Ammonia for power

Ammonia, a molecule that is gaining more interest as a fueling vector, has been considered as a candidate to power transport, produce energy, and support heating applications for decades. However, the particular characteristics of the molecule always made it a chemical with low, if any, benefit once compared to conventional fossil fuels. Still, the current need to decarbonize our economy makes the search of new methods crucial to use chemicals, such as ammonia, that can be produced and employed without incurring in the emission of carbon oxides. Therefore, current efforts in this field are leading scientists, industries, and governments to seriously invest efforts in the development of holistic solutions capable of making ammonia a viable fuel for the transition toward a clean future. On that basis, this review has approached the subject gathering inputs from scientists actively working on the topic. The review starts from the importance of ammonia as an energy vector, moving through all of the steps in the production, distribution, utilization, safety, legal considerations, and economic aspects of the use of such a molecule to support the future energy mix. Fundamentals of combustion and practical cases for the recovery of energy of ammonia are also addressed, thus providing a complete view of what potentially could become a vector of crucial importance to the mitigation of carbon emissions. Different from other works, this review seeks to provide a holistic perspective of ammonia as a chemical that presents benefits and constraints for storing energy from sustainable sources. State-of-the-art knowledge provided by academics actively engaged with the topic at various fronts also enables a clear vision of the progress in each of the branches of ammonia as an energy carrier. Further, the fundamental boundaries of the use of the molecule are expanded to real technical issues for all potential technologies capable of using it for energy purposes, legal barriers that will be faced to achieve its deployment, safety and environmental considerations that impose a critical aspect for acceptance and wellbeing, and economic implications for the use of ammonia across all aspects approached for the production and implementation of this chemical as a fueling source. Herein, this work sets the principles, research, practicalities, and future views of a transition toward a future where ammonia will be a major energy player.

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Review on ammonia as a potential fuel: from synthesis to economics

This review focuses on the use of renewable ammonia for power generation applications and discusses options to convert industrial-grade generators to run on ammonia fuel. The different methods to produce clean ammonia are also discussed in terms of possible advantages and challenges from socio-economic, energetic and environmental perspectives. The main aim of using clean fuel sources, such as ammonia and hydrogen, is to achieve higher sustainability and low carbon emissions compared to conventional fuels. In addition, the present review comparatively assesses and discusses methods for clean ammonia synthesis based on their technical, economic and environmental performance criteria. Numerous potential strategies to improve the clean ammonia production methods are also explored, namely, liquid-electrolyte based systems, composite-membrane based systems, solid-state electrolyte, ceramic/inorganic proton-conducting solid electrolyte based systems, polymer-membrane based systems, O2 conducting-membrane based systems, and molten salt based electrochemical systems. Furthermore, some potential methods to convert various types of commercially available generators to be able to ammonia are proposed and discussed based on the experimental work carried out in the field.

A review on clean ammonia as a potential fuel for power generators

Ammonia as an energy vector: Current and future prospects for low-carbon fuel applications in internal combustion engines

Advancements of combustion technologies in the ammonia-fuelled engines

Ammonia and Gasoline Fuel Blends for Spark Ignited Internal Combustion Engines

Ammonia, when blended with hydro carbon fuels, can be used as a composite fuel to power existing IC engines. Such blends, similar to ethanol and gasoline fuel blends, can be used to commercialize ammonia as an alternative fuel. Feasibility of developing ammonia gasoline liquid fuel blends and the use of ethanol as an emulsifier to enhance the solubility of ammonia in gasoline were studied using a small thermostated vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) high pressure cell in this research. A larger VLE cell was used to develop identified fuel blends in sufficient quantities for engine dynamo-meter tests. A engine dynamometer equipped with a 2.4L gasoline engine was used to benchmark performance of ammonia fuel blends against standard fuels. Solubility test results proved that ethanol free gasoline is capable of dissolving 4.5% of ammonia on volume basis (23 g/l on mass basis) at 50 psi [344.7 kPa] pressure and 286.65 K temperature in liquid phase. Solubility levels are increased with the use of ethanol. Gasoline with 30% ethanol can retain 18% of ammonia in the liquid phase by volume basis (105 g/l by mass basis) at the same pressure and temperature. Dynamometer results show the ability of new composite fuel blends to produce the same amount of torque and power in the lower rpm limits. At higher rpm levels ammonia rich fuels result in an increased torque and power. Thus it can be concluded that hydrogen energy can be stored as ammonia-gasoline fuel blends and recovered back successfully without any strenuous modification to the existing infrastructure and end user equipment or behavior.Copyright © 2014 by ASME

