Structural and surface changes of cobalt modified manganese oxide during activation and ethanol steam reforming reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Gac, Wojciech; Greluk, Magdalena; Słowik, Grzegorz; Turczyniak-Surdacka, Sylwia

2018-05-01

Surface and structural changes of unmodified manganese and cobalt-manganese oxide during activation and ethanol steam reforming reaction conditions (ESR) were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction/oxidation (TPR/TPO) and transmission electron microscopy. It was shown that synthesis of cobalt manganese oxide by the redox precipitation method led to the formation of strongly dispersed cobalt ionic species within cryptomelane-based manganese oxide structure. Development of large cube-like MnO nanoparticles with spherical cobalt metallic crystallites decorated by manganese oxide on the high oxidation state and potassium species was observed during reduction. Cobalt manganese catalyst showed high initial activity and selectivity to H2 and CO2 in ethanol stem reforming reaction in the range of 390-480 °C. The drop of ethanol conversion and changes of selectivity with the time-on-stream were observed. An increase of reaction temperature led to intensification of deactivation phenomena. TEM studies evidenced coexistence of Co and CoOx nanoparticles formed under ethanol steam reforming conditions, partially covered by filamentous and encapsulating carbonaceous deposits.

Energy and exergy analysis of an ethanol reforming process for solid oxide fuel cell applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Tippawan, Phanicha; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2014-04-01

The fuel processor in which hydrogen is produced from fuels is an important unit in a fuel cell system. The aim of this study is to apply a thermodynamic concept to identify a suitable reforming process for an ethanol-fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Three different reforming technologies, i.e., steam reforming, partial oxidation and autothermal reforming, are considered. The first and second laws of thermodynamics are employed to determine an energy demand and to describe how efficiently the energy is supplied to the reforming process. Effect of key operating parameters on the distribution of reforming products, such as H2, CO, CO2 and CH4, and the possibility of carbon formation in different ethanol reformings are examined as a function of steam-to-ethanol ratio, oxygen-to-ethanol ratio and temperatures at atmospheric pressure. Energy and exergy analysis are performed to identify the best ethanol reforming process for SOFC applications. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen yield from low temperature steam reforming of ethanol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, N.K.; Dalai, A.K. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering Laboratories; Ranganathan, R. [Saskatchewan Research Council, Saskatoon, SK (Canada)

2007-02-15

Interest in the use of ethanol for fuel cell hydrogen production was discussed with particular reference to a study in which the production of hydrogen was maximized through low temperature steam reforming of ethanol in the temperature range of 200 to 360 degrees C. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of Mn concentration on a Cu/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst for steam reforming of ethanol to produce hydrogen. The purpose was to maximize ethanol conversion and hydrogen selectivity in the lowest possible reaction temperature for the ideal catalyst activity. The optimum reaction conditions in the presence of a suitable catalyst can produce the desired products of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Cu/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalysts with six different concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 weight per cent Mn, were prepared, characterized and studied for the ethanol-steam reforming reaction. The effects of different process variables were studied, including water-to-ethanol feed ratio, space time and catalyst reduction temperatures on ethanol conversion and hydrogen yield. Maximum ethanol conversion of 60.7 per cent and hydrogen yield of 3.74 (mol of hydrogen per mol of ethanol converted) were observed at 360 degrees C for a catalyst with 2.5 weight per cent Mn loading. 29 refs., 3 tabs., 12 figs.

Model for low temperature oxidation during long term interim storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desgranges, Clara; Bertrand, Nathalie; Gauvain, Danielle; Terlain, Anne [Service de la Corrosion et du Comportement des Materiaux dans leur Environnement, CEA/Saclay - 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Poquillon, Dominique; Monceau, Daniel [CIRIMAT UMR 5085, ENSIACET-INPT, 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France)

2004-07-01

For high-level nuclear waste containers in long-term interim storage, dry oxidation will be the first and the main degradation mode during about one century. The metal lost by dry oxidation over such a long period must be evaluated with a good reliability. To achieve this goal, modelling of the oxide scale growth is necessary and this is the aim of the dry oxidation studies performed in the frame of the COCON program. An advanced model based on the description of elementary mechanisms involved in scale growth at low temperatures, like partial interfacial control of the oxidation kinetics and/or grain boundary diffusion, is developed in order to increase the reliability of the long term extrapolations deduced from basic models developed from short time experiments. Since only few experimental data on dry oxidation are available in the temperature range of interest, experiments have also been performed to evaluate the relevant input parameters for models like grain size of oxide scale, considering iron as simplified material. (authors)

Model for low temperature oxidation during long term interim storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desgranges, Clara; Bertrand, Nathalie; Gauvain, Danielle; Terlain, Anne; Poquillon, Dominique; Monceau, Daniel

2004-01-01

For high-level nuclear waste containers in long-term interim storage, dry oxidation will be the first and the main degradation mode during about one century. The metal lost by dry oxidation over such a long period must be evaluated with a good reliability. To achieve this goal, modelling of the oxide scale growth is necessary and this is the aim of the dry oxidation studies performed in the frame of the COCON program. An advanced model based on the description of elementary mechanisms involved in scale growth at low temperatures, like partial interfacial control of the oxidation kinetics and/or grain boundary diffusion, is developed in order to increase the reliability of the long term extrapolations deduced from basic models developed from short time experiments. Since only few experimental data on dry oxidation are available in the temperature range of interest, experiments have also been performed to evaluate the relevant input parameters for models like grain size of oxide scale, considering iron as simplified material. (authors)

Plasma catalytic reforming of methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bromberg, L.; Cohn, D.R.; Rabinovich, A. [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Science and Fusion Center; Alexeev, N. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation). Baikov Inst. of Metallurgy

1998-08-01

Thermal plasma technology can be efficiently used in the production of hydrogen and hydrogen-rich gases from methane and a variety of fuels. This paper describes progress in plasma reforming experiments and calculations of high temperature conversion of methane using heterogeneous processes. The thermal plasma is a highly energetic state of matter that is characterized by extremely high temperatures (several thousand degrees Celsius) and high degree of dissociation and substantial degree of ionization. The high temperatures accelerate the reactions involved in the reforming process. Hydrogen-rich gas (50% H{sub 2}, 17% CO and 33% N{sub 2}, for partial oxidation/water shifting) can be efficiently made in compact plasma reformers. Experiments have been carried out in a small device (2--3 kW) and without the use of efficient heat regeneration. For partial oxidation/water shifting, it was determined that the specific energy consumption in the plasma reforming processes is 16 MJ/kg H{sub 2} with high conversion efficiencies. Larger plasmatrons, better reactor thermal insulation, efficient heat regeneration and improved plasma catalysis could also play a major role in specific energy consumption reduction and increasing the methane conversion. A system has been demonstrated for hydrogen production with low CO content ({approximately} 1.5%) with power densities of {approximately} 30 kW (H{sub 2} HHV)/liter of reactor, or {approximately} 10 m{sup 3}/hr H{sub 2} per liter of reactor. Power density should further increase with increased power and improved design.

In-situ study of the gas-phase composition and temperature of an intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell anode surface fed by reformate natural gas

Science.gov (United States)

Santoni, F.; Silva Mosqueda, D. M.; Pumiglia, D.; Viceconti, E.; Conti, B.; Boigues Muñoz, C.; Bosio, B.; Ulgiati, S.; McPhail, S. J.

2017-12-01

An innovative experimental setup is used for in-depth and in-operando characterization of solid oxide fuel cell anodic processes. This work focuses on the heterogeneous reactions taking place on a 121 cm2 anode-supported cell (ASC) running with a H2, CH4, CO2, CO and steam gas mixture as a fuel, using an operating temperature of 923 K. The results have been obtained by analyzing the gas composition and temperature profiles along the anode surface in different conditions: open circuit voltage (OCV) and under two different current densities, 165 mA cm-2 and 330 mA cm-2, corresponding to 27% and 54% of fuel utilization, respectively. The gas composition and temperature analysis results are consistent, allowing to monitor the evolution of the principal chemical and electrochemical reactions along the anode surface. A possible competition between CO2 and H2O in methane internal reforming is shown under OCV condition and low current density values, leading to two different types of methane reforming: Steam Reforming and Dry Reforming. Under a current load of 40 A, the dominance of exothermic reactions leads to a more marked increase of temperature in the portion of the cell close to the inlet revealing that current density is not uniform along the anode surface.

Thermal Modeling and Management of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Operating with Internally Reformed Methane

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yiyang; Shi, Yixiang; Cai, Ningsheng; Ni, Meng

2018-06-01

A detailed three-dimensional mechanistic model of a large-scale solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit running on partially pre-reformed methane is developed. The model considers the coupling effects of chemical and electrochemical reactions, mass transport, momentum and heat transfer in the SOFC unit. After model validation, parametric simulations are conducted to investigate how the methane pre-reforming ratio affects the transport and electrochemistry of the SOFC unit. It is found that the methane steam reforming reaction has a "smoothing effect", which can achieve more uniform distributions of gas compositions, current density and temperature among the cell plane. In the case of 1500 W/m2 power density output, adding 20% methane absorbs 50% of internal heat production inside the cell, reduces the maximum temperature difference inside the cell from 70 K to 22 K and reduces the cathode air supply by 75%, compared to the condition of completely pre-reforming of methane. Under specific operating conditions, the pre-reforming ratio of methane has an optimal range for obtaining a good temperature distribution and good cell performance.

Partial oxidation of methane in a temperature-controlled dielectric barrier discharge reactor

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xuming; Cha, Min

2015-01-01

We studied the relative importance of the reduced field intensity and the background reaction temperature in the partial oxidation of methane in a temperature-controlled dielectric barrier discharge reactor. We obtained important mechanistic insight

The Influence of oxide additives on Ni/Al2O3 catalysts in low temperature methane steam reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazar, Mihaela; Dan, Monica; Mihet, Maria; Almasan, Valer

2009-01-01

Hydrogen is industrially produced by methane steam reforming. The process is catalytic and the usual catalyst is based on Ni as the active element. The main problem of this process is its inefficiency. It requires high temperatures at which Ni also favors the formation of graphite, which deactivates the catalysts. Ni has the advantage of being much cheaper than noble metal catalysts, so many researches are done in order to improve the properties of supported Ni catalysts and to decrease the temperature at which the process is energetically efficient. In order to obtain catalysts with high activity and stability, it is essential to maintain the dispersion of the active phase (Ni particles) and the stability of the support. Both properties can be improved by addition of a second oxide to the support. In this paper we present the results obtained in preparation and characterization of Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalysts modified by addition of CeO 2 and La 2 O 3 to alumina support. The following catalysts were prepared by impregnation method: Ni/Al 2 O 3 , Ni/CeO 2 -Al 2 O 3 and Ni/La 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 (10 wt.% Ni and 6 wt.% additional oxide). The catalytic surface was characterized by N 2 adsorption - desorption isotherms. The hydrogen - surface bond was characterized by Thermo-Programmed-Desorption (TPD) method. All catalysts were tested in steam reforming reaction of methane in the range of 600 - 700 deg. C, at atmospheric pressure working with CH 4 :H 2 O ratio of 1:3. The modified catalysts showed a better catalytic activity and selectivity for H 2 and CO 2 formation, at lower temperatures than the simple Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. (authors)

Hydrogen-rich gas production from waste plastics by pyrolysis and low-temperature steam reforming over a ruthenium catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Namioka, Tomoaki; Saito, Atsushi; Inoue, Yukiharu; Park, Yeongsu; Min, Tai-jin; Roh, Seon-ah; Yoshikawa, Kunio

2011-01-01

Operating conditions for low-temperature pyrolysis and steam reforming of plastics over a ruthenium catalyst were investigated. In the range studied, the highest gas and lowest coke fractions for polystyrene (PS) with a 60 g h -1 scale, continuous-feed, two-stage gasifier were obtained with a pyrolyzer temperature of 673 K, steam reforming temperature of 903 K, and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 0.10 g-sample g-catalyst -1 h -1 . These operating conditions are consistent with optimum conditions reported previously for polypropylene. Our results indicate that at around 903 K, the activity of the ruthenium catalyst was high enough to minimize the difference between the rates of the steam reforming reactions of the pyrolysates from polystyrene and polypropylene. The proposed system thus has the flexibility to compensate for differences in chemical structures of municipal waste plastics. In addition, the steam reforming temperature was about 200 K lower than the temperature used in a conventional Ni-catalyzed process for the production of hydrogen. Low-temperature steam reforming allows for lower thermal input to the steam reformer, which results in an increase in thermal efficiency in the proposed process employing a Ru catalyst. Because low-temperature steam reforming can be also expected to reduce thermal degradation rates of the catalyst, the pyrolysis-steam reforming process with a Ru catalyst has the potential for use in small-scale production of hydrogen-rich gas from waste plastics that can be used for power generation.

Low temperature oxidation and spontaneous combustion characteristics of upgraded low rank coal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, H.K.; Kim, S.D.; Yoo, J.H.; Chun, D.H.; Rhim, Y.J.; Lee, S.H. [Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-07-01

The low temperature oxidation and spontaneous combustion characteristics of dried coal produced from low rank coal using the upgraded brown coal (UBC) process were investigated. To this end, proximate properties, crossing-point temperature (CPT), and isothermal oxidation characteristics of the coal were analyzed. The isothermal oxidation characteristics were estimated by considering the formation rates of CO and CO{sub 2} at low temperatures. The upgraded low rank coal had higher heating values than the raw coal. It also had less susceptibility to low temperature oxidation and spontaneous combustion. This seemed to result from the coating of the asphalt on the surface of the coal, which suppressed the active functional groups from reacting with oxygen in the air. The increasing upgrading pressure negatively affected the low temperature oxidation and spontaneous combustion.

Dynamic modeling of a three-stage low-temperature ethanol reformer for fuel cell application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, Vanesa M; Serra, Maria [Institut de Robotica i Informatica Industrial (CSIC-UPC), Llorens i Artigas 4-6, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Lopez, Eduardo; Llorca, Jordi [Institut de Tecniques Energetiques, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Diagonal 647, ed. ETSEIB, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2009-07-01

A low-temperature ethanol reformer based on a cobalt catalyst for the production of hydrogen has been designed aiming the feed of a fuel cell for an autonomous low-scale power production unit. The reformer comprises three stages: ethanol dehydrogenation to acetaldehyde and hydrogen over SnO{sub 2} followed by acetaldehyde steam reforming over Co(Fe)/ZnO catalyst and water gas shift reaction. Kinetic data have been obtained under different experimental conditions and a dynamic model has been developed for a tubular reformer loaded with catalytic monoliths for the production of the hydrogen required to feed a 1 kW PEMFC. (author)

Steam reforming and oxidative steam reforming of methanol over CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Udani, P.P.C.; Gunawardana, P.V.D.S.; Lee, Hyun Chan; Kim, Dong Hyun [Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea)

2009-09-15

Steam reforming (SRM) and oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM) were carried out over a series of coprecipitated CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalysts with varying copper content in the range of 30-80 at.% Cu (= 100 x Cu/(Cu + Ce)). The effects of copper content, reaction temperature and O{sub 2} concentration on catalytic activity were investigated. The activity of CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalysts for SRM and OSRM increased with the copper content and 70 at.% CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalyst showed the highest activity in the temperature range of 160-300 C for both SRM and OSRM. After SRM or OSRM, the copper species in the catalysts observed by XRD were mainly metallic copper with small amount of CuO and Cu{sub 2}O, an indication that metallic copper is an active species in the catalysis of both SRM and OSRM. It was observed that the methanol conversion increased considerably with the addition of O{sub 2} into the feed stream, indicating that the partial oxidation of methanol (POM) is much faster than SRM. The optimum 70 at.% CuO-CeO{sub 2} catalyst showed stable activities for both SRM and OSRM reactions at 300 C. (author)

Low temperature incineration of mixed wastes using bulk metal oxide catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, M.J.; Gaur, S.; Kelkar, S.; Baldwin, R.M.

1996-01-01

Volume reduction of low-level mixed wastes from former nuclear weapons facilities is a significant environmental problem. Processing of these materials presents unique scientific and engineering problems due to the presence of minute quantities of radionuclides which must be contained and concentrated for later safe disposal. Low-temperature catalytic incineration is one option that has been utilized at the Rocky Flats facility for this purpose. This paper presents results of research regarding evaluation of bulk metal oxides as catalysts for low-temperature incineration of carbonaceous residues which are typical by-products of fluidized bed combustion of mixed wastes under oxygen-lean conditions. A series of 14 metal oxides were screened in a thermogravimetric analyzer, using on-line mass spectrometry for speciation of reaction product gases. Catalyst evaluation criteria focused on the thermal-redox activity of the metals using both carbon black and PVC char as surrogate waste materials. Results indicated that metal oxides which were P-type semiconductor materials were suitable as catalysts for this application. Oxides of cobalt, molybdenum, vanadium, and manganese were found to be particularly stable and active catalysts under conditions specific to this process (T<650C, low oxygen partial pressures). Bench-scale evaluation of these metal oxides with respect to stability to chlorine (HCl) attack was carried out at 550C using a TG/MS system. Cobalt oxide was found to be resistant to metal loss in a HCl/He gaseous environment while metal loss from Mo, Mn, and V-based catalysts was moderate to severe. XRD and SEM/EDX analysis of spent Co catalysts indicated the formation of non-stoichiometric cobalt chlorides. Regeneration of chlorinated cobalt was found to successfully restore the low-temperature combustion activity to that of the fresh metal oxide

Reforming performance of a plasma-catalyst hybrid converter using low carbon fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horng, R.-F.; Lai, M.-P.; Huang, H.-H.; Chang, Y.-P.

2009-01-01

The reforming performance of a plasma-catalyst hybrid converter using different low carbon fuels was investigated. The methodology was to use arc from spark discharge combined with an appropriate oxygen/carbon molar ratio (O 2 /C) and feeding rate of the supplied mixture. To enhance the mixing and reforming reaction, a gas intake swirl was generated by inducing the mixture tangentially into the reaction chamber. The required energy for fuel processing was provided by heat released through the oxidation of the air-fuel mixture. The reforming temperature as well as the effect of steam addition on the hydrogen production was studied. The results showed that reformate gas temperature had a profound effect on the overall reaction. The H 2 /(CO + CO 2 ) ratio reformed by both methane and propane was shown to increase with temperature and that the optimum ratio was obtained when reforming methane under 650 deg. C. The conversion efficiency of the fuel was also shown to increase with increasing temperature. The best thermal efficiency of 72.01% was obtained near 750 deg. C. The theoretical equilibrium calculations and the experimental results were compared.

Hydrogen generator, via catalytic partial oxidation of methane for fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Recupero, Vincenzo; Pino, Lidia; Di Leonardo, Raffaele; Lagana', Massimo; Maggio, Gaetano

It is well known that the most acknowledged process for generation of hydrogen for fuel cells is based upon the steam reforming of methane or natural gas. A valid alternative could be a process based on partial oxidation of methane, since the process is mildly exothermic and therefore not energy intensive. Consequently, great interest is expected from conversion of methane into syngas, if an autothermal, low energy intensive, compact and reliable process could be developed. This paper covers the activities, performed by the CNR Institute of Transformation and Storage of Energy (CNR-TAE), on theoretical and experimental studies for a compact hydrogen generator, via catalytic selective partial oxidation of methane, integrated with second generation fuel cells (EC-JOU2 contract). In particular, the project focuses the attention on methane partial oxidation via heterogeneous selective catalysts, in order to: demonstrate the basic catalytic selective partial oxidation of methane (CSPOM) technology in a subscale prototype, equivalent to a nominal output of 5 kWe; develop the CSPOM technology for its application in electric energy production by means of fuel cells; assess, by a balance of plant analysis, and a techno-economic evaluation, the potential benefits of the CSPOM for different categories of fuel cells.

Modeling and parametric simulations of solid oxide fuel cells with methane carbon dioxide reforming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ni, Meng

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A 2D model is developed for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). ► CH 4 reforming by CO 2 (MCDR) is included. ► SOFC with MCDR shows comparable performance with methane steam reforming SOFC. ► Increasing CO electrochemical oxidation greatly enhances the SOFC performance. ► Effects of potential and temperature on SOFC performance are also discussed. - Abstract: A two-dimensional model is developed to simulate the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) fed with CO 2 and CH 4 mixture. The electrochemical oxidations of both CO and H 2 are included. Important chemical reactions are considered in the model, including methane carbon dioxide reforming (MCDR), reversible water gas shift reaction (WGSR), and methane steam reforming (MSR). It’s found that at a CH 4 /CO 2 molar ratio of 50/50, MCDR and reversible WGSR significantly influence the cell performance while MSR is negligibly small. The performance of SOFC fed with CO 2 /CH 4 mixture is comparable to SOFC running on CH 4 /H 2 O mixtures. The electric output of SOFC can be enhanced by operating the cell at a low operating potential or at a high temperature. In addition, the development of anode catalyst with high activity towards CO electrochemical oxidation is important for SOFC performance enhancement. The model can serve as a useful tool for optimization of the SOFC system running on CH 4 /CO 2 mixtures

Improving carbon tolerance of Ni-YSZ catalytic porous membrane by palladium addition for low temperature steam methane reforming

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang Moon; Won, Jong Min; Kim, Geo Jong; Lee, Seung Hyun; Kim, Sung Su; Hong, Sung Chang

2017-10-01

Palladium was added on the Ni-YSZ catalytic porous membrane by wet impregnation and electroless plating methods. Its surface morphology characteristics and carbon deposition properties for the low temperature steam methane reforming were investigated. The addition of palladium could obviously be enhanced the catalytic activity as well as carbon tolerance of the Ni-YSZ porous membrane. The porous membranes were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), CH4 temperature-programmed reduction (CH4-TPR), and O2 temperature-programmed oxidation (O2-TPO). It was found that the Pd-Ni-YSZ catalytic porous membrane showed the superior stability as well as the deposition of carbon on the surface during carbon dissociation adsorption at 650 °C was also suppressed.

System requirements of diesel reforming for the SOFC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harasti, P.T.; Amphlett, J.C.; Mann, R.F.; Peppley, B.A.; Thurgood, C.P.

2003-01-01

Diesel fuels are currently a very attractive source of hydrogen due to the global infrastructure for production and distribution that exists today. In order to extract the hydrogen, the hydrocarbon molecules must be chemically reformed into manageable, hydrogen-rich product gases that can be directly used in electrochemical energy conversion devices such as fuel cells. High temperature fuel cells are particularly attractive for diesel-fuelled systems due to the possibility of thermal integration with the high temperature reformer. The methods available for diesel fuel processing are: Steam Reforming, Partial Oxidation, and Auto-Thermal Reforming. The latter two methods introduce air into the process in order to cause exothermic oxidation reactions, which complement the endothermic heating requirement of the reforming reactions. This helps to achieve the high temperature required, but also introduces nitrogen, which can yield unwanted NO x emissions. The components of the reformer should include: an injection system to mix and vaporize the diesel fuel and steam while avoiding the formation of carbon deposits inside the reactor; a temperature and heat management system; and a method of sulphur removal. This presentation will discuss the operating conditions and design requirements of a diesel fuel processor for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system. (author)

Steam reforming of commercial ultra-low sulphur diesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boon, J.; Van Dijk, E.; De Munck, S.; Van den Brink, R. [Energy research Centre of The Netherlands, ECN Hydrogen and Clean Fossil Fuels, P.O. Box 1, NL1755ZG Petten (Netherlands)

2011-03-11

Two main routes for small-scale diesel steam reforming exist: low-temperature pre-reforming followed by well-established methane steam reforming on the one hand and direct steam reforming on the other hand. Tests with commercial catalysts and commercially obtained diesel fuels are presented for both processes. The fuels contained up to 6.5 ppmw sulphur and up to 4.5 vol.% of biomass-derived fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Pre-reforming sulphur-free diesel at around 475C has been tested with a commercial nickel catalyst for 118 h without observing catalyst deactivation, at steam-to-carbon ratios as low as 2.6. Direct steam reforming at temperatures up to 800C has been tested with a commercial precious metal catalyst for a total of 1190 h with two catalyst batches at steam-to-carbon ratios as low as 2.5. Deactivation was neither observed with lower steam-to-carbon ratios nor for increasing sulphur concentration. The importance of good fuel evaporation and mixing for correct testing of catalysts is illustrated. Diesel containing biodiesel components resulted in poor spray quality, hence poor mixing and evaporation upstream, eventually causing decreasing catalyst performance. The feasibility of direct high temperature steam reforming of commercial low-sulphur diesel has been demonstrated.

Steam reforming of commercial ultra-low sulphur diesel

Science.gov (United States)

Boon, Jurriaan; van Dijk, Eric; de Munck, Sander; van den Brink, Ruud

Two main routes for small-scale diesel steam reforming exist: low-temperature pre-reforming followed by well-established methane steam reforming on the one hand and direct steam reforming on the other hand. Tests with commercial catalysts and commercially obtained diesel fuels are presented for both processes. The fuels contained up to 6.5 ppmw sulphur and up to 4.5 vol.% of biomass-derived fatty acid methyl ester (FAME). Pre-reforming sulphur-free diesel at around 475 °C has been tested with a commercial nickel catalyst for 118 h without observing catalyst deactivation, at steam-to-carbon ratios as low as 2.6. Direct steam reforming at temperatures up to 800 °C has been tested with a commercial precious metal catalyst for a total of 1190 h with two catalyst batches at steam-to-carbon ratios as low as 2.5. Deactivation was neither observed with lower steam-to-carbon ratios nor for increasing sulphur concentration. The importance of good fuel evaporation and mixing for correct testing of catalysts is illustrated. Diesel containing biodiesel components resulted in poor spray quality, hence poor mixing and evaporation upstream, eventually causing decreasing catalyst performance. The feasibility of direct high temperature steam reforming of commercial low-sulphur diesel has been demonstrated.

Steam Methane Reformation Testing for Air-Independent Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Mwara, Kamwana N.

2015-01-01

Recently, NASA has been looking into utilizing landers that can be propelled by LOX-CH (sub 4), to be used for long duration missions. Using landers that utilize such propellants, also provides the opportunity to use solid oxide fuel cells as a power option, especially since they are able to process methane into a reactant through fuel reformation. One type of reformation, called steam methane reformation, is a process to reform methane into a hydrogen-rich product by reacting methane and steam (fuel cell exhaust) over a catalyst. A steam methane reformation system could potentially use the fuel cell's own exhaust to create a reactant stream that is hydrogen-rich, and requires less internal reforming of the incoming methane. Also, steam reformation may hold some advantages over other types of reforming, such as partial oxidation (PROX) reformation. Steam reformation does not require oxygen, while up to 25 percent can be lost in PROX reformation due to unusable CO (sub 2) reformation. NASA's Johnson Space Center has conducted various phases of steam methane reformation testing, as a viable solution for in-space reformation. This has included using two different types of catalysts, developing a custom reformer, and optimizing the test system to find the optimal performance parameters and operating conditions.

Amorphous gallium oxide grown by low-temperature PECVD

KAUST Repository

Kobayashi, Eiji

2018-03-02

Owing to the wide application of metal oxides in energy conversion devices, the fabrication of these oxides using conventional, damage-free, and upscalable techniques is of critical importance in the optoelectronics community. Here, the authors demonstrate the growth of hydrogenated amorphous gallium oxide (a-GaO:H) thin-films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at temperatures below 200 °C. In this way, conformal films are deposited at high deposition rates, achieving high broadband transparency, wide band gap (3.5-4 eV), and low refractive index (1.6 at 500 nm). The authors link this low refractive index to the presence of nanoscale voids enclosing H, as indicated by electron energy-loss spectroscopy. This work opens the path for further metal-oxide developments by low-temperature, scalable and damage-free PECVD processes.

Oxidation of methane on nanoparticulate Au/TiO2 at low temperature: A combined microreactor and DFT study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Walther, Guido; Jones, Glenn; Jensen, Søren

2009-01-01

Herein we present results from experimental and theoretical studies concerning low temperature oxidation of CH4 over TiO2 supported Au nanoparticles. Our findings suggest that partial oxidation cannot be achieved under these conditions (1 bar, 30–250 °C). In order to understand this further, resu......-calculations investigating the thermodynamics of CH4 oxidation on a stepped Au(2 1 1) surface. Keywords: Gold; Titanium dioxide; Catalysis; Microreactor; Methane; Oxidation; Particle size...

Nitrous oxide emissions at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martikainen, P.J.

2002-01-01

Microbial processes in soil are generally stimulated by temperature, but at low temperatures there are anomalies in the response of microbial activities. Soil physical-chemical characteristics allow existence of unfrozen water in soil also at temperatures below zero. Therefore, some microbial activities, including those responsible for nitrous oxide (N 2 0) production, can take place even in 'frozen' soil. Nitrous oxide emissions during winter are important even in boreal regions where they can account for more than 50% of the annual emissions. Snow pack therefore has great importance for N 2 0 emissions, as it insulates soil from the air allowing higher temperatures in soil than in air, and possible changes in snoav cover as a result of global warming would thus affect the N 2 0 emission from northern soils. Freezing-thawing cycles highly enhance N 2 0 emissions from soil, probably because microbial nutrients, released from disturbed soil aggregates and lysed microbial cells, support microbial N 2 0 production. However, the overall interactions between soil physics, chemistry, microbiology and N 2 0 production at low temperatures, including effects of freezing-thawing cycles, are still poorly known. (au)

Enhanced performance of solid oxide electrolysis cells by integration with a partial oxidation reactor: Energy and exergy analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Visitdumrongkul, Nuttawut; Tippawan, Phanicha; Authayanun, Suthida; Assabumrungrat, Suttichai; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Process design of solid oxide electrolyzer integrated with a partial oxidation reactor is studied. • Effect of key operating parameters of partial oxidation reactor on the electrolyzer performance is presented. • Exergy analysis of the electrolyzer process is performed. • Partial oxidation reactor can enhance the solid oxide electrolyzer performance. • Partial oxidation reactor in the process is the highest exergy destruction unit. - Abstract: Hydrogen production without carbon dioxide emission has received a large amount of attention recently. A solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) can produce pure hydrogen and oxygen via a steam electrolysis reaction that does not emit greenhouse gases. Due to the high operating temperature of SOEC, an external heat source is required for operation, which also helps to improve SOEC performance and reduce operating electricity. The non-catalytic partial oxidation reaction (POX), which is a highly exothermic reaction, can be used as an external heat source and can be integrated with SOEC. Therefore, the aim of this work is to study the effect of operating parameters of non-catalytic POX (i.e., the oxygen to carbon ratio, operating temperature and pressure) on SOEC performance, including exergy analysis of the process. The study indicates that non-catalytic partial oxidation can enhance the hydrogen production rate and efficiency of the system. In terms of exergy analysis, the non-catalytic partial oxidation reactor is demonstrated to be the highest exergy destruction unit due to irreversible chemical reactions taking place, whereas SOEC is a low exergy destruction unit. This result indicates that the partial oxidation reactor should be improved and optimally designed to obtain a high energy and exergy system efficiency.

Methane Steam Reforming Kinetics for a Rhodium-Based Catalyst

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Jon Geest; Jakobsen, M.; Chorkendorff, Ib

2010-01-01

Methane steam reforming is the key reaction to produce synthesis gas and hydrogen at the industrial scale. Here the kinetics of methane steam reforming over a rhodium-based catalyst is investigated in the temperature range 500-800 A degrees C and as a function of CH4, H2O and H-2 partial pressures....... The methane steam reforming reaction cannot be modeled without taking CO and H coverages into account. This is especially important at low temperatures and higher partial pressures of CO and H-2. For methane CO2 reforming experiments, it is also necessary to consider the repulsive interaction of CO...

Reaction phenomena of catalytic partial oxidation of methane under the impact of carbon dioxide addition and heat recirculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Wei-Hsin; Lin, Shih-Cheng

2015-01-01

The reaction phenomena of CPOM (catalytic partial oxidation of methane) in a Swiss-roll reactor are studied numerically where a rhodium-based catalyst bed is embedded at the center of the reactor. CO 2 is added into the feed gas and excess enthalpy recovery is performed to evaluate their influences on CPOM performance. In the study, the mole ratio of O 2 to CH 4 (O 2 /CH 4 ratio) is fixed at 0.5 and the mole ratio of CO 2 to O 2 (CO 2 /O 2 ratio) is in the range of 0–2. The results reveal that CO 2 addition into the influent has a slight effect on methane combustion, but significantly enhances dry reforming and suppresses steam reforming. The reaction extents of steam reforming and dry reforming in CPOM without heat recovery and CO 2 addition are in a comparable state. Once CO 2 is added into the feed gas, the dry reforming is enhanced, thereby dominating CH 4 consumption. Compared to the reactor without excess enthalpy recovery, heat recirculation drastically increases the maximum reaction temperature and CH 4 conversion in the catalyst bed; it also intensifies the H 2 selectivity, H 2 yield, CO 2 conversion, and syngas production rate. The predictions indicate that the heat recirculation is able to improve the syngas formation up to 45%. - Highlights: • Catalytic partial oxidation of methane with CO 2 addition and heat recovery is studied. • CO 2 addition has a slight effect on methane combustion. • CO 2 addition significantly enhances dry reforming and suppresses steam reforming. • Dry reforming dominates CH 4 consumption when CO 2 addition is large. • Heat recirculation can improve the syngas formation up to 45%

Plasma-catalytic reforming of liquid hydrocarbons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedybaliuk, O.A.; Chernyak, V.Ya; Kolgan, V.V.; Iukhymenko, V.V.; Solomenko, O.V.; Fedirchyk, I.I.; Martysh, E.V.; Demchina, V.P.; Klochok, N.V.; Dragnev, S.V.

2015-01-01

The series of experiments studying the plasma-catalytic reforming of liquid hydrocarbons was carried out. The dynamic plasma-liquid system based on a low-power rotating gliding arc with solid electrodes was used for the investigation of liquid hydrocarbons reforming process. Conversion was done via partial oxidation. A part of oxidant flow was activated by the discharge. Synthesis-gas composition was analysed by means of mass-spectrometry and gas-chromatography. A standard boiler, which operates on natural gas and LPG, was used for the burning of synthesis-gas

Study of nitric oxide catalytic oxidation on manganese oxides-loaded activated carbon at low temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

You, Fu-Tian [Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Yu, Guang-Wei, E-mail: gwyu@iue.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); Wang, Yin, E-mail: yinwang@iue.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); Xing, Zhen-Jiao [Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); Liu, Xue-Jiao; Li, Jie [Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China)

2017-08-15

Highlights: • Loading manganese oxides on activated carbon effectively promotes NO oxidation. • NO adsorption-desorption on activated carbon is fundamental to NO oxidation. • A high Mn{sup 4+}/Mn{sup 3+} ratio contributes to NO oxidation by promoting lattice O transfer. - Abstract: Nitric oxide (NO) is an air pollutant that is difficult to remove at low concentration and low temperature. Manganese oxides (MnO{sub x})-loaded activated carbon (MLAC) was prepared by a co-precipitation method and studied as a new catalyst for NO oxidation at low temperature. Characterization of MLAC included X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Activity tests demonstrated the influence of the amount of MnO{sub x} and the test conditions on the reaction. MLAC with 7.5 wt.% MnO{sub x} (MLAC003) exhibits the highest NO conversion (38.7%) at 1000 ppm NO, 20 vol.% O{sub 2}, room temperature and GHSV ca. 16000 h{sup −1}. The NO conversion of MLAC003 was elevated by 26% compared with that of activated carbon. The results of the MLAC003 activity test under different test conditions demonstrated that NO conversion is also influenced by inlet NO concentration, inlet O{sub 2} concentration, reaction temperature and GHSV. The NO adsorption-desorption process in micropores of activated carbon is fundamental to NO oxidation, which can be controlled by pore structure and reaction temperature. The activity elevation caused by MnO{sub x} loading is assumed to be related to Mn{sup 4+}/Mn{sup 3+} ratio. Finally, a mechanism of NO catalytic oxidation on MLAC based on NO adsorption-desorption and MnO{sub x} lattice O transfer is proposed.

The Mobility Enhancement of Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Transistors via Low-temperature Crystallization using a Tantalum Catalytic Layer

OpenAIRE

Shin, Yeonwoo; Kim, Sang Tae; Kim, Kuntae; Kim, Mi Young; Oh, Saeroonter; Jeong, Jae Kyeong

2017-01-01

High-mobility indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are achieved through low-temperature crystallization enabled via a reaction with a transition metal catalytic layer. For conventional amorphous IGZO TFTs, the active layer crystallizes at thermal annealing temperatures of 600??C or higher, which is not suitable for displays using a glass substrate. The crystallization temperature is reduced when in contact with a Ta layer, where partial crystallization at the IGZO bac...

Low Temperature Steam Methane Reforming Over Ni Based Catalytic Membrane Prepared by Electroless Palladium Plating.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sang Moon; Hong, Sung Chang; Kim, Sung Su

2018-09-01

A Pd/Ni-YSZ porous membrane with different palladium loadings and hydrazine as a reducing reagent was prepared by electroless plating and evaluated for the steam methane reforming activity. The steam-reforming activity of a Ni-YSZ porous membrane was greatly increased by the deposition of 4 g/L palladium in the low-temperature range (600 °C). With an increasing amount of reducing reagent, the Pd clusters were well dispersed on the Ni-YSZ surface and were uniform in size (∼500 nm). The Pd/Ni-YSZ catalytic porous membrane prepared by 1 of Pd/hydrazine ratio possessed an abundant amount of metallic Pd. The optimal palladium loadings and Pd/hydrazine ratio increased the catalytic activity in both the steam-reforming reaction and the Pd dispersion.

Experimental and Numerical Study of Low Temperature Methane Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Khzouz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Low temperature methane steam reforming for hydrogen production, using experimental developed Ni/Al2O3 catalysts is studied both experimentally and numerically. The catalytic activity measurements were performed at a temperature range of 500–700 °C with steam to carbon ratio (S/C of 2 and 3 under atmospheric pressure conditions. A mathematical analysis to evaluate the reaction feasibility at all different conditions that have been applied by using chemical equilibrium with applications (CEA software and in addition, a mathematical model focused on the kinetics and the thermodynamics of the reforming reaction is introduced and applied using a commercial finite element analysis software (COMSOL Multiphysics 5.0. The experimental results were employed to validate the extracted simulation data based on the yields of the produced H2, CO2 and CO at different temperatures. A maximum hydrogen yield of 2.7 mol/mol-CH4 is achieved at 700 °C and S/C of 2 and 3. The stability of the 10%Ni/Al2O3 catalyst shows that the catalyst is prone to deactivation as supported by Thermogravimetric Analysis TGA results.

Compact methanol reformer test for fuel-cell powered light-duty vehicles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emonts, B; Hoehlein, B; Peters, R [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Energieverfahrenstechnik (IEV); Hansen, J B; Joergensen, S L [Haldor Topsoe A/S, Lyngby (Denmark)

1998-03-15

On-board production of hydrogen from methanol based on a steam reformer in connection with the use of low-temperature fuel-cells (PEMFC) is an attractive option as energy conversion unit for light-duty vehicles. A steam reforming process at higher pressures with an external burner offers advantages in comparison to a steam reformer with integrated partial oxidation in terms of total efficiency for electricity production. The main aim of a common project carried out by the Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ), Haldor Topsoee A/S (HTAS) and Siemens AG is to design, to construct and to test a steam reformer reactor concept (HTAS) with external catalytic burner (FZJ) as heat source as well as catalysts for heterogeneously catalyzed hydrogen production (HTAS), concepts for gas treatment (HTAS, FZJ) and a low-temperature fuel cell (Siemens). Based on the experimental results obtained so far concerning methanol reformers, catalytic burners and gas conditioning units, our report describes the total system, a test unit and preliminary test results related to a hydrogen production capacity of 50 kW (LHV) and dynamic operating conditions. This hydrogen production system is aimed at reducing the specific weight (<2 kg/kW{sub th} or 4 kg/kW{sub el}) combined with high efficiency for net electricity generation from methanol (about 50%) and low specific emissions. The application of Pd-membranes as gas cleaning unit fulfill the requirements with high hydrogen permeability and low cost of the noble metal. (orig.)

Flare pits wastes remediation by low temperature oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catalan, L. J. L.; Jamaluddin, A. K. M.; Mehta, R.; Moore, R. G.; Okazawa, N.; Ursenbach, M.

1997-01-01

The remediation of contaminated soil in oilfield sites, flare pits in particular, is subject to strict environmental regulations. Most current remediation techniques such as biological or thermal treatment are not particularly effective in highly contaminated sites, or effective only at costs that are considered prohibitive. This contribution describes a cost-effective method for the treatment of contaminated soil in-situ. The proposed treatment involves low temperature oxidation which converts the hydrocarbons in the contaminated soil to inert coke. In laboratory studies contaminated soil was oxidized with air at temperatures between 150 degrees C and 170 degrees C for three weeks. After the three week treatment extractable hydrocarbon levels were reduced to less than 0.1 per cent. Bioassays also demonstrated that toxicity associated with hydrocarbons was eliminated. Salts and metals remaining in the soil after treatment were removed by leaching with water. Low temperature oxidation requires no special equipment; it can occur under conditions and with equipment that are readily available in an oilfield setting. 5 refs., 8 tabs., 7 figs

Detection Identification and Quantification of Keto-Hydroperoxides in Low-Temperature Oxidation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, Nils; Moshammer, Kai; Jasper, Ahren W.

2017-07-01

Keto-hydroperoxides are reactive partially oxidized intermediates that play a central role in chain-branching reactions during the low-temperature oxidation of hydrocarbons. In this Perspective, we outline how these short lived species can be detected, identified, and quantified using integrated experimental and theoretical approaches. The procedures are based on direct molecular-beam sampling from reactive environments, followed by mass spectrometry with single-photon ionization, identification of fragmentation patterns, and theoretical calculations of ionization thresholds, fragment appearance energies, and photoionization cross sections. Using the oxidation of neo-pentane and tetrahydrofuran as examples, the individual steps of the experimental approaches are described in depth together with a detailed description of the theoretical efforts. For neo-pentane, the experimental data are consistent with the calculated ionization and fragment appearance energies of the keto-hydroperoxide, thus adding confidence to the analysis routines and the employed levels of theory. For tetrahydrofuran, multiple keto-hydroperoxide isomers are possible due to the presence of nonequivalent O₂ addition sites. Despite this additional complexity, the experimental data allow for the identification of two to four keto-hydroperoxides. Mole fraction profiles of the keto-hydroperoxides, which are quantified using calculated photoionization cross sections, are provided together with estimated uncertainties as function of the temperature of the reactive mixture and can serve as validation targets for chemically detailed mechanisms.

High temperature ceramic-tubed reformer

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Joseph J.; Rosenberg, Robert A.; McDonough, Lane J.

1990-03-01

The overall objective of the HiPHES project is to develop an advanced high-pressure heat exchanger for a convective steam/methane reformer. The HiPHES steam/methane reformer is a convective, shell and tube type, catalytic reactor. The use of ceramic tubes will allow reaction temperature higher than the current state-of-the-art outlet temperatures of about 1600 F using metal tubes. Higher reaction temperatures increase feedstock conversion to synthesis gas and reduce energy requirements compared to currently available radiant-box type reformers using metal tubes. Reforming of natural gas is the principal method used to produce synthesis gas (primarily hydrogen and carbon monoxide, H2 and CO) which is used to produce hydrogen (for refinery upgrading), methanol, as well as several other important materials. The HiPHES reformer development is an extension of Stone and Webster's efforts to develop a metal-tubed convective reformer integrated with a gas turbine cycle.

Partial oxidation of 2-propanol on perovskites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sumathi, R.; Viswanathan, B.; Varadarajan, T.K. [Indian Inst. of Tech., Madras (India). Dept. of Chemistry

1998-12-31

Partial oxidation of 2-propanol was carried out on AB{sub 1-x}B`{sub x}O{sub 3} (A=Ba, B=Pb, Ce, Ti; B`=Bi, Sb and Cu) type perovskite oxides. Acetone was the major product observed on all the catalysts. All the catalysts underwent partial reduction during the reaction depending on the composition of the reactant, nature of the B site cation and the extent of substitution at B site. The catalytic activity has been correlated with the reducibility of the perovskite oxides determined from Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR) studies. (orig.)

New insights into the low-temperature oxidation of 2-methylhexane

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhandong

2016-09-24

In this work, we studied the low-temperature oxidation of a stoichiometric 2-methylhexane/O2/Ar mixture in a jet-stirred reactor coupled with synchrotron vacuum ultraviolet photoionization molecular-beam mass spectrometry. The initial gas mixture was composed of 2% 2-methyhexane, 22% O2 and 76% Ar and the pressure of the reactor was kept at 780Torr. Low-temperature oxidation intermediates with two to five oxygen atoms were observed. The detection of C7H14O5 and C7H12O4 species suggests that a third O2 addition process occurs in 2-methylhexane low-temperature oxidation. A detailed kinetic model was developed that describes the third O2 addition and subsequent reactions leading to C7H14O5 (keto-dihydroperoxide and dihydroperoxy cyclic ether) and C7H12O4 (diketo-hydroperoxide and keto-hydroperoxy cyclic ether) species. The kinetics of the third O2 addition reactions are discussed and model calculations were performed that reveal that third O2 addition reactions promote 2-methylhexane auto-ignition at low temperatures. © 2016 The Combustion Institute.

Catalytic partial oxidation of pyrolysis oils

Science.gov (United States)

Rennard, David Carl

2009-12-01

details the catalytic partial oxidation of glycerol without preheat: droplets of glycerol are sprayed directly onto the top of the catalyst bed, where they react autothermally with contact times on the order of tau ≈ 30 ms. The reactive flash volatilization of glycerol results in equilibrium syngas production over Rh-Ce catalysts. In addition, water can be added to the liquid glycerol, resulting in true autothermal reforming. This highly efficient process can increase H2 yields and alter the H2 to CO ratio, allowing for flexibility in syngas quality depending on the purpose. Chapter 5 details the results of a time on stream experiment, in which optimal syngas conditions are chosen. Although conversion is 100% for 450 hours, these experiments demonstrate the deactivation of the catalyst over time. Deactivation is exhibited by decreases in H2 and CO 2 production accompanied by a steady increase in CO and temperature. These results are explained as a loss of water-gas shift equilibration. SEM images suggest catalyst sintering may play a role; EDS indicates the presence of impurities on the catalyst. In addition, the instability of quartz in the reactor is demonstrated by etching, resulting in a hole in the reactor tube at the end of the experiment. These results suggest prevaporization may be desirable in this application, and that quartz is not a suitable material for the reactive flash volatilization of oxygenated fuels. In Chapter 6, pyrolysis oil samples from three sources - poplar, pine, and hardwoods - are explored in the context of catalytic partial oxidation. Lessons derived from the tests with model compounds are applied to reactor design, resulting in the reactive flash vaporization of bio oils. Syngas is successfully produced, though deactivation due to coke and ash deposition keeps H2 below equlibrium. Coke formation is observed on the reactor walls, but is avoided between the fuel injection site and catalyst by increasing the proximity of these in the reactor

Characterization of low-temperature microwave loss of thin aluminum oxide formed by plasma oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deng, Chunqing, E-mail: cdeng@uwaterloo.ca; Otto, M.; Lupascu, A., E-mail: alupascu@uwaterloo.ca [Institute for Quantum Computing, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1 (Canada)

2014-01-27

We report on the characterization of microwave loss of thin aluminum oxide films at low temperatures using superconducting lumped resonators. The oxide films are fabricated using plasma oxidation of aluminum and have a thickness of 5 nm. We measure the dielectric loss versus microwave power for resonators with frequencies in the GHz range at temperatures from 54 to 303 mK. The power and temperature dependence of the loss are consistent with the tunneling two-level system theory. These results are relevant to understanding decoherence in superconducting quantum devices. The obtained oxide films are thin and robust, making them suitable for capacitors in compact microwave resonators.

Low temperature ozone oxidation of solid waste surrogates

Science.gov (United States)

Nabity, James A.; Lee, Jeffrey M.

2015-09-01

Solid waste management presents a significant challenge to human spaceflight and especially, long-term missions beyond Earth orbit. A six-month mission will generate over 300 kg of solid wastes per crewmember that must be dealt with to eliminate the need for storage and prevent it from becoming a biological hazard to the crew. There are several methods for the treatment of wastes that include oxidation via ozone, incineration, microbial oxidation or pyrolysis and physical methods such as microwave drying and compaction. In recent years, a low temperature oxidation process using ozonated water has been developed for the chemical conversion of organic wastes to CO2 and H2O. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the rate and effectiveness with which ozone oxidized several different waste materials. Increasing the surface area by chopping or shredding the solids into small pieces more than doubled the rate of oxidation. A greater flow of ozone and agitation of the ozonated water system also increased processing rates. Of the materials investigated, plastics have proven the most difficult to oxidize. The processing of plastics above the glass transition temperatures caused the plastics to clump together which reduced the exposed surface area, while processing at lower temperatures reduced surface reaction kinetics.

Electrochemical Partial Reforming of Ethanol into Ethyl Acetate Using Ultrathin Co3O4 Nanosheets as a Highly Selective Anode Catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Lei; Qin, Qing; Zhao, Xiaojing; Xu, Chaofa; Hu, Chengyi; Mo, Shiguang; Wang, Yu Olivia; Lin, Shuichao; Tang, Zichao; Zheng, Nanfeng

2016-08-24

Electrochemical partial reforming of organics provides an alternative strategy to produce valuable organic compounds while generating H2 under mild conditions. In this work, highly selective electrochemical reforming of ethanol into ethyl acetate is successfully achieved by using ultrathin Co3O4 nanosheets with exposed (111) facets as an anode catalyst. Those nanosheets were synthesized by a one-pot, templateless hydrothermal method with the use of ammonia. NH3 was demonstrated critical to the overall formation of ultrathin Co3O4 nanosheets. With abundant active sites on Co3O4 (111), the as-synthesized ultrathin Co3O4 nanosheets exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activities toward water and ethanol oxidations in alkaline media. More importantly, over the Co3O4 nanosheets, the electrooxidation from ethanol to ethyl acetate was so selective that no other oxidation products were yielded. With such a high selectivity, an electrolyzer cell using Co3O4 nanosheets as the anode electrocatalyst and Ni-Mo nanopowders as the cathode electrocatalyst has been successfully built for ethanol reforming. The electrolyzer cell was readily driven by a 1.5 V battery to achieve the effective production of both H2 and ethyl acetate. After the bulk electrolysis, about 95% of ethanol was electrochemically reformed into ethyl acetate. This work opens up new opportunities in designing a material system for building unique devices to generate both hydrogen and high-value organics at room temperature by utilizing electric energy from renewable sources.

