Bench-scale demonstration of hot-gas desulfurization technology. Quarterly report, April 1 - June 30, 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-12-31

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) is sponsoring research in advanced methods for controlling contaminants in hot coal gasifier gas (coal gas) streams of integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) power systems. The programs focus on hot-gas particulate removal and desulfurization technologies that match or nearly match the temperatures and pressures of the gasifier, cleanup system, and power generator. The work seeks to eliminate the need for expensive heat recovery equipment, reduce efficiency losses due to quenching, and minimize wastewater treatment costs. The goal of this project is to continue further development of the zinc titanate desulfurizationmore » and direct sulfur recovery process (DSRP) technologies by (1) scaling up the zinc titanate reactor system; (2) developing an integrated skid-mounted zinc titanate desulfurization-DSRP reactor system; (3) testing the integrated system over an extended period with real coal-as from an operating gasifier to quantify the degradative effect, if any, of the trace contaminants present in cola gas; (4) developing an engineering database suitable for system scaleup; and (5) designing, fabricating and commissioning a larger DSRP reactor system capable of operating on a six-fold greater volume of gas than the DSRP reactor used in the bench-scale field test. The work performed during the April 1 through June 30, 1996 period is described.« less

Coal technology program progress report, February 1976

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

Final testing of the 20-atm bench-scale system is underway in preparation for experiments with hydrogen. Laboratory-scale testing of a number of inexpensive pure compounds to improve the settling rate of solids in Solvent Refined Coal (SRC) unfiltered oil (UFO), bench-scale testing of the effect of the Tretolite additive on settling, and characterization tests on a new sample of UFO from the PAMCO-SRC process are reported. Experimental engineering support of an in situ gasification process include low-temperature pyrolyses at exceptionally low heating rates (0.3/sup 0/C/min). Highly pyrophoric chars were consistently produced. Aqueous by-products from coal conversion technologies and oil shale retortingmore » have been analyzed directly to determine major organic components. A report is being prepared discussing various aspects of the engineering evaluations of nuclear process heat for coal. A bench-scale test program on thermochemical water splitting for hydrogen production is under consideration. In the coal-fueled MIUS program, preparations for procurement of tubing for the matrix in the fluidized-bed furnace and for fabrication of the furnace continued. Analyses of the AiResearch gas turbine and recuperator under coal-fueled MIUS operating conditions are near completion. Process flow diagrams and heat and material balances were completed for most of the units in the synthoil process. Overall utilities requirements were calculated and the coal preparation flowsheets were finalized. For hydrocarbonization, the flowsheet was revised to include additional coal data. Flowsheets were finalized for the acid gas separation and recycle, and the oil-solids separation. (LTN)« less

Scalable 96-well Plate Based iPSC Culture and Production Using a Robotic Liquid Handling System.

PubMed

Conway, Michael K; Gerger, Michael J; Balay, Erin E; O'Connell, Rachel; Hanson, Seth; Daily, Neil J; Wakatsuki, Tetsuro

2015-05-14

Continued advancement in pluripotent stem cell culture is closing the gap between bench and bedside for using these cells in regenerative medicine, drug discovery and safety testing. In order to produce stem cell derived biopharmaceutics and cells for tissue engineering and transplantation, a cost-effective cell-manufacturing technology is essential. Maintenance of pluripotency and stable performance of cells in downstream applications (e.g., cell differentiation) over time is paramount to large scale cell production. Yet that can be difficult to achieve especially if cells are cultured manually where the operator can introduce significant variability as well as be prohibitively expensive to scale-up. To enable high-throughput, large-scale stem cell production and remove operator influence novel stem cell culture protocols using a bench-top multi-channel liquid handling robot were developed that require minimal technician involvement or experience. With these protocols human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were cultured in feeder-free conditions directly from a frozen stock and maintained in 96-well plates. Depending on cell line and desired scale-up rate, the operator can easily determine when to passage based on a series of images showing the optimal colony densities for splitting. Then the necessary reagents are prepared to perform a colony split to new plates without a centrifugation step. After 20 passages (~3 months), two iPSC lines maintained stable karyotypes, expressed stem cell markers, and differentiated into cardiomyocytes with high efficiency. The system can perform subsequent high-throughput screening of new differentiation protocols or genetic manipulation designed for 96-well plates. This technology will reduce the labor and technical burden to produce large numbers of identical stem cells for a myriad of applications.

Bench-Scale Filtration Testing in Support of the Pretreatment Engineering Platform (PEP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Billing, Justin M.; Daniel, Richard C.; Kurath, Dean E.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been tasked by Bechtel National Inc. (BNI) on the River Protection Project-Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (RPP-WTP) project to perform research and development activities to resolve technical issues identified for the Pretreatment Facility (PTF). The Pretreatment Engineering Platform (PEP) was designed, constructed and operated as part of a plan to respond to issue M12, “Undemonstrated Leaching Processes.” The PEP is a 1/4.5-scale test platform designed to simulate the WTP pretreatment caustic leaching, oxidative leaching, ultrafiltration solids concentration, and slurry washing processes. The PEP testing program specifies that bench-scale testing is to bemore » performed in support of specific operations, including filtration, caustic leaching, and oxidative leaching.« less

Orodispersible films: Product transfer from lab-scale to continuous manufacturing.

PubMed

Thabet, Yasmin; Breitkreutz, Joerg

2018-01-15

Orodispersible films have been described as new beneficial dosage forms for special patient populations. Due to various production settings, different requirements on film formulations are required for non- continuous and continuous manufacturing. In this study, a continuous coating machine was qualified in regards of the process conditions for film compositions and their effects on the formed films. To investigate differences between both manufacturing processes, various film formulations of hydrochlorothiazide and hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) or hydroxypropylmethycellulose (HPMC) as film formers were produced and the resulting films were characterized. The qualification of the continuously operating coating machine reveals no uniform heat distribution during drying. Coating solutions for continuous manufacturing should provide at least a dynamic viscosity of 1 Pa*s (wet film thickness of 500 μm, velocity of 15.9 cm/min). HPC films contain higher residuals of ethanol or acetone in bench-scale than in continuous production mode. Continuous production lead to lower drug content of the films. All continuously produced films disintegrate within less than 30 s. There are observed significant effects of the production process on the film characteristics. When transferring film manufacturing from lab-scale to continuous mode, film compositions, processing conditions and suitable characterization methods have to be carefully selected and adopted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bench-Scale Testing and Process Performance Projections of CO2 Capture by CO2–Binding Organic Liquids (CO2BOLs) With and Without Polarity-Swing-Assisted Regeneration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zheng, Feng; Heldebrant, David J.; Mathias, Paul M.

This manuscript provides a detailed analysis of a continuous flow, bench scale study of the CO2BOL solvent platform with and without its Polarity Swing Assisted Regeneration (PSAR). This study encompassed four months of continuous flow testing of a candidate CO2BOL with a thermal regeneration and PSAR regeneration using decane antisolvent. In both regeneration schemes, steady state capture of >90 %CO2 was achieved using simulated flue gas at acceptable L/G ratios. Aspen Plus™ modeling was performed to assess process performance compared to previous equilibrium performance projections. This paper also includes net power projections, and comparisons to DOE’s Case 10 amine baseline.

SUPERFUND TREATABILITY CLEARINGHOUSE: BENGART AND MEMEL (BENCH-SCALE), GULFPORT (BENCH AND PILOT-SCALE), MONTANA POLE (BENCH-SCALE), AND WESTERN PROCESSING (BENCH-SCALE) TREATABILITY STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

This document presents summary data on the results of various treatability studies (bench and pilot scale), conducted at three different sites where soils were contaminated with dioxins or PCBs. The synopsis is meant to show rough performance levels under a variety of differen...

Metal Hydrides for High-Temperature Power Generation

DOE PAGES

Ronnebro, Ewa; Whyatt, Greg A.; Powell, Michael R.; ...

2015-08-10

Metal hydrides can be utilized for hydrogen storage and for thermal energy storage (TES) applications. By using TES with solar technologies, heat can be stored from sun energy to be used later which enables continuous power generation. We are developing a TES technology based on a dual-bed metal hydride system, which has a high-temperature (HT) metal hydride operating reversibly at 600-800°C to generate heat as well as a low-temperature (LT) hydride near room temperature that is used for hydrogen storage during sun hours until there is a need to produce electricity, such as during night time, a cloudy day, ormore » during peak hours. We proceeded from selecting a high-energy density, low-cost HT-hydride based on performance characterization on gram size samples, to scale-up to kilogram quantities and design, fabrication and testing of a 1.5kWh, 200kWh/m 3 bench-scale TES prototype based on a HT-bed of titanium hydride and a hydrogen gas storage instead of a LT-hydride. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to make performance predictions for cylindrical hydride beds with varying diameters and thermal conductivities. Based on experimental and modeling results, a bench-scale prototype was designed and fabricated and we successfully showed feasibility to meet or exceed all performance targets.« less

Catalytic Hydrogenation of Bio-Oil for Chemicals and Fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Douglas C.

2006-02-14

The scope of work includes optimizing processing conditions and demonstrating catalyst lifetime for catalyst formulations that are readily scaleable to commercial operations. We use a bench-scale, continuous-flow, packed-bed, catalytic, tubular reactor, which can be operated in the range of 100-400 mL/hr., from 50-400 C and up to 20MPa (see Figure 1). With this unit we produce upgraded bio-oil from whole bio-oil or useful bio-oil fractions, specifically pyrolytic lignin. The product oils are fractionated, for example by distillation, for recovery of chemical product streams. Other products from our tests have been used in further testing in petroleum refining technology at UOPmore » and fractionation for product recovery in our own lab. Further scale-up of the technology is envisioned and we will carry out or support process design efforts with industrial partners, such as UOP.« less

Portable bench tester for piezo weigh-in-motion equipment : final report, June 2006.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-06-01

The Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT) piezo weigh-in-motion (WIM) equipment must be tested for initial working operation and to insure continued correct operation. Currently, the only available method to verify the vehicle classification par...

Immobilized lysozyme for the continuous lysis of lactic bacteria in wine: Bench-scale fluidized-bed reactor study.

PubMed

Cappannella, Elena; Benucci, Ilaria; Lombardelli, Claudio; Liburdi, Katia; Bavaro, Teodora; Esti, Marco

2016-11-01

Lysozyme from hen egg white (HEWL) was covalently immobilized on spherical supports based on microbial chitosan in order to develop a system for the continuous, efficient and food-grade enzymatic lysis of lactic bacteria (Oenococcus oeni) in white and red wine. The objective is to limit the sulfur dioxide dosage required to control malolactic fermentation, via a cell concentration typical during this process. The immobilization procedure was optimized in batch mode, evaluating the enzyme loading, the specific activity, and the kinetic parameters in model wine. Subsequently, a bench-scale fluidized-bed reactor was developed, applying the optimized process conditions. HEWL appeared more effective in the immobilized form than in the free one, when the reactor was applied in real white and red wine. This preliminary study suggests that covalent immobilization renders the enzyme less sensitive to the inhibitory effect of wine flavans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biogas Production from Rice Husk Waste by using Solid State Anaerobic Digestion (SSAD) Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matin, Hashfi Hawali Abdul; Hadiyanto

2018-02-01

An effort to obtain alternative energy is still interesting subject to be studied, especially production of biogas from agriculture waste. This paper was an overview of the latest development of biogas researches from rice husk waste by Solid State Anaerobic Digestion (SSAD). The main obstacle of biogas production from rice husk waste was the lignin content which is very difficult degraded by microbes. Various pretreatments have been conducted, either physically, chemically as well as biologically. The SSAD method was an attractive option because of the low water content of rice husk waste. The biogas yield by SSAD method gave more attractive result compared to Liquid Anaerobic Digestion (LAD) method. Various studies were still conducted in batch mode laboratory scale and also has not found optimum operating conditions. Research on a larger scale such as bench and pilot scale with continuous systems will be an increase trend in the future research.

Measure Twice, Build Once: Bench-Scale Testing to Evaluate Bioretention Media Design

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses the utility of conducting bench-scale testing on selected bioretention media and media amendments to validate hydrologic properties before installing media and amendments in larger pilot- or full-scale rain garden installations. The bench-scale study conclude...

