This technology is an efficient, carbon-neutral method for extracting hydrogen gas from biomass.
Unmet Need: Hydrogen fuel production from biomass without carbon emissions
Global energy demand and climate change underscore the need for low-carbon and carbon-neutral energy sources. Hydrogen fuel provides a viable energy source that can be extracted from biomass by pyrolysis or gasification, methods that extract gas without combustion. However, current gasification methods often still generate carbon gases as byproducts and require high temperatures above 700 ºC for efficient hydrogen production. As such, there is a need for a method to convert biomass to hydrogen fuel at more moderate temperatures while reducing carbon gas emissions.
The Technology: Alkaline hydrothermal treatment and nanocatalysts for carbon-neutral hydrogen production from biomass
This technology achieves energy conversion from biomass through an alkaline hydrothermal treatment, using a combination of strong base to remove carbon from the feedstock and nickel nanocatalysts to increase the efficiency of bio-refinement. The reaction is carried out such that the hydroxide base is recycled to react with more biomass while hydrogen and carbon are converted into gas and CO2 for immediate sequestration. This technology operates on a wide range of feedstocks, including biomass and biogenic wastes with high water and salt content, such as seaweed. Furthermore, energy conversion is achieved at ambient pressure and temperatures as low as 250 ºC, making for more efficient fuel generation. Overall, this technology promises to provide a source of sustainable energy with a zero or even negative carbon footprint.
Applications:
- Sustainable bioenergy production
- Hydrogen fuel production
- Carbon capture and storage
- Waste-to-energy conversion
- Fuel cell technologies
Advantages:
- Requires lower temperature and pressure than conventional hydrogen generation methods
- Reduces energy requirements for biomass conversion to hydrogen fuel
- Enables carbon neutral or carbon negative hydrogen fuel production
- Minimizes release of carbon gases
- Versatile feedstocks, including those with high water and salt content
Lead Inventor:
Ah-Hyung Alissa Park, Ph.D.
Patent Information:
Patent Status
Related Publications:
Zhang K, Kim WJ, Park AHA. “Alkaline thermal treatment of seaweed for high-purity hydrogen production with carbon capture and storage potential” Nature Communications. 2020 Jul 29; 11: 3783.
Stonor MR, Chem JG, Park AHA. “Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) potential: Production of high purity H2 from cellulose via Alkaline Thermal Treatment with gas phase reforming of hydrocarbons over various metal catalysts” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 12 Oct. 2017; 42(41): 25903-25913.
Ferguson TE, Park Y, Petit C, Park AHA. “Novel approach to hydrogen production with suppressed COx generation from a model biomass feedstock” Energy Fuels. 2012 June 28; 26(7): 4486-4496.
Hansen NS, Ferguson TE, Panels JE, Park AHA, Joo YL. “Inorganic nanofibers with tailored placement of nanocatalysts for hydrogen production via alkaline hydrolysis of glucose” Nanotechnology. 2011 Jul 19; 22(32): 325302.
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