Zero Emissions Ammonia Power Technology

这一研究专题背后的广泛背景是基于交通运输部门迫切需要摆脱传统化石燃料。事实上，应对气候变化的紧迫性在英国的《气候变化法》中得到了认可，该法案规定了一个具有法律约束力的温室气体(GHG)减排目标，到2050年至少减少100%(相对于1990年的基线)。鉴于运输部门是英国温室气体排放的最大贡献者，运输部门需要进行重大改革，以遵守这一目标。在这方面，绿色氨作为一种可行的、无碳的未来燃料受到了极大的关注，有可能在交通运输中取代传统的化石燃料。特别是，航运业已对采用绿色氨作为航运燃料进行了大量投资。该项目解决了向基于绿色氨的未来燃料系统过渡所面临的挑战之一。这一挑战涉及与氨燃烧过程相关的高一氧化二氮(NOx)排放。鉴于NOx排放对环境和健康的重大影响，必须通过实施NOx后处理设备来控制这些NOx排放。减少NOx排放的最佳方法是催化还原，这会产生氮气和蒸汽。目前，在富氧废气环境下进行NOx还原的最突出的技术有：i)稀薄NOx捕集器(LNT)，ii)氨选择性催化还原(SCR)，它通常还配备了氨滑脱催化剂(ASC)。NOx的选择性催化还原通常是使用传统的催化转化器进行的。这些技术代表了目前可用的最先进的NOx后处理设备，但价格昂贵、体积大且耐用性差。这些因素，加上与氨燃烧过程相关的高NOx排放，限制了当前NOx后处理技术在经济和技术上对氨燃料发动机的适用性。本研究主题旨在研究创新解决方案的必要性，以推动开发一种负担得起、改进后的、更有效的NOx减排技术，该技术可以在氨燃料发动机上实施。具体地说，该研究项目将提供一项减少NOx排放的开创性技术：微结构多功能转换器。这项技术比传统的催化转化器更小、更多功能、更便宜、更耐用，具有巨大的潜力。因此，本项目的总体目标是研究一种新型的微结构多功能转换器在氨燃料发动机典型排气运行条件下降低NOx排放的可行性。这一研究课题的重要性和相关性不可低估。该项目有可能为开发能够在经济上和技术上满足氨燃料发动机要求的NOx后处理系统做出重要贡献。这些技术的进步对于过渡到基于零碳、绿色氨气的未来燃料系统至关重要，反过来也是遵守英国气候变化目标的关键。

The broad context behind this research topic is based on the imminent need to transition away from conventional fossil fuels in the transportation sector. Indeed, the urgency to address climate change is recognised within the UK's Climate Change Act, which stipulates a legally binding greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of at least 100% by 2050 (against the 1990 baseline.) Given that the transportation sector is the largest contributor to the UK's GHG emissions, drastic changes are required within the transportation sector for the compliance of this target. In this respect, green ammonia has attracted significant attention as a viable, carbon-free, fuel of the future, with the potential to replace conventional fossil fuels in transportation. In particular, the maritime industry has directed considerable investment towards the adoption of green ammonia as a shipping fuel.This project addresses one of the challenges facing the transition towards a future fuel system based on green ammonia. This challenge pertains to the high nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions associated with the ammonia combustion process. Given the significant environmental and health implications associated with NOx emissions, it is imperative that these NOx emissions are controlled by implementing NOx aftertreatment devices.The best approach to reduce NOx emissions is through catalytic reduction, which yields nitrogen and steam. Today, the most prominent technologies for NOx reduction under the O2-rich exhaust environment are: i) lean NOx trap (LNT), ii) ammonia selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which is frequently also equipped with an ammonia slip catalyst (ASC). Selective catalytic reduction of NOx has typically been performed using traditional catalytic converters. These technologies represent the current, most advanced NOx aftertreatment devices available, but are expensive, large and poorly durable. These factors, coupled with the high NOx emissions associated with the ammonia combustion process, limit the economic and technical suitability of the current NOx aftertreatment technologies to ammonia-fuelled engines.This research topic targets the need to investigate innovative solutions to advance the development of an affordable, improved and more efficient NOx emission reduction technology, which could be implemented in an ammonia-fuelled engine. Specifically, the research project will deliver a pioneering technology for NOx emissions reduction: the Micro-structured Multifunctional Converter. Smaller, multifunctional, cheaper and more durable than the traditional catalytic converters, this technology offers enormous potential. Therefore, the overarching objective of this project is to investigate the feasibility of a novel Micro-structured Multifunctional Converter for NOx emissions reduction under typical exhaust operation conditions found in ammonia-fuelled engines.The significance and relevance of this research topic cannot be understated. This project offers the potential to generate important contributions towards the development of NOx aftertreatment system that can economically and technically meet the requirements of an ammonia-fuelled engine. The advancement of such technologies is pivotal to the transition into a future fuel system based on zero-carbon, green ammonia, and in turn, the compliance of the UK's climate change targets.