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Reversing Climate Change by Carbonizing Biomass
FrankH.ShuFounder,AstronSolu4onsCorpora4on
SEMIConferenceonUseofBiocarboninSemiconductorIndustry22March2019
Collaborators:P.F.Cheng,S.Chien,P.Ho,R.Krasnopolsky,C.T.Liu,F.S.Model,R.E.Taam,N.H.Tai,H.L.wang,T.S.Wei,,S.K.Wu,R.T.Yang,S.J.Zheng
Supportedby:MinistryofScience&Technology,Taiwan
2019/3/22 1Frank.Shu
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OutlineofPresenta/on• ClimateMi4ga4on:Goals&Objec4ves
– COP21goalforhal4ngcatastrophicriseofatmosphericCO2– HowtorestoreatmosphericCO2tosafelevelbyyear2100
• PrincipalconcernsofTaiwansemiconductoridustry:– Reliableandsustainablesourceofelectricity:thoriumMSR(nothere)– Greenersourceofultrapurewaterforwashingchips/wafers
• Carboniza4onofBiomassbySupertorrefac4on(STR)– Biocarbon(bioliquids&syngasbyproductsnotdiscussedhere):ac4vatedcarbon,biochar,biocoal(C-neutral)
– Large-scaleusageofbiocarbon,whichisnotburned,cangivenega4veCO2emissionandreverseclimatechangebefore2100
2019/3/22 2Frank.Shu
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IEA:44TUSD(new)+23TUSD(eff)or6+2TUSD2F-MSBR+STRFladenCO2by2050;thenreduce2ppm/yrun4lsafeat2100
COP21StrategicPlanforDecarboniza4on–NotGoodEnough
2019/3/22Frank.Shu
Fla1encurveto450ppmby2050WithNewNuclearEnergy+Renewables(STR,biofuel,hydro,wind,solar,geo)
*****
** *
** * * **KeelingCurveforCO2Concentra4onatMaunaLoa
PledgedINDCs **
Fullrecordending2March2019
Safe
3
Businessasusual:Beforeendofcentury:é3-4oCAsia-Pacific:6oC1000-yr4mescale:60msearise
CO2C
oncentra4o
n(ppm
)
Fullrecordending2Mar2019
Safe<350ppm(Hansenetal.2008)
1960197019801990200020102020203020402050
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MathofReversingClimateChange• Toreduceatmby100ppmCO2
=782GtCO2=bury261Gtbiochar• Over50y,need5.2Gt/yofbiochar
produc4onfrom20.8Gt/ybiomass• 20.8Gt/y=57Mt/d,or3.6M
machines@16t/d• Servicelifeagainstmoltensalt
corrosion=17y,soneedatotalof(50y/17y)(3.6M)=10.6Mmachines
• Atcostof100K$permachine,totalcostwouldbe1.06T$ifcapacityfactorwere100%
• Atmorerealis4ccapacityfactor,totalcost~2T$
• Enoughlandtogrowbiomass?• Worldcurrentlydevotes4.91Gha
tofarms&ranches.• Growing20.8Gt/ybiomassrequires
yieldof4.24t/ycropperha.OKasavgcropyield.
• Reclaimingdeser4fied&damagedlandswbiocharwouldhelp
• S4muatedproduc4vityofbiomassaboveandbelowgroundcouldimproveabovenumbersbyfactorofabout2
• Reversingclimatechangewithinthiscenturyisdoablewithcommitmentandwill!
