Sustainable Energy, Towards a Zero-Carbon Economy Using Chemistry, Electrochemistry and Catalysis provides the reader with a clear outline of some of the strategies, particularly those based on various chemical approaches, that have been put forward with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve “zero carbon" by 2050. The author describes the chemistry of some of the processes involved, paying particular attention to those that involve heterogeneous catalytic steps and electrolysis methods. In cases in which the technology is already established, details are given of the reactor systems used. He discusses novel developments in the areas of transport, the production of essential products using renewable energy and the uses of sustainable biomass.
Author(s): Julian R.H. Ross
Publisher: Elsevier
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 238
City: Amsterdam
Front Cover
Sustainable Energy: Towards a Zero-Carbon Economy using Chemistry, Electrochemistry and Catalysis
Copyright
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Introduction
Energy production and the greenhouse effect
Solar activity and global warming
The greenhouse effect
Greenhouse gases
Water vapour
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Ozone and chlorofluorocarbons
Consequences of the greenhouse effect
The sources of greenhouse gas emissions
Chapter 2: Traditional methods of producing, transmitting and using energy
Introduction
Coal
Coal combustion for heating purposes
Coal for power generation and the steam engine
Coal for electricity generation
Coal use in cement production
Coal usage in iron and steel production
Crude oil
Natural gas
Concluding remarks
Chapter 3: Less conventional energy sources
Introduction
Nuclear energy
Geothermal energy
Tidal energy
Wave power
Hydroelectric power
Wind power
Solar power
Concluding remarks
Chapter 4: The production and uses of hydrogen
Introduction
The production of hydrogen from natural gas by steam reforming
The production of hydrogen from natural gas by other methods
Autoreforming
Dry reforming of methane
Methane pyrolysis
Electrolysis of water
The generation of hydrogen from biomass by various processes
Comparison of hydrogen production costs for different processes
Methanol production
Production of fuels using the Fischer Tropsch process
Production of ammonia
Conclusions
Chapter 5: Biomass as a source of energy and chemicals
Introduction
Wood as a source of energy and paper
The use of wood in paper production
Paper recycling
Non-traditional uses of biomass: First and second generation bio-refinery processes
Organic residues and grasses
Ethanol and bioethanol production
Conversion of oil crops and oil-based residues to biodiesel and chemicals
Fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic crops
Gasification and pyrolysis of biomass
Gasification
Pyrolysis
Other sources of biomass
Seaweed and algae
Microalgae
Chitin
Concluding remarks
Chapter 6: Transport
Introduction
Historical development of mechanically driven transport
Exhaust emission control
Hybrid vehicles
Plug-in hybrid vehicles
Battery electrical vehicles
Fuel cell vehicles
Concluding remarks
Chapter 7: Batteries, fuel cells and electrolysis
Introduction
The Volta pile, Faraday and the electrochemical series
Half-cell EMFs and the electrochemical series
The kinetics of electrochemical processes
Electrochemical batteries
Flow batteries
Fuel cells
Electrolysis
Chapter 8: The way forward: Net Zero
Introduction
Hydrogen production using renewable energy
Fuel cells to be used for transportation purposes
Solid oxide hydrolysis cells (SOECs) for hydrogen production and their use for the synthesis of green ammonia and methanol
Green Ammonia
Green Methanol
Use of green hydrogen in steel production
Use of green hydrogen in cement production
Other areas for energy savings and for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Conclusions
Tailpiece
Postscript
Index
Back Cover
