Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information - - Document #973340
In this report, we see that our United States Department of Energy, through our Sandia National Laboratory, in New Mexico, contracted and worked with a team of collaborating and visiting scholars from the University of Wisconsin, to, as they put it, establish the "fundamentals of synthetic conversion of CO2 to simple hydrocarbon fuels".
Comment follows excerpts from the initial and following links to:
View Document; View Full Text; Access Individual Pages;10.2172/973340
"Final Report on “Fundamentals of Synthetic Conversion of CO2 to Simple Hydrocarbon Fuels
Date: November, 2009
By: Christos Maravelias and Manos Mavrikakis, University of Wisconsin; and, Richard Kemp, James Miller and Constantine Stewart, US Department of Energy
OSTI ID: 973340; Report# SAND2009-7489; DOE Contract # AC04-94AL85000; DOI: 10.2172/973340
Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories; Sponsor: USDOE
Abstract: Energy production is inextricably linked to national security and poses the danger of altering the environment in potentially catastrophic ways. There is no greater problem than sustainable energy production. Our purpose was to attack this problem by examining processes, technology, and science needed for recycling CO2 back into transportation fuels. This approach can be thought of as 'bio-inspired' as nature employs the same basic inputs, CO2/energy/water, to produce biomass. We addressed two key deficiencies apparent in current efforts. First, a detailed process analysis comparing the potential for chemical and conventional engineering methods to provide a route for the conversion of CO2 and water to fuel has been completed. No apparent 'showstoppers' are apparent in the synthetic route. Opportunities to improve current processes have also been identified and examined. Second, we have also specifically addressed the fundamental science of the direct production of methanol from CO2 using H2 as a reductant.
Energy production, or more precisely the conversion of resources to useful forms of energy, is the largest human enterprise on the planet. As such, it is inextricably linked to national security and quality of life, but also poses the danger of altering the environment in potentially catastrophic ways. Thus, there is no greater problem than sustainable energy production.
Sandia scientists are just beginning to attack this problem in new ways by developing processes and technology for recycling CO2 back into liquid transportation fuels, thus helping to ensure domestic and battlefield energy supplies as well as mitigate global climate change. This approach can be thought of as “bio-inspired” as nature employs the same basic inputs, CO2/energy/water, to produce biomass.
Along with the production of energy, another major issue facing humankind is the rise in levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. ... To alter the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is a massive technological undertaking (but) recycling CO2 via some type of reductive process to regenerate transportation fuels, or a suitable fuels precursor, does have the volume necessary to reduce or stabilize CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
As well, generating fuels from a noncrude oil source also aids in the economic stability and security of the United States.
CO2 is an energy-depleted molecule – the conversion of a hydrocarbon to CO2 and H2O is a significantly downhill, exothermic process. In order to return this oxidized molecule to a usable fuel, it must be converted (reduced) back into a suitable precursor. In order to do this, one can use electrons (electrochemistry) or an appropriate reducing agent such as H2. In the work discussed in this report, we assume that the reducing agent is H2, most likely eventually derived from photo-splitting of water.
(Note: Such "photo-splitting of water", using, in essence, Solar light energy, to obtain Hydrogen, is quite feasible, as documented most recently in our report:
Solar-Powered Hydrogen Generation | Research & Development | News; wherein is detailed news of:
"United States Patent: 7726127 - Solar Power for Thermochemical Production of Hydrogen; 2010".)
Synthetic Production of Methanol: Energy security and global climate change are two intertwined problems that demand attention. The vision for the “hydrogen economy” is a proposed solution that is based on the application of sustainable energy sources to split water.
However, many technical and infrastructure challenges remain for hydrogen that do not exist for hydrocarbon fuels.
Integrating CO2 capture and conversion into liquid fuels produces a new vision that promises the benefits of hydrogen while preserving many of the advantages of the hydrocarbon economy.
(We have studied) the production of methanol from H2/CO2 and H2O/CO mixtures. We present two alternative processes that are based on the combined action of two reversible reactions: water gas shift (WGS) and methanol synthesis (MS) on a Cu/ZnO/AlO3 catalyst.
