During my interview with Matt Simmons on “peak oil” for my book on renewables, I asked about suggestions for averting the imminent disaster he sees associated with maintain the status quo in energy generation and consumption. The response:
Large wind turbines will soon be built at the University of Maine and tested off the Maine coast, made from advanced composites with breakthrough characteristics in strength, weight, and cost. Once put into production, they can be used to produce large quantities of ammonia.
Matt pointed out that anhydrous ammonia (NH3), also known as “the other hydrogen,” is ultra-clean and energy-dense — the closest thing to a perfect transportation fuel.
He laid out a significant list of benefits:
I propose to conduct a bit more research on this subject, and post my findings when they are available. In the meanwhile, please feel free to comment.
Larry L. …er – where do you think the electricity for “electric vehicles” comes from?
It is right to highlight the possibility that NH3 combustion engines will produce NOx emissions. The solution to this problem is well known and documented. I am referring of course to Selective Catalytic Reduction according to the forward reactions:
4 NO + 4 NH3 + O2 >> 4N2+6 H2O (1)
6 NO2 + 8 NH3 >> 7 N2 + 12 H2O (2)
SCR is already used to minimise NOx emissions in diesel engines. Where do they get the NH3 from? Either be decarbonating urea or by reforming fuel to produce H2, which is then combined with atmospheric nitrogen in a mini Haber Bosch reactor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_catalytic_reduction
This problem is trivial for a NH3 engine since the exhaust need only be bubbled through the fuel tank. No, I don’t mean this literally, but you get the idea.
Hope this helps.
D.
PS: You might want to read this report I wrote back in 2007, and published in 2008. Downloadable here:
http://www.elucidare.co.uk/for-media.php
Yes, this helps a great deal. That’s a fantastic report you have online, btw. Thanks very much.
In addition to great content, I love the way you British scholars write. You use “candidature” rather than “candidacy.” Fantastic!
[...] is the inevitable by-product of NOx, a large contributor to the formation of smog. Despite this, the benefits of ammonia use as a fuel source may still outweigh the negatives. It has already been show to work in a vehicle [...]
Oops. Neutralization of NOx would be with a base, not an acid.
Ammonia as a fuel does not make a whole lot of sense. First, like hydrogen, it is not a source of energy but a mere transfer of energy medium. That is not really bad in itself since transformation is a necessity for virtually all of the actual root sources of energy.
The problem with ammonia is in its use as a fuel. It burns well with a good energy output but the byproducts of combustion are the various nitrogen oxides (NOx) and water. While NOx can be neutralized to make a nitrate fertilizer, the burden of carrying the neutralizing agent, an acid, in large quantities, and then the storage requirement for the resulting fertilizer solution becomes a literal burden.
Hydrogen serves the same nitche as ammonia with fewer drawbacks. I am not a proponent of a hydrogen economy by any means but ammonia would be further down the list of choices when hydrocarbons are phased out. Electric vehicles with battery storage is at the top of my personal list.
Larry L