Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind suffer from an intermittent power output, making energy storage a key element in future energy infrastructure. Fuels offer both high energy densities and efficient transport compared to other energy storage alternatives. One energy storage solution is water electrolysis. However, the generated hydrogen is incompatible with the global fuel infrastructure, inhibiting its implementation as an energy vector. Storing hydrogen on carrier atoms provides a safe and convenient way to utilize and transport renewable energies. While carbon–based fuels are commonly suggested, using nitrogen as a hydrogen carrier can potentially offer a superior option.
In this talk we will present the culmination of several studies on nitrogen-based fuels. Firstly, an analysis comparing the energy-based efficiency of several carbon-based synthetic fuels to their nitrogen-based counterparts will be presented. Secondly, the effect of the equivalence ratio on the thermal autoignition of a non-carbon nitrogen-based fuel will be shown. Thirdly, the effect of Ru/Pt/Al2O3 catalysts used for effluent gas treatment of a low-carbon nitrogen-based fuel will be discussed.
