November: Nicole Neumann (DLR)

Nicole Neumann has headed the Carbon Management for Commodities research group at the Institute of Future Fuels at the German Aerospace Center since 2022. After completing her doctorate in 2020 in the field of thermochemical energy storage, she is now researching the solar production of hydrogen, nitrogen and other feedstocks. In this interview, Nicole provides insights into her research and motivation.

Interview:

What are you currently working on?

Nicole Neumann: My group is generally working on how high-temperature processes for the production of basic materials, such as hydrogen, synthesis gas or cement, can be made sustainable. We integrate concentrating solar energy directly into processes to cover their heat requirements or integrate CO₂ from the air instead of fossil carbon as a raw material source.

I am currently leading projects on solar hydrogen or synthesis gas production with membrane reactors, e.g. the EU project SOMMER. These membrane reactors only require heat and no electricity to continuously split water and CO₂ directly into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The mix of these product gases (synthesis gas) can be used to synthesize methanol, for example, or kerosene via Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. It therefore represents a major lever for operating the chemical industry sustainably or defossilizing the transport sector via sector coupling. The direct integration of concentrated solar energy for heat supply has the advantage that it involves fewer energy conversion steps and can therefore potentially achieve higher efficiencies, and thermal energy can also be stored more cost-effectively on a large scale than is currently possible with batteries for electrical energy.

We are also working on a more energy-efficient production of nitrogen from air using a thermochemical redox cycle process. The aim is to produce nitrogen that is as pure as possible, with oxygen impurities < 10 ppm, for the ammonia production of the future. Here, our process has clear advantages over conventional cryogenic air separation. Ammonia is of great importance for the production of fertilizers, but is also being discussed as a hydrogen carrier/storage medium or as a fuel in the maritime sector.

What is your personal motivtion?

Nicole Neumann: The effects of the climate crisis are becoming ever clearer and remind us daily to act quickly. It is very important to me to contribute to this with my research. In addition to satisfying my scientific curiosity, I also enjoy the methodological diversity of my work and the opportunity to set thematic priorities. My very collegial and committed working environment also contributes significantly to my motivation.

What kind of challenges are you facing in the near future?

Nicole Neumann: As I share the group management with a colleague, I am also able to work on content at times alongside project and group management. On the one hand, this is very fulfilling, but on the other it sometimes leads to a balancing act between extrinsic and intrinsic demands and requires good time management.

In terms of content, I see a challenge in the speed required to implement more sustainable production processes on a large scale. In order to meet this challenge, our technologies must be developed to a higher technology readiness level (TRL), for which sufficient manpower, funding and political backing must be provided in order to adapt the framework conditions for the industry accordingly.

If you could make a wish for something for your research, what would you wish for?

Nicole Neumann: Concentrating solar energy has the potential to provide electricity as a base load as well as to integrate sustainable heat at over 1000 °C directly into processes. Solar process heat can also make a contribution to the heat transition for applications in Germany. This is still an underestimated potential where I would like to see more attention. Nevertheless, close cooperation at European and international level is necessary, as supra-regional solutions are more cost-effective from a systemic perspective. In order to achieve this, I would also like to see the framework conditions adapted so that the externalized costs of CO₂ emissions, which are currently still predominant, are offset against the process steps that cause them.

Where do you see your discipline in 5-10 years?

Nicole Neumann: We will continue to drive forward the sustainable production of raw materials. One major goal is to be able to test the first systems in an industrial environment. However, issues relating to scalability, process control and heat recovery still need to be addressed. In terms of topics, I also see a focus on hybrid processes, for example the combination of concentrating solar energy and photovoltaics or on the process level of electro-thermochemical approaches.

ORCID: 0000-0003-2460-6907