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SUMMARY:Distributed Ammonia Synthesis - Prof Ed Cussler\, U Minnesota
DTSTART:20181002T120000Z
DTEND:20181002T130000Z
UID:TALK110227@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Chris Ness
DESCRIPTION:We are running a small-scale ammonia synthesis plant powered b
 y wind energy. This is a major departure\, because ammonia is currently ma
 de with energy from fossil fuels\, especially natural gas. In contrast\, t
 he wind energy used here is sustainable but stranded\, far from urban popu
 lation centers but near locations of ammonia fertilizer demand. The wind e
 nergy is converted to electricity\, which in turn is used for pressure swi
 ng absorption of air to make nitrogen\, and for electrolysis of water to m
 ake hydrogen. Nitrogen and hydrogen are combined in a Haber process 30\,00
 0 times smaller than conventional to synthesize ammonia. Because of the pl
 ant’s small size and large capital\, the ammonia made from wind costs ab
 out twice as much as that made from fossil fuels.\n\nTo reduce this capita
 l\, we are making the ammonia with a conventional catalyst but an absorpti
 on using ammines. The rate limiting step can now be not the chemical kinet
 ics or ammonia condensation\, but the speed of the pump recycling the unre
 acted gases.  The absorbents\, which originally had a capacity of one perc
 ent stoichiometric and a regeneration time of six hours\, now have a capac
 ity of over 50% stoichiometric and a regeneration time of fifteen minutes.
   Because the operating pressure drops from 130 to 20 bar\, the cost for t
 he process is reduced.\n\nOur studies explore the feasibility of this smal
 l process to harvest stranded energy. The ammonia produced can either be u
 sed in rural areas as a fertilizer or shipped to urban areas as a hydrogen
  carrier for fuel cells.  Whether it is successful in practice is not yet 
 known.\n
LOCATION:Dept Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology\, Philippa Fawcett Dr
 ive CB3 OAS (Lecture Theatre 3\, Level 3 )
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