Foaming phenomenon in bench-scale anaerobic digesters.

PubMed

Siebels, Amanda M; Long, Sharon C

2013-04-01

The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (The District) in Madison, Wisconsin has been experiencing seasonal foaming in their anaerobic biosolids digesters, which has occurred from mid-November to late June for the past few years. The exact cause(s) of foaming is unknown. Previous research findings are unclear as to whether applications of advanced anaerobic digestion processes reduce the foaming potential of digesters. The object of this study was to investigate how configurations of thermophilic and acid phase-thermophilic anaerobic digestion would affect foaming at the bench-scale level compared to single stage mesophilic digestion for The District. Bench-scale anaerobic digesters were fed with a 4 to 4.5% by dry weight of solids content blend of waste activated sludge (WAS) and primary sludge from The District. Foaming potential was monitored using Alka-Seltzer and aeration foaming tests. The bench-scale acid phase-thermophilic digester had a higher foaming potential than the bench-scale mesophilic digester. These results indicate that higher temperatures increase the foaming potential of the bench-scale anaerobic digesters. The bench-scale acid phase-thermophilic digesters had a greater percent (approximately 5 to 10%) volatile solids destruction and a greater percent (approximately 5 to 10%) total solids destruction when compared to the bench-scale mesophilic digester. Overall, for the full-scale foaming experienced by The District, it appears that adding an acid phase or switching to thermophilic digestion would not alleviate The District's foaming issues.

Development and Validity of a Scale of Perception of Velocity in Resistance Exercise

PubMed Central

Bautista, Iker J.; Chirosa, Ignacio J.; Chirosa, Luis J.; Martín, Ignacio; González, Andrés; Robertson, Robert J.

2014-01-01

This aims of this study were twofold; 1) to development a new scale of perceived velocity in the bench press exercise and 2) to examine the scales concurrent validity. Twenty one physically active males with mean ±SD age, height and weights of: 27.5 ± 4.7 years, 1.77 ± 0.07 m, and 79.8 ± 10.3 kg respectively, took part in the study. The criterion variable used to test the validity of the new scale was the mean execution velocity (Velreal) of the bench press exercise. Three intensities (light loads [< 40% 1RM], medium loads [40% -70% 1RM] and heavy loads [> 70% 1RM]) were measured randomly during 5 days of testing. Perceived velocity (Velscale) was measured immediately after each exercise set using the new scale. A positive linear correlation (r range = 0.69 to 0.81) was found in all three intensities, analyzed individually, between the Velreal and Velscale. Pearson correlations showed a greater frequency of scale use resulted higher correlation values (range r = 0.88 to 0.96). This study provides evidence of the concurrent validity of a new scale of perceived velocity in the bench press exercise in trained adult males. These results suggest the exercise intensity of the bench press can be quantified quickly and effective using this new scale of perceived velocity, particularly when training for maximum power. Key Points Measurement of perception of velocity can complement other scales of perception such as the 15 category Borg scale or the OMNI-RES. The results obtained in this study show that there was a positive correlation between the perceived velocity measured by the scale and actual velocity Regular use of the new scale of perceived velocity in external resistance training provides athletes with continuous feedback of execution velocity in each repetition and set, especially with high power loads PMID:25177180

Development and validity of a scale of perception of velocity in resistance exercise.

PubMed

Bautista, Iker J; Chirosa, Ignacio J; Chirosa, Luis J; Martín, Ignacio; González, Andrés; Robertson, Robert J

2014-09-01

This aims of this study were twofold; 1) to development a new scale of perceived velocity in the bench press exercise and 2) to examine the scales concurrent validity. Twenty one physically active males with mean ±SD age, height and weights of: 27.5 ± 4.7 years, 1.77 ± 0.07 m, and 79.8 ± 10.3 kg respectively, took part in the study. The criterion variable used to test the validity of the new scale was the mean execution velocity (Velreal) of the bench press exercise. Three intensities (light loads [< 40% 1RM], medium loads [40% -70% 1RM] and heavy loads [> 70% 1RM]) were measured randomly during 5 days of testing. Perceived velocity (Velscale) was measured immediately after each exercise set using the new scale. A positive linear correlation (r range = 0.69 to 0.81) was found in all three intensities, analyzed individually, between the Velreal and Velscale. Pearson correlations showed a greater frequency of scale use resulted higher correlation values (range r = 0.88 to 0.96). This study provides evidence of the concurrent validity of a new scale of perceived velocity in the bench press exercise in trained adult males. These results suggest the exercise intensity of the bench press can be quantified quickly and effective using this new scale of perceived velocity, particularly when training for maximum power. Key PointsMeasurement of perception of velocity can complement other scales of perception such as the 15 category Borg scale or the OMNI-RES.The results obtained in this study show that there was a positive correlation between the perceived velocity measured by the scale and actual velocityRegular use of the new scale of perceived velocity in external resistance training provides athletes with continuous feedback of execution velocity in each repetition and set, especially with high power loads.

Bench-Scale Trace Contaminant Testing of SA9T at Ambient and Reduced Pressure Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broerman, Craig; Sweterlitsch, Jeff

2011-01-01

A principal concern for air revitalization technology in a closed loop system is the capability to control carbon dioxide (CO2) and humidity (H2O). An amine based sorbent technology, SA9T, has been evaluated for use in this application and several programs are evaluating it for use in both cabin and space suit applications. While the CO2 and H2O performance of the sorbent has been tested extensively, the question of how trace contaminants impact performance requires further evaluation. This paper presents experimental results of bench-scale SA9T testing that was performed under a variety of test conditions and with several different trace contaminants. Tests were conducted to determine if the capacity of the SA9T media to sufficiently remove CO2 and H2O is compromised after exposure to a fully saturated trace contaminant at ambient conditions. Tests also were conducted to evaluate the performance of SA9T at ambient conditions in a continuous 30-day test with a mixed trace contaminant stream. In addition, testing also evaluated the impact of CO2 and H2O removal performance at suit loop pressures (29.6 KPa/4.3 psia) during cyclic operation with a constant inlet contaminant load.

Removal of unburned carbon from coal fly ash using a pneumatic triboelectrostatic separator.

PubMed

Kim, J K; Cho, H C; Kim, S C

2001-01-01

A pneumatic triboelectrostatic beneficiation system of fly ash was studied using a continuous, bench-scale electroseparator composed of two vertical electrode plates and an ejector-tribocharger. Tests were conducted to evaluate the charge density and the separation efficiency at various operating conditions. It was found that the higher charge densities were obtained at (1) the air flow rate of 1.75 m3/min. (2) the feed rate of less than 50 kg/h. and (3) the relative humidity of less than 30% with use of a stainless ejector tribocharger. With these optimum conditions, the clean ash of less than LOI 3% was recovered with a yield over 75% when operated at the diffuser slit gap of 4mm, the diffuser outlet velocity of 16.1-18.6 m/s, and the distance of 15 cm between diffuser slit and splitter. The optimum feed rate was found to be 740 kg/h per m2 of electrode surface area, which can be used as a scale-up factor of electroseparator.

ELECTROCHEMICAL ARSENIC REMEDIATION IN RURAL BANGLADESH

EPA Science Inventory

In Year 1, we built a bench-scale continuous flow prototype (dubbed “Sushi” for its sushi-like electrode roll) and completed preliminary field trials in Bangladesh. We were also able to leverage additional funding to complete preliminary field trials in arsenic-...

Advanced, Energy-Efficient Hybrid Membrane System for Industrial Water Reuse

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Toy, Lora; Choi, Young Chul; Hendren, Zachary

In the U.S. manufacturing sector, current industrial water use practices are energy-intensive and utilize and discharge high volumes of waters, rendering them not sustainable especially in light of the growing scarcity of suitable water supplies. To help address this problem, the goal of this project was to develop an advanced, cost-effective, hybrid membrane-based water treatment system that can improve the energy efficiency of industrial wastewater treatment while allowing at least 50% water reuse efficiency. This hybrid process would combine emerging Forward Osmosis (FO) and Membrane Distillation (MD) technology components into an integrated FO-MD system that can beneficially utilize low-grade wastemore » heat (i.e., T < 450 °F) in industrial facilities to produce distilled-quality product water for reuse. In this project, laboratory-, bench-, and pilot-scale experiments on the hybrid FO-MD system were conducted for industrial wastewater treatment. It was demonstrated at laboratory, bench, and pilot scales that FO-MD membrane technology can concentrate brine to very high total dissolved solids (TDS) levels (>200,000 ppm) that are at least 2.5 times higher than the TDS level to which RO can achieve. In laboratory testing, currently available FO and MD membranes were tested to select for high-performing membranes with high salt rejection and high water flux. Multiple FO membrane/draw-salt solution combinations that gave high water flux with higher than 98% salt rejection were also identified. Reverse draw-salt fluxes were observed to be much lower for divalent salts than for monovalent salts. MD membranes were identified that had 99.9+% salt rejection and water flux as high as 50-90 L/(m 2·h) for flat-sheet membranes and >20 L/(m 2·h) for hollow fibers. In bench-scale testing, a single unit of commercially available FO and MD membrane modules were evaluated for continuous, integrated operation. Using the laboratory- and bench-scale test data, numerical modeling was performed on the FO and MD processes to estimate engineering parameters for a larger-scale pilot unit. Based on the experimental studies and modeling results, a pilot-scale, integrated FO-MD prototype unit was designed and built for trailer-mounted operation. This prototype system was fed real industrial wastewater, which could not be further treated by conventional technologies, from an oil production facility and was successfully operated for over 15 weeks without major stoppage. About 90% water recovery was possible, while concentrating the TDS from 12,000 ppm up to 190,500 ppm. The FO-MD prototype rejected most wastewater contaminants while producing water with <300 ppm TDS, even when the feed TDS was higher than 150,000 ppm. No chemical cleaning was necessary during the pilot testing period. Flushing the system with dechlorinated tap water was sufficient to reset the membranes for the next set of test conditions. Pilot performance and membrane autopsy showed that, even though the feed was concentrated more than 10 times, membrane fouling was unnoticeable and no defects were detected on the FO and MD membrane surfaces. This project demonstrated the technical feasibility of the hybrid FO-MD process by taking water already treated to the limit with the highest level of current technologies and further concentrating it 10-fold by using mostly low-cost materials. Because no membranes suitable for full-scale plant applications are available at present, economical feasibility of the hybrid technology is still uncertain, but it is expected that broader industry participation can further reduce FO-MD process costs.« less

Changes in the Structure and Function of Microbial Communities in Drinking Water Treatment Bioreactors upon Addition of Phosphorus▿ †

PubMed Central

Li, Xu; Upadhyaya, Giridhar; Yuen, Wangki; Brown, Jess; Morgenroth, Eberhard; Raskin, Lutgarde

2010-01-01

Phosphorus was added as a nutrient to bench-scale and pilot-scale biologically active carbon (BAC) reactors operated for perchlorate and nitrate removal from contaminated groundwater. The two bioreactors responded similarly to phosphorus addition in terms of microbial community function (i.e., reactor performance), while drastically different responses in microbial community structure were detected. Improvement in reactor performance with respect to perchlorate and nitrate removal started within a few days after phosphorus addition for both reactors. Microbial community structures were evaluated using molecular techniques targeting 16S rRNA genes. Clone library results showed that the relative abundance of perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB) Dechloromonas and Azospira in the bench-scale reactor increased from 15.2% and 0.6% to 54.2% and 11.7% after phosphorus addition, respectively. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) experiments revealed that these increases started within a few days after phosphorus addition. In contrast, after phosphorus addition, the relative abundance of Dechloromonas in the pilot-scale reactor decreased from 7.1 to 0.6%, while Zoogloea increased from 17.9 to 52.0%. The results of this study demonstrated that similar operating conditions for bench-scale and pilot-scale reactors resulted in similar contaminant removal performances, despite dramatically different responses from microbial communities. These findings suggest that it is important to evaluate the microbial community compositions inside bioreactors used for drinking water treatment, as they determine the microbial composition in the effluent and impact downstream treatment requirements for drinking water production. This information could be particularly relevant to drinking water safety, if pathogens or disinfectant-resistant bacteria are detected in the bioreactors. PMID:20889793