Reforming processes for micro combined heat and powersystem based on solid oxide fuel cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liso, Vincenzo; Nielsen, Mads Pagh; Kær, Søren Knudsen

2009-01-01

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a promising technology for decentralized power generation and cogeneration. This technology has several advantages: the high electric efficiency, which can be theoretically improved through integration in power cycles; the low emissions; and the possibility of using...... a large variety of gaseous fuels. The high operating temperature (700-1000°C) of SOFCs has a number of consequences, the most important of which are the possibility to partially reform the raw fuel in the fuel cell anode compartment and the possibility to use high quality heat for cogeneration....... In this work, different configurations of SOFC systems for decentralized electricity production are considered and studied. The balance of plant (BoP) components will be identified including fuel and air supply, fuel management, start-up steam, anode re-circulation, exhaust gas heat management, power...

Oxidation of boron carbide at high temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinbrueck, Martin

2005-01-01

The oxidation kinetics of various types of boron carbides (pellets, powder) were investigated in the temperature range between 1073 and 1873 K. Oxidation rates were measured in transient and isothermal tests by means of mass spectrometric gas analysis. Oxidation of boron carbide is controlled by the formation of superficial liquid boron oxide and its loss due to the reaction with surplus steam to volatile boric acids and/or direct evaporation at temperatures above 1770 K. The overall reaction kinetics is paralinear. Linear oxidation kinetics established soon after the initiation of oxidation under the test conditions described in this report. Oxidation is strongly influenced by the thermohydraulic boundary conditions and in particular by the steam partial pressure and flow rate. On the other hand, the microstructure of the B 4 C samples has a limited influence on oxidation. Very low amounts of methane were produced in these tests

Advances in catalysts for internal reforming in high temperature fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Dicks, A. L.

Catalytic steam reforming of natural gas is an attractive method of producing the hydrogen required by the present generation of fuel cells. The molten carbonate (MCFC) and solid oxide (SOFC) fuel cells operate at high enough temperatures for the endothermic steam reforming reaction to be carried out within the stack. For the MCFC, the conventional anodes have insufficient activity to catalyse the steam reforming of natural gas. For these cells, internal reforming can be achieved only with the addition of a separate catalyst, preferably located in close proximity to the anode. However, in the so-called `Direct Internal Reforming' configuration, attack from alkali in the MCFC may severely limit catalyst lifetime. In the case of the state-of-the-art SOFC, natural gas can be reformed directly on the nickel cermet anode. However, in the SOFC, temperature variations in the cell caused by the reforming reaction may limit the amount of internal reforming that can be allowed in practice. In addition, some external pre-reforming may be desirable to remove high molecular weight hydrocarbons from the fuel gas, which would otherwise crack to produce elemental carbon. Degradation of the SOFC anode may also be a problem when internal reforming is carried out. This has prompted several research groups to investigate the use of alternative anode materials.

Ruthenium(V) oxides from low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiley, Craig I.; Walton, Richard I. [Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Coventry (United Kingdom); Lees, Martin R. [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry (United Kingdom); Fisher, Janet M.; Thompsett, David [Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, Reading (United Kingdom); Agrestini, Stefano [Max-Planck Institut, CPfS, Dresden (Germany); Smith, Ronald I. [ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot (United Kingdom)

2014-04-22

Low-temperature (200 C) hydrothermal synthesis of the ruthenium oxides Ca{sub 1.5}Ru{sub 2}O{sub 7}, SrRu{sub 2}O{sub 6}, and Ba{sub 2}Ru{sub 3}O{sub 9}(OH) is reported. Ca{sub 1.5}Ru{sub 2}O{sub 7} is a defective pyrochlore containing Ru{sup V/VI}; SrRu{sub 2}O{sub 6} is a layered Ru{sup V} oxide with a PbSb{sub 2}O{sub 6} structure, whilst Ba{sub 2}Ru{sub 3}O{sub 9}(OH) has a previously unreported structure type with orthorhombic symmetry solved from synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. SrRu{sub 2}O{sub 6} exhibits unusually high-temperature magnetic order, with antiferromagnetism persisting to at least 500 K, and refinement using room temperature neutron powder diffraction data provides the magnetic structure. All three ruthenates are metastable and readily collapse to mixtures of other oxides upon heating in air at temperatures around 300-500 C, suggesting they would be difficult, if not impossible, to isolate under conventional high-temperature solid-state synthesis conditions. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Low-temperature upgrading of low-calorific biogas for CO2 mitigation using DBD-catalyst hybrid reactor

Science.gov (United States)

Nozaki, Tomohiro; Tsukijihara, Hiroyuki; Fukui, Wataru; Okazaki, Ken

2006-10-01

Although huge amounts of biogas, which consists of 20-60% of CH4 in CO2/N2, can be obtained from landfills, coal mines, and agricultural residues, most of them are simply flared and wasted: because global warming potential of biogas is 5-15 times as potent as CO2. Poor combustibility of such biogas makes it difficult to utilize in conventional energy system. The purpose of this project is to promote the profitable recovery of methane from poor biogas via non-thermal plasma technology. We propose low-temperature steam reforming of biogas using DBD generated in catalyst beds. Methane is partially converted into hydrogen, and then fed into internal combustion engines for improved ignition stability as well as efficient operation. Low-temperature steam reforming is beneficial because exhaust gas from an engine can be used to activate catalyst beds. Space velocity (3600-15000 hr-1), reaction temperature (300-650^oC), and energy cost (30-150 kJ per mol CH4) have been investigated with simulated biogas (20-60% CH4 in mixtures of CO2/N2). The DBD enhances reaction rate of CH4 by a factor of ten at given catalyst temperatures, which is a rate-determining step of methane steam reforming, while species concentration of upgraded biogas was governed by thermodynamic equilibrium in the presence of catalyst.

Study of the dynamics of the MoO2-Mo2C system for catalytic partial oxidation reactions

Science.gov (United States)

Cuba Torres, Christian Martin

On a global scale, the energy demand is largely supplied by the combustion of non-renewable fossil fuels. However, their rapid depletion coupled with environmental and sustainability concerns are the main drivers to seek for alternative energetic strategies. To this end, the sustainable generation of hydrogen from renewable resources such as biodiesel would represent an attractive alternative solution to fossil fuels. Furthermore, hydrogen's lower environmental impact and greater independence from foreign control make it a strong contender for solving this global problem. Among a wide variety of methods for hydrogen production, the catalytic partial oxidation offers numerous advantages for compact and mobile fuel processing systems. For this reaction, the present work explores the versatility of the Mo--O--C catalytic system under different synthesis methods and reforming conditions using methyl oleate as a surrogate biodiesel. MoO2 exhibits good catalytic activity and exhibits high coke-resistance even under reforming conditions where long-chain oxygenated compounds are prone to form coke. Moreover, the lattice oxygen present in MoO2 promotes the Mars-Van Krevelen mechanism. Also, it is introduced a novel beta-Mo2C synthesis by the in-situ formation method that does not utilize external H2 inputs. Herein, the MoO 2/Mo2C system maintains high catalytic activity for partial oxidation while the lattice oxygen serves as a carbon buffer for preventing coke formation. This unique feature allows for longer operation reforming times despite slightly lower catalytic activity compared to the catalysts prepared by the traditional temperature-programmed reaction method. Moreover, it is demonstrated by a pulse reaction technique that during the phase transformation of MoO2 to beta-Mo2C, the formation of Mo metal as an intermediate is not responsible for the sintering of the material wrongly assumed by the temperature-programmed method.

On direct internal methane steam reforming kinetics in operating solid oxide fuel cells with nickel-ceria anodes

Science.gov (United States)

Thallam Thattai, A.; van Biert, L.; Aravind, P. V.

2017-12-01

Major operating challenges remain to safely operate methane fuelled solid oxide fuel cells due to undesirable temperature gradients across the porous anode and carbon deposition. This article presents an experimental study on methane steam reforming (MSR) global kinetics for single operating SOFCs with Ni-GDC (gadolinium doped ceria) anodes for low steam to carbon (S/C) ratios and moderate current densities. The study points out the hitherto insufficient research on MSR global and intrinsic kinetics for operating SOFCs with complete Ni-ceria anodes. Further, it emphasizes the need to develop readily applicable global kinetic models as a subsequent step from previously reported state-of-art and complex intrinsic models. Two rate expressions of the Power law (PL) and Langmuir-Hinshelwood (LH) type have been compared and based on the analysis, limitations of using previously proposed rate expressions for Ni catalytic beds to study MSR kinetics for complete cermet anodes have been identified. Firstly, it has been shown that methane reforming on metallic (Ni) current collectors may not be always negligible, contrary to literature reports. Both PL and LH kinetic models predict significantly different local MSR reaction rate and species partial pressure distributions along the normalized reactor length, indicating a strong need for further experimental verifications.

Electrochemical and partial oxidation of methane

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rahul

2008-10-01

negligible coke formation on the novel fabricated anode by electroless plating process. Hydrogen is an environmentally cleaner source of energy. The recent increase in the demand of hydrogen as fuel for all types of fuel cells and petroleum refining process has boosted the need of production of hydrogen. Methane, a major component of natural gas is the major feedstock for production of hydrogen. The route of partial oxidation of methane to produce syngas (CO + H2) offers significant advantages over commercialized steam reforming process for higher efficiency and lower energy requirements. Partial oxidation of methane was studied by pulsing O2 into a CH4 flow over Rh/Al2O3 in a sequence of in situ infrared (IR) cell and fixed bed reactor at 773 K. The results obtained from the sequence of an IR cell followed by a fixed bed reactor show that (i) adsorbed CO produced possesses a long residence time, indicating that adsorbed oxygen leading to the formation of CO is significantly different from those leading to CO2 and (ii) CO2 is not an intermediate species for the formation of CO. In situ IR of pulse reaction coupled with alternating reactor sequence is an effective approach to study the primary and secondary reactions as well as the nature of their adsorbed species. As reported earlier, hydrogen remains to be the most effective fuel for fuel cells, the production of high purity hydrogen from naturally available resources such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas requires a number of energy-intensive steps, making fuel cell processes for stationary electric power generation prohibitively uneconomic. Direct use of coal or coal gas as the feed is a promising approach for low cost electricity generation. Coal gas solid oxide fuel cell was studied by pyrolyzing Ohio #5 coal to coal gas and transporting to a Cu anode solid oxide fuel cell to generate power. The study of coal-gas solid oxide fuel cell is divided into two sections, i.e., (i) understanding the composition of coal gas by

The influence of partial oxidation mechanisms on tar destruction in TwoStage biomass gasification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahrenfeldt, Jesper; Egsgaard, Helge; Stelte, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

adsorption and determined by stable isotope dilution analysis. The results have shown that partial oxidation reduces and converts primary tars into low molecular weight, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), primarily naphthalene. At temperatures above 950°C practically all phenol is converted...

Low Temperature Processed Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Device by Oxidation Effect from Capping Layer

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhenwei

2015-04-20

In this report, both p- and n-type tin oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) were simultaneously achieved using single-step deposition of the tin oxide channel layer. The tuning of charge carrier polarity in the tin oxide channel is achieved by selectively depositing a copper oxide capping layer on top of tin oxide, which serves as an oxygen source, providing additional oxygen to form an n-type tin dioxide phase. The oxidation process can be realized by annealing at temperature as low as 190°C in air, which is significantly lower than the temperature generally required to form tin dioxide. Based on this approach, CMOS inverters based entirely on tin oxide TFTs were fabricated. Our method provides a solution to lower the process temperature for tin dioxide phase, which facilitates the application of this transparent oxide semiconductor in emerging electronic devices field.

Coke-free dry reforming of model diesel fuel by a pulsed spark plasma at low temperatures using an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sekine, Yasushi; Furukawa, Naotsugu; Matsukata, Masahiko; Kikuchi, Eiichi, E-mail: ysekine@waseda.jp [Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, 65-301, Okubo, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan)

2011-07-13

Dry reforming of diesel fuel, an endothermic reaction, is an attractive process for on-board hydrogen/syngas production to increase energy efficiency. For operating this dry reforming process in a vehicle, we can use the exhaust gas from an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system as a source of carbon dioxide. Catalytic dry reforming of heavy hydrocarbon is a very difficult reaction due to the high accumulation of carbon on the catalyst. Therefore, we attempted to use a non-equilibrium pulsed plasma for the dry reforming of model diesel fuel without a catalyst. We investigated dry reforming of model diesel fuel (n-dodecane) with a low-energy pulsed spark plasma, which is a kind of non-equilibrium plasma at a low temperature of 523 K. Through the reaction, we were able to obtain syngas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide) and a small amount of C{sub 2} hydrocarbon without coke formation at a ratio of CO{sub 2}/C{sub fuel} = 1.5 or higher. The reaction can be conducted at very low temperatures such as 523 K. Therefore, it is anticipated as a novel and effective process for on-board syngas production from diesel fuel using an EGR system.

Low Temperature Synthesis and Properties of Gadolinium-Doped Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Machado, M. F. S.; Moraes, L. P. R.; Monteiro, N. K.

2017-01-01

Gadolinium-doped cerium oxide (GDC) is an attractive ceramic material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) both as the electrolyte and in composite electrodes operating at low and intermediate temperatures. GDC exhibits high oxygen ion conductivity at a wide range of temperatures and displays a high...... resistance to carbon deposition when hydrocarbons are used as fuels. However, an inconvenience of ceria-based oxides is the high sintering temperature needed to obtain a fully dense ceramic body. In this study, a green chemistry route for the synthesis of 10 mol% GDC nanoparticles is proposed. The aqueous...

Plasma-catalytic reforming of ethanol: influence of air activation rate and reforming temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedybaliuk, O.A.; Chernyak, V.Ya.; Fedirchuk, I.I.; Demchina, V.P.; Bortyshevsky, V.A.; Korzh, R.V.

2016-01-01

This paper presents the study of the influence that air activation rate and reforming temperature have on the gaseous products composition and conversion efficiency during the plasma-catalytic reforming of ethanol. The analysis of product composition showed that the conversion efficiency of ethanol has a maximum in the studied range of reforming temperatures. Researched system provided high reforming efficiency and high hydrogen energy yield at the lower temperatures than traditional conversion technologies

Oxidation behavior of V-Cr-Ti alloys in low-partial-pressure oxygen environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Natesan, K.; Uz, M.

1998-01-01

A test program is in progress at Argonne National Laboratory to evaluate the effect of pO 2 in the exposure environment on oxygen uptake, scaling kinetics, and scale microstructure in V-Cr-Ti alloys. The data indicate that the oxidation process follows parabolic kinetics in all of the environments used in the present study. From the weight change data, parabolic rate constants were evaluated as a function of temperature and exposure environment. The temperature dependence of the parabolic rate constants was described by an Arrhenius relationship. Activation energy for the oxidation process was fairly constant in the oxygen pressure range of 1 x 10 -6 to 1 x 10 -1 torr for both the alloys. The activation energy for oxidation in air was significantly lower than in low-pO 2 environments, and for oxidation in pure O 2 at 760 torr was much lower than in low-pO 2 environments. X-ray diffraction analysis of the specimens showed that VO 2 was the dominant phase in low-pO 2 environments, while V 2 O 5 was dominant in air and in pure oxygen at 76f0 torr

The influence of the oxygen partial pressure on the quasi-ternary system Cr-Mn-Ti-oxide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Rosales, C.; Schulze, H.A.; Naoumidis, A.; Nickel, H.

1991-05-01

The passivation layers formed by the oxidizing corrosion of high temperature alloys consist primarily of oxides and mixed oxides of the elements chromium, manganese and titanium. For a reproducible formation and characterization of such oxide layers it is necessary to know the phase equilibria of these oxide systems at temperature and oxygen partial pressure conditions which will be relevant during their application. For the investigation of the quasi-ternary system Cr-Mn-Ti-oxide, oxide powders were prepared and annealed at 1000deg C under different oxygen partial pressures ranging from 0.21 bar to 10 -21 bar. Phase identification and determination of lattice parameter using X-ray diffraction analysis as well as the direct measurement of phase boundaries as a function of oxygen partial pressure using the emf-methode were carried out for these investigations. In the quasi-ternary system Cr-Mn-Ti-oxide the spinels play a decisive role in the oxigen partial pressure range examined. The spinel MnCr 2 O 4 may be regarded as the most significant compound. Part of the chronium can be replaced by trivalent manganese at high oxygen partial pressures and by trivalent titanium at low pressures, and the formation of a solid solution with the spinel Mn 2 TiO 4 is possible in all cases. In this way a coherent single-phase spinel region is observed which extends over the entire oxygen partial pressure range form 0.21 bar to 10 -21 bar examined at 1000deg C. (orig.) [de

Pre-reforming of natural gas in solid oxide fuel-cell systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peters, R.; Riensche, E.; Cremer, P. [Institute for Materials and Processes Systems IWV 3: Energy Process Engineering, Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany)

2000-03-01

Several measures concerning fuel processing in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system offer the possibility of significant cost reduction and higher system efficiencies. For SOFC systems, the ratio between internal and pre-reforming has to be optimized on the basis of experimental performance data. Furthermore, anode gas recycling by an injector in front of the pre-reformer can eliminate the steam generator and the corresponding heat of evaporation. A detailed study is carried out on pre-reforming in a reformer of considerable size (10 kW{sub el}). Simulating anode gas recycling with an injector, the influence of carbon dioxide on reactor performance was studied. Also, the dependence of the methanol conversion on mass flow and temperature will be discussed. In addition, some results concerning the dynamic behaviour of the pre-reformer are given. (orig.)

Oscillatory behaviour of catalytic properties, structure and temperature during the catalytic partial oxidation of methane on Pd/Al2O3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kimmerle, B.; Baiker, A.; Grunwaldt, Jan-Dierk

2010-01-01

Pd/Al2O3 catalysts showed an oscillatory behaviour during the catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) of methane, which was investigated simultaneously by IR-thermography, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and online mass-spectrometry to correlate the temperature, state of the catalyst and catalytic...... to self-reduction leading to extinction of the process. The latter was the key driver for the oscillations and thus gave additional insight into the mechanism of partial methane oxidation....

Oxidation of C/SiC Composites at Reduced Oxygen Partial Pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Opila, Elizabeth J.; Serra, Jessica

2009-01-01

Carbon-fiber reinforced SiC (C/SiC) composites are proposed for leading edge applications of hypersonic vehicles due to the superior strength of carbon fibers at high temperatures (greater than 1500 C). However, the vulnerability of the carbon fibers in C/SiC to oxidation over a wide range of temperatures remains a problem. Previous oxidation studies of C/SiC have mainly been conducted in air or oxygen, so that the oxidation behavior of C/SiC at reduced oxygen partial pressures of the hypersonic flight regime are less well understood. In this study, both carbon fibers and C/SiC composites were oxidized over a wide range of temperatures and oxygen partial pressures to facilitate the understanding and modeling of C/SiC oxidation kinetics for hypersonic flight conditions.

Experimental analysis of an autothermal reformer for automotive purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caners, C.; Peppley, B.; Harrison, S.; Oosthuizen, P.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the experimental analysis, concomitant with modeling research, to determine improved operating parameters and design of an autothermal reformer. The reformer, utilizing both partial oxidation and steam reforming reactions, along with the water gas shift phenomena is well suited for the mobile application of transportation. This is due to the novel geometry of the autothermal reformer, which seeks to improve the heat transfer characteristics of the process, whereby the exothermic partial oxidation reaction provides the heat energy required to drive the steam reforming reaction, to the point of a thermally neutral system. The paper will present data from the experimental results of reforming iso-octane as a surrogate for gasoline in the form of reformate composition, iso-octane conversion percentages and efficiencies in terms of hydrogen realized per mol of fuel input. (author)

Low temperature spent fuel oxidation under tuff repository conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einziger, R.E.; Woodley, R.E.

1985-01-01

The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations Project is studying the suitability of tuffaceous rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, for high level waste disposal. The oxidation state of LWR spent fuel in a tuff repository may be a significant factor in determining its ability to inhibit radionuclide migration. Long term exposure at low temperatures to the moist air expected in a tuff repository is expected to increase the oxidation state of the fuel. A program is underway to determine the spent fuel oxidation mechanisms which might be active in a tuff repository. Initial work involves a series of TGA experiments to determine the effectiveness of the technique and to obtain preliminary oxidation data. Tests were run at 200 0 C and 225 0 C for as long as 720 hours. Grain boundary diffusion appears to open up a greater surface area for oxidation prior to onset of bulk diffusion. Temperature strongly influences the oxidation rates. The effect of moisture is small but readily measurable. 25 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs

Ni–Ta–O mixed oxide catalysts for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Haibo; Rosenfeld, Devon C.; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Sangaru, Shiv; Saih, Youssef; Ould-Chikh, Samy; Basset, Jean-Marie

2015-01-01

The "wet" sol-gel and "dry" solid-state methods were used to prepare Ni-Ta-O mixed oxide catalysts. The resulting Ni-Ta oxides exhibit high activity and selectivity for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene. The Ta

Partial oxidation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Najjar, M.S.

1987-01-01

A process is described for the production of gaseous mixtures comprising H/sub 2/+CO by the partial oxidation of a fuel feedstock comprising a heavy liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel having a nickel, iron, and vanadium-containing ash or petroleum coke having a nickel, iron, and vanadium-containing ash, or mixtures thereof. The feedstock includes a minimum of 0.5 wt. % of sulfur and the ash includes a minimum of 5.0 wt. % vanadium, a minimum of 0.5 ppm nickel, and a minimum of 0.5 ppm iron. The process comprises: (1) mixing together a copper-containing additive with the fuel feedstock; wherein the weight ratio of copper-containing additive to ash in the fuel feedstock is in the range of about 1.0-10.0, and there is at least 10 parts by weight of copper for each part by weight of vanadium; (2) reacting the mixture from (1) at a temperature in the range of 2200 0 F to 2900 0 F and a pressure in the range of about 5 to 250 atmospheres in a free-flow refactory lined partial oxidation reaction zone with a free-oxygen containing gas in the presence of a temperature moderator and in a reducing atmosphere to produce a hot raw effluent gas stream comprising H/sub 2/+CO and entrained molten slag; and where in the reaction zone and the copper-containing additive combines with at least a portion of the nickel and iron constituents and sulfur found in the feedstock to produce a liquid phase washing agent that collects and transports at least a portion of the vanadium-containing oxide laths and spinels and other ash components and refractory out of the reaction zone; and (3) separating nongaseous materials from the hot raw effluent gas stream

Evaluation of Partial Oxidation Reformer Emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unnasch, Stefan; Fable, Scott; Waterland, Larry

2006-01-06

In this study, a gasoline fuel processor and an ethanol fuel processor were operated under conditions simulating both startup and normal operation. Emissions were measured before and after the AGB in order to quantify the effectiveness of the burner catalyst in controlling emissions. The emissions sampling system includes CEM for O2, CO2, CO, NOx, and THC. Also, integrated gas samples are collected in evacuated canisters for hydrocarbon speciation analysis via GC. This analysis yields the concentrations of the hydrocarbon species required for the California NMOG calculation. The PM concentration in the anode burner exhaust was measured through the placement of a filter in the exhaust stream. The emissions from vehicles with fully developed on board reformer systems were estimated.

Experimental and numerical investigation of the catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas for power generation applications[Dissertation 17183

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, A.

2007-07-01

The present work addresses the catalytic partial oxidation (CPO) of methane to synthesis gas, with particular emphasis on power generation applications. A combined experimental and numerical investigation of methane partial oxidation to synthesis gas (H{sub 2}, CO) over rhodium-based catalysts has been carried out at pressures of up to 10 bar. The reactivity of the produced hydrogen and the suitably-low light-off temperatures of the CPO reactor, greatly facilitate operation of power generation gas turbines with reduced NO{sub x} emissions, stable operation with low calorific value fuels, and new combustion strategies for efficient CO{sub 2} capture. Those strategies utilize CPO of methane with oxygen (separated from air) and large exhaust gas recycle (H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2}). An optically accessible catalytic channel-flow reactor was used to carry out Raman spectroscopy of major gas-phase species and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) of formaldehyde, in order to gain fundamental information on the catalytic and gas-phase chemical pathways. Transverse concentration profiles measured by the spontaneous Raman scattering technique determined the catalytic reactivity, while the LIF provided flame shapes and anchoring positions that, in turn, characterized the gaseous reactivity. Comparison between measurements and 2-D CFD computations, led to the validation of detailed catalytic and gas-phase reaction mechanisms. Experiments in a subscale gas-turbine honeycomb catalytic reactor have shown that the foregoing reaction mechanisms were also appropriate under gas-turbine relevant conditions with short reactant residence times. The light-off behavior of the subscale honeycomb reactor was reproduced by transient 2-D CFD computations. Ignition and extinction in CPO was studied. It was shown that, despite the chemical impact of the H{sub 2}O diluent during the transient catalytic ignition event, the light-off times themselves were largely unaffected by the exhaust gas dilution

Low-Energy, Low-Cost Production of Ethylene by Low- Temperature Oxidative Coupling of Methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radaelli, Guido [Siluria Technologies, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States); Chachra, Gaurav [Siluria Technologies, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States); Jonnavittula, Divya [Siluria Technologies, Inc., San Francisco, CA (United States)

2017-12-30

In this project, we develop a catalytic process technology for distributed small-scale production of ethylene by oxidative coupling of methane at low temperatures using an advanced catalyst. The Low Temperature Oxidative Coupling of Methane (LT-OCM) catalyst system is enabled by a novel chemical catalyst and process pioneered by Siluria, at private expense, over the last six years. Herein, we develop the LT-OCM catalyst system for distributed small-scale production of ethylene by identifying and addressing necessary process schemes, unit operations and process parameters that limit the economic viability and mass penetration of this technology to manufacture ethylene at small-scales. The output of this program is process concepts for small-scale LT-OCM catalyst based ethylene production, lab-scale verification of the novel unit operations adopted in the proposed concept, and an analysis to validate the feasibility of the proposed concepts.

A thermally self-sustained micro-power plant with integrated micro-solid oxide fuel cells, micro-reformer and functional micro-fluidic carrier

Science.gov (United States)

Scherrer, Barbara; Evans, Anna; Santis-Alvarez, Alejandro J.; Jiang, Bo; Martynczuk, Julia; Galinski, Henning; Nabavi, Majid; Prestat, Michel; Tölke, René; Bieberle-Hütter, Anja; Poulikakos, Dimos; Muralt, Paul; Niedermann, Philippe; Dommann, Alex; Maeder, Thomas; Heeb, Peter; Straessle, Valentin; Muller, Claude; Gauckler, Ludwig J.

2014-07-01

Low temperature micro-solid oxide fuel cell (micro-SOFC) systems are an attractive alternative power source for small-size portable electronic devices due to their high energy efficiency and density. Here, we report on a thermally self-sustainable reformer-micro-SOFC assembly. The device consists of a micro-reformer bonded to a silicon chip containing 30 micro-SOFC membranes and a functional glass carrier with gas channels and screen-printed heaters for start-up. Thermal independence of the device from the externally powered heater is achieved by exothermic reforming reactions above 470 °C. The reforming reaction and the fuel gas flow rate of the n-butane/air gas mixture controls the operation temperature and gas composition on the micro-SOFC membrane. In the temperature range between 505 °C and 570 °C, the gas composition after the micro-reformer consists of 12 vol.% to 28 vol.% H2. An open-circuit voltage of 1.0 V and maximum power density of 47 mW cm-2 at 565 °C is achieved with the on-chip produced hydrogen at the micro-SOFC membranes.

Correlation between Low Temperature Adaptation and Oxidative Stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estéfani García-Rios

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Many factors, such as must composition, juice clarification, fermentation temperature or inoculated yeast strain, strongly affect the alcoholic fermentation and aromatic profile of wine. As fermentation temperature is effectively controlled by the wine industry, low-temperature fermentation (10-15 ºC is becoming more prevalent in order to produce white and rosé wines with more pronounced aromatic profiles. Elucidating the response to cold in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is of paramount importance for the selection or genetic improvement of wine strains. Previous research has shown the strong implication of oxidative stress response in adaptation to low temperature during the fermentation process. Here we aimed first to quantify the correlation between recovery after shock with different oxidants and cold, and then to detect the key genes involved in cold adaptation that belong to sulfur assimilation, peroxiredoxins, glutathione-glutaredoxins and thioredoxins pathways. To do so, we analyzed the growth of knockouts from the EUROSCARF collection S. cerevisiae BY4743 strain at low and optimal temperatures. The growth rate of these knockouts, compared with the control, enabled us to identify the genes involved, which were also deleted and validated as key genes in the background of two commercial wine strains with a divergent phenotype in their low-temperature growth. We identified three genes, AHP1, MUP1 and URM1, whose deletion strongly impaired low-temperature growth.

PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN FROM THE STEAM AND OXIDATIVE REFORMING OF LPG: THERMODYNAMIC AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. P. Silva

2015-09-01

Full Text Available AbstractThe objective of this paper was to use a thermodynamic analysis to find operational conditions that favor the production of hydrogen from steam and oxidative reforming of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG. We also analyzed the performance of a catalyst precursor, LaNiO3, in order to compare the performance of the obtained catalyst with the thermodynamic equilibrium predictions. The results showed that it is possible to produce high concentrations of hydrogen from LPG reforming. The gradual increase of temperature and the use of high water concentrations decrease the production of coke and increase the formation of H2. The reaction of oxidative reforming of LPG was more suitable for the production of hydrogen and lower coke formation. Furthermore the use of an excess of water (H2O/LPG =7.0 and intermediate temperatures (973 K are the most suitable conditions for the process.

New insights in the low-temperature oxidation of acetylene

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Bing-Yin; Liu, Yue-Xi; Weng, Jun-Jie

2017-01-01

This work presents new experimental data of C2H2 low-temperature oxidation for equivalence ratios Φ= 0.5–3.0 in a newly designed jet-stirred reactor over a temperature range of 600–1100K at atmospheric pressure with residence time corresponding from 1.94 to 1.06s. Mole fraction profiles of 17...... intermediates including aromatic compounds such as toluene, styrene and ethylbenzene were quantified. A detailed kinetic mechanism involving 295 species and 1830 reactions was established to predict the oxidation of C2H2 and formation of PAH. In developing the mechanism, particular attention was paid...

Fluorine-enhanced low-temperature wafer bonding of native-oxide covered Si wafers

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Q.-Y.; Gan, Q.; Fountain, G.; Enquist, P.; Scholz, R.; Gösele, U.

2004-10-01

The bonding energy of bonded native-oxide-covered silicon wafers treated in the HNO3/H2O/HF or the HNO3/HF solution prior to room-temperature contact is significantly higher than bonded standard RCA1 cleaned wafer pairs after low-temperature annealing. The bonding energy reaches over 2000mJ/m2 after annealing at 100 °C. The very slight etching and fluorine in the chemically grown oxide are believed to be the main contributors to the enhanced bonding energy. Transmission-electron-microscopic images have shown that the chemically formed native oxide at bonding interface is embedded with many flake-like cavities. The cavities can absorb the by-products of the interfacial reactions that result in covalent bond formation at low temperatures allowing the strong bond to be retained.

High performance solution processed zirconium oxide gate dielectric appropriate for low temperature device application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasan, Musarrat; Nguyen, Manh-Cuong; Kim, Hyojin; You, Seung-Won; Jeon, Yoon-Seok; Tong, Duc-Tai; Lee, Dong-Hwi; Jeong, Jae Kyeong; Choi, Rino, E-mail: rino.choi@inha.ac.kr

2015-08-31

This paper reports a solution processed electrical device with zirconium oxide gate dielectric that was fabricated at a low enough temperature appropriate for flexible electronics. Both inorganic dielectric and channel materials were synthesized in the same organic solvent. The dielectric constant achieved was 13 at 250 °C with a reasonably low leakage current. The bottom gate transistor devices showed the highest mobility of 75 cm{sup 2}/V s. The device is operated at low voltage with high-k dielectric with excellent transconductance and low threshold voltage. Overall, the results highlight the potential of low temperature solution based deposition in fabricating more complicated circuits for a range of applications. - Highlights: • We develop a low temperature inorganic dielectric deposition process. • We fabricate oxide semiconductor channel devices using all-solution processes. • Same solvent is used for dielectric and oxide semiconductor deposition.

Biogas Catalytic Reforming Studies on Nickel-Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anodes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johnson, Gregory B.; Hjalmarsson, Per; Norrman, Kion

2016-01-01

Heterogeneous catalysis studies were conducted on two crushed solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes in fixed-bed reactors. The baseline anode was Ni/ScYSZ (Ni/scandia and yttria stabilized zirconia), the other was Ni/ScYSZ modified with Pd/doped ceria (Ni/ScYSZ/Pd-CGO). Three main types......-programmed oxidation and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. Results showed thatNi/ScYSZ/Pd-CGO was more active for catalytic dissociation of CH4 at 750°C and subsequent reactivity of deposited carbonaceous species. Sulfur deactivated most catalytic reactions except CO2 dissociation at 750°C. The presence...... of Pd-CGO helped to mitigate sulfur deactivation effect; e.g. lowering the onset temperature (up to 190°C) for CH4 conversion during temperature-programmed reactions. Both Ni/ScYSZ and Ni/ScYSZ/Pd-CGO anode catalysts were more active for dry reforming of biogas than they were for steam reforming...

Deactivation Studies of Rh/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 Catalysts in Low Temperature Ethanol Steam Reforming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Platon, Alex; Roh, Hyun-Seog; King, David L.; Wang, Yong

2007-10-30

Rapid deactivation of Rh/Ce0.8Zr0.2O2 catalysts in low temperature ethanol steam reforming was studied. A significant build-up of carbonaceous intermediate, instead of carbon deposit, was observed at a lower reaction temperature which was attributed to the rapid catalyst deactivation. Co-feed experiments indicated that acetone and ethylene caused more severe catalyst deactivation than other oxygenates such as acidic acid and acetaldehyde.

Methane Steam Reforming over an Ni-YSZ Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode in Stack Configuration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Mogensen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The kinetics of catalytic steam reforming of methane over an Ni-YSZ anode of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC have been investigated with the cell placed in a stack configuration. In order to decrease the degree of conversion, a single cell stack with reduced area was used. Measurements were performed in the temperature range 600–800°C and the partial pressures of all reactants and products were varied. The obtained rates could be well fitted with a power law expression (r ∝PCH40.7. A simple model is presented which is capable of predicting the methane conversion in a stack configuration from intrinsic kinetics of the anode support material. The predictions are compared with the stack measurements presented here, and good agreement is observed.

Ni/SiO2 Catalyst Prepared with Nickel Nitrate Precursor for Combination of CO2 Reforming and Partial Oxidation of Methane: Characterization and Deactivation Mechanism Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sufang He

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The performance of Ni/SiO2 catalyst in the process of combination of CO2 reforming and partial oxidation of methane to produce syngas was studied. The Ni/SiO2 catalysts were prepared by using incipient wetness impregnation method with nickel nitrate as a precursor and characterized by FT-IR, TG-DTA, UV-Raman, XRD, TEM, and H2-TPR. The metal nickel particles with the average size of 37.5 nm were highly dispersed over the catalyst, while the interaction between nickel particles and SiO2 support is relatively weak. The weak NiO-SiO2 interaction disappeared after repeating oxidation-reduction-oxidation in the fluidized bed reactor at 700°C, which resulted in the sintering of metal nickel particles. As a result, a rapid deactivation of the Ni/SiO2 catalysts was observed in 2.5 h reaction on stream.

Green synthesis of Ni-Nb oxide catalysts for low-temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Haibo

2015-03-05

The straightforward solid-state grinding of a mixture of Ni nitrate and Nb oxalate crystals led to, after mild calcination (T<400°C), nanostructured Ni-Nb oxide composites. These new materials efficiently catalyzed the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane to ethylene at a relatively low temperature (T<300°C). These catalysts appear to be much more stable than the corresponding composites prepared by other chemical methods; more than 90% of their original intrinsic activity was retained after 50h with time on-stream. Furthermore, the stability was much less affected by the Nb content than in composites prepared by classical "wet" syntheses. These materials, obtained in a solvent-free way, are thus promising green and sustainable alternatives to the current Ni-Nb candidates for the low-temperature ODH of ethane.

Modelling and optimization of reforming systems for use in PEM fuel cell systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, M.; Korsgaard, A.R.; Nielsen, M.P.

2004-01-01

Three different reforming methods for the conversion of natural gas to hydrogen are studied and compared: Steam Reforming (SR), Auto-thermal Reforming (ATR), and Catalytic Partial Oxidation (CPOX). Thermodynamic and kinetic models are developed for the reforming reactors as well as the subsequent reactors needed for CO removal to make the synthesis gas suitable for use in a PEM fuel cell. The systems are optimized to minimize the total volume, and must supply adequate hydrogen to a fuel cell with a 100kW load. The resultant system efficiencies are calculated. The CPOX system is the smallest and exhibits a comparable efficiency to the SR system. The SR system had the best relation between efficiency and volume increase. Optimal temperature profiles within each reactor were found. It was shown that temperature control can significantly reduce reactor volume and increase conversion capabilities. (author)

Effect of surface composition of yttrium-stabilized zirconia on partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhu, J.J.; van Ommen, J.G.; Knoester, A.; Lefferts, Leonardus

2005-01-01

Catalytic partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas (CPOM) over yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was studied within a wide temperature window (500¿1100 °C). The catalysts were characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and low-energy ion scattering (LEIS). The influence of calcination

Diesel autothermal reforming with hydrogen peroxide for low-oxygen environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Gwangwoo; Lee, Sangho; Bae, Joongmyeon

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The concept of diesel reforming using hydrogen peroxide was newly proposed. • Characteristics of hydrogen peroxide was experimentally investigated. • Thermodynamically possible operating conditions were analyzed. • Catalytic performance of Ni–Ru/CGO for various diesel compounds was evaluated. • Long-term testing was successfully conducted using Korean commercial diesel. - Abstract: To operate fuel cells effectively in low-oxygen environments, such as in submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles, a hydrogen source with high hydrogen storage density is required. In this paper, diesel autothermal reforming (ATR) with hydrogen peroxide as an alternative oxidant is proposed as a hydrogen production method. Diesel fuel has higher hydrogen density than metal hydrides or other hydrocarbons. In addition, hydrogen peroxide can decompose into steam and oxygen, which are required for diesel ATR. Moreover, both diesel fuel and hydrogen peroxide are liquid states, enabling easy storage for submarine applications. Hydrogen peroxide exhibited the same characteristics as steam and oxygen when used as an oxidant in diesel reforming when pre-decomposition method was used. The thermodynamically calculated operating conditions were a steam-to-carbon ratio (SCR) of 3.0, an oxygen-to-carbon ratio (OCR) of 0.5, and temperatures below 700 °C to account for safety issues associated with hydrogen peroxide use and exothermic reactions. Catalytic activity and stability tests over Ni–Ru (19.5–0.5 wt.%)/Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 2−x were conducted using various diesel compounds. Furthermore, long-term diesel ATR tests were conducted for 200 h using Korean commercial diesel. The degradation rate was 3.67%/100 h without the production of ethylene

Improvement of performance in low temperature solid oxide fuel cells operated on ethanol and air mixtures using Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 catalyst layer

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, M.; Espiell, F.; Segarra, M.

2015-10-01

Anode-supported single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells with and without Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 catalyst layers deposited on the anode support have been operated on ethanol and air mixtures. The cells consist of gadolinia-doped ceria electrolyte, Ni-doped ceria anode, and La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-δ-doped ceria cathode. Catalyst layers with different Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 ratios are deposited and sintered at several temperatures. Since the performance of single-chamber fuel cells strongly depends on catalytic properties of electrodes for partial oxidation of ethanol, the cells are electrochemically characterized as a function of the temperature, ethanol-air molar ratio and gas flow rate. In addition, catalytic activities of supported anode, catalytic layer-supported anode and cathode for partial oxidation of ethanol are analysed. Afterwards, the effect of composition and sintering temperature of catalyst layer on the cell performance are determined. The results indicate that the cell performance can be significantly enhanced using catalyst layers of 30:35:35 and 40:30:30 wt.% Cu-ZnO-Al2O3 sintered at 1100 °C, achieving power densities above 50 mW cm-2 under 0.45 ethanol-air ratio at temperatures as low as 450 °C. After testing for 15 h, all cells present a gradual loss of power density, without carbon deposition, which is mainly attributed to the partial re-oxidation of Ni at the anode.

Low temperature solid oxide electrolytes (LT-SOE): A review

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, B.; Ghosh, S.; Aich, S.; Roy, B.

2017-01-01

Low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC) can be a source of power for vehicles, online grid, and at the same time reduce system cost, offer high reliability, and fast start-up. A huge amount of research work, as evident from the literature has been conducted for the enhancement of the ionic conductivity of LT electrolytes in the last few years. The basic conduction mechanisms, advantages and disadvantages of different LT oxide ion conducting electrolytes {BIMEVOX systems, bilayer systems including doped cerium oxide/stabilised bismuth oxide and YSZ/DCO}, mixed ion conducting electrolytes {doped cerium oxides/alkali metal carbonate composites}, and proton conducting electrolytes {doped and undoped BaCeO3, BaZrO3, etc.} are discussed here based on the recent research articles. Effect of various material aspects (composition, doping, layer thickness, etc.), fabrication methods (to achieve different microstructures and particle size), design related strategies (interlayer, sintering aid etc.), characterization temperature & environment on the conductivity of the electrolytes and performance of the fuel cells made from these electrolytes are shown in tabular form and discussed. The conductivity of the electrolytes and performance of the corresponding fuel cells are compared. Other applications of the electrolytes are mentioned. A few considerations regarding the future prospects are pointed.

The syngas production by partial oxidation using a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Yoon Cheol; Lim, Mun Sup; Chun, Young Nam

2009-01-01

It is essential to develop the environment-friendly alternative energies urgently considering the limited fossil fuel and the global warming caused by environmental destruction. In this research, the new technology was studied to produce syngas from methane or simulated biogas with a HCCI reforming engine. The purpose is to provide the basics for the research on biogas treatment mainly comprising of methane and carbon dioxide, the cause of global warming. This experiment was conducted on the changes in syngas concentration according to the variations of oxygen/methane ratio, total flow rate, intake heating temperature, CO 2 in mixture and oxygen enrichment with partial oxidation. Through the parametric screening studies, optimum conditions and their results in this study was taken as follows; The maximum content of syngas was; 27.4% at 0.3 of oxygen/methane ratio, 32.38% at 117.3 L/min of total flow rate, and 35.83% at 355 C of intake heating temperature. 41.06% of syngas was produced at 50.33% of oxygen enrichment ratio. (author)

Low Temperature Synthesis and Properties of Gadolinium-Doped Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Machado, Marina F. S.; P. R. Moraes, Leticia; Monteiro, Natalia K.

2017-01-01

Gadolinium-doped cerium oxide (GDC) is an attractive ceramic material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) both as the electrolyte or in composite electrodes. The Ni/GDC cermet can be tuned as a catalytic layer, added to the conventional Ni/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), for the internal steam...... sintering temperature needed to obtain a fully dense ceramic body, which can result in undesired reactions with YSZ. In this study, a green chemistry route for the synthesis of 10 mol% GDC nanoparticles is proposed. Such a low temperature synthesis provides control over particle size and sinterability...

In-reactor oxidation of zircaloy-4 under low water vapor pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Luscher, Walter G.; Senor, David J.; Clayton, Kevin K.; Longhurst, Glen R.

2015-01-01

Complementary in- and ex-reactor oxidation tests have been performed to evaluate the oxidation and hydrogen absorption performance of Zircaloy-4 (Zr-4) under relatively low partial pressures (300 and 1000 Pa) of water vapor at specified test temperatures (330 and 370 °C). Data from these tests will be used to support the fabrication of components intended for isotope-producing targets and provide information regarding the temperature and pressure dependence of oxidation and hydrogen absorption of Zr-4 over the specified range of test conditions. Comparisons between in- and ex-reactor test results were performed to evaluate the influence of irradiation.

In-reactor oxidation of zircaloy-4 under low water vapor pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luscher, Walter G.; Senor, David J.; Clayton, Kevin K.; Longhurst, Glen R.

2015-01-01

Complementary in- and ex-reactor oxidation tests have been performed to evaluate the oxidation and hydrogen absorption performance of Zircaloy-4 (Zr-4) under relatively low partial pressures (300 and 1000 Pa) of water vapor at specified test temperatures (330 and 370 ℃). Data from these tests will be used to support the fabrication of components intended for isotope-producing targets and provide information regarding the temperature and pressure dependence of oxidation and hydrogen absorption of Zr- 4 over the specified range of test conditions. Comparisons between in- and ex-reactor test results were performed to evaluate the influence of irradiation.

Partial oxidation of municipal sludge with activited carbon catalyst in supercritical water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Yang; Wang Shuzhong; Gong Yanmeng; Xu Donghai; Tang Xingying; Ma Honghe

2010-01-01

The partial oxidation (POX) characteristics of municipal sludge in supercritical water (SCW) were investigated by using batch reactor. Effects of reaction parameters such as oxidant equivalent ratio (OER), reaction time and temperature were investigated. Activated carbon (AC) could effectively improve the mole fraction of H 2 in gas product at low OER. However, high OER (greater than 0.3) not only led to the combustion reaction of CO and H 2 , but also caused corrosion of reactor inner wall. Hydrogenation and polymerization of the intermediate products are possible reasons for the relative low COD removal rate in our tests. Metal oxide leached from the reactor inner wall and the main components of the granular sludge were deposited in the AC catalyst. Reaction time had more significant effect on BET surface area of AC than OER had. Long reaction time led to the methanation reaction following hydrolysis and oxidation reaction of AC in SCW in the presence of oxygen. Correspondingly, the possible reaction mechanisms were proposed.

Low temperature oxidation of benzene and toluene in mixture with n-decane.

Science.gov (United States)

Herbinet, Olivier; Husson, Benoit; Ferrari, Maude; Glaude, Pierre-Alexandre; Battin-Leclerc, Frédérique

2013-01-01

The oxidation of two blends, benzene/ n -decane and toluene/ n -decane, was studied in a jet-stirred reactor with gas chromatography analysis (temperatures from 500 to 1100 K, atmospheric pressure, stoichiometric mixtures). The studied hydrocarbon mixtures contained 75% of aromatics in order to highlight the chemistry of the low-temperature oxidation of these two aromatic compounds which have a very low reactivity compared to large alkanes. The difference of behavior between the two aromatic reactants is highly pronounced concerning the formation of derived aromatic products below 800 K. In the case of benzene, only phenol could be quantified. In the case of toluene, significant amounts of benzaldehyde, benzene, and cresols were also formed, as well as several heavy aromatic products such as bibenzyl, phenylbenzylether, methylphenylbenzylether, and ethylphenylphenol. A comparison with results obtained with neat n -decane showed that the reactivity of the alkane is inhibited by the presence of benzene and, to a larger extent, toluene. An improved model for the oxidation of toluene was developed based on recent theoretical studies of the elementary steps involved in the low-temperature chemistry of this molecule. Simulations using this model were successfully compared with the obtained experimental results.

Composite electrolyte with proton conductivity for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raza, Rizwan, E-mail: razahussaini786@gmail.com [Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Department of Energy Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm 10044 (Sweden); Ahmed, Akhlaq; Akram, Nadeem; Saleem, Muhammad; Niaz Akhtar, Majid; Ajmal Khan, M.; Abbas, Ghazanfar; Alvi, Farah; Yasir Rafique, M. [Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Sherazi, Tauqir A. [Department of Chemistry, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbotabad 22060 (Pakistan); Shakir, Imran [Sustainable Energy Technologies (SET) center, College of Engineering, King Saud University, PO-BOX 800, Riyadh 11421 (Saudi Arabia); Mohsin, Munazza [Department of Physics, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, 54000 (Pakistan); Javed, Muhammad Sufyan [Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Lahore 54000 (Pakistan); Department of Applied Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Zhu, Bin, E-mail: binzhu@kth.se, E-mail: zhubin@hubu.edu.cn [Department of Energy Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm 10044 (Sweden); Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, Faculty of Physics and Electronic Science/Faculty of Computer and Information, Hubei University, Wuhan, Hubei 430062 (China)

2015-11-02

In the present work, cost-effective nanocomposite electrolyte (Ba-SDC) oxide is developed for efficient low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs). Analysis has shown that dual phase conduction of O{sup −2} (oxygen ions) and H{sup +} (protons) plays a significant role in the development of advanced LTSOFCs. Comparatively high proton ion conductivity (0.19 s/cm) for LTSOFCs was achieved at low temperature (460 °C). In this article, the ionic conduction behaviour of LTSOFCs is explained by carrying out electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Further, the phase and structure analysis are investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Finally, we achieved an ionic transport number of the composite electrolyte for LTSOFCs as high as 0.95 and energy and power density of 90% and 550 mW/cm{sup 2}, respectively, after sintering the composite electrolyte at 800 °C for 4 h, which is promising. Our current effort toward the development of an efficient, green, low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell with the incorporation of high proton conductivity composite electrolyte may open frontiers in the fields of energy and fuel cell technology.

