The core expertise of the Nano Aerosol Computational Engineering (NanoACE) research group is developing and applying computational models for nanomaterials and nanoparticles in chemically reacting flows. The goal of these models is to either reduce unwanted emissions or increase desired products. The group has expertise in computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer, aerosol and particle dynamics modeling, and chemical kinetics modeling. Below are samples of ongoing research projects undertaken by the NanoACE group.
Cogeneration of hydrogen and carbon nanomaterials towards a net-zero CO2 economy
Canada, and the world, is currently in the midst of dealing with one of its greatest crises in the form of climate change. The world must move towards a net-zero CO2 economy with haste to avoid the worst of the projected future scenarios presented by the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. This move to a net-zero CO2 economy is not trivial and is particularly problematic for Canada due to its economic reliance on its vast oil & gas resources. Canada must find a way to fight climate change while still leveraging its resources.
One potential route for Canada to prosper from our oil & gas resources in a net-zero economy is to use its fossil fuel resources to produce “green” (net-zero) hydrogen (H2). While electrification will be the primary method of moving to net-zero, the world’s governments have realized that other net-zero energy carriers are required and have created strategic initiatives with billions of dollars in funding to develop green H2 as this net-zero energy carrier. The issue with hydrogen is its production methods are either CO2 emission intensive, such as steam methane reforming, or have potential to produce green H2 but are expensive, such as electrolysis of water. Other methods of H2 production are currently being commercialized that rely on pyrolysis assisted by plasmas to separate H2 and carbon contained in fossil fuels, predominantly from natural gas (methane). The key to these processes is that the carbon by-product must be in the form of a valuable material such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes, or graphene.
The NanoACE group has been developing and applying models to optimize processes of hydrogen generation and high-value carbon nanomaterials synthesis from fossil fuels. The goal is to improve process yield and the quality of the nanomaterials synthesized. The NanoACE group has also set-up a microwave-assisted plasma reactor to experimentally investigate such cogeneration processes.
Development of fundamental models for graphene formation
Graphene is a nanomaterial, whose discovery in 2004 led to a Nobel Prize, that has exceptional electrical, thermal, mechanical, and optical properties. It has the potential to radically improve performance in a wide range of applications; however, its widespread adoption is limited due to a lack of high-yield scalable synthesis methods. Continuous flow, gas-phase synthesis has been widely used in manufacturing other nanomaterials as it is easily scalable and can be high yield. Recently, researchers have begun investigating a continuous flow, gas-phase synthesis method for graphene that utilizes a microwave plasma reactor. The NanoACE team has been developing fundamental models for graphene synthesis in plasma reactors to understand how operating conditions affect graphene yield and morphology. This is the only model to exist that can describe graphene synthesis in gas-phase reactor systems.
Development of models for carbon black and soot formation
With a production volume of 15 million tons per year (~ $17B/year), carbon black (CB) is the largest nanomaterial by volume and value on the market today and is mainly used as a reinforcing agent or pigment in rubber and tire industry. CB is primarily manufactured by the so-called furnace process where about 50% of heavy fuel oil is partially combusted to convert the rest of it into CB. When produced in combustion systems, carbon black is a pollutant emission called soot. Soot is the 2nd largest contributor to climate change and causes several negative human health impacts. Understanding the formation of carbon black and soot is important to increase the positive and the negative impacts of this material; however, this understanding is lacking due to the very complex nature of how it forms. The NanoACE groups works on developing fundamental and reduced-order models to increase understanding into how carbon black and soot formation occurs. A specific focus on the group is working on developing fundamental physics-based models for the least understood part of formation, which is the birth of particles or inception.
Other research interests
The NanoACE group is also interested in research in the following areas:
- Metal fuel combustion
- Gas-phase synthesis of other nanomaterials and nanoparticles