Closing the carbon cycle: optimization of direct air capture process and conversion of ambient CO2 into synthetic fuel

闭合碳循环：优化直接空气捕获过程并将环境二氧化碳转化为合成燃料

• 批准号: 505345-2016
• 负责人: Mérida, Walter
• 金额: $ 2.1万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=696463
• 关键词: Closing; carbon; cycle; optimization; direct

As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, reaching the 2°C targets (announced in Paris in 2015) will require breakthroughs in disruptive technologies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In collaboration with our industrial partner (Carbon Engineering) we are improving the technologies required to absorb CO2 through Direct Air Capture (DAC) to reduce emissions from distributed sources, e.g. airplanes, trucks, and ships. CE has built and is operating a DAC demonstration plant in Squamish, BC, with the goal to capture 500 kg CO2 per day. The first commercial plant is planned for construction in Canada, and the captured CO2 will be used for the production of low carbon fuels. The most challenging scientific and technical barriers for the CO2-to-fuels pathway include achieving high plant efficiency for the DAC process, and developing a reliable and cost efficient model for CO2 conversion into fuel precursors (i.e., CO). Currently, the CO2 reduction technologies with the highest readiness level are the reverse water-gas-shift (rWGS) reaction , and the electrochemical conversion of CO2 in low temperature electrolyzers. However, low conversion efficiency coupled with high costs reamain barriers for commercialization. The proposed research aims to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of air-to-fuel conversion. We propose three interrelated research themes: A) DAC plant efficiency optimization, B) CO2 to CO conversion via rWGS reaction, and C) electrochemical CO2 reduction to produce fuel precursors.

随着大气中二氧化碳水平持续上升，要实现 2°C 目标（2015 年在巴黎宣布），需要突破性技术来减少温室气体 (GHG) 排放，我们正在与我们的工业合作伙伴 (Carbon Engineering) 合作进行改进。通过直接空气捕获 (DAC) 吸收二氧化碳以减少飞机、卡车和船舶等分布式来源的排放所需的技术，CE 已在不列颠哥伦比亚省斯阔米什建造并正在运营一座 DAC 示范工厂，其目标是每天捕获500公斤二氧化碳，第一座商业工厂计划在加拿大建设，捕获的二氧化碳将用于生产低碳燃料。 二氧化碳转化为燃料途径面临的最具挑战性的科学和技术障碍包括实现 DAC 工艺的高工厂效率，以及开发可靠且具有成本效益的模型，将二氧化碳转化为燃料前体（即 CO）。准备程度最高的技术是逆水煤气变换（rWGS）反应和低温电解槽中二氧化碳的电化学转化，但转化效率低且成本高仍然是商业化的障碍。 拟议的研究旨在降低成本并提高空气-燃料转化的效率，我们提出了三个相互关联的研究主题：A）DAC工厂效率优化，B）通过rWGS反应将CO2转化为CO，以及C）电化学CO2还原。生产燃料前体。