Composite electrolyte with proton conductivity for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Raza, Rizwan; Ahmed, Akhlaq; Akram, Nadeem; Saleem, Muhammad; Niaz Akhtar, Majid; Sherazi, Tauqir A.; Ajmal Khan, M.; Abbas, Ghazanfar; Shakir, Imran; Mohsin, Munazza; Alvi, Farah; Javed, Muhammad Sufyan; Yasir Rafique, M.; Zhu, Bin

2015-11-01

In the present work, cost-effective nanocomposite electrolyte (Ba-SDC) oxide is developed for efficient low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFCs). Analysis has shown that dual phase conduction of O-2 (oxygen ions) and H+ (protons) plays a significant role in the development of advanced LTSOFCs. Comparatively high proton ion conductivity (0.19 s/cm) for LTSOFCs was achieved at low temperature (460 °C). In this article, the ionic conduction behaviour of LTSOFCs is explained by carrying out electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Further, the phase and structure analysis are investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Finally, we achieved an ionic transport number of the composite electrolyte for LTSOFCs as high as 0.95 and energy and power density of 90% and 550 mW/cm2, respectively, after sintering the composite electrolyte at 800 °C for 4 h, which is promising. Our current effort toward the development of an efficient, green, low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell with the incorporation of high proton conductivity composite electrolyte may open frontiers in the fields of energy and fuel cell technology.

Multi-fuel reformers for fuel cells used in transportation. Phase 1: Multi-fuel reformers

Science.gov (United States)

1994-05-01

DOE has established the goal, through the Fuel Cells in Transportation Program, of fostering the rapid development and commercialization of fuel cells as economic competitors for the internal combustion engine. Central to this goal is a safe feasible means of supplying hydrogen of the required purity to the vehicular fuel cell system. Two basic strategies are being considered: (1) on-board fuel processing whereby alternative fuels such as methanol, ethanol or natural gas stored on the vehicle undergo reformation and subsequent processing to produce hydrogen, and (2) on-board storage of pure hydrogen provided by stationary fuel processing plants. This report analyzes fuel processor technologies, types of fuel and fuel cell options for on-board reformation. As the Phase 1 of a multi-phased program to develop a prototype multi-fuel reformer system for a fuel cell powered vehicle, the objective of this program was to evaluate the feasibility of a multi-fuel reformer concept and to select a reforming technology for further development in the Phase 2 program, with the ultimate goal of integration with a DOE-designated fuel cell and vehicle configuration. The basic reformer processes examined in this study included catalytic steam reforming (SR), non-catalytic partial oxidation (POX) and catalytic partial oxidation (also known as Autothermal Reforming, or ATR). Fuels under consideration in this study included methanol, ethanol, and natural gas. A systematic evaluation of reforming technologies, fuels, and transportation fuel cell applications was conducted for the purpose of selecting a suitable multi-fuel processor for further development and demonstration in a transportation application.

Numerical predictions of dry oxidation of iron and low-carbon steel at moderately elevated temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henshall, G.A.

1996-11-01

Wrought and cast low-carbon steel are candidate materials for the thick (e.g. 10 cm) outer barrier of nuclear waste packages being considered for use in the potential geological repository at Yucca Mountain. Dry oxidation is possible at the moderately elevated temperatures expected at the container surface (323-533 K or 50-260 C). Numerical predictions of dry oxidation damage were made based on experimental data for iron and low-carbon steel and parabolic oxidation theory. The Forward Euler method was implemented to integrate the parabolic rate law for arbitrary, complex temperature histories. Assuming growth of a defect-free, adherent oxide, the surface penetration of a low-carbon steel barrier following 5000 years of exposure to a severe, but repository-relevant, temperature history is predicted to be only about 0.127 mm, less than 0.13% of the expected container thickness of 10 cm. Allowing the oxide to spall upon reaching a critical thickness increases the predicted metal penetration values, but degradation is still computed to be negligible. Thus, dry oxidation is not expected to significantly degrade the performance of thick, corrosion allowance barriers constructed of low-carbon steel

Pressure of a partially ionized hydrogen gas : numerical results from exact low temperature expansions

OpenAIRE

Alastuey , Angel; Ballenegger , Vincent

2010-01-01

8 pages; International audience; We consider a partially ionized hydrogen gas at low densities, where it reduces almost to an ideal mixture made with hydrogen atoms in their ground-state, ionized protons and ionized electrons. By performing systematic low-temperature expansions within the physical picture, in which the system is described as a quantum electron-proton plasma interacting via the Coulomb potential, exact formulae for the first five leading corrections to the ideal Saha equation ...

A method of eliminating the surface defect in low-temperature oxidation powder added UO2 pellet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoo, H. S.; Lee, S. J.; Kim, J. I.; Jeon, K. R.; Kim, J. W.

2002-01-01

A study on methods to eliminate surface defect shown in low-temperature oxidation powder added UO 2 pellet has been performed. Powders oxidized at 350 .deg. C for 4 hrs were prepared and mixed with UO 2 powder after crushing them. After being sintered, surfaces of the pellet were inspected both visually and optically. A large number of defects were observed on the surface of the specimens in which low-temperature oxidation powders were directly mixed or master mixed with UO 2 powder while both specimens produced from mixed powders including milled oxidation powders and powders that were milled totally after mixing had clean surfaces. However, optical examination showed considerably large defected pores in the milled oxidation powder added pellet and it was confirmed that the inner defects can be eliminated completely only when milling the entire mixture on UO 2 and low-temperature oxidation powder, but not by crushing only oxidation powder

Comparison of high-temperature and low-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell systems with glycerol reforming process for stationary applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Authayanun, Suthida; Mamlouk, Mohamed; Scott, Keith; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2013-01-01

Highlights: • PEMFC systems with a glycerol steam reformer for stationary application are studied. • Performance of HT-PEMFC and LT-PEMFC systems is compared. • HT-PEMFC system shows good performance over LT-PEMFC system at a high current density. • HT-PEMFC system with water gas shift reactor shows the highest system efficiency. • Heat integration can improve the efficiency of HT-PEMFC system. - Abstract: A high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) has a major advantage over a low-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (LT-PEMFC) demonstrated by a tolerance to a higher CO content in the hydrogen feed and thus a simpler fuel processing. In this study, a direct comparison between the performance of HT-PEMFC and LT-PEMFC systems integrated with a glycerol steam reformer with and without a water gas shift reactor is shown. Under pure hydrogen operation, the LT-PEMFC performance is superior to the HT-PEMFC. However, the HT-PEMFC system shows good performance over the LT-PEMFC system when operated under high current density and high pressure (3 atm) and using the reformate gas derived from the glycerol processor as fuel. At high current density, the high concentration of CO is the major limitation for the operation of HT-PEMFC system without water gas shift reactor, whereas the LT-PEMFC suffers from CO poisoning and restricted oxygen mass transport. Considering the system efficiency with co-heat and power generation, the HT-PEMFC system with water gas shift reactor shows the highest overall system efficiency (approximately 60%) and therefore one of the most suitable technologies for stationary applications

Hydrogen production from methane reforming: thermodynamic assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assis, A.J.; Hori, Carla E.; Avila Neto, Cicero; Franco, Tatiana [Federal University of Uberlandia (UFU), MG (Brazil). School of Chemical Engineering]. E-mail: adilsonjassis@gmail.com

2008-07-01

The main contributions of this study are to conduct a comparative thermodynamic analysis of methane reforming reactions and to asses the influence of key operational variables on chemical equilibrium using an in-house code, developed in the open-source software Scilab{sup c} INRIA-ENPC (www.scilab.org). Equilibrium compositions are calculated by two distinct methods: evaluation of equilibrium constants and Lagrange multipliers. Both methods result in systems of non-linear algebraic equations, solved numerically using the Scilab function 'fsolve'. Comparison between experimental and simulated equilibrium data, published in the literature, was used to validate the simulated results. Effects of temperature, pressure, initial H{sub 2}O/CH{sub 4} ratio (steam reforming), initial CH{sub 4}:CO{sub 2}:N{sub 2} ratio (dry reforming) and initial O{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} ratio (partial oxidation) on the reaction products were evaluated. (author)

Kinetic studies of isooctane partial oxidation over a nickel-based catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, Hussameldin; Idem, Raphael; Aboudheir, Ahmed

2006-01-01

The production of hydrogen (H 2 ) for fuel cell applications in mobile vehicles by reforming technologies such as partial oxidation of various fossil fuels has gained much attention recently. In this study, the production of H 2 by the catalytic partial oxidation of isooctane ((C 8 H 18 ) used here as a surrogate for gasoline) was investigated over alumina (AI 2 O 3 )supported nickel (Ni) catalyst. The work investigated the kinetics of the partial oxidation of isooctane over a stable Ni/□-AI 2 O 3 catalyst in the range of 863 to 913 K, at atmospheric pressure, W/F i c8 in the range of 1.97 to 8.58 g h mol - 1, and molar feed ratio in the range of 2.0 to 8.0 experiments to obtain kinetic data were performed in a 12.7 mm diameter Inconel micro-reactor housed in an electrically controlled furnace. The chemical reaction was then modeled using rate models developed from the Langmuir-Hinshelwood-hougen-Watson (LHHW) and Eley-Rideal (ER) formulations. The model parameters were estimated using an adaptive Gauss-Newton and Marquardi-Levenberg minimization algorithm. Rival models were screened for their thermodynamic consistency and physicochemical significance of estimated parameters. Langmuir-Hinshelwood-hougen-Watson mechanism requiring the dissociative adsorption of isooctane and oxygen on two different sites appeared to be the most likely pathway for the partial oxidation reaction of isooctane. Reaction order with respect to isooctane indicates the strong coverage of nickel by isooctane. The activation energy of 73±3.1 kJ mol - 1 estimated from the LHHW model is consistent with the trend observed with lower hydrocarbons.(Author)

Stability, carbon resistance, and reactivity toward autothermal reforming of nickel on ceria-based supports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutthisripok, W.; Laosiripojana, N.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) normally requires a reformer unit, where the fuel such as natural gas, methane, methanol, or ethanol can be reformed to hydrogen before introducing to the main part of fuel cell. Nickel on commercial supports such as Al2O3, MgO, ZrO2 has been widely reported to be used as the reforming catalyst commercially. Carbon formation and catalyst deactivation are always the main problems of using this type of catalyst. It is well established that CeO2 and CeO2-ZrO2 have been applied as the catalysts in a wide variety of reactions involving oxidation or partial oxidation of hydrocarbons (e.g. automotive catalysis). In order to quantify the performance of nickel on CeO2 and CeO2-ZrO2 supports for reformer application, the stabilities toward methane steam reforming and the carbon formation resistance were studied. After 18 hours, nickel on CeO2-ZrO2 with the Ce/Zr ratio of 3/1 presented the best performance in term of stability and activity. It also provided excellent resistance toward carbon formation compared to commercial Ni/Al2O3. The autothermal reforming of methane over Ni catalyst on CeO2 and CeO2-ZrO2 supports were also investigated. Ni/Ce-ZrO2 with the Ce/ Zr ratio of 3/1 also showed the best performance. The kinetics of this reaction was also studied. In the temperature range of 750-900C, the reaction order in methane was always closed to 1. The catalyst showed a slight positive effect of hydrogen and a negative effect of steam on the steam reforming rate. The addition of oxygen increased the steam reforming rate. However, the productions of CO and H2 decreased with increasing oxygen partial pressure. (author)

Test plan for long-term, low-temperature oxidation of spent fuel, Series 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Einziger, R.E.

1986-06-01

Preliminary studies indicated the need for more spent fuel oxidation data in order to determine the probable behavior of spent fuel in a tuff repository. Long-term, low-temperature testing was recommended in a comprehensive technical approach to: (1) confirm the findings of the short-term thermogravimetric analyses scoping experiments; (2) evaluate the effects of variables such as burnup, atmospheric moisture and fuel type on the oxidation rate; and (3) extend the oxidation data base ot representative repository temperatures and better define the temperature dependence of the operative oxidation mechanisms. This document presents the Series 1 test plan to study, on a large number of samples, the effects of atmospheric moisture and temperature on oxidation rate and phase formation. Tests will run for up to two years, use characterized fragmented, and pulverized fuel samples, cover a temperature range of 110 0 C to 175 0 C and be conducted with an atmospheric moisture content rangeing from 0 C to approx. 80 0 C dew point. After testing, the samples will be examined and made available for leaching testing

Catalysts with Cu base supported in mixed oxides to generate H2: reformed of methanol in oxidant atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguila M, M.M.; Perez H, R.; Rodriguez L, V.

2006-01-01

In this work, the characterization of Cu supported in CeO 2 -ZrO 2 , for to generate H 2 starting from the one reformed of methanol with water vapor and oxygen is presented. The sol-gel technique and classic impregnation for the obtaining of the supports and catalysts respectively were used. The materials were characterized by XRD, SEM, adsorption- desorption of N 2 and TPR. The catalytic materials presented crystalline phases associated with the zircon (tetragonal and monoclinic phase) and the ceria (cubic phase) depending on the CeO 2 /ZrO 2 relationship. The morphology of the catalysts was analyzed by SEM being observed semispheric particles for the rich materials in ZrO 2 and added planars in the rich materials in CeO 2 . The ceria addition to the zircon favors the specific area of the mixed oxides CeO 2 -ZrO 2 and it promotes the reducibility of the copper oxide at low temperatures. The rich catalysts in ceria also showed high activity in the methanol transformation and bigger selectivity toward the production of H 2 . This result is associated with the presence of copper species that decrease to low temperature present in the rich catalysts in ceria and that they are not present in the rich catalysts in zircon. (Author)

Anodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Operating at Low Temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abdul Jabbar, Mohammed Hussain

An important issue that has limited the potential of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) for portable applications is its high operating temperatures (800-1000 ºC). Lowering the operating temperature of SOFCs to 400-600 ºC enable a wider material selection, reduced degradation and increased lifetime....... On the other hand, low-temperature operation poses serious challenges to the electrode performance. Effective catalysts, redox stable electrodes with improved microstructures are the prime requisite for the development of efficient SOFC anodes. The performance of Nb-doped SrT iO3 (STN) ceramic anodes...... at 400ºC. The potential of using WO3 ceramic as an alternative anode materials has been explored. The relatively high electrode polarization resistance obtained, 11 Ohm cm2 at 600 ºC, proved the inadequate catalytic activity of this system for hydrogen oxidation. At the end of this thesis...

Ce - promoted catalyst from hydrotalcites for CO2 reforming of methane: calcination temperature effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Enrique Daza

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Ce-promoted Ni-catalysts from hydrotalcites were obtained. The effect of calcination temperature on the chemical and physical properties of the catalysts was studied. Several techniques were used to determine the chemical and physical characteristics of oxides. The apparent activation energies of reduction were determined. Catalytic experiments at 48 L g-1h-1 without pre-reduction in CO2 reforming of methane were performed. The spinel-like phase in these oxides was only formed at 1000 ºC. The reduction of Ni2+ in the oxides was clearly affected by the calcination temperature which was correlated with catalytic performance. The catalyst calcined at 700 ºC showed the greatest activity.

Ni–Ta–O mixed oxide catalysts for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Haibo

2015-09-01

The "wet" sol-gel and "dry" solid-state methods were used to prepare Ni-Ta-O mixed oxide catalysts. The resulting Ni-Ta oxides exhibit high activity and selectivity for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene. The Ta/(Ni + Ta) atomic ratios (varying from 0 to 0.11 in "wet" sol-gel method, and from 0 to 0.20 in "dry" solid-state method) as well as the preparation methods used in the synthesis, play important roles in controlling catalyst structure, activity, selectivity and stability in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane. Electron microscopy characterizations (TEM, EELS mapping, and HAADF-STEM) clearly demonstrate that the Ta atoms are inserted into NiO crystal lattice, resulting in the formation of a new Ni-Ta oxide solid solution. More Ta atoms are found to be located at the lattice sites of crystal surface in sol-gel catalyst. While, a small amount of thin layer of Ta2O5 clusters are detected in solid-state catalyst. Further characterization by XRD, N2 adsorption, SEM, H2-TPR, XPS, and Raman techniques reveal different properties of these two Ni-Ta oxides. Due to the different properties of the Ni-Ta oxide catalysts prepared by two distinct approaches, they exhibit different catalytic behaviors in the ethane oxidative dehydrogenation reaction at low temperature. Thus, the catalytic performance of Ni-Ta-O mixed oxide catalysts can be systematically modified and tuned by selecting a suitable synthesis method, and then varying the Ta content. ©2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low temperature phase transition of the stoichiometric Ln2NiO4 oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, F.; Saez-Puche, R.; Botto, I.L.; Baran, E.J.

1991-01-01

In this paper we will present a comparative study of the structural phase transition in Ln 2 NiO 4 oxides, by means of neutron diffraction and infrared(IR) spectroscopy. In the Ln 2 NiO 4 oxides (Ln=La, Pr and Nd), there is a low temperature structural phase transition from the orthorhombic symmetry to a tetragonal phase, of first order character. The IR spectra show, at low temperature, a splitting of the bands related with the stretching Ni-O, strongly correlated with the phase transformation. From the neutron data, the phase transition can be visualized as a sudden tilt of the nickel octahedra

New insights into the low-temperature oxidation of 2-methylhexane

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhandong; Mohamed, Samah; Zhang, Lidong; Moshammer, Kai; Popolan-Vaida, Denisia M.; Shankar, Vijai; Lucassen, Arnas; Ruwe, Lena; Hansen, Nils; Dagaut, Philippe; Sarathy, Mani

2016-01-01

was composed of 2% 2-methyhexane, 22% O2 and 76% Ar and the pressure of the reactor was kept at 780Torr. Low-temperature oxidation intermediates with two to five oxygen atoms were observed. The detection of C7H14O5 and C7H12O4 species suggests that a third O2

Magnetic properties of partially oxidized Fe films

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Miguel Angel; Lopez-Dominguez, Victor; Hernando, Antonio

Hybrid magnetic nanostructures exhibit appealing properties due to interface and proximity effects. A simple and interesting system of hybrid magnetic nanomaterials are partially oxidized ferromagnetic films. We have fabricated Fe films by thermal evaporation and performed a partial oxidation to magnetite (Fe3O4) by annealing in air at different times and temperatures. The magnetic properties of the films evolve from those of pure metallic iron to pure magnetite, showing intermediate states where the proximity effects control the magnetic behavior. At some stages, the magnetization curves obtained by SQUID and MOKE magnetometry exhibit important differences due to the dissimilar contribution of both phases to the magneto-optical response of the system This work has been supported by the Ministerio Español de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) MAT2013-48009-C4-1. V.L.D and M.A.G. acknowledges financial support from BBVA foundation.

Synthesis and Characterization of 1D Ceria Nanomaterials for CO Oxidation and Steam Reforming of Methanol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sujan Chowdhury

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Novel one-dimensional (1D ceria nanostructure has been investigated as a promising and practical approach for the reforming of methanol reaction. Size and shape of the ceria nanomaterials are directly involved with the catalytic activities. Several general synthesis routes as including soft and hard template-assemble phenomenon for the preparation of 1D cerium oxide are discussed. This preparation phenomenon is consisting with low cost and ecofriendly. Nanometer-sized 1D structure provides a high-surface area that can interact with methanol and carbon-monoxide reaction. Overall, nanometer-sized structure provides desirable properties, such as easy recovery and regeneration. As a result, the use of 1D cerium has been suitable for catalytic application of reforming. In this paper, we describe the 1D cerium oxide syntheses route and then summarize their properties in the field of CO oxidation and steam reforming of methanol approach.

Low-temperature atmospheric oxidation of mixtures of titanium and carbon black or brown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elizarova, V.A.; Babaitsev, I.V.; Barzykin, V.V.; Gerusova, V.P.; Rozenband, V.I.

1984-01-01

This article reports on the thermogravimetric investigation of mixtures of titanium no. 2 and carbon black with various mass carbon contents. Adding carbon black (as opposed to boron) to titanium leads to an increase in the rate of heat release of the oxidation reaction. An attempt is made to clarify the low-temperature oxidation mechanism of titanium mixtures in air. An x-ray phase and chemical (for bound carbon) analysis of specimens of a stoichiometric Ti + C mixture after heating in air to a temperature of 650 0 C at the rate of 10 0 /min was conducted. The results indicate that the oxidation of the titanium-carbon mixture probably proceeds according to a more complex mechanism associated with the transport of the gaseous carbon oxidation products and their participation in the titanium oxidation

Session 4: On-board exhaust gas reforming for improved performance of natural gas HCCI engines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amieiro, A.; Golunski, S.; James, D. [Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, Sonning Common, Reading (United Kingdom); Miroslaw, Wyszynski; Athanasios, Megaritis; Peucheret, S. [Birmingham Univ., School of Engineering, Future Power Systems Research Group (United Kingdom); Hongming, Xu [Jaguar Cars Ltd, W/2/021 Engineering Centre, Whitley, Coventry (United Kingdom)

2004-07-01

Although natural gas (NG) is a non-renewable energy source, it is still a very attractive alternative fuel for transportation - it is inexpensive, abundant, and easier to refine than petroleum. Unfortunately the minimum spark energy required for NG ignition is higher than for liquid fuels, and engine performance is reduced since the higher volume of NG limits the air breathing capacity of the cylinders. On the other hand, the flammability range of NG is wider than for other hydrocarbons, so the engine can operate under leaner conditions. Environmentally, the use of NG is particularly attractive since it has a low flame temperature (resulting in reduced NO{sub x} emissions) and a low carbon content compared to diesel or gasoline (resulting in less CO, CO{sub 2} and particulate). In addition, NG is easily made sulphur-free, and has a high octane rating (RON = 110-130) which makes it suitable for high compression engine applications. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) into an engine is known to reduce both flame temperature and speed, and therefore produce lower NO{sub x} emissions. In general, a given volume of exhaust gas has a greater effect on flame speed and NO{sub x} emissions than the same quantity of excess air, although there is a limit to the amount of exhaust gas recirculation that can be used without inhibiting combustion. However, hydrogen addition to exhaust gas recirculation has been proved to reduce emissions while increasing flame speed, so improving both the emissions and the thermal efficiency of the engine. On-board reforming of some of the fuel, by reaction with exhaust gas during EGR, is a novel way of adding hydrogen to an engine. We have carried out reforming tests on mixtures of natural gas and exhaust gas at relatively low temperatures (400-600 C), to mimic the low availability of external heat within the integrated system. The reforming catalyst is a nickel-free formulation, containing precious metals promoted by metal oxides. The roles of

Low-Temperature Thermoelectric Properties of Fe2VAl with Partial Cobalt Doping

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chang; Morelli, Donald T.

2012-06-01

Ternary metallic alloy Fe2VAl with a pseudogap in its energy band structure has received intensive scrutiny for potential thermoelectric applications. Due to the sharp change in the density of states profile near the Fermi level, interesting transport properties can be triggered to render possible enhancement in the overall thermoelectric performance. Previously, this full-Heusler-type alloy was partially doped with cobalt at the iron sites to produce a series of compounds with n-type conductivity. Their thermoelectric properties in the temperature range of 300 K to 850 K were reported. In this research, efforts were made to extend the investigation on (Fe1- x Co x )2VAl to the low-temperature range. Alloy samples were prepared by arc-melting and annealing. Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity measurements were performed from 80 K to room temperature. The effects of cobalt doping on the material's electronic and thermal properties are discussed.

Determination of optimal reformer temperature in a reformed methanol fuel cell system using ANFIS models and numerical optimization methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Kristian Kjær; Andreasen, Søren Juhl

2015-01-01

In this work a method for choosing the optimal reformer temperature for a reformed methanol fuel cell system is presented based on a case study of a H3 350 module produced by Serenergy A/S. The method is based on ANFIS models of the dependence of the reformer output gas composition on the reformer...... temperature and fuel flow, and the dependence of the fuel cell voltage on the fuel cell temperature, current and anode supply gas CO content. These models are combined to give a matrix of system efficiencies at different fuel cell currents and reformer temperatures. This matrix is then used to find...... the reformer temperature which gives the highest efficiency for each fuel cell current. The average of this optimal efficiency curve is 32.11% and the average efficiency achieved using the standard constant temperature is 30.64% an increase of 1.47 percentage points. The gain in efficiency is 4 percentage...

Numerical simulation of combustion and soot under partially premixed combustion of low-octane gasoline

KAUST Repository

An, Yanzhao

2017-09-23

In-cylinder combustion visualization and engine-out soot particle emissions were investigated in an optical diesel engine fueled with low octane gasoline. Single injection strategy with an early injection timing (−30 CAD aTDC) was employed to achieve partially premixed combustion (PPC) condition. A high-speed color camera was used to record the combustion images for 150 cycles. The regulated emission of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and soot mass concentration were measured experimentally. Full cycle engine simulations were performed using CONVERGE™ and the simulation results matched with the experimental results. The in-cylinder soot particle evolution was performed by coupling a reduced toluene reference fuel mechanism including the PAHs formation/oxidation reactions with particulate size mimic model. The results showed that PPC presents typical stratified combustion characteristics, which is significantly different from the conventional diesel spray-driven combustion. The in-cylinder temperature and equivalence ratio overlaid with soot-NO formation regime revealed that PPC operating condition under study mostly avoided the main sooting conditions throughout the entire combustion. The evaluation of temperature distribution showed formaldehyde could be regarded as an indicator for low temperature reactions, while hydroxyl group represents the high temperature reactions. Soot evolution happened during the combustion process, hydroxyl radicals promoted the soot oxidation.

Numerical simulation of combustion and soot under partially premixed combustion of low-octane gasoline

KAUST Repository

An, Yanzhao; Jaasim, Mohammed; Vallinayagam, R.; Vedharaj, S.; Im, Hong G.; Johansson, Bengt.

2017-01-01

In-cylinder combustion visualization and engine-out soot particle emissions were investigated in an optical diesel engine fueled with low octane gasoline. Single injection strategy with an early injection timing (−30 CAD aTDC) was employed to achieve partially premixed combustion (PPC) condition. A high-speed color camera was used to record the combustion images for 150 cycles. The regulated emission of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and soot mass concentration were measured experimentally. Full cycle engine simulations were performed using CONVERGE™ and the simulation results matched with the experimental results. The in-cylinder soot particle evolution was performed by coupling a reduced toluene reference fuel mechanism including the PAHs formation/oxidation reactions with particulate size mimic model. The results showed that PPC presents typical stratified combustion characteristics, which is significantly different from the conventional diesel spray-driven combustion. The in-cylinder temperature and equivalence ratio overlaid with soot-NO formation regime revealed that PPC operating condition under study mostly avoided the main sooting conditions throughout the entire combustion. The evaluation of temperature distribution showed formaldehyde could be regarded as an indicator for low temperature reactions, while hydroxyl group represents the high temperature reactions. Soot evolution happened during the combustion process, hydroxyl radicals promoted the soot oxidation.

Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Operating at Low Temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Samson, Alfred Junio

. High performance cathodes were obtained from strontium-doped lanthanum cobaltite (LSC) infiltrated - Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (CGO) ionic conducting backbone. Systematic tuning of the CGO and LSC firing temperatures and LSC loading resulted in a cathode with low polarization resistance, Rp = 0.044 cm2 at 600......This dissertation focuses on the development of nanostructured cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and their performance at low operating temperatures. Cathodes were mainly fabricated by the infiltration method, whereby electrocatalysts are introduced onto porous, ionic conducting backbones...... with increasing LSC firing temperature, highlighting the importance of materials compability over higher ionic conductivity. The potential of Ca3Co4O9+delta as an electrocatalyst for SOFCs has also been explored and encouraging results were found i.e., Rp = 0.64 cm2 for a Ca3Co4O9+delta/CGO 50 vol % composite...

Investigation of methane steam reforming in planar porous support of solid oxide fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Yongping; Du Xiaoze; Yang Lijun; Huang Yuan; Xian Haizhen

2009-01-01

Adopting the porous support in integrated-planar solid oxide fuel cell (IP-SOFC) can reduce the operating temperature by reducing thickness of electrolyte layer, and also, provide internal reforming environment for hydrogen-rich fuel gas. The distributions of reactant and product components, and temperature of methane steam reforming for IP-SOFC were investigated by the developed physical and mathematical model with thermodynamic analysis, in which eleven possible reaction mechanisms were considered by the source terms and Arrhenius relationship. Numerical simulation of the model revealed that the progress of reforming reaction and the distribution of the product, H 2 , were influenced by the operating conditions, included that of temperature, ratio of H 2 O and CH 4 , as well as by the porosity of the supporting material. The simulating results indicate that the methane conversion rate can reach its maximum value under the operating temperature of 800 deg. C and porosity of ε = 0.4, which rather approximate to the practical operating conditions of IP-SOFC. In addition, characteristics of carbon deposition on surface of catalyst were discussed under various operating conditions and configuration parameters of the porous support. The present works provided some theoretical explanations to the numerous experimental observations and engineered practices

Low temperature catalytic reforming of heptane to hydrogen and syngas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.E.E. Abashar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The production of hydrogen and syngas from heptane at a low temperature is studied in a circulating fast fluidized bed membrane reactor (CFFBMR. A thin film of palladium-based membrane is employed to the displacement of the thermodynamic equilibrium for high conversion and yield. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the reformer. A substantial improvement of the CFFBMR is achieved by implementing the thin hydrogen membrane. The results showed that almost complete conversion of heptane and 46.25% increase of exit hydrogen yield over the value without membrane are achieved. Also a wide range of the H2/CO ratio within the recommended industrial range is obtained. The phenomena of high spikes of maximum nature at the beginning of the CFFBMR are observed and explanation offered. The sensitivity analysis results have shown that the increase of the steam to carbon feed ratio can increase the exit hydrogen yield up to 108.29%. It was found that the increase of reaction side pressure at a high steam to carbon feed ratio can increase further the exit hydrogen yield by 49.36% at a shorter reactor length. Moreover, the increase of reaction side pressure has an important impact in a significant decrease of the carbon dioxide and this is a positive sign for clean environment.

Methane dry reforming over Ni catalysts supported on Ce–Zr oxides prepared by a route involving supercritical fluids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smirnova Marina Yu.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Ce0.5Zr0.5O2 mixed oxides were prepared in a flow reactor in supercritical isopropanol with acetylacetone as a complexing agent. Variation of the nature of the Zr salt and the temperature of synthesis affected the phase composition, morphology and specific surface area of oxides. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy studies revealed formation of metastable t” and t’ phases. Oxides are comprised of agglomerates with sizes depending on the synthesis parameters. Loading NiO decreases the specific surface area without affecting X-ray particle sizes of supports. Such sintering was the most pronounced for a support with the highest specific surface area, which resulted in the lowest surface content of Ni as estimated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in the formation of flattened NiO particles partially embedded into the support. The catalytic activity and stability of these samples in the dry reforming of methane were determined by the surface concentration of Ni and the morphology of its particle controlled by the metal-support interaction, which also depends on the type of catalyst pretreatment. Samples based on ceria-zirconia oxides prepared under these conditions provide a higher specific catalytic activity as compared with the traditional Pechini route, which makes them promising for the practical application.

Low temperature formation of electrode having electrically conductive metal oxide surface

Science.gov (United States)

Anders, Simone; Anders, Andre; Brown, Ian G.; McLarnon, Frank R.; Kong, Fanping

1998-01-01

A low temperature process is disclosed for forming metal suboxides on substrates by cathodic arc deposition by either controlling the pressure of the oxygen present in the deposition chamber, or by controlling the density of the metal flux, or by a combination of such adjustments, to thereby control the ratio of oxide to metal in the deposited metal suboxide coating. The density of the metal flux may, in turn, be adjusted by controlling the discharge current of the arc, by adjusting the pulse length (duration of on cycle) of the arc, and by adjusting the frequency of the arc, or any combination of these parameters. In a preferred embodiment, a low temperature process is disclosed for forming an electrically conductive metal suboxide, such as, for example, an electrically conductive suboxide of titanium, on an electrode surface, such as the surface of a nickel oxide electrode, by such cathodic arc deposition and control of the deposition parameters. In the preferred embodiment, the process results in a titanium suboxide-coated nickel oxide electrode exhibiting reduced parasitic evolution of oxygen during charging of a cell made using such an electrode as the positive electrode, as well as exhibiting high oxygen overpotential, resulting in suppression of oxygen evolution at the electrode at full charge of the cell.

Catalyst Deactivation and Regeneration in Low Temperature Ethanol Steam Reforming with Rh/CeO2-ZrO2 Catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roh, Hyun-Seog; Platon, Alex; Wang, Yong; King, David L.

2006-08-01

Rh/CeO2-ZrO2 catalysts with various CeO2/ZrO2 ratios have been applied to H2 production from ethanol steam reforming at low temperatures. The catalysts all deactivated with time on stream (TOS) at 350 C. The addition of 0.5% K has a beneficial effect on catalyst stability, while 5% K has a negative effect on catalytic activity. The catalyst could be regenerated considerably even at ambient temperature and could recover its initial activity after regeneration above 200 C with 1% O2. The results are most consistent with catalyst deactivation due to carbonaceous deposition on the catalyst.

Co-Fe-Si Aerogel Catalytic Honeycombs for Low Temperature Ethanol Steam Reforming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Montserrat Domínguez

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Cobalt talc doped with iron (Fe/Co~0.1 and dispersed in SiO2 aerogel was prepared from silica alcogel impregnated with metal nitrates by supercritical drying. Catalytic honeycombs were prepared following the same procedure, with the alcogel synthesized directly over cordierite honeycomb pieces. The composite aerogel catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, focus ion beam, specific surface area and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The catalytic layer is about 8 µm thick and adheres well to the cordierite support. It is constituted of talc layers of about 1.5 µm × 300 nm × 50 nm which are well dispersed and anchored in a SiO2 aerogel matrix with excellent mass-transfer properties. The catalyst was tested in the ethanol steam reforming reaction, aimed at producing hydrogen for on-board, on-demand applications at moderate temperature (573–673 K and pressure (1–7 bar. Compared to non-promoted cobalt talc, the catalyst doped with iron produces less methane as byproduct, which can only be reformed at high temperature, thereby resulting in higher hydrogen yields. At 673 K and 2 bar, 1.04 NLH2·mLEtOH(l−1·min−1 are obtained at S/C = 3 and W/F = 390 g·min·molEtOH−1.

Low-temperature magnetism of alabandite: Crucial role of surface oxidation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Čuda, J.; Kohout, Tomáš; Filip, J.; Tuček, J.; Kosterov, A.; Haloda, J.; Skála, Roman; Santala, E.; Medřík, I.; Zbořil, R.

2013-01-01

Roč. 98, 8/9 (2013), s. 1550-1556 ISSN 0003-004X R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB300130903 Institutional support: RVO:67985831 Keywords : alabandite (MnS) * hausmannite (Mn3O4) * magnetism * troilite (FeS) * crystallization * experimental mineralogy * ferromanganese deposit * hysteresis * low temperature * magnetic anomaly * magnetic field * manganese deposit * oxidation * remanent magnetization * stoichiometry * sulfide Subject RIV: DD - Geochemistry Impact factor: 2.059, year: 2013

Thermodynamic analysis of ethanol reforming for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, Shaohui; Yan, Wei; Sun, Peiqin; Chen, Junwu

2012-01-01

This work presents the simulated equilibrium compositions of ethanol steam reforming (SR), partial oxidation (POX) and auto-thermal reforming (ATR) at a large temperature range, steam-to-ethanol and oxygen-to-ethanol molar ratios. The simulation work shows that the moles of hydrogen yield per mole ethanol are of this order: SR > ATR > POX. The results are compared with other simulation works and fitted models, which show that all the simulation results obtained with different methods agree well with each other. And the fitted models are in highly consistency with very small deviations. Moreover, the thermal-neutral point in corresponding to temperature, steam-to-ethanol and oxygen-to-ethanol mole ratios of ethanol ATR is estimated. The result shows that with the increasing of oxygen-to-ethanol mole ratio, the T-N point moves to higher temperatures; with the increasing of steam-to-ethanol mole ratio, the T-N point moves to lower temperatures. Furthermore, the energy exchanges of the reforming process and the whole process and the thermal efficiencies are also analyzed in the present work and that the energy demands and generated in the whole process are greater than the reforming process can be obtained. Finally, the optimum reaction conditions are selected. -- Highlights: ► The equilibrium compositions simulated by different researchers with different methods are compared. ► The simulation results are fitted with polynomials for convenient reference. ► The energy balance and thermal efficiencies are analyzed. ► The optimum reaction conditions of ethanol POX, SR and ATR for hydrogen production are selected.

The Mobility Enhancement of Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Transistors via Low-temperature Crystallization using a Tantalum Catalytic Layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Yeonwoo; Kim, Sang Tae; Kim, Kuntae; Kim, Mi Young; Oh, Saeroonter; Jeong, Jae Kyeong

2017-09-07

High-mobility indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are achieved through low-temperature crystallization enabled via a reaction with a transition metal catalytic layer. For conventional amorphous IGZO TFTs, the active layer crystallizes at thermal annealing temperatures of 600 °C or higher, which is not suitable for displays using a glass substrate. The crystallization temperature is reduced when in contact with a Ta layer, where partial crystallization at the IGZO back-channel occurs with annealing at 300 °C, while complete crystallization of the active layer occurs at 400 °C. The field-effect mobility is significantly boosted to 54.0 cm 2 /V·s for the IGZO device with a metal-induced polycrystalline channel formed at 300 °C compared to 18.1 cm 2 /V·s for an amorphous IGZO TFT without a catalytic layer. This work proposes a facile and effective route to enhance device performance by crystallizing the IGZO layer with standard annealing temperatures, without the introduction of expensive laser irradiation processes.

Autothermal reforming catalyst having perovskite structure

Science.gov (United States)

Krumpel, Michael [Naperville, IL; Liu, Di-Jia [Naperville, IL

2009-03-24

The invention addressed two critical issues in fuel processing for fuel cell application, i.e. catalyst cost and operating stability. The existing state-of-the-art fuel reforming catalyst uses Rh and platinum supported over refractory oxide which add significant cost to the fuel cell system. Supported metals agglomerate under elevated temperature during reforming and decrease the catalyst activity. The catalyst is a perovskite oxide or a Ruddlesden-Popper type oxide containing rare-earth elements, catalytically active firs row transition metal elements, and stabilizing elements, such that the catalyst is a single phase in high temperature oxidizing conditions and maintains a primarily perovskite or Ruddlesden-Popper structure under high temperature reducing conditions. The catalyst can also contain alkaline earth dopants, which enhance the catalytic activity of the catalyst, but do not compromise the stability of the perovskite structure.

Low-temperature formation of high-quality gate oxide by ultraviolet irradiation on spin-on-glass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usuda, R.; Uchida, K.; Nozaki, S.

2015-01-01

Although a UV cure was found to effectively convert a perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) spin-on-glass film into a dense SiO x film at low temperature, the electrical characteristics were never reported in order to recommend the use of PHPS as a gate-oxide material that can be formed at low temperature. We have formed a high-quality gate oxide by UV irradiation on the PHPS film, and obtained an interface midgap trap density of 3.4 × 10 11  cm −2 eV −1 by the UV wet oxidation and UV post-metallization annealing (PMA), at a temperature as low as 160 °C. In contrast to the UV irradiation using short-wavelength UV light, which is well known to enhance oxidation by the production of the excited states of oxygen, the UV irradiation was carried out using longer-wavelength UV light from a metal halide lamp. The UV irradiation during the wet oxidation of the PHPS film generates electron-hole pairs. The electrons ionize the H 2 O molecules and facilitate dissociation of the molecules into H and OH − . The OH − ions are highly reactive with Si and improve the stoichiometry of the oxide. The UV irradiation during the PMA excites the electrons from the accumulation layer, and the built-in electric field makes the electron injection into the oxide much easier. The electrons injected into the oxide recombine with the trapped holes, which have caused a large negative flat band voltage shift after the UV wet oxidation, and also ionize the H 2 O molecules. The ionization results in the electron stimulated dissociation of H 2 O molecules and the decreased interface trap density

Low-temperature formation of high-quality gate oxide by ultraviolet irradiation on spin-on-glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Usuda, R.; Uchida, K.; Nozaki, S., E-mail: nozaki@ee.uec.ac.jp [Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications, 1-5-1 Chofugaoka, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-1515 (Japan)

2015-11-02

Although a UV cure was found to effectively convert a perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) spin-on-glass film into a dense SiO{sub x} film at low temperature, the electrical characteristics were never reported in order to recommend the use of PHPS as a gate-oxide material that can be formed at low temperature. We have formed a high-quality gate oxide by UV irradiation on the PHPS film, and obtained an interface midgap trap density of 3.4 × 10{sup 11 }cm{sup −2} eV{sup −1} by the UV wet oxidation and UV post-metallization annealing (PMA), at a temperature as low as 160 °C. In contrast to the UV irradiation using short-wavelength UV light, which is well known to enhance oxidation by the production of the excited states of oxygen, the UV irradiation was carried out using longer-wavelength UV light from a metal halide lamp. The UV irradiation during the wet oxidation of the PHPS film generates electron-hole pairs. The electrons ionize the H{sub 2}O molecules and facilitate dissociation of the molecules into H and OH{sup −}. The OH{sup −} ions are highly reactive with Si and improve the stoichiometry of the oxide. The UV irradiation during the PMA excites the electrons from the accumulation layer, and the built-in electric field makes the electron injection into the oxide much easier. The electrons injected into the oxide recombine with the trapped holes, which have caused a large negative flat band voltage shift after the UV wet oxidation, and also ionize the H{sub 2}O molecules. The ionization results in the electron stimulated dissociation of H{sub 2}O molecules and the decreased interface trap density.

Improvement of low temperature oxidation resistance in MoSi{sub 2}-oxides composites; Sankabutsu no fukugoka ni yoru MoSi{sub 2} zairyo no teion sanka tokusei no kaizen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, W.; Uchiyama, T. [Riken Corp., Saitama (Japan)

1999-11-15

MoSi{sub 2}-oxides composites using fine aluminosilicate powder (< 0.2{mu}m) have demonstrated excellent low temperature oxidation resistance and thermal shock resistance. These properties strongly depend on microstructural morphology and are obtained in composites that network-structures of both phases of MoSi{sub 2} and oxides are developed, i.e., in composites with oxides of 20 {approx} 40 vol. %. When one phase is independently dispersed in the other phase, on the other hand, problems of low temperature oxidation and thermal shock occur. The low temperature oxidation problem occurs in the composites with oxides less than 15 vol. % and the thermal shock problem occurs in the composites with oxides more than 50 vol. %. These results will contribute to material design approaches for high temperature structural applications of MoSi{sub 2}. (author)

Interaction of dimethylamine with clean and partially oxidized copper surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Kelber, J. A.; Rogers, J. W.; Banse, B. A.; Koel, B. E.

1990-05-01

The interaction of dimethylamine (DMA) with partially oxidized polycrystalline copper [Cu(poly)] and clean and partially oxidized Cu(110) between 110 and 500 K has been examined using electron stimulated desorption (ESD), high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). ESD mass spectra of the DMA adsorbed on O/Cu(poly) between 112 and 230 K consistently display peaks at 44 amu [(CH 3) 2N] + and 46 amu [(CH 3) 2NH-H] +, but no significant parent peak at 45 amu [(CH 3) 2NH] +, even though this last feature is prominent in the gas-phase mass spectrum. OH - is not observed at temperatures below 184 K and the yield at higher temperatures is much less than that of O +. HREELS of DMA on clean and oxygen covered Cu(110) obtained at temperatures between 100 and 320 K show characteristic vibrational spectra for molecular DMA and no OH(a) vibrational modes. TPD results show that the desorption profiles of all the major peaks in the DMA mass spectrum follow that of the parent peak with no evidence for production of H 2O. The ESD, HREELS and TPD results all indicate that DMA is molecularly and reversibly adsorbed, with no significant formation of surface hydroxyl species. The results indicate that preferential adsorption of amines from amine/epoxy mixtures onto metal oxide surfaces could passivate the surface and prevent subsequent bonding to the epoxy resin.

The chemical energy unit partial oxidation reactor operation simulation modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Mrakin, A. N.; Selivanov, A. A.; Batrakov, P. A.; Sotnikov, D. G.

2018-01-01

The chemical energy unit scheme for synthesis gas, electric and heat energy production which is possible to be used both for the chemical industry on-site facilities and under field conditions is represented in the paper. The partial oxidation reactor gasification process mathematical model is described and reaction products composition and temperature determining algorithm flow diagram is shown. The developed software product verification showed good convergence of the experimental values and calculations according to the other programmes: the temperature determining relative discrepancy amounted from 4 to 5 %, while the absolute composition discrepancy ranged from 1 to 3%. The synthesis gas composition was found out practically not to depend on the supplied into the partial oxidation reactor (POR) water vapour enthalpy and compressor air pressure increase ratio. Moreover, air consumption coefficient α increase from 0.7 to 0.9 was found out to decrease synthesis gas target components (carbon and hydrogen oxides) specific yield by nearly 2 times and synthesis gas target components required ratio was revealed to be seen in the water vapour specific consumption area (from 5 to 6 kg/kg of fuel).

Low Power Operation of Temperature-Modulated Metal Oxide Semiconductor Gas Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgués, Javier; Marco, Santiago

2018-01-25

Mobile applications based on gas sensing present new opportunities for low-cost air quality monitoring, safety, and healthcare. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOX) gas sensors represent the most prominent technology for integration into portable devices, such as smartphones and wearables. Traditionally, MOX sensors have been continuously powered to increase the stability of the sensing layer. However, continuous power is not feasible in many battery-operated applications due to power consumption limitations or the intended intermittent device operation. This work benchmarks two low-power, duty-cycling, and on-demand modes against the continuous power one. The duty-cycling mode periodically turns the sensors on and off and represents a trade-off between power consumption and stability. On-demand operation achieves the lowest power consumption by powering the sensors only while taking a measurement. Twelve thermally modulated SB-500-12 (FIS Inc. Jacksonville, FL, USA) sensors were exposed to low concentrations of carbon monoxide (0-9 ppm) with environmental conditions, such as ambient humidity (15-75% relative humidity) and temperature (21-27 °C), varying within the indicated ranges. Partial Least Squares (PLS) models were built using calibration data, and the prediction error in external validation samples was evaluated during the two weeks following calibration. We found that on-demand operation produced a deformation of the sensor conductance patterns, which led to an increase in the prediction error by almost a factor of 5 as compared to continuous operation (2.2 versus 0.45 ppm). Applying a 10% duty-cycling operation of 10-min periods reduced this prediction error to a factor of 2 (0.9 versus 0.45 ppm). The proposed duty-cycling powering scheme saved up to 90% energy as compared to the continuous operating mode. This low-power mode may be advantageous for applications that do not require continuous and periodic measurements, and which can tolerate slightly higher

In situ photoemission spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation for O2 translational kinetic energy induced oxidation processes of partially-oxidized Si(001) surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teraoka, Yuden; Yoshigoe, Akitaka

2001-01-01

The influence of translational kinetic energy of incident O 2 molecules for the passive oxidation process of partially-oxidized Si(001) surfaces has been studied by photoemission spectroscopy. The translational kinetic energy of O 2 molecules was controlled up to 3 eV by a supersonic seed beam technique using a high temperature nozzle. Two translational kinetic energy thresholds (1.0 eV and 2.6 eV) were found out in accordance with the first-principles calculation for the oxidation of clean surfaces. Si-2p photoemission spectra measured in representative translational kinetic energies revealed that the translational kinetic energy dependent oxidation of dimers and the second layer (subsurface) backbonds were caused by the direct dissociative chemisorption of O 2 molecules. Moreover, the difference in chemical bonds for oxygen atoms was found out to be as low and high binding energy components in O-1s photoemission spectra. Especially, the low binding energy component increased with increasing the translational kinetic energy that indicates the translational kinetic energy induced oxidation in backbonds. (author)

Models for the Configuration and Integrity of Partially Oxidized Fuel Rod Cladding at High Temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siefken, L.J.

1999-01-01

Models were designed to resolve deficiencies in the SCDAP/RELAP5/MOD3.2 calculations of the configuration and integrity of hot, partially oxidized cladding. These models are expected to improve the calculations of several important aspects of fuel rod behavior. First, an improved mapping was established from a compilation of PIE results from severe fuel damage tests of the configuration of melted metallic cladding that is retained by an oxide layer. The improved mapping accounts for the relocation of melted cladding in the circumferential direction. Then, rules based on PIE results were established for calculating the effect of cladding that has relocated from above on the oxidation and integrity of the lower intact cladding upon which it solidifies. Next, three different methods were identified for calculating the extent of dissolution of the oxidic part of the cladding due to its contact with the metallic part. The extent of dissolution effects the stress and thus the integrity of the oxidic part of the cladding. Then, an empirical equation was presented for calculating the stress in the oxidic part of the cladding and evaluating its integrity based on this calculated stress. This empirical equation replaces the current criterion for loss of integrity which is based on temperature and extent of oxidation. Finally, a new rule based on theoretical and experimental results was established for identifying the regions of a fuel rod with oxidation of both the inside and outside surfaces of the cladding. The implementation of these models is expected to eliminate the tendency of the SCDAP/RELAP5 code to overpredict the extent of oxidation of the upper part of fuel rods and to underpredict the extent of oxidation of the lower part of fuel rods and the part with a high concentration of relocated material. This report is a revision and reissue of the report entitled, Improvements in Modeling of Cladding Oxidation and Meltdown

Synthesis and electrochemical performances of LiNiCuZn oxides as anode and cathode catalyst for low temperature solid oxide fuel cell.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Y; Qin, H; Liu, Q; Singh, M; Zhu, B

2012-06-01

Low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LTSOFC, 300-600 degrees C) is developed with advantages compared to conventional SOFC (800-1000 degrees C). The electrodes with good catalytic activity, high electronic and ionic conductivity are required to achieve high power output. In this work, a LiNiCuZn oxides as anode and cathode catalyst is prepared by slurry method. The structure and morphology of the prepared LiNiCuZn oxides are characterized by X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The LiNiCuZn oxides prepared by slurry method are nano Li0.28Ni0.72O, ZnO and CuO compound. The nano-crystallites are congregated to form ball-shape particles with diameter of 800-1000 nm. The LiNiCuZn oxides electrodes exhibits high ion conductivity and low polarization resistance to hydrogen oxidation reaction and oxygen reduction reaction at low temperature. The LTSOFC using the LiNiCuZn oxides electrodes demonstrates good cell performance of 1000 mW cm(-2) when it operates at 470 degrees C. It is considered that nano-composite would be an effective way to develop catalyst for LTSOFC.

