Zero Emission Fuels
We make zero emission methanol from sunlight and air. In order to succeed we combine several fields
1. Power Management
We use a solar panel with a power of approximately 300 W which converts the solar irradiation to electrical energy.
2. CO2 Direct Air Capture
Air is continuously fanned through our direct air capture unit. After the capture material is saturated with CO2 and water the final process starts.
3. Alkaline Electrolysis
Our alkaline electrolysis cell splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen is released to the air again and the hydrogen is used as feedstock in the methanol synthesis.
4. Methanol synthesis
The main function of the methanol synthesis subsystem is to convert the hydrogen and CO2 into a mixture of methanol and water using a small scale reactor.
5. Control & Simulation
The methanol production unit is heavily influenced by external factors such as the intensity of the sun, proximity of clouds and air humidity. The control unit processes all data from subsystems and then sends signals to the actuators in order to control the whole process.
6. Piping System
All of the “pipingwork” of the chemical process will be simplified based on a novel system/component. Its main function is to transfer fluids from one unit-process to another, and transfer heat to other fluids or to the surroundings (cooling). It is the component that connects all unit processes and therefore forms the “backbone” of the plant.
7. Micro Distillation
One of the major challenges of the methanol production system is reaching a sufficient methanol quality: methanol grade AA. Using a conventional distillation column would have a negative effect on the energy balance and investment cost of the system. Therefore the principle of a heatpipe is used in order to do on plate distillation.
8. Fluid Machinery
Several subsystems contain fluid handling machinery: Pumps, compressors, valves etc. These components require special care, as they probably will not be available on the scale of the plant, without modification. These components must be designed for: high efficiency, long lifetime, corrosion/fouling resistance, low cost manufacturing. Each part in the system has different demands when it comes to pressure, composition & temperature.