Grant Information
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 511 - New and Improved Non-Food Products and Processes | 2420 - Noncrop plant research | 2020 - Engineering | 45% |
| 712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins | 7010 - Biological Cell Systems | 2020 - Engineering | 15% |
| 404 - Instrumentation and Control Systems | 4010 - Bacteria | 2020 - Engineering | 10% |
| 404 - Instrumentation and Control Systems | 7210 - Remote sensing equipment and technology | 2020 - Engineering | 10% |
| 511 - New and Improved Non-Food Products and Processes | 5399 - Structures, facilities, and equipment, general/other | 2020 - Engineering | 10% |
| 511 - New and Improved Non-Food Products and Processes | 699 - Trees, forests, and forest products, general | 2020 - Engineering | 10% |
Our nation and, indeed, the world face the unprecedented challenges of creating a sustainable energy future and ensuring a safe food supply while also minimizing or reversing the impact of growing economies on the climate. In response to these challenges, the US Congress created the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which is to use broad, systems-level research to address major societal needs. In 2010, NIFA articulated five thematic areas, of which this proposal will address three: climate change, sustainable energy, and food safety:(1) To address these needs, NIFA priorities include both fundamental and applied research. Here, as in the USDA enabling legislation, - Fundamental research means research that (i) increases knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and has the potential for broad application and (ii) has an effect on agriculture, food, nutrition, or the environment. - Applied research means research that includes expansion of the findings of fundamental research to uncover practical ways in which new knowledge can be advanced to benefit individuals and society. Further, research that addresses these national issues will also help advance production agriculture within Washington State, a fundamental goal of the WSU Agricultural Research Center. Catalysis, an essential technology for accelerating and directing the transformation of chemicals to higher value, more useful products, is key to the development of environmentally friendly, economical processes for the conversion of lignocellulosic agricultural materials and/or wastes to useful fuels, chemicals and electricity. Such understanding is, therefore, one of the steps needed to create a sustainable energy future by converting renewable materials to drop-in fuels and chemicals. Further catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to liquid fuels using solar and electrical energy would enable carbon recycle into fuels, thus reducing its contribution to global climate change while also creating drop-in fuels that will reduce petroleum consumption. Efficient fuel cell systems that employ novel chemical and biological catalysts will provide electrical power needed for small operations, such as those found on farms. Moreover, biological catalysts underlie microbial growth in biofilms, the understanding of which is essential to safe foods. The challenge is to understand chemical and biological catalysts and to then apply these catalysts to yield the greatest benefit to society. To realize the full potential offered by new catalytic systems, a profound understanding of catalytic materials that enable the atom-by-atom construction of novel catalysts that function with molecular precision is needed. Moreover, tools and sensors that enable real-time, bulk-solution and spatially-resolved measurements of chemical concentrations and physical properties must be developed. Ultimately, these systems must be used in to address our needs for sustainable energy and safe food. Although this is a broad charge, we have the potential to address specific elements of these needs, and to integrate understanding to address the nations needs.
Fundamental and applied studies will be conducted using the following techniques: 1. We will develop multi-scale computational models to facilitate the design of catalytic materials and reactor systems. For example, using ab initio quantum mechanics, we are able to examine the energetics of an adsorption system. To couple the quantum regime to the mesoscopic and the macroscopic regime, we will use coarse-grained methods such as lattice gas models, which are parameterized using density functional theory. Here Monte Carlo simulations are typically used to obtain the lowest free energy configuration at a given temperature and pressure for relatively large systems. 2. Effective catalysts are needed to convert renewable, alternative materials to drop-in fuels and chemicals. We propose a unique combination of experiment and theory to enable the development of effective catalysts. Specifically, hydrogen produced in-situ via aqueous phase reforming (APR) of small and water soluble oxygenates from pyrolysis oil will used to perform hydrodeoxygenation of pyrolysis oils (hydrotreating). The effluent gas from such an integrated hydrogen production/hydrodeoxygenation process can be recycled to perform a mild hydro-pyrolysis to improve the pyrolysis oil stability and quality. ab initio quantum mechanical calculations and infrared spectroscopy experiments will be integrated with fast pyrolysis systems, enabling the development of a mild hydro-pyrolysis process without the requirement of a separate and external production of hydrogen. 3. Electrons generated from renewable sources, such as wind and solar will enable CO2 reduction in a high-temperature Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOE), which is essentially a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operated in reverse, into long chain hydrocarbons such as gasoline, diesel fuel or jet fuel. A combined theoretical and experimental approach will be used throughout. 4. Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) can be modified to create a potentiometric immunoassay by covalent attachment of a hapten to the ionophore and use of immunocompetition to modulate transmembrane ion flux. A dual ionophore system (di-ISE) will be developed to enable the measurement of very low concentrations of environmentally significant chemical species. 5. Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) are considered an alternative renewable power source for remote environmental monitoring. Our goal is to develop a SMFC and a power management system (PMS) that enables the use of a SMFC to power a systems that consumer high power. This will be accomplished by developing new PMS technologies and a better understanding the role of biofilms in the SMFC. To ensure broad impact, we will work with the WSU Extension Energy Office to communicate research results to stakeholders. We will also publish results in peer-refereed journals, appropriately use press releases, and make presentations at local, regional, and national meetings.
Target Audience
Students, engineers, and scientists in academia and government, and practicing engineers and scientists in industry.
Changes / Problems
Project ended on December 31, 2016.
Training & Professional Development
Nothing Reported
Dissemination Streams
Through publications in peer refereed journals and presentations at regional, national and international scientific meetings.
Next Reporting Steps
Nothing Reported