A methodology for thermodynamic simulation of high temperature, internal reforming fuel cell systems

Science.gov (United States)

Matelli, José Alexandre; Bazzo, Edson

This work presents a methodology for simulation of fuel cells to be used in power production in small on-site power/cogeneration plants that use natural gas as fuel. The methodology contemplates thermodynamics and electrochemical aspects related to molten carbonate and solid oxide fuel cells (MCFC and SOFC, respectively). Internal steam reforming of the natural gas hydrocarbons is considered for hydrogen production. From inputs as cell potential, cell power, number of cell in the stack, ancillary systems power consumption, reformed natural gas composition and hydrogen utilization factor, the simulation gives the natural gas consumption, anode and cathode stream gases temperature and composition, and thermodynamic, electrochemical and practical efficiencies. Both energetic and exergetic methods are considered for performance analysis. The results obtained from natural gas reforming thermodynamics simulation show that the hydrogen production is maximum around 700 °C, for a steam/carbon ratio equal to 3. As shown in the literature, the found results indicate that the SOFC is more efficient than MCFC.

One-Pot Synthesis of Cu(II Complex with Partially Oxidized TTF Moieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroki Oshio

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The one-pot synthesis of a Cu(II complex with partially oxidized tetrathiafulvalene (TTF moieties in its capping MT-Hsae-TTF ligands, [CuII(MT-sae-TTF2] [CuICl2] was realized by the simultaneous occurrence of Cu(II complexation and CuIICl2 mediated oxidation of TTF moieties. The crystal structure was composed of one-dimensional columns formed by partially oxidized TTF moieties and thus the cation radical salt showed relatively high electrical conductivity. Tight binding band structure calculations indicated the existence of a Peierls gap due to the tetramerization of the TTF moieties in the one-dimensional stacking column at room temperature, which is consistent with the semiconducting behavior of this salt.

An afterburner-powered methane/steam reformer for a solid oxide fuel cells application

Science.gov (United States)

Mozdzierz, Marcin; Chalusiak, Maciej; Kimijima, Shinji; Szmyd, Janusz S.; Brus, Grzegorz

2018-04-01

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems can be fueled by natural gas when the reforming reaction is conducted in a stack. Due to its maturity and safety, indirect internal reforming is usually used. A strong endothermic methane/steam reforming process needs a large amount of heat, and it is convenient to provide thermal energy by burning the remainders of fuel from a cell. In this work, the mathematical model of afterburner-powered methane/steam reformer is proposed. To analyze the effect of a fuel composition on SOFC performance, the zero-dimensional model of a fuel cell connected with a reformer is formulated. It is shown that the highest efficiency of a solid oxide fuel cell is achieved when the steam-to-methane ratio at the reforming reactor inlet is high.

Composite cathode based on yttria stabilized bismuth oxide for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Changrong; Zhang Yuelan; Liu Meilin

2003-01-01

Composites consisting of silver and yttria stabilized bismuth oxide (YSB) have been investigated as cathodes for low-temperature honeycomb solid oxide fuel cells with stabilized zirconia as electrolytes. At 600 deg. C, the interfacial polarization resistances of a porous YSB-Ag cathode is about 0.3 Ω cm 2 , more than one order of magnitude smaller than those of other reported cathodes on stabilized zirconia. For example, the interfacial resistances of a traditional YSZ-lanthanum maganites composite cathode is about 11.4 Ω cm 2 at 600 deg. C. Impedance analysis indicated that the performance of an YSB-Ag composite cathode fired at 850 deg. C for 2 h is severely limited by gas transport due to insufficient porosity. The high performance of the YSB-Ag cathodes is very encouraging for developing honeycomb fuel cells to be operated at temperatures below 600 deg. C

Thermodynamic assessment of hydrogen production and cobalt oxidation susceptibility under ethanol reforming conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avila, C.N. de; Hori, C.E.; Assis, A.J. de

2011-01-01

A comparative thermodynamic analysis of ethanol reforming reactions was conducted using an in-house code. Equilibrium compositions were estimated using the Lagrange multipliers method, which generated systems of non-linear algebraic equations, solved numerically. Effects of temperature, pressure and steam to ethanol, O 2 to ethanol and CO 2 to ethanol ratios on the equilibrium compositions were evaluated. The validation was done by comparing these data with experimental literature. The results of this work proved to be useful to foresee whether the experimental results follow the stoichiometry of the reactions involved in each process. Mole fractions of H 2 and CO 2 proved to be the most reliable variables to make this type of validation. Maximization of H 2 mole fraction was attained between 773 and 873 K, but maximum net mole production of H 2 was only achieved at higher temperatures (>1123 K). This work also advances in the thermodynamics of solid-gas phase interactions. A solid phase thermodynamic analysis was performed to confirm that Co 0 formation from CoO is spontaneous under steam reforming conditions. The results showed that this reduction process occurs only for temperatures higher than 430 K. It was also found that once reduced, Co based catalysts will never oxidize back to Co 3 O 4 . -- Highlights: → Thermodynamic analysis of ethanol reforming reactions using an in-house code. → Analysis performed by solving systems of non-linear algebraic equations. → H 2 and CO 2 equilibrium data are useful to validate catalytic tests. → Maximization of H 2 mole fraction achieved between 773 and 873 K → CoO reduction is spontaneous under steam reforming of ethanol conditions.

Increasing Weldability of Service-Aged Reformer Tubes by Partial Solution Annealing

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafaei, M.; Shamanian, M.; Purmohamad, H.; Amini, M.

2016-04-01

A dissimilar joint of 25Cr-35Ni/30Cr-48Ni (HP/HV) heat-resistant steels was evaluated. The investigations indicated that the as-cast HP alloy contained M7C3, M23C6, and NbC carbides and HV alloy with 5 wt.% tungsten, contained M23C6 and M6C carbides embedded in an austenitic matrix. After 8 years of ex-service aging at 1050 °C, the ductility of HP/HV reformer tubes was decreased dramatically, and thus, the repair welding of the aged HP/HV dissimilar joint was at a risk. In order to repair the aged reformer tubes and increase weldability properties, a new partial solution annealing treatment was designed. Mechanical testing results showed that partial solution annealing at 1200 °C for 6 h increased the elongation and toughness of the aged HP and HV alloys drastically. Also, a mechanism for constitutional liquation cracking in the heat-affected zones (HAZ) of the HP/HV dissimilar joint was proposed. In the HAZ of the aged HP/HV welded joint, the cracks around the locally melted carbides were initiated and propagated during carbides solidification at the cooling cycle of welding associated with the decrease in the ductility of the aged HP and HV alloys. In addition, Varestraint weldability test showed that the susceptibility to hot cracking was decreased with partial solution annealing.

Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis gas via high temperature steam reforming process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wongchang, Thawatchai; Patumsawad, Suthum

2010-01-01

Full text: The aim of this work has been undertaken as part of the design of continuous hydrogen production using the high temperature steam reforming process. The steady-state test condition was carried out using syngas from biomass pyrolysis, whilst operating at high temperatures between 600 and 1200 degree Celsius. The main reformer operating parameters (e.g. temperature, resident time and steam to biomass ratio (S/B)) have been examined in order to optimize the performance of the reformer. The operating temperature is a key factor in determining the extent to which hydrogen production is increased at higher temperatures (900 -1200 degree Celsius) whilst maintaining the same as resident time and S/B ratio. The effects of exhaust gas composition on heating value were also investigated. The steam reforming process produced methane (CH 4 ) and ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) between 600 to 800 degree Celsius and enhanced production ethane (C 2 H 6 ) at 700 degree Celsius. However carbon monoxide (CO) emission was slightly increased for higher temperatures all conditions. The results show that the use of biomass pyrolysis gas can produce higher hydrogen production from high temperature steam reforming. In addition the increasing reformer efficiency needs to be optimized for different operating conditions. (author)

Partial local thermal equilibrium in a low-temperature hydrogen plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hey, J.D.; Chu, C.C.; Rash, J.P.S.

1999-01-01

If the degree of ionisation is sufficient, competition between de-excitation by electron collisions and radiative decay determines the smallest principal quantum number (the so-called 'thermal limit') above which partial local thermodynamic equilibrium (PLTE) holds under the particular conditions of electron density and temperature. The LTE (PLTE) criteria of Wilson (JQSRT 1962;2:477-90), Griem (Phys Rev 1963;131:1170-6; Plasma Spectroscopy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964), Drawin (Z Physik 1969;228: 99-119), Hey (JQSRT 1976;16:69-75), and Fujimoto and McWhirter (Phys Rev A 1990;42:6588-601) are examined as regards their applicability to neutral atoms. For these purposes, we consider for simplicity an idealised, steady-state, homogeneous and primarily optically thin plasma, with some additional comments and numerical estimates on the roles of opacity and of atom-atom collisions. Particularly for atomic states of lower principal quantum number, the first two of the above criteria should be modified quite appreciably before application to neutral radiators in plasmas of low temperature, because of the profoundly different nature of the near-threshold collisional cross-sections for atoms and ions, while the most recent criterion should be applied with caution to PLTE of atoms in cold plasmas in ionisation balance. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Upgrading versus reforming: an energy and exergy analysis of two Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-based systems for a convenient biogas-to-electricity conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldinelli, A.; Barelli, L.; Bidini, G.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Biogas-to-electricity conversion through Solid Oxide Fuel Cell is investigated. • Two solutions are compared for biogas-to-electricity conversion. • Direct feeding by partially upgraded biogas meets with fuel cell long operation. • Best energy and exergy performances are obtained with an innovative system-design. • A sensitivity analysis on the process parameters determines its convenience margin. - Abstract: Aiming at designing biogas-to-electricity advanced systems, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells are promising candidates. They benefit from scalability on plant sizes that suit anaerobic digesters potentialities. For biogas-Solid Oxide Fuel Cells applications, the implementation of an external pre-reformer is usually considered. However, the possibility to perform direct fuel feeding to the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell offers new opportunities towards the realization of lean systems, which are competitive especially on small-scale installations (i.e. on-farm biogas-to-electricity conversion). In this frame, scientific literature is rather poor and, to cover this gap, system simulations are called for two reasons: first, to demonstrate the potential efficiency gain of new concepts; second, to provide a meaningful support for long-term experimental investigation on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells operated upon direct feeding of unreformed biogas. For that, the current study compares two system designs for biogas utilization into Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. The conventional one realizes biogas steam reforming prior the fuel cell, while the novel concept is based on direct feeding of partially upgraded biogas by means of carbon dioxide-separation membranes. As main outcome of the study, the system equipped with carbon dioxide-separation membranes achieves better performances than its conventional competitor does, scoring 51.1% energy efficiency and 52.3% exergy efficiency (compared to 37.2% and 38.6% respectively exhibited by the reformer-based system). Because of the lack

Mathematical model of the reformer sponge iron cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fraser, S.; Hacker, V.; Evers, B.; Hierzer, J.; Besenhard, J.O. [Graz University of Technology, Graz (Austria). Inst. for Chemical Technology of Inorganic Materials Christian Doppler Pilot-Lab. for Fuel Cell Systems

2003-07-01

An innovative hydrogen production process called the Reformer Sponge Iron Cycle (RESC), based on redox reactions of iron ore pellets, was mathematically modeled. The hydrogen is produced by blowing steam over hot iron pellets in the oxidation stage, resulting in the oxidation of the iron. Synthesis gas coming from a reformer mixed with a fraction of recycled off-gas was used to reduce the iron oxide pellets (wuestite and-or magnetite) in the reduction stage, leading once more to iron . Once the mathematical model was developed, it was verified utilizing experimental data. Based on calculations of the equilibrium gas concentrations for reformer and sponge iron reactor (SIR), the model computes mass fluxes, molar fluxes, partial pressures, and variations of them throughout the complete cycle. The recycle rate, which determines the fraction of SIR off-gas recycled and added to the input gas stream, was optimized to maximize the amount of iron oxide reduced for a certain input gas flow. 5 refs., 4 figs.

Advanced STEM/EDX investigation on an oxide scale thermally grown on a high-chromium iron–nickel alloy under very low oxygen partial pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latu-Romain, L.; Madi, Y.; Mathieu, S.; Robaut, F.; Petit, J.-P.; Wouters, Y.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A scale grown on a high-chromium iron–nickel alloy under low oxygen partial pressure was studied. • STEM-EDX maps at high resolution on a transversal thin lamella have been conducted. • The real complexity of the oxide layer has been highlighted. • These results explain the elevated number of semiconducting contributions. - Abstract: A thermal oxide scale has been grown on a high-chromium iron-nickel alloy under very low oxygen partial pressure (1050 °C, 10"−"1"0 Pa). In this paper, a special attention has been paid to morphological and chemical characterizations of the scale by scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis at high resolution on a cross-section thin lamella beforehand prepared by using a combined focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope instrument. The complexity of the oxide layer is highlighted, and the correlation between the present results and the ones of a photoelectrochemical study is discussed.

A Novel Cyclic Catalytic Reformer for Hydrocarbon Fuels, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This proposed Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I addresses development of a compact reformer system based on a cyclic partial oxidation (POx)...

Atmospheric Plasma Spraying Low-Temperature Cathode Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, J.; Kesler, O.

2010-01-01

Atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) is attractive for manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) because it allows functional layers to be built rapidly with controlled microstructures. The technique allows SOFCs that operate at low temperatures (500-700 °C) to be fabricated by spraying directly onto robust and inexpensive metallic supports. However, standard cathode materials used in commercial SOFCs exhibit high polarization resistances at low operating temperatures. Therefore, alternative cathode materials with high performance at low temperatures are essential to facilitate the use of metallic supports. Coatings of lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (LSCF) were fabricated on steel substrates using axial-injection APS. The thickness and microstructure of the coating layers were evaluated, and x-ray diffraction analysis was performed on the coatings to detect material decomposition and the formation of undesired phases in the plasma. These results determined the envelope of plasma spray parameters in which coatings of LSCF can be manufactured, and the range of conditions in which composite cathode coatings could potentially be manufactured.

Synthesis and analysis of Mo-Si-B based coatings for high temperature oxidation protection of ceramic materials

Science.gov (United States)

Ritt, Patrick J.

The use of Ni-based superalloys in turbine engines has all but been exhausted, with operating temperatures nearing the melting point of these materials. The use of ceramics in turbine engines, particularly ceramic matrix composites such as SiC/C and SiC/SiC, is of interest due to their low density and attractive mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. The same materials are also in consideration for leading edges on hypersonic vehicles. However, SiC-based composites degrade in high temperature environments with low partial pressures of oxygen due to active oxidation, as well as high temperature environments containing water or sand. The need for a protective external coating for SiC-based composites in service is obvious. To date, no coating investigated for SiC/C or SiC/SiC has been proven to be resistant to oxidation and corrosion at intermediate and high temperatures, as well as in environments deficient in oxygen. The Mo-Si-B coating shows great promise in this area, having been proven resistant to attack from oxidation at extreme temperatures, from water vapor and from calcia-magnesia-aluminosilicate (CMAS). The adaptation of the Mo-Si-B coating for ceramic materials is presented in detail here. Evaluation of the coating under a range of oxidation conditions as well as simulated re-entry conditions confirms the efficacy of the Mo-Si-B based coating as protection from catastrophic failure. The key to the oxidation and corrosion resistance is a robust external aluminoborosilica glass layer that forms and flows quickly to cover the substrate, even under the extreme simulated re-entry conditions. Suppression of active oxidation of SiC, which may occur during atmospheric re-entry and hypersonic flight trajectories, has also been examined. In order to adapt the Mo-Si-B based coating to low partial pressures of oxygen and elevated temperatures, controlled amounts of Al were added to the Mo-Si-B based coating. The resulting coating decreased the inward

Catalytic properties of new anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells operated under methane at intermediary temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Sauvet, A.-L.; Fouletier, J.

The recent trend in solid oxide fuel cell concerns the use of natural gas as fuel. Steam reforming of methane is a well-established process for producing hydrogen directly at the anode side. In order to develop new anode materials, the catalytic activities of several oxides for the steam reforming of methane were characterized by gas chromatography. We studied the catalytic activity as a function of steam/carbon ratios r. The methane and the steam content were varied between 5 and 30% and between 1.5 and 3.5%, respectively, corresponding to r-values between 0.07 and 0.7. Catalyst (ruthenium and vanadium)-doped lanthanum chromites substituted with strontium, gadolinium-doped ceria (Ce 0.9Gd 0.1O 2) referred as to CeGdO 2, praseodymium oxide, molybdenum oxide and copper oxide were tested. The working temperature was fixed at 850°C, except for 5% ruthenium-doped La 1- xSr xCrO 3 where the temperature was varied between 700 and 850°C. Two types of behavior were observed as a function of the activity of the catalyst. The higher steam reforming efficiency was observed with 5% of ruthenium above 750°C.

Multiscale Informatics for Low-Temperature Propane Oxidation: Further Complexities in Studies of Complex Reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burke, Michael P.; Goldsmith, C. Franklin; Klippenstein, Stephen J.; Welz, Oliver; Huang, Haifeng; Antonov, Ivan O.; Savee, John D.; Osborn, David L.; Zádor, Judit; Taatjes, Craig A.; Sheps, Leonid

2015-07-16

We have developed a multi-scale approach (Burke, M. P.; Klippenstein, S. J.; Harding, L. B. Proc. Combust. Inst. 2013, 34, 547–555.) to kinetic model formulation that directly incorporates elementary kinetic theories as a means to provide reliable, physics-based extrapolation to unexplored conditions. Here, we extend and generalize the multi-scale modeling strategy to treat systems of considerable complexity – involving multi-well reactions, potentially missing reactions, non-statistical product branching ratios, and non-Boltzmann (i.e. non-thermal) reactant distributions. The methodology is demonstrated here for a subsystem of low-temperature propane oxidation, as a representative system for low-temperature fuel oxidation. A multi-scale model is assembled and informed by a wide variety of targets that include ab initio calculations of molecular properties, rate constant measurements of isolated reactions, and complex systems measurements. Active model parameters are chosen to accommodate both “parametric” and “structural” uncertainties. Theoretical parameters (e.g. barrier heights) are included as active model parameters to account for parametric uncertainties in the theoretical treatment; experimental parameters (e.g. initial temperatures) are included to account for parametric uncertainties in the physical models of the experiments. RMG software is used to assess potential structural uncertainties due to missing reactions. Additionally, branching ratios among product channels are included as active model parameters to account for structural uncertainties related to difficulties in modeling sequences of multiple chemically activated steps. The approach is demonstrated here for interpreting time-resolved measurements of OH, HO2, n-propyl, i-propyl, propene, oxetane, and methyloxirane from photolysis-initiated low-temperature oxidation of propane at pressures from 4 to 60 Torr and temperatures from 300 to 700 K. In particular, the multi-scale informed

Low-temperature carbon monoxide oxidation over zirconia-supported CuO–CeO{sub 2} catalysts: Effect of zirconia support properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moretti, Elisa, E-mail: elisa.moretti@unive.it [Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, INSTM Venice Research Unit, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre Venezia (Italy); Molina, Antonia Infantes [Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071 Málaga (Spain); Sponchia, Gabriele; Talon, Aldo; Frattini, Romana [Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, INSTM Venice Research Unit, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre Venezia (Italy); Rodriguez-Castellon, Enrique [Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071 Málaga (Spain); Storaro, Loretta [Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, INSTM Venice Research Unit, Via Torino 155/B, 30172 Mestre Venezia (Italy)

2017-05-01

Highlights: • CuO-CeO{sub 2}/ZrO{sub 2} materials were investigated in the low temperature CO oxidation. • High surface area ZrO{sub 2} synthetized by sol-gel method. • Low ZrO{sub 2} surface area synthetized by fast precipitation. • Sol-gel samples showed, after impregnation, a severe decrease of surface area. • CuO-CeO{sub 2}/ZrO{sub 2} with precipitated ZrO{sub 2} led to a very active catalyst. - Abstract: A study was conducted to investigate the effect of the preparation route of ZrO{sub 2} in CuO–CeO{sub 2}/ZrO{sub 2} catalysts for the oxidation of carbon monoxide at low temperature (COX). Four ZrO{sub 2} supports were synthetized via either type sol-gel methodology or precipitation. The final Cu-Ce-Zr oxide catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness co-impregnation with copper and cerium solutions (with a loading of 6 wt% of CuO and 20 wt% of CeO{sub 2}). The catalyst crystalline phases, texture and active species reducibility were determined by XRD, N{sub 2} physisorption at −196 °C and H{sub 2}-TPR, respectively; meanwhile the surface composition and copper-cerium electronic states were studied by XPS. The catalytic activity was evaluated in the oxidation of CO to CO{sub 2}, in the 40–215 °C temperature range. Catalytic results evidenced that the samples prepared by a sol-gel methodology showed, after the impregnation, a severe decrease of specific surface area and pore volume attributable to a wide degree of pore blockage caused by the presence of metal oxide particles and a collapse of the structure partially burying the active sites. A simple co-impregnation of a zirconia support, obtained through facile and fast precipitation, provided instead a catalyst with very good redox properties and high dispersion of the active phases, which completely oxidizes CO in the range 115–215 °C with T{sub 50} of 65 °C. This higher observed activity was ascribed to the formation of a larger fraction of highly dispersed and easily reducible Cu

Efficient reduction of graphene oxide film by low temperature heat treatment and its effect on electrical conductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xuebing; Chen, Zheng [Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen (China). Key Lab. of Inorganic Membrane; Yu, Yun [Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Shanghai (China). Key Lab. of Inorganic Coating Materials; Zhang, Xiaozhen; Wang, Yongqing; Zhou, Jianer [Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen (China). Dept. of Materials Engineering

2018-03-01

Graphene-based conductive films have already attracted great attention due to their unique and outstanding physical properties. In this work, in order to develop a novel, effective method to produce these films with good electrical conductivity, a simple and green method is reported to rapidly and effectively reduce graphene oxide film using a low temperature heat treatment. The reduction of graphene oxide film is verified by XRD, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. Compared with graphene oxide film, the obtained reduced graphene oxide film has better electrical conductivity and its sheet resistance decreases from 25.3 kΩ x sq{sup -1} to 3.3 kΩ x sq{sup -1} after the heat treatment from 160 to 230 C. The mechanism of thermal reduction of the graphene oxide film mainly results from the removal of the oxygen-containing functional groups and the structural changes. All these results indicate that the low temperature heat treatment is a suitable and effective method for the reduction of graphene oxide film.

Investigation of NOx Reduction by Low Temperature Oxidation Using Ozone Produced by Dielectric Barrier Discharge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stamate, Eugen; Irimiea, Cornelia; Salewski, Mirko

2013-01-01

NOx reduction by low temperature oxidation using ozone produced by a dielectric barrier discharge generator is investigated for different process parameters in a 6m long reactor in serpentine arrangement using synthetic dry flue gas with NOx levels below 500 ppm, flows up to 50 slm and temperatures...

Exergy analysis of the biogas sorption-enhanced chemical looping reforming process integrated with a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasemanand, Sarunyou; Im-orb, Karittha; Tippawan, Phanicha; Wiyaratn, Wisitsree; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A biogas reforming and fuel cell integrated process is considered. • Energy and exergy analyses of the integrated process are performed. • Increasing the nickel oxide-to-biogas ratio decreases the exergy efficiency. • The exergy destruction of the fuel cell increases with increasing cell temperature. • The exergy efficiency of the process is improved when heat integration is applied. - Abstract: A biogas sorption-enhanced chemical looping reforming process integrated with a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell is analyzed. Modeling of such an integrated process is performed by using a flowsheet simulator (Aspen plus). The exergy analysis is performed to evaluate the energy utilization efficiency of each unit and that of the integrated process. The effect of steam and nickel oxide to biogas ratios on the exergetic performance of the stand-alone biogas sorption-enhanced chemical looping reforming process is investigated. The total exergy destruction increases as the steam or nickel oxide to biogas ratio increases. The main exergy destruction is found at the air reactor. For the high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell, the main exergy destruction is found at the cathode. The total exergy destruction increases when cell temperature increases, whereas the inverse effect is found when the current density is considered as a key parameter. Regarding the exergy efficiency, the results show opposite trend to the exergy destruction. The heat integration analysis is performed to improve the exergetic performance. It is found that the integrated process including the heat integration system can improve the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of 48% and 60%, respectively.

Low temperature removal of surface oxides and hydrocarbons from Ge(100) using atomic hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walker, M., E-mail: m.walker@warwick.ac.uk; Tedder, M.S.; Palmer, J.D.; Mudd, J.J.; McConville, C.F.

2016-08-30

Highlights: • Preparation of a clean, well-ordered Ge(100) surface with atomic hydrogen. • Surface oxide layers removed by AHC at room temperature, but not hydrocarbons. • Increasing surface temperature during AHC dramatically improves efficiency. • AHC with the surface heated to 250 °C led to a near complete removal of contaminants. • (2 × 1) LEED pattern from IBA and AHC indicates asymmetric dimer reconstruction. - Abstract: Germanium is a group IV semiconductor with many current and potential applications in the modern semiconductor industry. Key to expanding the use of Ge is a reliable method for the removal of surface contamination, including oxides which are naturally formed during the exposure of Ge thin films to atmospheric conditions. A process for achieving this task at lower temperatures would be highly advantageous, where the underlying device architecture will not diffuse through the Ge film while also avoiding electronic damage induced by ion irradiation. Atomic hydrogen cleaning (AHC) offers a low-temperature, damage-free alternative to the common ion bombardment and annealing (IBA) technique which is widely employed. In this work, we demonstrate with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) that the AHC method is effective in removing surface oxides and hydrocarbons, yielding an almost completely clean surface when the AHC is conducted at a temperature of 250 °C. We compare the post-AHC cleanliness and (2 × 1) low energy electron diffraction (LEED) pattern to that obtained via IBA, where the sample is annealed at 600 °C. We also demonstrate that the combination of a sample temperature of 250 °C and atomic H dosing is required to clean the surface. Lower temperatures prove less effective in removal of the oxide layer and hydrocarbons, whilst annealing in ultra-high vacuum conditions only removes weakly bound hydrocarbons. Finally, we examine the subsequent H-termination of an IBA-cleaned sample using XPS, LEED and ultraviolet

Numerical analysis of performance of steam reformer of methane reforming hydrogen production system connected with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Huaqiang; Jiang Shengyao; Zhang Youjie

2007-01-01

Methane conversion rate and hydrogen output are important performance indexes of the steam reformer. The paper presents numerical analysis of performance of the reformer connected with high-temperature gas-cooled reactor HTR-10. Setting helium inlet flow rate fixed, performance of the reformer was examined with different helium inlet temperature, pressure, different process gas temperature, pressure, flow rate, and different steam to carbon ratio. As the range concerned, helium inlet temperature has remarkable influence on the performance, and helium inlet temperature, process gas temperature and pressure have little influence on the performance, and improving process gas flow rate, methane conversion rate decreases and hydrogen output increases, however improving steam to carbon ratio has reverse influence on the performance. (authors)

Thermodynamic simulation of biomass gas steam reforming for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Sordi

2009-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology to simulate a small-scale fuel cell system for power generation using biomass gas as fuel. The methodology encompasses the thermodynamic and electrochemical aspects of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC, as well as solves the problem of chemical equilibrium in complex systems. In this case the complex system is the internal reforming of biomass gas to produce hydrogen. The fuel cell input variables are: operational voltage, cell power output, composition of the biomass gas reforming, thermodynamic efficiency, electrochemical efficiency, practical efficiency, the First and Second law efficiencies for the whole system. The chemical compositions, molar flows and temperatures are presented to each point of the system as well as the exergetic efficiency. For a molar water/carbon ratio of 2, the thermodynamic simulation of the biomass gas reforming indicates the maximum hydrogen production at a temperature of 1070 K, which can vary as a function of the biomass gas composition. The comparison with the efficiency of simple gas turbine cycle and regenerative gas turbine cycle shows the superiority of SOFC for the considered electrical power range.

Thermal deoxygenation of graphite oxide at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kampars, V; Legzdina, M

2015-01-01

Synthesis of graphene via the deoxygenation of the graphite oxide (GO) is a method for the large-scale production of this nanomaterial possessing exceptional mechanical, electrical and translucent properties. Graphite oxide sheet contains at least four different oxygen atoms connected to the Csp 3 and Csp 2 atoms of the sheet in the form of hydroxyl, epoxy, carboxyl or carbonyl groups. Some of these functional groups are located at the surface but others situated at the edges of the platelets. To obtain the graphene nanoplatelets or the few-layer graphene the oxygen functionalities must be removed. Exfoliation and deoxygenation can be accomplished by the use of chemical reductants or heat. Thermal deoxygenation as greener and simpler approach is more preferable over chemical reduction approach. Usually a considerable mass loss of GO observed upon heating at temperatures starting at 200 °C and is attributed to the deoxygenation process. In order to avoid the defects of the obtained graphene sheets it is very important to find the methods for lowering the deoxygenation temperature of GO. Herein, we have investigated the way treatment of the Hummer's synthesis product with acetone and methyl tert-butyl ether under ultrasonication in order to lower the thermal stability of the graphite oxide and its deoxygenation temperature. The obtained results indicate that treatment of the graphite oxide with solvents mentioned above substantially reduces the reduction and exfoliation temperature (130 °C) under ambient atmosphere. The investigation of the composition of evolved gases by hyphenated Pyr/GC/MS method at different experimental conditions under helium atmosphere shows that without the expected H 2 O, CO and CO 2 also sulphur dioxide and acetone has been released

Ethanol internal steam reforming in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Diethelm, Stefan; Van herle, Jan

This study investigates the performance of a standard Ni-YSZ anode supported cell under ethanol steam reforming operating conditions. Therefore, the fuel cell was directly operated with a steam/ethanol mixture (3 to 1 molar). Other gas mixtures were also used for comparison to check the conversion of ethanol and of reformate gases (H 2, CO) in the fuel cell. The electrochemical properties of the fuel cell fed with four different fuel compositions were characterized between 710 and 860 °C by I- V and EIS measurements at OCV and under polarization. In order to elucidate the limiting processes, impedance spectra obtained with different gas compositions were compared using the derivative of the real part of the impedance with respect of the natural logarithm of the frequency. Results show that internal steam reforming of ethanol takes place significantly on Ni-YSZ anode only above 760 °C. Comparisons of results obtained with reformate gas showed that the electrochemical cell performance is dominated by the conversion of hydrogen. The conversion of CO also occurs either directly or indirectly through the water-gas shift reaction but has a significant impact on the electrochemical performance only above 760 °C.

Bio-lubricants derived from waste cooking oil with improved oxidation stability and low-temperature properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Weimin; Wang, Xiaobo

2015-01-01

Waste cooking oil (WCO) was chemically modified via epoxidation using H2O2 followed by transesterification with methanol and branched alcohols (isooctanol, isotridecanol and isooctadecanol) to produce bio-lubricants with improved oxidative stability and low temperature properties. Physicochemical properties of synthesized bio-lubricants such as pour point (PP), cloud point (CP), viscosity, viscosity index (VI), oxidative stability, and corrosion resistant property were determined according to standard methods. The synthesized bio-lubricants showed improved low temperature flow performances compared with WCO, which can be attributing to the introduction of branched chains in their molecular structures. What's more, the oxidation stability of the WCO showed more than 10 folds improvement due to the elimination of -C=C-bonds in the WCO molecule. Tribological performances of these bio-lubricants were also investigated using four-ball friction and wear tester. Experimental results showed that derivatives of WCO exhibited favorable physicochemical properties and tribological performances which making them good candidates in formulating eco-friendly lubricants.

Water-Mediated Photochemical Treatments for Low-Temperature Passivation of Metal-Oxide Thin-Film Transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, Jae Sang; Jo, Jeong-Wan; Kang, Jingu; Jeong, Chan-Yong; Jeong, Hu Young; Kim, Sung Kyu; Kim, Kwanpyo; Kwon, Hyuck-In; Kim, Jaekyun; Kim, Yong-Hoon; Kim, Myung-Gil; Park, Sung Kyu

2016-04-27

The low-temperature electrical passivation of an amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin-film transistor (TFT) is achieved by a deep ultraviolet (DUV) light irradiation-water treatment-DUV irradiation (DWD) method. The water treatment of the first DUV-annealed amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin film is likely to induce the preferred adsorption of water molecules at the oxygen vacancies and leads to subsequent hydroxide formation in the bulk a-IGZO films. Although the water treatment initially degraded the electrical performance of the a-IGZO TFTs, the second DUV irradiation on the water-treated devices may enable a more complete metal-oxygen-metal lattice formation while maintaining low oxygen vacancies in the oxide films. Overall, the stable and dense metal-oxygen-metal (M-O-M) network formation could be easily achieved at low temperatures (below 150 °C). The successful passivation of structural imperfections in the a-IGZO TFTs, such as hydroxyl group (OH-) and oxygen vacancies, mainly results in the enhanced electrical performances of the DWD-processed a-IGZO TFTs (on/off current ratio of 8.65 × 10(9), subthreshold slope of 0.16 V/decade, an average mobility of >6.94 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), and a bias stability of ΔVTH IGZO TFTs.

A Numerical Study on Mass Transfer and Methanol Conversion Efficiency According to Porosity and Temperature Change of Curved Channel Methanol-Steam Reformer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seong, Hong Seok; Lee, Chung Ho; Suh, Jeong Se [Gyeongsang Nat’l Univ., Jinju (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-15

Micro methanol-steam reformer for fuel cell can effectively produce hydrogen as reforming response to steam takes place in low temperature (less than 250℃). This study conducted numerical research on this reformer. First, study set wall temperature of the reformer at 100, 140, 180 and 220℃ while methanol conversion efficiency was set in 0, 0.072, 3.83 and 46.51% respectively. Then, porosity of catalyst was set in 0.1, 0.35, 0.6 and 0.85 and although there was no significant difference in methanol conversion efficiency, values of pressure drop were 4645.97, 59.50, 5.12 and 0.45 kPa respectively. This study verified that methanol-steam reformer rarely responds under the temperature of 180℃ and porosity does not have much effect on methanol conversion efficiency if the fluid flowing through reformer lowers activation energy by sufficiently contacting reformer.

A Numerical Study on Mass Transfer and Methanol Conversion Efficiency According to Porosity and Temperature Change of Curved Channel Methanol-Steam Reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seong, Hong Seok; Lee, Chung Ho; Suh, Jeong Se

2016-01-01

Micro methanol-steam reformer for fuel cell can effectively produce hydrogen as reforming response to steam takes place in low temperature (less than 250℃). This study conducted numerical research on this reformer. First, study set wall temperature of the reformer at 100, 140, 180 and 220℃ while methanol conversion efficiency was set in 0, 0.072, 3.83 and 46.51% respectively. Then, porosity of catalyst was set in 0.1, 0.35, 0.6 and 0.85 and although there was no significant difference in methanol conversion efficiency, values of pressure drop were 4645.97, 59.50, 5.12 and 0.45 kPa respectively. This study verified that methanol-steam reformer rarely responds under the temperature of 180℃ and porosity does not have much effect on methanol conversion efficiency if the fluid flowing through reformer lowers activation energy by sufficiently contacting reformer.

Low Power Operation of Temperature-Modulated Metal Oxide Semiconductor Gas Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Burgués

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Mobile applications based on gas sensing present new opportunities for low-cost air quality monitoring, safety, and healthcare. Metal oxide semiconductor (MOX gas sensors represent the most prominent technology for integration into portable devices, such as smartphones and wearables. Traditionally, MOX sensors have been continuously powered to increase the stability of the sensing layer. However, continuous power is not feasible in many battery-operated applications due to power consumption limitations or the intended intermittent device operation. This work benchmarks two low-power, duty-cycling, and on-demand modes against the continuous power one. The duty-cycling mode periodically turns the sensors on and off and represents a trade-off between power consumption and stability. On-demand operation achieves the lowest power consumption by powering the sensors only while taking a measurement. Twelve thermally modulated SB-500-12 (FIS Inc. Jacksonville, FL, USA sensors were exposed to low concentrations of carbon monoxide (0–9 ppm with environmental conditions, such as ambient humidity (15–75% relative humidity and temperature (21–27 °C, varying within the indicated ranges. Partial Least Squares (PLS models were built using calibration data, and the prediction error in external validation samples was evaluated during the two weeks following calibration. We found that on-demand operation produced a deformation of the sensor conductance patterns, which led to an increase in the prediction error by almost a factor of 5 as compared to continuous operation (2.2 versus 0.45 ppm. Applying a 10% duty-cycling operation of 10-min periods reduced this prediction error to a factor of 2 (0.9 versus 0.45 ppm. The proposed duty-cycling powering scheme saved up to 90% energy as compared to the continuous operating mode. This low-power mode may be advantageous for applications that do not require continuous and periodic measurements, and which can tolerate

Pressure effects on high temperature steam oxidation of Zircaloy-4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Kwangheon; Kim, Kwangpyo; Ryu, Taegeun

2000-01-01

The pressure effects on Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) cladding in high temperature steam have been analyzed. A double layer autoclave was made for the high pressure, high temperature oxidation tests. The experimental test temperature range was 700 - 900 deg C, and pressures were 0.1 - 15 MPa. Steam partial pressure turns out to be an important one rather than total pressure. Steam pressure enhances the oxidation rate of Zry-4 exponentially. The enhancement depends on the temperature, and the maximum exists between 750 - 800 deg C. Pre-existing oxide layer decreases the enhancement about 40 - 60%. The acceleration of oxidation rate by high pressure team seems to be originated from the formation of cracks by abrupt transformation of tetragonal phase in oxide, where the un-stability of tetragonal phase comes from the reduction of surface energy by steam. (author)

Ultrathin copper aluminum and nickel aluminide protective oxidation studied with an x-ray photoelectron spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, J. F.; McCann, M. P.; Pellin, M. J.; Zinovev, A.; Hryn, J. N.

2003-09-01

Oxidation in a regime where diffusion is rapid and pressures are low is addressed. Kinetic effects under these conditions are minimized and a protective oxide film of near-equilibrium composition that is a few nanometers thick may form. Ultrathin oxides have great potential for addressing the corrosion resistance of metals, since they do not always suffer stress-induced cracking upon thermal cycling, and can be reformed under high temperature, oxidizing environments. Ultrathin oxide films are also preferable to those on a thick oxide scale for electrochemical applications due to their electrical properties. To study the growth of these oxide films, we have developed a high signal x-ray photoelectron spectrometer. The instrument can measure the near-surface composition during growth under oxygen partial pressures of up to 10-5 mbar and surface temperatures up to 1300 K. Under these conditions, films grow to a level of 3 nm in 1 h. Experiments with Cu-Al alloys show rapid segregation of Al upon oxygen exposure at 875 K, whereas exposures at lower temperatures result in a mixed oxide. With a Ni-Al intermetallic, higher temperatures were needed to preferentially segregate Al. Thermal cycling followed by exposure to chlorine in the same instrument is used as a measure of the degree of corrosion resistance of the oxides in question.

Low temperature self-assembled growth of rutile TiO2/manganese oxide nanocrystalline films

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhenya; Zhou, Daokun; Du, Jianhua; Xie, Yuxing

2017-10-01

We report formation of rutile TiO2 nanocrystal at low temperature range in the presence of α-MnO2 which self-assembled onto sulfanyl radical activated silicon oxide substrate. SEM, HRTEM, XPS and Raman spectroscopy were used to study the morphology and oxidation state of synthesised crystals. The results showed that when the α-MnO2 was reduced to Mn3O4, it induced the formation of rutile instead of anatase phase in the TiCl4-HCl aqueous system. The finding will promote the understanding of phase transformation mechanism when manganese oxide and titanium oxide co-exist in soil and water environment.

A polygeneration from a dual-gas partial catalytic oxidation coupling with an oxygen-permeable membrane reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao, Yanhong; Huang, Yi; Gong, Minhui; Li, Wenying; Feng, Jie; Yi, Qun

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A new polygeneration system (PL-PCO-OPMR) to DME/methanol/power is proposed. • Exergeo-economic analysis is adopted to disclose the performance of systems. • Key technological conditions and parameters for PL-PCO-OPMR are optimized. • PL-PCO-OPMR shows high energy efficiency and low CO_2 emission. • PL-PCO-OPMR is an attractive way for high efficient and clean use of COG and CGG. - Abstract: Polygeneration system, typically involving chemicals/fuels and electricity co-production, is a promising technology for the sustainable development of energy and environment. In this study, a new polygeneration system based on coal and coke oven gas (COG) inputs for co-production of dimethyl ether (DME)/methanol and electricity is proposed. In the new system, an appropriate syngas for the synthesis of DME is from coal gasified gas (CGG) reforming of COG coupled with an oxygen-permeable membrane reactor, in which both COG and CGG reforming process and fuel combustion process are incorporated, which reduces exergy destruction in the whole reforming process. In order to obtain the best performance of CO_2 reduction, energy saving and economic benefit, the key operation parameters of the proposed process are analyzed and optimized. The new system is compared with the process based on CH_4/CO_2 dry reforming, in terms of exergy efficiency, exergy cost and CO_2 emissions. Through the new system, the exergy efficiency can be increased by 7.8%, the exergy cost can be reduced by 0.88 USD/GJ and the CO_2 emission can be reduced by 0.023 kg/MJ. These results suggest that the polygeneration system from CGG and COG partial catalytic oxidation coupling with an oxygen-permeable membrane reactor (PL-PCO-OPMR) would be a more attractive way for highly efficient and clean use of CGG and COG.

High temperature nuclear heat for isothermal reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Epstein, M.

2000-01-01

High temperature nuclear heat can be used to operate a reformer with various feedstock materials. The product synthesis gas can be used not only as a source for hydrogen and as a feedstock for many essential chemical industries, such as ammonia and other products, but also for methanol and synthetic fuels. It can also be burnt directly in a combustion chamber of a gas turbine in an efficient combined cycle and generate electricity. In addition, it can be used as fuel for fuel cells. The reforming reaction is endothermic and the contribution of the nuclear energy to the calorific value of the final product (synthesis gas) is about 25%, compared to the calorific value of the feedstock reactants. If the feedstock is from fossil origin, the nuclear energy contributes to a substantial reduction in CO 2 emission to the atmosphere. The catalytic steam reforming of natural gas is the most common process. However, other feedstock materials, such as biogas, landfill gas and CO 2 -contaminated natural gas, can be reformed as well, either directly or with the addition of steam. The industrial steam reformers are generally fixed bed reactors, and their performance is strongly affected by the heat transfer from the furnace to the catalyst tubes. In top-fired as well as side-fired industrial configurations of steam reformers, the radiation is the main mechanism of heat transfer and convection heat transfer is negligible. The flames and the furnace gas constitute the main sources of the heat. In the nuclear reformers developed primarily in Germany, in connection with the EVA-ADAM project (closed cycle), the nuclear heat is transferred from the nuclear reactor coolant gas by convection, using a heating jacket around the reformer tubes. In this presentation it is proposed that the helium in a secondary loop, used to cool the nuclear reactor, will be employed to evaporate intermediate medium, such as sodium, zinc and aluminum chloride. Then, the vapors of the medium material transfer

Mathematical model of the reformer sponge iron cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraser, S.; Hacker, V.; Evers, B.; Hierzer, J.; Besenhard, J.O.

2003-01-01

A mathematical model of the Reformer Sponge Iron Cycle (RESC), an innovative hydrogen production process based on redox reactions of iron ore pellets is presented. In the oxidation stage of the RESC, hydrogen is produced by blowing steam over hot iron pellets, hence oxidizing the iron. In the reduction stage, synthesis gas coming from a reformer mixed with a fraction of recycled off-gas is used to reduce the iron oxide pellets (wuestite and/or magnetite) back into iron again. A mathematical model of the complete RESC was developed and verified with experimental data. The model is based on calculations of the equilibrium gas concentrations for reformer and Sponge Iron Reactor (SIR). The current model computes mass fluxes, molar fluxes, partial pressures and variations of the respective throughout the complete cycle. The recycle rate, determining the fraction of SIR off-gas recycled and added to the input gas stream was subsequently optimized in order to maximize the amount of iron oxide reduced for a certain input gas flow. (author)

Hydrogen from biomass gas steam reforming for low temperature fuel cell: energy and exergy analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Sordi

2009-03-01

Full Text Available This work presents a method to analyze hydrogen production by biomass gasification, as well as electric power generation in small scale fuel cells. The proposed methodology is the thermodynamic modeling of a reaction system for the conversion of methane and carbon monoxide (steam reforming, as well as the energy balance of gaseous flow purification in PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption is used with eight types of gasification gases in this study. The electric power is generated by electrochemical hydrogen conversion in fuel cell type PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. Energy and exergy analyses are applied to evaluate the performance of the system model. The simulation demonstrates that hydrogen production varies with the operation temperature of the reforming reactor and with the composition of the gas mixture. The maximum H2 mole fraction (0.6-0.64 mol.mol-1 and exergetic efficiency of 91- 92.5% for the reforming reactor are achieved when gas mixtures of higher quality such as: GGAS2, GGAS4 and GGAS5 are used. The use of those gas mixtures for electric power generation results in lower irreversibility and higher exergetic efficiency of 30-30.5%.

Catalytic steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen production: Brief status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bineli Aulus R.R.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen represents a promising fuel since it is considered as a cleanest energy carrier and also because during its combustion only water is emitted. It can be produced from different kinds of renewable feedstocks, such as ethanol, in this sense hydrogen could be treated as biofuel. Three chemical reactions can be used to achieve this purpose: the steam reforming (SR, the partial oxidation (POX and the autothermal reforming (ATR. In this study, the catalysts implemented in steam reforming of ethanol were reviewed. A wide variety of elements can be used as catalysts for this reaction, such as base metals (Ni, Cu and Co or noble metals (Rh, Pt and Ru usually deposited on a support material that increases surface area and improves catalytic function. The use of Rh, Ni and Pt supported or promoted with CeO2, and/or La2O3 shows excellent performance in ethanol SR catalytic process. The ratio of water to ethanol, reaction temperatures, catalysts loadings, selectivity and activity are also discussed as they are extremely important for high hydrogen yields.

Kinetics of the partial oxidation of methanol over a Fe-Mo catalyst

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deshmukh, S.A.R.K.; Sint Annaland, van M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2005-01-01

The intrinsic steady-state kinetics of the partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde over a commercial Fe-Mo catalyst has been studied experimentally in a differentially operated reactor at temperatures of 230–260 °C, over a wide range of methanol and oxygen concentrations. The principal

Kinetics of the partial oxidation of methanol over a Fe-Mo catalyst

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deshmukh, S.A.R.K.; van Sint Annaland, M.; Kuipers, J.A.M.

2005-01-01

The intrinsic steady-state kinetics of the partial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde over a commercial Fe-Mo catalyst has been studied experimentally in a differentially operated reactor at temperatures of 230¿260 °C, over a wide range of methanol and oxygen concentrations. The principal

Effect of low-temperature oxidation on the pyrolysis and combustion of whole oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murugan, Pulikesi; Mahinpey, Nader; Mani, Thilakavathi; Asghari, Koorosh

2010-01-01

Low-temperature oxidation (LTO) of the Fosterton crude oil mixed with its reservoir sand has been investigated in a tubular reactor. Reservoir sand saturated with 15 wt% of crude oil (20.5 o API gravity) was subjected to air injection at low-temperature (220 o C) for a period of time (17 h and 30 min), resulting in the formation of an oxygenated hydrocarbon fuel. The vent gases were analyzed for the content of CO, CO 2 , and oxygen and the residue was analyzed to determine the elemental composition and calorific value. The presence of LTO region was verified from the values of apparent H/C ratio. In addition, thermal behavior and combustion kinetics of the residue was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TG involves both non-isothermal and isothermal analysis and kinetic data was derived from isothermal studies. The general model for nth order reaction was used to obtain the kinetic parameters of the coke oxidation reaction. The activation energy, frequency factor and order of the reactions were determined using the model.

Membrane steam reforming of natural gas for hydrogen production by utilization of medium temperature nuclear reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Djati Hoesen Salimy

2010-01-01

The assessment of steam reforming process with membrane reactor for hydrogen production by utilizing of medium temperature nuclear reactor has been carried out. Difference with the conventional process of natural gas steam reforming that operates at high temperature (800-1000°C), the process with membrane reactor operates at lower temperature (~500°C). This condition is possible because the use of perm-selective membrane that separate product simultaneously in reactor, drive the optimum conversion at the lower temperature. Besides that, membrane reactor also acts the role of separation unit, so the plant will be more compact. From the point of nuclear heat utilization, the low temperature of process opens the chance of medium temperature nuclear reactor utilization as heat source. Couple the medium temperature nuclear reactor with the process give the advantage from the point of saving fossil fuel that give direct implication of decreasing green house gas emission. (author)

Effect of oxygen partial pressure on oxidation of Mo-metal

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Rabindar Kumar; Kumar, Prabhat; Singh, Megha; Gopal, Pawar; Reddy, G. B.

2018-05-01

This report explains the effect of oxygen partial pressure (PO2 ) on oxidation of Mo-metal in oxygen plasma. XRD results indulge that oxide layers formed on Mo-surfaces at different oxygen partial pressures have two different oxide phases (i.e. orthorhombic MoO3 and monoclinic Mo8O23). Intense XRD peaks at high pressure (i.e. 2.0×10-1 Torr) points out the formation of thick oxide layer on Mo-surface due to presence of large oxygen species in chamber and less oxide volatilization. Whereas, at low PO2 (6.5×10-2 and 7.5×10-2 Torr.) the reduced peak strength is owing to high oxide volatilization rate. SEM micrographs and thickness measurements also support XRD results and confirm that the optimum -2value of PO2 to deposited thicker and uniform oxide film on glass substrate is 7.5×10-2 Torr through plasma assistedoxidation process. Further to study the compositional properties, EDX of the sample M2 (the best sample) is carried out, which confirms that the stoichiometric ratio is less than 3 (i.e. 2.88). Less stoichiometric ratio again confirms the presence of sub oxides in oxide layers on Mo metal as evidenced by XRD results. All the observed results are well in consonance with each other.

Chemical looping reforming of generator gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendiara, T.; Jensen, Anker; Glarborg, P.