Production of Hydrogen by Superadiabatic Decomposition of Hydrogen Sulfide - Final Technical Report for the Period June 1, 1999 - September 30, 2000

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rachid B. Slimane; Francis S. Lau; Javad Abbasian

2000-10-01

The objective of this program is to develop an economical process for hydrogen production, with no additional carbon dioxide emission, through the thermal decomposition of hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) in H{sub 2}S-rich waste streams to high-purity hydrogen and elemental sulfur. The novel feature of the process being developed is the superadiabatic combustion (SAC) of part of the H{sub 2}S in the waste stream to provide the thermal energy required for the decomposition reaction such that no additional energy is required. The program is divided into two phases. In Phase 1, detailed thermochemical and kinetic modeling of the SAC reactor withmore » H{sub 2}S-rich fuel gas and air/enriched air feeds is undertaken to evaluate the effects of operating conditions on exit gas products and conversion efficiency, and to identify key process parameters. Preliminary modeling results are used as a basis to conduct a thorough evaluation of SAC process design options, including reactor configuration, operating conditions, and productivity-product separation schemes, with respect to potential product yields, thermal efficiency, capital and operating costs, and reliability, ultimately leading to the preparation of a design package and cost estimate for a bench-scale reactor testing system to be assembled and tested in Phase 2 of the program. A detailed parametric testing plan was also developed for process design optimization and model verification in Phase 2. During Phase 2 of this program, IGT, UIC, and industry advisors UOP and BP Amoco will validate the SAC concept through construction of the bench-scale unit and parametric testing. The computer model developed in Phase 1 will be updated with the experimental data and used in future scale-up efforts. The process design will be refined and the cost estimate updated. Market survey and assessment will continue so that a commercial demonstration project can be identified.« less

Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System Bench-Scale Testing: Supporting Integrated Testing and Facility Safety Analyses - 17171

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schonewill, Philip P.; Russell, Renee L.; Daniel, Richard C.

The Low Activity Waste Pretreatment System (LAWPS) is being designed to enable the direct feed of waste to the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) Low Activity Waste (LAW) facility to be immobilized. Prior to construction of the LAWPS, pilot-scale integrated testing of the key unit operations (crossflow filtration, ion exchange using spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde (sRF) resin) will be conducted by a team led by Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) to increase the technology maturation level of the facility’s critical technology elements. As a part of this effort, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has conducted a series of bench-scalemore » (or engineering-scale) tests to perform two major objectives: (1) support pilot-scale integrated testing of the LAWPS by supplying information or performance data in advance of operating the pilot-scale facility; and (2) collect data needed to establish or confirm assumptions/approaches planned for implementation in the LAWPS safety basis. The first objective was focused in two technical areas: developing simulants that are representative of expected waste feed and can be produced at larger scales, and using these simulants in a bench-scale crossflow filter to establish expected solid-liquid separation performance. The crossflow filter was also used to observe the efficacy (with respect to filter production rate) of selected operational strategies. The second objective also included two technical areas: measuring the effect of sRF resin on hydrogen generation rate under irradiation, and demonstrating that the planned hydrogen management approach is effective and robust. The hydrogen management strategy involves fluidization of the sRF resin bed in the ion exchange columns and recirculating the liquid, a scenario that is planned for testing at full column height. The full height tests at PNNL also supported full-scale IX column testing conducted as part of the technology maturation plan. The experimental approaches used at PNNL in these four technical areas are summarized and selected key preliminary results are provided.« less

UV/H2O2 process stability and pilot-scale validation for trace organic chemical removal from wastewater treatment plant effluents.

PubMed

Miklos, David B; Hartl, Rebecca; Michel, Philipp; Linden, Karl G; Drewes, Jörg E; Hübner, Uwe

2018-06-01

This study investigated the removal of 15 trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) occurring at ambient concentrations from municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent by advanced oxidation using UV/H 2 O 2 at pilot-scale. Pseudo first-order rate constants (k obs ) for photolytic as well as combined oxidative and photolytic degradation observed at pilot-scale were validated with results from a bench-scale collimated beam device. No significant difference was determined between pilot- and lab-scale performance. During continuous pilot-scale operation at constant UV fluence of 800 mJ/cm 2 and H 2 O 2 dosage of 10 mg/L, the removal of various TOrCs was investigated. The average observed removal for photo-susceptible (k UV >10 -3  cm 2 /mJ; like diclofenac, iopromide and sulfamethoxazole), moderately photo-susceptible (10 -4

Impact of virus surface characteristics on removal mechanisms within membrane bioreactors.

PubMed

Chaudhry, Rabia M; Holloway, Ryan W; Cath, Tzahi Y; Nelson, Kara L

2015-11-01

In this study we investigated the removal of viruses with similar size and shape but with different external surface capsid proteins by a bench-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR). The goal was to determine which virus removal mechanisms (retention by clean backwashed membrane, retention by cake layer, attachment to biomass, and inactivation) were most impacted by differences in the virus surface properties. Seven bench-scale MBR experiments were performed using mixed liquor wastewater sludge that was seeded with three lab-cultured bacteriophages with icosahedral capsids of ∼30 nm diameter (MS2, phiX174, and fr). The operating conditions were designed to simulate those at a reference, full-scale MBR facility. The virus removal mechanism most affected by virus type was attachment to biomass (removals of 0.2 log for MS2, 1.2 log for phiX174, and 3 log for fr). These differences in removal could not be explained by electrostatic interactions, as the three viruses had similar net negative charge when suspended in MBR permeate. Removals by the clean backwashed membrane (less than 1 log) and cake layer (∼0.6 log) were similar for the three viruses. A comparison between the clean membrane removals seen at the bench-scale using a virgin membrane (∼1 log), and the full-scale using 10-year old membranes (∼2-3 logs) suggests that irreversible fouling, accumulated on the membrane over years of operation that cannot be removed by cleaning, also contributes towards virus removal. This study enhances the current mechanistic understanding of virus removal in MBRs and will contribute to more reliable treatment for water reuse applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A bench-scale evaluation of the reuse of water at highway rest areas.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-01-01

A pilot laboratory treatment system was successfully employed to investigate the reuse of wastewater for flushing toilets at highway rest areas. This extended aeration unit used a synthetic waste to determine if the biological system could operate ef...

Scale-down/scale-up studies leading to improved commercial beer fermentation.

PubMed

Nienow, Alvin W; Nordkvist, Mikkel; Boulton, Christopher A

2011-08-01

Scale-up/scale-down techniques are vital for successful and safe commercial-scale bioprocess design and operation. An example is given in this review of recent studies related to beer production. Work at the bench scale shows that brewing yeast is not compromised by mechanical agitation up to 4.5 W/kg; and that compared with fermentations mixed by CO(2) evolution, agitation ≥ 0.04 W/kg is able to reduce fermentation time by about 20%. Work at the commercial scale in cylindroconical fermenters shows that, without mechanical agitation, most of the yeast sediments into the cone for about 50% of the fermentation time, leading to poor temperature control. Stirrer mixing overcomes these problems and leads to a similar reduction in batch time as the bench-scale tests and greatly reduces its variability, but is difficult to install in extant fermenters. The mixing characteristics of a new jet mixer, a rotary jet mixer, which overcomes these difficulties, are reported, based on pilot-scale studies. This change enables the advantages of stirring to be achieved at the commercial scale without the problems. In addition, more of the fermentable sugars are converted into ethanol. This review shows the effectiveness of scale-up/scale-down studies for improving commercial operations. Suggestions for further studies are made: one concerning the impact of homogenization on the removal of vicinal diketones and the other on the location of bubble formation at the commercial scale. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Coal desulfurization by low temperature chlorinolysis, phase 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalvinskas, J. J.; Rohatgi, N. K.; Ernest, J.

1981-01-01

Laboratory scale, bench scale batch reactor, and minipilot plant tests were conducted on 22 bituminous, subbituminous, and lignite coals. Chemical pretreatment and post treatment of coals relative to the chlorination were tried as a means of enhancing desulfurization by the chlorinolysis process. Elevated temperature (500-700 C) hydrogen treatment of chlorinolysis-processed coal at atmospheric pressure was found to substantially increase coal desulfurization up to 90 percent. Sulfur forms, proximate and ultimate analyses of the processed coal are included. Minipilot plant operation indicates that the continuous flow reactor provides coal desulfurization results comparable to those obtained in the batch reactor. Seven runs were conducted at coal feed rates of 1.5 to 8.8 kg per hour using water and methylchloroform solvents, gaseous chlorine feed of 3 to 31.4 SCFH at 21 to 70 C, and atmospheric pressure for retention times of 20 to 120 minutes.

Preliminary investigation of air bubbling and dietary sulfur reduction to mitigate hydrogen sulfide and odor from swine waste.

PubMed

Clark, O Grant; Morin, Brent; Zhang, Yongcheng; Sauer, Willem C; Feddes, John J R

2005-01-01

When livestock manure slurry is agitated, the sudden release of hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) can raise concentrations to dangerous levels. Low-level air bubbling and dietary S reduction were evaluated as methods for reducing peak H(2)S emissions from swine (Sus scrofa) manure slurry samples. In a first experiment, 15-L slurry samples were stored in bench-scale digesters and continuously bubbled with air at 0 (control), 5, or 10 mL min(-1) for 28 d. The 5-L headspace of each digester was also continuously ventilated at 40 mL min(-1) and the mean H(2)S concentration in the outlet air was <10 microL L(-1). On Day 28, the slurry was agitated suddenly. The peak H(2)S concentration exceeded instrument range (>120 microL L(-1)) from the control treatment, and was 47 and 3.4 microL L(-1) for the 5 and 10 mL min(-1) treatments, respectively. In a second experiment, individually penned barrows were fed rations with dietary S concentrations of 0.34, 0.24, and 0.15% (w/w). Slurry derived from each diet was bubbled with air in bench-scale digesters, as before, at 10 mL min(-1) for 12 d and the mean H(2)S concentration in the digester outlet air was 11 microL L(-1). On Day 12, the slurry was agitated but the H(2)S emissions did not change significantly. Both low-level bubbling of air through slurry and dietary S reduction appear to be viable methods for reducing peak H(2)S emissions from swine manure slurry at a bench scale, but these approaches must be validated at larger scales.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY REPORT: BENCH-SCALE TESTING OF PHOTOLYSIS, CHEMICAL OXIDATION AND BIODEGRADATION OF PCB CONTAMINATED SOILS AND PHOTOLYSIS OF TCDD CONTAMINATED SOILS

EPA Science Inventory

This report presents the results of bench-scale testing on degradation of 2,3,7,8-TCDD using W photolysis, and PCB degradation using UV photolysis, chemical oxidation and biological treatment. Bench-scale tests were conducted to investigate the feasibility of a two-phase detoxifi...

Boiling behavior of sodium-potassium alloy in a bench-scale solar receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, J. B.; Andraka, C. E.; Moss, T. A.

During 1989-90, a 75-kW(sub t) sodium reflux pool-boiler solar receiver was successfully demonstrated at Sandia National Laboratories. Significant features of this receiver include the following: (1) boiling sodium as the heat transfer medium, and (2) electric-discharge-machined (EDM) cavities as artificial nucleation sites to stabilize boiling. Since this first demonstration, design of a second-generation pool-boiler receiver that will bring the concept closer to commercialization has begun. For long life, the new receiver uses Haynes Alloy 230. For increased safety factors against film boiling and flooding, it has a refined shape and somewhat larger dimensions. To eliminate the need for trace heating, the receiver will boil the sodium-potassium alloy NaK-78 instead of sodium. To reduce manufacturing costs, it will use one of a number of alternatives to EDM cavities for stabilization of boiling. To control incipient-boiling superheats, especially during hot restarts, it will contain a small amount of inert gas. Before the new receiver design could be finalized, bench-scale tests of some of the proposed changes were necessary. A series of bench-scale pool boilers were built from Haynes Alloy 230 and filled with NaK-78. Various boiling-stabilizer candidates were incorporated into them, including laser-drilled cavities and a number of different sintered-powder-metal coatings. These bench-scale pool boilers have been operated at temperatures up to 750 C, heated by quartz lamps with incident radiant fluxes up to 95 W/sq cm. The effects of various orientations and added gases have been studied. Results of these studies are presented.

