Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

"Decarbonizing" energy supply is a technological solution to address global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and in this context the idea of "hydrogen energy economy" has significant merit. The major challenge in moving towards a hydrogen (H2) economy is to produce sufficient H2 economically, sustainably, and environment-friendly to meet future demand. At present, 96% of the total H2 production is sourced from fossil fuels. Biomass with a total annual production of about 8 times the total world energy consumption, represents an immense and renewable source (carbon neutral) for the production of H2. If CO2 can be captured during the process, energy from biomass can be considered as carbon negative. The proposed research aims at developing a novel process for continuous production of H2 from agricultural/forestry wastes/biomass with in-situ CO2 capture and catalyst re-generation. Novelty of the process lies in the generation of relatively pure H2 with CO2 as a by-product without any external feed. Another unique feature of the process is internal regeneration of the catalyst, fouled in the gasifier. Thus, the technology will serve the twin purpose of regenerating the catalyst, and generation of nitrogen (N2) free H2 and CO2. The direct and indirect impacts of the research will be widespread. Fluidization is a platform technology that can accept various fuels. Furthermore, this research will also lower N2O emission and hence, will help to decelerate global climate change. Declining supply of cheap oil and gas may make bio-mass based power generator a viable option, while this research would help trouble free operation and add more value. Overall the target of the present research is to develop innovative environmentally friendly technologies for the utilization of biomass for fuels and chemicals.