Refine
Document Type
- Article (8)
Language
- English (8)
Has Fulltext
- no (8)
Reviewed
Keywords
Institute
The transition to hydrogen is an important element of the sustainable transition of Germany’s industry. Regional German municipal utilities play a key role in this transition, as they are at the core position between local demand and regional supply. They play an important role when it comes to planned infrastructure development on the regional level. As energy infrastructure development is a long-term project, they need to deal with the hydrogen transition at a very early stage, including pilot projects, organizational changes, and business model adaptations. Yet, not much is known about how these entities organize the transition to hydrogen. Using a qualitative research approach, this study takes a dynamic-capability perspective to shed light on the hydrogen transition activities of German municipal utilities. Industry and other energy sector participants can learn from these insights on how to organize the transition path towards hydrogen. Findings indicate that strong partnerships play a key role in identifying new opportunities and that balancing risk and benefit is a key challenge when it comes to realizing new technological hydrogen projects.
Heterogeneous thermal catalytic processes are vital for industrial production of fuels, fertilizers, and other chemicals necessary for sustaining human life. However, these processes are highly energy-intensive, requiring a vast consumption of fossil fuels. An emerging class of heterogeneous catalysts that are thermally driven but also exhibit a photochemically enhanced rate can potentially reduce process energy intensity by partially substituting conventional heat (where fossil fuels are needed) with solar energy. Such catalyst systems have yet to be practically utilized. Here, we demonstrate a compact electrically heated photo- and thermal annular reactor module to reduce CO2 to CO, via the reverse water gas shift reaction. A first-principles-based design approach was taken in developing a SiO2 on an Al photo- and thermal catalyst system for the model photo- and thermal indium oxide hydroxide (In2O3–x(OH)y) catalysts. A 5-fold light enhancement in the CO production rate and over 70 h of stable CO production were achieved. This represents the highest light enhancement effect reported for this model photocatalyst to date. The reactor presented herein allows continuous operation and a significant reduction of 31% in heater power consumption when provided with an additional 2 suns of irradiation, demonstrating the strong photo- and thermal-harvesting performances of the catalyst system developed in this work.
The transition to hydrogen is an important element of the sustainable transition of Germany’s industry. Regional German municipal utilities play a key role in this transition, as they are at the core position between local demand and regional supply. They play an important role when it comes to planned infrastructure development on the regional level. As energy infrastructure development is a long-term project, they need to deal with the hydrogen transition at a very early stage, including pilot projects, organizational changes, and business model adaptations. Yet, not much is known about how these entities organize the transition to hydrogen. Using a qualitative research approach, this study takes a dynamic-capability perspective to shed light on the hydrogen transition activities of German municipal utilities. Industry and other energy sector participants can learn
from these insights on how to organize the transition path towards hydrogen. Findings indicate that strong partnerships play a key role in identifying new opportunities and that balancing risk and benefit is a key challenge when it comes to realizing new technological hydrogen projects.
Heterogeneous catalysis, a process in which the reaction of gaseous or liquid chemical reagents is facilitated at the surface of a solid material, is responsible for the majority of industrial-scale chemical and fuel production reactions. The energy required to drive these reactions has historically been derived from the combustion of non-renewable fossil fuels and carries an unavoidably large carbon footprint. More recently, the development of environmentally responsible and sustainable chemical industries is increasingly motivated by greenhouse gas-induced climate change, thus creating demand for eco-friendly heterogeneous catalytic processes. This includes innovative approaches enabled by renewable forms of energy, such as the electrification of chemical and petrochemical processes, utilization of CO2 as a feedstock and the incorporation of light into catalytic reactions. Herein we review the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy using CO2, and describe how the photophysical and photochemical properties of nanostructured metal oxide photocatalysts have been engineered to efficiently incorporate light into heterogeneous gas–solid CO2 hydrogenation reactions. Realizing high photonic and energy efficiencies in these systems has demanded innovation in not only photocatalyst engineering, but also photoreactor and process engineering. Rather than exclusively providing an in-depth discussion of the chemistry and science within each individual study, this Tutorial Review highlights the multidisciplinary character of photocatalysis studies by covering the four essential components of a typical research work in this field (materials engineering, theoretical modelling, reactor engineering and process development) via case studies of the archetypal indium oxide catalyst materials. Through advances in these four components, progress has been made towards the ultimate goal of industrializing the production of CO2-derived chemicals and fuels.
