Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) has received a Department of Energy SBIR Phase II award supporting PCI's development of a novel approach for using solar energy to make liquid fuels from natural gas and carbon dioxide.

PCI's process efficiently integrates on-sun capture with off-sun release of solar energy while simultaneously producing cost-competitive fuel and chemical products. The process uses a new multi-functional material designed to reversibly store and release high-grade solar energy as needed, while enabling process intensification to upgrade natural gas and carbon dioxide into more valuable liquid fuel components and chemicals.

In Phase I, PCI demonstrated the technical and economic viability of the process through demonstration of solar energy capture and release with simultaneous conversion of natural gas and carbon dioxide into liquid fuel components. In Phase II, PCI will develop the technology into an integrated process, in a team including leading solar energy equipment manufacturers, US National Laboratories, and potential users of the process.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Weissman, Principal Investigator for this project, "This first-of-a-kind integrated process and approach enables effective use of solar power coupled with domestically abundant resources, and has the potential to be successful regardless of location or diurnal or seasonal solar variations."

PCI's goal is a cost-effective process for petrochemicals and fuels, supporting solar-powered production of gasoline using natural gas at a cost point of less than $3.00/gallon, while improving U.S. energy independence and environmental quality, as well as the value of our fossil fuel resources.

Precision Combustion | www.precision-combustion.com