2010-02-15

The main objective of this work is to investigate the carbon deposition during reforming of hydrocarbons in a Chemical Looping Reformer (CLR). This knowledge is needed to asses the viability of the CLR technology in reforming tar from biomass gasification preserving lighter hydrocarbons and minimizing the carbon formation during the process. Two different setups were used to test the reactivity of the different samples in the conditions of interest for the tar reforming process: 1) Fixed bed flow reactor (FR), and 2) Thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). In the experiments, the gas atmosphere was switched from reducing to oxidizing atmosphere in every cycle. During the oxidizing cycle, the carrier was regenerated using a mixture of oxygen and nitrogen. Four different oxygen carriers based on nickel (Ni40 and Ni60), manganese (Mn) and ilmenite (Fe) were tested. In the tests, toluene was used to simulate the tars. The Fe and the Mn carrier reacted to a small extent with methane at the highest temperature studied, 800 degrees C. The Ni-carriers did not react at 600 degrees C at first, but they showed some reactivity after having been activated at the higher temperature. Carbon formation occurred with the Ni-carriers, more so with the Ni60 than the Ni40. Ni40, Mn and Fe were activated at the higher temperature. However, Fe showed only low capacity. Ni60 showed no capability of tar reforming. Ni40 showed a high tendency to carbon formation at 800 degrees C, but the formation could be lowered by changing some parameters. Mn formed almost no carbon. Ni40 and Mn were chosen for further studies. Carbon deposition occurred for both Ni40 and Mn, but the amount deposited for Ni40 was about 10 times bigger. Ni40 reacted with the methane and toluene only at 800 degrees C. The conversion over Mn was not as big as for toluene alone. Carbon was formed from carbon monoxide on the Ni40 carrier and on the Mn, but to a much less extent on the latter one. The presence of hydrogen decreased

Hydrogen production by ethanol partial oxidation over nano-iron oxide catalysts produced by chemical vapour synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Wael Ahmed Abou Taleb Sayed

2011-01-13

This work presents the experimental results of the synthesis of unsupported and supported SiC iron oxide nanoparticles and their catalytic activity towards ethanol partial oxidation. For comparison, further unsupported iron oxide phases were investigated towards the ethanol partial oxidation. These {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and {alpha}/{gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} phase catalysts were prepared by the CVS method using Fe(CO){sub 5} as precursor, supplied by another author. The {alpha}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and SiC nanoparticles were prepared by the CVS method using a home made hot wall reactor technique at atmospheric pressure. Ferrocene and tetramethylsilane were used as precursor for the production process. Process parameters of precursor evaporation temperature, precursor concentration, gas mixture velocity and gas mixture dilution were investigated and optimised to produce particle sizes in a range of 10 nm. For Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SiC catalyst series production, a new hot wall reactor setup was used. The particles were produced by simultaneous thermal decomposition of ferrocene and tetramethylsilane in one reactor from both sides. The production parameters of inlet tube distance inside the reactor, precursor evaporation temperature and carrier gas flow were investigated to produce a series of samples with different iron oxide content. The prepared catalysts composition, physical and chemical properties were characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, BET surface area, FTIR, XPS and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The catalytic activity for the ethanol gas-phase oxidation was investigated in a temperature range from 260 C to 290 C. The product distributions obtained over all catalysts were analysed with mass spectrometry analysis tool. The activity of bulk Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} and SiC nanoparticles was compared with prepared nano-iron oxide phase catalysts. The reaction parameters, such as reaction temperature and O{sub 2}/ethanol ratio were investigated. The catalysts

Additional chain-branching pathways in the low-temperature oxidation of branched alkanes

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhandong

2015-12-31

Chain-branching reactions represent a general motif in chemistry, encountered in atmospheric chemistry, combustion, polymerization, and photochemistry; the nature and amount of radicals generated by chain-branching are decisive for the reaction progress, its energy signature, and the time towards its completion. In this study, experimental evidence for two new types of chain-branching reactions is presented, based upon detection of highly oxidized multifunctional molecules (HOM) formed during the gas-phase low-temperature oxidation of a branched alkane under conditions relevant to combustion. The oxidation of 2,5-dimethylhexane (DMH) in a jet-stirred reactor (JSR) was studied using synchrotron vacuum ultra-violet photoionization molecular beam mass spectrometry (SVUV-PI-MBMS). Specifically, species with four and five oxygen atoms were probed, having molecular formulas of C8H14O4 (e.g., diketo-hydroperoxide/keto-hydroperoxy cyclic ether) and C8H16O5 (e.g., keto-dihydroperoxide/dihydroperoxy cyclic ether), respectively. The formation of C8H16O5 species involves alternative isomerization of OOQOOH radicals via intramolecular H-atom migration, followed by third O2 addition, intramolecular isomerization, and OH release; C8H14O4 species are proposed to result from subsequent reactions of C8H16O5 species. The mechanistic pathways involving these species are related to those proposed as a source of low-volatility highly oxygenated species in Earth\\'s troposphere. At the higher temperatures relevant to auto-ignition, they can result in a net increase of hydroxyl radical production, so these are additional radical chain-branching pathways for ignition. The results presented herein extend the conceptual basis of reaction mechanisms used to predict the reaction behavior of ignition, and have implications on atmospheric gas-phase chemistry and the oxidative stability of organic substances. © 2015 The Combustion Institute.

The production of reduced graphene oxide by a low-cost vacuum system for supercapacitors applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cardoso, Q.A.; Sakata, S.K.; Faria, R.N.; Silva, F.M.; Vieira, L.S.; Casini, J.C.S.

2016-01-01

Graphene (G) has attracted great interest for its excellent electrical properties. However, the large-scale production of graphene is still currently under investigations. Graphene oxide (GO) can be partially reduced to graphene-like sheets by removing the oxygen-containing groups with the recovery of a conjugated structure. It can be produced using inexpensive graphite as raw material by cost-effective chemical methods. High vacuum and temperature (10 -7 mbar/1100 deg C) is well established as an effective route for reduced powder preparation on a laboratory scale. However, a high vacuum reduction system, which can be routinely operated at 10 -7 mbar, has a considerable capital, operational and maintenance cost to be used in a large scale. In the present work, a low-cost route aiming large scale reduction of graphene oxide has been investigated. A stainless steel vessel has been evacuated to backing-pump pressure (10 -2 mbar) to process graphene oxide at low and high temperatures. Attempts of reducing GO powder using low vacuum pressures have been carried out and investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The experimental results of processing graphene oxide powder at various temperatures (200-1000°C) at relatively low pressures have been reported. The microstructures of the processed material have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chemical microanalyses employing energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). (author)

Experimental characterization and modeling of an ethanol steam reformer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mandø, Matthias; Bovo, Mirko; Nielsen, Mads Pagh

2006-01-01

This work describes the characterization of an ethanol reforming system for a high temperature PEM fuel cell system. High temperature PEM fuel cells are well suited for operation on reformate gas due to the superior CO tolerance compared with low temperature PEM. Steam reforming of liquid biofuels...

Thermodynamic Studies of the Phase Relationships of Nonstoichiometric Cerium Oxides at Higher Temperatures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Ole Toft

1976-01-01

Partial molar thermodynamic quantities for oxygen in nonstoichiometric cerium oxides were determined by thermogravimetric analysis in CO/CO2 mixtures in the temperature range 900–1400°C. Under these conditions compositions within the range 2.00 greater-or-equal, slanted O/M greater-or-equal, slan......Partial molar thermodynamic quantities for oxygen in nonstoichiometric cerium oxides were determined by thermogravimetric analysis in CO/CO2 mixtures in the temperature range 900–1400°C. Under these conditions compositions within the range 2.00 greater-or-equal, slanted O/M greater...

Modeling of electrochemistry and steam-methane reforming performance for simulating pressurized solid oxide fuel cell stacks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Recknagle, Kurtis P.; Ryan, Emily M.; Koeppel, Brian J.; Mahoney, Lenna A.; Khaleel, Moe A. [Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352 (United States)

2010-10-01

This paper examines the electrochemical and direct internal steam-methane reforming performance of the solid oxide fuel cell when subjected to pressurization. Pressurized operation boosts the Nernst potential and decreases the activation polarization, both of which serve to increase cell voltage and power while lowering the heat load and operating temperature. A model considering the activation polarization in both the fuel and the air electrodes was adopted to address this effect on the electrochemical performance. The pressurized methane conversion kinetics and the increase in equilibrium methane concentration are considered in a new rate expression. The models were then applied in simulations to predict how the distributions of direct internal reforming rate, temperature, and current density are effected within stacks operating at elevated pressure. A generic 10 cm counter-flow stack model was created and used for the simulations of pressurized operation. The predictions showed improved thermal and electrical performance with increased operating pressure. The average and maximum cell temperatures decreased by 3% (20 C) while the cell voltage increased by 9% as the operating pressure was increased from 1 to 10 atm. (author)

Measuring hydroperoxide chain-branching agents during n-pentane low-temperature oxidation

KAUST Repository

Rodriguez, Anne

2016-06-23

The reactions of chain-branching agents, such as HO and hydroperoxides, have a decisive role in the occurrence of autoignition. The formation of these agents has been investigated in an atmospheric-pressure jet-stirred reactor during the low-temperature oxidation of n-pentane (initial fuel mole fraction of 0.01, residence time of 2s) using three different diagnostics: time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with tunable synchrotron photoionization, time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with laser photoionization, and cw-cavity ring-down spectroscopy. These three diagnostics enable a combined analysis of HO, C-C, and C alkylhydroperoxides, C-C alkenylhydroperoxides, and C alkylhydroperoxides including a carbonyl function (ketohydroperoxides). Results using both types of mass spectrometry are compared for the stoichiometric mixture. Formation data are presented at equivalence ratios from 0.5 to 2 for these peroxides and of two oxygenated products, ketene and pentanediones, which are not usually analyzed during jet-stirred reactor oxidation. The formation of alkenylhydroperoxides during alkane oxidation is followed for the first time. A recently developed model of n-pentane oxidation aids discussion of the kinetics of these products and of proposed pathways for C-C alkenylhydroperoxides and the pentanediones.

Low-temperature specific heat of the β-pyrochlore oxide superconductors under high pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Isono, T.; Iguchi, D.; Machida, Y.; Izawa, K.; Salce, B.; Flouquet, J.; Ogusu, H.; Yamaura, J.; Hiroi, Z.

2011-01-01

We report the results of the low-temperature specific heat measurements of the single crystalline β-pyrochlore oxide superconductors AOs 2O 6 (A=K, Rb, and Cs) under high pressure up to 13 GPa. We find that superconducting transition temperature ( Tc) monotonically increases for CsOs 2O 6 and RbOs 2O 6, while the one for KOs 2O 6 decreases by applying the pressure. With further increasing the pressure, Tc is suddenly suppressed at the same lattice volume for all compounds, concomitant with the first-order structural phase transition.

Effects of Low-temperature Pre-oxidation on the Titanomagnetite Ore Structure and Reduction Behaviors in a Fluidized Bed

Science.gov (United States)

Adetoro, Ajala Adewole; Sun, Haoyan; He, Shengyi; Zhu, Qingshan; Li, Hongzhong

2018-04-01

With respect to high efficient utilization of low-grade iron ore resource, the behavior of low-temperature "973 K to 1123 K (700 °C to 850 °C)" oxidation, on the phase transition of SA TTM ore (South African titanomagnetite), and its effect on subsequent reduction was investigated. The results showed that hematite and rutile are the oxidation product below 1048 K (775 °C), while pseudobrookite is the stable phase above 1073 K (800 °C). With the increase in temperature and oxidation time, there is a competitive relationship between the amount of hematite and pseudobrookite generated. The reduction efficiency of SA TTM was significantly improved by oxidation pretreatment, primarily due to the dissociation of titania-ferrous oxides to more easily reducible hematite. But the generation of pseudobrookite phase decreases the amount of free hematite available for reduction, which weakens the improvement effect of pre-oxidation. The equilibrium relationship between the metallization degree and the gas reduction potential for TTM ore with pre-oxidation treatment has been built. Finally, the reduction metallization degree for the first and second step can be improved averagely by 16.67 and 3.45 pct, respectively, for sample pre-oxidized at 1098 K (825 °C) for 15 and 90 minutes, while 26.96 and 7.4 pct, improvement is achieved for sample pre-oxidized at a lower temperature of 1048 K (775 °C) for 120 minutes.

Thermal sensor based zinc oxide diode for low temperature applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ocaya, R.O. [Department of Physics, University of the Free State (South Africa); Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589 (Saudi Arabia); El-Tantawy, F. [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia (Egypt); Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia); Farooq, W.A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia); Yakuphanoglu, F., E-mail: fyhan@hotmail.com [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589 (Saudi Arabia); Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Firat University, Elazig, 23169 (Turkey)

2016-07-25

The device parameters of Al/p-Si/Zn{sub 1-x}Al{sub x}O-NiO/Al Schottky diode for x = 0.005 were investigated over the 50 K–400 K temperature range using direct current–voltage (I–V) and impedance spectroscopy. The films were prepared using the sol–gel method followed by spin-coating on p-Si substrate. The ideality factor, barrier height, resistance and capacitance of the diode were found to depend on temperature. The calculated barrier height has a mean. Capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements show that the capacitance decreases with increasing frequency, suggesting a continuous distribution of interface states over the surveyed 100 kHz to 1 MHz frequency range. The interface state densities, N{sub ss}, of the diode were calculated and found to peak as functions of bias and temperature in two temperature regions of 50 K–300 K and 300 K–400 K. A peak value of approximately 10{sup 12}/eV cm{sup 2} was observed around 0.7 V bias for 350 K and at 3 × 10{sup 12}/eVcm{sup 2} around 2.2 V bias for 300 K. The relaxation time was found to average 4.7 μs over all the temperatures, but showing its lowest value of 1.58 μs at 300 K. It is seen that the interface states of the diode is controlled by the temperature. This suggests that Al/p-Si/Zn1-xAlxO-NiO/Al diode can be used as a thermal sensors for low temperature applications. - Highlights: • Al/pSi/Zn1-xAlxO-NiO/Al Schottky diode was fabricated by sol gel method. • The interface state density of the diode is controlled by the temperature. • Zinc oxide based diode can be used as a thermal sensor for low temperature applications.

Activity of oxidizing processes in introduced plants under low hardening temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. O. Zaitseva

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The peculiarities of oxidative enzymes’ activity at the dormancy phenological stage under conditions of low positive temperature were studied. Most effective methods (NPK, zircon growth regulator for enhancing the cold tolerance of the Swida, Deutzia, Buddleja and Hibiscus species have been determined. It has been established that activity of catalase and peroxidase depends on the cold adaptation of introduced arbo-real plants of different winter-resistance. The possibility to use the ratio of enzymatic activities Acold./Anorm. as a test-parameter in forecasting the winter-resistance of plants is displayed.

Amorphous gallium oxide grown by low-temperature PECVD

KAUST Repository

Kobayashi, Eiji; Boccard, Mathieu; Jeangros, Quentin; Rodkey, Nathan; Vresilovic, Daniel; Hessler-Wyser, Aï cha; Dö beli, Max; Franta, Daniel; De Wolf, Stefaan; Morales-Masis, Monica; Ballif, Christophe

2018-01-01

demonstrate the growth of hydrogenated amorphous gallium oxide (a-GaO:H) thin-films by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) at temperatures below 200 °C. In this way, conformal films are deposited at high deposition rates, achieving high broadband

Investigation of the Dissolution-Reformation Cycle of the Passive Oxide Layer on NiTi Orthodontic Archwires

Science.gov (United States)

Uzer, B.; Birer, O.; Canadinc, D.

2017-09-01

Dissolution-reformation cycle of the passive oxide layer on the nickel-titanium (NiTi) orthodontic archwires was investigated, which has recently been recognized as one of the key parameters dictating the biocompatibility of archwires. Specifically, commercially available NiTi orthodontic archwires were immersed in artificial saliva solutions of different pH values (2.3, 3.3, and 4.3) for four different immersion periods: 1, 7, 14, and 30 days. Characterization of the virgin and tested samples revealed that the titanium oxide layer on the NiTi archwire surfaces exhibit a dissolution-reformation cycle within the first 14 days of the immersion period: the largest amount of Ni ion release occurred within the first week of immersion, while it significantly decreased during the reformation period from day 7 to day 14. Furthermore, the oxide layer reformation was catalyzed on the grooves within the peaks and valleys due to relatively larger surface energy of these regions, which eventually decreased the surface roughness significantly within the reformation period. Overall, the current results clearly demonstrate that the analyses of dissolution-reformation cycle of the oxide layer in orthodontic archwires, surface roughness, and ion release behavior constitute utmost importance in order to ensure both the highest degree of biocompatibility and an efficient medical treatment.

Reformed austenite transformation during fatigue crack propagation of 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thibault, Denis, E-mail: thibault.denis@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d' Hydro-Quebec (IREQ), 1800, boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec, J3X 1S1 (Canada); Bocher, Philippe, E-mail: philippe.bocher@etsmtl.ca [Ecole de technologie superieure, 1100, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 1K3 (Canada); Thomas, Marc, E-mail: marc.thomas@etsmtl.ca [Ecole de technologie superieure, 1100, rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 1K3 (Canada); Lanteigne, Jacques, E-mail: lanteigne.jacques@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d' Hydro-Quebec (IREQ), 1800, boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec, J3X 1S1 (Canada); Hovington, Pierre, E-mail: hovington.pierre@ireq.ca [Institut de recherche d' Hydro-Quebec (IREQ), 1800, boul. Lionel-Boulet, Varennes, Quebec, J3X 1S1 (Canada); Robichaud, Patrice, E-mail: patrice.robichaud@riotinto.com [Centre de recherche et de developpement Arvida (CRDA), 1955, boul. Mellon, Jonquiere, Quebec, G7S 4K8 (Canada)

2011-08-15

Highlights: {yields} Reformed austenite in 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel transforms during fatigue crack growth. {yields} Low cycle fatigue tests showed that this transformation to martensite is gradual. {yields} XRD spectrums obtained on the fracture surface and have been correlated to LCF results. - Abstract: In the as-quenched state, 13%Cr-4%Ni martensitic stainless steels are essentially 100% martensitic. However, a certain amount of austenite is formed during the tempering of this alloy. This reformed austenite is thermally stable at room temperature but can transform to martensite under stress. This transformation is known to happen during impact testing but it has never been established if it occurs during fatigue crack propagation. This study presents the results of X-ray diffraction measurements of reformed austenite before and after crack growth testing. It has been found that reformed austenite does transform to martensite at the crack tip and that this transformation occurs even at a low stress intensity factor. Low-cycle fatigue tests were conducted to verify austenite transformation under cyclic straining. It was found that reformed austenite transforms only partially during the first strain reversal but that essentially all austenite has disappeared after 100 cycles. The relation between austenite transformation under low-cycle fatigue and its transformation during crack growth is also discussed.

Reformed austenite transformation during fatigue crack propagation of 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thibault, Denis; Bocher, Philippe; Thomas, Marc; Lanteigne, Jacques; Hovington, Pierre; Robichaud, Patrice

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Reformed austenite in 13%Cr-4%Ni stainless steel transforms during fatigue crack growth. → Low cycle fatigue tests showed that this transformation to martensite is gradual. → XRD spectrums obtained on the fracture surface and have been correlated to LCF results. - Abstract: In the as-quenched state, 13%Cr-4%Ni martensitic stainless steels are essentially 100% martensitic. However, a certain amount of austenite is formed during the tempering of this alloy. This reformed austenite is thermally stable at room temperature but can transform to martensite under stress. This transformation is known to happen during impact testing but it has never been established if it occurs during fatigue crack propagation. This study presents the results of X-ray diffraction measurements of reformed austenite before and after crack growth testing. It has been found that reformed austenite does transform to martensite at the crack tip and that this transformation occurs even at a low stress intensity factor. Low-cycle fatigue tests were conducted to verify austenite transformation under cyclic straining. It was found that reformed austenite transforms only partially during the first strain reversal but that essentially all austenite has disappeared after 100 cycles. The relation between austenite transformation under low-cycle fatigue and its transformation during crack growth is also discussed.

Effect of substrate temperature and oxygen partial pressure on RF sputtered NiO thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Cheemadan, Saheer; Santhosh Kumar, M. C.

2018-04-01

Nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were deposited by RF sputtering process and the physical properties were investigated for varying substrate temperatures and oxygen partial pressure. The variation of the crystallographic orientation and microstructure of the NiO thin films with an increase in substrate temperature were studied. It was observed that NiO thin films deposited at 350 °C shows relatively good crystalline characteristics with a preferential orientation along (111) plane. With the optimum substrate temperature of 350 °C, the NiO thin films were deposited under various oxygen partial pressures at the same experimental conditions. The structural, optical and electrical properties of NiO thin films under varying oxygen partial pressure of 10%–50% were investigated. From XRD it is clear that the films prepared in the pure argon atmosphere were amorphous while the films in oxygen partial pressure exhibited polycrystalline NiO phase. SEM and AFM investigations unveil that the higher substrate temperature improves the microstructure of the thin films. It is revealed that the NiO thin films deposited at oxygen partial pressure of 40% and a substrate temperature of 350 °C, showed higher electrical conductivity with p-type characteristics.

Effects of pH and seasonal temperature variation on simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in free-water surface wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yuling; Tao, Wendong; Wang, Ziyuan; Shayya, Walid

2012-11-15

Design considerations to enhance simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in constructed wetlands are largely unknown. This study examined the effects of pH and seasonal temperature variation on simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in two free-water surface wetlands. In order to enhance partial nitrification and inhibit nitrite oxidation, furnace slag was placed on the rooting substrate to maintain different pH levels in the wetland water. The wetlands were batch operated for dairy wastewater treatment under oxygen-limited conditions at a cycle time of 7 d. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis found that aerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria and anammox bacteria accounted for 42-73% of the bacterial populations in the wetlands, which was the highest relative abundance of ammonium oxidizing and anammox bacteria in constructed wetlands enhancing simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox. The two wetlands removed total inorganic nitrogen efficiently, 3.36-3.38 g/m(2)/d in the warm season with water temperatures at 18.9-24.9 °C and 1.09-1.50 g/m(2)/d in the cool season at 13.8-18.9 °C. Plant uptake contributed 2-45% to the total inorganic nitrogen removal in the growing season. A seasonal temperature variation of more than 6 °C would affect simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox significantly. Significant pH effects were identified only when the temperatures were below 18.9 °C. Anammox was the limiting stage of simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in the wetlands. Water pH should be controlled along with influent ammonium concentration and temperature to avoid toxicity of free ammonia to anammox bacteria. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low Temperature Synthesis of Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide Transparent Conducting Thin Film by Spray Pyrolysis Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ko, Eun-Byul; Choi, Jae-Seok; Jung, Hyunsung; Choi, Sung-Churl; Kim, Chang-Yeoul

2016-02-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) is widely used for the application of flat panel display like liquid crystal displays and plasma display panel. It is also applied in the field of touch panel, solar cell electrode, low-emissivity glass, defrost window, and anti-static material. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were fabricated by spray pyrolysis of ethanol-added FTO precursor solutions. FTO thin film by spray pyrolysis is very much investigated and normally formed at high temperature, about 500 degrees C. However, these days, flexible electronics draw many attentions in the field of IT industry and the research for flexible transparent conducting thin film is also required. In the industrial field, indium-tin oxide (ITO) film on polymer substrate is widely used for touch panel and displays. In this study, we investigated the possibility of FTO thin film formation at relatively low temperature of 250 degrees C. We found out that the control of volume of input precursor and exhaust gases could make it possible to form FTO thin film with a relatively low electrical resistance, less than 100 Ohm/sq and high optical transmittance about 88%.

Synthesis of high saturation magnetic iron oxide nanomaterials via low temperature hydrothermal method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhavani, P.; Rajababu, C.H. [Department of Materials Science & Nanotechnology, Yogivemana University, Vemanapuram 516003, Kadapa (India); Arif, M.D. [Environmental Magnetism Laboratory, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), Navi Mumbai 410218, Mumbai (India); Reddy, I. Venkata Subba [Department of Physics, Gitam University, Hyderabad Campus, Rudraram, Medak 502329 (India); Reddy, N. Ramamanohar, E-mail: manoharphd@gmail.com [Department of Materials Science & Nanotechnology, Yogivemana University, Vemanapuram 516003, Kadapa (India)

2017-03-15

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were synthesized through a simple low temperature hydrothermal approach to obtain with high saturation magnetization properties. Two series of iron precursors (sulfates and chlorides) were used in synthesis process by varying the reaction temperature at a constant pH. The X-ray diffraction pattern indicates the inverse spinel structure of the synthesized IONPs. The Field emission scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the particles prepared using iron sulfate were consisting a mixer of spherical (16–40 nm) and rod (diameter ~20–25 nm, length <100 nm) morphologies that synthesized at 130 °C, while the IONPs synthesized by iron chlorides are found to be well distributed spherical shapes with size range 5–20 nm. On other hand, the IONPs synthesized at reaction temperature of 190 °C has spherical (16–46 nm) morphology in both series. The band gap values of IONPs were calculated from the obtained optical absorption spectra of the samples. The IONPs synthesized using iron sulfate at temperature of 130 °C exhibited high saturation magnetization (M{sub S}) of 103.017 emu/g and low remanant magnetization (M{sub r}) of 0.22 emu/g with coercivity (H{sub c}) of 70.9 Oe{sub ,} which may be attributed to the smaller magnetic domains (d{sub m}) and dead magnetic layer thickness (t). - Highlights: • Comparison of iron oxide materials prepared with Fe{sup +2}/Fe{sup +3} sulfates and chlorides at different temperatures. • We prepared super-paramagnetic and soft ferromagnetic magnetite nanoparticles. • We report higher saturation magnetization with lower coercivity.

TiFeCoNi oxide thin film - A new composition with extremely low electrical resistivity at room temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Ya-Chu; Tsau, Chun-Huei; Yeh, Jien-Wei

2011-01-01

We show the electrical resistivity of a TiFeCoNi oxide thin film. The electrical resistivity of the TiFeCoNi thin film decreased sharply after a suitable period of oxidation at high temperature. The lowest resistivity of the TiFeCoNi oxide film was 35 ± 3 μΩ-cm. The low electrical resistivity of the TiFeCoNi oxide thin film was attributed to Ti, which is more reactive than the other elements, reacting with oxygen at the initial stage of annealing. The low resistivity is caused by the remaining electrons.

Plasma steam reforming of E85 for hydrogen rich gas production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Xinli; Hoang Trung; Lobban, Lance L; Mallinson, Richard G

2011-01-01

E85 (85 vol% ethanol and 15 vol% gasoline) is a partly renewable fuel that is increasing in supply availability. Hydrogen production from E85 for fuel cell or internal combustion engine applications is a potential method for reducing CO 2 emissions. Steam reforming of E85 using a nonthermal plasma (pulse corona discharge) reactor has been exploited at low temperature (200-300 0 C) without external heating, diluent gas, oxidant or catalyst in this work. Several operational parameters, including the discharge current, E85 concentration and feed flow rate, have been investigated. The results show that hydrogen rich gases (63-67% H 2 and 22-29% CO, with small amounts of CO 2 , C 2 hydrocarbons and CH 4 ) can be produced by this method. A comparison with ethanol reforming and gasoline reforming under identical conditions has also been made and the behaviour of E85 reforming is found to be close to that of ethanol reforming with slightly higher C 2 hydrocarbons yields.

Determination of surface coverage of catalysts : temperature programmed experiments on platinum and iridium sponge catalysts after low temperature ammonia oxidation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Broek, A.C.M.; Grondelle, van J.; Santen, van R.A.

1999-01-01

The activity of iridium and platinum sponge catalysts was studied in the low temperature gas phase oxidation of ammonia with oxygen. Under the reaction conditions used, iridium was found to be more active and more selective to nitrogen than platinum. Furthermore it was established from activity

Low temperature oxidative desulfurization with hierarchically mesoporous titaniumsilicate Ti-SBA-2 single crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Chengxiang; Wang, Wenxuan; Liu, Ni; Xu, Xueyan; Wang, Danhong; Zhang, Minghui; Sun, Pingchuan; Chen, Tiehong

2015-07-21

Hierarchically porous Ti-SBA-2 with high framework Ti content (up to 5 wt%) was firstly synthesized by employing organic mesomorphous complexes of a cationic surfactant (CTAB) and an anionic polyelectrolyte (PAA) as templates. The material exhibited excellent performance in oxidative desulfurization of diesel fuel at low temperature (40 °C or 25 °C) due to the unique hierarchically porous structure and high framework Ti content.

Energy Analysis in Combined Reforming of Propane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Moon

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Combined (steam and CO2 reforming is one of the methods to produce syngas for different applications. An energy requirement analysis of steam reforming to dry reforming with intermediate steps of steam reduction and equivalent CO2 addition to the feed fuel for syngas generation has been done to identify condition for optimum process operation. Thermodynamic equilibrium data for combined reforming was generated for temperature range of 400–1000°C at 1 bar pressure and combined oxidant (CO2 + H2O stream to propane (fuel ratio of 3, 6, and 9 by employing the Gibbs free energy minimization algorithm of HSC Chemistry software 5.1. Total energy requirement including preheating and reaction enthalpy calculations were done using the equilibrium product composition. Carbon and methane formation was significantly reduced in combined reforming than pure dry reforming, while the energy requirements were lower than pure steam reforming. Temperatures of minimum energy requirement were found in the data analysis of combined reforming which were optimum for the process.

Kinetic Studies on State of the Art Solid Oxide Cells – A Comparison between Hydrogen/Steam and Reformate Fuels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Njodzefon, Jean-Claude; Graves, Christopher R.; Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg

2015-01-01

Electrochemical reaction kinetics at the electrodes of Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs) were investigated at 700 °C for two cells with different fuel electrode microstructures as well as on a third cell with a reduced active electrode area. Three fuel mixtures were investigated – hydrogen/steam and refor......Electrochemical reaction kinetics at the electrodes of Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs) were investigated at 700 °C for two cells with different fuel electrode microstructures as well as on a third cell with a reduced active electrode area. Three fuel mixtures were investigated – hydrogen....../steam fuel split into two processes with opposing temperature behavior in the reformate fuels. An 87.5% reduction in active electrode area diminishes the gas conversion impedance in the hydrogen/steam fuel at high fuel flow rates. In both reformates, the second and third lowest frequency processes merged...

Catalytic reforming of methane to syngas in an oxygen-permeative membrane reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urano, Takeshi; Kubo, Keiko; Saito, Tomoyuki; Hitomi, Atsushi, E-mail: turano@jp.tdk.com [Materials and Process Development Center, TDK Corporation 570-2, Matsugashita, Minamihatori, Narita, Chiba 286-8588 (Japan)

2011-05-15

For fuel cell applications, partial oxidative reforming of methane to syngas, hydrogen and carbon monoxide, was performed via a dense oxygen-permeative ceramic membrane composed by both ionic and electronic conductive materials. The modification of Ni-based catalyst by noble metals was investigated to increase oxygen permeation flux and decrease carbon deposition during reforming reaction. The role of each component in catalyst was also discussed.

Partial oxidation of TiN coating by hydrothermal treatment and ozone treatment to improve its osteoconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, Xingling; Xu, Lingli; Le, Thi Bang; Zhou, Guanghong; Zheng, Chuanbo; Tsuru, Kanji; Ishikawa, Kunio

2016-01-01

Dental implants made of pure titanium suffer from abrasion and scratch during routine oral hygiene procedures. This results in an irreversible surface damage, facilitates bacteria adhesion and increases risk of peri-implantitis. To overcome these problems, titanium nitride (TiN) coating was introduced to increase surface hardness of pure titanium. However, the osteoconductivity of TiN is considered to be similar or superior to that of titanium and its alloys and therefore surface modification is necessary. In this study, TiN coating prepared through gas nitriding was partially oxidized by hydrothermal (HT) treatment and ozone (O 3 ) treatment in pure water to improve its osteoconductivity. The effects of HT treatment and O 3 treatment on surface properties of TiN were investigated and the osteoconductivity after undergoing treatment was assessed in vitro using osteoblast evaluation. The results showed that the critical temperature for HT treatment was 100 °C since higher temperatures would impair the hardness of TiN coating. By contrast, O 3 treatment was more effective in oxidizing TiN surfaces, improving its wettability while preserving its morphology and hardness. Osteoblast attachment, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression and mineralization were improved on oxidized specimens, especially on O 3 treated specimens, compared with untreated ones. These effects seemed to be consequences of partial oxidation, as well as improved hydrophilicity and surface decontamination. Finally, it was concluded that, partially oxidized TiN is a promising coating to be used for dental implant. - Highlights: • TiN coating surface was oxidized by hydrothermal or ozone treatment while preserving its hardness. • Improved wettability, decontamination and interstitial N promoted osteoblast responses. • Partial oxidation makes TiN a promising coating for dental implant with good osteoconductivity.

Partial oxidation of TiN coating by hydrothermal treatment and ozone treatment to improve its osteoconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shi, Xingling [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003 (China); Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582 (Japan); Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Interventional Medical Devices, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003 (China); Xu, Lingli, E-mail: linly311@163.com [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003 (China); Le, Thi Bang [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Zhou, Guanghong [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Interventional Medical Devices, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian 223003 (China); Zheng, Chuanbo, E-mail: zjust316@163.com [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003 (China); Tsuru, Kanji; Ishikawa, Kunio [Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582 (Japan)

2016-02-01

Dental implants made of pure titanium suffer from abrasion and scratch during routine oral hygiene procedures. This results in an irreversible surface damage, facilitates bacteria adhesion and increases risk of peri-implantitis. To overcome these problems, titanium nitride (TiN) coating was introduced to increase surface hardness of pure titanium. However, the osteoconductivity of TiN is considered to be similar or superior to that of titanium and its alloys and therefore surface modification is necessary. In this study, TiN coating prepared through gas nitriding was partially oxidized by hydrothermal (HT) treatment and ozone (O{sub 3}) treatment in pure water to improve its osteoconductivity. The effects of HT treatment and O{sub 3} treatment on surface properties of TiN were investigated and the osteoconductivity after undergoing treatment was assessed in vitro using osteoblast evaluation. The results showed that the critical temperature for HT treatment was 100 °C since higher temperatures would impair the hardness of TiN coating. By contrast, O{sub 3} treatment was more effective in oxidizing TiN surfaces, improving its wettability while preserving its morphology and hardness. Osteoblast attachment, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) expression and mineralization were improved on oxidized specimens, especially on O{sub 3} treated specimens, compared with untreated ones. These effects seemed to be consequences of partial oxidation, as well as improved hydrophilicity and surface decontamination. Finally, it was concluded that, partially oxidized TiN is a promising coating to be used for dental implant. - Highlights: • TiN coating surface was oxidized by hydrothermal or ozone treatment while preserving its hardness. • Improved wettability, decontamination and interstitial N promoted osteoblast responses. • Partial oxidation makes TiN a promising coating for dental implant with good osteoconductivity.

Nb effect in the nickel oxide-catalyzed low-temperature oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

KAUST Repository

Zhu, Haibo

2012-01-01

A method for the preparation of NiO and Nb-NiO nanocomposites is developed, based on the slow oxidation of a nickel-rich Nb-Ni gel obtained in citric acid. The resulting materials have higher surface areas than those obtained by the classical evaporation method from nickel nitrate and ammonium niobium oxalate. These consist in NiO nanocrystallites (7-13 nm) associated, at Nb contents >3 at.%., with an amorphous thin layer (1-2 nm) of a niobium-rich mixed oxide with a structure similar to that of NiNb 2O 6. Unlike bulk nickel oxides, the activity of these nanooxides for low-temperature ethane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) has been related to their redox properties. In addition to limiting the size of NiO crystallites, the presence of the Nb-rich phase also inhibits NiO reducibility. At Nb content >5 at.%, Nb-NiO composites are thus less active for ethane ODH but more selective, indicating that the Nb-rich phase probably covers part of the unselective, non-stoichiometric, active oxygen species of NiO. This geometric effect is supported by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations. The close interaction between NiO and the thin Nb-rich mixed oxide layer, combined with possible restructuration of the nanocomposite under ODH conditions, leads to significant catalyst deactivation at high Nb loadings. Hence, the most efficient ODH catalysts obtained by this method are those containing 3-4 at.% Nb, which combine high activity, selectivity, and stability. The impact of the preparation method on the structural and catalytic properties of Nb-NiO nanocomposites suggests that further improvement in NiO-catalyzed ethane ODH can be expected upon optimization of the catalyst. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low-temperature aluminum reduction of graphene oxide, electrical properties, surface wettability, and energy storage applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Dongyun; Yang, Chongyin; Lin, Tianquan; Tang, Yufeng; Zhou, Mi; Zhong, Yajuan; Huang, Fuqiang; Lin, Jianhua

2012-10-23

Low-temperature aluminum (Al) reduction is first introduced to reduce graphene oxide (GO) at 100-200 °C in a two-zone furnace. The melted Al metal exhibits an excellent deoxygen ability to produce well-crystallized reduced graphene oxide (RGO) papers with a low O/C ratio of 0.058 (Al-RGO), compared with 0.201 in the thermally reduced one (T-RGO). The Al-RGO papers possess outstanding mechanical flexibility and extremely high electrical conductivities (sheet resistance R(s) ~ 1.75 Ω/sq), compared with 20.12 Ω/sq of T-RGO. More interestingly, very nice hydrophobic nature (90.5°) was observed, significantly superior to the reported chemically or thermally reduced papers. These enhanced properties are attributed to the low oxygen content in the RGO papers. During the aluminum reduction, highly active H atoms from H(2)O reacted with melted Al promise an efficient oxygen removal. This method was also applicable to reduce graphene oxide foams, which were used in the GO/SA (stearic acid) composite as a highly thermally conductive reservoir to hold the phase change material for thermal energy storage. The Al-reduced RGO/SnS(2) composites were further used in an anode material of lithium ion batteries possessing a higher specific capacity. Overall, low-temperature Al reduction is an effective method to prepare highly conductive RGO papers and related composites for flexible energy conversion and storage device applications.

Materials and Components for Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – an Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Radhika

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This article summarizes the recent advancements made in the area of materials and components for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs. LT-SOFC is a new trend in SOFCtechnology since high temperature SOFC puts very high demands on the materials and too expensive to match marketability. The current status of the electrolyte and electrode materials used in SOFCs, their specific features and the need for utilizing them for LT-SOFC are presented precisely in this review article. The section on electrolytes gives an overview of zirconia, lanthanum gallate and ceria based materials. Also, this review article explains the application of different anode, cathode and interconnect materials used for SOFC systems. SOFC can result in better performance with the application of liquid fuels such methanol and ethanol. As a whole, this review article discusses the novel materials suitable for operation of SOFC systems especially for low temperature operation.

Modelling and Optimization of Reforming Systems for use in PEM Fuel Cell

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berry, Melissa; Korsgaard, Anders Risum; Nielsen, Mads Pagh

2004-01-01

Three different reforming methods for the conversion of natural gas to hydrogen are studied and compared: Steam Reforming (SR), Auto-thermal Reforming (ATR), and Catalytic Partial Oxidation (CPOX). Thermodynamic and kinetic models are developed for the reforming reactors as well as the subsequent...... reactors needed for CO removal to make the synthesis gas suitable for use in a PEM fuel cell. The systems are optimized to minimize the total volume, and must supply adequate hydrogen to a fuel cell with a 100kW load. The resultant system efficiencies are calculated. The CPOX system is the smallest...

Influence of Gold on Ce-Zr-Co Fluorite-Type Mixed Oxide Catalysts for Ethanol Steam Reforming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Véronique Pitchon

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The effect of gold presence on carbon monoxide oxidation and ethanol steam reforming catalytic behavior of two Ce-Zr-Co mixed oxides catalysts with a constant Co charge and different Ce/Zr ratios was investigated. The Ce-Zr-Co mixed oxides were obtained by the pseudo sol-gel like method, based on metallic propionates polymerization and thermal decomposition, whereas the gold-supported Ce-Zr-Co mixed oxides catalysts were prepared using the direct anionic exchange. The catalysts were characterized using XRD, TPR, and EDXS-TEM. The presence of Au in doped Ce-Zr-Co oxide catalyst decreases the temperature necessary to reduce the cobalt and the cerium loaded in the catalyst and favors a different reaction pathway, improving the acetaldehyde route by ethanol dehydrogenation, instead of the ethylene route by ethanol dehydration or methane re-adsorption, thus increasing the catalytic activity and selectivity into hydrogen.

Treatment of toxic and hazardous organic wastes by wet oxidation process with oxygenated water at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piccinno, T.; Salluzzo, A.; Nardi, L.; Gili, M.; Luce, A.; Troiani, F.; Cornacchia, G.

1989-11-01

The wet oxidation process using air or molecular oxygen is a well-known process from long time. It is suitable to oxidize several types of waste refractory to the usual biological, thermal and chemical treatments. The drastic operating conditions (high pressures and temperatures) prevented its industrial development. In the last years a new interest was assigned to the process for the treatment of nuclear wastes (organic resins and exhaust organic wastes); the treatment is carried out at widely reduced operating conditions (atmospheric pressure and boiling temperature) by means of metallic catalysts and hydrogen peroxide. With some limits, the wet oxidation with hydrogen peroxide at low temperature can be applied to conventional waste waters containing toxic organic compounds. In the present report are summarized the activities developed at ENEA Fuel Cycle Department by the task force 'Deox' constituted by laboratory and plant specialists in order to verify the application of the wet oxidation process to the treatment of the toxic wastes. (author)

Copper based anodes for bio-ethanol fueled low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kondakindi, R.R.; Karan, K. [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada)

2003-07-01

Laboratory studies have been conducted to develop a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) fueled by bio-ethanol. SOFCs are considered to be a potential source for clean and efficient electricity. The use of bio-ethanol to power the SOFC contributes even further to reducing CO{sub 2} emissions. The main barrier towards the development of the proposed SOFC is the identification of a suitable anode catalyst that prevents coking during electro-oxidation of ethanol while yielding good electrical performance. Copper was selected as the catalyst for this study. Composite anodes consisting of copper catalysts and gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) electrolytes were prepared using screen printing of GDC and copper oxide on dense GDC electrolytes and by wet impregnation of copper nitrate in porous GDC electrolytes followed by calcination and sintering. The electrical conductivity of the prepared anodes was characterized to determine the percolation threshold. Temperature-programmed reduction and the Brunner Emmett Teller (BET) methods were used to quantify the catalyst dispersion and surface area. Electrochemical performance of the single-cell SOFC with a hydrogen-air system was used to assess the catalytic activities. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy was used to probe the electrode kinetics.

Low temperature growth of gallium oxide thin films via plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

O'Donoghue, R.; Rechmann, J.; Aghaee, M.; Rogalla, D.; Becker, H.-W.; Creatore, M.; Wieck, A.D.; Devi, A.P.K.

2017-01-01

Herein we describe an efficient low temperature (60–160 °C) plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) process for gallium oxide (Ga2O3) thin films using hexakis(dimethylamido)digallium [Ga(NMe2)3]2 with oxygen (O2) plasma on Si(100). The use of O2 plasma was found to have a significant

Reactor modeling and process analysis for partial oxidation of natural gas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Albrecht, B.A.

2004-01-01

This thesis analyses a novel process of partial oxidation of natural gas and develops a numerical tool for the partial oxidation reactor modeling. The proposed process generates syngas in an integrated plant of a partial oxidation reactor, a syngas turbine and an air separation unit. This is called

Conductance of partially disordered graphene: crossover from temperature-dependent to field-dependent variable-range hopping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheah, C Y; Jaurigue, L C; Kaiser, A B; Gómez-Navarro, C

2013-01-01

We report an analysis of low-temperature measurements of the conductance of partially disordered reduced graphene oxide, finding that the data follow a simple crossover scenario. At room temperature, the conductance is dominated by two-dimensional (2D) electric field-assisted, thermally driven (Pollak–Riess) variable-range hopping (VRH) through highly disordered regions. However, at lower temperatures T, we find a smooth crossover to follow the exp(−E 0 /E) 1/3 field-driven (Shklovskii) 2D VRH conductance behaviour when the electric field E exceeds a specific crossover value E C (T) 2D =(E a E 0 1/3 /3) 3/4 determined by the scale factors E 0 and E a for the high-field and intermediate-field regimes respectively. Our crossover scenario also accounts well for experimental data reported by other authors for three-dimensional disordered carbon networks, suggesting wide applicability. (paper)

Ultra-high temperature oxidation behavior of chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide layers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goto, Takashi

2003-01-01

The active oxidation, passive oxidation and bubble formation of CVD SiC were studied in O 2 and CO 2 at temperatures from 1650 to 2000 K. The active oxidation rates in O 2 increased with increasing oxygen partial pressure (P o2 ); however, those in CO 2 showed the maxima at specific P o2 . The passive oxidation kinetics in O 2 were either linear-parabolic or parabolic depending on temperature and P o2 , whereas that in CO 2 was always parabolic. The activation energies for the parabolic oxidation in O 2 and CO 2 were 210 and 150 kJ/mol, respectively, suggesting different rate-determining process between these atmospheres. The bubble formation was controlled by temperature and P o2 being independent of oxidant gas species. (author)

The production of reduced graphene oxide by a low-cost vacuum system for supercapacitors applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cardoso, Q.A.; Sakata, S.K.; Faria, R.N. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil); Silva, F.M.; Vieira, L.S.; Casini, J.C.S., E-mail: julio.casini@ifro.edu.br [Instituto Federal de Ciencia e Tecnologia de Rondonia (IFRO), RO (Brazil)

2016-07-01

Graphene (G) has attracted great interest for its excellent electrical properties. However, the large-scale production of graphene is still currently under investigations. Graphene oxide (GO) can be partially reduced to graphene-like sheets by removing the oxygen-containing groups with the recovery of a conjugated structure. It can be produced using inexpensive graphite as raw material by cost-effective chemical methods. High vacuum and temperature (10{sup -7}mbar/1100 deg C) is well established as an effective route for reduced powder preparation on a laboratory scale. However, a high vacuum reduction system, which can be routinely operated at 10{sup -7} mbar, has a considerable capital, operational and maintenance cost to be used in a large scale. In the present work, a low-cost route aiming large scale reduction of graphene oxide has been investigated. A stainless steel vessel has been evacuated to backing-pump pressure (10{sup -2} mbar) to process graphene oxide at low and high temperatures. Attempts of reducing GO powder using low vacuum pressures have been carried out and investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The experimental results of processing graphene oxide powder at various temperatures (200-1000°C) at relatively low pressures have been reported. The microstructures of the processed material have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chemical microanalyses employing energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). (author)

Low Temperature Oxidation of Methane: The Influence of Nitrogen Oxides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendtsen, Anders Broe; Glarborg, Peter; Dam-Johansen, Kim

2000-01-01

by the competition between three reaction paths from CH3 to CH2O. A direct high temperature path (A), a two-step NO2 enhanced low temperature path (B) and a slow three step NO enhanced path (C), which may produce NO2 to activate path B. The negative temperature coefficient behaviour was explained by a competition...

Synthesis and Characterization of Si Oxide Coated Nano Ceria by Hydrolysis, and Hydrothermal Treatment at Low Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kong M.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to the application of Si oxide coatings. This study deals with the preparation of ceria (CeO2 nanoparticles coating with SiO2 by water glass and hydrolysis reaction. First, the low temperature hydro-reactions were carried out at 30~100°C. Second, Silicon oxide-coated Nano compounds were obtained by the catalyzing synthesis. CeO2 Nano-powders have been successfully synthesized by means of the hydrothermal method, in a low temperature range of 100~200°C. In order to investigate the structure and morphology of the Nano-powders, scanning electron microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD were employed. The XRD results revealed the amorphous nature of silica nanoparticles. To analyze the quantity and properties of the compounds coated with Si oxide, transmission electron microscopy (TEM in conjunction with electron dispersive spectroscopy was used. Finally, it is suggested that the simple growth process is more favorable mechanism than the solution/aggregation process.

Mixture preparation by cool flames for diesel-reforming technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, L.; Lucka, K.; Köhne, H.

The separation of the evaporation from the high-temperature reaction zone is crucial for the reforming process. Unfavorable mixtures of liquid fuels, water and air lead to degradation by local hot spots in the sensitive catalysts and formation of unwanted by-products in the reformer. Furthermore, the evaporator has to work with dynamic changes in the heat transfer, residence times and educt compositions. By using exothermal pre-reactions in the form of cool flames it is possible to realize a complete and residue-free evaporation of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures. The conditions whether cool flames can be stabilised or not is related to the heat release of the pre-reactions in comparison to the heat losses of the system. Examinations were conducted in a flow reactor at atmospheric pressure and changing residence times to investigate the conditions under which stable cool flame operation is possible and auto-ignition or quenching occurs. An energy balance of the evaporator should deliver the values of heat release by cool flames in comparison to the heat losses of the system. The cool flame evaporation is applied in the design of several diesel-reforming processes (thermal and catalytic partial oxidation, autothermal reforming) with different demands in the heat management and operation range (air ratio λ, steam-to-carbon ratio, SCR). The results are discussed at the end of this paper.

Low-temperature properties of orientationally degenerated (OH)- centers in proton-conducting oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, M.A.; Fishman, A.Ya.; Tsidil'kovsky, V.I.

2007-01-01

It is shown that the proton-associated dipole centers (OH) - can provide glasslike low-temperature properties of ABO 3-y oxides doped with cations of lower valence. These properties result from the splitting of the orientationally degenerated states of the (OH) - centers by proton tunnelling and random crystal fields. It is found that the substitution of hydrogen by deuterium or tritium leads to large and abnormal isotope effects for the contributions of degenerated centers to thermodynamic properties and absorption of elastic and electromagnetic waves

Investigations on the determination of corrosion kinetics and the structure of corrosion products on high-temperature alloys under low oxygen partial pressures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poestges, A.; Naoumidis, A.; Nickel, H.