Ammonia and Gasoline Fuel Blends for Internal Combustion Engines

Ammonia and hydrocarbon fuel blends, similar to ethanol and gasoline fuel blends can be used to commercialize ammonia as an alternative fuel. Feasibility of developing ammonia gasoline liquid fuel blends and the use of ethanol and methanol as emulsifiers to enhance the solubility of ammonia in gasoline were studied using thermostated vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) high pressure cells, in this research. Solubility test results prove that emulsifier free pure gasoline is capable of dissolving 23 g/l of ammonia on mass basis (4.5% of ammonia on volume basis) at 345 kPa pressure and 286.65 K temperature in liquid phase. Solubility level is increased with the use of ethanol and methanol. Gasoline with 10% ethanol can retain 31.7 g/l (5.7% on volume basis) of ammonia in the liquid phase at the same pressure and temperature. Methanol has better emulsifying capabilities. Solubility level of gasoline with 30% methanol is 189.5 g/l (30.0% on volume basis). This paper presents solubility and dynamometer test results of five fuel blends E/M0, E10, M10, M20 and M30. Better performances are observed when the ammonia rich fuels are benchmarked against baseline fuel especially at higher engine speeds.Copyright © 2014 by ASME

Ammonia Gasoline-Ethanol/Methanol Tertiary Fuel Blends as an Alternate Automotive Fuel

Ammonia, when blended with hydro carbon fuels, can be used as a composite fuel to power existing IC engines using the hydrogen energy contains in the chemical. Such blends, similar to ethanol and gasoline fuel blends can be used to commercialize ammonia as an alternative fuel. Feasibility of developing ammonia gasoline liquid fuel blends and the use of ethanol and methanol as emulsifiers to enhance the solubility of ammonia in gasoline were studied using thermostated vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) high pressure cells, in this research. A small VLE cell was used to quantify the solubility of ammonia in gasoline more accurately and a larger VLE cell was used to develop identified fuel blends in sufficient quantities for engine dynamometer tests. A SuperFlow model 902 engine dynamometer with a GM family II Ecotec LE5 2.4L gasoline engine was used to benchmark performance of ammonia fuel blends against standard fuels. Solubility test results prove that emulsifier free pure gasoline is capable of dissolving 23 g/l of ammonia on mass basis (4.5% of ammonia on volume basis) at 50 Psi pressure and 286.65 K temperature in liquid phase. Solubility level is increased with the use of ethanol and methanol. Gasoline with 10% ethanol can retain 51.4 g/l (11.0% on volume basis) of ammonia in the liquid phase at the same pressure and temperature. Methanol has better emulsifying capabilities. Solubility level of gasoline with 10% methanol is 61.8 g/l (11.0% on volume basis). Dynamometer results show the ability of new composite fuel blends to produce the same amount of torque and power in the lower rpm limits. At higher rpm levels ammonia rich fuels result in an increased torque and power. Thus it can be concluded that hydrogen energy can be stored as ammonia-gasoline fuel blends and recovered back successfully without any strenuous modification to the existing infrastructure and end user equipment or behavior.

/pdf/ammonia-and-gasoline-composite-liquid-fuel-blends-emulsified-sr25akxls8.pdf

Chad Austin

Papers

Ammonia and Gasoline Fuel Blends for Spark Ignited Internal Combustion Engines

Ammonia and Gasoline Fuel Blends for Internal Combustion Engines

Ammonia Gasoline-Ethanol/Methanol Tertiary Fuel Blends as an Alternate Automotive Fuel

Ammonia and gasoline composite liquid fuel blends emulsified with ethanol and methanol for direct displacement in internal combustion engines

Internal combustion engine performance with ammonia fuel blends