Turning CO2 into FuelTransforming CO2

Peter P. Edwards2nd May 2012

Z. Jiang, T. Xiao, V. L. Kuznetsov, L. Kong, P. J. Dobson

Tara Shirvani, Oliver Inderwildi, Sir David King

R. J. Pearson, J.W.G. Turner , L. di Marco

Transforming CO2

Meeting our Energy Challenge

“Fossil fuels will remain the dominant source of energy worldwide, meeting 83% of the increase in energy demands”

Why is this?

Ideal for transportation…

Fuel energy densities: Net systems analysis

Richard Pearson and Colleagues, Lotus Engineering

CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS): The only option?

The Natural Carbon Cycle: Fossil Solar Fuels

G. A. Olah and colleagues, J.Am.Chem.Soc, 133, 12881-12898, 2011

A Possible Anthropogenic (Unnatural) Carbon Cycle

G. A. Olah and colleagues, J.Am.Chem.Soc, 133, 12881-12898, 2011

Can we (sustainably) convert CO2 into liquid fuels?

Should we convert CO2 into liquid fuels?

Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU)

The Concept of Carbon-Neutral Fuels

Courtesy Lotus Engineering

Carbon-Neutral Fuels

…whether CO2 emissions due to energy consumption are larger than the amount of CO2 consumed in the process(es)

The basic, underlying issue…

… the universal issue of Life Cycle Analysis

Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU)

Carbon-Neutral Biofuels

T. Shirvani, X. Yan, O. R. Inderwildi, P. P. Edwards and D. A. King, Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, 4, 3773–3778

algae

Liquid fuels

dry or wet extraction

Anthropogenic Solar Fuels

Royal Society of Chemistry

N2

(0.0)

NH3

(-16.6)

H2O

(-228.4)

CH4

(-50.7)

H2

(0.0)

CO2

(-394.0)

CO(-137.15)

O2

(0.0)

C2H6

(-32.9)

CH3OH

(-159.2)

C8H18

(17.3)

C10H22

(34.4)

C3H8

(-23.5)

-450.0

-400.0

-350.0

-300.0

-250.0

-200.0

-150.0

-100.0

-50.0

0.0

50.0

ΔG

0 (kJ/

mo

l)

CO2 is a ‘stable’ molecule

Gibbs Free Energy of Formation

CO2

(-394.0)

Z. Jiang, T. Xiao, V. L. Kuznetsov and P. P. Edwards, ‘Turning carbon dioxide into fuel’ , Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A, 2010, 368, 3343-3364

Transforming CO2; Two main approaches

1. Use high chemical-energy starting materials

2. Supply high physical-energy;

heat, light, electricity, solar

Methanol

Carbon-Neutral Fuels

Renewable Hydrogen

Methanol synthesis

CO2 + 3H2 CH3OH + H2O

Atmospheric CO2

CO2 capture

Fuel use

CH3OH+3/2O2 CO2+2H2O

Renewablehydrocarbons

Carbon out

Carbon in

CO2 from fossilfuel burning power plants

Energy in

Adapted from G.A. Olah, A. Goeppert, S.G.K. Prakash, J. Org. Chem. 74, 487-498 (2009)

‘Syngas’: Our Gateway to Fuels

CO2 + CH4 = 2CO + 2H2

H HH

H

C

Flue Gas CO2 to Fuel

Chunshan Song (Penn State)

Unpublished Results

The Catalyst

CH4

CO2

Conversions

SEM image of the Used Catalyst

No carbon deposition

CH4-CO2 “Reforming” on new Oxford catalyst in magnetofluidized bed

Turning CO2 into Fuel

Biomass refining

CO2

Fuel synthesis

CO2

Fuel synthesis

CO2

Energy Storage Via Carbon-Neutral Fuels Made From CO2, Water, and Renewable Energy, Special Issue of Proc. IEEE. R. J. Pearson, et al, 2011

Biogenic

Flue gas

Air capture

Carbon-Neutral Fuels

Courtesy Lotus Engineering

Three possible pathways to ‘Low Carbon Energy’

Courtesy Lotus Engineering

Transforming CO2

The Top 10 emerging technologies for 2012

6. Utilization of carbon dioxide as a resourceCarbon is at the heart of all life on earth. Yet, managing carbon dioxide releases is one of the greatest social, political and economic challenges of our time. An emerging innovative approach to carbon dioxide management involves transforming it from a liability to a resource. Novel catalysts, based on nanostructured materials, can potentially transform carbon dioxide to high value hydrocarbons and other carbon-containing molecules, which could be used as new building blocks for the chemical industry as cleaner and more sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals.

World Economic Forum, 2011, Abu Dhabi

Reforming of (Bio) CO2 by (Bio) Methane

Biomass Syngas

BiogasReforming

F-T

Sunlight-based fuel production

Solar-energy collection and conversion