Small-Scale Catalytic Ammonia Production Technology
Innovation and Impact Importance and Challenges of Ammonia • Development of a Ammonia is an attractive storage medium for connecting breakthrough ammonia remote, intermittent renewable energy sources with end-use synthesis catalyst for faster 5.3x demand. Integration of key innovations with state-of-the-art higher energy kinetics, enabling operations density* at lower temperatures and technologies will enable cost-effective scaling down of the thereby simplifying the ammonia synthesis required for coupling with intermittent ammonia loop, potentially energy sources. Small-scale ammonia, necessitated by the size lowering power consumption of renewable energy sources, introduces other challenges: by ~35% NH3 • Novel ammonia loop control • Simplification of the ammonia loop for energy and cost- 15x 70x under intermittent loads effective scale-down lower lower storage transportation pressure* lowering gas and energy cost* storage needs • Management of fluctuations in temperature and loss of *Compared to liquid H2 from electrolysis, • Optimized and scalable reactants resulting from the variability of renewable power *Compared to liquid H from electrolysis, the the simplest carbon-neutral2 liquid fuel advanced, low-cost simplest carbon-neutral liquid fuel technology for air • Low volumes of high-purity nitrogen at lower cost separation and polishing X1 X2 X3 for theproduction of Innovations in Materials Development fast-response, high-purity nitrogen RTI International is developing a novel, patent-pending metal organic framework (MOF)–based ruthenium catalyst for ammonia synthesis. Our optimized approach has led to the development of synthesis methods that offer fine control over particle size and surface area. RTI’s catalysts are robust and have shown much higher activity than commercially available iron catalysts, enabling us to significantly reduce reactor operating temperatures. Additional catalyst development and testing will focus on further dropping operating temperatures from20nm ~450–500 °C seen in traditional processes to 300 °C, which will result in benefits in process design and integration.
X1 X2 X3
www.rti.org 1.2 1.1 1 Testing at 95 barg 350° C 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 Project Target 0.4
Rate (gNH3/gcat.h)Rate 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 Commercial RTI-A RTI-B RTI-C RTI-D Iron
Nitrogen Innovation in Process Design and Development ata tic oc o nt Air Separation and Optimization Nitrogen oc Carbon Molecular Air Sleeve ; RTI is evaluating non-cryogenic air separation methods to determine appropriate nitrogen Cost Off Carbon igh P rity 2 Gas Particle N purity levels, sizes, and costs. Along with experimental validation of nitrogen polishing to bring contained oxygen down to <10 ppm, we are developing an optimized high-purity
Atmospheric Air nitrogen supply with low delivered costs and fast response to intermittent loads.
95% 97.5% 98% 99% 99.5% 99.9% 99.9% Air eparation Nitrogen Purity (vol%) Variable Load Ammonia Loop Polishing Image courtesy: Independent Air Treatment Technology CAPEX Annualized OPEX - Power OPEX - H OPEX - Catalyst make-up 2 RTI is also working to demonstrate a patented philosophy for ammonia plant control when subjected to irregular loads. Loss of or reduction in electricityleads to reduced feed volume, which often results in temperature runaways from increased rates of reaction and fatigue failure of vessels from associated pressure changes. The demonstration of the patented
concept will achieve up to 90% turndown at a 10 kg/day NH3 scale.
Integrated Process Development RTI aims to demonstrate the innovations developed in this project in an integrated system
producing 10 kg NH3/day. This will involve scaled-up production of advanced MOF–based catalysts, nitrogen polishing, and advanced plant controls. A robust operation of at least 500 hours on-stream, with at least five instances of scheduled intermittencewith 90% turndown, is planned.
Technology-to-Market Assessments More Information RTI’s technologies are well on their way to meeting cost targets. RTI is investigating two strategies for entry-to-market of the technologies developed in this project: Caroline Ball +1 919.485.5505 • Advanced high-performance ammonia synthesis catalysts suitable for plant retrofits [email protected] • Entire value chain of the process for greenfield opportunities
0.20 Conventional REFUEL Technology 0.18 Haber-Bosch
) 0.16 0.15 Renewable Energy to Fuels through 0.14 0.128 0.13 Utilization of Energy-Dense Liquids 0.12 RTI Target 0.098 0.10 0.073 (REFUEL) 0.08 0.06 ARPA-E’s REFUEL program focuses Cost of Fuel (kWh 0.04 on the development of scalable 0.02 0 technologies to produce carbon-neutral 1400 sTPD 450 sTPD FOA Target 450 sTPD 450 sTPD REFUEL Y1Q1 REFUEL Y1Q3 liquid fuels using only air, water, and renewable electricity as input streams.
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