1979-04-01

On three nickel-base-alloys (NIMONIC 80A, INCONNEL 617 and ALLOY 713LC), which are planned as materials for components of the primary cooling circuit of high-temperature reactors, studies for the determination of the oxidation behaviour under reactor relevant conditions were performed. The test conditions were fixed at an oxygen partial pressure of 10 -16 bars with a total pressure of 0,2 bars and a temperature of 1080 0 C. The use of the X-ray diffraction analysis on the oxidised samples of type NIMONIC 80A showed the corrosion products Cr 2 O 3 , TiO 2 and Cr 2 Ti 2 O 7 in the outer oxide coating as well as Al 2 O 3 in the inner oxide zone. The samples of the alloy type INCOEL 617 showed the oxides Cr 2 O 3 and Cr 2 Ti 2 O 7 in the outer oxide coating. Samples of the alloy ALLOY 713LC showed Cr 2 O 3 and CrNbO 4 in the outer oxide coating and Al 2 O 3 in the zone of inner oxidation. Sufficient detection certainty was only ascertained by investigating samples with plane surface. For both alloys first mentioned, it was possible to prove the validity of the paralinear relationship W = k x t -1 / 2 - a x t for the increase in weight for the explanation of the time law of the oxidation. For the non-destructive determination of the oxide coating thickness on the alloys samples, the X-ray fluorescence analysis gave reproducible results of good precision. (orig.) [de

Characterization and Catalytic Activity of Mn-Co/TiO2 Catalysts for NO Oxidation to NO2 at Low Temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lu Qiu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A series of Mn-Co/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation method and evaluated for the oxidation of NO to NO2. The effects of Co amounts and calcination temperature on NO oxidation were investigated in detail. The catalytic oxidation ability in the temperature range of 403–473 K was obviously improved by doping cobalt into Mn/TiO2. These samples were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, transmission electron microscope (TEM and hydrogen temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR. The results indicated that the formation of dispersed Co3O4·CoMnO3 mixed oxides through synergistic interaction between Mn-O and Co-O was directly responsible for the enhanced activities towards NO oxidation at low temperatures. Doping of Co enhanced Mn4+ formation and increased chemical adsorbed oxygen amounts, which also accelerated NO oxidation.

Low Temperature Selective Catalytic Reduction of Nitrogen Oxides in Production of Nitric Acid by the Use of Liquid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kabljanac, Ž.

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the application of low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of nitrous oxides in the tail gas of the dual-pressure process of nitric acid production. The process of selective catalytic reduction is carried out using the TiO2/WO3 heterogeneous catalyst applied on a ceramic honeycomb structure with a high geometric surface area per volume. The process design parameters for nitric acid production by the dual-pressure procedure in a capacity range from 75 to 100 % in comparison with designed capacity for one production line is shown in the Table 1. Shown is the effectiveness of selective catalytic reduction in the temperature range of the tail gas from 180 to 230 °C with direct application of liquid ammonia, without prior evaporation to gaseous state. The results of inlet and outlet concentrations of nitrous oxides in the tail gas of the nitric acid production process are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Figure 3 shows the temperature dependence of the selective catalytic reduction of nitrous oxides expressed as NO2in the tail gas of nitric acid production with the application of a constant mass flow of liquid ammonia of 13,0 kg h-1 and average inlet mass concentration of the nitrous oxides expressed as NO2of 800,0 mgm-3 during 100 % production capacity. The specially designed liquid-ammonia direct-dosing system along with the effective homogenization of the tail gas resulted in emission levels of nitrous oxides expressed as NO2 in tail gas ranging from 100,0 to 185,0 mg m-3. The applied low-temperature selective catalytic reduction of the nitrous oxides in the tail gases by direct use of liquid ammonia is shown in Figure 4. It is shown that low-temperature selective catalytic reduction with direct application of liquid ammonia opens a new opportunity in the reduction of nitrous oxide emissions during nitric acid production without the risk of dangerous ammonium nitrate occurring in the process of subsequent energy utilization of

High temperature oxidation behavior of TiAl-based intermetallics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stroosnijder, M.F.; Sunderkoetter, J.D.; Haanappel, V.A.C.

1996-01-01

TiAl-based intermetallic compounds have attracted considerable interest as structural materials for high-temperature applications due to their low density and substantial mechanical strength at high temperatures. However, one major drawback hindering industrial application arises from the insufficient oxidation resistance at temperatures beyond 700 C. In the present contribution some general aspects of high temperature oxidation of TiAl-based intermetallics will be presented. This will be followed by a discussion of the influence of alloying elements, in particular niobium, and of the effect of nitrogen in the oxidizing environment on the high temperature oxidation behavior of such materials

Electron-induced dry reforming of methane in a temperature-controlled dielectric barrier discharge reactor

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Xuming

2013-09-23

Dry reforming of methane has the potential to reduce the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide and to generate hydrogen-rich syngas. In reforming methane, plasma-assisted reforming processes may have advantages over catalytic processes because they are free from coking and their response time for mobile applications is quick. Although plasma-assisted reforming techniques have seen recent developments, systematic studies that clarify the roles that electron-induced chemistry and thermo-chemistry play are needed for a full understanding of the mechanisms of plasma-assisted reformation. Here, we developed a temperature-controlled coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) apparatus to investigate the relative importance of electron-induced chemistry and thermo-chemistry in dry reforming of methane. In the tested background temperature range 297-773 K, electron-induced chemistry, as characterized by the physical properties of micro-discharges, was found to govern the conversions of CH4 and CO2, while thermo-chemistry influenced the product selectivities because they were found to depend on the background temperature. Comparisons with results from arc-jet reformation indicated that thermo-chemistry is an efficient conversion method. Our findings may improve designs of plasma-assisted reformers by using relatively hotter plasma sources. However, detailed chemical kinetic studies are needed. © 2013 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Electron-induced dry reforming of methane in a temperature-controlled dielectric barrier discharge reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xuming; Cha, Min Suk

2013-01-01

Dry reforming of methane has the potential to reduce the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide and to generate hydrogen-rich syngas. In reforming methane, plasma-assisted reforming processes may have advantages over catalytic processes because they are free from coking and their response time for mobile applications is quick. Although plasma-assisted reforming techniques have seen recent developments, systematic studies that clarify the roles that electron-induced chemistry and thermo-chemistry play are needed for a full understanding of the mechanisms of plasma-assisted reformation. Here, we developed a temperature-controlled coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) apparatus to investigate the relative importance of electron-induced chemistry and thermo-chemistry in dry reforming of methane. In the tested background temperature range 297–773 K, electron-induced chemistry, as characterized by the physical properties of micro-discharges, was found to govern the conversions of CH 4 and CO 2 , while thermo-chemistry influenced the product selectivities because they were found to depend on the background temperature. Comparisons with results from arc-jet reformation indicated that thermo-chemistry is an efficient conversion method. Our findings may improve designs of plasma-assisted reformers by using relatively hotter plasma sources. However, detailed chemical kinetic studies are needed. (paper)

Computational Chemistry of Cyclopentane Low Temperature Oxidation

KAUST Repository

El Rachidi, Mariam

2015-03-30

Cycloalkanes are significant constituents of conventional fossil fuels, but little is known concerning their combustion chemistry and kinetics, particularly at low temperatures. This study investigates the pressure dependent kinetics of several reactions occurring during low-temperature cyclopentane combustion using theoretical chemical kinetics. The reaction pathways of the cyclopentyl + O2 adduct is traced to alkylhydroperoxide, cyclic ether, β-scission and HO2 elimination products. The calculations are carried out at the UCCSD(T)-F12b/cc-pVTZ-F12//M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The barrierless entrance channel is treated using variable-reaction-coordinate transition state theory (VRC-TST) at the CASPT2(7e,6o) level of theory, including basis set, geometry relaxation and ZPE corrections. 1-D time-dependent multiwell master equation analysis is used to determine pressure-and temperature-dependent rate parameters of all investigated reactions. Tunneling corrections are included using Eckart barriers. Comparison with cyclohexane is used to elucidate the effect of ring size on the low temperature reactivity of naphthenes. The rate coefficients reported herein are suitable for use in cyclopentane and methylcyclopentane combustion models, even below ~900 K, where ignition is particularly sensitive to these pressure-dependent values.

Low-Temperature Catalytic Performance of Ni-Cu/Al2O3 Catalysts for Gasoline Reforming to Produce Hydrogen Applied in Spark Ignition Engines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Le Anh Tuan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The performance of Ni-Cu/Al2O3 catalysts for steam reforming (SR of gasoline to produce a hydrogen-rich gas mixture applied in a spark ignition (SI engine was investigated at relatively low temperature. The structural and morphological features and catalysis activity were observed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and temperature programmed reduction (TPR. The results showed that the addition of copper improved the dispersion of nickel and therefore facilitated the reduction of Ni at low temperature. The highest hydrogen selectivity of 70.6% is observed over the Ni-Cu/Al2O3 catalysts at a steam/carbon ratio of 0.9. With Cu promotion, a gasoline conversion of 42.6% can be achieved at 550 °C, while with both Mo and Ce promotion, the gasoline conversions were 31.7% and 28.3%, respectively, higher than with the conventional Ni catalyst. On the other hand, initial durability testing showed that the conversion of gasoline over Ni-Cu/Al2O3 catalysts slightly decreased after 30 h reaction time.

Air injection low temperature oxidation process for enhanced oil recovery from light oil reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tunio, A.H.; Harijan, K.

2010-01-01

This paper represents EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery) methods to recover unswept oil from depleted light oil reservoirs. The essential theme here is the removal of oxygen at LTO (Low Temperature Oxidation) from the injected air for a light oil reservoir by means of some chemical reactions occurring between oil and oxygen. In-situ combustion process, HTO (High Temperature Oxidation) is not suitable for deep light oil reservoirs. In case of light oil reservoirs LTO is more suitable to prevail as comparative to HTO. Few laboratory experimental results were obtained from air injection process, to study the LTO reactions. LTO process is suitable for air injection rate in which reservoir has sufficiently high temperature and spontaneous reaction takes place. Out comes of this study are the effect of LTO reactions in oxygen consumption and the recovery of oil. This air injection method is economic compared to other EOR methods i.e. miscible hydrocarbon gas, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide flooding etc. This LTO air injection process is suitable for secondary recovery methods where water flooding is not feasible due to technical problems. (author)

High temperature oxidation behaviour of nanostructured cermet coatings in a mixed CO2 - O2 environment

Science.gov (United States)

Farrokhzad, M. A.; Khan, T. I.

2014-06-01

Nanostructured ceramic-metallic (cermet) coatings composed of nanosized ceramic particles (α-Al2O3 and TiO2) dispersed in a nickel matrix were co-electrodeposited and then oxidized at 500°C, 600°C and 700°C in a mixed gas using a Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA) apparatus. The mixed gas was composed of 15% CO2, 10% O2 and 75% N2. This research investigates the effects of CO2 and O2 partial pressures on time-depended oxidation rates for coatings and compared them to the results from atmospheric oxidation under similar temperatures. The increase in partial pressure of oxygen due to the presence of CO2 at each tested temperature was calculated and correlated to the oxidation rate of the coatings. The results showed that the presence of CO2 in the system increased the oxidation rate of cermet coatings when compared to atmospheric oxidation at the same temperature. It was also shown that the increase in the oxidation rate is not the result of CO2 acting as the primary oxidant but as a secondary oxidant which results in an increase of the total partial pressure of oxygen and consequently higher oxidation rates. The WDS and XRD analyses results showed that the presence of nanosized TiO2 particles in a nickel matrix can improve oxidation behaviour of the coatings by formation of Ni-Ti compounds on oxidizing surface of the coating which was found beneficiary in reducing the oxidation rates for cermet coatings.

H2O2 mediates ALA-induced glutathione and ascorbate accumulation in the perception and resistance to oxidative stress in Solanum lycopersicum at low temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tao; Hu, Xiaohui; Zhang, Jiao; Zhang, Junheng; Du, Qingjie; Li, Jianming

2018-02-15

Low temperature is a crucial factor influencing plant growth and development. The chlorophyll precursor, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is widely used to improve plant cold tolerance. However, the interaction between H 2 O 2 and cellular redox signaling involved in ALA-induced resistance to low temperature stress in plants remains largely unknown. Here, the roles of ALA in perceiving and regulating low temperature-induced oxidative stress in tomato plants, together with the roles of H 2 O 2 and cellular redox states, were characterized. Low concentrations (10-25 mg·L - 1 ) of ALA enhanced low temperature-induced oxidative stress tolerance of tomato seedlings. The most effective concentration was 25 mg·L - 1 , which markedly increased the ratio of reduced glutathione and ascorbate (GSH and AsA), and enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase. Furthermore, gene expression of respiratory burst oxidase homolog1 and H 2 O 2 content were upregulated with ALA treatment under normal conditions. Treatment with exogenous H 2 O 2 , GSH, and AsA also induced plant tolerance to oxidative stress at low temperatures, while inhibition of GSH and AsA syntheses significantly decreased H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress tolerance. Meanwhile, scavenging or inhibition of H 2 O 2 production weakened, but did not eliminate, GSH- or AsA- induced tomato plant tolerance to oxidative stress at low temperatures. Appropriate concentrations of ALA alleviated the low temperature-induced oxidative stress in tomato plants via an antioxidant system. The most effective concentration was 25 mg·L - 1 . The results showed that H 2 O 2 induced by exogenous ALA under normal conditions is crucial and may be the initial step for perception and signaling transmission, which then improves the ratio of GSH and AsA. GSH and AsA may then interact with H 2 O 2 signaling, resulting in enhanced antioxidant capacity

Thickness dependent growth of low temperature atomic layer deposited zinc oxide films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montiel-González, Z.; Castelo-González, O.A.; Aguilar-Gama, M.T.; Ramírez-Morales, E.; Hu, H.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Polycrystalline columnar ZnO thin films deposited by ALD at low temperatures. • Higher deposition temperature leads to a greater surface roughness in the ALD ZnO films. • Higher temperature originates larger refractive index values of the ALD ZnO films. • ZnO thin films were denser as the numbers of ALD deposition cycles were larger. • XPS analysis revels mayor extent of the DEZ reaction during the ALD process. - Abstract: Zinc oxide films are promising to improve the performance of electronic devices, including those based on organic materials. However, the dependence of the ZnO properties on the preparation conditions represents a challenge to obtain homogeneous thin films that satisfy specific applications. Here, we prepared ZnO films of a wide range of thicknesses by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at relatively low temperatures, 150 and 175 °C. From the results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry it is concluded that the polycrystalline structure of the wurtzite is the main phase of the ALD samples, with OH groups on their surface. Ellipsometry revealed that the temperature and the deposition cycles have a strong effect on the films roughness. Scanning electron micrographs evidenced such effect, through the large pyramids developed at the surface of the films. It is concluded that crystalline ZnO thin films within a broad range of thickness and roughness can be obtained for optic or optoelectronic applications.

Integration of high temperature PEM fuel cells with a methanol reformer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pan, Chao; He, Ronghuan; Li, Qingfeng

2005-01-01

On-board generation of hydrogen by methanol reforming is an efficient and practical option to fuel PEMFC especially for vehicle propulsion purpose. The methanol reforming can take place at temperatures around 200°C with a nearly 100% conversion at a hydrogen yield of about 400 L–(h–kg catalyst)-1...

Steam reforming of ethanol over Co3O4–Fe2O3 mixed oxides

KAUST Repository

Abdelkader, A.; Daly, H.; Saih, Y.; Morgan, K.; Mohamed, M.A.; Halawy, S.A.; Hardacre, C.

2013-01-01

solvent/dispersing agent. The catalysts were studied in the steam reforming of ethanol to investigate the effect of the partial substitution of Co3O4 with Fe2O 3 on the catalytic behaviour. The reforming activity over Fe 2O3, while initially high

Cotton Trade Liberalizations and Domestic Agricultural Policy Reforms: A Partial Equilibrium Analysis

OpenAIRE

Pan, Suwen; Fadiga, Mohamadou L.; Mohanty, Samarendu; Welch, Mark

2006-01-01

This paper analyzed the effects of trade liberalizing reforms in the world cotton market using a partial equilibrium model. The simulation results indicated that a removal of domestic subsidies and border tariffs for cotton would increase the amount of world cotton trade by an average of 4% in the next five years and world cotton prices by an average of 12% over the same time horizon. The findings indicated that under the liberalization policy, the United States would lose part of its export ...

Electrode Design for Low Temperature Direct-Hydrocarbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fanglin (Inventor); Zhao, Fei (Inventor); Liu, Qiang (Inventor)

2015-01-01

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a solid oxide fuel cell is described. The solid oxide fuel cell includes a hierarchically porous cathode support having an impregnated cobaltite cathode deposited thereon, an electrolyte, and an anode support. The anode support includes hydrocarbon oxidation catalyst deposited thereon, wherein the cathode support, electrolyte, and anode support are joined together and wherein the solid oxide fuel cell operates a temperature of 600.degree. C. or less.

Electrode design for low temperature direct-hydrocarbon solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fanglin; Zhao, Fei; Liu, Qiang

2015-10-06

In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a solid oxide fuel cell is described. The solid oxide fuel cell includes a hierarchically porous cathode support having an impregnated cobaltite cathode deposited thereon, an electrolyte, and an anode support. The anode support includes hydrocarbon oxidation catalyst deposited thereon, wherein the cathode support, electrolyte, and anode support are joined together and wherein the solid oxide fuel cell operates a temperature of 600.degree. C. or less.

Alumina- and titania-based monolithic catalysts for low temperature selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanco, J.; Avila, P.; Suarez, S.; Martin, J.A.; Knapp, C.

2000-01-01

The selective catalytic reduction of NO+NO 2 (NO x ) at low temperature (180-230C) with ammonia has been investigated with copper-nickel and vanadium oxides supported on titania and alumina monoliths. The influence of the operating temperature, as well as NH 3 /NO x and NO/NO 2 inlet ratios has been studied. High NO x conversions were obtained at operating conditions similar to those used in industrial scale units with all the catalysts. Reaction temperature, ammonia and nitrogen dioxide inlet concentration increased the N 2 O formation with the copper-nickel catalysts, while no increase was observed with the vanadium catalysts. The vanadium-titania catalyst exhibited the highest DeNO x activity, with no detectable ammonia slip and a low N 2 O formation when NH 3 /NO x inlet ratio was kept below 0.8. TPR results of this catalyst with NO/NH 3 /O 2 , NO 2 /NH 3 /O 2 and NO/NO 2 /NH 3 /O 2 feed mixtures indicated that the presence of NO 2 as the only nitrogen oxide increases the quantity of adsorbed species, which seem to be responsible for N 2 O formation. When NO was also present, N 2 O formation was not observed

High-temperature oxidation of Zircaloy in hydrogen-steam mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, H.M.; Thomas, G.R.

1982-09-01

Oxidation rates of Zircaloy-4 cladding tubes have been measured in hydrogen-steam mixtures at 1200 to 1700 0 C. For a given isothermal oxidation temperature, the oxide layer thicknesses have been measured as a function of time, steam supply rate, and hydrogen overpressure. The oxidation rates in the mixtures were compared with similar data obtained in pure steam and helium-steam environments under otherwise identical conditions. The rates in pure steam and helium-steam mixtures were equivalent and comparable to the parabolic rates obtained under steam-saturated conditions and reported in the literature. However, when the helium was replaced with hydrogen of equivalent partial pressure, a significantly smaller oxidation rate was observed. For high steam-supply rates, the oxidation kinetics in a hydrogen-steam mixture were parabolic, but the rate was smaller than for pure steam or helium-steam mixtures. Under otherwise identical conditions, the ratio of the parabolic rate for hydrogen-steam to that for pure steam decreased with increasing temperature and decreasing steam-supply rate

Steam reforming of ethanol over Co3O4–Fe2O3 mixed oxides

KAUST Repository

Abdelkader, A.

2013-05-03

Co3O4, Fe2O3 and a mixture of the two oxides Co-Fe (molar ratio of Co3O4/Fe 2O3 = 0.67 and atomic ratio of Co/Fe = 1) were prepared by the calcination of cobalt oxalate and/or iron oxalate salts at 500 C for 2 h in static air using water as a solvent/dispersing agent. The catalysts were studied in the steam reforming of ethanol to investigate the effect of the partial substitution of Co3O4 with Fe2O 3 on the catalytic behaviour. The reforming activity over Fe 2O3, while initially high, underwent fast deactivation. In comparison, over the Co-Fe catalyst both the H2 yield and stability were higher than that found over the pure Co3O4 or Fe 2O3 catalysts. DRIFTS-MS studies under the reaction feed highlighted that the Co-Fe catalyst had increased amounts of adsorbed OH/water; similar to Fe2O3. Increasing the amount of reactive species (water/OH species) adsorbed on the Co-Fe catalyst surface is proposed to facilitate the steam reforming reaction rather than decomposition reactions reducing by-product formation and providing a higher H2 yield. © Copyright © 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural analysis of nickel doped cerium oxide catalysts for fuel reforming in solid oxide fuel cells

Science.gov (United States)

Cavendish, Rio

As world energy demands increase, research into more efficient energy production methods has become imperative. Heterogeneous catalysis and nanoscience are used to promote chemical transformations important for energy production. These concepts are important in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) which have attracted attention because of their potential to provide an efficient and environmentally favorable power generation system. The SOFC is also fuel-flexible with the ability to run directly on many fuels other than hydrogen. Internal fuel reforming directly in the anode of the SOFC would greatly reduce the cost and complexity of the device. Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon and a main component in natural gas, making it useful when testing catalysts on the laboratory scale. Nickel (Ni) and gadolinium (Gd) doped ceria (CeO 2) catalysts for potential use in the SOFC anode were synthesized with a spray drying method and tested for catalytic performance using partial oxidation of methane and steam reforming. The relationships between catalytic performance and structure were then investigated using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and environmental transmission electron microscopy. The possibility of solid solutions, segregated phases, and surface layers of Ni were explored. Results for a 10 at.% Ni in CeO2 catalyst reveal a poor catalytic behavior while a 20 at.% Ni in CeO2 catalyst is shown to have superior activity. The inclusion of both 10 at.% Gd and 10 at.% Ni in CeO2 enhances the catalytic performance. Analysis of the presence of Ni in all 3 samples reveals Ni heterogeneity and little evidence for extensive solid solution doping. Ni is found in small domains throughout CeO2 particles. In the 20 at.% Ni sample a segregated, catalytically active NiO phase is observed. Overall, it is found that significant interaction between Ni and CeO2 occurs that could affect the synthesis and functionality of the SOFC anode.

Facile, low temperature synthesis of SnO_2/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou, Chau-Chung; Brahma, Sanjaya; Weng, Shao-Chieh; Chang, Chia-Chin; Huang, Jow-Lay

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Facile, one-pot, low temperature synthesis of SnO_2-RGO composite. • In-situ reduction of graphene oxide and growth of SnO_2 nanoparticle. • Concentration of reductant during synthesis affects the properties significantly. • SnO_2-RGO composite shows good rate capability and stable capacitance. • Synthesis method is energy efficient and scalable for other metal oxides. - Abstract: We demonstrate a facile, single step, low temperature and energy efficient strategy for the synthesis of SnO_2-reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite where the crystallization of SnO_2 nanoparticles and the reduction of graphene oxide takes place simultaneously by an in situ chemical reduction process. The electrochemical property of the SnO_2-RGO composite prepared by using low concentrations of reducing agent shows better Li storage performance, good rate capability (378 mAh g"−"1 at 3200 mA g"−"1) and stable capacitance (522 mAh g"−"1 after 50 cycles). Increasing the reductant concentration lead to crystallization of high concentration of SnO_2 nanoparticle aggregation and degrade the Li ion storage property.

Low temperature oxidation of hydrocarbons using an electrochemical reactor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ippolito, Davide

conversion was a complex function of multiple variables: the microstructure of the backbone, the polarization resistance of the electrodes, both at OCV and under polarization, the electrical and morphological properties of the infiltrated material and the specific reaction conditions like the propene......This study investigated the use of a ceramic porous electrochemical reactor for the deep oxidation of propene. Two electrode composites, La0.85Sr0.15MnO3±d/Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (LSM/CGO) and La0.85Sr0.15FeMnO3/Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (LSF/CGO), were produced in a 5 single cells stacked configuration and used...... prolonged polarization was able to partially counteract the instability of the infiltrated Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95. This project demonstrated the possibility to enhance the oxidation of propene by polarization in a porous ceramic reactor. The infiltration of different active materials helped to increase...

Steam Reforming of Low-Level Mixed Waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1998-01-01

Under DOE Contract No. DE-AR21-95MC32091, Steam Reforming of Low-Level Mixed Waste, ThermoChem has successfully designed, fabricated and operated a nominal 90 pound per hour Process Development Unit (PDU) on various low-level mixed waste surrogates. The design construction, and testing of the PDU as well as performance and economic projections for a 500- lb/hr demonstration and commercial system are described. The overall system offers an environmentally safe, non-incinerating, cost-effective, and publicly acceptable method of processing LLMW. The steam-reforming technology was ranked the No. 1 non-incineration technology for destruction of hazardous organic wastes in a study commissioned by the Mixed Waste Focus Area published April 1997.1 The ThermoChem steam-reforming system has been developed over the last 13 years culminating in this successful test campaign on LLMW surrogates. Six surrogates were successfidly tested including a 750-hour test on material simulating a PCB- and Uranium- contaminated solid waste found at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The test results indicated essentially total (>99.9999oA) destruction of RCRA and TSCA hazardous halogenated organics, significant levels of volume reduction (> 400 to 1), and retention of radlonuclides in the volume-reduced solids. Cost studies have shown the steam-reforming system to be very cost competitive with more conventional and other emerging technologies.

A case study of different configurations for the performance analysis of solid oxide fuel cells with external reformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kang Hun; Woo, Hyun Tak; Yu, Sang Seok; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Young Duk; Kang, Sang Gyu; Ahn, Kook Young

2012-01-01

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) is studied in its application in a high temperature stationary power plant. Even though PSOFCs with external reformers are designed for application from the distributed power source to the central power plant, such PSOFCs may sacrifice more system efficiency than internally reformed SOFCs. In this study, modeling of the PSOFC with an external reformer was developed to analyze the feasibility of thermal energy utilization for the external reformer. The PSOFC system model includes the stack, reformer, burner, heat exchanger, blower, pump, PID controller, 3-way valve, reactor, mixer, and steam separator. The model was developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment with Thermolib'R'modules. The model was used to study the system performance according to its configuration. Three configurations of the SOFC system were selected for the comparison of the system performance. The system configuration considered the cathode recirculation, thermal sources for the external reformer, heat up of operating gases, and condensate anode off gas for the enhancement of the fuel concentration. The simulation results show that the magnitude of the electric efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 2 is 12.13% higher than that for Case 1 (reference case), and the thermal efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 3 is 76.12%, which is the highest of all the cases investigated

Enhanced low-temperature oxidation of zirconium alloys under irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cox, B.; Fidleris, V.

1989-01-01

The linear growth of relatively thick (>300 nm) interference-colored oxide films on zirconium alloy specimens exposed in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) coolant at ≤55 o C was unexpected. Initial ideas were that this was a photoconduction effect. Experiments to study photoconduction in thin anodic zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) films in the laboratory were initiated to provide background data. It was found that, in the laboratory, provided a high electric field was maintained across the oxide during ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, enhanced growth of oxide occurred in the irradiated area. Similarly enhanced growth could be obtained on thin thermally formed oxide films that were immersed in an electrolyte with a high electric field superimposed. This enhanced growth was found to be caused by the development of porosity in the barrier oxide layer by an enhanced local dissolution and reprecipitation process during UV irradiation. Similar porosity was observed in the oxide films on the ATR specimens. Since it is not thought that a high electric field could have been present in this instance, localized dissolution of fast-neutron primary recoil tracks may be the operative mechanism. In all instances, the specimens attempt to maintain the normal barrier-layer oxide thickness, which causes the additional oxide growth. Similar mechanisms may have operated during the formation of thick loosely adherent, porous oxides in homogeneous reactor solutions under irradiation, and may be the cause of enhanced oxidation of zirconium alloys in high-temperature water-cooled reactors in some water chemistries. (author)

Low-Temperature Preparation of Tungsten Oxide Anode Buffer Layer via Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis Method for Large-Area Organic Solar Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Ran; Zheng, Ding; Zhou, Chang; Cheng, Jiang; Yu, Junsheng; Li, Lu

2017-07-18

Tungsten oxide (WO₃) is prepared by a low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method in air atmosphere, and it is used as an anode buffer layer (ABL) for organic solar cells (OSCs). The properties of the WO₃ transition metal oxide material as well as the mechanism of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis processes are investigated. The results show that the ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO₃ ABL exhibits low roughness, matched energy level, and high conductivity, which results in high charge transport efficiency and suppressive recombination in OSCs. As a result, compared to the OSCs based on vacuum thermal evaporated WO₃, a higher power conversion efficiency of 3.63% is reached with low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO₃ ABL. Furthermore, the mostly spray-coated OSCs with large area was fabricated, which has a power conversion efficiency of ~1%. This work significantly enhances our understanding of the preparation and application of low temperature-processed WO₃, and highlights the potential of large area, all spray coated OSCs for sustainable commercial fabrication.

Catalytic conversion of methane: Carbon dioxide reforming and oxidative coupling

KAUST Repository

Takanabe, Kazuhiro

2012-01-01

Natural gas conversion remains one of the essential technologies for current energy needs. This review focuses on the mechanistic aspects of the development of efficient and durable catalysts for two reactions, carbon dioxide reforming and the oxidative coupling of methane. These two reactions have tremendous technological significance for practical application in industry. An understanding of the fundamental aspects and reaction mechanisms of the catalytic reactions reviewed in this study would support the design of industrial catalysts. CO 2 reforming of methane utilizes CO 2, which is often stored in large quantities, to convert as a reactant. Strategies to eliminate carbon deposition, which is the major problem associated with this reaction, are discussed. The oxidative coupling of methane directly produces ethylene in one reactor through a slightly exothermic reaction, potentially minimizing the capital cost of the natural gas conversion process. The focus of discussion in this review will be on the attainable yield of C 2 products by rigorous kinetic analyses.

Oxidation of PCEA nuclear graphite by low water concentrations in helium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Contescu, Cristian I., E-mail: ContescuCI@ornl.gov [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6087 (United States); Mee, Robert W. [Department of Business Analytics and Statistics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0525 (United States); Wang, Peng [Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6087 (United States); Romanova, Anna V.; Burchell, Timothy D. [Department of Business Analytics and Statistics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-0525 (United States)

2014-10-15

Accelerated oxidation tests were performed to determine kinetic parameters of the chronic oxidation reaction (i.e. slow, continuous, and persistent) of PCEA graphite in contact with helium coolant containing low moisture concentrations in high temperature gas-cooled reactors. To the authors’ knowledge such a study has not been done since the detailed analysis of reaction of H-451 graphite with steam (Velasquez, Hightower, Burnette, 1978). Since that H-451 graphite is now unavailable, it is urgently needed to characterize chronic oxidation behavior of new graphite grades that are being considered for use in gas-cooled reactors. The Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism of carbon oxidation by water results in a non-linear reaction rate expression, with at least six different parameters. They were determined in accelerated oxidation experiments that covered a large range of temperatures (800–1100 °C), and partial pressures of water (15–850 Pa) and hydrogen (30–150 Pa) and used graphite specimens thin enough (4 mm) in order to avoid diffusion effects. Data analysis employed a statistical method based on multiple likelihood estimation of parameters and simultaneous fitting of non-linear equations. The results show significant material-specific differences between graphite grades PCEA and H-451 which were attributed to microstructural dissimilarity between the two materials. It is concluded that kinetic data cannot be transferred from one graphite grade to another.

Thermodynamic Study on the Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane to Syngas

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

XUJian; WEIWeisheng; 等

2002-01-01

The catalytic partial oxidation of methane to syngas (CO+H2) has been simulated thermodynamically with the advanced process simulator PRO/Ⅱ. The influences of temperature,pressure,CH4/O2 ratio and steam addition in feed gas on the conversion of CH4 selectively to syngas and heat duty required were investigated, and their effects on carbon formation were also discussed. The simulation results were in good agreement with the literature data taken from a spouted bed reactor.

Pressure of a partially ionized hydrogen gas: numerical results from exact low temperature expansions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alastuey, A. [Laboratoire de Physique, ENS Lyon, CNRS, Lyon (France); Ballenegger, V. [Institut UTINAM, Universite de Franche-Comte, CNRS, Besancon (France)

2010-01-15

We consider a partially ionized hydrogen gas at low densities, where it reduces almost to an ideal mixture made with hydrogen atoms in their ground-state, ionized protons and ionized electrons. By performing systematic low-temperature expansions within the physical picture, in which the system is described as a quantum electron-proton plasma interacting via the Coulomb potential, exact formulae for the first.ve leading corrections to the ideal Saha equation of state have been derived[A. Alastuey, V. Ballenegger et al., J. Stat. Phys. 130, 1119 (2008)]. Those corrections account for all effects of interactions and thermal excitations up to order exp(E{sub H} /kT) included, where E{sub H} {approx_equal} -13.6 eV is the ground state energy of the hydrogen atom. Among the.ve leading corrections, three are easy to evaluate, while the remaining ones involve suitably truncated internal partition functions of H{sub 2} molecules and H{sup -} and H{sub 2}{sup +} ions, for which no analytical formulae are available in closed form. We estimate those partitions functions at.nite temperature via a simple phenomenology based on known values of rotational and vibrational energies. This allows us to compute numerically the leading deviations to the Saha pressure along several isotherms and isochores. Our values are compared with those of the OPAL tables (for pure hydrogen) calculated within the ACTEX method (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Low Temperature Processed Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Device by Oxidation Effect from Capping Layer

KAUST Repository

Wang, Zhenwei; Al-Jawhari, Hala A.; Nayak, Pradipta K.; Caraveo-Frescas, J. A.; Wei, Nini; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2015-01-01

, which is significantly lower than the temperature generally required to form tin dioxide. Based on this approach, CMOS inverters based entirely on tin oxide TFTs were fabricated. Our method provides a solution to lower the process temperature for tin

Transparent conductive zinc-oxide-based films grown at low temperature by mist chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirahata, Takahiro; Kawaharamura, Toshiyuki; Fujita, Shizuo; Orita, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

Atmospheric pressure mist chemical vapor deposition (Mist–CVD) systems have been developed to grow zinc-oxide-based (ZnO-based) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films. Low-resistive aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) TCOs, showing resistivity of the order on 10"−"4 Ωcm, previously were grown using a safe source material zinc acetate [Zn(ac)_2], at a growth temperature as high as 500 °C. To grow superior TCOs at lower temperatures, we proposed the addition of NH_3 to accelerate the reaction of acetylacetonate compounds. As the result, we could grow gallium-doped ZnO (GZO) TCOs with a resistivity of 2.7 × 10"−"3 Ω cm and transmittance higher than 90% at 300 °C by using zinc acetylacetonate [Zn(acac)_2] as the Zn source. To grow boron-doped ZnO (BZO) TCOs at a lower growth temperature of 200 °C, we used boron doping along with a toluene solution of diethylzinc (DEZ), that maintained high reactivity without being flammable. These BZO TCOs showed a resistivity of 1.5 × 10"−"3 Ω cm and transmittance higher than 90%, despite the use of a non-vacuum-based open-air technology. - Highlights: • Introduction of Mist–CVD as a non-vacuum-based, safe, and cost-effective growth technology • Process evolution of the growth technology to lower the growth temperature. • Achievement of low resistive ZnO films at 200oC.

Transparent conductive zinc-oxide-based films grown at low temperature by mist chemical vapor deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shirahata, Takahiro [New Energy and Environmental Business Division, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation, Kobe International Business Center (KIBC) 509, 5-5-2 Minatojima-Minami, Chuo-Ku, Kobe 650-0047 (Japan); Kawaharamura, Toshiyuki [Research Institute, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Kochi 780-8502 (Japan); School of Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Kochi 780-8502 (Japan); Fujita, Shizuo, E-mail: fujitasz@kuee.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Photonics and Electronics Science and Engineering Center, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8520 (Japan); Orita, Hiroyuki [New Energy and Environmental Business Division, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation, Kobe International Business Center (KIBC) 509, 5-5-2 Minatojima-Minami, Chuo-Ku, Kobe 650-0047 (Japan)

2015-12-31

Atmospheric pressure mist chemical vapor deposition (Mist–CVD) systems have been developed to grow zinc-oxide-based (ZnO-based) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) films. Low-resistive aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) TCOs, showing resistivity of the order on 10{sup −4} Ωcm, previously were grown using a safe source material zinc acetate [Zn(ac){sub 2}], at a growth temperature as high as 500 °C. To grow superior TCOs at lower temperatures, we proposed the addition of NH{sub 3} to accelerate the reaction of acetylacetonate compounds. As the result, we could grow gallium-doped ZnO (GZO) TCOs with a resistivity of 2.7 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm and transmittance higher than 90% at 300 °C by using zinc acetylacetonate [Zn(acac){sub 2}] as the Zn source. To grow boron-doped ZnO (BZO) TCOs at a lower growth temperature of 200 °C, we used boron doping along with a toluene solution of diethylzinc (DEZ), that maintained high reactivity without being flammable. These BZO TCOs showed a resistivity of 1.5 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm and transmittance higher than 90%, despite the use of a non-vacuum-based open-air technology. - Highlights: • Introduction of Mist–CVD as a non-vacuum-based, safe, and cost-effective growth technology • Process evolution of the growth technology to lower the growth temperature. • Achievement of low resistive ZnO films at 200oC.

High temperature oxidation behaviour of nanostructured cermet coatings in a mixed CO2 – O2 environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrokhzad, M A; Khan, T I

2014-01-01

Nanostructured ceramic-metallic (cermet) coatings composed of nanosized ceramic particles (α-Al 2 O3 and TiO 2 ) dispersed in a nickel matrix were co-electrodeposited and then oxidized at 500°C, 600°C and 700°C in a mixed gas using a Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA) apparatus. The mixed gas was composed of 15% CO 2 , 10% O 2 and 75% N 2 . This research investigates the effects of CO 2 and O 2 partial pressures on time-depended oxidation rates for coatings and compared them to the results from atmospheric oxidation under similar temperatures. The increase in partial pressure of oxygen due to the presence of CO 2 at each tested temperature was calculated and correlated to the oxidation rate of the coatings. The results showed that the presence of CO 2 in the system increased the oxidation rate of cermet coatings when compared to atmospheric oxidation at the same temperature. It was also shown that the increase in the oxidation rate is not the result of CO2 acting as the primary oxidant but as a secondary oxidant which results in an increase of the total partial pressure of oxygen and consequently higher oxidation rates. The WDS and XRD analyses results showed that the presence of nanosized TiO 2 particles in a nickel matrix can improve oxidation behaviour of the coatings by formation of Ni-Ti compounds on oxidizing surface of the coating which was found beneficiary in reducing the oxidation rates for cermet coatings

Proton and oxide ion conductivity of doped LaScO3

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lybye, D.; Bonanos, N.

1999-01-01

. At temperatures below 800 degrees C and low partial pressure of oxygen, proton conduction was dominant. Above this temperature, the ionic conductivity is dominated by oxide ion transport. The protonic transport number was estimated from the conductivities measured in dry and in water-moisturised gas. An isotope......The conductivity of La0.9Sr0.1Sc0.9Mg0.1O3 has been studied by impedance spectroscopy in controlled atmospheres. The material was found to be a mixed conductor with p-type conduction at high oxygen partial pressures and a combined proton and oxide ion conductor at low oxygen partial pressures...

Modeling low-dose-rate effects in irradiated bipolar-base oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graves, R.J.; Cirba, C.R.; Schrimpf, R.D.; Milanowski, R.J.; Saigne, F.; Michez, A.; Fleetwood, D.M.; Witczak, S.C.

1997-02-01

A physical model is developed to quantify the contribution of oxide-trapped charge to enhanced low-dose-rate gain degradation in BJTs. Simulations show that space charge limited transport is partially responsible for the low-dose-rate enhancement

Low temperature high density plasma nitriding of stainless steel molds for stamping of oxide glasses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aizawa Tatsuhiko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Various kinds of stainless steels have been widely utilized as a die for mold- and direct-stamping processes of optical oxide glasses. Since they suffered from high temperature transients and thermal cycles in practice, they must be surface-treated by dry and wet coatings, or, by plasma nitriding. Martensitic stainless steel mold was first wet plated by the nickel phosphate (NiP, which was unstable at the high temperature stamping condition; and, was easy to crystalize or to fracture by itself. This issue of nuisance significantly lowered the productivity in fabrication of optical oxide-glass elements. In the present paper, the stainless steel mold was surface-treated by the low-temperature plasma nitriding. The nitrided layer by this surface modification had higher nitrogen solute content than 4 mass%; the maximum solid-solubility of nitrogen is usually 0.1 mass% in the equilibrium phase diagram. Owing to this solid-solution with high nitrogen concentration, the nitrided layer had high hardness over 1400 HV within its thickness of 50 μm without any formation of nitrides after plasma nitriding at 693 K for 14.4 ks. This plasma-nitrided mold was utilized for mold-stamping of two colored oxide glass plates at 833 K; these plates were successfully deformed and joined into a single glass plate by this stamping without adhesion or galling of oxide glasses onto the nitrided mold surface.

High Temperature Strength of Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Aluminium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clauer, A.H.; Hansen, Niels

1984-01-01

constant (except for the material with the lowest oxide content). The high temperature values of the modulus-corrected yield stresses are approximately two-thirds of the low temperature value. During high temperature creep, there is a definite indication of a threshold stress. This threshold stress......The tensile flow stress of coarse-grained dispersion strengthened Al-Al2O3 materials were measured as a function of temperature (77–873 K) and volume fraction (0.19-0.92 vol.%) of aluminium oxide. For the same material, the creep strength was determined as a function of temperature in the range 573......–873 K. The modulus-corrected yield stress (0.01 offset) is found to be temperature independent at low temperature (195–472 K). Between 473 and 573 K, the yield stress starts to decrease with increasing temperature. At high temperatures (573–873 K), the modulus-corrected yield stress is approximately...

Hydrogen production by enhanced-sorption chemical looping steam reforming of glycerol in moving-bed reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dou, Binlin; Song, Yongchen; Wang, Chao; Chen, Haisheng; Yang, Mingjun; Xu, Yujie

2014-01-01

Highlights: • New approach on continuous high-purity H 2 produced auto-thermally with long time. • Low-cost NiO/NiAl 2 O 4 exhibited high redox performance to H 2 from glycerol. • Oxidation, steam reforming, WSG and CO 2 capture were combined into a reactor. • H 2 purity of above 90% was produced without heating at 1.5–3.0 S/C and 500–600 °C. • Sorbent regeneration and catalyst oxidization achieved simultaneously in a reactor. - Abstract: The continuous high-purity hydrogen production by the enhanced-sorption chemical looping steam reforming of glycerol based on redox reactions integrated with in situ CO 2 removal has been experimentally studied. The process was carried out by a flow of catalyst and sorbent mixture using two moving-bed reactors. Various unit operations including oxidation, steam reforming, water gas shrift reaction and CO 2 removal were combined into a single reactor for hydrogen production in an overall economic and efficient process. The low-cost NiO/NiAl 2 O 4 catalyst efficiently converted glycerol and steam to H 2 by redox reactions and the CO 2 produced in the process was simultaneously removed by CaO sorbent. The best results with an enriched hydrogen product of above 90% in auto-thermal operation for reforming reactor were achieved at initial temperatures of 500–600 °C and ratios of steam to carbon (S/C) of 1.5–3.0. The results indicated also that not all of NiO in the catalyst can be reduced to Ni by the reaction with glycerol, and the reduced Ni can be oxidized to NiO by air at 900 °C. The catalyst oxidization and sorbent regeneration were achieved under the same conditions in air reactor

Biological degradation of partially oxidated constituents of stabilized sapropel; Biologischer Abbau teiloxidierter Inhaltsstoffe stabilisierter Faulschlaemme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scheminski, A.; Krull, R.; Hempel, D.C. [Technische Univ. Braunschweig (Germany). Inst. fuer Bioverfahrenstechnik

1999-07-01

Partial oxidation of sapropel with ozone destroys the cell walls of microorganisms in sludge and releases the cell constituents. Substances that are not biologically degraded because of the size or structure of their molecules are transformed into smaller, water-soluble and biologically degradable fractions by the reaction with ozone. The experiments aim to render the partially oxidated sewage sludge constituents highly biologically degradable using a minimum of oxidation agents. For the experiments described, stabilized sapropels with low biological activity are used. Hence the ozone is mainly used for the partial oxidation of recalcitrant constituents. (orig.) [German] Durch partielle Oxidation von Faulschlaemmen mit Ozon werden die Zellwaende der Mikroorganismen im Schlamm zerstoert und die Zellinhaltsstoffe freigesetzt. Dabei werden Substanzen, die aufgrund ihrer Molekuelgroesse oder -struktur biologisch nicht abgebaut werden, durch die Reaktion mit Ozon in kleinere, wasserloesliche und biologisch abbaubare Bruchstuecke ueberfuehrt. Ziel der Versuche ist es, durch den Einsatz moeglichst geringer Mengen an Oxidationsmitteln eine hohe biologische Abbaubarkeit der teiloxidierten Klaerschlamminhaltsstoffe zu erreichen. Fuer die hier vorgestellten Experimente wurden stabilisierte Faulschlaemme mit geringer biologischer Aktivitaet eingesetzt. Dadurch wird das Ozon vorwiegend zur Teiloxidation recalcitranter Inhaltsstoffe genutzt. (orig.)

Printed indium gallium zinc oxide transistors. Self-assembled nanodielectric effects on low-temperature combustion growth and carrier mobility.

Science.gov (United States)

Everaerts, Ken; Zeng, Li; Hennek, Jonathan W; Camacho, Diana I; Jariwala, Deep; Bedzyk, Michael J; Hersam, Mark C; Marks, Tobin J

2013-11-27

Solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOSs) are emerging as important electronic materials for displays and transparent electronics. We report here on the fabrication, microstructure, and performance characteristics of inkjet-printed, low-temperature combustion-processed, amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) grown on solution-processed hafnia self-assembled nanodielectrics (Hf-SANDs). TFT performance for devices processed below 300 °C includes >4× enhancement in electron mobility (μFE) on Hf-SAND versus SiO2 or ALD-HfO2 gate dielectrics, while other metrics such as subthreshold swing (SS), current on:off ratio (ION:IOFF), threshold voltage (Vth), and gate leakage current (Ig) are unchanged or enhanced. Thus, low voltage IGZO/SAND TFT operation (IGZO combustion processing leaves the underlying Hf-SAND microstructure and capacitance intact. This work establishes the compatibility and advantages of all-solution, low-temperature fabrication of inkjet-printed, combustion-derived high-mobility IGZO TFTs integrated with self-assembled hybrid organic-inorganic nanodielectrics.

Activation of surface lattice oxygen in single-atom Pt/CeO ₂ for low-temperature CO oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nie, Lei; Mei, Donghai; Xiong, Haifeng; Peng, Bo; Ren, Zhibo; Pereira Hernandez, Xavier I.; DelaRiva, Andrew; Wang, Meng; Engelhard, Mark H.; Kovarik, Libor; Datye, Abhaya K.; Wang, Yong

2017-12-14

While single-atom catalysts can provide high catalytic activity and selectivity, application in industrial catalysts demands long term performance and the ability to regenerate the catalysts. We have investigated the factors that lead to improved catalytic activity of a Pt/CeO2 catalyst for low temperature CO oxidation. Single-atom Pt/CeO2 becomes active for CO oxidation under lean condition only at elevated temperatures, because CO is strongly bound to ionic Pt sites. Reducing the catalyst, even under mild conditions, leads to onset of CO oxidation activity even at room temperature. This high activity state involves the transformation of mononuclear Pt species to sub-nanometer sized Pt particles. Under oxidizing conditions, the Pt can be restored to its stable, single-atom state. The key to facile regeneration is the ability to create mobile Pt species and suitable trapping sites on the support, making this a prototypical catalyst system for industrial application of single-atom catalysis.

Modeling of termokinetic oscillations at partial oxidation of methane

Science.gov (United States)

Arutyunov, A. V.; Belyaev, A. A.; Inovenkov, I. N.; Nefedov, V. V.

2017-12-01

Partial oxidation of natural gas at moderate temperatures below 1500 K has significant interest for a number of industrial applications. But such processes can proceed at different unstable regimes including oscillating modes. Nonlinear phenomena at partial oxidation of methane were observed at different conditions. The investigation of the complex nonlinear system of equations that describes this process is a real method to insure its stability at industrial conditions and, at the same time, is an effective tool for its further enhancement. Numerical analysis of methane oxidation kinetics in the continuous stirred-tank reactor, with the use of detailed kinetic model has shown the possibility of the appearance of oscillating modes in the appropriate range of reaction parameters that characterize the composition, pressure, reagents flow, thermophysical features of the system, and geometry of the reactor. The appearance of oscillating modes is connected both with the reaction kinetics, heat release and sink and reagents introduction and removing. At that, oscillations appear only at a limited range of parameters, but can be accompanied by significant change in the yield of products. We have determined the range of initial temperature and pressure at which oscillations can be observed, if all other parameters remained fixed. The boundaries of existence of oscillations on the phase plane were calculated. It was shown that depending on the position inside the oscillation region the oscillations have different frequency and amplitude. It was reviled the role of heat exchange with the environment: at the absence of heat exchange the oscillating modes are impossible. In the vicinity of the boundary of phase range, where oscillations exist, significant change of concentration of some products were observed, for example, that of CO2, which in this case one of the principal products is. At that, insignificant increase in pressure not only change the character of CO2 behaving

Oscillatory Behavior during the Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane: Following Dynamic Structural Changes of Palladium Using the QEXAFS Technique

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stoetzel, Jan; Frahm, Ronald; Kimmerle, Bertram

2012-01-01

oxidation of methane, the catalyst reduced from the end to the beginning of the catalyst bed and oxidized again toward the end as soon as the entire catalyst bed was reduced. On an entirely oxidized catalyst bed, only total oxidation of methane was observed and consumed the oxygen until the conditions...... of the Pd particles at increasing age of the catalyst was observed, which leads to a lower oscillation frequency. Effects of particle size, oven temperature, and oxygen/methane ratio on the oscillation behavior were studied in detail. The deactivation period (reoxidation of Pd) was much less influenced...... by the oven temperature than the ignition behavior of the catalytic partial oxidation of methane. This indicates that deactivation is caused by an autoreduction of the palladium at the beginning of the catalyst bed due to the high temperature achieved by total oxidation of methane....

