Solid Wastes - Derived Hydrogen for Green Transportation

Hydrocarbon fuels produce gases such as carbon dioxide from combustion processes used in engines. This gas production has influence climate change and these fossil fuels do come from a sustainable source. Fuels like hydrogen non-toxic, clean energy carrier that has high specific energy on a mass basis than fossil fuels. This work proposes to develop a self-sustainable process to produce hydrogen fuels from various solid waste sources including COVID-19 medical wastes. This process will produce a green fuel with minimal impact on climate change, while also producing char which can be used as a sorbent or precursor for the fabrication of carbon electrodes. The physical and chemical properties of H2 fuel in comparison to gasoline and methane show a wide range of flammability. Accordingly, H2 engines can operate more efficiently on extremely lean mixtures than gasoline engines. Application of membrane-based purification process instead of toxic amine-based solvent cleaning would minimize the environmental footprints of this proposed approach. Findings from this effort will provide the initial proof of concept to obtain funds from a larger external sponsor.