Energy-Efficient Carbon Fiber Production with Concentrated Solar Power: Process Design and Techno-economic Analysis

Abstract

Carbon fibers, if generated from anthropogenic CO 2 via algae-based carbon fixation and subsequent energy and cost-efficient carbonization, would be a sustainable CO 2 sink. They could replace materials that currently are major greenhouse gas (GHG) sources, hence contributing significantly to accomplishing targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement. For the first time, our study presents an integration of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology into a carbonization reactor (CR) for carbon fiber production combined with extensive energy recovery. Based on a mass and energy flow model of the corresponding CSP-CR concept, technoeconomic analysis (TEA) was carried out, first with static base case values for broad variation analysis, and in a second step with a dynamic economic model, embedded in a Monte Carlo simulation, to quantify risks from market and modeling uncertainties. First results indicate significant reduction potential of energy consumption and cost. Economic viability perspectives are promising and justify extended research and developments.

�Green Carbon� from Algae for Automotive Applications

“…Figure 9 shows a flow chart of the Bio-Diesel production from algae [27]. Theoretical calculations show that the algae used to make carbon fibres consume more CO2 from the atmosphere than it is released due to the decomposition of the composites made with these fibres, the ecological balance being in this case negative [27][28][29]. The technological process for the manufacture of "Green Carbon Fibres" from algae and their mechanical properties have been studied in detail by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and subsequently found a number of application areas.…”

“…Conventional carbon fibres have been obtained since 1950 through the classic "SOHIO" process for the conversion of acrylonitrile (AN) obtained from Polypropylene (PP) into polyacrylnitril (PAN). For "Green Carbon fibres production", several processes have been studied at TUM [27][28][29]. For the manufacture of polyacylnitril (PAN) from algae oil resulting from the production of Bio-diesel, advantageous results were obtained using the "DRALON" technology.…”

PtX‐Plus: Synergies Through Coupling of PtX Facilities with a Biorefinery

“…The basis for this were the development, feasibility and profitability studies of biochemical process chains for production of carbon fibers from algae and/or directly from CO 2 , . As early as 2018, these efforts were mentioned and acknowledged as an industrial option for creating a globally relevant carbon sink in the IPCC‐SR1.5 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change , considering both the permanent and therefore sustainable immobilization of CO 2 in a solid (carbon fiber) and the combination of carbon fiber with hard rock to a new carbon fiber/stone composite material (CFS) for the purpose of substituting major CO 2 sources: steel, aluminum and armored concrete.…”

Green composites and their contribution toward sustainability: A review

“…the economic, social, and environmental aspect is not considered in its entirety. 5,6 Some contradictions have been observed, specifically those related to the stage of the extraction of the raw materials, when lack of regulation can place the resource under pressure and, as a consequence, the whole system 7 or, when the manufacturing process uses similar amounts of energy 8 and toxic residues than in conventional processes of oil-based materials. The incorporation of concepts such as recyclability, renewability, and biodegradability 9 has made the conceptualization of green materials easy.…”