Sustainable Energy: Towards a Zero-Carbon Economy using Chemistry, Electrochemistry and Catalysis

Description

Sustainable Energy, Towards a Zero-Carbon Economy Using Chemistry, Electrochemistry and Catalysis provides the reader with a clear outline of some of the strategies, particularly those based on various chemical approaches, that have been put forward with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve “zero carbon" by 2050. The author describes the chemistry of some of the processes involved, paying particular attention to those that involve heterogeneous catalytic steps and electrolysis methods. In cases in which the technology is already established, details are given of the reactor systems used. He discusses novel developments in the areas of transport, the production of essential products using renewable energy and the uses of sustainable biomass. Front Cover Sustainable Energy: Towards a Zero-Carbon Economy using Chemistry, Electrochemistry and Catalysis Copyright Contents Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction Energy production and the greenhouse effect Solar activity and global warming The greenhouse effect Greenhouse gases Water vapour Carbon dioxide Methane Nitrous oxide Ozone and chlorofluorocarbons Consequences of the greenhouse effect The sources of greenhouse gas emissions Chapter 2: Traditional methods of producing, transmitting and using energy Introduction Coal Coal combustion for heating purposes Coal for power generation and the steam engine Coal for electricity generation Coal use in cement production Coal usage in iron and steel production Crude oil Natural gas Concluding remarks Chapter 3: Less conventional energy sources Introduction Nuclear energy Geothermal energy Tidal energy Wave power Hydroelectric power Wind power Solar power Concluding remarks Chapter 4: The production and uses of hydrogen Introduction The production of hydrogen from natural gas by steam reforming The production of hydrogen from natural gas by other methods Autoreforming Dry reforming of methane Methane pyrolysis Electrolysis of water The generation of hydrogen from biomass by various processes Comparison of hydrogen production costs for different processes Methanol production Production of fuels using the Fischer Tropsch process Production of ammonia Conclusions Chapter 5: Biomass as a source of energy and chemicals Introduction Wood as a source of energy and paper The use of wood in paper production Paper recycling Non-traditional uses of biomass: First and second generation bio-refinery processes Organic residues and grasses Ethanol and bioethanol production Conversion of oil crops and oil-based residues to biodiesel and chemicals Fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic crops Gasification and pyrolysis of biomass Gasification Pyrolysis Other sources of biomass Seaweed and algae Microalgae Chitin Concluding remarks Chapter 6: Transport Introduction Historical development of mechanically driven transport Exhaust emission control Hybrid vehicles Plug-in hybrid vehicles Battery electrical vehicles Fuel cell vehicles Concluding remarks Chapter 7: Batteries, fuel cells and electrolysis Introduction The Volta pile, Faraday and the electrochemical series Half-cell EMFs and the electrochemical series The kinetics of electrochemical processes Electrochemical batteries Flow batteries Fuel cells Electrolysis Chapter 8: The way forward: Net Zero Introduction Hydrogen production using renewable energy Fuel cells to be used for transportation purposes Solid oxide hydrolysis cells (SOECs) for hydrogen production and their use for the synthesis of green ammonia and methanol Green Ammonia Green Methanol Use of green hydrogen in steel production Use of green hydrogen in cement production Other areas for energy savings and for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions Conclusions Tailpiece Postscript Index Back Cover