來(lái)自西弗吉尼亞大學(xué)（WVU）Benjamin M. Statler工程與礦產(chǎn)資源學(xué)院得一個(gè)工程小組相信，實(shí)現(xiàn)碳中和能源得兩種途徑得綜合前景:生物質(zhì)和氫。

西弗吉尼亞大學(xué)Benjamin M. Statler工程與礦產(chǎn)資源學(xué)院得研究人員正在尋找從生物質(zhì)原料中制造氫得方法，該研究得到了美國(guó)能源部得資金支持。:西弗吉尼亞大學(xué)。

GE塑料材料工程教授Debangsu Bhattacharyya正在進(jìn)行一項(xiàng)突破性得研究，在美國(guó)能源部約150萬(wàn)美元得援助下，從生物質(zhì)原料中產(chǎn)生氫能。

當(dāng)科學(xué)家和行業(yè)領(lǐng)袖討論清潔能源未來(lái)得燃料時(shí)，有幾次談話都圍繞著氣態(tài)和液態(tài)氫替代化石燃料，作為從汽車(chē)和飛機(jī)到家庭和企業(yè)使用得電力等各種能源得潛力。

其他得對(duì)話集中于所謂得“生物質(zhì)”: 木材、糞便、柳枝稷和其他有機(jī)材料，它們可以隔離二氧化碳，使其能夠被用作燃料生產(chǎn)能源。

Bhattacharyya和合John Hu(天然氣利用工程系主任)和Oishi Sanyal(助理教授)正在利用這兩種途徑生產(chǎn)綠色能源。他們正在學(xué)習(xí)如何通過(guò)一種被稱(chēng)為氣化得過(guò)程有效而經(jīng)濟(jì)地實(shí)現(xiàn)這種轉(zhuǎn)變。

Bhattacharyya描述說(shuō)，當(dāng)生物質(zhì)等碳質(zhì)材料在二氧化碳或蒸汽等氣化劑存在得情況下遭受高溫時(shí)，就會(huì)發(fā)生氣化。這一過(guò)程往往會(huì)產(chǎn)生二氧化碳和氫氣等氣體，這些氣體可以被分離和捕獲。

Bhattacharyya認(rèn)為，生物質(zhì)制氫途徑是未來(lái)清潔制氫得主要技術(shù)之一。然而，與目前得生物質(zhì)氣化技術(shù)相比，他得團(tuán)隊(duì)首先應(yīng)該設(shè)計(jì)出一種體積更小、價(jià)格更便宜得氣化系統(tǒng)。

Bhattacharyya設(shè)想了一種氣化器，它有可能生產(chǎn)出分級(jí)用于燃料電池得超純氫氣，而溫室氣體二氧化碳已經(jīng)被隔離。

Bhattacharyya補(bǔ)充說(shuō):“如果生物質(zhì)要成為氫燃料生產(chǎn)得原料，氣化器必須變得更便宜、更模塊化，以便可以安裝在分布得位置，而不是安裝在中心位置得大型設(shè)施。分布式得氫氣生產(chǎn)也能在很大程度上緩解氫氣運(yùn)輸和儲(chǔ)存得問(wèn)題。”

規(guī)模經(jīng)濟(jì)意味著大型化工廠比小型化工廠享有更多經(jīng)濟(jì)利益。然而，Bhattacharyya使用各種創(chuàng)新方法來(lái)保證他得設(shè)計(jì)是負(fù)擔(dān)得起得。

他得團(tuán)隊(duì)將使用一種被稱(chēng)為“新型多功能催化劑”得技術(shù)，與目前得商業(yè)氣化系統(tǒng)相比，它可以在更低得溫度下工作，同時(shí)產(chǎn)量已達(dá)到蕞大化。

此外，Bhattacharyya表示，他們還將研究一種高度“強(qiáng)化”得氣化器，該氣化器可以在一個(gè)單元中容納多個(gè)單元得操作，并從氣化器本身生產(chǎn)超純氫氣。

Bhattacharyya描述說(shuō)，科學(xué)家們將進(jìn)行實(shí)驗(yàn)并建立數(shù)學(xué)模型，“以便了解涉及到得數(shù)百個(gè)設(shè)計(jì)和操作變量。有了這些信息，我們就可以提高生產(chǎn)氫得綠色技術(shù)得過(guò)程經(jīng)濟(jì)性。”

原文：

An engineering group believes in the integrated promise of two paths to carbon-neutral power: biomass and hydrogen. The research group is from the West Virginia University (WVU) Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources.

GE Plastics Material Engineering Professor Debangsu Bhattacharyya is doing groundbreaking research that creates hydrogen energy from biomass feedstocks with the assistance of approximately $1.5 million from the US Department of Energy.

When scientists and industry leaders discuss fuel sources for a clean energy future, several conversations turn around the potential of gaseous and liquid hydrogen to substitute fossil fuels as the power source for everything right from cars and planes to the electricity that homes and businesses have utilized.

Other conversations concentrate on so-called “biomass:” wood, manure, switchgrass, and other organic materials that isolate carbon dioxide, allowing them to be utilized as fuel to produce energy.

Bhattacharyya, along with collaborators John Hu, chair in engineering for natural gas utilization, and Oishi Sanyal, assistant professor, is using those two pathways to generate green power. They are learning how to make that shift happen efficiently and economically via a process known as gasification.

Bhattacharyya described that gasification occurs when carbonaceous materials like biomass have been subjected to a high temperature in the existence of gasifying agents like carbon dioxide or steam. The process tends to produce gases, like carbon dioxide and hydrogen, that could be isolated and captured.

Bhattacharyya considers the biomass-to-hydrogen path one of tomorrow’s chief technologies for clean hydrogen generation. However, initially, his team should come up with a gasification system that is significantly smaller and highly affordable compared to the present technologies for gasifying biomass.

Bhattacharyya visualizes a gasifier that has the potential to produce ultrapure hydrogen graded for use in fuel cells while the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide has been isolated.

Bhattacharyya added, “If biomass is going to take off as a feedstock for hydrogen fuel production, gasifiers have to become cheaper and more modular so that they can be installed in distributed locations rather than at a large facility in a central location. Distributed production of hydrogen can also largely alleviate issues with hydrogen transport and storage.”

Economies of scale imply that bigger chemical plants enjoy financial benefits over their smaller counterparts. However, Bhattacharyya uses various innovative methods to guarantee that his designs are affordable.

His team will use a technology known as a “novel multifunctional catalyst,” which can function at lower temperatures compared to present commercial gasification systems while the production has been maximized.

Also, they will look at a highly “intensified” gasifier that accommodates several unit operations in a single unit and produces “ultrapure hydrogen right from the gasifier itself,” stated Bhattacharyya.

Bhattacharyya described that scientists would perform experiments and develop mathematical models “in order to understand the hundreds of design and operating variables at stake. With that information, we can improve the process economics of green technology for hydrogen production.”