Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Novel Catalysts For Hydrogen Gas Production From Biomass Compounds, Boanerges Bamaca

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

Hydrothermal biomass gasification technologies (sub- and supercritical water gasification and aqueous-phase reforming) have considerable economic, environmental, and technical advantages over other energy-extensive technologies (e.g. natural gas reforming) for hydrogen gas production. However, lack of economically feasible and highly active catalysts is a main challenge that impedes upscaling of these technologies for hydrogen gas production.

The goal of this study was to develop innovative, economically feasible and active heterogeneous supported metal catalysts for hydrothermal processes for producing hydrogen gas from biomass-derived compounds. Because of its stable structure and chemical inertness, graphene was used as catalyst support. Graphene supported metal catalysts were …

Improving The Distribution And Use Of Biogas By Conversion To Methanol, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In this technology review, the process of turning an average biogas into methanol will be presented. The purpose is to find a better method of transporting the energy contained within biogas so that it may be used in industry as a value added product. The first step is removal of hydrogen sulfide, a corrosive chemical that can breakdown mechanical parts. The second step is carbon capture and conversion of the biogas into hydrogen. The final step is the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide into methanol using a copper catalyst and an alcohol co-catalyst.

Wafer Enhanced Electrodeionization For Conversion Of Co2 Into Bicarbonate Feed For Algae Cultured Photobioreactors, Kayvan Afrasiabi

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The world has acknowledged climate change as a global crisis that demands considerable attention, with one of the largest culprit being carbon emissions from industrial processing and power generation. While reduction in carbon emissions is the principal action towards mitigating the effects of climate change, scientists and engineers have given increased attention to alternative sources of energy as well as methods of carbon sequestration to coax traditional manufactory and industry into environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. One technology of this nature is the use of wafer-enhanced electrodeionization (WE-EDI) membranes to convert gaseous carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial flue …

Towards A Cost-Effective Biorefinery : Production Of Activated Carbons From Residual Biomass For Energy Storage Devices., Zachary Dean Herde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomass processing for industrial products and biofuels has gained an increasing presence as society looks to using sustainable resources for manufacturing and renewable fuels for energy. However, these sustainably produced materials and products cannot gain a competitive edge because of the manufacturing expenses that are a result of high process temperatures and pressures. In order to lower these costs, theoretical modeling has described a value-added co-product strategy as one of the best ways to combat high bioprocessing prices. Biomass has been shown to make effective carbons for energy storage devices such as supercapacitors and batteries. These carbons, with the right …

Tillage System Effects On 15-Year Carbon-Based And Simulated N Budgets In A Tile-Drained Iowa Field, Douglas L. Karlen, Ajay Kumar, Ramesh S. Kanwar, Cynthia A. Cambardella, Thomas S. Colvin

Douglas L Karlen

Tillage influences N fate and transport by changing soil structure, aeration, macropore continuity, plant-residue placement, and organic-matter mineralization rates. Our objective was to use 15-year N budgets to compare four primary tillage treatments for continuous corn (Zea mays L.) production on tile-drained Aquic Hapludolls (FAO: Haplic Phaeozems) in northeastern Iowa, USA. A carbon-based N budget used annual grain yield, grain-N concentrations measured in 1992, changes in surface-soil C content between 1977 and 1988 or 1992, surface-soil C : N ratios, and measurements of NO3–N lost in tile-drainage water. It accounted for 98, 104, 99, and 99% of the fertilizer N …

Biofuels From Crop Residue Can Reduce Soil Carbon And Increase Co2 Emissions, Adam J. Liska, Haishun Yang, Maribeth Milner, Steve Goddard, Humberto Blanco-Canqui, Matthew P. Pelton, Xiao X. Fang, Haitao Zhu, Andrew E. Suyker

Adam Liska Papers

Removal of corn residue for biofuels can decrease soil organic carbon(SOC) and increase CO₂ emissions because residue C in biofuels is oxidized to CO₂ at a faster rate than when added to soil. Net CO2 emissions from residue removal are not adequately characterized in biofuel life cycle assessment (LCA). Here we used a model to estimate CO₂ emissions from corn residue removal across the US Corn Belt at 580 million geospatial cells. To test the SOC model, we compared estimated daily CO₂ emissions from corn residue and soil with CO₂ emissions measured using eddy covariance, …