en fuel cells hydrogen biomass combustion geologic storage ... challenges of the
future; therefore, GCEP explores technologies across a ... Conducted
fundamental scientific and engineering studies of fuel cells and bioelectricity
conversion at.
5
ass combustion CO2 capture coal conversion mat on biofuels geologic storage hydrogen renewables capture photovoltaics materials catalysts coal co lls hydrogen biomass combustion geologic storag c storage fuel cells CO2 capture photovoltaics ma conversion biofuels batteries conversion biofuels stion CO2 capture photovoltaics biomass catalys tion conversion batteries fuel cells geologic storag materials catalysts batteries renewables fuel cells ls batteries conversion batteries renewables fuel
Five Years of Research Towards Energy Solutions
About GCEP The Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP) at Stanford University seeks to find new solutions to one of the most significant challenges of this century— supplying energy to meet the changing needs of a growing population while protecting the environment. Our role is to invest in
“All of us at GCEP are grateful for the opportunity to work on the fundamental science and engineering of the energy conversions of the future—they are an essential part of meeting human needs and simultaneously protecting planetary systems on which we depend.”
fundamental scientific research that will provide the foundation for sustained technological innovation. This innovation is needed to develop global energy systems with significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the decades ahead. There is no single technology that is likely to meet all the energy challenges of the future; therefore, GCEP explores technologies across a spectrum of globally significant energy resources and uses. The Project’s primary objective is to build a diverse technology research portfolio that, if successful in the marketplace, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be efficient, environmentally benign, and cost-effective when deployed at large scale. To maximize its impact, GCEP focuses on
Franklin M. Orr, Jr. GCEP Project Director Stanford University
potentially “game-changing” technologies and encourages innovative research that is high risk with the potential for high reward. While only some research efforts may succeed in a way that could greatly improve our energy future, this kind of strategy is one of the keys to creating dramatic change. Launched five years ago, GCEP is supported by four international companies: ExxonMobil, General Electric, Schlumberger, and Toyota. The Project’s sponsors will invest a total of $225 million over a decade at Stanford and at other leading institutions around the world to build a wide-ranging portfolio of research.
The First F GCEP Research—The First Five Years
GCEP researchers have generated many innovative ideas for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including exciting new concepts in solar cells, novel biological energy conversions, and a deeper
fundamental understanding of CO2 trapping mechanisms in geological storage reservoirs. Brief examples of GCEP research highlights to date are provided below.
Advanced the science of high-performance, low-cost photovoltaic systems, including the following:
Explored the fundamental mechanisms of solar energy conversion in organic-based systems to engineer the electronic properties of organic absorbers and tune the cell morphology at the nanometer scale. Integrated nanometer-scale features into inorganic-based systems to enhance photon absorption and charge transport of thin-film cells using abundant, non-toxic semiconductor materials. Investigated metallic nanostructured features, called plasmonics, and their implementation in high-performance, organic and inorganic-based photovoltaic devices. Explored novel approaches for enhanced biofuel production, such as: Engineered new biosynthetic pathways to produce biodiesel from bacteria with 20-fold increase in yield compared to non-engineered bacteria. Created novel yeast species to process biomass more efficiently by fermenting the sugar xylose, a major component of biomass. Conducted fundamental scientific and engineering studies of fuel cells and bioelectricity conversion at the nanoscale. Investigated novel nanowire strategies to increase the energy density of lithium batteries for application in transportation based on ideas that have demonstrated the potential to enhance battery electrode performance significantly. Increased knowledge of hydrogen bonding to carbon nanotubes, generating new strategies for storing and using hydrogen for transportation. Applied fundamental thermodynamic principles to the design of engines, leading to radically different architectures with high efficiency and low emissions. Developed a zero-emission coal energy conversion scheme for electricity production, integrating coal oxidation and CO2 sequestration in aquifer-derived brine into a single process.
Five Years Advanced the fundamental understanding of geomechanical phenomena to open up new routes to assessing the storage potential, CO2 flow behavior, and long-term risks associated with CO2 storage in subsurface systems such as deep aquifers and deep, unmineable coal beds.
Developed much more efficient computational approaches to predict the movement of CO2 in underground storage reservoirs and explored ways to trap the CO2 with capillary forces so that it cannot escape to the surface.
Distribution of Research Funds Hydrogen Biohydrogen
Renewables
Bioenergy
5%
16%
Hydrogen Storage 5% Hydrogen Impacts 1%
Solar Water Splitting
Advanced Combustion
4%
9% Advanced Coal 3%
Solar Photovoltaics 20%
CO2 Capture 7%
Carbon-Based Energy Systems CO2 Storage 10% Exploratory Research 1% Intergrated Assessment 2%
Other
Advanced Fuel
Batteries for Advanced
Cell Systems 11%
Electrochemical Transformations
Transportation 6%
Project Status $111M funding allocated to GCEP 44 full-term research programs 11 exploratory research activities 24 institutions 17 Stanford departments 70 investigators Over 300 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows 6 patent applications
Research Institutions with Allocated Funding
Japan RITE
Australia UNSW University of Sydney
USA
Europe
Stanford University
Purdue University
ECN
Universite de Picardie Jules Verne
Boise State University
SRI International
ETH Zürich
‘ Universidad Politecnica de Madrid
Brigham Young University
UC Santa Cruz
IRDEP/CNRS
Uppsala University
California Institute of Technology
University of Montana
TU Delft
Utrecht University/FOM
University of Wisconsin
University of Dundee
Carnegie Institution of Washington Harvard University
Ghent University
GCEP —The Next Five Years GCEP will continue to seek scientific breakthroughs to develop new energy technologies with low GHG emissions. We will analyze global energy use and pursue new research opportunities with the greatest impact. The Project will work with academic research institutions in rapidly developing countries. We will begin new initiatives to reach out to related research programs around the world and to the institutions that will build upon the scientific results to enable large-scale deployment.
Years
Project Director: Franklin M. Orr, Jr. Executive Director: Sally M. Benson Managing Director: Richard E. Sassoon
Global Climate and Energy Project
The Jerry Yang & Akiko Yamazaki Environment & Energy Building Mail Code 4230 473 Via Ortega Stanford, CA 94305 Phone: (650) 724-6740 Fax: (650) 725-9190 Email:
[email protected] http://gcep.stanford.edu
Sponsored by:
Issued: March 2008
5
fuel cells hydrogen bioma cat s coal conversio biomass combustion CO2 uel cells hydrogen fuel cel biofuels geologic mass o mbustion coal biomass combus geologic storagransportat photovoltaics m ioncoal conversion biofuel
Printed with soy-based inks on FSC certified recycled paper