Free radical reaction characteristics of coal low-temperature oxidation and its inhibition method.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zenghua; Kong, Biao; Wei, Aizhu; Yang, Yongliang; Zhou, Yinbo; Zhang, Lanzhun

2016-12-01

Study on the mechanism of coal spontaneous combustion is significant for controlling fire disasters due to coal spontaneous combustion. The free radical reactions can explain the chemical process of coal at low-temperature oxidation. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy was used to measure the change rules of the different sorts and different granularity of coal directly; ESR spectroscopy chart of free radicals following the changes of temperatures was compared by the coal samples applying air and blowing nitrogen, original coal samples, dry coal samples, and demineralized coal samples. The fragmentation process was the key factor of producing and initiating free radical reactions. Oxygen, moisture, and mineral accelerated the free radical reactions. Combination of the free radical reaction mechanism, the mechanical fragmentation leaded to the elevated CO concentration, fracturing of coal pillar was more prone to spontaneous combustion, and spontaneous combustion in goaf accounted for a large proportion of the fire in the mine were explained. The method of added diphenylamine can inhibit the self-oxidation of coal effectively, the action mechanism of diphenylamine was analyzed by free radical chain reaction, and this research can offer new method for the development of new flame retardant.

Study on low temperature solid oxide fuel cells using Y Doped BaZrO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Ikw Hang; Ji, Sang Hoon; Paek, Jun Yeol; Lee, Yoon Ho; Park, Tae Hyun; Cha, Suk Won [Seoul Nat' l Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-15

In this study, we fabricate and investigate low temperature solid oxide fuel cells with a ceramic substrate/porous matal/ceramic/porous metal structure. To realize low temperature operation in solid oxide fuel cells, the membrane should be fabricated to have a thickness of the order of a few hundreds nanometers to minimize IR loss Yttrium doped barium zirconate (BYZ), a proton conductor, was used as the electrolyte. We deposited a 350nm thick Pt (anode) layer on a porous substrate by sputter deposition. We also deposited a 1{mu}m thick BYZ layer on the Pt anode using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Finally, we deposited a 200nm thick Pt (cathode) layer on the BYZ electrolyte by sputter deposition. The open circuit voltage (OCV) is 0.806V, and the maximum power density is 11.9mW/cm'2' at 350 .deg. C. Even though a fully dense electrolyte is deposited via PLD, a cross sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image reveals many voids and defects.

Monolithic Au/CeO2 nanorod framework catalyst prepared by dealloying for low-temperature CO oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaolong; Duan, Dong; Li, Guijing; Feng, Wenjie; Yang, Sen; Sun, Zhanbo

2018-03-01

Monolithic Au/CeO2 nanorod frameworks (NFs) with porous structure were prepared by dealloying melt-spun Al89.7Ce10Au0.3 ribbons. After calcination in O2, a 3D Au/CeO2 NF catalyst with large surface area was obtained and used for low-temperature CO oxidation. The small Au clusters/nanoparticles (NPs) were in situ supported and highly dispersed on the nanorod surface, creating many nanoscale contact interfaces. XPS results demonstrated that high-concentration oxygen vacancy and Au δ+/Au0 co-existed in the calcined sample. The Au/CeO2 nanorod catalyst calcined at 400 °C exhibited much higher catalytic activity for CO oxidation compared with the dealloyed sample and bare CeO2 nanorods. Moreover, its complete reaction temperature was as low as 91 °C. The designed Au/CeO2 NF catalyst not only possessed extreme sintering resistance but also exhibited high performance owing to the enhanced interaction between the Au clusters/NPs and CeO2 nanorod during calcination.

Partial oxidation process for producing a stream of hot purified gas

Science.gov (United States)

Leininger, T.F.; Robin, A.M.; Wolfenbarger, J.K.; Suggitt, R.M.

1995-03-28

A partial oxidation process is described for the production of a stream of hot clean gas substantially free from particulate matter, ammonia, alkali metal compounds, halides and sulfur-containing gas for use as synthesis gas, reducing gas, or fuel gas. A hydrocarbonaceous fuel comprising a solid carbonaceous fuel with or without liquid hydrocarbonaceous fuel or gaseous hydrocarbon fuel, wherein said hydrocarbonaceous fuel contains halides, alkali metal compounds, sulfur, nitrogen and inorganic ash containing components, is reacted in a gasifier by partial oxidation to produce a hot raw gas stream comprising H{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, CH{sub 4}, NH{sub 3}, HCl, HF, H{sub 2}S, COS, N{sub 2}, Ar, particulate matter, vapor phase alkali metal compounds, and molten slag. The hot raw gas stream from the gasifier is split into two streams which are separately deslagged, cleaned and recombined. Ammonia in the gas mixture is catalytically disproportionated into N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}. The ammonia-free gas stream is then cooled and halides in the gas stream are reacted with a supplementary alkali metal compound to remove HCl and HF. Alkali metal halides, vaporized alkali metal compounds and residual fine particulate matter are removed from the gas stream by further cooling and filtering. The sulfur-containing gases in the process gas stream are then reacted at high temperature with a regenerable sulfur-reactive mixed metal oxide sulfur sorbent material to produce a sulfided sorbent material which is then separated from the hot clean purified gas stream having a temperature of at least 1000 F. 1 figure.

High temperature oxidation behaviour of nanostructured cermet coatings in amixed CO/sub 2/ - O/sub 2/ environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrokhzad, M. A.; Khan, T. I.

2013-01-01

Nanostructured ceramic-metallic (cermet) coatings composed of nanosized ceramic particles (alpha-Al /sub 2/O/sub 3/ and TiO/sub 2/) dispersed in a nickel matrix were co-electrodeposited and then oxidized at 500 degree C, 600 degree C and 700 degree C in a mixed gas using a Thermo-gravimetric Analysis (TGA) apparatus. The mixed gas was composed of 15 percentage CO/sub 2/, 10 percentage O/sub 2/ and 75 percentage N/sub 2/. This research investigates the effects of CO/sub 2/ and O/sub 2/ partial pressures on time-depended oxidation rates for coatings and compared them to the results from atmospheric oxidation under similar temperatures. The increase in partial pressure of oxygen due to the presence of CO/sub 2/ at each tested temperature was calculated and correlated to the oxidation rate of the coatings. The results showed that the presence of CO/sub 2/ in the system increased the oxidation rate of cermet coatings when compared to atmospheric oxidation at the same temperature. It was also shown that the increase in the oxidation rate is not the result of CO/sub 2/ acting as the primary oxidant but as a secondary oxidant which results in an increase of the total partial pressure of oxygen and consequently higher oxidation rates. The WDS and XRD analyses results showed that the presence of nanosized TiO/sub 2/ particles in a nickel matrix can improve oxidation behaviour of the coatings by formation of Nu i-Tau i compounds on oxidizing surface of the coating which was found beneficiary in reducing the oxidation rates for cermet coatings. (author)

Electrical behavior of amide functionalized graphene oxide and graphene oxide films annealed at different temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rani, Sumita; Kumar, Mukesh; Kumar, Dinesh; Sharma, Sumit

2015-01-01

Films of graphene oxide (GO) and amide functionalized graphene oxides (AGOs) were deposited on SiO 2 /Si(100) by spin coating and were thermally annealed at different temperatures. Sheet resistance of GO and AGOs films was measured using four probe resistivity method. GO an insulator at room temperature, exhibits decrease in sheet resistance with increase in annealing temperature. However, AGOs' low sheet resistance (250.43 Ω) at room temperature further decreases to 39.26 Ω after annealing at 800 °C. It was observed that the sheet resistance of GO was more than AGOs up to 700 °C, but effect was reversed after annealing at higher temperature. At higher annealing temperatures the oxygen functionality reduces in GO and sheet resistance decreases. Sheet resistance was found to be annealing time dependent. Longer duration of annealing at a particular temperature results in decrease of sheet resistance. - Highlights: • Amide functionalized graphene oxides (AGOs) were synthesized at room temperature (RT). • AGO films have low sheet resistance at RT as compared to graphene oxide (GO). • Fast decrease in the sheet resistance of GO with annealing as compared to AGOs • AGOs were found to be highly dispersible in polar solvents

Facile, low temperature synthesis of SnO{sub 2}/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hou, Chau-Chung; Brahma, Sanjaya; Weng, Shao-Chieh [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70001, Taiwan, ROC (China); Chang, Chia-Chin [Department of Greenergy, National University of Tainan, Tainan 70005, Taiwan, ROC (China); Huang, Jow-Lay, E-mail: jlh888@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70001, Taiwan, ROC (China); Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 81148, Taiwan, ROC (China); Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan, ROC (China)

2017-08-15

Highlights: • Facile, one-pot, low temperature synthesis of SnO{sub 2}-RGO composite. • In-situ reduction of graphene oxide and growth of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticle. • Concentration of reductant during synthesis affects the properties significantly. • SnO{sub 2}-RGO composite shows good rate capability and stable capacitance. • Synthesis method is energy efficient and scalable for other metal oxides. - Abstract: We demonstrate a facile, single step, low temperature and energy efficient strategy for the synthesis of SnO{sub 2}-reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite where the crystallization of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticles and the reduction of graphene oxide takes place simultaneously by an in situ chemical reduction process. The electrochemical property of the SnO{sub 2}-RGO composite prepared by using low concentrations of reducing agent shows better Li storage performance, good rate capability (378 mAh g{sup −1} at 3200 mA g{sup −1}) and stable capacitance (522 mAh g{sup −1} after 50 cycles). Increasing the reductant concentration lead to crystallization of high concentration of SnO{sub 2} nanoparticle aggregation and degrade the Li ion storage property.

Low-Temperature Preparation of Tungsten Oxide Anode Buffer Layer via Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis Method for Large-Area Organic Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ran Ji

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Tungsten oxide (WO3 is prepared by a low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method in air atmosphere, and it is used as an anode buffer layer (ABL for organic solar cells (OSCs. The properties of the WO3 transition metal oxide material as well as the mechanism of ultrasonic spray pyrolysis processes are investigated. The results show that the ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO3 ABL exhibits low roughness, matched energy level, and high conductivity, which results in high charge transport efficiency and suppressive recombination in OSCs. As a result, compared to the OSCs based on vacuum thermal evaporated WO3, a higher power conversion efficiency of 3.63% is reached with low-temperature ultrasonic spray pyrolysized WO3 ABL. Furthermore, the mostly spray-coated OSCs with large area was fabricated, which has a power conversion efficiency of ~1%. This work significantly enhances our understanding of the preparation and application of low temperature-processed WO3, and highlights the potential of large area, all spray coated OSCs for sustainable commercial fabrication.

Computational Chemistry of Cyclopentane Low Temperature Oxidation

KAUST Repository

El Rachidi, Mariam; Zá dor, Judit; Sarathy, Mani

2015-01-01

reactions occurring during low-temperature cyclopentane combustion using theoretical chemical kinetics. The reaction pathways of the cyclopentyl + O2 adduct is traced to alkylhydroperoxide, cyclic ether, β-scission and HO2 elimination products. The calculations are carried out at the UCCSD(T)-F12b/cc-pVTZ-F12//M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The barrierless entrance channel is treated using variable-reaction-coordinate transition state theory (VRC-TST) at the CASPT2(7e,6o) level of theory, including basis set, geometry relaxation and ZPE corrections. 1-D time-dependent multiwell master equation analysis is used to determine pressure-and temperature-dependent rate parameters of all investigated reactions. Tunneling corrections are included using Eckart barriers. Comparison with cyclohexane is used to elucidate the effect of ring size on the low temperature reactivity of naphthenes. The rate coefficients reported herein are suitable for use in cyclopentane and methylcyclopentane combustion models, even below ~900 K, where ignition is particularly sensitive to these pressure-dependent values.

Effects of prior surface damage on high-temperature oxidation of Fe-, Ni-, and Co-based alloys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blau, Peter Julian [ORNL; Lowe, Tracie M [ORNL; Pint, Bruce A [ORNL

2009-01-01

Multi-component metallic alloys have been developed to withstand high-temperature service in corrosive environments. Some of these applications, like exhaust valve seats in internal combustion engines, must also resist sliding, impact, and abrasion. The conjoint effects of temperature, oxidation, and mechanical contact can result in accelerated wear and the formation of complex surface layers whose properties differ from those of the base metal and the oxide scale that forms in the absence of mechanical contact. The authors have investigated the effects of prior surface damage, produced by scratch tests, on the localized reformation of oxide layers. Three high-performance commercial alloys, based on iron, nickel, and cobalt, were used as model materials. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine their static oxidation rates at elevated temperature (850o C). A micro-abrasion, ball-cratering technique was used to measure oxide layer thickness and to compare it with TGA results. By using taper-sectioning techniques and energy-dispersive elemental mapping, a comparison was made between oxide compositions grown on non-damaged surfaces and oxides that formed on grooves produced by a diamond stylus. Microindentation and scratch hardness data revealed the effects of high temperature exposure on both the substrate hardness and the nature of oxide scale disruption. There were significant differences in elemental distribution between statically-formed oxides and those that formed on scratched regions

Platinum redispersion on metal oxides in low temperature fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripković, Vladimir; Cerri, Isotta; Nagami, Tetsuo; Bligaard, Thomas; Rossmeisl, Jan

2013-03-07

We have analyzed the aptitude of several metal oxide supports (TiO(2), SnO(2), NbO(2), ZrO(2), SiO(2), Ta(2)O(5) and Nb(2)O(5)) to redisperse platinum under electrochemical conditions pertinent to the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) cathode. The redispersion on oxide supports in air has been studied in detail; however, due to different operating conditions it is not straightforward to link the chemical and the electrochemical environment. The largest differences reflect in (1) the oxidation state of the surface (the oxygen species coverage), (2) temperature and (3) the possibility of platinum dissolution at high potentials and the interference of redispersion with normal working potential of the PEMFC cathode. We have calculated the PtO(x) (x = 0, 1, 2) adsorption energies on different metal oxides' surface terminations as well as inside the metal oxides' bulk, and we have concluded that NbO(2) might be a good support for platinum redispersion at PEMFC cathodes.

Review Of Plutonium Oxidation Literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korinko, P.

2009-01-01

A brief review of plutonium oxidation literature was conducted. The purpose of the review was to ascertain the effect of oxidation conditions on oxide morphology to support the design and operation of the PDCF direct metal oxidation (DMO) furnace. The interest in the review was due to a new furnace design that resulted in oxide characteristics that are different than those of the original furnace. Very little of the published literature is directly relevant to the DMO furnace operation, which makes assimilation of the literature data with operating conditions and data a convoluted task. The oxidation behavior can be distilled into three regimes, a low temperature regime (RT to 350 C) with a relatively slow oxidation rate that is influenced by moisture, a moderate temperature regime (350-450 C) that is temperature dependent and relies on more or less conventional oxidation growth of a partially protective oxide scale, and high temperature oxidation (> 500 C) where the metal autocatalytically combusts and oxidizes. The particle sizes obtained from these three regimes vary with the finest being from the lowest temperature. It is surmised that the slow growth rate permits significant stress levels to be achieved that help break up the oxides. The intermediate temperatures result in a fairly compact scale that is partially protective and that grows to critical thickness prior to fracturing. The growth rate in this regime may be parabolic or paralinear, depending on the oxidation time and consequently the oxide thickness. The high temperature oxidation is invariant in quiescent or nearly quiescent conditions due to gas blanketing while it accelerates with temperature under flowing conditions. The oxide morphology will generally consist of fine particles ( 250 (micro)m). The particle size ratio is expected to be < 5%, 25%, and 70% for fine, medium and large particles, respectively, for metal temperatures in the 500-600 C range.

Direct internal steam reforming of ethanol in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) - A thermodynamic analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lima da Silva, Aline; De Fraga Malfatti, Celia; Heck, Nestor Cesar; Melo Halmenschlager, Cibele

2003-01-01

Among the various types of fuel cells, the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has attracted considerable interest due to the possibility for operation with an internal reformer and higher system efficiency. In SOFC, high operative temperature allows the direct conversion of ethanol into H 2 and CO to take place in the electrochemical cell. Ethanol is considered to be an attractive fuel because it is a renewable energy source and presents some advantages over other green fuels such as safety in storage and handling. Direct internal reforming of ethanol, however, can produce undesirable products that diminish system efficiency and, in the case of carbon deposition over the anode, promote the growth of carbon filaments attached to the anode crystallites which generate massive forces within the electrode structure leading to its rapid breakdown. In this context, a thermodynamic analysis is fundamental to predict the product distribution as well as the conditions favorable for carbon to precipitate inside the cell. Despite of such importance, there are few works in literature dealing with thermodynamic analysis of the direct internal steam reforming of ethanol in fuel cell systems. Hence, the aim of this work is to find appropriate ranges for operating conditions where carbon deposition in SOFC with direct internal reforming operation is not feasible, in temperature range of 500- 1200K. The calculation here is more complicated than that for a reformer because the disappearance of hydrogen and the generation of H 2 O from electrochemical reaction must be taken into account. In the present study, the effects of hydrogen consumption on anode components and on carbon formation are investigated. Equilibrium determinations are performed by the Gibbs energy minimization method, considering the following species: H 2 , H 2 O, CH 4 , CO, CO 2 and C gr . (graphite). The effect of the type of solid electrolyte (oxygen-conducting and hydrogen-conducting) on carbon formation is also

Design of the steam reformer for the HTR-10 high temperature process heat application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ju Huaiming; Xu Yuanhui; Jia Haijun

2000-01-01

The 10 MW High Temperature Reactor Test Module (HTR-10) is being constructed now and planned to be operational in 2000. One of the objectives is to develop the high temperature process heat application. The methane steam reformer is one of the key-facilities for the nuclear process heat application system. The paper describes the conceptual design of the HTR-10 Steam Reformer with He heating, and the design optimization computer code. It can be used to perform sensitivity analysis for parameters, and to improve the design. Principal parameters and construction features of the HTR-10 reformer heated by He are introduced. (author)

Non-oxidative conversion of methane into higher hydrocarbons over ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

SOURABH MISHRA

2017-09-27

Sep 27, 2017 ... (Syn-gas, CO+H2) formation via steam reforming, dry reforming or partial oxidation of methane ... Micromeritics ASAP 2010 apparatus at liquid nitrogen tem- perature. Nitrogen (N2) was the adsorbate ... some runs were carried out in triplicate and mass balance for all the runs was measured. Runs with a ...

Low-temperature metal-oxide thin-film transistors formed by directly photopatternable and combustible solution synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rim, You Seung; Lim, Hyun Soo; Kim, Hyun Jae

2013-05-01

We investigated the formation of ultraviolet (UV)-assisted directly patternable solution-processed oxide semiconductor films and successfully fabricated thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on these films. An InGaZnO (IGZO) solution that was modified chemically with benzoylacetone (BzAc), whose chelate rings decomposed via a π-π* transition as result of UV irradiation, was used for the direct patterning. A TFT was fabricated using the directly patterned IGZO film, and it had better electrical characteristics than those of conventional photoresist (PR)-patterned TFTs. In addition, the nitric acid (HNO3) and acetylacetone (AcAc) modified In2O3 (NAc-In2O3) solution exhibited both strong UV absorption and high exothermic reaction. This method not only resulted in the formation of a low-energy path because of the combustion of the chemically modified metal-oxide solution but also allowed for photoreaction-induced direct patterning at low temperatures.

Hybrid plasma-catalytic reforming of ethanol aerosol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solomenko, O.V.; Nedybaliuk, O.A.; Chernyak, V.Ya.; Iukhymenko, V.V.; Veremii, Iu.P.; Iukhymenko, K.V.; Martysh, E.V.; Fedirchyk, I.I.; Demchina, V.P.; Levko, D.S.; Tsymbalyuk, O.M.; Liptuga, A.I.; Dragnev, S.V.

2015-01-01

Hybrid plasma-catalytic reforming of the ethanol aerosol with plasma activation of only the oxidant (air) was studied. Part of the oxidant (∼20%) was activated by means of rotational gliding arc with solid electrodes and injected into the reaction (pyrolytic) chamber as a plasma torch. This part of the oxidant interacted with a mixture of hydrocarbons and the rest of the oxidant (∼80%) in the reaction chamber. Temperature changes in the reaction chamber, the composition of the synthesis-gas and the products of synthesis-gas combustion were analyzed

Improvement of the electrochromic response of a low-temperature sintered dye-modified porous electrode using low-resistivity indium tin oxide nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Yuichi; Suemori, Kouji; Hoshino, Satoshi

2016-01-01

An indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticle-based porous electrode sintered at low temperatures was investigated as a transparent electrode for electrochromic displays (ECDs). The electrochromic (EC) response of the dye-modified ITO porous electrode sintered at 150 °C, which exhibited a generally low resistivity, was markedly superior to that of a conventional dye-modified TiO 2 porous electrode sintered at the same temperature. Moreover, the EC characteristics of the dye-modified ITO porous electrode sintered at 150 °C were better than those of the high-temperature (450 °C) sintered conventional dye-modified TiO 2 porous electrode. These improvements in the EC characteristics of the dye-modified ITO porous electrode are attributed to its lower resistivity than that of the TiO 2 porous electrodes. In addition to its sufficiently low resistivity attained under the sintering conditions required for flexible ECD applications, the ITO porous film had superior visible-light transparency and dye adsorption capabilities. We conclude that the process temperature, resistivity, optical transmittance, and dye adsorption capability of the ITO porous electrode make it a promising transparent porous electrode for flexible ECD applications.

Low temperature-pyrosol-deposition of aluminum-doped zinc oxide thin films for transparent conducting contacts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rivera, M.J. [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-360, Coyoacán, 04510 México, D.F. (Mexico); Ramírez, E.B. [Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, Calle Prolongación San Isidro Núm. 151, Col. San Lorenzo Tezonco, Iztapalapa, 09790 México, D.F. (Mexico); Juárez, B.; González, J.; García-León, J.M. [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-360, Coyoacán, 04510 México, D.F. (Mexico); Escobar-Alarcón, L. [Departamento de Física, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, Apdo. Postal 18-1027, México, D.F. 11801 (Mexico); Alonso, J.C., E-mail: alonso@unam.mx [Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-360, Coyoacán, 04510 México, D.F. (Mexico)

2016-04-30

Aluminum doped-zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin films with thickness ~ 1000 nm have been deposited by the ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique using low substrate temperatures in the range from 285 to 360 °C. The electrical and optical properties of the ZnO:Al (AZO) films were investigated by Uv–vis spectroscopy and Hall effect measurements. The crystallinity and morphology of the films were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and high resolution scanning electron microcopy (SEM). XRD results reveal that all the films are nanocrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferential orientation in the (002) plane. The size of the grains calculated from Scherrer's formula was in the range from 28 to 35 nm. AFM and SEM analysis reveals that the grains form round and hexagonal shaped aggregates at high deposition temperatures and larger rice shaped aggregates at low temperatures. All the films have a high optical transparency (~ 82%). According to the Hall measurements the AZO films deposited at 360 and 340 °C had resistivities of 2.2 × 10{sup −3}–4.3 × 10{sup −3} Ω cm, respectively. These films were n-type and had carrier concentrations and mobilities of 3.71–2.54 × 10{sup 20} cm{sup −3} and 7.4–5.7 cm{sup 2}/V s, respectively. The figure of merit of these films as transparent conductors was in the range of 2.6 × 10{sup −2} Ω{sup −1}–4.1 × 10{sup −2} Ω{sup −1}. Films deposited at 300 °C and 285 °C, had much higher resistivities. Based on the thermogravimetric analysis of the individual precursors used for film deposition, we speculate on possible film growing mechanisms that can explain the composition and electrical properties of films deposited under the two different ranges of temperatures. - Highlights: • Aluminum doped zinc oxide thin films were deposited at low temperatures by pyrosol. • Low resistivity was achieved from 340 °C substrate temperature. • All films deposited

Thermodynamic Analysis of an Integrated Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cycle with a Rankine Cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rokni, Masoud

2010-01-01

Hybrid systems consisting of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) on the top of a Steam Turbine (ST) are investigated. The plants are fired by natural gas (NG). A desulfurization reactor removes the sulfur content in the fuel while a pre-reformer breaks down the heavier hydrocarbons. The pre-treated fuel......% are achieved which is considerably higher than the conventional Combined Cycles (CC). Both ASR (Adiabatic Steam Reformer) and CPO (Catalytic Partial Oxidation) fuel pre-reformer reactors are considered in this investigation....

Heterogeneous Partial (ammOxidation and Oxidative Dehydrogenation Catalysis on Mixed Metal Oxides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacques C. Védrine

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an overview of heterogeneous partial (ammoxidation and oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH of hydrocarbons. The review has been voluntarily restricted to metal oxide-type catalysts, as the partial oxidation field is very broad and the number of catalysts is quite high. The main factors of solid catalysts for such reactions, designated by Grasselli as the “seven pillars”, and playing a determining role in catalytic properties, are considered to be, namely: isolation of active sites (known to be composed of ensembles of atoms, Me–O bond strength, crystalline structure, redox features, phase cooperation, multi-functionality and the nature of the surface oxygen species. Other important features and physical and chemical properties of solid catalysts, more or less related to the seven pillars, are also emphasized, including reaction sensitivity to metal oxide structure, epitaxial contact between an active phase and a second phase or its support, synergy effect between several phases, acid-base aspects, electron transfer ability, catalyst preparation and activation and reaction atmospheres, etc. Some examples are presented to illustrate the importance of these key factors. They include light alkanes (C1–C4 oxidation, ethane oxidation to ethylene and acetic acid on MoVTe(SbNb-O and Nb doped NiO, propene oxidation to acrolein on BiMoCoFe-O systems, propane (ammoxidation to (acrylonitrile acrylic acid on MoVTe(SbNb-O mixed oxides, butane oxidation to maleic anhydride on VPO: (VO2P2O7-based catalyst, and isobutyric acid ODH to methacrylic acid on Fe hydroxyl phosphates. It is shown that active sites are composed of ensembles of atoms whose size and chemical composition depend on the reactants to be transformed (their chemical and size features and the reaction mechanism, often of Mars and van Krevelen type. An important aspect is the fact that surface composition and surface crystalline structure vary with reaction on stream until

Bactericidal activity of partially oxidized nanodiamonds.

Science.gov (United States)

Wehling, Julia; Dringen, Ralf; Zare, Richard N; Maas, Michael; Rezwan, Kurosch

2014-06-24

Nanodiamonds are a class of carbon-based nanoparticles that are rapidly gaining attention, particularly for biomedical applications, i.e., as drug carriers, for bioimaging, or as implant coatings. Nanodiamonds have generally been considered biocompatible with a broad variety of eukaryotic cells. We show that, depending on their surface composition, nanodiamonds kill Gram-positive and -negative bacteria rapidly and efficiently. We investigated six different types of nanodiamonds exhibiting diverse oxygen-containing surface groups that were created using standard pretreatment methods for forming nanodiamond dispersions. Our experiments suggest that the antibacterial activity of nanodiamond is linked to the presence of partially oxidized and negatively charged surfaces, specifically those containing acid anhydride groups. Furthermore, proteins were found to control the bactericidal properties of nanodiamonds by covering these surface groups, which explains the previously reported biocompatibility of nanodiamonds. Our findings describe the discovery of an exciting property of partially oxidized nanodiamonds as a potent antibacterial agent.

Autothermal reforming of palm empty fruit bunch bio-oil: thermodynamic modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lifita N. Tande

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on thermodynamic analysis of the autothermal reforming of palm empty fruit bunch (PEFB bio-oil for the production of hydrogen and syngas. PEFB bio-oil composition was simulated using bio-oil surrogates generated from a mixture of acetic acid, phenol, levoglucosan, palmitic acid and furfural. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the hydrogen and syngas yields were not sensitive to actual bio-oil composition, but were determined by a good match of molar elemental composition between real bio-oil and surrogate mixture. The maximum hydrogen yield obtained under constant reaction enthalpy and pressure was about 12 wt% at S/C = 1 and increased to about 18 wt% at S/C = 4; both yields occurring at equivalence ratio Φ of 0.31. The possibility of generating syngas with varying H2 and CO content using autothermal reforming was analysed and application of this process to fuel cells and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is discussed. Using a novel simple modelling methodology, reaction mechanisms were proposed which were able to account for equilibrium product distribution. It was evident that different combinations of reactions could be used to obtain the same equilibrium product concentrations. One proposed reaction mechanism, referred to as the ‘partial oxidation based mechanism’ involved the partial oxidation reaction of the bio-oil to produce hydrogen, with the extent of steam reforming and water gas shift reactions varying depending on the amount of oxygen used. Another proposed mechanism, referred to as the ‘complete oxidation based mechanism’ was represented by thermal decomposition of about 30% of bio-oil and hydrogen production obtained by decomposition, steam reforming, water gas shift and carbon gasification reactions. The importance of these mechanisms in assisting in the eventual choice of catalyst to be used in a real ATR of PEFB bio-oil process was discussed.

Low-Temperature Oxidation of H2/CH4/C2H6/Ethanol/DME: Experiments and Modelling at High Pressures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hashemi, Hamid; Christensen, Jakob M.; Glarborg, Peter

2015-01-01

The main aim of this work was to measure the oxidation characteristics of H2, CH4, C2H6, DME,and ethanol at high pressures (20—100 bar) and low to intermediate temperatures (450—900K) in a laminar flow reactor. Furthermore, a detailed chemical kinetic model was sought to address the oxidation of ...

Low Working-Temperature Acetone Vapor Sensor Based on Zinc Nitride and Oxide Hybrid Composites.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Fengdong; Yuan, Yao; Guarecuco, Rohiverth; Yang, Minghui

2016-06-01

Transition-metal nitride and oxide composites are a significant class of emerging materials that have attracted great interest for their potential in combining the advantages of nitrides and oxides. Here, a novel class of gas sensing materials based on hybrid Zn3 N2 and ZnO composites is presented. The Zn3 N2 /ZnO (ZnNO) composites-based sensor exhibits selectivity and high sensitivity toward acetone vapor, and the sensitivity is dependent on the nitrogen content of the composites. The ZnNO-11.7 described herein possesses a low working temperature of 200 °C. The detection limit (0.07 ppm) is below the diabetes diagnosis threshold (1.8 ppm). In addition, the sensor shows high reproducibility and long-term stability. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Au/iron oxide catalysts: temperature programmed reduction and X-ray diffraction characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neri, G.; Visco, A.M.; Galvagno, S.; Donato, A.; Panzalorto, M.

1999-01-01

Gold on iron oxides catalysts have been characterized by temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). The influence of preparation method, gold loading and pretreatment conditions on the reducibility of iron oxides have been investigated. On the impregnated Au/iron oxide catalysts as well as on the support alone the partial reduction of Fe(III) oxy(hydroxides) to Fe 3 O 4 starts in the 550 and 700 K temperature range. On the coprecipitated samples, the temperature of formation of Fe 3 O 4 is strongly dependent on the presence of gold. The reduction temperature is lowered as the gold loading is increased. The reduction of Fe 3 O 4 to FeO occurs at about 900 K and is not dependent on the presence of gold and the preparation method. It is suggested that the effect of gold on the reducibility of the iron oxides is related to an increase of the structural defects and/or of the surface hydroxyl groups. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Triangular defects in the low-temperature halo-carbon homoepitaxial growth of 4H-SiC

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Hrishikesh; Melnychuk, Galyna; Koshka, Yaroslav

2010-06-01

Generation of triangular defects (TDs) is a significant obstacle in the way of increasing the growth rate of the low-temperature halo-carbon homoepitaxial growth of 4H-SiC conducted at 1300 °C. In this work, the structure of the TDs and the factors influencing TD generation were investigated. It has been found that TD concentration at 1300 °C is primarily influenced by the growth rate. Higher concentrations of the TDs were typically observed at the upstream regions of the sample. With the help of KOH defect delineation technique it was established that the locations of the TDs did not coincide with any of the substrate defects. Nucleation of small polycrystalline Si islands is the main origin for the TDs nucleation during the low-temperature growth, especially at moderate-to-low values of the C/Si ratio, which have been previously shown to be favorable for avoiding generation of 3C inclusions and morphology degradation. At typical low-temperature growth conditions, small polycrystalline Si islands can form on SiC surface (predominantly at the upstream portion of the growth zone). Those islands serve as nucleation centers for TDs and subsequently get evaporated. TDs are bound by two or often multiple partial dislocations, which results in one or multiple stacking faults, respectively. When arrays of partial dislocations were present at each edge of a TD, 3C polytype inclusions were often revealed by the oxidation technique and micro-Raman spectroscopy.

Partial catalytic oxidation of CH{sub 4} to synthesis gas for power generation - Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mantzaras, I.; Schneider, A.

2006-03-15

The partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas over rhodium catalysts has been investigated experimentally and numerically in the pressure range of 4 to 10 bar. The methane/oxidizer feed has been diluted with large amounts of H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} (up to 70% vol.) in order to simulate new power generation cycles with large exhaust gas recycle. Experiments were carried out in an optically accessible channel-flow reactor that facilitated laser-based in situ measurements, and also in a subscale gas-turbine catalytic reactor. Full-elliptic steady and transient two-dimensional numerical codes were used, which included elementary hetero-/homogeneous chemical reaction schemes. The following are the key conclusions: a) Heterogeneous (catalytic) and homogeneous (gas-phase) schemes have been validated for the partial catalytic oxidation of methane with large exhaust gas recycle. b) The impact of added H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} has been elucidated. The added H{sub 2}O increased the methane conversion and hydrogen selectivity, while it decreased the CO selectivity. The chemical impact of CO{sub 2} (dry reforming) was minimal. c) The numerical model reproduced the measured catalytic ignition times. It was further shown that the chemical impact of H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} on the catalytic ignition delay times was minimal. d) The noble metal dispersion increased with different support materials, in the order Rh/{alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Rh/ZrO{sub 2}, and Rh/Ce-ZrO{sub 2}. An evident relationship was established between the noble metal dispersion and the catalytic behavior. (authors)

Getting reforms done in inhospitable institutional environments: untying a Gordian Knot in India's power distribution sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tankha, Sunil; Misal, Annasahed B.; Fuller, Boyd W.

2010-01-01

When grand institutional reforms based on idealized models are stalled by the poor institutional environments and difficult politics which often surround large infrastructure systems in developing countries, partial reforms whose design and implementation take into account the different interests of the key stakeholders can provide valuable and immediate benefits while moving these systems from low- towards higher-level equilibria. Strategically negotiated, experimentally partial and purposefully hybrid, these reforms are based on careful stakeholder analysis and strategic coalition building that avoid rigid positions based on idealized models. Our findings are based on a study of power sector reforms in India, where we performed a micro-level and in-depth analysis of a partial and innovative experiment which has allowed private sector participation in electricity distribution within a hostile institutional environment.

A high-throughput study of the redox properties of Nb-Ni oxide catalysts by low temperature CO oxidation: Implications in ethane ODH

KAUST Repository

Laveille, Paco

2013-03-01

CO oxidation is used as a probe reaction to evaluate the redox properties of catalysts for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane. Three series of Nb1-x-NixO nanocomposites with various Nb contents (x = 1, 0.95, 0.90, 0.85, 0.80) are prepared by a sol-gel route based on citrate and tested in a 16 parallel fixed-bed unit. Reductive and oxidative pre-treatments are shown to influence both the activity and the stability of the catalysts in CO oxidation. The extent of this effect depends on the Nb content of the composites, the Nb-rich samples being generally the most affected. However, the order of reactivity in CO oxidation is the same for the three series and is maintained whatever the conditions of the pre-treatment. It is the same as that observed in Nb1-x-NixO-catalyzed ethane ODH. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A high-throughput study of the redox properties of Nb-Ni oxide catalysts by low temperature CO oxidation: Implications in ethane ODH

KAUST Repository

Laveille, Paco; Biausque, Gregory; Zhu, Haibo; Basset, Jean-Marie; Caps, Valerie

2013-01-01

CO oxidation is used as a probe reaction to evaluate the redox properties of catalysts for the low temperature oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane. Three series of Nb1-x-NixO nanocomposites with various Nb contents (x = 1, 0.95, 0.90, 0.85, 0.80) are prepared by a sol-gel route based on citrate and tested in a 16 parallel fixed-bed unit. Reductive and oxidative pre-treatments are shown to influence both the activity and the stability of the catalysts in CO oxidation. The extent of this effect depends on the Nb content of the composites, the Nb-rich samples being generally the most affected. However, the order of reactivity in CO oxidation is the same for the three series and is maintained whatever the conditions of the pre-treatment. It is the same as that observed in Nb1-x-NixO-catalyzed ethane ODH. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structured reactors as alternative to pellets catalyst for propane oxidative steam reforming

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vita, A.; Pino, L.; Cipiti, F.; Lagana, M.; Recupero, V. [CNR - Institute for Advanced Energy Technologies ' ' Nicola Giordano' ' , Via Salita S. Lucia sopra Contesse n. 5, 98126 Messina (Italy)

2010-09-15

The performance of a Pt/CeO{sub 2} catalyst as packed bed, coated on monolith and as self-structured bed has been evaluated during C{sub 3}H{sub 8} oxidative steam reforming. Structured bed, prepared by a new aqueous tape casting method, combining high total porosity (80%) with a self-supported channel structure, offers a better and more efficient control of heat and mass transfer along the catalytic bed, showing, especially at high gas hourly space velocity (30 x 10{sup 4} h{sup -1}), better performance in terms of fuel conversion, hydrogen production and low by-products formation coupled with an economy of the catalyst of about to 43% with respect to the traditional packed bed system. (author)

Hydrogen Production via Steam Reforming of Ethyl Alcohol over Palladium/Indium Oxide Catalyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tetsuo Umegaki

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We report the synergetic effect between palladium and indium oxide on hydrogen production in the steam reforming reaction of ethyl alcohol. The palladium/indium oxide catalyst shows higher hydrogen production rate than indium oxide and palladium. Palladium/indium oxide affords ketonization of ethyl alcohol with negligible by-product carbon monoxide, while indium oxide mainly affords dehydration of ethyl alcohol, and palladium affords decomposition of ethyl alcohol with large amount of by-product carbon monoxide. The catalytic feature of palladium/indium oxide can be ascribed to the formation of palladium-indium intermetallic component during the reaction as confirmed by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements.

Direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cell operating in gradual internal reforming

Science.gov (United States)

Nobrega, S. D.; Galesco, M. V.; Girona, K.; de Florio, D. Z.; Steil, M. C.; Georges, S.; Fonseca, F. C.

2012-09-01

An electrolyte supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using standard electrodes, doped-lanthanum manganite cathode and Ni-cermet anode, was operated with direct (anhydrous) ethanol for more than 100 h, delivering essentially the same power output as running on hydrogen. A ceria-based layer provides the catalytic activity for the gradual internal reforming, which uses the steam formed by the electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen for the decomposition of ethanol. Such a concept opens up the way for multi-fuel SOFCs using standard components and a catalytic layer.

Steam Reformer With Fibrous Catalytic Combustor

Science.gov (United States)

Voecks, Gerald E.

1987-01-01

Proposed steam-reforming reactor derives heat from internal combustion on fibrous catalyst. Supplies of fuel and air to combustor controlled to meet demand for heat for steam-reforming reaction. Enables use of less expensive reactor-tube material by limiting temperature to value safe for material yet not so low as to reduce reactor efficiency.

NiO-YSZ cermets supported low temperature solid oxide fuel cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Xinge; Robertson, Mark; Deces-Petit, Cyrille; Xie, Yongsong; Hui, Rob; Yick, Sing; Styles, Edward; Roller, Justin; Kesler, Olivera; Maric, Radenka; Ghosh, Dave [Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, National Research Council Canada, 3250 East Mall, Vancouver, BC (Canada V6T 1W5)

2006-10-20

Solid oxide fuel cells with thin electrolyte of two types, Sm{sub 0.2}Ce{sub 0.8}O{sub 1.9} (SDC) (15{mu}m) single-layer and 8mol% Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (5{mu}m)+SDC (15{mu}m) bi-layer on NiO-YSZ cermet substrates were fabricated by screen printing and co-firing. A Sm{sub 0.5}Sr{sub 0.5}CoO{sub 3} cathode was printed, and in situ sintered during a cell performance test. The SDC single-layer electrolyte cell showed high electrochemical performance at low temperature, with a 1180mWcm{sup -2} peak power density at 650{sup o}C. The YSZ+SDC bi-layer electrolyte cell generated 340mWcm{sup -2} peak power density at 650{sup o}C, and showed good performance at 700-800{sup o}C, with an open circuit voltage close to theoretical value. Many high Zr-content micro-islands were found on the SDC electrolyte surface prior to the cathode preparation. The influence of co-firing temperature and thin film preparation methods on the Zr-islands' appearance was investigated. (author)

Partial oxidation of n-hexadecane through decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in supercritical water

KAUST Repository

Alshammari, Y.M.

2015-01-01

© 2014 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. This work reports the experimental analysis of partial oxidation of n-hexadecane under supercritical water conditions. A novel reactor flow system was developed which allows for total decomposition of hydrogen peroxide in a separate reactor followed partial oxidation of n-hexadecane in a gasification reactor instead of having both reactions in one reactor. The kinetics of hydrothermal decomposition of hydrogen peroxide was studied in order to confirm its full conversion into water and oxygen under the desired partial oxidation conditions, and the kinetic data were found in a good agreement with previously reported literature. The gas yield and gasification efficiency were investigated under different operating parameters. Furthermore, the profile of C-C/C=C ratio was studied which showed the favourable conditions for maximising yields of n-alkanes via hydrogenation of their corresponding 1-alkenes. Enhanced hydrogenation of 1-alkenes was observed at higher O/C ratios and higher residence times, shown by the increase in the C-C/C=C ratio to more than unity, while increasing the temperature has shown much less effect on the C-C/C=C ratio at the current experimental conditions. In addition, GC-MS analysis of liquid samples revealed the formation of heavy oxygenated compounds which may suggest a new addition reaction to account for their formation under the current experimental conditions. Results show new promising routes for hydrogen production with in situ hydrogenation of heavy hydrocarbons in a supercritical water reactor.

Quantification of the Keto-Hydroperoxide (HOOCH2OCHO) and Other Elusive Intermediates during Low-Temperature Oxidation of Dimethyl Ether

KAUST Repository

Moshammer, Kai

2016-09-17

This work provides new temperature-dependent mole fractions of elusive intermediates relevant to the low-temperature oxidation of dimethyl ether (DME). It extends the previous study of Moshammer et al. [ J. Phys. Chem. A 2015, 119, 7361–7374] in which a combination of a jet-stirred reactor and molecular beam mass spectrometry with single-photon ionization via tunable synchrotron-generated vacuum-ultraviolet radiation was used to identify (but not quantify) several highly oxygenated species. Here, temperature-dependent concentration profiles of 17 components were determined in the range of 450–1000 K and compared to up-to-date kinetic modeling results. Special emphasis is paid toward the validation and application of a theoretical method for predicting photoionization cross sections that are hard to obtain experimentally but essential to turn mass spectral data into mole fraction profiles. The presented approach enabled the quantification of the hydroperoxymethyl formate (HOOCH2OCH2O), which is a key intermediate in the low-temperature oxidation of DME. The quantification of this keto-hydroperoxide together with the temperature-dependent concentration profiles of other intermediates including H2O2, HCOOH, CH3OCHO, and CH3OOH reveals new opportunities for the development of a next-generation DME combustion chemistry mechanism.

Steam Reforming of Ethylene Glycol over Ni/Al2O3 Catalysts: Effect of the Preparation Method and Reduction Temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Dong Hyuck; Park, Jung Eun; Park, Eun Duck

2015-01-01

The effect of preparation method on the catalytic activities of the Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalysts on steam reforming of ethylene glycol was investigated. The catalysts were prepared with various preparation methods such as an incipient wetness impregnation, wet impregnation, and coprecipitation method. In the case of coprecipitation method, various precipitants such as KOH, K 2 CO 3 , and NH 4 OH were compared. The prepared catalysts were characterized by using N 2 physisorption, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed reduction, pulsed H 2 chemisorption, temperature-programmed oxidation, scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Among the catalysts reduced at 773 K, the Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst prepared by a coprecipitation with KOH or K 2 CO 3 as precipitants showed the best catalytic performance. The preparation method affected the particle size of Ni, reducibility of nickel oxides, catalytic performance (activity and stability), and types of coke formed during the reaction. The Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst prepared by a coprecipitation with KOH showed the increasing catalytic activity with an increase in the reduction temperature from 773 to 1173 K because of an increase in the reduction degree of Ni oxide species even though the particle size of Ni increased with increasing reduction temperature

Optical and magneto-optical properties of zinc-oxide nanostructures grown by the low-temperature chemical route

Science.gov (United States)

Willander, M.; Alnoor, H.; Savoyant, A.; Adam, Rania E.; Nur, O.

2018-02-01

We demonstrate that the low temperature synthesis chemical route can be utilized to control the functionality of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) and nanorods (NRs) for optical and magneto-optical performance. Different structural, optical, electro- and magneto-optical results will be displayed and analyzed. In the first part, we show how high quality ZnO NPs can be efficient for photodegradation using ultra-violet radiation. In the second part we will present our recent results on the control of the core defects in cobalt doped ZnO NR. Here and by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements, the substitution of Co2+ ions in the ZnO NRs crystal is shown. The relation between the incorporation and core defects concentration will be discussed. The findings give access to the magnetic anisotropy of ZnO NRs grown by the low temperature chemical route and can lead to demonstrate room temperature ferromagnetism in nanostructures with potential for different device applications.

Preparation and structural characterization of SnO2 and GeO2 methanol steam reforming thin film model catalysts by (HR)TEM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenz, Harald; Zhao Qian; Turner, Stuart; Lebedev, Oleg I.; Van Tendeloo, Gustaaf; Kloetzer, Bernhard; Rameshan, Christoph; Penner, Simon

2010-01-01

Structure, morphology and composition of different tin oxide and germanium oxide thin film catalysts for the methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction have been studied by a combination of (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, dark-field imaging and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. Deposition of the thin films on NaCl(0 0 1) cleavage faces has been carried out by thermal evaporation of the respective SnO 2 and GeO 2 powders in varying oxygen partial pressures and at different substrate temperatures. Preparation of tin oxide films in high oxygen pressures (10 -1 Pa) exclusively resulted in SnO phases, at and above 473 K substrate temperature epitaxial growth of SnO on NaCl(0 0 1) leads to well-ordered films. For lower oxygen partial pressures (10 -3 to 10 -2 Pa), mixtures of SnO and β-Sn are obtained. Well-ordered SnO 2 films, as verified by electron diffraction patterns and energy-loss spectra, are only obtained after post-oxidation of SnO films at temperatures T ≥ 673 K in 10 5 Pa O 2 . Preparation of GeO x films inevitably results in amorphous films with a composition close to GeO 2 , which cannot be crystallized by annealing treatments in oxygen or hydrogen at temperatures comparable to SnO/SnO 2 . Similarities and differences to neighbouring oxides relevant for selective MSR in the third group of the periodic system (In 2 O 3 and Ga 2 O 3 ) are also discussed with the aim of cross-correlation in formation of nanomaterials, and ultimately, also catalytic properties.

Partial oxidation of landfill leachate in supercritical water: Optimization by response surface methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Yanmeng; Wang, Shuzhong; Xu, Haidong; Guo, Yang; Tang, Xingying

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Partial oxidation of landfill leachate in supercritical water was investigated. • The process was optimized by Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology. • GY H2 , TRE and CR could exhibit up to 14.32 mmol·gTOC −1 , 82.54% and 94.56%. • Small amounts of oxidant can decrease the generation of tar and char. - Abstract: To achieve the maximum H 2 yield (GY H2 ), TOC removal rate (TRE) and carbon recovery rate (CR), response surface methodology was applied to optimize the process parameters for supercritical water partial oxidation (SWPO) of landfill leachate in a batch reactor. Quadratic polynomial models for GY H2 , CR and TRE were established with Box–Behnken design. GY H2 , CR and TRE reached up to 14.32 mmol·gTOC −1 , 82.54% and 94.56% under optimum conditions, respectively. TRE was invariably above 91.87%. In contrast, TC removal rate (TR) only changed from 8.76% to 32.98%. Furthermore, carbonate and bicarbonate were the most abundant carbonaceous substances in product, whereas CO 2 and H 2 were the most abundant gaseous products. As a product of nitrogen-containing organics, NH 3 has an important effect on gas composition. The carbon balance cannot be reached duo to the formation of tar and char. CR increased with the increase of temperature and oxidation coefficient

Nanocellulose-assisted low-temperature synthesis and supercapacitor performance of reduced graphene oxide aerogels

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jie; Ran, Ran; Sunarso, Jaka; Yin, Chao; Zou, Honggang; Feng, Yi; Li, Xiaobao; Zheng, Xu; Yao, Jianfeng

2017-04-01

Here, we have synthesized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogels using a nanocellulose-assisted low temperature (less than 500 °C) thermal treatment route where nanocelluloses promote the gelation of graphene oxide (GO) solution that benefits the fabrication of GO aerogels from low concentration dispersion (2.85 mg mL-1), and after their thermal decomposition the residual nanofibers act as spacer both prevent the re-stacking of graphene sheets and integrate with rGO sheets to give a particular kind of carbon-based aerogel along with numerous defects (holes). Thermal decomposition of nanocellulose appears to be complete beyond 350 °C thus its presence in form of amorphous carbon nanofibers in rGO sheets. The rGO aerogels synthesized at 350 °C provide the best balance in terms of wide interlayer spacing, high content of CO-type functional groups, and high defects content. This translates into a high discharge capacitance of 270 F g-1 at a current rate of 1 A g-1 for compressed rGO aerogels without any binder or conductive additive. Detailed electrochemical tests using 6 M KOH electrolyte establish the fact that pseudocapacitance component has substantial contribution towards the overall capacitance; closely approaching the contribution of the double layer capacitance that is the most dominant capacitance component.

