Background The creation of effective energy conversion technologies has become essential in response to the challenges of integrating diurnally and seasonally intermittent and variable renewable energy resources. Specifically, one of the most important steps toward the economical production of sustainable fuels and organic chemicals is the conversion...

­Thermochemical reactors provide an effective means for water splitting and carbon dioxide splitting. These reactors are able to produce energized chemicals (e.g., hydrogen and carbon monoxide), which can subsequently be used in other chemical reactions (e.g., to reduce, add functionality, etc.) or from which other chemicals can be made (e.g.,...

Background Power plants, automobiles, and many other sources expel billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each year. A major greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. As the world’s population increases, the amount of fossil fuel used to create energy increases, as the amount of fuel burned increases, the amount of carbon dioxide in...

Background Thermochemical reactors can provide an effective means for splitting water and carbon dioxide. These reactors are able to produce energized chemicals such as H2 and CO, which can be subsequently used in other chemical reactions (e.g., as reductants or as fuels). In water splitting, the main competing technologies are steam-methane reforming...

Background High-temperature heaters have many applications, including the high-temperature processing of materials. As fossil fuel burners, such as natural gas burners, are replaced with renewable alternatives, the number of applications will increase. Conventional high temperature electrical heaters have been based on silicon carbide or molybdenum...

Controlling products like carbon dioxide from combustion systems can help chemical manufacturers adjust to the recent limit on carbon emissions by the Environmental Protection Agency. Existing control techniques use carbon dioxide as feed to generate reusable chemicals thus reducing emissions. However, manufacturers use expensive modified combustion...