Low-Energy Solvents For Carbon Dioxide Capture Enabled By A Combination Of Enzymes And Vacuum Regeneration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Salmon, Sonja; House, Alan; Liu, Kun

An integrated bench-scale system combining the attributes of the bio-renewable enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) with low-enthalpy CO2 absorption solvents and vacuum regeneration was designed, built and operated for 500 hours using simulated flue gas. The objective was to develop a CO2 capture process with improved efficiency and sustainability when compared to NETL Case 10 monoethanolamine (MEA) scrubbing technology. The use of CA accelerates inter-conversion between dissolved CO2 and bicarbonate ion to enhance CO2 absorption, and the use of low enthalpy CO2 absorption solvents makes it possible to regenerate the solvent at lower temperatures relative to the reference MEA-based solvent. Themore » vacuum regeneration-based integrated bench-scale system operated successfully for an accumulated 500 hours using aqueous 23.5 wt% K2CO3-based solvent containing 2.5 g/L enzyme to deliver an average 84% CO2 capture when operated with a 20% enzyme replenishment rate per ~7 hour steady-state run period. The total inlet gas flow was 30 standard liters per minute with 15% CO2 and 85% N2. The absorber temperature was 40°C and the stripper operated under 35 kPa pressure with an approximate 77°C stripper bottom temperature. Tests with a 30°C absorber temperature delivered >90% capture. On- and off-line operational measurements provided a full process data set, with recirculating enzyme, that allowed for enzyme replenishment and absorption/desorption kinetic parameter calculations. Dissolved enzyme replenishment and conventional process controls were demonstrated as straightforward approaches to maintain system performance. Preliminary evaluation of a novel flow-through ultrasonically enhanced regeneration system was also conducted, yet resulted in CO2 release within the range of temperature-dependent release, and further work would be needed to validate the benefits of ultrasonic enhanced stripping. A full technology assessment was completed in which four techno-economic cases for enzyme-enhanced aqueous K2CO3 solvent with vacuum stripping were considered and a corresponding set of sensitivity studies were developed. The cases were evaluated using bench-scale and laboratory-based observations, AspenPlus® process simulation and modeling, AspenTech’s CCE® Parametric Software, current vendor quotations, and project partners’ know-how of unit operations. Overall, the DOE target of 90% CO2 capture could be met using the benign enzyme-enhanced aqueous K2CO3-based alternative to NETL Case 10. The model-predicted plant COE performance, scaled to 550 MWe net output, was 9% higher than NETL Case 10 for an enzyme-activated case with minimized technical risk and highest confidence in physical system performance utilizing commercially available equipment. A COE improvement of 2.8% versus NETL Case 10 was predicted when favorable features of improved enzyme longevity and additional power output from a very low pressure (VLP) turbine were combined, wherein corresponding high capital and operational costs limited the level of COE benefit. The environmental, health and safety (EH&S) profile of the system was found to be favorable and was compliant with the Federal EH&S legislation reviewed. Further work on a larger scale test unit is recommended to reduce the level of uncertainty inherent in extrapolating findings from a bench-scale unit to a full scale PCC plant, and to further investigate several identified opportunities for improvement. Production feasibility and suitability of carbonic anhydrases for scale-up testing was confirmed both through the current project and through parallel efforts.« less

Bench scale demonstration and conceptual engineering for DETOX{sup SM} catalyzed wet oxidation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moslander, J.; Bell, R.; Robertson, D.

1994-06-01

Laboratory and bench scale studies of the DETOX{sup SM} catalyzed wet oxidation process have been performed with the object of developing the process for treatment of hazardous and mixed wastes. Reaction orders, apparent rates, and activation energies have been determined for a range of organic waste surrogates. Reaction intermediates and products have been analyzed. Metals` fates have been determined. Bench scale units have been designed, fabricated, and tested with solid and liquid organic waste surrogates. Results from the laboratory and bench scale studies have been used to develop conceptual designs for application of the process to hazardous and mixed wastes.

Process model comparison and transferability across bioreactor scales and modes of operation for a mammalian cell bioprocess.

PubMed

Craven, Stephen; Shirsat, Nishikant; Whelan, Jessica; Glennon, Brian

2013-01-01

A Monod kinetic model, logistic equation model, and statistical regression model were developed for a Chinese hamster ovary cell bioprocess operated under three different modes of operation (batch, bolus fed-batch, and continuous fed-batch) and grown on two different bioreactor scales (3 L bench-top and 15 L pilot-scale). The Monod kinetic model was developed for all modes of operation under study and predicted cell density, glucose glutamine, lactate, and ammonia concentrations well for the bioprocess. However, it was computationally demanding due to the large number of parameters necessary to produce a good model fit. The transferability of the Monod kinetic model structure and parameter set across bioreactor scales and modes of operation was investigated and a parameter sensitivity analysis performed. The experimentally determined parameters had the greatest influence on model performance. They changed with scale and mode of operation, but were easily calculated. The remaining parameters, which were fitted using a differential evolutionary algorithm, were not as crucial. Logistic equation and statistical regression models were investigated as alternatives to the Monod kinetic model. They were less computationally intensive to develop due to the absence of a large parameter set. However, modeling of the nutrient and metabolite concentrations proved to be troublesome due to the logistic equation model structure and the inability of both models to incorporate a feed. The complexity, computational load, and effort required for model development has to be balanced with the necessary level of model sophistication when choosing which model type to develop for a particular application. Copyright © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Evaluation of constructed wetland treatment performance for winery wastewater.

PubMed

Grismer, Mark E; Carr, Melanie A; Shepherd, Heather L

2003-01-01

Rapid expansion of wineries in rural California during the past three decades has created contamination problems related to winery wastewater treatment and disposal; however, little information is available about performance of on-site treatment systems. Here, the project objective was to determine full-scale, subsurface-flow constructed wetland retention times and treatment performance through assessment of water quality by daily sampling of total dissolved solids, pH, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand (COD), tannins, nitrate, ammonium, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphate, sulfate, and sulfide across operating systems for winery wastewater treatment. Measurements were conducted during both the fall crush season of heavy loading and the spring following bottling and racking operations at the winery. Simple decay model coefficients for these constituents as well as COD and tannin removal efficiencies from winery wastewater in bench-scale reactors are also determined. The bench-scale study used upward-flow, inoculated attached-growth (pea-gravel substrate) reactors fed synthetic winery wastewater. Inlet and outlet tracer studies for determination of actual retention times were essential to analyses of treatment performance from an operational subsurface-flow constructed wetland that had been overloaded due to failure to install a pretreatment system for suspended solids removal. Less intensive sampling conducted at a smaller operational winery wastewater constructed wetland that had used pretreatment suspended solids removal and aeration indicated that the constructed wetlands were capable of complete organic load removal from the winery wastewater.

Bench-scale performance testing and economic analyses of electrostatic dry coal cleaning. Final report, October 1980-July 1983

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rich, S.R.

1987-02-01

The report gives results of preliminary performance evaluations and economic analyses of the Advanced Energy Dynamics (AED) electrostatic dry coal-cleaning process. Grab samples of coal-feed-product coals were obtained from 25 operating physical coal-cleaning (PCC) plants. These samples were analyzed for ash, sulfur, and energy content and splits of the original samples of feed run-of-mine coal were provided for bench-scale testing in an electrostatic separation apparatus. The process showed superior sulfur-removal performance at equivalent cost and energy-recovery levels. The ash-removal capability of the process was not evaluated completely: overall, ash-removal results indicated that the process did not perform as well asmore » the PCC plants.« less

Biofilm Community Dynamics in Bench-Scale Annular Reactors Simulating Arrestment of Chloraminated Drinking Water Nitrification

EPA Science Inventory

Annular reactors (ARs) were used to study biofilm community succession and provide an ecological insight during nitrification arrestment through simultaneously increasing monochloramine (NH2Cl) and chlorine to nitrogen mass ratios, resulting in four operational periods (I to IV)....

PILOT PLANT STUDY OF CONVERSION OF COAL TO LOW SULFUR FUEL

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a program to develop, on bench and pilot scales, operating conditions for the key step in the IGT process to desulfurize coal by thermal and chemical treatment. This process, to date, uses the 'sulfur-getter' concept. (A sulfur-getter is a material tha...

Development of a Novel Gas Pressurized Stripping Process-Based Technology for CO₂ Capture from Post-Combustion Flue Gases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Shiaoguo

A novel Gas Pressurized Stripping (GPS) post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) process has been developed by Carbon Capture Scientific, LLC, CONSOL Energy Inc., Nexant Inc., and Western Kentucky University in this bench-scale project. The GPS-based process presents a unique approach that uses a gas pressurized technology for CO₂ stripping at an elevated pressure to overcome the energy use and other disadvantages associated with the benchmark monoethanolamine (MEA) process. The project was aimed at performing laboratory- and bench-scale experiments to prove its technical feasibility and generate process engineering and scale-up data, and conducting a techno-economic analysis (TEA) to demonstrate its energy usemore » and cost competitiveness over the MEA process. To meet project goals and objectives, a combination of experimental work, process simulation, and technical and economic analysis studies were applied. The project conducted individual unit lab-scale tests for major process components, including a first absorption column, a GPS column, a second absorption column, and a flasher. Computer simulations were carried out to study the GPS column behavior under different operating conditions, to optimize the column design and operation, and to optimize the GPS process for an existing and a new power plant. The vapor-liquid equilibrium data under high loading and high temperature for the selected amines were also measured. The thermal and oxidative stability of the selected solvents were also tested experimentally and presented. A bench-scale column-based unit capable of achieving at least 90% CO₂ capture from a nominal 500 SLPM coal-derived flue gas slipstream was designed and built. This integrated, continuous, skid-mounted GPS system was tested using real flue gas from a coal-fired boiler at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC). The technical challenges of the GPS technology in stability, corrosion, and foaming of selected solvents, and environmental, health and safety risks have been addressed through experimental tests, consultation with vendors and engineering analysis. Multiple rounds of TEA were performed to improve the GPS-based PCC process design and operation, and to compare the energy use and cost performance of a nominal 550-MWe supercritical pulverized coal (PC) plant among the DOE/NETL report Case 11 (the PC plant without CO₂ capture), the DOE/NETL report Case 12 (the PC plant with benchmark MEA-based PCC), and the PC plant using GPS-based PCC. The results reveal that the net power produced in the PC plant with GPS-based PCC is 647 MWe, greater than that of the Case 12 (550 MWe). The 20-year LCOE for the PC plant with GPS-based PCC is 97.4 mills/kWh, or 152% of that of the Case 11, which is also 23% less than that of the Case 12. These results demonstrate that the GPS-based PCC process is energy-efficient and cost-effective compared with the benchmark MEA process.« less

Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Coal and Coal Byproducts via a Closed Loop Leaching Process: Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peterson, Richard; Heinrichs, Michael; Argumedo, Darwin

