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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/D023238/1
Title A Feasibility Study into the Formic Acid Economy
Status Completed
Energy Categories Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Fuel Cells, Stationary applications) 5%;
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen production) 80%;
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Fuel Cells, Mobile applications) 5%;
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Fuel Cells, Other applications) 10%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry) 80%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Chemical Engineering) 20%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Professor SCE Tsang
No email address given
Oxford Chemistry
University of Oxford
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 November 2005
End Date 31 October 2006
Duration 12 months
Total Grant Value £73,246
Industrial Sectors Chemicals; Energy; Environment
Region South East
Programme Cross-Discipline Interface, Physical Sciences, Process Environment and Sustainability
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Professor SCE Tsang , Oxford Chemistry, University of Oxford (99.996%)
  Other Investigator Dr BG Davis , Oxford Chemistry, University of Oxford (0.001%)
Professor C Rayner , Sch of Chemistry, University of Leeds (0.001%)
Professor MG Davidson , Chemistry, University of Bath (0.001%)
Professor PJ (Peter ) Hall , Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Huntsman ICI Chemicals (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract It is essential to develop new, cheap, reliable and efficient power systems that do not contribute to global warming. There is a lot of interest in hydrogen because it can be produced cleanly from a large range of sources (biological, solar, wind etc). Unfortunately, it is difficult to store hydrogen and this limits its application. The proposal here is to combine hydrogen with CO2 from the atmosphere to produce an intermediate chemical called formic acid. Formic acid can be used as a fuelfor fuel cells, which are essentially batteries that can be operated continuously, if they are provided with fuel. They are more efficient than conventional internal combustion engines, silent and non-polluting. Formic acid has not been tested extensively as a fuel but is very promising because it may be possible to increase fuel cell efficiency as well as reducing their cost
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 01/01/07