Chemical engineering researchers have identified a new mechanism to convert natural gas into energy up to 70 times faster, while effectively capturing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2).
“This could make power generation from natural gas both cleaner and more efficient,” says Fanxing Li, co-author of a paper on the research and an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University.
At issue is a process called chemical looping, in which a solid, oxygen-laden material – called an “oxygen carrier” – is put in contact with natural gas. The oxygen atoms in the oxygen carrier interact with the natural gas, causing combustion that produces energy.
Previous state-of-the-art oxygen carriers were made from a composite of inert ceramic material and metal oxides. But Li’s team has developed a new type of oxygen carrier that include a “mixed ionic-electronic conductor,” which effectively shuttles oxygen atoms into the natural gas very efficiently – making the chemical looping combustion process as much as 70 times faster. This mixed conductor material is held in a nanoscale matrix with an iron oxide – otherwise known as rust. The rust serves as a source of oxygen for the mixed conductor to shuttle out into the natural gas.
In addition to energy, the combustion process produces water vapor and CO2. By condensing out the water vapor, researchers are able to create a stream of concentrated CO2 to be capture for sequestration.
The Latest Bing News on:
Converts Natural Gas to Energy
- Natural gas company signs deal to develop Jefferson County fuel factoryon September 20, 2023 at 7:36 pm
GTL Americas LP, the company that is establishing a $3.5 billion-plus gas-to-liquid facility near Pine Bluff that will be the first of its kind in the United States, formally signed an agreement on ...
- California’s energy mix is changing but natural gas still the No. 1 sourceon September 20, 2023 at 1:14 pm
But the largest single source of generation is still natural gas, a fossil fuel. The California Energy Commission just finished crunching the numbers for 2022. Here’s what the total system ...
- U.S. Natural Gas Electricity Efficiency is Always Improvingon September 19, 2023 at 5:22 am
Indeed, the ongoing rise in natural gas power plant efficiency is just another indication that, as renewable energy technologies continue to evolve, so do fossil fuel technologies. Reality check ...
- Reducing the carbon footprint of methane by converting it into methanol with a new enzymeon September 14, 2023 at 6:45 am
A team led by Professor Osami Shoji at Nagoya University in Japan has developed a technology to convert methane, the principal component of natural gas, into methanol at room temperature in water.
- Flared and Vented Natural Gas to Find ‘Value-Added’ Use Via New Technologies Through DOE Fundingon September 12, 2023 at 6:14 am
Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management has set aside up to $30 million to develop technologies that would ...
- Scott Co. landfill plans to convert waste into natural gason September 4, 2023 at 9:12 pm
WAGA Energy, will be installed at the Scott Area landfill just outside of Davenport to convert raw methane from waste into grid-compliant natural gas. A series of wells and tubes are currently ...
- Bloom Energy: Limited Business Potentials Despite Rising Hydrogen Demands To Reach Net Zeroon August 25, 2023 at 5:17 am
Bloom Energy is an energy technology company focused on producing energy through a modular on-site fuel cell generator that can convert natural gas, hydrogen, and other fuels to electricity.
- Bloom Energy: Limited Business Potentials Despite Rising Hydrogen Demands To Reach Net Zeroon August 25, 2023 at 12:44 am
Bloom Energy is an energy technology company focused on producing energy through a modular on-site fuel cell generator that can convert natural gas, hydrogen, and other fuels to electricity.
- How Natural Gas Accelerates the Path to Hydrogenon July 1, 2023 at 9:46 pm
control and monitoring systems and Plantweb Optics Platform—can help companies efficiently and safely convert natural gas to blue hydrogen. With more hydrogen in the marketplace, cleaner energy ...
- This System Converts Our Trash Into Fuel and Reduces Greenhouse Gaseson November 15, 2022 at 3:28 pm
But Synova, a U.S.-based company with technology and sales offices in Europe and Asia is tackling the problem head-on – they're turning trash into energy ... synthesize natural gas or harvest ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Converts Natural Gas to Energy
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Converts Natural Gas to Energy” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
CO2 capture
- Africa in Business: Carbon dioxide capture and a new agriculture fundon September 22, 2023 at 7:15 am
STORY: Here's what's been making the business headlines in sub-Saharan Africa this week.1. The United States and Norway pledged a total of $70 million on Monday (September 18) to launch a fund to help ...
- TVA Exploring Carbon Capture Feasibility for Two Gas-Fired Power Plantson September 21, 2023 at 9:35 am
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is poised to study the feasibility of retrofitting two gas-fired power plants—a combined capacity of 1.8 GW—in ...
- ExxonMobil (XOM) to Develop DAC Technology to Capture CO2on September 21, 2023 at 8:52 am
Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM plans to develop technology for direct air capture (“DAC”) of carbon dioxide, recognizing its significant role in a net-zero future, per a Reuters report. The company has ...
- Unlocking the Energy Transition with Carbon Captureon September 21, 2023 at 5:46 am
"Those categories include changing to renewable power, wind, solar, converting to hydrogen and carbon capture." Carbon capture is a process of grabbing the carbon dioxide that is produced by burning ...
- Climeworks eyes Kenya project to capture carbon dioxide from airon September 21, 2023 at 5:00 am
Climeworks is exploring the development of a large-scale direct air capture (DAC) project in Kenya to remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with Great Carbon Valley, the first of its ...
- Can push for carbon capture pipelines also mean billions for conservation-minded farming?on September 21, 2023 at 4:39 am
Ethanol plants, pipeline developers could reap billions via tax credits to cut carbon emissions. Could Iowa farmers earn billions from doing that too?
- U.S. Steel in carbon capture test with NETLon September 20, 2023 at 12:26 pm
United States Steel Corp. and the National Energy Technology Laboratory announced Wednesday a test of a new technology that could help clean up greenhouse gas emissions at the Edgar Thomson Plant in ...
- Offshore carbon capture hub planned near Cameron Parish’s Gulf of Mexico coaston September 20, 2023 at 8:45 am
A Denver carbon capture management company and a Houston energy firm plan to develop an offshore carbon capture hub in state waters near Cameron Parish’s Gulf of Mexico coast.
- As federal money flows to carbon capture and storage, Texas bets on an undersea bonanzaon September 20, 2023 at 3:00 am
The state is awarding offshore leases to oil and gas companies that hope to bury heat-trapping carbon dioxide deep beneath the seafloor. But critics worry about leakage and the lackluster record of ...
- Castex, Carbonvert plan to develop carbon capture and storage hub offshore Louisianaon September 19, 2023 at 3:34 pm
Two companies are working with the state of Louisiana to develop an offshore carbon capture and storage project — the second of its kind in the U.S.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
CO2 capture
[google_news title=”” keyword=”CO2 capture” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]