Revisiting the Kinetics and Thermodynamics of the Low-Temperature Oxidation Pathways of Alkanes: A Case Study of the Three Pentane Isomers

KAUST Repository

Bugler, John

2015-07-16

© 2015 American Chemical Society. This paper describes our developing understanding of low-temperature oxidation kinetics. We have investigated the ignition of the three pentane isomers in a rapid compression machine over a wide range of temperatures and pressures, including conditions of negative temperature coefficient behavior. The pentane isomers are small alkanes, yet have structures that are complex enough to allow for the application of their kinetic and thermochemical rules to larger molecules. Updates to the thermochemistry of the species important in the low-temperature oxidation of hydrocarbons have been made based on a thorough literature review. An evaluation of recent quantum-chemically derived rate coefficients from the literature pertinent to important low-temperature oxidation reaction classes has been performed, and new rate rules are recommended for these classes. Several reaction classes have also been included to determine their importance with regard to simulation results, and we have found that they should be included when developing future chemical kinetic mechanisms. A comparison of the model simulations with pressure-time histories from experiments in a rapid compression machine shows very good agreement for both ignition delay time and pressure rise for both the first- and second-stage ignition events. We show that revisions to both the thermochemistry and the kinetics are required in order to replicate experiments well. A broader validation of the models with ignition delay times from shock tubes and a rapid compression machine is presented in an accompanying paper. The results of this study enhance our understanding of the combustion of straight- and branched-chained alkanes.

Detection and Identification of the Keto-Hydroperoxide (HOOCH 2 OCHO) and Other Intermediates during Low-Temperature Oxidation of Dimethyl Ether

KAUST Repository

Moshammer, Kai

2015-07-16

In this paper we report the detection and identification of the keto-hydroperoxide (hydroperoxymethyl formate, HPMF, HOOCH2OCHO) and other partially oxidized intermediate species arising from the low-temperature (540 K) oxidation of dimethyl ether (DME). These observations were made possible by coupling a jet-stirred reactor with molecular-beam sampling capabilities, operated near atmospheric pressure, to a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer that employs single-photon ionization via tunable synchrotron-generated vacuum-ultraviolet radiation. On the basis of experimentally observed ionization thresholds and fragmentation appearance energies, interpreted with the aid of ab initio calculations, we have identified HPMF and its conceivable decomposition products HC(O)O(O)CH (formic acid anhydride), HC(O)OOH (performic acid), and HOC(O)OH (carbonic acid). Other intermediates that were detected and identified include HC(O)OCH3 (methyl formate), cycl-CH2-O-CH2-O- (1,3-dioxetane), CH3OOH (methyl hydroperoxide), HC(O)OH (formic acid), and H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide). We show that the theoretical characterization of multiple conformeric structures of some intermediates is required when interpreting the experimentally observed ionization thresholds, and a simple method is presented for estimating the importance of multiple conformers at the estimated temperature (∼100 K) of the present molecular beam. We also discuss possible formation pathways of the detected species: for example, supported by potential energy surface calculations, we show that performic acid may be a minor channel of the O2 + CH2OCH2OOH reaction, resulting from the decomposition of the HOOCH2OCHOOH intermediate, which predominantly leads to the HPMF. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

Dry corrosion prediction of radioactive waste containers in long term interim storage: mechanisms of low temperature oxidation of pure iron and numerical simulation of an oxide scale growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertrand, N.

2006-10-01

In the framework of research on long term behaviour of radioactive waste containers, this work consists on the one hand in the study of low temperature oxidation of iron and on the other hand in the development of a numerical model of oxide scale growth. Isothermal oxidation experiments are performed on pure iron at 300 and 400 C in dry and humid air at atmospheric pressure. Oxide scales formed in these conditions are characterized. They are composed of a duplex magnetite scale under a thin hematite scale. The inner layer of the duplex scale is thinner than the outer one. Both are composed of columnar grains, that are smaller in the inner part. The outer hematite layer is made of very small equiaxed grains. Markers and tracers experiments show that a part of the scale grows at metal/oxide interface thanks to short-circuits diffusion of oxygen. A model for iron oxide scale growth at low temperature is then deduced. Besides this experimental study, the numerical model EKINOX (Estimation Kinetics Oxidation) is developed. It allows to simulate the growth of an oxide scale controlled by mixed mechanisms, such as anionic and cationic vacancies diffusion through the scale, as well as metal transfer at metal/oxide interface. It is based on the calculation of concentration profiles of chemical species and also point defects in the oxide scale and in the substrate. This numerical model does not use the classical quasi-steady-state approximation and calculates the future of cationic vacancies at metal/oxide interface. Indeed, these point defects can either be eliminated by interface motion or injected in the substrate, where they can be annihilated, considering sinks as the climb of dislocations. Hence, the influence of substrate cold-work can be investigated. The EKINOX model is validated in the conditions of Wagner's theory and is confronted with experimental results by its application to the case of high temperature oxidation of nickel. (author)

Thermodynamics of partially confined Fermi gases at low temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toms, David J

2004-01-01

We examine the behaviour of non-interacting Fermi gases at low temperature. If there is a confining potential present the thermodynamic behaviour is altered from the familiar results for the unconfined gas. The role of de Haas-van Alphen type oscillations that are a consequence of the confining potential is considered. Attention is concentrated on the behaviour of the chemical potential and the specific heat. Results are compared and contrasted with those for an unconfined and a totally confined gas

Thin film devices used as oxygen partial pressure sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Canady, K. S.; Wortman, J. J.

1970-01-01

Electrical conductivity of zinc oxide films to be used in an oxygen partial pressure sensor is measured as a function of temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and other atmospheric constituents. Time response following partial pressure changes is studied as a function of temperature and environmental changes.

Effect of trichloroethylene enhancement on deposition rate of low-temperature silicon oxide films by silicone oil and ozone

Science.gov (United States)

Horita, Susumu; Jain, Puneet

2017-08-01

A low-temperature silcon oxide film was deposited at 160 to 220 °C using an atmospheric pressure CVD system with silicone oil vapor and ozone gases. It was found that the deposition rate is markedly increased by adding trichloroethylene (TCE) vapor, which is generated by bubbling TCE solution with N2 gas flow. The increase is more than 3 times that observed without TCE, and any contamination due to TCE is hardly observed in the deposited Si oxide films from Fourier transform infrared spectra.

Low-temperature solution processing of palladium/palladium oxide films and their pH sensing performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Yiheng; Alam, Arif U; Pan, Si; Howlader, Matiar M R; Ghosh, Raja; Selvaganapathy, P Ravi; Wu, Yiliang; Deen, M Jamal

2016-01-01

Highly sensitive, easy-to-fabricate, and low-cost pH sensors with small dimensions are required to monitor human bodily fluids, drinking water quality and chemical/biological processes. In this study, a low-temperature, solution-based process is developed to prepare palladium/palladium oxide (Pd/PdO) thin films for pH sensing. A precursor solution for Pd is spin coated onto pre-cleaned glass substrates and annealed at low temperature to generate Pd and PdO. The percentages of PdO at the surface and in the bulk of the electrodes are correlated to their sensing performance, which was studied by using the X-ray photoelectron spectroscope. Large amounts of PdO introduced by prolonged annealing improve the electrode's sensitivity and long-term stability. Atomic force microscopy study showed that the low-temperature annealing results in a smooth electrode surface, which contributes to a fast response. Nano-voids at the electrode surfaces were observed by scanning electron microscope, indicating a reason for the long-term degradation of the pH sensitivity. Using the optimized annealing parameters of 200°C for 48 h, a linear pH response with sensitivity of 64.71±0.56 mV/pH is obtained for pH between 2 and 12. These electrodes show a response time shorter than 18 s, hysteresis less than 8 mV and stability over 60 days. High reproducibility in the sensing performance is achieved. This low-temperature solution-processed sensing electrode shows the potential for the development of pH sensing systems on flexible substrates over a large area at low cost without using vacuum equipment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Low-temperature SCR of NO with NH{sub 3} over activated semi-coke composite-supported rare earth oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jinping; Yan, Zheng; Liu, Lili; Zhang, Yingyi; Zhang, Zuotai; Wang, Xidong, E-mail: xidong@pku.edu.cn

2014-08-01

The catalysts with different rare earth oxides (La, Ce, Pr and Nd) loaded onto activated semi-coke (ASC) via hydrothermal method are prepared for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH{sub 3} at low temperature (150–300 °C). It is evidenced that CeO{sub 2} loaded catalysts present the best performance, and the optimum loading amount of CeO{sub 2} is about 10 wt%. Composite catalysts by doping La, Pr and Nd into CeO{sub 2} are prepared to obtain further improved catalytic properties. The SCR mechanism is investigated through various characterizations, including XRD, Raman, XPS and FT-IR, the results of which indicate that the oxygen defect plays an important role in SCR process and the doped rare earth elements effectively serve as promoters to increase the concentration of oxygen vacancies. It is also found that the oxygen vacancies in high concentration are favored for the adsorption of O{sub 2} and further oxidation of NO, which facilitates a rapid progressing of the following reduction reactions. The SCR process of NO with NH{sub 3} at low temperature over the catalysts of ASC composite-supported rare earth oxides mainly follows the Langmuir–Hinshlwood mechanism.

Temperature-independent sensors based on perovskite-type oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaza, F.; Frangini, S.; Masci, A.; Leoncini, J.; Pasquali, M.; Luisetto, I.; Tuti, S.

2013-01-01

The need of energy security and environment sustainability drives toward the development of energy technology in order to enhance the performance of internal combustion engines. Gas sensors play a key role for controlling the fuel oxygen ratio and monitoring the pollution emissions. The perovskite-type oxides can be synthesized for an extremely wide variety of combinations of chemical elements, allowing to design materials with suitable properties for sensing application. Lanthanum strontium ferrites, such as La 0.7 Sr 0.3 FeO 3 , are suitable oxygen sensing materials with temperature-independence conductivity, but they have low chemical stability under reducing conditions. The addition of aluminum into the perovskite structure improves the material properties in order to develop suitable oxygen sensing probes for lean burn engine control systems. Perovskite-type oxides with formula (La 0.7 Sr 0.3 )(Al x Fe 1−x )O 3 was synthesized by the citrate-nitrate combustion synthesis method. XRD analyses, show that it was synthesized a phase-pure powder belonging to the perovskite structure. Aluminum affects both the unit cell parameters, by shrinking the unit cell, and the powder morphology, by promoting the synthesis of particles with small crystallite size and large specific surface area. The partial substitution of iron with aluminum improves the chemical stability under reducing gas conditions and modulates the oxygen sensitivity by affecting the relative amount of Fe 4+ and Fe 3+ , as confirmed from TPR profiles. In the same time, the addition of aluminum does not affects the temperature-independent properties of lanthanum strontium ferrites. Indeed, the electrical measurements show that (La 0.7 Sr 0.3 )(Al x Fe 1−x )O 3 perovskites have temperature-independence conductivity from 900 K

Temperature-independent sensors based on perovskite-type oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaza, F.; Frangini, S.; Masci, A. [ENEA-Casaccia R.C., Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 S.Maria di Galeria, Rome (Italy); Leoncini, J.; Pasquali, M. [University La Sapienza, Piazza Via del Castro Laurenziano 7, 00161 Rome (Italy); Luisetto, I.; Tuti, S. [University RomaTre, Rome 00146 (Italy)

2014-06-19

The need of energy security and environment sustainability drives toward the development of energy technology in order to enhance the performance of internal combustion engines. Gas sensors play a key role for controlling the fuel oxygen ratio and monitoring the pollution emissions. The perovskite-type oxides can be synthesized for an extremely wide variety of combinations of chemical elements, allowing to design materials with suitable properties for sensing application. Lanthanum strontium ferrites, such as La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3}FeO{sub 3}, are suitable oxygen sensing materials with temperature-independence conductivity, but they have low chemical stability under reducing conditions. The addition of aluminum into the perovskite structure improves the material properties in order to develop suitable oxygen sensing probes for lean burn engine control systems. Perovskite-type oxides with formula (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3})(Al{sub x}Fe{sub 1−x})O{sub 3} was synthesized by the citrate-nitrate combustion synthesis method. XRD analyses, show that it was synthesized a phase-pure powder belonging to the perovskite structure. Aluminum affects both the unit cell parameters, by shrinking the unit cell, and the powder morphology, by promoting the synthesis of particles with small crystallite size and large specific surface area. The partial substitution of iron with aluminum improves the chemical stability under reducing gas conditions and modulates the oxygen sensitivity by affecting the relative amount of Fe{sup 4+} and Fe{sup 3+}, as confirmed from TPR profiles. In the same time, the addition of aluminum does not affects the temperature-independent properties of lanthanum strontium ferrites. Indeed, the electrical measurements show that (La{sub 0.7}Sr{sub 0.3})(Al{sub x}Fe{sub 1−x})O{sub 3} perovskites have temperature-independence conductivity from 900 K.

Materials for low-temperature fuel cells

CERN Document Server

Ladewig, Bradley; Yan, Yushan; Lu, Max

2014-01-01

There are a large number of books available on fuel cells; however, the majority are on specific types of fuel cells such as solid oxide fuel cells, proton exchange membrane fuel cells, or on specific technical aspects of fuel cells, e.g., the system or stack engineering. Thus, there is a need for a book focused on materials requirements in fuel cells. Key Materials in Low-Temperature Fuel Cells is a concise source of the most important and key materials and catalysts in low-temperature fuel cells. A related book will cover key materials in high-temperature fuel cells. The two books form part

Low temperature anodic bonding to silicon nitride

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weichel, Steen; Reus, Roger De; Bouaidat, Salim

2000-01-01

Low-temperature anodic bonding to stoichiometric silicon nitride surfaces has been performed in the temperature range from 3508C to 4008C. It is shown that the bonding is improved considerably if the nitride surfaces are either oxidized or exposed to an oxygen plasma prior to the bonding. Both bu...

Numerical studies of a compact gasoline reformer for fuel cell vehicle applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McIntyre, C.S.; Harrison, S.J.; Oosthuizen, P.H.; Peppley, B.A.

2004-01-01

There has been recent interest in the development of compact fuel processors to produce hydrogen for fuel cell powered vehicles. Gasoline is a promising candidate for distributed or on-board processing because of its high energy density and well-developed infrastructure. A compact fuel processor is under development which utilizes autothermal reforming (ATR) to extract hydrogen from iso-octane, which is used as a surrogate for gasoline. The processor consists of a double-pass packed-bed catalytic reactor to promote partial oxidation, steam reforming, and water-gas-shift reactions. As part of this system development, a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package was used to model flow and chemical reactions. Reformer performance is presented in terms of hydrogen content in the product stream, reformer efficiency (LHV efficiency) and iso-octane conversion. Results are compared to on-going experimental studies. (author)

Performance and economic assessments of a solid oxide fuel cell system with a two-step ethanol-steam-reforming process using CaO sorbent

Science.gov (United States)

Tippawan, Phanicha; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2016-02-01

The hydrogen production process is known to be important to a fuel cell system. In this study, a carbon-free hydrogen production process is proposed by using a two-step ethanol-steam-reforming procedure, which consists of ethanol dehydrogenation and steam reforming, as a fuel processor in the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system. An addition of CaO in the reformer for CO2 capture is also considered to enhance the hydrogen production. The performance of the SOFC system is analyzed under thermally self-sufficient conditions in terms of the technical and economic aspects. The simulation results show that the two-step reforming process can be run in the operating window without carbon formation. The addition of CaO in the steam reformer, which runs at a steam-to-ethanol ratio of 5, temperature of 900 K and atmospheric pressure, minimizes the presence of CO2; 93% CO2 is removed from the steam-reforming environment. This factor causes an increase in the SOFC power density of 6.62%. Although the economic analysis shows that the proposed fuel processor provides a higher capital cost, it offers a reducing active area of the SOFC stack and the most favorable process economics in term of net cost saving.

Partial oxidation of jet fuels over Rh/Al_2O_3. Design and reaction kinetics of sulfur-containing surrogates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baer, Julian Nicolaas

2016-01-01

The conversion of logistic fuels via catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) on Rh/Al_2O_3 at short contact times is an efficient method for generating hydrogen-rich synthesis gas. Depending on the inlet conditions, fuel, and catalyst, high syngas yields, low by-product formation, and rates of high fuel conversion can be achieved. CPOX is relevant for mobile hydrogen generation, e.g., on board of airplanes in order to increase the fuel efficiency via fuel cell-based auxiliary power units. Jet fuels contain hundreds of different hydrocarbons and a significant amount of sulfur. The hydrocarbon composition and sulfur content of a jet fuel vary depending on distributor, origin, and refinement of the crude oil. Little is known about the influence of the various compounds on the synthesis-gas yield and the impact of sulfur on the product yield. In this work, the influence of three main chemical compounds of a jet fuel (aromatics, alkanes, and sulfur compounds) on syngas selectivity, the catalyst deactivation process, and reaction sequence is unraveled. As representative components of alkanes and aromatics, n-dodecane and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene were chosen for ex-situ and in-situ investigations on the CPOX over Rh/Al_2O_3, respectively. Additionally, for a fixed paraffin-to-aromatics ratio, benzothiophene or dibenzothiophene were added as a sulfur component in three different concentrations. The knowledge gained about the catalytic partial oxidation of jet fuels and their surrogates is used to identify requirements for jet fuels in mobile applications based on CPOX and to optimize the overall system efficiency. The results show an influence of the surrogate composition on syngas selectivity. The tendency for syngas formation increases with higher paraffin contents. A growing tendency for by-product formation can be observed with increasing aromatics contents in the fuel. The impact of sulfur on the reaction system shows an immediate change in the product distribution. An

Partial Reform Equilibrium in Russia: A Case Study of the Political Interests of and in the Russian Gas and Oil Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Everett, Rabekah

While several theories abound that attempt to explain the obstacles to democracy in Russia, Joel Hellman's partial reform equilibrium model is an institutional theory that illustrates how weak institutions, combined with an instrumentalist cultural approach to the law and authoritarian-minded leadership, allowed the struggle over interests to craft and determine the nature of Russia's political structure. This thesis builds on the work of Hellman by using the partial reform theory to understand the evolution of interest infiltration and their impact on the formation of policies and institutions in favour of the elites or winners from 2004 to the present time period that allow them to wield law as a political weapon. The hypothesis posits that through their vested interests in state politics, the political and economic elites of the oil and gas industry have successfully stalled reform in Russia resulting in partial reform equilibrium. This is illustrated in a case study that was designed to collect the names, backgrounds, and social networks of gas and oil executives in order to determine how many of them have a history of, or are currently working as, ministers in the government or representatives in the Federation Council. The objective being to measure the degree to which gas and oil interests are present in government decision-making and conversely, the degree to which the government is present in the gas and oil industry. The thesis stresses the importance of institutional structure in determining Russia's political evolution, and uses vested interests as a primary source of structural institutional change, while also stressing on the social and international implications of this evolution.

Development of coal partial hydropyrolysis process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hideaki Yabe; Takafumi Kawamura; Kohichiroh Gotoh; Akemitsu Akimoto [Nippon Steel Corporation, Chiba (Japan)

2005-07-01

Coal partial hydropyrolysis process aims at co-production of high yield of light oil such as BTX and naphthalene and synthesis gas from a low rank coal under a mild hydropyrolysis condition. The characteristic of this process is in the two-staged entrained hydropyrolysis reactor composed of the reformer and gasifier. This reactor arrangement gives us high heat efficiency of this process. So far, in order to evaluate the process concept a small-scale basic experiment and a 1t/day process development unit study were carried out. The experimental results showed that coal volatiles were partially hydrogenated to increase the light oil and hydrocarbon gases at the condition of partial hydropyrolysis such as pressure of 2-3MPa, temperature of 700-900{sup o}C and hydrogen concentration of 30-50%. This process has a possibility of producing efficiently and economically liquid and gas products as chemicals and fuel for power generation. As a further development in the period of 2003 to 2008, a 20t/day pilot plant study named ECOPRO (efficient co-production with coal flash hydropyrolysis technology) has been started to establish the process technologies for commercialization. 12 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.

Co-flow anode/cathode supply heat exchanger for a solid-oxide fuel cell assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Haltiner, Jr., Karl J.; Kelly, Sean M.

2005-11-22

In a solid-oxide fuel cell assembly, a co-flow heat exchanger is provided in the flow paths of the reformate gas and the cathode air ahead of the fuel cell stack, the reformate gas being on one side of the exchanger and the cathode air being on the other. The reformate gas is at a substantially higher temperature than is desired in the stack, and the cathode gas is substantially cooler than desired. In the co-flow heat exchanger, the temperatures of the reformate and cathode streams converge to nearly the same temperature at the outlet of the exchanger. Preferably, the heat exchanger is formed within an integrated component manifold (ICM) for a solid-oxide fuel cell assembly.

Fabrication and Evaluation of a New High-Temperature pH Sensor for Use in PWR Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Yong Ju [Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Yeon, Jei Won [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-10-15

A new high-temperature pH sensor has been successfully developed by reforming the internal reference systems of the pH sensors based on oxygen-ion conducting ceramic membrane. The conventional internal reference system, a mixture of Ni and NiO, has been replaced with partially oxidized Ni powders, where Ni and NiO coexist on the surface of particles, in order to avoid the cumbersome mixing step of Ni and NiO particles. The partially oxidized Ni particles were made by oxidizing Ni under air atmosphere at 600 .deg. C and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR spectroscopy. The viability of the pH sensor developed was assessed in boric acid (1000 ppm-B) / lithium hydroxide (1 to 3 ppm-Li) buffer solutions at 280 .deg. C. The pH sensor showed excellent accuracy with a small error less than ±0.2 pH units.

Fabrication and Evaluation of a New High-Temperature pH Sensor for Use in PWR Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Yong Ju; Yeon, Jei Won

2010-01-01

A new high-temperature pH sensor has been successfully developed by reforming the internal reference systems of the pH sensors based on oxygen-ion conducting ceramic membrane. The conventional internal reference system, a mixture of Ni and NiO, has been replaced with partially oxidized Ni powders, where Ni and NiO coexist on the surface of particles, in order to avoid the cumbersome mixing step of Ni and NiO particles. The partially oxidized Ni particles were made by oxidizing Ni under air atmosphere at 600 .deg. C and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR spectroscopy. The viability of the pH sensor developed was assessed in boric acid (1000 ppm-B) / lithium hydroxide (1 to 3 ppm-Li) buffer solutions at 280 .deg. C. The pH sensor showed excellent accuracy with a small error less than ±0.2 pH units

Evaluation of an integrated methane autothermal reforming and high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Authayanun, Suthida; Saebea, Dang; Patcharavorachot, Yaneeporn; Arpornwichanop, Amornchai

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the performance and efficiency of an integrated autothermal reforming and HT-PEMFC (high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell) system fueled by methane. Effect of the inclusion of a CO (carbon monoxide) removal process on the integrated HT-PEMFC system was considered. An increase in the S/C (steam-to-carbon) ratio and the reformer temperature can enhance the hydrogen fraction while the CO formation reduces with increasing S/C ratio. The fuel processor efficiency of the methane autothermal reformer with a WGS (water gas shift reactor) reactor, as the CO removal process, is higher than that without a WGS reactor. A higher fuel processor efficiency can be obtained when the feed of the autothermal reformer is preheated to the reformer temperature. Regarding the cell performance, the reformate gas from the methane reformer operated at T in  = T R and with a high S/C ratio is suitable for the HT-PEMFC system without a WGS reactor. When considering the HT-PEMFC system with a WGS reactor, the CO poisoning has less significant impact on the cell performance and the system can be operated over a broader range to minimize the required total active area. A WGS reactor is necessary for the methane autothermal reforming and HT-PEMFC integrated system with regard to the system efficiency. - Highlights: • An integrated autothermal reforming and HT-PEMFC system was studied. • The HT-PEMFC system with and without a CO removal process was considered. • Parametric analysis was performed to obtain a high system efficiency. • The HT-PEMFC system with the WGS reactor can be run over a broader range. • The efficiencies of the HT-PEMFC systems without and with a WGS reactor were reported

Low-temperature capacitive sensor based on perovskite oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaza, F., E-mail: fabio.zaza@enea.it; Serra, E.; Caprioli, F. [ENEA-Casaccia R.C. via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome (Italy); Orio, G.; Pasquali, M. [Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, La Sapienza University, Via A. Scarpa 14/16, 00161 Rome (Italy)

2015-06-23

Energy, environmental and social issues drive towards the green political economy and the development of advanced technologies, promoting renewable energy sources, improving energy conversion efficiency and reducing exhaust gas emissions. The development of sustainable technologies requires strategic research in the area of gas sensors for monitoring air quality, controlling gas emissions and optimizing combustion processes. Solid state sensors are the most attractive one because of their simplicity in function, small size and low cost. The aim of this work is to synthetize and characterize strontium titanate and test its sensing performance. The prepared sensor device shows significant sensitivity and response rate at room-temperature. However, because of the low recovery rate, the regeneration of the sensor has to be made at high temperature for promoting the decomposition of the carbonates formed on the perovkite surface.

Low-temperature capacitive sensor based on perovskite oxides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaza, F.; Serra, E.; Caprioli, F.; Orio, G.; Pasquali, M.

2014-01-01

Energy, environmental and social issues drive towards the green political economy and the development of advanced technologies, promoting renewable energy sources, improving energy conversion efficiency and reducing exhaust gas emissions. The development of sustainable technologies requires strategic research in the area of gas sensors for monitoring air quality, controlling gas emissions and optimizing combustion processes. Solid state sensors are the most attractive one because of their simplicity in function, small size and low cost. The aim of this work is to synthetize and characterize strontium titanate and test its sensing performance. The prepared sensor device shows significant sensitivity and response rate at room-temperature. However, because of the low recovery rate, the regeneration of the sensor has to be made at high temperature for promoting the decomposition of the carbonates formed on the perovkite surface

Low-temperature capacitive sensor based on perovskite oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Zaza, F.; Orio, G.; Serra, E.; Caprioli, F.; Pasquali, M.

2015-06-01

Energy, environmental and social issues drive towards the green political economy and the development of advanced technologies, promoting renewable energy sources, improving energy conversion efficiency and reducing exhaust gas emissions. The development of sustainable technologies requires strategic research in the area of gas sensors for monitoring air quality, controlling gas emissions and optimizing combustion processes. Solid state sensors are the most attractive one because of their simplicity in function, small size and low cost. The aim of this work is to synthetize and characterize strontium titanate and test its sensing performance. The prepared sensor device shows significant sensitivity and response rate at room-temperature. However, because of the low recovery rate, the regeneration of the sensor has to be made at high temperature for promoting the decomposition of the carbonates formed on the perovkite surface.

The oxidative stress and antioxidant responses of Litopenaeus vannamei to low temperature and air exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Zihan; Regenstein, Joe M; Xie, Dandan; Lu, Wenjing; Ren, Xingchen; Yuan, Jiajia; Mao, Linchun

2018-01-01

Low temperature and air exposure were the key attributes for waterless transportation of fish and shrimp. In order to investigate the oxidative stress and antioxidant responses of the live shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei in the mimic waterless transportation, live shrimp were cooled at 13 °C for 3 min, stored in oxygen at 15 °C for 12 h, and then revived in water at 25 °C. The survival rate of shrimp under this waterless transportation system was over 86.67%. The ultrastructure of hepatopancreas cells were observed while activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), antisuperoxide anion free radicals (ASAFR), total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative mRNA expressions of CAT and GSH-Px in the hemolymph and hepatopancreas were determined. Slight distortions of some organelles in hepatopancreas cells was reversible upon the shrimp revived from the cold shock. The activities of SOD, POD, CAT, GSH-Px, TAOC, ROS production and relative mRNA expressions of CAT and GSH-Px increased following the cold shock and reached peak levels after 3 or 6 h of storage, and then decreased gradually. There was no significant difference between the fresh and the revived shrimp in SOD, POD, GSH-Px, TAOC, ROS, MDA and relative mRNA expressions of CAT and GSH-Px. The oxidative stress and antioxidant responses were tissue-specific because hepatopancreas seemed to have a greater ability to defend against organelle damage and was more sensitive to stress than hemolymph based on the results of SOD activity, MDA content and GSH-Px mRNA expression. These results revealed that low temperature and air exposure caused significant oxidative and antioxidant responses, but did not lead to irreversible damages in this waterless system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oxidation of X20 in Water Vapour: The Effect of Temperature and Oxygen Partial Pressure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansson, Anette Nørgaard; Montgomery, Melanie; Somers, Marcel A. J.

2009-01-01

The oxidation behaviour of X20 in various mixtures of water, oxygen and hydrogen was investigated at temperatures between 500 C and 700 C (time: 336 h). The samples were characterised using reflected light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy...

Efficient indium-tin-oxide free inverted organic solar cells based on aluminum-doped zinc oxide cathode and low-temperature aqueous solution processed zinc oxide electron extraction layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Dazheng; Zhang, Chunfu; Wang, Zhizhe; Zhang, Jincheng; Tang, Shi; Wei, Wei; Sun, Li; Hao, Yue

2014-01-01

Indium-tin-oxide (ITO) free inverted organic solar cells (IOSCs) based on aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) cathode, low-temperature aqueous solution processed zinc oxide (ZnO) electron extraction layer, and poly(3-hexylthiophene-2, 5-diyl):[6, 6]-phenyl C 61 butyric acid methyl ester blend were realized in this work. The resulted IOSC with ZnO annealed at 150 °C shows the superior power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.01%, if decreasing the ZnO annealing temperature to 100 °C, the obtained IOSC also shows a PCE of 2.76%, and no light soaking issue is observed. It is found that this ZnO film not only acts as an effective buffer layer but also slightly improves the optical transmittance of AZO substrates. Further, despite the relatively inferior air-stability, these un-encapsulated AZO/ZnO IOSCs show comparable PCEs to the referenced ITO/ZnO IOSCs, which demonstrates that the AZO cathode is a potential alternative to ITO in IOSCs. Meanwhile, this simple ZnO process is compatible with large area deposition and plastic substrates, and is promising to be widely used in IOSCs and other relative fields.

Partial oxidation of landfill leachate in supercritical water: Optimization by response surface methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gong, Yanmeng; Wang, Shuzhong; Xu, Haidong; Guo, Yang; Tang, Xingying

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Partial oxidation of landfill leachate in supercritical water was investigated. • The process was optimized by Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology. • GY{sub H2}, TRE and CR could exhibit up to 14.32 mmol·gTOC{sup −1}, 82.54% and 94.56%. • Small amounts of oxidant can decrease the generation of tar and char. - Abstract: To achieve the maximum H{sub 2} yield (GY{sub H2}), TOC removal rate (TRE) and carbon recovery rate (CR), response surface methodology was applied to optimize the process parameters for supercritical water partial oxidation (SWPO) of landfill leachate in a batch reactor. Quadratic polynomial models for GY{sub H2}, CR and TRE were established with Box–Behnken design. GY{sub H2}, CR and TRE reached up to 14.32 mmol·gTOC{sup −1}, 82.54% and 94.56% under optimum conditions, respectively. TRE was invariably above 91.87%. In contrast, TC removal rate (TR) only changed from 8.76% to 32.98%. Furthermore, carbonate and bicarbonate were the most abundant carbonaceous substances in product, whereas CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2} were the most abundant gaseous products. As a product of nitrogen-containing organics, NH{sub 3} has an important effect on gas composition. The carbon balance cannot be reached duo to the formation of tar and char. CR increased with the increase of temperature and oxidation coefficient.

Reduced water vapor transmission rates of low-temperature solution-processed metal oxide barrier films via ultraviolet annealing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Seonuk; Jeong, Yong Jin; Baek, Yonghwa; Kim, Lae Ho; Jang, Jin Hyuk; Kim, Yebyeol [POSTECH Organic Electronics Laboratory, Polymer Research Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); An, Tae Kyu [Department of Polymer Science & Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, 50 Daehak-Ro, Chungju (Korea, Republic of); Nam, Sooji, E-mail: sjnam15@etri.re.kr [Information Control Device Section, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Daejeon, 305-700 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Se Hyun, E-mail: shkim97@yu.ac.kr [School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang 712-749 (Korea, Republic of); Jang, Jaeyoung, E-mail: jyjang15@hanyang.ac.kr [Department of Energy Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Chan Eon, E-mail: cep@postech.ac.kr [POSTECH Organic Electronics Laboratory, Polymer Research Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-31

Highlights: • Sol-gel-derived aluminum oxide thin films were prepared using ultraviolet (UV) annealing. • UV irradiation dramatically promoted the densification of AlO{sub x} during the annealing stage, thereby forming a close-packed AlO{sub x} film. • The resulting AlO{sub x} films deposited on polymer substrates exhibited good water vapor blocking properties with low water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs). - Abstract: Here, we report the fabrication of low-temperature sol-gel-derived aluminum oxide (AlO{sub x}) films via ultraviolet (UV) annealing and the investigation of their water vapor blocking properties by measuring the water vapor transmission rates (WVTRs). The UV annealing process induced the formation of a dense metal-oxygen-metal bond (Al-O-Al structure) at low temperatures (<200 °C) that are compatible with commercial plastic substrates. The density of the UV-annealed AlO{sub x} thin film at 180 °C was comparable to that of AlO{sub x} thin films that have been thermally annealed at 350 °C. Furthermore, the UV-annealed AlO{sub x} thin films exhibited a high optical transparency in the visible region (>99%) and good electrical insulating properties (∼10{sup −7} A/cm{sup 2} at 2 MV/cm). Finally, we confirmed that a dense AlO{sub x} thin film was successfully deposited onto the plastic substrate via UV annealing at low temperatures, leading to a substantial reduction in the WVTRs. The Ca corrosion test was used to measure the WVTRs of AlO{sub x} thin films deposited onto polyethylene naphthalate or polyimide substrates, determined to be 0.0095 g m{sup −2} day{sup −1} (25 °C, 50% relative humidity) and 0.26 g m{sup −2} day{sup −1}, respectively.

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) Characterization of Reformate-operated High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell Stack

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sahlin, Simon Lennart; Simon Araya, Samuel; Andreasen, Søren Juhl

2017-01-01

their effects on a reformate-operated stack. Polarization curves were also recorded to complement the impedance analysis of the researched phenomena. An equivalent circuit model was used to estimate the different resistances at varying parameters. It showed a significantly higher low frequency resistance......, λanode= 1.6 for reformate operation and λcathode= 4.The work also compared dry hydrogen, steam reforming and autothermal reforming gas feeds at160 ◦Cand showed appreciably lower performance in the case of autothermal reforming at the same stoichiometry, mainly attributable to mass transport related...

Thin film oxygen partial pressure sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Wortman, J. J.; Harrison, J. W.; Honbarrier, H. L.; Yen, J.

1972-01-01

The development is described of a laboratory model oxygen partial pressure sensor using a sputtered zinc oxide thin film. The film is operated at about 400 C through the use of a miniature silicon bar. Because of the unique resistance versus temperature relation of the silicon bar, control of the operational temperature is achieved by controlling the resistance. A circuit for accomplishing this is described. The response of sputtered zinc oxide films of various thicknesses to oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, and water vapor caused a change in the film resistance. Over a large range, film conductance varied approximately as the square root of the oxygen partial pressure. The presence of water vapor in the gas stream caused a shift in the film conductance at a given oxygen partial pressure. A theoretical model is presented to explain the characteristic features of the zinc oxide response to oxygen.

Microbial activities in boreal soils: Biodegradation of organic contaminants at low temperature and ammonia oxidation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurola, J. (University of Helsinki, Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Lahti (FI))

2006-07-01

This thesis deals with the response of biodegradation of selected anthropogenic organic contaminants and natural autochthonous organic matter to low temperature in boreal surface soils. Furthermore, the thesis describes activity, diversity and population size of autotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in a boreal soil used for landfarming of oil-refinery wastes, and presents a new approach, in which the particular AOB were enriched and cultivated in situ from the landfarming soil onto cation exchange membranes. This thesis demonstrates that rhizosphere fraction of natural forest humus soil and agricultural clay loam soil from Helsinki Metropolitan area were capable of degrading of low to moderate concentrations (0.2 - 50 mug cm-3) of PCP, phenanthrene and 2,4,5-TCP at temperatures realistic to boreal climate (-2.5 to +15 deg C). At the low temperatures, the biodegradation of PCP, phenanthrene and 2,4,5-TCP was more effective (Q10-values from 1.6 to 7.6) in the rhizosphere fraction of the forest soil than in the agricultural soil. Q10-values of endogenous soil respiration (carbon dioxide evolution) and selected hydrolytic enzyme activities (acetate-esterase, butyrate-esterase and beta-glucosidase) in acid coniferous forest soil were 1.6 to 2.8 at temperatures from -3 to +30 deg C. The results indicated that the temperature dependence of decomposition of natural autochthonous soil organic matter in the studied coniferous forest was only moderate. The numbers of AOB in the landfarming (sandy clay loam) soil were determined with quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) and with Most Probable Number (MPN) methods, and potential ammonium oxidation activity was measured with the chlorate inhibition technique. The results indicated presence of large and active AOB populations in the heavily oil-contaminated and urea-fertilised landfarming soil. Assessment of the populations of AOB with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiling and sequence

Hydrogen production from steam reforming of ethanol over Ni/MgO-CeO_2 catalyst at low temperature

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

石秋杰; 刘承伟; 谌伟庆

2009-01-01

MgO,CeO2 and MgO-CeO2 with different mole ratio of Mg:Ce were prepared by solid-phase burning method.Catalysts Ni/MgO,Ni/CeO2 and Ni/MgO-CeO2 were prepared by impregnation method.The catalytic properties were evaluated in ethanol steam reforming(ESR) reaction.Specific surface areas of the supports were measured by nitrogen adsorption-desorption at 77 K,and the catalysts were characterized with X-ray diffraction(XRD),temperature programmed reduction(TPR) and thermogravimetric(TG).The results showed that well...

Chemical Makeup and Hydrophilic Behavior of Graphene Oxide Nanoribbons after Low-Temperature Fluorination.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero Aburto, Rebeca; Alemany, Lawrence B; Weldeghiorghis, Thomas K; Ozden, Sehmus; Peng, Zhiwei; Lherbier, Aurélien; Botello Méndez, Andrés Rafael; Tiwary, Chandra Sekhar; Taha-Tijerina, Jaime; Yan, Zheng; Tabata, Mika; Charlier, Jean-Christophe; Tour, James M; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2015-07-28

Here we investigated the fluorination of graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONRs) using H2 and F2 gases at low temperature, below 200 °C, with the purpose of elucidating their structure and predicting a fluorination mechanism. The importance of this study is the understanding of how fluorine functional groups are incorporated in complex structures, such as GONRs, as a function of temperature. The insight provided herein can potentially help engineer application-oriented materials for several research and industrial sectors. Direct (13)C pulse magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) confirmed the presence of epoxy, hydroxyl, ester and ketone carbonyl, tertiary alkyl fluorides, as well as graphitic sp(2)-hybridized carbon. Moreover, (19)F-(13)C cross-polarization MAS NMR with (1)H and (19)F decoupling confirmed the presence of secondary alkyl fluoride (CF2) groups in the fluorinated graphene oxide nanoribbon (FGONR) structures fluorinated above 50 °C. First-principles density functional theory calculations gained insight into the atomic arrangement of the most dominant chemical groups. The fluorinated GONRs present atomic fluorine percentages in the range of 6-35. Interestingly, the FGONRs synthesized up to 100 °C, with 6-19% of atomic fluorine, exhibit colloidal similar stability in aqueous environments when compared to GONRs. This colloidal stability is important because it is not common for materials with up to 19% fluorine to have a high degree of hydrophilicity.

Ultrafine ferromagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: Facile synthesis by low temperature decomposition of iron glycerolate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartůněk, Vilém, E-mail: vilem.bartunek@vscht.cz [Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Průcha, David [Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Švecová, Marie [Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Ulbrich, Pavel [Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 3, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Huber, Štěpán; Sedmidubský, David; Jankovský, Ondřej [Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

2016-09-01

We synthesized dark colored ultrafine – sub 10 nm iron oxide nanoparticles by a facile and low temperature process based on thermal decomposition of an affordable precursor – iron glycerolate. Simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) was used to study the thermal behaviour during the decomposition. The iron glycerolate was thoroughly analysed by various methods. The size of the iron nanoparticles was determined from XRD patterns and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and their composition has been confirmed by XPS. Magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were studied by vibrating sample magnetometry. The prepared single phase material exhibiting ferromagnetic properties is usable in a wide range of applications and may be suitable even for large scale industrial applications. - Highlights: • Iron glycerolate prepared and characterised. • Iron oxide nanoparticles prepared by thermal decomposition of iron glycerolate. • STA used to study the decomposition. • Products characterised by XRD, XPS, FT-IR, SEM and TEM. • Magnetic behaviour of monophasic samples determined.

Internal reforming of methane in a mono-block-layer build solid oxide fuel cell with an embedding porous pipe: Numerical analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramírez-Minguela, J.J.; Mendoza-Miranda, J.M.; Muñoz-Carpio, V.D.; Rangel-Hernández, V.H.; Pérez-García, V.; Rodríguez-Muñoz, J.L.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A MOLB-type SOFC with different biogas compositions is modeled. • Internal reforming of methane and water gas shift in the anode side are considered. • Changes in the SOFC according to the phenomena inside of them are assessed. • A new configuration for the MOLB-type geometry is proposed. • Temperature gradients effects in the new configuration are significant. - Abstract: A mono-block-layer build type (MOLB-type) geometry, composed with trapezoidal cross-section channels for fuel and air, of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), is modeled in this study using a three dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The model is used to obtain the performance of the SOFC considering internal reforming of methane in the anode side with different biogas compositions. From the results obtained, a new configuration for the MOLB-type geometry is proposed. The model takes into account the mass transfer, heat transfer, species transport, chemical and electrochemical reactions, detailed comparisons of species concentration, temperature and electric fields inside the cell analyzed in the present study. Results show that the biogas from local sludge has the lower temperature gradient and more homogeneous current density distributions along of the fuel cell, on the other hand, with the new configuration proposed for the MOLB-type geometry the temperature distribution inside of the fuel cell has lower temperature gradients

Exergy Analysis of an Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine Hybrid System Fed with Ethanol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fotini Tzorbatzoglou

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In the present work, an ethanol fed Solid Oxide Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine (SOFC-GT system has been parametrically analyzed in terms of exergy and compared with a single SOFC system. The solid oxide fuel cell was fed with hydrogen produced from ethanol steam reforming. The hydrogen utilization factor values were kept between 0.7 and 1. The SOFC’s Current-Volt performance was considered in the range of 0.1–3 A/cm2 at 0.9–0.3 V, respectively, and at the intermediate operating temperatures of 550 and 600 °C, respectively. The curves used represent experimental results obtained from the available bibliography. Results indicated that for low current density values the single SOFC system prevails over the SOFC-GT hybrid system in terms of exergy efficiency, while at higher current density values the latter is more efficient. It was found that as the value of the utilization factor increases the SOFC system becomes more efficient than the SOFC-GT system over a wider range of current density values. It was also revealed that at high current density values the increase of SOFC operation temperature leads in both cases to higher system efficiency values.

The Effect of Ethanol Addition to Gasoline on Low- and Intermediate-Temperature Heat Release under Boosted Conditions in Kinetically Controlled Engines

Science.gov (United States)

Vuilleumier, David Malcolm

The detailed study of chemical kinetics in engines has become required to further advance engine efficiency while simultaneously lowering engine emissions. This push for higher efficiency engines is not caused by a lack of oil, but by efforts to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, that cause global warming. To operate in more efficient manners while reducing traditional pollutant emissions, modern internal combustion piston engines are forced to operate in regimes in which combustion is no longer fully transport limited, and instead is at least partially governed by chemical kinetics of combusting mixtures. Kinetically-controlled combustion allows the operation of piston engines at high compression ratios, with partially-premixed dilute charges; these operating conditions simultaneously provide high thermodynamic efficiency and low pollutant formation. The investigations presented in this dissertation study the effect of ethanol addition on the low-temperature chemistry of gasoline type fuels in engines. These investigations are carried out both in a simplified, fundamental engine experiment, named Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition, as well as in more applied engine systems, named Gasoline Compression Ignition engines and Partial Fuel Stratification engines. These experimental investigations, and the accompanying modeling work, show that ethanol is an effective scavenger of radicals at low temperatures, and this inhibits the low temperature pathways of gasoline oxidation. Further, the investigations measure the sensitivity of gasoline auto-ignition to system pressure at conditions that are relevant to modern engines. It is shown that at pressures above 40 bar and temperatures below 850 Kelvin, gasoline begins to exhibit Low-Temperature Heat Release. However, the addition of 20% ethanol raises the pressure requirement to 60 bar, while the temperature requirement remains unchanged. These findings have major implications for a range of modern engines

Revisiting the Kinetics and Thermodynamics of the Low-Temperature Oxidation Pathways of Alkanes: A Case Study of the Three Pentane Isomers

KAUST Repository

Bugler, John; Somers, Kieran P.; Silke, Emma J.; Curran, Henry J.

2015-01-01

pertinent to important low-temperature oxidation reaction classes has been performed, and new rate rules are recommended for these classes. Several reaction classes have also been included to determine their importance with regard to simulation results

Oxidation and low temperature properties of biofuels obtained from pyrolysis and alcoholysis of soybean oil and their blends with petroleum diesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Brajendra K. [Food and Industrial Oil Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1815N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Suarez, Paulo A.Z. [Food and Industrial Oil Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1815N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604 (United States); LMC-IQ, Universidade de Brasilia, CP 4478, CEP 70919-970, Brasilia-DF (Brazil); Perez, Joseph M. [Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Erhan, Sevim Z. [Food and Industrial Oil Research Unit, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1815N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604 (United States)

2009-10-15

Diesel-like fuels were synthesized by a pyrolysis method using soybean oil (pyrodiesel, PD) and soybean soapstock (SPD), respectively, as starting material. These pyrodiesel samples were compared with soy biodiesel (BD) samples. All these three biofuels (PD, SPD and BD) and their blends with high sulfur (HSD) and low sulfur (LSD) diesel fuels were evaluated by measuring a number of fuel properties, such as oxidative stability, low-temperature performance, acid value and corrosion properties. Compared to BD blends, PD and SPD and their blends were found to have better oxidative stability, though inferior acid values. SPD and its blends have better flow performance at low-temperature compared to BD and PD blends. All the biofuels and their blends met the copper corrosion requirement prescribed by US and European standard. Based on the results reported here, pyrodiesels from these two-different feedstocks have potential and will require some upgrading or change in pyrolysis conditions, if they are to be used as fuel blending component. (author)

Oxidation of SiC/BN/SiC Composites in Reduced Oxygen Partial Pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Opila, Elizabeth J.; Boyd, Meredith

2010-01-01

SiC fiber-reinforced SiC composites with a BN interphase are proposed for use as leading edge structures of hypersonic vehicles. The durability of these materials under hypersonic flight conditions is therefore of interest. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to characterize the oxidation kinetics of both the constituent fibers and composite coupons at four temperatures: 816, 1149, 1343, and 1538 C (1500, 2100, 2450, and 2800 F) and in oxygen partial pressures between 5% and 0.1% (balance argon) at 1 atm total pressure. One edge of the coupons was ground off so the effects of oxygen ingress into the composite could be monitored by post-test SEM and EDS. Additional characterization of the oxidation products was conducted by XPS and TOF-SIMS. Under most conditions, the BN oxidized rapidly, leading to the formation of borosilicate glass. Rapid initial oxidation followed by volatilization of boria lead to protective oxide formation and further oxidation was slow. At 1538C in 5% oxygen, both the fibers and coupons exhibited borosilicate glass formation and bubbling. At 1538C in 0.1% oxygen, active oxidation of both the fibers and the composites was observed leading to rapid SiC degradation. BN oxidation at 1538C in 0.1% oxygen was not significant.

Rational design of Mg-Al mixed oxide-supported bimetallic catalysts for dry reforming of methane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsyganok, Andrey I. [Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, Department of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, D' Iorio Hall, 10 Marie Curie Street, Ottawa, Ont. (Canada); Inaba, Mieko [Natural Gas Technology Development Team, Teikoku Oil Co., 9-23-30 Kitakarasuyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-0061 (Japan); Tsunoda, Tatsuo; Uchida, Kunio; Suzuki, Kunio; Hayakawa, Takashi [Institute for Materials and Chemical Process, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565 (Japan); Takehira, Katsuomi [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8527 (Japan)

2005-09-18

A novel synthetic strategy for preparing bimetallic Ru-M (M=Cr, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu) catalysts, supported on Mg-Al mixed oxide, has been introduced. It was based on a 'memory effect', i.e. on the ability of Mg-Al mixed oxide to reconstruct a layered structure upon rehydration with an aqueous solution. By repeated calcinations-rehydration cycles, layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors of catalysts containing two different metals were synthesized. Bimetallic catalysts were then generated (1) in situ from LDH under methane reforming reaction conditions and (2) from mixed metal oxides obtained by preliminary LDH calcination. Among all the LDH-derived catalysts, a Ru{sup 0.1%}-Ni{sup 5.0%}/MgAlO{sub x} sample revealed the highest activity and selectivity to syngas, a suitable durability and a low coking capacity. A promoting effect of ruthenium on catalytic function of supported nickel was demonstrated. Preliminary LDH calcination was shown to markedly affect the catalytic activity of the derived catalysts and especially their coking properties.

Co-current and Counter-Current Operations for Steam Reforming of Heptane in a Novel CFB Membrane Reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.; Elnashaie, S.S.E.H.

2004-01-01

Hydrogen production by steam reforming of higher hydrocarbon over nickel supported catalyst is investigated in an earlier suggested novel Circulating Fast Fluidized Bed Membrane Reformer (CFFBMR). Palladium hydrogen membranes are used with co-current and counter-current operation modes. It is found that hydrogen production has a non-monotonic dependence upon the reaction temperature in the range of 623-823 K. Between 623 and 723 K. the yields of hydrogen decrease and then increase between 723 and 823 K. This important phenomenon is investigated, discussed and explained. The simulation results shows that the reformer performance can be significantly improved using hydrogen membranes, especially in the counter-current operation mode. At low temperatures around 623 K, both .co-current and counter-current operation modes provide similar yields of hydrogen. While at temperature 723 K and higher, the counter-current operation provides the highest yield of hydrogen