Overall aim of the proposed work would be to develop simulation technologies for methane pyrolysis for hydrogen production under catalytic conditions with the objective of developing process to scale equipment designs to achieve CO2 free hydrogen generation.
At present considerable amount is hydrogen is produced and used in industry for various industrial processes. About 75 million tonnes of hydrogen is produced and used worldwide. Current utilisations include petroleum refining, ammonia production, methanol production, food industries, and steel production. Hydrogen is also seen as a potentially widespread fuel for the future due to several reasons. At present, there is a great degree of research and a drive to use hydrogen as a future fuel and considerable effort is made to make a future hydrogen economy where hydrogen is the carbon free fuel for power generation, transport, industrial and domestic heat. Hydrogen has the potential to facilitate significant reductions in energy-related CO2 emissions and to contribute to limiting global temperature rise.
Large scale production of hydrogen at present is done via steam methane reforming (SMR) where CO2 is still a by-product. Therefore, hydrogen production via SMR is not a suitable route for a carbon free future. Electrolysis of water has been developed as a means of green hydrogen production, but it has the highest cost compared to other technologies of hydrogen production. Some research is already underway to produce hydrogen from methane where carbon capture can be achieved in the process itself. Methane pyrolysis under catalytic condition is such a process where H2 can be produced and resulting carbon can be extracted as solid carbon. Methane pyrolysis under catalytic conditions is very much under laboratory scale research and numerous catalysts are being experimented worldwide. The advantages are, it is a one step process, it produces H2 and carbon which are valuable commodities. Process reactions are endothermic and operates at reasonable temperatures around 600 – 800 ⁰C. A major research goal for methane pyrolysis would be to identify catalysts for methane pyrolysis that gives high methane yield and produce high value carbons.
The process of carbon pyrolysis requires research in catalytic chemistry to study catalytic materials, thermal and process conditions required for high hydrogen yield and methods for carbon separation. Scaling of such processes once developed in a laboratory scale requires engineering research and input for reactor design and carbon separation techniques. From the engineering point of view, a major achievement would be to obtain a process that is more economical than the current commercial SMR H2 production process which produces CO2.
Proposed work:
The project will start with a comprehensive literature survey of current pyrolysis techniques and chemistry of various catalytic agents used. Development of models and simulation techniques will require a good understanding of underlying chemical mechanisms, flow, and heat transfer aspects which sustain reactions to yield H2. Aspects of how carbon is produced and direct interaction with catalytic particles will also be studied in detail. Catalytic reaction simulation software will be used for computational chemistry modelling. Chemistry of different catalysts used, required temperature and flow conditions will be studied to formulate phenomenological models to predict H2 and C yields. Then work will be undertaken to develop more advanced CFD based simulation techniques to predict laboratory based experimental H2 generation techniques. These simulations will be used to analyse process parameters, flow and heat transfer conditions involved in the process. With the aid of advanced CFD simulation techniques this knowledge will then be used to design more advanced industrial scale processes suitable for continuous hydrogen production.
Supervisors
Primary supervisor: Professor Weeratunge Malalasekera
Entry requirements for United Kingdom
Successful applicants should have, or expect to achieve, an undergraduate honours degree with a minimum classification of a 2:1, or equivalent in a relevant subject for the PhD topic. A relevant master’s degree and/or experience would also be advantageous.
How to apply
All applications should be made online. Under programme name, select ‘Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering’. Please quote reference number: P1SAM23-02 in your application.
Competition for funded entry is high so please ensure that you submit a CV and the minimum supporting documents by the advert closing date. Failure to do so will mean that your application will not be taken forward for consideration. See studentship assessment criteria.
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