Clean Vehicles: From Agricultural Waste to High-Tech Storage Tanks

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1 Clean Vehicles: From Agricultural Waste to High-Tech Storage Tanks Peter Pfeifer Department of Physics University of Missouri Columbia, MO Your next car might well run on clean natural gas and be ready for hydrogen when it comes along KC Press Conference 2/16/07 1/18

2 ALL-CRAFT 2004-present: Objectives Develop low-pressure, high-capacity storage technologies for natural gas (NG, methane, CH 4 ) and hydrogen (H 2 ), based on new adsorbent materials discovered at MU: nanoporous carbon from waste corncob in Missouri ( sponge for NG ) calixarene ( crystalline vacuum pump ) Demonstrate low-pressure, flat-panel NG tank for next-generation clean vehicles (NG internal combustion engines) hydrogen fuel cell cars (no hydrogen infrastructure needed) collection of NG from landfills ( pollutant to renewable energy ) large-scale shipping of NG from Alaska and deep-sea methane hydrate fields (reduction of dependence on foreign oil) Develop low-pressure, flat-panel H 2 tank for hydrogen fuel cell car Funded by: NSF Program Partnerships for Innovation MU, MRI, Advanced Photon Source, DED/GAANN Total: $1.1 million (2004-present) KC Press Conference 2/16/07 2/18

3 Partners MU (lead institution): Physics (Pfeifer, Principal Project Leader; Wexler), Chemistry (Atwood & Hawthorne), Chemical Engineering (Suppes), Civil Engineering (Bowders), Office of Research (Coleman) Lincoln University, Jefferson City Midwest Research Institute (MRI), Kansas City DBHORNE, LLC, Atlanta Renewable Alternatives, LLC, Columbia Missouri Biotechnology Association (MOBIO), Jefferson City Clean Vehicle Education Foundation, Washington, DC Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources (Energy Center), Jefferson City City of Columbia (Municipal Landfill), Columbia Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality/Central Fleet, Kansas City KC Press Conference 2/16/07 3/18

4 Low-tech waste material high-tech product 1.4 nm Van der Waals attraction in nanopores forces NG into liquid-like dense fluid (170 g/l at 35 atm) KC Press Conference 2/16/07 4/18

5 Press coverage 2002

6 Why alternative fuels? Reduce dependence on foreign oil Harness domestic renewable energy sources Create new opportunities for domestic agriculture Create clean air in cities Reduce transportation costs by improving energy efficiency Reduce greenhouse gas emissions Develop sustainable transportation in U.S. What are alternative fuels? Ethanol (from corn, wood, ) Natural gas* (NG; from domestic gas fields, deep-sea methane hydrate fields, landfills, biomass); 85% of NG used in U.S. is domestic Biodiesel (from soybeans, vegetable oils, ) Hydrogen* (from NG, water & electricity, coal, ) Electricity (from coal/nuclear/hydroelectric/solar/wind power plants) * ALL-CRAFT At pump: ~$1.25 less than equivalent gallon of gasoline KC Press Conference 2/16/07 6/18

Current natural-gas vehicles Low emission of hydrocarbons ( ozone,

NG stored as compressed natural gas (CNG) in steel or composite

Clean Cities Coalitions: / Los Angeles: 1500 CNG buses Kansas City: 200

7 Current natural-gas vehicles Low emission of hydrocarbons ( ozone, smog), CO, NO x, particulate matter. Up to 40% reduction of CO 2. NG stored as compressed natural gas (CNG) in steel or composite cylinders at 250 atm (3600 psi). Clean Cities Coalitions: / Los Angeles: 1500 CNG buses Kansas City: 200 CNG public utility vehicles U.S.: 130,000 CNG vehicles worldwide: over 5 million CNG vehicles KC Press Conference 2/16/07 7/18

Why are we not already driving NG-fueled cars?

