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Draft:Renewable and recyclable metal fuels

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  • Comment: It doesn't look like this term is unique enough or has significant history that warrants its own article. I recommend that the useful content be merged with solid fuel and the details referenced to websites of metal fuel companies rather than secondary sources (pilot plants, several projects...) removed. Reconrabbit 13:32, 9 September 2024 (UTC)

Renewable and recyclable metal fuels (ReMeF).[1][2] are metals that are obtained by reduction of metal-oxides to elementary metal, where this elementary metal is used to store or transport energy introduced by the reduction process for later use or use in a different place. The energy is released by an oxidation process that ultimately leads back to the original metal-oxide[3]. This metal-oxide is used for another energy storage cycle again (recyclable)[2]. A sub-concept of the "recyclable" metal fuels are the "renewable" metal fuels that do not only meet the concept of recyclability but also store exclusively renewable energy, such as e.g. solar energy, wind power or hydropower[1]

History and state of the art

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Metals such as aluminium have been used as energy carriers for a long time in space industry for the propulsion of spacecraft.[4] in solid rocket propellants. The concept of using oxidation and reduction reactions of metals is also the base for the construction of electric batteries. However, using metals outside a battery as bulk material to store energy, release this energy by oxidation and recycle the oxidized metal by converting it into its elementary state again, differs from these two approaches. This concept of Recyclable Metal Fuels goes back to at least 2015[2]. Systematic analysis of the periodic table of elements have been performed and it has been found that aluminium and iron are suitable candidates for recyclable and renewable metal fuels[5]

One of the main drivers for the development of ReMeFs is the search for affordable long term storage of renewable energy and efforts for the decarbonization of the energy supply of humanity.[1][2][4] A main challenge for the development of renewable metal fuels with this purpose is the reduction of metals without using carbon as a reducing agent. Carbon has been used as the reducing agent in the smelting process of aluminium as well as of iron for decades or even centuries, thereby releasing carbon dioxide from the combination of the carbon with the oxygen from the metal-oxide. For the production of aluminium without release of carbon dioxide, inert smelter technologies are being developed[6][7][8][9]. For the development of iron without the use of carbon, direct reduction by green hydrogen is used already today in pilot plants[10]. Several projects focus on the use of these developments for the production of Renewable and Recyclable Metal fuels[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Baeuerle, Yvonne I.; Haller, Michel Y. (2024), Droege, Peter; Quint, Lelia (eds.), "Renewable Metal Fuels as Sustainable Seasonal Energy Storage: Covering Winter Peaks of Heat and Electricity Demand", Proceedings of the International Renewable Energy Storage and Systems Conference (IRES 2023), vol. 32, Dordrecht: Atlantis Press International BV, pp. 111–117, doi:10.2991/978-94-6463-455-6_12, ISBN 978-94-6463-454-9, retrieved 2024-08-23
  2. ^ a b c d Bergthorson, J. M.; Goroshin, S.; Soo, M. J.; Julien, P.; Palecka, J.; Frost, D. L.; Jarvis, D. J. (2015-12-15). "Direct combustion of recyclable metal fuels for zero-carbon heat and power". Applied Energy. 160: 368–382. Bibcode:2015ApEn..160..368B. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.09.037. ISSN 0306-2619.
  3. ^ Bergthorson, Jeffrey M. (2018-09-01). "Recyclable metal fuels for clean and compact zero-carbon power". Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. 68: 169–196. Bibcode:2018PECS...68..169B. doi:10.1016/j.pecs.2018.05.001. ISSN 0360-1285.
  4. ^ a b Maggi, Filippo; Dossi, Stefano; Paravan, Christian; DeLuca, Luigi T.; Liljedahl, Mattias (2015-01-01). "Activated aluminum powders for space propulsion". Powder Technology. 270: 46–52. doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2014.09.048. hdl:11311/868411. ISSN 0032-5910.
  5. ^ Trowell, K. A.; Goroshin, S.; Frost, D. L.; Bergthorson, J. M. (2020-10-01). "Aluminum and its role as a recyclable, sustainable carrier of renewable energy". Applied Energy. 275: 115112. Bibcode:2020ApEn..27515112T. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2020.115112. ISSN 0306-2619.
  6. ^ "Energy efficient and eco-friendly aluminum production". Tæknisetur (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  7. ^ "ELYSIS progresses on the commercialization of its breakthrough technology by issuing its first smelter technology licence". ELYSIS. 2024-06-28. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  8. ^ "Inert Anode Technology". EN+ Group. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  9. ^ "The Role of Inert Anodes in Aluminum Decarbonization". www.nrdc.org. 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  10. ^ "Hybrit". Hybrit. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
  11. ^ "REVEAL". REVEAL. 2024-08-19. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
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