High-Performance, Scalable, and Low-Cost Copper Hydroxyapatite for Photothermal CO2 Reduction
(2020)
Urea, an agricultural fertilizer, nourishes humanity. The century‐old Bosch–Meiser process provides the world's urea. It is multi‐step, consumes enormous amounts of non‐renewable energy, and has a large CO2 footprint. Thus, developing an eco‐friendly synthesis for urea is a priority. Herein we report a single‐step Pd/LTA‐3A catalyzed synthesis of urea from CO2 and NH3 under ambient conditions powered solely by solar energy. Pd nanoparticles serve the dual function of catalyzing the dissociation of NH3 and providing the photothermal driving force for urea formation, while the absorption capacity of LTA‐3A removes by‐product H2O to shift the equilibrium towards urea production. The solar urea conversion rate from NH3 and CO2 is 87 μmol g−1 h−1. This advance represents a first step towards the use of solar energy in urea production. It provides insights into green fertilizer production, and inspires the vision of sustainable, modular plants for distributed production of urea on farms.
Here we report the enhanced light penetration and mass transfer efficiency of photocatalytic foams to convert CO2 to CO. The viability of utilizing a metallic foam as a model photocatalyst support is used to evaluate the photochemical and thermochemical reverse water gas shift reaction catalyzed by photoactive indium oxide hydroxide nanorods uniformly coated on nickel foams. A light-enhanced CO production rate up to 130% higher than the dark CO production was achieved through enhanced light penetration. A remarkably high thermo-
chemical CO production rate of 0.75 mmol gcat 1 h 1 was achieved at 295 ◦C. Whilst several approaches to optimization of photocatalyst morphology at the nanoscale have been successful in extending electron hole-pair lifetime and modifying the site of reactions, these advantages cannot be significantly realized unless microscale to macroscale structuring efforts, that shorten the path length for diffusion of the reactant gas molecule and lengthen photon penetration to these catalytic sites are integrated. The superior catalytic performance of the indium oxide hydroxide nanorods on an optimized coated foam configuration compared to the performance of packed bed and thin film configurations demonstrates the critical importance of using structured supports in scale up of future photocatalytic processes.
Hydrogen storage technologies are key enablers for the development of low-emission, sustainable energy supply chains, primarily due to the versatility of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier. Hydrogen can be utilized in both stationary and mobile power applications, and as a low-environmental-impact energy source for various industrial sectors, provided it is produced from renewable resources. However, efficient hydrogen storage remains a significant technical challenge. Conventional storage methods, such as compressed and liquefied hydrogen, suffer from energy losses and limited gravimetric and volumetric energy densities, highlighting the need for innovative storage solutions. One promising approach is hydrogen storage in metal hydrides, which offers advantages such as high storage capacities and flexibility in the temperature and pressure conditions required for hydrogen uptake and release, depending on the chosen material. However, these systems necessitate the careful management of the heat generated and absorbed during hydrogen absorption and desorption processes. Thermal energy storage (TES) systems provide a means to enhance the energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness of metal hydride-based storage by effectively coupling thermal management with hydrogen storage processes. This review introduces metal hydride materials for hydrogen storage, focusing on their thermophysical, thermodynamic, and kinetic properties. Additionally, it explores TES materials, including sensible, latent, and thermochemical energy storage options, with emphasis on those that operate at temperatures compatible with widely studied hydride systems. A detailed analysis of notable metal hydride–TES coupled systems from the literature is provided. Finally, the review assesses potential future developments in the field, offering guidance for researchers and engineers in advancing innovative and efficient hydrogen energy systems.