Solar-Powered Catalysis:
Can we harness solar power to generate ammonia for sustainable fertilizer production?
A research team at the University of Michigan studies how a small, solar-powered fertilizer production unit could help achieve sustainable farming.
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This case follows our interdisciplinary team at the University of Michigan (UM) College of Engineering and School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) as we rethink the production of ammonia for fertilizer. We show how environmental justice, inclusivity, and equitable innovation can shape the development of green technologies to achieve a more just human future.
We first consider the violent legacies of mining nitrogen from bird guano, which was supplanted by nitrogen manufacturing through the Haber-Bosch (HB) process. Today, the HB process generates ammonia-based fertilizers that support over half of our planet’s population. However, ammonia can be used in chemical warfare, and the HB process releases significant volumes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Can we advance more just and equitable processes? To mitigate climate change and support the global population, developing more energy-efficient methods of ammonia production is paramount. To this end, the UM team is working to design a solar-powered ammonia reactor to deliver carbon-free ammonia at or near points of use.
Articulating the ambitions for scaling this technology demands self-reflection. As such, this module is an invitation to our colleagues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to create Gala content that weaves technological histories and ethical questions into the fabric of our research successes and failures. Communicating our research through stories could inspire learners to join our endeavors and draw attention to environmental and social challenges that are deeply intertwined with engineering solutions.
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