A Multiscale Approach to Catalyst Development for Hydrogen Production and Conversion Systems

氢气生产和转化系统催化剂开发的多尺度方法******本研究的科学目标是设计催化活性层，以实现传热，传质，电荷传递，动力学活性和催化剂寿命之间的完美平衡。这项工作的结果可以用于许多方面，但我将重点关注一些可持续的技术应用，包括氢作为一种清洁燃料和一种可以从可再生能源中生产的资源。一些例子是；通过使用优化的催化剂层，最大限度地将热量传递到反应部位，通过天然气、沼气或传统液体燃料的蒸汽重整提高制氢效率；通过在聚合物电解质膜电解槽中电极处的催化层电解水有效地产生氢来存储可再生风能和太阳能；利用氢在燃料电池中制造清洁电力，这种燃料电池具有优化的催化电极层，成本更低，寿命更长；利用氢在特殊的催化剂层上对脂肪酸进行异构化，生产冰点足够低的生物油产品，可以在加拿大的冬天使用。所有这些应用都涉及氢的生产或使用，以减少温室气体排放，减少不可再生资源的使用，并鼓励开发具有商业竞争力的清洁能源技术。加拿大人将受益，因为他们消耗的能源将产生更少的有害污染物和更少的温室气体。通过在清洁能源技术方面建立竞争优势，可以在加拿大创造新的商业活动，从而产生高质量的就业机会。******此外，研究生，本科生和我实验室的其他研究人员将接受先进的多尺度数学建模技术的培训，以模拟催化活性层的性能。这些模型将能够基于孔隙结构、颗粒大小和形状以及这些催化剂层中活性组分分布的3D重建来预测关键的传输性质（例如，热量、质量、电荷传递）。其他学生和研究人员将接受表征技术的培训，以评估薄多孔层的输运特性，以及3D成像技术，用于创建多孔材料薄层的3D重建。这些HQP将具有很高的就业率，因为建模和表征技术适用于广泛的行业和研究领域。*****************

A Multiscale Approach to Catalyst Development for Hydrogen Production and Conversion Systems******The scientific objective of this research is the design of catalytically active layers that achieve the perfect balance between heat transfer, mass transfer, charge transfer, kinetic activity and catalyst lifetime. The results from this work can be used in many ways but I will focus on a number of sustainable technology applications involving hydrogen as a clean fuel and a resource that can be produced from renewable energy sources. Some examples are; improving the efficiency of hydrogen production by steam reforming of natural gas, biogas, or conventional liquid fuels through the use of optimized catalyst layers that maximize the delivery of heat to the reaction sites; storing renewable wind and solar energy by efficiently producing hydrogen by the electrolysis of water at catalytic layers at the electrodes in polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers; using hydrogen to make clean electricity in fuel cells that have optimized catalytic electrode layers that cost less and last longer; using hydrogen in the isomerization of fatty acids on specialized catalyst layers that produce bio-oil products with a low enough freezing point that they can be used during Canadian winters. All of these applications involve the production or use of hydrogen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the use of non-renewable resources and encourage the development of commercially competitive clean energy technologies. Canadians will benefit because the energy they consume will be generating fewer harmful pollutants and less greenhouse gas. By establishing a competitive edge in clean energy technologies, new commercial activity can be created in Canada that will result in high quality jobs being generated.******Furthermore, graduate students, undergraduate students and other researchers my labs will receive training in advanced multiscale mathematical modeling techniques that simulate the performance of catalytically active layers. These models will be able to predict the key transport properties (e.g., heat, mass, charge transfer) based on 3D reconstructions of the pore structure, size and shape of the particles and distribution of the active components in these catalyst layers. Other students and researchers will be trained in characterization techniques for evaluating the transport properties of thin porous layers as well as 3D imaging techniques for creating 3D reconstructions of thin layers of porous materials. These HQP will be highly employable as the modeling and characterization techniques are applicable in a wide range of industries and fields of research.*****************