Awarded for development of new processes and equipment for production of gases and cryogenic liquids, as well as for the development and implementation of technology for production of electricity in power systems.
Partner, 8 Rivers Capital LLC, Member of IPCC awarded with Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
Rodney John Allam is a leading chartered engineer and a member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. Mr. Allam is the former Director of Technology Development at Air Products and Chemicals plc, where he worked for forty four years and was a Corporate Fellow. He is also a former visiting professor at Imperial College of Science and Technology in London and was a lead author of the IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage. Currently, Mr. Allam is the Chief Technologist at 8 Rivers Capital and NET Power, and the Chief Technology Officer at GTLpetrol LLC.
In addition to the many technological fields in which Mr. Allam has worked as an inventor, adviser and consultant, he has participated actively in the production of future resources in the fields of power, electricity, fuel and other energy systems, with a focus on sustainability. Mr. Allam has participated in the development of new processes and new equipment for the production of gases and cryogenic liquids (O2, N2, Ar, CO, CO2, H2, He) and for the development of technologies for using these gases, including for electricity production and other uses in the power industry.
Mr. Allam has authored numerous patents globally and has participated in many published scientific studies on gas separation technology, improving electrical power and hydrogen production with carbon dioxide capture, and other subjects. He has presented to the US Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory, at three IEA Greenhouse Gas Technologies (GHGT) conferences on climate change, at the Washington International Institute of Refrigeration, and at IChemE (where he served as a committee member). He also participated in developing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology sustainable development programme.
Scientific activity:
- Developed a novel, high-pressure, oxyfuel, supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle that uses natural gas or gasified coal, produces low cost electricity, and eliminates all air emissions, including carbon dioxide; the cycle is being commercialized by 8 Rivers Capital and NET Power.
- Developed highly efficient oxygen fuel energy systems based mainly on coal, to provide greater efficiency when modernising existing power stations operating on pulverized coal.
- Developed integrated СО2 compression with simultaneous elimination of other pollutants, SO2, Hg and nitrogen oxide.
- Developed state-of-the-art, highly-efficient oxygen fuel energy systems based on high operating pressure, steam superheaters and innovative equipment.
- Developed technology for future optimising hydrogen distribution, new concepts for hydrogen liquefaction, hydrogen storage and transportation as well as hydrogen distribution systems at filling stations.
- Developed new technologies for producing Fischer-Tropsch liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas using state-of-the-art Н2 + СО production systems.
The scientist’s recent project is the unique power plants that use natural gas as a fuel. These are absolutely clean energy systems that do not pollute the environment. This will be possible due to the technology of CO2 emissions capture. The energy system functioning is based on the so called Allam cycle principle. In other words, Rodney Allam succedded to create such system that is fueled by CO2 making it the fuel of new generation.
The effectiveness of the processes taking place in these energy systems amounts to 58-60% depending on the natural gas quality. Regarding coal the systems’ effectiveness amounts to 50-52%. The impressing fact is that the electricity cost this model allows to achieve is equal or even less than the cost of energy production at the most technological heating plants.