Auburn University researchers score nearly $500,000 DOE grant for greener hydrogen

August 9, 2021 |

In Alabama, researchers at Auburn University were recently granted nearly $500,000 from the Department of Energy-Fossil Energy to produce hydrogen energy that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste plastics problems.

To produce this hydrogen energy, researchers will blend a coal, plastic and biomass mixture to be gasified and turned into hydrogen energy. The coal will be bituminous coal, the biomass will be southern pine and the plastics will be exclusively household waste plastics.

The specific objectives of the project are to study the flowability of this mixture for consistent gasification, to understand gasification behavior of the mixture in both steam and oxygen environments, to characterize the thermal properties of ash/slag from the mixture feedstock and investigate the interaction between slag/ash and refractory materials. The team will also develop models to determine the technology necessary for synthesis gas cleanup and removing contaminants for hydrogen production.

The synthesis gas production from this material will be analyzed for a variety of permanent gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen. It will also be tested for contaminants such as tar, hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide and ammonia.

Category: Research

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