Detailed ... evaluations ... indicate that both processes can be economically feasible in the near future, while having energy efficiencies that are significantly better than their biological counterpart.
(The above relates to several of our earlier reports, detailing that the biological recycling of CO2, via the fermentation of botanical matter with subsequent distillation, to produce Ethanol, is an almost-ludicrously inefficient energy conversion technology that might, in fact, generate and release more Carbon Dioxide than it consumes and recycles.)
Energy resources are the foundation for developed economies and are inextricably linked to national security, social stability, and quality of life.
Hence, global demand and competition for petroleum as a transportation fuel is projected to continue to climb even as supplies of conventional oil decline. Less-conventional resources such as coal ... can be converted to liquid fuels and help fill the gap.
Hydrocarbon fuels are ideal energy carriers, but they can no longer be thought of as primary energy sources. Rather, it is necessary that we take the realistic view that our conventional hydrocarbon fuels are in fact “stored sunlight” and “sequestered carbon.” That is, petroleum, coal and other fossil fuels are the end result of a long process that began with a biological organism capturing sunlight and using it to drive chemical conversions of CO2 and H2O to hydrocarbons and oxygen (photosynthesis).
Given the limits on overall sunlight to hydrocarbon efficiency imposed by photosynthesis, it is reasonable to consider other, more direct, chemical approaches for “re-energizing” CO2 and H2O and ultimately converting them to transportation fuels.
Solar-driven thermochemical processes have the potential to split CO2 and H2O to yield CO and H2 at high solar efficiencies. In this paper we consider two process alternatives for converting the products of this and similar processes to methanol (which is specified) because it can be converted to liquid fuels and chemicals, and used in direct methanol fuels cells.
The first process (studied) converts H2 and CO2 into methanol ... , while the second one converts CO and H2O into methanol.
(Note: We have many times documented, and will, herein, via separate link below, and again in coming days, further document, that, if we want Carbon Monoxide for reaction with Water to form Methanol, as above, we can make all of it we might desire by the simple expedient of blowing Carbon Dioxide, recovered from whatever source, over red-hot Coal.)
Conclusions: We presented two process designs for the production of methanol from H2/CO2 and H2O/CO.
The two alternatives can be integrated with thermochemical processes for the splitting of H2O and/or CO2, leading to technologies that can change the way we view renewable energy.
The integrated processes satisfy the twofold objective of fomenting the use of renewable energy (in this case concentrated solar power) while reducing CO2 emissions through recycling.
Based upon current methanol prices, sensitivity analysis indicates economic feasibility, if prices do not exceed 1.12 USD/kg (for) H2 ... and 0.17 USD/kg (for) CO. However, even if the cost is twice as high, the processes can be economically attractive if the price of methanol increases moderately."
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First of all, how much more economically attractive would converting CO2 into Methanol be, if the potential costs of Cap & Trade taxation and Geologic Sequestration oil industry subsidies were deducted?
Those costs could and should be deducted from the likely already-low-enough cost of producing Carbon Monoxide by - - as we indicated above, and as documented in just one instance, out of several, our report of:
More Oklahoma CO2 + Coal = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; wherein is detailed:
"United States Patent 4.040,976 - Process of Treating Carbonaceous Material with Carbon Dioxide; 1977; Assignee: Cities Service Company, OK; Abstract: A mixture of carbon dioxide and a carbonaceous material, such as coal, is rapidly heated in a reactor, giving a gaseous effluent comprising carbon monoxide.";
- - the simple expedient of blowing Carbon Dioxide, recovered from whatever source, over and through red-hot Coal; if the use of Carbon Monoxide would, in fact, be preferable to simply reacting Carbon Dioxide with molecular Hydrogen, as can be obtained via the process of, as above,United States Patent: 7726127, by splitting Water with sunlight.
Either way has to be the better way than the Cap & Trade and Geologic Sequestration alternatives - and, that especially so, if the savings in international exchange, from not having to buy OPEC oil because we're synthesizing liquid hydrocarbon fuel out of thin air, were to be included in the calculations.