Solar Energy Powered Material-Based Conversion of CO2 to Fuels
- Precision Combustion, Inc., North Haven, CT (United States)
Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) developed technologies to address conversion of impure CO2-rich waste streams into products that will function as drop-in replacements for petroleum or petroleum fractions, for either stand-alone or for use in existing petroleum refinery installations, Advantages of PCI’s approach include energy efficiencies and improved reactor performances, in terms of both yields and energy efficiencies that are inherent to our reactor designs and use of highly efficient Concentrating Solar Power solar thermal receivers. The underlying improvements are due to use of Microlith®-based sorbent and catalyst substrates; use of which enables the demonstrated improved performances as well as enabling reactor designs effective over a wide range of thermal inputs from low kW to high MW scales. We estimated that $3.70/gallon gasoline can be produced by our process for a 10 MW solar plant. Fixed costs, primarily labor, are approximately 50% of this amount. Increasing plant size to 20-50MW may result in considerable economies of scale due to relative reduction in manpower, at 20MW we can meet DOE cost targets of $3.00/GGE and at 30MWth be at our target value of ~$2.60/GGE. While we expect improved process efficiencies can be had by integrating our process with a petroleum refining installation, our technology can meet performance goals of CO2 conversion, energy efficiencies, and product yields while functioning as an off-site stand-alone facility as well. Additionally, the use of PCI’s processes enables the conversion of waste CO2, without the need for further purification, into value-added saleable products or serves as a drop-in replacement to petroleum or crude oil. We also address the impact of solar or wind variabilities on the operability of our process. Our approach to upgrading CO2-rich streams containing CO, CH4, H2 and N2 is to use high-temperature reforming, with the addition of supplemental CH4 and process recycle, to form syngas. This can be followed by water-gas shift, if needed to adjust the CO/H2 ratio, then syngas upgrading to liquid-range hydrocarbons for sales or as alternative refinery feedstocks. This process makes use of concentrating solar power (CSP) to provide the high temperatures needed for the reforming reaction, ~850-925 °C. The reforming, WGS, and FT steps have each been proven by PCI. We have additionally developed proprietary processing steps to minimize the impact of CSP availability on the overall process, enabling near-constant product delivery rates.
- Research Organization:
- Precision Combustion Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- Contributing Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0015855
- OSTI ID:
- 1572493
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase II)
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-PCI-DE-SC0015855
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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