Objectives: Through this grant, Battelle proposes to address Area of Interest (AOI) 1 to develop a bench-scale technology to economically separate, extract, and concentrate mixed REEs from coal ash. U.S. coal and coal byproducts provide the opportunity for a domestic source of REEs. The DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has characterized various coal and coal byproducts samples and has found varying concentrations of REE ranging up to 1,000 parts per million by weight. The primary project objective is to validate the economic viability of recovering REEs from the coal byproduct coal ash using Battelle’s patented closed-loop Acid Digestion Processmore » (ADP). This will be accomplished by selecting coal sources with the potential to provide REE concentrations above 300 parts per million by weight, collecting characterization data for coal ash samples generated via three different methods, and performing a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) for the proposed process. The regional availability of REE-laden coal ash, the regional market for rare earth concentrates, and the system capital and operating costs for rare earth recovery using the ADP technology will be accounted for in the TEA. Limited laboratory testing will be conducted to generate the parameters needed for the design of a bench scale system for REE recovery. The ultimate project outcome will be the design for an optimized, closed loop process to economically recovery REEs such that the process may be demonstrated at the bench scale in a Phase 2 project. Project Description: The project will encompass evaluation of the ADP technology for the economic recovery of REEs from coal and coal ash. The ADP was originally designed and demonstrated for the U.S. Army to facilitate demilitarization of cast-cured munitions via acid digestion in a closed-loop process. Proof of concept testing has been conducted on a sample of Ohio-based Middle Kittanning coal and has demonstrated the feasibility of recovering REEs using the ADP technology. In AOI 1, Ohio coal sources with the potential to provide a consistent source of rare earth element concentrations above 300 parts per million will be identified. Coal sample inventories from West Virginia and Pennsylvania will also be assessed for purposes of comparison. Three methods of preparing the coal ash will be evaluated for their potential to enhance the technical feasibility and economics of REE recovery. Three sources of coal ash are targeted for evaluation of the economics of REE recovery in this project: (1) coal ash from power generation stations, to include fly ash and/or bottom ash, (2) ash generated in a lower temperature ashing process, and (3) ash residual from Battelle’s coal liquefaction process. Making use of residual ash from coal liquefaction processes directly leverages work currently being conducted by Battelle for DOE NETL in response to DE-FOA-0000981 entitled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Research and Development Leading to Cost-Competitive Coal-to-Liquids Based Jet Fuel Production.” Using the sample characterization results and regional information regarding REE concentration, availability and cost, a TEA will be developed. The previously generated laboratory testing results for leaching and REE recovery via the ADP will be used to perform the TEA, along with common engineering assumptions for scale up of equipment and labor costs. Finally, upon validation of the economic feasibility of the process by the TEA, limited laboratory testing will be performed to support the design of a bench scale system. In a future project phase, it is envisioned that the bench scale system will be constructed and operated to prove the process on a continuous basis.« less

MINIPILOT SOLAR SYSTEM: DESIGN/OPERATION OF SYSTEM AND RESULTS OF NON-SOLAR TESTING AT MRI

EPA Science Inventory

Prior to this project, MRI had carried out work for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the conceptual design of a solar system for solid waste disposal and a follow-on project to study the feasibility of bench-scale testing of desorption of organics from soil with destr...

Teaching elliptical excision skills to novice medical students: a randomized controlled study comparing low- and high-fidelity bench models.

PubMed

Denadai, Rafael; Oshiiwa, Marie; Saad-Hossne, Rogério

2014-03-01

The search for alternative and effective forms of training simulation is needed due to ethical and medico-legal aspects involved in training surgical skills on living patients, human cadavers and living animals. To evaluate if the bench model fidelity interferes in the acquisition of elliptical excision skills by novice medical students. Forty novice medical students were randomly assigned to 5 practice conditions with instructor-directed elliptical excision skills' training (n = 8): didactic materials (control); organic bench model (low-fidelity); ethylene-vinyl acetate bench model (low-fidelity); chicken legs' skin bench model (high-fidelity); or pig foot skin bench model (high-fidelity). Pre- and post-tests were applied. Global rating scale, effect size, and self-perceived confidence based on Likert scale were used to evaluate all elliptical excision performances. The analysis showed that after training, the students practicing on bench models had better performance based on Global rating scale (all P < 0.0000) and felt more confident to perform elliptical excision skills (all P < 0.0000) when compared to the control. There was no significant difference (all P > 0.05) between the groups that trained on bench models. The magnitude of the effect (basic cutaneous surgery skills' training) was considered large (>0.80) in all measurements. The acquisition of elliptical excision skills after instructor-directed training on low-fidelity bench models was similar to the training on high-fidelity bench models; and there was a more substantial increase in elliptical excision performances of students that trained on all simulators compared to the learning on didactic materials.

CO2-Binding Organic Liquids Gas Capture with Polarity-Swing-Assisted Regeneration Full Technology Feasibility Study B1 - Solvent-based Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heldebrant, David J

PNNL, Fluor Corporation and Queens University (Kingston, ON) successfully completed a three year comprehensive study of the CO2BOL water-lean solvent platform with Polarity Swing Assisted Regeneration (PSAR). This study encompassed solvent synthesis, characterization, environmental toxicology, physical, thermodynamic and kinetic property measurements, Aspen Plus™ modeling and bench-scale testing of a candidate CO2BOL solvent molecule. Key Program Findings The key program findings are summarized as follows: • PSAR favorably reduced stripper duties and reboiler temperatures with little/no impact to absorption column • >90% CO2 capture was achievable at reasonable liquid-gas ratios in the absorber • High rich solvent viscosities (up to 600more » cP) were successfully demonstrated in the bench-scale system. However, the projected impacts of high viscosity to capital cost and operational limits compromised the other levelized cost of electricity benefits. • Low thermal conductivity of organics significantly increased the required cross exchanger surface area, and potentially other heat exchange surfaces. • CO2BOL had low evaporative losses during bench-scale testing • There was no evidence of foaming during bench scale testing • Current CO2BOL formulation costs project to be $35/kg • Ecotoxicity (Water Daphnia) was comparable between CO2BOL and MEA (169.47 versus 103.63 mg/L) • Full dehydration of the flue gas was determined to not be economically feasible. However, modest refrigeration (13 MW for the 550 MW reference system) was determined to be potentially economically feasible, and still produce a water-lean condition for the CO2BOLs (5 wt% steady-state water loading). • CO2BOLs testing with 5 wt% water loading did not compromise anhydrous performance behavior, and showed actual enhancement of CO2 capture performance. • Mass transfer of CO2BOLs was not greatly impeded by viscosity • Facile separation of antisolvent from lean CO2BOL was demonstrated on the bench cart • No measurable solvent degradation was observed over 4 months of testing – even with 5 wt% water present« less

Sludge Characterization and Bench Scale Treatability Report

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Nov. 10, 2010 letter from Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to Hercules, Inc. in Hattiesburg, MS about the findings of a August 20, 2010 Sludge Characterization and Bench Scale Treatability Report.

Green synthesis of isopropyl myristate in novel single phase medium Part II: Packed bed reactor (PBR) studies.

PubMed

Vadgama, Rajeshkumar N; Odaneth, Annamma A; Lali, Arvind M

2015-12-01

Isopropyl myristate is a useful functional molecule responding to the requirements of numerous fields of application in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industry. In the present work, lipase-catalyzed production of isopropyl myristate by esterification of myristic acid with isopropyl alcohol (molar ratio of 1:15) in the homogenous reaction medium was performed on a bench-scale packed bed reactors, in order to obtain suitable reaction performance data for upscaling. An immobilized lipase B from Candida antartica was used as the biocatalyst based on our previous study. The process intensification resulted in a clean and green synthesis process comprising a series of packed bed reactors of immobilized enzyme and water dehydrant. In addition, use of the single phase reaction system facilitates efficient recovery of the product with no effluent generated and recyclability of unreacted substrates. The single phase reaction system coupled with a continuous operating bioreactor ensures a stable operational life for the enzyme.

Performance of ultrafiltration membrane process combined with coagulation/sedimentation.

PubMed

Jang, N Y; Watanabe, Y; Minegishi, S

2005-01-01

Effects of coagulation/sedimentation as a pre-treatment on the dead-end ultrafiltration (UF) membrane process were studied in terms of membrane fouling and removal efficiency of natural dissolved organic matter, using Chitose River water. Two types of experiment were carried out. One was a bench scale membrane filtration with jar-test and the other was membrane filtration pilot plant combined with the Jet Mixed Separator (JMS) as a pre-coagulation/sedimentation unit. In the bench scale experiment, the effects of coagulant dosage, pH and membrane operating pressure on the membrane fouling and removal efficiency of natural dissolved organic matter were investigated. In the pilot plant experiment, we also investigated the effect of pre-coagulation/sedimentation on the membrane fouling and the removal efficiency of natural dissolved organic matter. Coagulation/sedimentation prior to membrane filtration process controlled the membrane fouling and increased the removal efficiency of natural dissolved organic matter.

Hot-bench simulation of the active flexible wing wind-tunnel model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buttrill, Carey S.; Houck, Jacob A.

1990-01-01

Two simulations, one batch and one real-time, of an aeroelastically-scaled wind-tunnel model were developed. The wind-tunnel model was a full-span, free-to-roll model of an advanced fighter concept. The batch simulation was used to generate and verify the real-time simulation and to test candidate control laws prior to implementation. The real-time simulation supported hot-bench testing of a digital controller, which was developed to actively control the elastic deformation of the wind-tunnel model. Time scaling was required for hot-bench testing. The wind-tunnel model, the mathematical models for the simulations, the techniques employed to reduce the hot-bench time-scale factors, and the verification procedures are described.

Common effluent treatment plant (CETP) for wastewater management from a cluster of small scale tanneries.

PubMed

Pathe, P P; Kumar, M Suresh; Kharwade, M R; Kaul, S N

2004-05-01

Effluent treatment plants need land for construction, capital cost, power and specialized manpower for their operation and maintenance. Because of these constraints, small scale tanneries can not afford to have their own effluent treatment facilities and therefore, combined effluent from all tanneries are to be brought to a centralized place for treatment. This facility is called a Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP). For operation and maintenance of CETP, small scale tanners formed a co-operative society. The expenses for operation and maintenance of CETP are being shared by participating tanneries. Wastewater management for the cluster of small scale tanneries was studied in details and various measures were incorporated to improve performance of the CETP and also to improve treated effluent quality to confirm standard prescribed by regulatory agencies. Performance of existing CETP was evaluated. Based on the results, bench scale laboratory treatability studies were conducted for improvement in treated effluent quality and also to suggest appropriate modifications to the CETP. These studies are detailed in this paper.

14. PIPE MACHINE, WORK BENCH, SCALE, RADIAL DRILL AND STOVE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

14. PIPE MACHINE, WORK BENCH, SCALE, RADIAL DRILL AND STOVE (L TO R) LOOKING WEST. - W. A. Young & Sons Foundry & Machine Shop, On Water Street along Monongahela River, Rices Landing, Greene County, PA

Aerobic digestion reduces the quantity of antibiotic resistance genes in residual municipal wastewater solids

PubMed Central

Burch, Tucker R.; Sadowsky, Michael J.; LaPara, Timothy M.

2012-01-01

Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to circumvent the problem of antibiotic resistance, including the development of new antibiotics, the use of narrow spectrum antibiotics, and the reduction of inappropriate antibiotic use. We propose an alternative but complimentary approach to reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) by implementing more stringent technologies for treating municipal wastewater, which is known to contain large quantities of ARB and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, we investigated the ability of conventional aerobic digestion to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids. A bench-scale aerobic digester was fed untreated wastewater solids collected from a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility. The reactor was operated under semi-continuous flow conditions for more than 200 days at a residence time of approximately 40 days. During this time, the quantities of tet(A), tet(W), and erm(B) decreased by more than 90%. In contrast, intI1 did not decrease, and tet(X) increased in quantity by 5-fold. Following operation in semi-continuous flow mode, the aerobic digester was converted to batch mode to determine the first-order decay coefficients, with half-lives ranging from as short as 2.8 days for tet(W) to as long as 6.3 days for intI1. These results demonstrated that aerobic digestion can be used to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids, but that rates can vary substantially depending on the reactor design (i.e., batch vs. continuous-flow) and the specific ARG. PMID:23407455

Aerobic digestion reduces the quantity of antibiotic resistance genes in residual municipal wastewater solids.

PubMed

Burch, Tucker R; Sadowsky, Michael J; Lapara, Timothy M

2013-01-01

Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to circumvent the problem of antibiotic resistance, including the development of new antibiotics, the use of narrow spectrum antibiotics, and the reduction of inappropriate antibiotic use. We propose an alternative but complimentary approach to reduce antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) by implementing more stringent technologies for treating municipal wastewater, which is known to contain large quantities of ARB and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). In this study, we investigated the ability of conventional aerobic digestion to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids. A bench-scale aerobic digester was fed untreated wastewater solids collected from a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment facility. The reactor was operated under semi-continuous flow conditions for more than 200 days at a residence time of approximately 40 days. During this time, the quantities of tet(A), tet(W), and erm(B) decreased by more than 90%. In contrast, intI1 did not decrease, and tet(X) increased in quantity by 5-fold. Following operation in semi-continuous flow mode, the aerobic digester was converted to batch mode to determine the first-order decay coefficients, with half-lives ranging from as short as 2.8 days for tet(W) to as long as 6.3 days for intI1. These results demonstrated that aerobic digestion can be used to reduce the quantity of ARGs in untreated wastewater solids, but that rates can vary substantially depending on the reactor design (i.e., batch vs. continuous-flow) and the specific ARG.

