Ammonia as Virtual Hydrogen Carrier

Grigorii Soloveichik,
Program Director
H2@Scale Workshop
November 16-17, 2016

Who am I?
• Moscow State University – MS (1972), PhD in Inorganic Chemistry (1976),
Doctor of Sciences in Chemistry (1992)
• Institute of Chemical Problems of Chemical Physics RAS (Chernogolovka,
(1975 – 1993)
- metal hydrides, Ziegler-Natta catalysis, metallocene chemistry, electrochemistry,
organometallic hydrogenation catalysis, bimetallic complexes, C-H bond activation
• Visiting scholar at Indiana University, Bloomington (1991), Boston College
(1993 – 1995)
• Moltech Corp. (now Sion Power) (Tucson, AZ) (1996 – 1998)
- anode protection and electrolyte development for lithium metal/sulfur battery
• GE Global Research (Niskayuna, NY) (1998 – 2014)
- created and shaped internal and external projects
- direct synthesis of diphenylcarbonate
- homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis projects
- electrosynthesis of small organic molecules
- hydrogen storage and production (water electrolysis)
- CO2 capture
- sodium/metal chloride battery, flow batteries (ARPA-E performer)
- Director of Energy Frontier Research Center for Innovative Energy Storage
• ARPA-E (2015 –
- Program Director focusing on electrochemical energy storage (secondary and flow
batteries), generation (fuel cells), chemical processes (catalysis, separation

Why I work at ARPA-E?

ARPA-E is a unique agency
• Creating new learning curves
- failure acceptance

• Program driven
- no roadmaps
• Innovative start-up culture
- combination of fresh blood and corporate memory
• Close involvement in project planning and execution
- cooperative agreement

• Technology to market focus
- techno-economical analysis
- minimum value prototype deliverable
- technology transfer

Ammonia as energy vector and hydrogen carrier

• Direct agricultural application
• Production of nitrogen-based fertilizers
• Feedstock for chemical processes
• Energy storage
• Energy transportation
• Direct fuel for
- fuel cells
- ICEs
- turbines
• Hydrogen carrier

Ammonia NH3 facts

• Properties: b.p. -33 C, density 0.73 g/cm3, stored as liquid at 150 psi - 17,75% H, 121 kg H/m3 • Synthesis: reaction of N2 and H2 under high pressure and temperature (Haber-Bosch process) • World production 150MM tons - current cost about $0.5/L • Octane number 120 • Blends with gasoline and biofuels (up to 70%) - mixtures preserve performance in ICE (torque) - proportional drop in CO2 emission • Partial cracking improves combustion • Proven, acceptable safety history for over 75 years - inhalation hazard, must be handled professionally • Energy density 4.3 kWh/L

Comparing ammonia with carbon-neutral liquid fuels

  Improving ammonia production

Advanced Haber-Bosch process
• Lower pressure synthesis (adsorptive enhancement)
• Low temperature synthesis (catalyst development)
• Ambient pressure synthesis (plasma enhancement)

Electrochemical synthesis
• Solid state medium temperature cells
• Low temperature PEM and AEM cells
• Molten salt electrolytes

Green Play Ammonia™, Yielder® NFuel Energy.
Spokane, Washington. 99212
www.exactrix.com
509 995 1879 cell, Pacific.
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