MnO Sorbent for Enhanced Water Gas Shift

The U.S. needs reliable and clean energy sources for sustainable economic growth and a secure future. The DOE FutureGen project aims to convert coal to hydrogen that would be used as fuel for fuel cells and/or a gas turbine. To achieve this goal, and to support clean hydrogen and power production in the future, new technologies are needed to capture the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced from the coal-derived synthesis. This project will develop a sorbent-based system that can remove carbon dioxide CO2 at high temperature. This system will capture the CO2, enhance the water gas shift reaction, and increase the efficiency with which both hydrogen and power are produced. Phase I and Phase II will demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of this sorbent based process. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: U.S. demand for hydrogen is now about nine million tons per year and growing rapidly. The technology should enable the clean and efficient conversion of coal to hydrogen. In addition, the CO2 capture process should be applicable to a wide variety of industrial processes that require CO2 removal at elevated temperature (e.g., from steam reforming of natural gas and refinery gas streams).