Impact of compost process conditions on organic micro pollutant degradation during full scale composting.

PubMed

Sadef, Yumna; Poulsen, Tjalfe Gorm; Bester, Kai

2015-06-01

Knowledge about the effects of oxygen concentration, nutrient availability and moisture content on removal of organic micro-pollutants during aerobic composting is at present very limited. Impact of oxygen concentration, readily available nitrogen content (NH4(+), NO3(-)), and moisture content on biological transformation of 15 key organic micro-pollutants during composting, was therefore investigated using bench-scale degradation experiments based on non-sterile compost samples, collected at full-scale composting facilities. In addition, the adequacy of bench-scale composting experiments for representing full-scale composting conditions, was investigated using micro-pollutant concentration measurements from both bench- and full-scale composting experiments. Results showed that lack of oxygen generally prevented transformation of organic micro-pollutants. Increasing readily available nitrogen content from about 50 mg N per 100 g compost to about 140 mg N per 100 g compost actually reduced micro-pollutant transformation, while changes in compost moisture content from 50% to 20% by weight, only had minor influence on micro-pollutant transformation. First-order micro-pollutant degradation rates for 13 organic micro-pollutants were calculated using data from both full- and bench-scale experiments. First-order degradation coefficients for both types of experiments were similar and ranged from 0.02 to 0.03 d(-1) on average, indicating that if a proper sampling strategy is employed, bench-scale experiments can be used to represent full-scale composting conditions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

REMOVAL OF METHYL T-BUTYL ETHER (MTBE) FROM WATER BY PERVAPORATION: BENCH-SCALE AND PILOT SCALE EVALUATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The ability of pervaporation to remove methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) from water was evaluated at bench- and pilot-scales. Process parameters studied included flow rate, temperature, MTBE concentration, membrane module type, and permeate pressure. Pervaporation performance was ass...

Teaching Elliptical Excision Skills to Novice Medical Students: A Randomized Controlled Study Comparing Low- and High-Fidelity Bench Models

PubMed Central

Denadai, Rafael; Oshiiwa, Marie; Saad-Hossne, Rogério

2014-01-01

Background: The search for alternative and effective forms of training simulation is needed due to ethical and medico-legal aspects involved in training surgical skills on living patients, human cadavers and living animals. Aims: To evaluate if the bench model fidelity interferes in the acquisition of elliptical excision skills by novice medical students. Materials and Methods: Forty novice medical students were randomly assigned to 5 practice conditions with instructor-directed elliptical excision skills’ training (n = 8): didactic materials (control); organic bench model (low-fidelity); ethylene-vinyl acetate bench model (low-fidelity); chicken legs’ skin bench model (high-fidelity); or pig foot skin bench model (high-fidelity). Pre- and post-tests were applied. Global rating scale, effect size, and self-perceived confidence based on Likert scale were used to evaluate all elliptical excision performances. Results: The analysis showed that after training, the students practicing on bench models had better performance based on Global rating scale (all P < 0.0000) and felt more confident to perform elliptical excision skills (all P < 0.0000) when compared to the control. There was no significant difference (all P > 0.05) between the groups that trained on bench models. The magnitude of the effect (basic cutaneous surgery skills’ training) was considered large (>0.80) in all measurements. Conclusion: The acquisition of elliptical excision skills after instructor-directed training on low-fidelity bench models was similar to the training on high-fidelity bench models; and there was a more substantial increase in elliptical excision performances of students that trained on all simulators compared to the learning on didactic materials. PMID:24700937

Characterization of TAP Ambr 250 disposable bioreactors, as a reliable scale-down model for biologics process development.

PubMed

Xu, Ping; Clark, Colleen; Ryder, Todd; Sparks, Colleen; Zhou, Jiping; Wang, Michelle; Russell, Reb; Scott, Charo

2017-03-01

Demands for development of biological therapies is rapidly increasing, as is the drive to reduce time to patient. In order to speed up development, the disposable Automated Microscale Bioreactor (Ambr 250) system is increasingly gaining interest due to its advantages, including highly automated control, high throughput capacity, and short turnaround time. Traditional early stage upstream process development conducted in 2 - 5 L bench-top bioreactors requires high foot-print, and running cost. The establishment of the Ambr 250 as a scale-down model leads to many benefits in process development. In this study, a comprehensive characterization of mass transfer coefficient (k L a) in the Ambr 250 was conducted to define optimal operational conditions. Scale-down approaches, including dimensionless volumetric flow rate (vvm), power per unit volume (P/V) and k L a have been evaluated using different cell lines. This study demonstrates that the Ambr 250 generated comparable profiles of cell growth and protein production, as seen at 5-L and 1000-L bioreactor scales, when using k L a as a scale-down parameter. In addition to mimicking processes at large scales, the suitability of the Ambr 250 as a tool for clone selection, which is traditionally conducted in bench-top bioreactors, was investigated. Data show that cell growth, productivity, metabolite profiles, and product qualities of material generated using the Ambr 250 were comparable to those from 5-L bioreactors. Therefore, Ambr 250 can be used for clone selection and process development as a replacement for traditional bench-top bioreactors minimizing resource utilization during the early stages of development in the biopharmaceutical industry. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:478-489, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Integrated low emissions cleanup system for direct coal-fueled turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lippert, T.E.; Newby, R.A.; Alvin, M.A.

1992-01-01

The Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Science Technology Center (W-STC) is developing an Integrated Low Emissions Cleanup (ILEC) concept for high-temperature gas cleaning to meet environmental standards, as well as to economical gas turbine life. The ILEC concept simultaneously controls sulfur, particulate, and alkali contaminants in high-pressure fuel gases or combustion gases at temperatures up to 1850[degrees]F for advanced power generation systems (PFBC, APFBC, IGCC, DCF7). The objective of this program is to demonstrate, at a bench scale, the conceptual, technical feasibility of the REC concept. The ELEC development program has a 3 phase structure: Phase 1 - laboratory-scale testing; phase 2more » - bench-scale equipment; design and fabrication; and phase 3 - bench-scale testing. Phase 1 laboratory testing has been completed. In Phase 1, entrained sulfur and alkali sorbent kinetics were measured and evaluated, and commercial-scale performance was projected. Related cold flow model testing has shown that gas-particle contacting within the ceramic barrier filter vessel will provide a good reactor environment. The Phase 1 test results and the commercial evaluation conducted in the Phase 1 program support the bench-scale facility testing to be performed in Phase 3. Phase 2 is nearing completion with the design and assembly of a modified, bench-scale test facility to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the ILEC features. This feasibility testing will be conducted in Phase 3.« less

Integrated low emissions cleanup system for direct coal-fueled turbines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lippert, T.E.; Newby, R.A.; Alvin, M.A.

1992-12-31

The Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Science & Technology Center (W-STC) is developing an Integrated Low Emissions Cleanup (ILEC) concept for high-temperature gas cleaning to meet environmental standards, as well as to economical gas turbine life. The ILEC concept simultaneously controls sulfur, particulate, and alkali contaminants in high-pressure fuel gases or combustion gases at temperatures up to 1850{degrees}F for advanced power generation systems (PFBC, APFBC, IGCC, DCF7). The objective of this program is to demonstrate, at a bench scale, the conceptual, technical feasibility of the REC concept. The ELEC development program has a 3 phase structure: Phase 1 - laboratory-scale testing; phasemore » 2 - bench-scale equipment; design and fabrication; and phase 3 - bench-scale testing. Phase 1 laboratory testing has been completed. In Phase 1, entrained sulfur and alkali sorbent kinetics were measured and evaluated, and commercial-scale performance was projected. Related cold flow model testing has shown that gas-particle contacting within the ceramic barrier filter vessel will provide a good reactor environment. The Phase 1 test results and the commercial evaluation conducted in the Phase 1 program support the bench-scale facility testing to be performed in Phase 3. Phase 2 is nearing completion with the design and assembly of a modified, bench-scale test facility to demonstrate the technical feasibility of the ILEC features. This feasibility testing will be conducted in Phase 3.« less

Efficacy Of The Repetitions In Reserve-Based Rating Of Perceived Exertion For The Bench Press In Experienced And Novice Benchers.

PubMed

Ormsbee, Michael J; Carzoli, Joseph P; Klemp, Alex; Allman, Brittany R; Zourdos, Michael C; Kim, Jeong-Su; Panton, Lynn B

2017-03-13

Autoregulation (AR) is the practice of adjusting training variables in response to athlete feedback. One component of AR postulated to enhance resistance training adaptations involves implementing a resistance training-specific rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale measuring repetitions in reserve (RIR). The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of this method using the bench press exercise. Twenty-seven college-aged men were assigned to one of two groups based upon training age: experience benchers (EB) (n=14, training age: 4.7±2.0 yrs) and novice benchers (NB) (n=13, training age: 1.1±0.6 yrs). Subjects performed one-repetition maximum (1RM) followed by single-repetition sets with loads corresponding to 60, 75, and 90% of 1RM and an 8-repetition set at 70% 1RM. Subjects reported a corresponding RPE, based on RIR, for every set. Average velocity was recorded for each single-repetition set along with the first and last repetitions of the 8-repetition set at 70% 1RM. Average velocity at 100% of 1RM in EB was slower (0.14±0.04 m[BULLET OPERATOR]s) compared to NB (0.20±0.05 m[BULLET OPERATOR]s) (p<0.001). EB recorded greater RPE than NB at 1RM (EB: 9.86±0.14 vs. NB: 9.35±0.36) (p=0.011). No between-group differences existed for average velocity or RPE at any other intensity. Both EB (r=0.85, p<0.001) and NB (r=0.85, p<0.001) had strong inverse significant correlations between average velocity and RPE at all intensities. Our findings suggest that the RIR-based RPE scale may be an efficacious approach for AR of bench press training load and volume in college-aged men.

Multiplexed chemostat system for quantification of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in anaerobic digestion

PubMed Central

Plouchart, Diane; Guizard, Guillaume; Latrille, Eric

2018-01-01

Continuous cultures in chemostats have proven their value in microbiology, microbial ecology, systems biology and bioprocess engineering, among others. In these systems, microbial growth and ecosystem performance can be quantified under stable and defined environmental conditions. This is essential when linking microbial diversity to ecosystem function. Here, a new system to test this link in anaerobic, methanogenic microbial communities is introduced. Rigorously replicated experiments or a suitable experimental design typically require operating several chemostats in parallel. However, this is labor intensive, especially when measuring biogas production. Commercial solutions for multiplying reactors performing continuous anaerobic digestion exist but are expensive and use comparably large reactor volumes, requiring the preparation of substantial amounts of media. Here, a flexible system of Lab-scale Automated and Multiplexed Anaerobic Chemostat system (LAMACs) with a working volume of 200 mL is introduced. Sterile feeding, biomass wasting and pressure monitoring are automated. One module containing six reactors fits the typical dimensions of a lab bench. Thanks to automation, time required for reactor operation and maintenance are reduced compared to traditional lab-scale systems. Several modules can be used together, and so far the parallel operation of 30 reactors was demonstrated. The chemostats are autoclavable. Parameters like reactor volume, flow rates and operating temperature can be freely set. The robustness of the system was tested in a two-month long experiment in which three inocula in four replicates, i.e., twelve continuous digesters were monitored. Statistically significant differences in the biogas production between inocula were observed. In anaerobic digestion, biogas production and consequently pressure development in a closed environment is a proxy for ecosystem performance. The precision of the pressure measurement is thus crucial. The measured maximum and minimum rates of gas production could be determined at the same precision. The LAMACs is a tool that enables us to put in practice the often-demanded need for replication and rigorous testing in microbial ecology as well as bioprocess engineering. PMID:29518106

Equipment characterization to mitigate risks during transfers of cell culture manufacturing processes.

