Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information - - Document #912896
We've written previously about the Carbon Dioxide recycling achievements being made at our US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory.
A recent report is accessible via:
USDOE Carbon-Neutral Syngas from CO2 and H2O | Research & Development | News; wherein is detailed the: "Carbon Neutral Production of Syngas Via ... Electrolytic Reduction of Steam and CO2; 2007; By: C. Stoots, J. O'Brien and J. Hartvigsen; Idaho National Laboratory", and, which disclosed the "results of experiments conducted at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) studying coelectrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide".
With the initial and following links in this dispatch, we submit even more information concerning the Carbon Dioxide and Steam co-electrolysis recycling technology, versions of which we have seen referred to as "Syntrolysis", being developed by that same team of scientists at the Idaho Lab; and, we do so by way of preparation for some reports to follow, wherein two INL CO2-recycling developments of, perhaps, greater import will be revealed.
Comment follows excerpts from, and additional links to:
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"Model of High Temperature H2O/CO2 Co-electrolysis; 2007;
By: G. Hawkes, J. O'Brien, C. Stoots, Stephen Herring, Joe Hartvigsen
OSTI ID: 912896; Report Number: INL/CON-07-12092; DOE Contract: DE-AC07-99ID-13727
Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL); Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
Abstract: A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been created to model high temperature co-electrolysis of steam and carbon dioxide in a planar solid oxide electrolyzer (SOE) using solid oxide fuel cell technology. A research program is under way at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to simultaneously address the research and scale-up issues associated with the implementation of planar solid-oxide electrolysis cell technology for syngas production from CO2 and steam.
Various runs have been performed under different run conditions to help assess the performance of the SOE. This paper presents CFD results of this model compared with experimental results. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), in conjunction with Ceramatec Inc. (Salt Lake City, USA) has been researching for several years the use of solid-oxide fuel cell technology to electrolyze steam for large-scale nuclear-powered hydrogen production. Now, an experimental research project is underway at the INL to produce syngas by simultaneously electrolyzing at high-temperature steam and carbon dioxide (CO2) using solid oxide fuel cell technology.
A strong interest exists in the large-scale production of syngas from CO2 and steam to be reformed into a usable transportation fuel.
With the price of oil currently around $60 / barrel, synthetically-derived hydrocarbon fuels (synfuels) have become economical. Synfuels are typically produced from syngas – hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) -- using the Fischer-Tropsch process, discovered by Germany before World War II.
Syngas (can) be produced via separate electrolysis of steam and CO2. There are, however, significant advantages to electrolyzing steam and CO2 simultaneously. Focusing only upon the electrolysis step, co-electrolysis is more energy-efficient than separate electrolysis.
Conclusions: A ... model has been developed (of) the thermo-chemical reactions to perform co-electrolysis of steam and CO2 in a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). A brief description of (the 3D) model developed for co-electrolysis and comparisons with (another specified and described) model show essentially exact agreement (and) are shown to compare quite favorably with experimental results of a co-electrolysis experiment."
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Sadly, unlike the Carbon Dioxide-recycling technologies we've documented as being developed at the USDOE's Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, wherein, in their "Green Freedom"(r) technology, environmental energy is specified for use in driving the CO2 conversion process; but, like the Carbon Dioxide recycling technologies developed, again as we've documented in earlier reports, by the companies United Technologies and Hamilton Standard for our US Department of Defense; the Idaho National Lab suggests the use of nuclear energy to power the reactions.
Once more, we say "nuts to nukes"; and, again, point to the potentials for use of both environmental energy and heat energy recovered from any exothermic reactions in the conversion process itself; and, potentially, heat energy recovered from other, somewhat related, operations - such as the waste heat from Coal-fired power plants.
Finally, as noted in our introductory comments, these technical accomplishments have led to additional USDOE Carbon Dioxide recycling developments which we will, in coming days, document for you.