Structured Catalysts for Non-Thermal Plasma-Assisted Ammonia Synthesis

Eugenio Meloni (), Liberato Cafiero, Marco Martino and Vincenzo Palma
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Eugenio Meloni: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Liberato Cafiero: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Marco Martino: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy
Vincenzo Palma: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: Ammonia has been intensively studied as a clean, sustainable fuel source and an efficient energy storage medium due to its effectiveness as a hydrogen carrier molecule. However, the currently used Haber–Bosch process requires a large fossil fuel input, high temperatures and pressures, as well as a significant capital investment. These constraints prevent decentralized and small-scale ammonia production at the level of small farms and local communities. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) can promote ammonia synthesis in operating conditions in which, in a conventional process, a catalyst is generally not active. In this study, the production of NTP-assisted catalytic ammonia at milder temperatures and ambient pressure was investigated. Four different structured catalysts were prepared and tested using an experimental plant based on a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. The effect of the gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) was investigated, as well as the effect of the N 2 /H 2 ratio on catalyst performance. The results evidenced that the best catalytic activity (about 4 mmol h −1 of produced NH 3 ) was obtained using the 10Ni/zeolite 13X sample with the lowest energy consumption, thus highlighting the feasibility of this innovative technology in this field.

Keywords: non-thermal plasma; ammonia production; process intensification; structured catalysts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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