The Nitrogen Company
Mechanical Engineering Intern | September - December 2022 | Palo Alto, CA
In September 2022, I began working at The Nitrogen Company, an on-campus start-up at Stanford based out of the Stanford Plasma Physics Laboratory. The Nitrogen Company aims to transform the way in which fertilizer is created via the use of plasma technology which directly transforms the nitrogen in the air into liquid fertilizer. The Haber-Bosch process currently dominates the fertilizer production industry yet has remained unchanged for decades, producing incredible amounts of emissions in the process. In fact, nitrogen fertilizers were found to be responsible for 20% of total agricultural emissions, serving as a strong contributing factor to the climate crisis.
Rendering of 187.5 kW on-site plant that would have the capacity to produce sufficient fertilizer for over 300 acres of strawberries
At The Nitrogen Company, I served as a mechanical engineering intern, helping direct design and fabrication efforts for a pilot plant we sought to debut at the USDA Salinas facility. This involves determining appropriate flow rates for air and chemical pumps to ensure that liquid in the reactors receive sufficient exposure to the plasma gasses that create nitrates. The pilot plant is comprised of twelve individual reactors which requires an intricate flow system to maintain balanced flow across each. I am also in charge of the plant's physical layout, designing it in a way that minimizes capital costs and electricity use while maintaining a professional look.
In addition to pilot plant design, I also worked on the system optimization team where I oversee extensive testing that aims to determine the optimal set of operating conditions. Through weeks of testing, I was able to substantially improve the NO3 (nitrate) / kWh yield rate through varying flow rates and empirically determining the ideal Nitrogen : Oxygen ratio for the system's air intake.
Through my work developing the pilot plant and optimizing the system, I was also able to contribute to a next-generation design which aims to make the system more modular and enhance heat dissipation. Additionally, I worked on implementing an industrial automation system which would allow for remote system monitoring and control.