Turning CO2 into Fuel
Transforming CO2
Peter P. Edwards
2nd May 2012
Transforming CO2
Z. Jiang, T. Xiao, V. L. Kuznetsov, L. Kong, P. J. Dobson
R. J. Pearson, J.W.G. Turner , L. di Marco
Tara Shirvani, Oliver Inderwildi, Sir David King
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
Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU)
The Concept of Carbon-Neutral Fuels
Can we (sustainably) convert CO2
into liquid fuels?
Should we convert CO2 into liquid
fuels?
Courtesy Lotus Engineering
Carbon-Neutral Fuels
The basic, underlying issue…
…whether CO2 emissions due to
energy consumption are larger
than the amount of CO2
consumed in the process(es)
… the universal issue of Life Cycle Analysis
Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU)
Carbon-Neutral Biofuels
algae
Liquid fuels
dry or wet
extraction
T. Shirvani, X. Yan, O. R. Inderwildi, P. P. Edwards and D. A. King, Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, 4, 3773–3778
Anthropogenic Solar Fuels
Royal Society of Chemistry
CO2 is a ‘stable’ molecule
Gibbs Free Energy of Formation
50.0
0.0
-50.0
NH3
(-16.6)
O2
(0.0)
C2H6
(-32.9)
CH4
(-50.7)
-150.0
CO
(-137.15)
-200.0
C8H18
(17.3)
C10H22
(34.4)
C3H8
(-23.5)
CH3OH
(-159.2)
0
ΔG (kJ/mol)
-100.0
H2
(0.0)
N2
(0.0)
-250.0
H2O
(-228.4)
-300.0
-350.0
-400.0
-450.0
CO
CO22
(-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
Carbon-Neutral Fuels
Methanol
Renewable
Hydrogen
Energy in
Carbon out
Methanol synthesis
Renewable
hydrocarbons
CO2 + 3H2  CH3OH + H2O
Fuel use
CO2 capture
CH3OH+3/2O2
 CO2+2H2O
Carbon in
CO2 from fossil
fuel burning
power plants
Atmospheric CO2
Adapted from G.A. Olah, A. Goeppert, S.G.K. Prakash, J. Org. Chem. 74, 487-498 (2009)
‘Syngas’: Our Gateway to Fuels
H
C
H
CO2 + CH4 = 2CO + 2H2
H
H
Flue Gas CO2 to Fuel
Chunshan Song (Penn State)
The Catalyst
CH4-CO2 “Reforming” on new Oxford
catalyst in magnetofluidized bed
SEM image of the Used Catalyst
No carbon deposition
Conversions
CH4
CO2
Unpublished Results
Turning CO2 into Fuel
 Biogenic
CO2
Biomass refining
CO2
 Flue gas
Fuel synthesis
 Air capture
CO2
Fuel synthesis
Energy Storage Via Carbon-Neutral Fuels Made From CO2, Water, and Renewable Energy, Special Issue of Proc. IEEE. R. J. Pearson, et al, 2011
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 resource
Carbon 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
Biogas
Reforming
Biomass
Syngas
F-T
Sunlight-based fuel production
Solar-energy collection and conversion