Project description
Producing hydrogen with energy efficiency and net-zero emissions
It is possible to convert fossil and renewable methane into hydrogen with zero emissions of CO2. The EU-funded STORMING project has an innovative solution. It will develop structured reactors heated using renewable electricity to make the conversion to H2 and carbon nanotubes for battery applications. Specifically, innovative iron-based catalysts, highly active and easily regenerable by waste free processes, will be developed through a smart rational catalyst design protocol. The overall aim of the project is the electrification (microwave or Joule-heated) of structured reactors, designed by computational fluid dynamics and prepared by 3D printing, to enable an accurate thermal control resulting in high energy efficiency.
Objective
STORMING will develop breakthrough and innovative structured reactors heated using renewable electricity, to convert fossil and renewable CH4 into CO2-free H2 and highly valuable carbon nanomaterials for battery applications. More specifically, innovative Fe-based catalysts, highly active and easily regenerable by waste-free processes, will be developed through a smart rational catalyst design protocol, which combines theoretical (Density Functional Theory and Molecular Dynamics Calculations) and experimental (cluster) studies, all of them assisted by in situ & operando characterisation and Machine Learning tools. The electrification (microwave or joule-heated) of structured reactors, designed by Computational Fluid Dynamics and prepared by 3D printing, will enable an accurate thermal control resulting in high energy efficiency. The project will validate, at TRL 5, the most promising catalytic technology (chosen considering technological, economic, and environmental assessments) to produce H2 with energy efficiency (> 60%), net-zero emissions, and decreasing (ca. 10 %) the costs in comparison with the conventional process. The dissemination and communication of the results will boost the social acceptance of the H2-related technologies and the stakeholder engagement targeting short-term process exploitation and deployment. The key to reach the challenging objectives of STORMING is the highly complementary and interdisciplinary consortium, where basic and applied science merge with engineering, computer and social sciences.
Fields of science
- natural scienceschemical sciencescatalysis
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesclassical mechanicsfluid mechanicsfluid dynamicscomputational fluid dynamics
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materials
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringadditive manufacturing
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learning
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
40126 Bologna
Italy