PubMed

Sieblist, Christian; Jenzsch, Marco; Pohlscheidt, Michael

2016-08-01

The production of monoclonal antibodies by mammalian cell culture in bioreactors up to 25,000 L is state of the art technology in the biotech industry. During the lifecycle of a product, several scale up activities and technology transfers are typically executed to enable the supply chain strategy of a global pharmaceutical company. Given the sensitivity of mammalian cells to physicochemical culture conditions, process and equipment knowledge are critical to avoid impacts on timelines, product quantity and quality. Especially, the fluid dynamics of large scale bioreactors versus small scale models need to be described, and similarity demonstrated, in light of the Quality by Design approach promoted by the FDA. This approach comprises an associated design space which is established during process characterization and validation in bench scale bioreactors. Therefore the establishment of predictive models and simulation tools for major operating conditions of stirred vessels (mixing, mass transfer, and shear force.), based on fundamental engineering principles, have experienced a renaissance in the recent years. This work illustrates the systematic characterization of a large variety of bioreactor designs deployed in a global manufacturing network ranging from small bench scale equipment to large scale production equipment (25,000 L). Several traditional methods to determine power input, mixing, mass transfer and shear force have been used to create a data base and identify differences for various impeller types and configurations in operating ranges typically applied in cell culture processes at manufacturing scale. In addition, extrapolation of different empirical models, e.g. Cooke et al. (Paper presented at the proceedings of the 2nd international conference of bioreactor fluid dynamics, Cranfield, UK, 1988), have been assessed for their validity in these operational ranges. Results for selected designs are shown and serve as examples of structured characterization to enable fast and agile process transfers, scale up and troubleshooting.

Direct liquefaction proof-of-concept program. Finaltopical report, Bench Run 4 (227-95)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Comolli, A.G.; Pradhan, V.R.; Lee, T.L.K.

This report presents the results of bench-scale work, Bench Run PB-04, conducted under the DOE Proof of Concept-Bench Option Program in direct coal liquefaction at Hydrocarbon Technologies, Inc. in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. The Bench Run PB-04 was the fifth of the nine runs planned in the POC Bench Option Contract between the U.S. DOE and Hydrocarbon Technologies, Inc. Bench Run PB-04 had multiple goals. These included the evaluation of the effects of dispersed slurry catalyst system on the performance of direct liquefaction of a subbituminous Wyoming Black Thunder mine coal under extinction recycle (454{degrees}C+ recycle) condition; another goal was tomore » investigate the effects of the combined processing of automobile shredder residue (auto-fluff) with coal and other organic waste materials. PB-04 employed a two-stage, back-mixed, slurry reactor system with an interstage V/L separator and an in-line fixed-bed hydrotreater. The HTI`s newly modified P/Fe catalyst was very effective for direct liquefaction and coprocessing of Black Thunder mine subbituminous coal with Hondo resid and auto-fluff; during `coal-only` liquefaction mode, over 93% maf coal conversion was obtained with about 90% residuum conversion and as high as 67% light distillate (C{sub 4}-975 F) yield, while during `coprocessing` mode of operation, distillate yields varied between 58 and 69%; the residuum conversions varied between 74 and 89% maf. Overall, it is concluded, based upon the yield data available from PB-04, that auto-effective as MSW plastics in improving coal hydroconversion process performance. Auto-fluff did not increase light distillate yields nor decrease light gas make and chemical hydrogen consumption in coal liquefaction, as was observed to occur with MSW plastics.« less

Treatment of highly polluted groundwater by novel iron removal process.

PubMed

Sim, S J; Kang, C D; Lee, J W; Kim, W S

2001-01-01

The removal of ferrous iron (Fe(II)) in groundwater has been generally achieved by simple aeration, or the addition of an oxidizing agent. Aeration has been shown to be very efficient in insolubilization ferrous iron at a pH level greater than 6.5. In this study, pH was maintained over 6.5 using limestone granules under constant aeration to oxidize ferrous iron in groundwater in a limestone packed column. A sedimentation unit coupled with a membrane filtration was also developed to precipitate and filtrate the oxidized ferric compound simultaneously. Several bench-scale studies, including the effects of the limestone granule sizes, amounts and hydraulic retention time on iron removal in the limestone packed column were investigated. It was found that 550 g/L of the 7-8 mesh size limestone granules, and 20 min of hydraulic retention time in the limestone packed column, were necessary for the sufficient oxidation of 40 mg/L of iron(II) in groundwater. Long-term operation was successfully achieved in contaminated waters by removing the iron deposits on the surface of the limestone granule by continuous aeration from the bottom of the column. Periodic reverse flow helped to remove caking and fouling of membrane surface caused by the continuous filtration. Recycling of the treated water from the membrane right after reverse flow operation made possible an admissible limit of iron concentration of the treated water for drinking. The pilot-scale process was constructed and has been tested in the rural area of Korea.

Linking the runoff response at micro-plot and catchment scale following wildfire and terracing, north-central Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Martinho A. S.; Rial-Rivas, María E.; Machado, Ana I.; Serpa, Dalila; Prats, Sergio A.; Faria, Sílvia R.; Varela, María E. T.; González-Pelayo, Óscar; Keizer, J. Jacob

2015-04-01

Wildfires are known as one of the principal natural hazards affecting the Mediterranean region. This includes Portugal, where wildfires have affected some 100.000 ha of rural lands each year. The effects of wildfires on runoff generation and/or the associated soil (fertility) losses have been studied in Portugal for more than two decades. Some of these studies have reported strong and sometimes extreme hydrological responses in recently burnt areas. Forestry operations in such areas have increasingly come to include bench terracing in preparation of new eucalypt plantations. The hydrological impacts of bench terracing, however, have received little research attention so far and the few existing publications are limited to small spatial scales. The construction of terraces is commonly considered an effective practice for soil conservation on steep slopes, having been applied by mankind since early history. Nonetheless, the present authors have measured high rates of splash as well as inter-rill erosion on recently constructed terraces, and have regularly observed rill formation, including on forest tracks which typically constitute an extensive network in such bench terraced plantations. The present study was carried out in a 29-ha forest catchment in north-central Portugal that was burnt by a wildfire during the summer of 2010, logged during early winter 2010/11, and then bench terraced with bulldozers during late winter 2011, some 6 months after the wildfire. The catchment outlet was instrumented immediately after the fire with an automatic hydrometric station comprising two subsequent flumes with maximum discharge capacities of 120 and 1700 l sec-1. Within the catchment, rainfall was measured using several automatic and storage gauges and overland flow was monitored on two contrasting slopes using 3 micro-plots of approximately 0.25m2 on each slope.Overland flow was measured at 1- to 2-weekly intervals during the hydrological years of 2010/11 and 2011/12, i.e. during the first six months after the wildfire but before the bench terracing and during the subsequent 18 months. While data analysis is still ongoing, preliminary results suggested that bench terracing had a greater impact on runoff generation than the wildfire itself, especially at the micro-plot scale

DEGRADATION OF POLYNUCLEAR AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS UNDER BENCH-SCALE COMPOST CONDITIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The relationship between biomass growth and degradation of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil, and subsequent toxicity reduction, was evaluated in 10 in-vessel, bench-scale compost units. Field soil was aquired from the Reilly Tar and Chemical Company Superfund site...

Application of high-throughput mini-bioreactor system for systematic scale-down modeling, process characterization, and control strategy development.

PubMed

Janakiraman, Vijay; Kwiatkowski, Chris; Kshirsagar, Rashmi; Ryll, Thomas; Huang, Yao-Ming

2015-01-01

High-throughput systems and processes have typically been targeted for process development and optimization in the bioprocessing industry. For process characterization, bench scale bioreactors have been the system of choice. Due to the need for performing different process conditions for multiple process parameters, the process characterization studies typically span several months and are considered time and resource intensive. In this study, we have shown the application of a high-throughput mini-bioreactor system viz. the Advanced Microscale Bioreactor (ambr15(TM) ), to perform process characterization in less than a month and develop an input control strategy. As a pre-requisite to process characterization, a scale-down model was first developed in the ambr system (15 mL) using statistical multivariate analysis techniques that showed comparability with both manufacturing scale (15,000 L) and bench scale (5 L). Volumetric sparge rates were matched between ambr and manufacturing scale, and the ambr process matched the pCO2 profiles as well as several other process and product quality parameters. The scale-down model was used to perform the process characterization DoE study and product quality results were generated. Upon comparison with DoE data from the bench scale bioreactors, similar effects of process parameters on process yield and product quality were identified between the two systems. We used the ambr data for setting action limits for the critical controlled parameters (CCPs), which were comparable to those from bench scale bioreactor data. In other words, the current work shows that the ambr15(TM) system is capable of replacing the bench scale bioreactor system for routine process development and process characterization. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Treating contaminated organics using the DETOX process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elsberry, K.D.; Dhooge, P.M.

1993-05-01

Waste matrices containing organics, radionuclides, and metals pose difficult problems in waste treatment and disposal when the organic compounds and/or metals are considered to be hazardous. This paper describes the results of bench-scale studies of DETOX applied to the components of liquid mixed wastes, with the goal of establishing parameters for designing a prototype waste treatment unit. Apparent organic reaction rate orders and the dependence of apparent reaction rate on solution composition and the contact area were measured for vacuum pump oil scintillation fluids, and trichloroethylene. Reaction rate was superior in chloride-based solutions and was proportional to the contact areamore » above about 2% w/w loading of organic. Oxidations in a 4-liter volume, mixed bench-top reactor have given destruction efficiencies of 99.9999 + % for common organics. Reaction rates achieved in the mixed bench-top reactor were one to two orders of magnitude greater than had been achieved in unmixed reactions; a thoroughly mixed reactor should be capable of oxidizing 10 to 100 + grams of organic per liter-hour. Results are also presented on the solvation efficiency of DETOX for mercury, cerium, and neodymium, and for removal/destruction of organics sorbed on vermiculite. The next stage of development will be converting the bench-top unit to continuous processing.« less

COMPARING RBF WITH BENCH-SCALE CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT FOR PRECURSOR REDUCTION

EPA Science Inventory

The reduction of disinfection by-product (DBP) precursors upon riverbank filtration (RBF) at three drinking water utilities in the mid-Western United States was compared with that obtained using a bench-scale conventional treatment train on the corresponding river waters. The riv...

Correlation between mass transfer coefficient kLa and relevant operating parameters in cylindrical disposable shaken bioreactors on a bench-to-pilot scale

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Among disposable bioreactor systems, cylindrical orbitally shaken bioreactors show important advantages. They provide a well-defined hydrodynamic flow combined with excellent mixing and oxygen transfer for mammalian and plant cell cultivations. Since there is no known universal correlation between the volumetric mass transfer coefficient for oxygen kLa and relevant operating parameters in such bioreactor systems, the aim of this current study is to experimentally determine a universal kLa correlation. Results A Respiration Activity Monitoring System (RAMOS) was used to measure kLa values in cylindrical disposable shaken bioreactors and Buckingham’s π-Theorem was applied to define a dimensionless equation for kLa. In this way, a scale- and volume-independent kLa correlation was developed and validated in bioreactors with volumes from 2 L to 200 L. The final correlation was used to calculate cultivation parameters at different scales to allow a sufficient oxygen supply of tobacco BY-2 cell suspension cultures. Conclusion The resulting equation can be universally applied to calculate the mass transfer coefficient for any of seven relevant cultivation parameters such as the reactor diameter, the shaking frequency, the filling volume, the viscosity, the oxygen diffusion coefficient, the gravitational acceleration or the shaking diameter within an accuracy range of +/− 30%. To our knowledge, this is the first kLa correlation that has been defined and validated for the cited bioreactor system on a bench-to-pilot scale. PMID:24289110

Correlation between mass transfer coefficient kLa and relevant operating parameters in cylindrical disposable shaken bioreactors on a bench-to-pilot scale.

