E2: Plasma-chemical synthesis of energy carriers for the storage and transport of green hydrogen and as a basis for the production of e-fuels

In the PhD project, a scalable technology for the production of chemical energy storage, for example for safe, efficient transport from MENA countries or for integration into energy parks, is to be developed and compared with competing technologies. The aim is to investigate the synthesis of liquid media such as methanol through the conversion of green hydrogen and carbon dioxide in electric beam plasmas at atmospheric and low vacuum levels.

The first step is a detailed analysis of scientific publications on the fundamentals of the chemical and plasma-physical processes as well as on other methanol synthesis methods. This analysis forms the basis for modelling, technological development and the subsequent comparison of the targeted process with other approaches. In the second step, a suitable test stand will be put into operation that allows the electron beam generated under high vacuum conditions to be coupled out into a reaction chamber under process pressure conditions and superimposed there with an inductively or capacitively coupled gas discharge. This arrangement enables the generation of a so-called non-self-sustaining gas discharge with low reduced field strengths, in which the gas conversion can take place particularly efficiently. In the third step, the set-up is first tested with simple or inert gases and the results are correlated with model ideas before a synthesis process of at least two reactant gases is developed and demonstrated. Finally, the developed process is compared with established chemical-catalytic and other plasma-chemical methanol synthesis processes and the application potential is worked out.

Doctoral candidate: David Johannes Schreuder

First (Main) supervisor: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Elizabeth von Hauff

Second Supervisor : N.N.