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

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

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

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)

MoltenSaltBiocarbon

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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

Supertorrefac4onSubmergeBiomassunderMoltenSaltat300to550oC

for10to1mintoMimicWhatTakesNature100MyrtoProduce

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Patentsgranted:TW,CN,USA,RUS,CAN,EUPending:IN

YouTubevideo

2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 9

PilotMoltenSaltSupertorrefac4onFacilityAtNa4onalTsingHuaUniversity,TW

•  Current:20kgbiomass/10minat300oC,washincooker(batch)•  Immerseinmelter:11.11kgbiomass/1minat450oC=16t/d(cont)•  Washinwater,recoversalt,self-heatfromoxida4onofCfinesinsalt

2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 10

CharcoalFines&TarOxida4on

Picture:moltensaltaterdumping½kgofCFwnospargingofair,butws4rrerturnedonatercloselid.

Moltensaltateroxida4onofcharcoalfines(&associatedtar),onlyCO2&H2Oplusheat

0602-550550Cfor1minfollowedbywashingwith2NnitricacidandwaterBiochar&Ac4vatedCfromLeucaenaat550oCin1min

BET-CO2=530m2/g(cf.Sigma-Aldrich570m2/g)

2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 11

Cells

Microfibrils

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

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

2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 15

AddingBiochartoCarbon-DepletedSoils

toEnhanceCropProduc4vity

Hood-Nowatny(2016):75%increaseinsoilproduc4vityintropical&temperatezonesCirculareconomy:biomassàbiocharàmorearablelandforgrowingbiomass,…

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

Technologycompanylookingforstrategicpartners

YouTubevideos

2019/3/22 Frank.Shu 17

Astron

Thankyouforlistening!

Springer-Nature,Resonance,ar4cleonReversingClimateChange.Pt.1,Feb2019;Pt.2,Mar2019