PHOTOCHEMICAL UPGRADING OF NATURAL GAS

AVAILABLE IN ABUNDANCE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHTOUT THE WORLD, NATURAL GAS REPRESENTS AN ENORMOUS ENERGY RESERVE. HOWEVER, DIRECT USE OF NATURAL GAS AS FUEL IS CONSTRAINED BY NUMEROUS DIFICULTITES: LOW COMBUSTION EFFICIENCY, UNRELIABLE IGNITION (MISFIRING), AND TRANSPORTATION. A DESIRABLE ALTERNATIVE TO DIRECT USE OF NATURAL GAS IS TO UPGRADE IT TO HIGHER VALUE, TRANSPORTABLE HYDROCARBONS (HCS). THIS PROJECT WILL DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF A NOVEL UPGRADING METHOD BASED ON A PHOTOCHEMICAL PROCESS. THE INNOVATION INVOLVES A P PHOTO-INITIATED REACTION BETWEEN METHANE AND CHLORINATED METHANES TO PRODUCE HYDROCHLORIC ACID AND HIGHER HCS. THE PHOTOCHEMICAL PATHWAY ALLOWS BOTH SELECTIVITY OF THE REACTION CHANNEL AND THE ABILITY TO INITIATE REACTION AT MODERATE TEMPERATURES, THUS AVOIDING THE SOOTING CHARACTERISTIC OF HIGHER TEMPERATURE THERMAL PROCESSES. IT HAS THE ADDED ADVANTAGE OF CONVERTING VARIOUS CHLORINATED HCS, UBIQUITOUS IN INDUSTRIAL WASTE, INTO USEFUL FUEL. PHASE I WILL BE AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY WITH FIVE TASKS: CONSTRUCTION OF A VERSATILE PHOTOCHEMICAL APPARATUS PHOTOLYSIS OF CH3CL + CH4, SOOT STUDIES, PHOTOLYSIS WITH OTHER CHLOROMETHANES, AND IDENTIFICATION OF IMPORTANT PROCESS PARAMETERS. PHASE I WILL PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL FOUNDATION FOR PHASE II RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE REACTOR TO UPGRADE METHANE, AND PHASE III COMMERCIALIZATION.