: Honda Civic GX; CNG tank in trunk: Goal: Develop low-pressure (35

8 Why are we not already driving NG-fueled cars? High-pressure cylindrical/spherical tanks take up passenger or trunk space. CNG cylinders in transit bus: Only NG passenger car in U.S.: Honda Civic GX; CNG tank in trunk: Goal: Develop low-pressure (35 atm, 500 psi), flat-panel tank, like gasoline tank. Store NG in nanoporous carbon; pores adsorb NG like a sponge: ANG tank KC Press Conference 2/16/07 8/18

blocks pores AGLARG 1997 AGLARG 1997 4 tanks in bed of NG Dodge Dakota ALL-CRAFT: Monolithic carbon, with superior

9 Best flat-panel tank previously Atlanta Gas Light Adsorbent Research Group (AGLARG), 1997: Adsorbent: monolithic activated carbon ( briquettes ) from peach pit; troublesome maintenance of consistent quality of briquettes; binder blocks pores AGLARG 1997 AGLARG tanks in bed of NG Dodge Dakota ALL-CRAFT: Monolithic carbon, with superior performance, from corncob. Missouri corn can supply raw material for NG tanks of all cars in the U.S. KC Press Conference 2/16/07 9/18

10 Recovery of biomethane from landfills and farms Landfills: largest human-made source of methane (CH 4 ) in U.S. Landfill gas (LFG): ~ 50% CH 4, ~ 50% CO 2 CH 4 : 20 times more potent greenhouse gas than CO 2 Capture CH 4 at landfill: pollutant to renewable energy If no power plant: recover CH 4 in 60,000 pound ANG tanks Annual CH 4 emission from landfills in U.S.: Could power 4 million homes: $5 billion/yr Greenhouse equivalent to emission from 90 million cars (~1/2 of cars in U.S.) If captured, equivalent to planting forest 2 x area of MO KC Press Conference 2/16/07 10/18

Performance of ALL-CRAFT tank Target pressure for flat tank: 35 bar (35 atm, 500 psig *); without adsorbent, pressure would have to be 150 bar, much more than what a flat tank can bear DOE target

11 Performance of ALL-CRAFT tank Target pressure for flat tank: 35 bar (35 atm, 500 psig *); without adsorbent, pressure would have to be 150 bar, much more than what a flat tank can bear DOE target capacity: 118 g/l (volume CH 4 at 25 o C & 1 bar, per volume tank: 180) AGLARG tank: 98 g/l ALL-CRAFT target: >100 g/l achieved! DOE target achieved! DOE target; best ALL-CRAFT carbon AGLARG capacity Adsorbent Filled Tank (ANG) Empty Tank (CNG) ALL-CRAFT 2007 *) 500 psi: pressure in NG pipelines KC Press Conference 2/16/07 11/18

Carbon production and NG storage capacity Produced over 100 different carbons from corncob (variable formulations) & searched for maximum storage capacity 250 200 150 NG storage capacity (volume for

12 Carbon production and NG storage capacity Produced over 100 different carbons from corncob (variable formulations) & searched for maximum storage capacity NG storage capacity (volume for volume), at 500 psi and 25 o C 100% of DOE target 79% of DOE target Best ALL-CRAFT carbon (180 V/V) Best AGLARG carbon (142 V/V) DOE target (180 V/V) CNG, at 3000 psi (208 V/V) KC Press Conference 2/16/07 12/18

13 Research & development in the lab CH 4 uptake on small samples X-ray analysis at Advanced Photon Source CH 4 uptake on briquettes (MRI test fixture) 150-ton press to make briquettes KC Press Conference 2/16/07 13/18

14 Why are nanopores important? Binding energy: 17 kj/mol In narrow pores, van der Waals potentials overlap; create deep energy well: Max. CH 4 capacity in pores of width 1.1 nm. Molecules are held in tightpacked configurations. KC Press Conference 2/16/07 14/18

15 ALL-CRAFT ANG tank on Ford F-150: MRI, Kansas City Office of Environmental Quality October 2006 to present Ford F-150 pickup for road test in Kansas City (MRI, 4/06-9/06) MRI 2006 MRI Al tubes holding 300 carbon briquettes MRI 2006 KC Press Conference 2/16/07 15/18

16 ALL-CRAFT tank on Ford F-150 KC Press Conference 2/16/07 16/18

17 Natural gas vehicles over time First NG vehicle 1910 (USA) with balloon tank on trailer NG vehicle ~1930 (France) with balloon tank on roof Current NG vehicle with high-pressure tank in trunk Future NG vehicle with low-pressure tank under floor KC Press Conference 2/16/07 17/18

18 From agricultural waste to high-tech storage tanks

Reversible Storage of Alternative Fuels in Nanoporous Carbon: Methane and Hydrogen

Reversible Storage of Alternative Fuels in Nanoporous Carbon: Methane and Hydrogen Peter Pfeifer Department of Physics University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 Your next car might well run on clean natural