Atom-Economical Pathways to Methanol Fuel Cell from Biomass

摘要

An economical production of alcohol fuels from biomass, a feedstock low in carbon211u001eand high in water content, is of interest. At Brookhaven National Laboratory 211u001e(BNL), a Liquid Phase Low Temperature (LPLT) concept is under development to 211u001eimprove the economics by maximizing the conversion of energy carrier atoms (C,H) 211u001einto energy liquids (fuel). So far, the LPLT concept has been successfully 211u001eapplied to obtain highly efficient methanol synthesis. This synthesis was 211u001eachieved with specifically designed soluble catalysts, at temperatures < 211u001e150 C. A subsequent study at BNL yielded a water-gas-shift (WGS) catalyst for the 211u001eproduction of hydrogen from a feedstock of carbon monoxide and H(sub 2)O at 211u001etemperatures < 120 C. With these LPLT technologies as a background, this 211u001epaper extends the discussion of the LPLT concept to include methanol 211u001edecomposition into 3 moles of H(sub 2) per mole of methanol. The implication of 211u001ethese technologies for the atom-economical pathways to methanol fuel cell from 211u001ebiomass is discussed.