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System Design for Electrosynthesis of Renewable Fuels

System Design for Electrosynthesis of Renewable Fuels

26th Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC&E) 6-8 June 2022, Reston, Virginia USA

Symposium Organizers: Anna Klinkova, Assistant Professor, University of Waterloo; Joseph Sabol, Chemical Consultant

Co-Sponsor: ACS Division of Small Chemical Businesses (SCHB)

Electrosynthesis of renewable fuels from abundant sources (e.g., water, air) and waste (e.g., CO2, wastewater) powered by sustainable electricity sources has been attracting increasing attention as one of the key technologies for combating energy and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Major research efforts have been focused on developing electrode materials and electrolytes for efficient and selective electrochemical transformations, such as CO2 reduction to synthesis gas, hydrocarbons and ethanol, water reduction to hydrogen gas, and nitrogen reduction to ammonia, which is becoming an emerging alternative fuel. However, systems approach to designing synergistic electrolyzers with overall net performance and input energy requirements that could accelerate (or justify, in some processes) their industrial implementation is currently less widespread.

Thinking in systems for these electrosynthesis technologies necessitates interdisciplinary efforts between chemistry, chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering, environmental science, and economics and policy. To this end, in the past few years international research efforts have led to shifting paradigms in designing electrolyzer devises, including co-electrolysis employing both electrodes of the cell in useful or complementary reactions, conceptually new cell configurations tailored to unusual combinations of materials, reactions and conditions, and decoupled electrolysis which enables cell operation with no membrane, thereby minimizing operational costs (including by minimizing reliance on technology-critical elements) and enabling scalability of the process. These research advancements resulted in new large-scale technology startups with promising implications for achieving sustainable development goals. Various advancements in electrosynthesis technologies have been facilitated by early stage technoeconomic and life cycle assessment approach for targeting products and process performance metrics from both perspectives of feasibility and environmental benefits associated with the technology transition. Further technological developments in this extremely important area will rely on combining complementary solutions capable of offsetting cost requirements greater than the sum of the parts and a feedback loop between multiple aspects of the system design efforts.

This symposium proposes to put these new developments in the spotlight and highlight the importance of system thinking in this particular domain of green chemistry and engineering research. Speakers are thought to highlight new conceptual approaches to scalable and sustainable electrolysis for fuel production beyond a single component (electrocatalyst, electrolyte, membrane, additive) development.

26th Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference (GC&E) 6-8 June 2022, Reston, Virginia USA

GC&EC

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Two good reads on climate disruption:

1) Computer-assisted classification of contrarian claims about climate change
Coan, T.G., Boussalis, C., Cook, J. et al. Sci Rep 11, 22320 (2021).
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-01714-4

2) Climate déjà vu
Science, Vol 387, Issue 6733, p. 455 (21 Jan 2025)
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw1532

Missive

Good indoor air quality (IAQ) requires adequate fresh air exchange, 430 ppm CO2.
Avoid poorly ventilated indoor areas. Monitor temperature, humidity (H2O water vapor), carbon monoxide CO, carbon dioxide CO2, volatile organic compounds VOCs, formaldehyde H2CO, and particulates PM2.5. If you do not have a suitable monitor, request one from your local public library.

KN95 masks and MERV 13 filters (HEPA) can slow spreading of aerosols vectors.

Corsi-Rosenthal filter-fan design is an inexpensive way to clean your air. Powerful. Inexpensive. Easy to build. A Corsi-Rosenthal Box is a powerful air purifier that you can easily build yourself using locally sourced components for a fraction of the price of a commercially manufactured air purifier.
https://corsirosenthalfoundation.org/instructions/

Michigan Air Quality Dashboard
https://air-egle.hub.arcgis.com/

Wisconsin Air Quality Monitor
https://airquality.wi.gov/home/map

Purple Air Community Monitoring
https://www2.purpleair.com/

Local wastewater monitoring.
Useful in the detection of viruses and other substances of concern in public health. Wisconsin Wastewater Monitoring Program
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/wastewater.htm

Conference Organization

American Chemical Society
ACS Spring 2027 New Orleans
ENVR & GEOC Greenhouse Gas Update: Sources, Sinks, and Solutions
Greenhouse gases are the primary drivers of ongoing climate change, with carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) contributing the majority of anthropogenic radiative forcing, but each has different decay dynamics. Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide on a per-molecule basis and is responsible for roughly 20–30% of the recent increase in Earth’s surface temperature. Its atmospheric concentration, now approaching 2 ppm, has risen sharply over the past century, tracking fossil fuel use. Nitrous oxide is even more potent than methane and its atmospheric concentration has risen to 0.34 ppm. Agriculture and manure management are the largest anthropogenic sources of nitrous oxide. Other potent, long-lived greenhouse gases include sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). The persistence of gases in the atmosphere is a complex function of time and depends on sources, sinks, decay mechanisms, and atmospheric lifetimes. This session brings together research and applied work on relevant atmospheric processes of greenhouse gases and mitigation. Topics include atmospheric measurements and modeling, characterization of sources and sinks, strategies to reduce emissions at their source, and market, policy, and regulatory elements. The session aligns with U.N. Sustainable Development Goals 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 13 (Climate Action).
American Chemical Society
New Orleans March 21-25, 2027

Atlantic Basin Conference on Chemistry
ABCChem December 2026
Chemical engineering process technology for global sustainability
https://abcchem.org/

American Chemical Society
Chicago, August 23-27, 2026
JOINT ENFL & GEOC
Atmospheric Methane: Sources, Sinks, and Solutions

American Chemical Society
ACS Spring 2026, Atlanta, March 22-26
JOINT ENFL, ENVR, GEOC, I&EC
Methane: Chemistry of a Greenhouse Gas

Pacifichem 2025
Honolulu, December 15-20
Approaching Steady-State Atmospheric Methane in the Anthropocene
https://pacifichem.org