Synthesis and Utilization of Clean Ammonia as Fuel

A Special Issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717) belonging to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2027 | Viewed by 1457

Editors


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Guest Editor
Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Interests: combustion chemistry; laser diagnostics; hydrogen combustion; marine fuels; clean and efficient combustion

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Guest Editor
1. Chemical Engineering Department, University of Tulsa, 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK 74104-9700, USA
2. HyET NoCarbon USA Inc., Golden, CO 80401, USA
Interests: catalytic membrane reactors; ammonia synthesis; ammonia decomposition; electrolyzers; plasma catalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ammonia is the second largest produced chemical in the world, widely used as a fertilizer, cleaning agent, and chemical feedstock. As the global energy sector is moving towards clean energy and decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors, ammonia has shown its immense potential as an energy vector and hydrogen carrier. It has a volumetric hydrogen density of 108 g-H2/m3. Ammonia storage, transport, and safety infrastructure have existed for over a century. Hence, it is believed to play a pivotal role in the energy transition into a clean energy future. Blended ammonia and cracked ammonia are upcoming fuels for several applications, including the shipping industry, steel industry, and power generation. 

To unlock the true potential of ammonia as a fuel, two parts of the value chain need to be thoroughly understood: (i) clean ammonia production and (ii) ammonia utilization. In recent years, there have been several advances in the methods for ammonia production, such as plasma catalysis, electrochemical synthesis, photochemical synthesis, aqueous ammonia synthesis, the adsorption-enhanced Haber–Bosch process, and low-temperature Haber–Bosch process. It is quintessential to understand these processes and their application into the bigger picture. For ammonia utilization, the key is to understand the combustion/conversion kinetics and its effect on the system. Today, we already have some internal combustion engines, burners, furnaces, and gas turbines that use pure ammonia, blended ammonia, and cracked ammonia fuels. 

This Special Issue aims to highlight the role of clean ammonia synthesis and utilization in advancing a green future, with a focus on (but not limited to) the following topics:

  • Thermocatalytic ammonia synthesis;
  • Haber–Bosch process alternatives for clean ammonia synthesis;
  • Ammonia decomposition (with application);
  • Ammonia and ammonia-blended fuel combustion;
  • Ammonia valorization pathways and systems.

Dr. Rajavasanth Rajasegar
Dr. Javishk R. Shah
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • clean ammonia synthesis
  • ammonia decomposition
  • ammonia combustion
  • ammonia fuel
  • Haber–Bosch process
  • clean combustion
  • ammonia valorization

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 6928 KB  
Article
Characteristics of Plasma-Assisted Ammonia Jet Flame Under High-Pressure Conditions
by Zhicong Lv, Zhiwei Wang, Qifu Lin, Jiawei Gong, Yong Li, Yuchen Zhang and Longwei Chen
Processes 2026, 14(2), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14020373 - 21 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 697 | Correction
Abstract
A plasma-assisted ammonia jet flame igniter was developed in this study to address the limitations of conventional spark ignition at high pressures. The effect of pressure on plasma discharge characteristics, optical emission spectra, and exhaust gas emission was systematically investigated, providing new insights [...] Read more.
A plasma-assisted ammonia jet flame igniter was developed in this study to address the limitations of conventional spark ignition at high pressures. The effect of pressure on plasma discharge characteristics, optical emission spectra, and exhaust gas emission was systematically investigated, providing new insights into the mechanisms of plasma-assisted ammonia ignition under high-pressure conditions. The results indicate that increased chamber pressure elevates gas density, which in turn raises the voltage required to sustain an arc discharge at 0.4 MPa and markedly reduces the frequency of arc drift. Spectral analysis shows that higher pressure inhibits atomic oxygen lines (777.2 nm and 844.6 nm) while intensifying the molecular nitrogen bands between 350–450 nm. A corresponding decrease in electron excitation temperature is also observed. In terms of exhaust composition, hydrogen concentration demonstrates a bifurcated behavior, rising with pressure under fuel-rich conditions (the equivalence ratio φ > 1.2) and falling under fuel-lean conditions (φ ≤ 1). Conversely, NO concentration consistently decreases with increasing pressure across all test conditions. The ammonia concentration in the exhaust gas shows opposite pressure dependencies at different equivalence ratios. It increases with rising pressure for φ ≥ 1, while it decreases with increasing pressure for φ < 1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Utilization of Clean Ammonia as Fuel)
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1 pages, 401 KB  
Correction
Correction: Lv et al. Characteristics of Plasma-Assisted Ammonia Jet Flame Under High-Pressure Conditions. Processes 2026, 14, 373
by Zhicong Lv, Zhiwei Wang, Qifu Lin, Jiawei Gong, Yong Li, Yuchen Zhang and Longwei Chen
Processes 2026, 14(8), 1210; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14081210 - 10 Apr 2026
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In the original publication [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Utilization of Clean Ammonia as Fuel)
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