Project description
Making green fertiliser with plasma reactors
Plasma reactors could power sustainable and energy-efficient fertiliser production by harvesting nitrogen oxides from air. The EU-funded PREPARE project will design three prototype plasma reactors to make nitric acid and ammonium nitrate using computer model predictions that test power supplies for optimal efficiency. Researchers will also test the effects of quenching, heat recovery, preheating, gas recirculation and sorption materials to improve chemical yields. The robustness of the reactors will also be tested in real- world conditions using varied humidity. The last step will be analysing and recommending one of the prototypes for upscaling and potential commercialisation.
Objective
My project aims to demonstrate the proof of concept of new plasma reactors for sustainable and energy-efficient NOx production from air, as basis for green fertilizer production. Plasma is created by applying electricity, it is quickly switched on/off and has no economy of scale, so it is ideal in combination with renewable (intermittent) electricity, and thus, of interest for electrification of fertilizer production. This project originates from my ERC SyG, where we obtained record values in plasma-based NOx production and energy cost (EC). Now it is time to bring this into real application through optimization of the reactor design and its performance.We will build three different plasma reactor designs, based on innovative computer model predictions, and test the optimal matching to the power supply for maximum efficiency. We will also test the effect of quenching, heat recovery, pre-heating, gas recirculation and sorption materials, to further improve the performance in terms of NOx yields and EC. Subsequently, we will test the reactors in real world context, i.e. air with varying humidity and exploring the reactor robustness for both continuous long-term and intermittent operation. In the last two months, we plan demos for interested stakeholders, serving as real-life market analysis. Finally, we will perform a SWOT analysis, comparing the three reactors in terms of overall performance in real world context, to decide which reactor will be selected for up-scaling and potential commercialization. PREPARE aims to drive innovation for the application of HNO3 and NH4NO3 production, that is now mainly relying on non-sustainable resources. In addition, it can provide a solution to curb NH3 emissions from livestock and poultry farming, by letting the plasma-produced NOx react with the emitted NH3 to form NH4NO3. Hence, PREPARE provides an innovative route for greening up (1) the chemical/fertilizer-production industry and (2) the livestock and poultry farming sector.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2022-POC2
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.