Using ammonia as a hydrogen-rich energy source requires technology that can spot pollutants in flames.
A technique that enables KAUST researchers to identify two kinds of pollutants with a single laser beam could make it easier to generate heat and power from ammonia, a carbon-free hydrogen carrier.
An important component of the nitrogen fertilizer industry, liquid ammonia carries more hydrogen in a set volume than liquid hydrogen itself. Analysts predict that, with established production, transportation and storage bases, ammonia could help bring hydrogen-powered engines into the power and mobility markets.
But realizing this goal requires researchers to face a burning issue: the combustion process that generates heat from ammonia can also produce nitrogen oxide pollutants that are known environmental toxins. “If you’re not careful, your ammonia flame can be just as bad for global warming as oil or natural gas, even though there are no CO2 emissions,” says KAUST's Thibault Guiberti.
Read more at KAUST Discovery.