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FlowDiagramforUltrapurifica4onofCityWater(fromTSMC)
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ACFatepcurrentlyusesac4vatedcarbonderivedfromac4va4ngbituminouscoal.Trytomakethisstepgreenerintwostages:(!)UseSTRtorejuvenatespentAC(carbon-neutral);washwwaterfUPWtankbeforeuse(2)Subs4tutecoal-derivedACwithbiomass-derivedAC(carbon-nega4ve)
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MoltenSaltBiocarbon
2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 6
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AnyFormofOrganicMaderCanBeCarbonizedInAbsenceofOxygen
chopsticks �
bamboo stick bamboo pieces �
leucaena � orange peel �
toothpicks �
grapefruit rind�banana peel �
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Photo;F.T.Luo
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Supertorrefac4onSubmergeBiomassunderMoltenSaltat300to550oC
for10to1mintoMimicWhatTakesNature100MyrtoProduce
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Patentsgranted:TW,CN,USA,RUS,CAN,EUPending:IN
YouTubevideo
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2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 9
PilotMoltenSaltSupertorrefac4onFacilityAtNa4onalTsingHuaUniversity,TW
• Current:20kgbiomass/10minat300oC,washincooker(batch)• Immerseinmelter:11.11kgbiomass/1minat450oC=16t/d(cont)• Washinwater,recoversalt,self-heatfromoxida4onofCfinesinsalt
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2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 10
CharcoalFines&TarOxida4on
Picture:moltensaltaterdumping½kgofCFwnospargingofair,butws4rrerturnedonatercloselid.
Moltensaltateroxida4onofcharcoalfines(&associatedtar),onlyCO2&H2Oplusheat
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0602-550550Cfor1minfollowedbywashingwith2NnitricacidandwaterBiochar&Ac4vatedCfromLeucaenaat550oCin1min
BET-CO2=530m2/g(cf.Sigma-Aldrich570m2/g)
2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 11
Cells
Microfibrils
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Carbon-Nega4veUsesforBiocarbon
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LargeTradi4onalIndustryExists
thatMakesACfromCoconutShellforWaterFiltra4on
2019/3/22 13Frank.Shu
Excelwetsuitsshopmodena.comysi-shapewear.com Aliexpress.com
Biocharasinsula4oninsidewallplaster(Schmidt,Switzerland)
Curingcharcoalbricksinwater(Venkatesanetal.,PanimalarEngineeringCollege,Chennai)
Pebblestone,Kolkata,India
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EnvironmentalProbleminTaiwan&Elsewhere:BurningRiceStrawStubble
RockyMountainNat’lPark
2019/3/22 14Frank.Shu
Problems:• ToomuchSiO2forfarmanimalstodigest• SlaggingfromSiO2makesricestrawundesirablefuelforcombus4on• Acceleratedcompos4ngbyaddingnaturalstrainofmoldaterharvest• EasiesttoburninthefieldSugges4onsandchallenges:• Don’tcombust,carbonize• Farmershaveonly2weekstopreparefieldfornextcropCarboniza4onsolu4on• 2wk/halfyr,STRtomakeagriculturalbiochar(needaboutfive16t/dmachines)• Putbiocharbackonfarmlandtoimprovecropproduc4vity• Restofyr,makehigh-valueACfromleucaenaorbambooorrejuventecoal-basedAC
TaipeiEPA
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2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 15
AddingBiochartoCarbon-DepletedSoils
toEnhanceCropProduc4vity
Hood-Nowatny(2016):75%increaseinsoilproduc4vityintropical&temperatezonesCirculareconomy:biomassàbiocharàmorearablelandforgrowingbiomass,…
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ReclaimingPollutedLandswithBiocarbon
2019/3/22 16
FuelCellEnergy,LLCDanbury,CT
TroyHooperJuly2010Hope,COAbandonedsilvermine
• 0.73tonnebiocharmixedwcompost&grassseedlings
Frank.Shu2016/6/16 16
• DecontaminateCdfromricepaddies(Bianetal.2013)• PortablecommercialSTR(1line):
>16t/dbiochar(priceê10x)•
TroyHooperAugust2011
Ater3yr
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Technologycompanylookingforstrategicpartners
YouTubevideos
2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 17
Astron
Thankyouforlistening!
Springer-Nature,Resonance,ar4cleonReversingClimateChange.Pt.1,Feb2019;Pt.2,Mar2019