University of Houston: Revolutionizing Tech to Produce Sustainable Fuel

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://stories.uh.edu/microreactor_UH_SRI_111324/index.html

Revolutionizing Tech to Produce Sustainable Fuel
By Rashda Khan

A University of Houston-affiliated project that has the potential to transform sustainable fuel production was selected to receive $3.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Led by SRI, a leading nonprofit research institute, the project titled “Printed Microreactor for Renewable Energy Enabled Fuel Production” or PRIME-Fuel, aims to develop a modular microreactor technology that converts carbon dioxide into methanol using renewable energy sources. UH, a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research institution, is contributing essential research needed for the project.

This is part of ARPA-E’s $41 million Grid-free Renewable Energy Enabling New Ways to Economical Liquids and Long-term Storage program, otherwise known as the GREENWELLS program, which includes 14 projects to develop technologies that use renewable energy sources like wind and solar to produce sustainable liquid fuels or chemicals, which can be transported and stored similarly to gasoline or oil. Selected teams will develop systems that use electricity, carbon dioxide and water at renewable energy sites to produce renewable liquid renewable fuels that offer a clean alternative for sectors like transportation.

“Renewables-to-liquids fuel production has the potential to boost the utility of renewable energy all while helping to lay the groundwork for the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of creating a clean energy economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in an ARPA-E press release.

…

“We believe that PRIME-Fuel will play a critical role in the transition to sustainable energy solutions,” said Rahul Pandey, senior scientist with SRI and principal investigator on the project. “By harnessing renewable energy to produce methanol, we can help combat climate change while providing valuable resources for various industries by leading to cost-effective and sustainable methanol production.”

…

https://arpa-e.energy.gov/news-and-media/press-releases/us-department-energy-announces-41-million-technologies-expand-use

[brush]

1. Burning ethanol results in what environmental concerns?

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. It depends on how the ethanol is produced

In this case they’re using renewable electricity, carbon dioxide CO₂ and water H₂O to produce ethanol CH₃CH₂OH. When it is burned, it will produce CO₂ and water vapor H₂O. It is essentially “carbon neutral."

Ethanol can also be used in fuel cells.

https://www.ucf.edu/news/new-ethanol-fuel-cell-technology-rivals-fossil-fuels-and-electric-car-batteries/

New Ethanol Fuel Cell Technology Rivals Fossil Fuels and Electric Car Batteries
Ethanol fuel cells, in which alcohol can be poured directly in as fuel, offer cleaner emissions than fossil fuels and no charging times compared to electric vehicle batteries.

By Beatriz Nina Ribeiro Oliveira | August 9, 2023

University of Central Florida researchers have achieved new record-setting power density for ethanol fuel cells, helping advance the technology as a competitor to fossil fuels and electric car batteries.

Ethanol fuel cells offer cleaner emissions than fossil fuels and no charging times compared to electric vehicle batteries.

In recent studies published in the journals Nature Communications and Joule, UCF NanoScience Technology Center Associate Professor Yang Yang and his team developed new catalysts to make direct ethanol fuel cells last longer and boost their power density to a record level.

…

[brush]

7. Thanks for the informative info. Ethanol emissions seem less negative than straight gasoline ones.

There's also no charging time penalty as with electic vehicles.

I'm curious how it stands up against the new hydrogen fuel tech that's emerging?

[OKIsItJustMe]

8. One clear advantage of ethanol over hydrogen is that it is a liquid.

Ethanol is easy to contain. Hydrogen is not as easily contained (because it is the smallest molecule, it tends to sneak out of things.) Ethanol is a physically larger molecule. You can easily pump it from one tank to another just as we do gasoline.

Producing ethanol will likely involve first “splitting water" producing hydrogen and oxygen (just as green plants do.) Then, it will be combined with carbon (just as green plants do.) Just think of it as hydrogen in a more convenient form.

[brush]

9. Thanks. Great points.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Methanol, not ethanol. One carbon versus two.

Methanol is more toxic than ethanol, and produces traces of toxic, carcinogenic formaldehyde on combustion, apparently from unburned methanol in the exhaust.

[GoreWon2000]

2. Sustainable fuel isn't sustainable

Sustainable fuel doesn't reduce CO2 emissions by the amount that's needed for the climate catastrophe our planet is facing. In addition, corn and sugarcane can't be grown in the quantities needed for a reliable long term supply of energy. In addition it would take too much land away from the land that's needed to grow food.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. I guess you didn't read the OP very carefully

… “Printed Microreactor for Renewable Energy Enabled Fuel Production” or PRIME-Fuel, aims to develop a modular microreactor technology that converts carbon dioxide into methanol using renewable energy sources. …

[GoreWon2000]

4. I stated well established facts about sustainable fuel

In addition, nuclear power isn't green because no one has figured out what to do with the toxic nuclear waste. My engineer father with more than 40 years of aviation and automotive engineering work experience along with bachelors and masters degrees in engineering taught me this.

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. Non sequitur

Sustainable fuel doesn't reduce CO2 emissions by the amount that's needed for the climate catastrophe our planet is facing. In addition, corn and sugarcane can't be grown in the quantities needed for a reliable long term supply of energy. In addition it would take too much land away from the land that's needed to grow food.

Right. I don’t like using food to make fuel. This doesn’t do that. This is essentially "carbon neutral” (which cannot be said for the “biofuels” you mention.) So, while what you say is true, it is not relevant.

This will not solve the climate crisis. The climate crisis cannot be solved by reducing (or even eliminating) emissions alone. However, these are necessary to combat climate change. (i.e. necessary, but not sufficient.)

In addition, nuclear power isn't green because no one has figured out what to do with the toxic nuclear waste. My engineer father with more than 40 years of aviation and automotive engineering work experience along with bachelors and masters degrees in engineering taught me this.

It’s not so much that we haven’t “figured out what to do with the toxic nuclear waste” there are numerous “solutions” the problem is getting people to choose between various options. (I am no great fan of “nuclear energy.”)

However, once again, this is not relevant to the OP, since it does not use nuclear power.

[GoreWon2000]

11. Methanol is still a toxic greenhouse gas

and won't be enough of a greenhouse gas reduction for the calamity that our planet is facing. BTW, your schooling and work credentials on this issue are?