Green ammonia synthesis using a plasma-catalytic plate reactor

使用等离子体催化板式反应器进行绿色氨合成

• 批准号: 563663-2021
• 负责人: Coulombe, Sylvain
• 金额: $ 3.64万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=722148
• 关键词: Green; ammonia; synthesis; using; plasma

Ammonia is a commodity chemical with annual production volumes of around 150 million metric tons. It is mainly used as a feedstock for the fertilizer industry but also for the synthesis of other chemical compounds such as in the textile and pharmaceutical industries. Ammonia can also serve as a fuel for hard-to-decarbonize applications such as marine propulsion as well as a cost-effective hydrogen storage and transport medium. Conventional ammonia production through the Haber-Bosch process (N2 + 3H2 = 2 NH3) is energy-intensive and accounts for 1-2% of the world's total primary energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions (1.5 tons CO2 emitted per ton of NH3). Canada and Germany produce 3.9 and 2.4 million tons of ammonia annually, respectively, which combined is the fifth largest production worldwide. A more sustainable ammonia production route uses renewable electricity to not only generate green hydrogen via water electrolysis, but also to assist the HB process. Both electrolysis and electrified HB process are highly electricity intensive, though, and novel electro-technologies are needed to reduce the overall energy needs of the all-electric NH3 synthesis process. In this regard, plasma-catalysis is an emerging field, in which the plasma excites the gas species, which are further converted over the catalyst surface with a lower activation energy. Plasma-assisted catalytic conversion of hydrogen and nitrogen to ammonia has been investigated since many years. However, the detailed mechanism of plasma-assisted catalysis is still poorly understood and the reactor configurations are not optimized for best performances. Canada and Germany are both strong proponents of renewable electricity generation and utilization, and recently launched an hydrogen strategy. There is a huge potential for Canada to become a strong green ammonia exporter as part of its hydrogen strategy. Canada's and Germany's investment in green ammonia production technologies will help decarbonize the ammonia industry and positions both countries to become technology leaders in this key area of green hydrogen utilization.

氨是一种大宗化学品，年产量约为 1.5 亿吨。它主要用作化肥工业的原料，也用于纺织和制药工业等其他化合物的合成。氨还可以作为难以脱碳应用的燃料，例如船舶推进，以及具有成本效益的氢存储和运输介质。通过哈伯-博世工艺 (N2 + 3H2 = 2 NH3) 的传统氨生产属于能源密集型，占世界一次能源总需求和温室气体排放总量的 1-2%（每吨 NH3 排放 1.5 吨二氧化碳）。加拿大和德国每年分别生产 3.9 万吨和 240 万吨氨，合计产量位居全球第五。更可持续的氨生产路线使用可再生电力，不仅通过水电解产生绿色氢气，而且还协助HB过程。然而，电解和电气化 HB 工艺都是高耗电量的，需要新颖的电气技术来减少全电 NH3 合成工艺的总体能源需求。在这方面，等离子体催化是一个新兴领域，其中等离子体激发气体物质，气体物质以较低的活化能在催化剂表面上进一步转化。氢和氮的等离子体辅助催化转化为氨的研究已经很多年了。然而，人们对等离子体辅助催化的详细机制仍然知之甚少，反应器配置也没有针对最佳性能进行优化。加拿大和德国都是可再生能源发电和利用的坚定支持者，最近还启动了氢战略。作为其氢战略的一部分，加拿大有成为强大的绿色氨出口国的巨大潜力。加拿大和德国对绿色氨生产技术的投资将有助于氨工业脱碳，并使两国成为绿色氢利用这一关键领域的技术领导者。