The Solar Refinery

Keeping this broad view it is the intention of the present book to cover a tiny fraction of the scientific ground necessary for converting the present fossil-based energy system into one where regenerative primary energy is the main source of 

Catalysis [15] is the science of controlling the course of chemical reactions through managing the structure of transitions and intermediates on the pathway from educt to product systems. It uses functional materials called catalysts that bind in highly specific forms to reacting species and so control their reacting structures. These 

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Figure 1.1.17 The solar refinery as the conceptual contribution of chemistry by chemical energy conversion to the sustainable use of renewable energy. The upstream part (hydrogen generation) and the downstream parts need not to be colocalized in a practical realization. CSP stands for concentrated solar power. Green boxes indicate solar fuel products blue boxes stand for intermediate platform chemicals. The red arrows indicate flows of solar hydrogen to a storage and transport system for large-scale applications. The blue arrows show the major application lines for chemical production of solar fuels. The scheme also indicates the role of fertilizers from ammonia required in sustained use of biomass for energetic applications.

Frasch s creative mind continued to work on petroleum. Between 1880 and 1900, thirty-four patents were filed by Standard Oil, half of which originated with Frasch. In 1895, another major invention was made by Frasch, the acidizing of an oil well to increase production, but this was not for Standard. Patents for the process were issued the following year (U.S. patent 556,651, 556,669). The acid reacted with the limestone rock, releasing carbon dioxide gas that opened up fissures in the rock. This process freed trapped oil pockets. Frasch had worked on this project with John W. Van Dyke (1849 - 1939). Frasch had known Van Dyke from the Solar Refinery years, where the latter had been the Superintendent of the revolutionary refinery for sour oil. On April 1, 1896, they assigned the patents to Van Dyke s company, the Oil Well Acid Treatment Company of Lima, Ohio. Van Dyke later led the Standard Oil spin-off company, the Atlantic Refining Company (later becoming part of ARCO and now part of BP). 

Herman Frasch, the chief chemist of the Solar Refinery at that time, is credited with the invention of the addizing technique. Frasch was issued the first patent on acidizing on March 17, 1896. This was the first great milestone in the history of acidizing. The brief Frasch patent was the first of many acidizing patents. In the patent, Frasch proposed... 

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