汽车和发电。该项目的目标是将该技术从实验室的180 W微波反应器扩展到大规模的2 kW微波反应器。该奖项反映了NSF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。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation can lead to industrial investments, economic development and skilled workforce development in Appalachia. The exploration and use of shale gas will enable the environmentally-beneficial, distributed production of hydrogen and solid carbon products. The technology will allow first-generation college students studying engineering to be trained and retained locally to grow the manufacturing industry. Success will mean that West Virginia State University has the high technology workforce needed to support 21st Century natural gas conversion to value-added products. The technology will enable distributed production, helping to manufacture finished products locally rather than selling the raw feedstock, shale gas. At the national level, several industrial sectors will benefit from the technology, including hydrogen vehicles, carbon composites, electronics, and carbon fibers. From an environmental standpoint, the broader impact of this NSF PFI project may help mitigate the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at mining wellheads in the region where transportation of shale gas is challenged. The project will promote undergraduate and graduate research and train of future leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship. The proposed project is based on the discovery and fundamental research for conversion of natural gas into hydrogen and solid carbon products without carbon dioxide emissions. The intellectual merit of this PFI project lies in the microwave irradiation of a catalyst used to directly convert natural gas to hydrogen and crystalline carbon structures such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or carbon nanofibers. Existing technologies converting natural gas to hydrogen gas releases CO2. This project aims to solve environmental challenges by demonstrating the feasibility of synergistically integrating microwave reaction chemistry and catalytic methane decomposition reactions. The value proposition for CO2-free hydrogen production lies in decarbonizing multiple large industries such as ammonia production, fuel cell vehicles, and power generation. The goal of the project is to scale up the technology from a laboratory 180W microwave reactor to a large scale 2kW microwave reactor.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.