PubMed

Klöckner, Wolf; Gacem, Riad; Anderlei, Tibor; Raven, Nicole; Schillberg, Stefan; Lattermann, Clemens; Büchs, Jochen

2013-12-02

Among disposable bioreactor systems, cylindrical orbitally shaken bioreactors show important advantages. They provide a well-defined hydrodynamic flow combined with excellent mixing and oxygen transfer for mammalian and plant cell cultivations. Since there is no known universal correlation between the volumetric mass transfer coefficient for oxygen kLa and relevant operating parameters in such bioreactor systems, the aim of this current study is to experimentally determine a universal kLa correlation. A Respiration Activity Monitoring System (RAMOS) was used to measure kLa values in cylindrical disposable shaken bioreactors and Buckingham's π-Theorem was applied to define a dimensionless equation for kLa. In this way, a scale- and volume-independent kLa correlation was developed and validated in bioreactors with volumes from 2 L to 200 L. The final correlation was used to calculate cultivation parameters at different scales to allow a sufficient oxygen supply of tobacco BY-2 cell suspension cultures. The resulting equation can be universally applied to calculate the mass transfer coefficient for any of seven relevant cultivation parameters such as the reactor diameter, the shaking frequency, the filling volume, the viscosity, the oxygen diffusion coefficient, the gravitational acceleration or the shaking diameter within an accuracy range of +/- 30%. To our knowledge, this is the first kLa correlation that has been defined and validated for the cited bioreactor system on a bench-to-pilot scale.

The innovative osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) for reuse of wastewater.

PubMed

Cornelissen, E R; Harmsen, D; Beerendonk, E F; Qin, J J; Oo, H; de Korte, K F; Kappelhof, J W M N

2011-01-01

An innovative osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) is currently under development for the reclamation of wastewater, which combines activated sludge treatment and forward osmosis (FO) membrane separation with a RO post-treatment. The research focus is FO membrane fouling and performance using different activated sludge investigated both at laboratory scale (membrane area of 112cm2) and at on-site bench scale (flat sheet membrane area of 0.1 m2). FO performance on laboratory-scale (i) increased with temperature due to a decrease in viscosity and (ii) was independent of the type of activated sludge. Draw solution leakage increased with temperature and varied for different activated sludge. FO performance on bench-scale (i) increased with osmotic driving force, (ii) depended on the membrane orientation due to internal concentration polarization and (iii) was invariant to feed flow decrease and air injection at the feed and draw side. Draw solution leakage could not be evaluated on bench-scale due to experimental limitation. Membrane fouling was not found on laboratory scale and bench-scale, however, partially reversible fouling was found on laboratory scale for FO membranes facing the draw solution. Economic assessment indicated a minimum flux of 15L.m-2 h-1 at 0.5M NaCl for OMBR-RO to be cost effective, depending on the FO membrane price.

On-Orbit Performance of the TES Pulse Tube Cryocooler System and the Instrument - Six Years in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodriguez, J. I.; Na-Nakornpanom, A.

2011-01-01

The Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) instrument pulse tube cryocoolers began operation 36 days after launch of the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura spacecraft on July 15, 2004. TES is designed with four infrared Mercury Cadmium Telluride focal plane arrays in two separate housings cooled by a pair of Northrup Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS) single-stage pulse tube cryocoolers. The instrument also makes use of a two-stage passive cooler to cool the optical bench. The instrument is a high-resolution infrared imaging Fourier transform spectrometer with 3.3-15.4 micron spectral coverage. After four weeks of outgassing, the instrument optical bench and focal planes were cooled to their operating temperatures to begin science operations. During the early months of the mission, ice contamination of the cryogenic surfaces including the focal planes led to increased cryocooler loads and the need for periodic decontamination cycles. After a highly successful 5 years of continuous in-space operations, TES was granted a 2 year extension. This paper reports on the TES cryogenic system performance including the two-stage passive cooler. After a brief overview of the cryogenic design, the paper presents detailed data on the highly successful space operation of the pulse tube cryocoolers and instrument thermal design over the past six years since the original turn-on in 2004. The data shows the cryogenic contamination decreased substantially to where decontamination cycles are now performed every six months. The cooler stroke required for constant-temperature operation has not increased indicating near-constant cooler efficiency and the instrument's thermal design has also provided a nearly constant heat rejection sink. At this time TES continues to operate in space providing important Earth science data.

Measure Twice, Build Once: Bench-Scale Testing to Evaluate Bioretention Media Design - slides

EPA Science Inventory

The oral presentation will be at the EWRI International LID Conference in San Francisco, on April 11-14, 2010. The slides discuss the utility of conducting bench-scale testing on selected bioretention media and media amendments to validate hydrologic properties before installing...

Genifuel Hydrothermal Processing Bench Scale Technology Evaluation Project (WE&RF Report LIFT6T14)

EPA Science Inventory

Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) and Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification (CHG) proof-of-concept bench-scale tests were performed to assess the potential of the Genifuel hydrothermal process technology for handling municipal wastewater sludge. HTL tests were conducted at 300-350◦C ...

Control of biological growth in recirculating cooling systems using treated secondary effluent as makeup water with monochloramine.

PubMed

Chien, Shih-Hsiang; Chowdhury, Indranil; Hsieh, Ming-Kai; Li, Heng; Dzombak, David A; Vidic, Radisav D

2012-12-01

Secondary-treated municipal wastewater, an abundant and widely distributed impaired water source, is a promising alternative water source for thermoelectric power plant cooling. However, excessive biological growth is a major challenge associated with wastewater reuse in cooling systems as it can interfere with normal system operation as well as enhance corrosion and scaling problems. Furthermore, possible emission of biological aerosols (e.g., Legionella pneumophila) with the cooling tower drift can lead to public health concerns within the zone of aerosol deposition. In this study, the effectiveness of pre-formed and in-situ-formed monochloramine was evaluated for its ability to control biological growth in recirculating cooling systems using secondary-treated municipal wastewater as the only makeup water source. Bench-scale studies were compared with pilot-scale studies for their ability to predict system behavior under realistic process conditions. Effectiveness of the continuous addition of pre-formed monochloramine and monochloramine formed in-situ through the reaction of free chlorine with ammonia in the incoming water was evaluated in terms of biocide residual and its ability to control both planktonic and sessile microbial populations. Results revealed that monochloramine can effectively control biofouling in cooling systems employing secondary-treated municipal wastewater and has advantages relative to use of free chlorine, but that bench-scale studies seriously underestimate biocide dose and residual requirements for proper control of biological growth in full-scale systems. Pre-formed monochloramine offered longer residence time and more reliable performance than in-situ-formed monochloramine due to highly variable ammonia concentration in the recirculating water caused by ammonia stripping in the cooling tower. Pilot-scale tests revealed that much lower dosing rate was required to maintain similar total chlorine residual when pre-formed monochloramine was used as compared to in-situ-formed monochloramine. Adjustment of biocide dose to maintain monochloramine residual above 3mg/L is needed to achieve successful biological growth control in recirculating cooling systems using secondary-treated municipal effluent as the only source of makeup water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen desorption using honeycomb finned heat exchangers integrated in adsorbent storage systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Corgnale, Claudio; Hardy, Bruce; Chahine, Richard

One of the main technical hurdles associated with adsorbent based hydrogen storage systems is relative to their ability to discharge hydrogen effectively, as dictated by fuel cell requirements. In this study, a new honeycomb finned heat exchanger concept was examined to evaluate its potential as a heat transfer system for hydrogen desorption. A bench scale 0.5 L vessel was equipped with the proposed heat exchanger, filled with MOF-5® adsorbent material. The heating power, required to desorb hydrogen, was provided by a 100 W electric heater placed in the center of the honeycomb structure. Two desorption tests, at room temperature andmore » under cryogenic temperatures, were carried out to evaluate the hydrogen desorption performance of the proposed system under different operating conditions. The bench scale vessel performance was verified from both an experimental and a modeling point of view, demonstrating the ability to desorb about 45% of the adsorbed hydrogen in reduced time and applying low heating power. Further modeling analyses were also carried out showing the potential of the proposed system to reach high hydrogen discharging rates at cryogenic temperature conditions and operating pressures between 100 bar and 5 bar. The proposed adsorption system also demonstrated to be able to discharge all the available hydrogen in less than 500 s operating at cryogenic conditions and with a nominal heating power of 100 W.« less

Hydrogen desorption using honeycomb finned heat exchangers integrated in adsorbent storage systems

DOE PAGES

Corgnale, Claudio; Hardy, Bruce; Chahine, Richard; ...

2018-03-01

One of the main technical hurdles associated with adsorbent based hydrogen storage systems is relative to their ability to discharge hydrogen effectively, as dictated by fuel cell requirements. In this study, a new honeycomb finned heat exchanger concept was examined to evaluate its potential as a heat transfer system for hydrogen desorption. A bench scale 0.5 L vessel was equipped with the proposed heat exchanger, filled with MOF-5® adsorbent material. The heating power, required to desorb hydrogen, was provided by a 100 W electric heater placed in the center of the honeycomb structure. Two desorption tests, at room temperature andmore » under cryogenic temperatures, were carried out to evaluate the hydrogen desorption performance of the proposed system under different operating conditions. The bench scale vessel performance was verified from both an experimental and a modeling point of view, demonstrating the ability to desorb about 45% of the adsorbed hydrogen in reduced time and applying low heating power. Further modeling analyses were also carried out showing the potential of the proposed system to reach high hydrogen discharging rates at cryogenic temperature conditions and operating pressures between 100 bar and 5 bar. The proposed adsorption system also demonstrated to be able to discharge all the available hydrogen in less than 500 s operating at cryogenic conditions and with a nominal heating power of 100 W.« less

Integral Design Methodology of Photocatalytic Reactors for Air Pollution Remediation.

PubMed

Passalía, Claudio; Alfano, Orlando M; Brandi, Rodolfo J

2017-06-07

An integral reactor design methodology was developed to address the optimal design of photocatalytic wall reactors to be used in air pollution control. For a target pollutant to be eliminated from an air stream, the proposed methodology is initiated with a mechanistic derived reaction rate. The determination of intrinsic kinetic parameters is associated with the use of a simple geometry laboratory scale reactor, operation under kinetic control and a uniform incident radiation flux, which allows computing the local superficial rate of photon absorption. Thus, a simple model can describe the mass balance and a solution may be obtained. The kinetic parameters may be estimated by the combination of the mathematical model and the experimental results. The validated intrinsic kinetics obtained may be directly used in the scaling-up of any reactor configuration and size. The bench scale reactor may require the use of complex computational software to obtain the fields of velocity, radiation absorption and species concentration. The complete methodology was successfully applied to the elimination of airborne formaldehyde. The kinetic parameters were determined in a flat plate reactor, whilst a bench scale corrugated wall reactor was used to illustrate the scaling-up methodology. In addition, an optimal folding angle of the corrugated reactor was found using computational fluid dynamics tools.

EVALUATION OF SCR CATALYSTS FOR COMBINED CONTROL OF NOX AND MERCURY

EPA Science Inventory

The report documents two-task, bench- and pilot-scale research on the effect of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts on mercury speciation in Illinois and Powder River Basin (PRB) coal combustion flue gases. In task I, a bench-scale reactor was used to study the oxidatio...

Bench-Scale Evaluation of Peracetic Acid and Twin Oxide ™ as Disinfectants in Drinking Water

EPA Science Inventory

Chlorine is widely used as an inexpensive and potent disinfectant in the United States for drinking water. However, chlorine has the potential for forming carcinogenic and mutagenic disinfection by-products (DBPs). In this study, bench scale experiments were conducted at the U.S...

BENCH-SCALE STUDIES ON THE SIMULTANEOUS FORMATION OF PCBS AND PCDDS/FS FROM COMBUSTION SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

The paper reports on a bench-scale experimental study to characterize a newly built reactor system that was built to: produce levels and distributions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) production similar to those achieved by previous re...

Bench-Scale Evaluation Of Chemically Bonded Phosphate Ceramic Technology To Stabilize Mercury Waste Mixtures

EPA Science Inventory

This bench-scale study was conducted to evaluate the stabilization of mercury (Hg) and mercuric chloride-containing surrogate test materials by the chemically bonded phosphate ceramics technology. This study was performed as part of a U.S. EPA program to evaluate treatment and d...

BENCH-SCALE EVALUATION OF CALCIUM SORBENTS FOR ACID GAS EMISSION CONTROL

EPA Science Inventory

Calcium sorbents for acid gas emission control were evaluated for effectiveness in removing SO2/HCl and SO2/NO from simulated incinerator and boiler flue gases. All tests were conducted in a bench-scale reactor (fixed-bed) simulating fabric filter conditions in an acid gas remova...

SOLVENT EXTRACTION AND SOIL WASHING TREATMENT OF CONTAMINATED SOILS FROM WOOD PRESERVING SITES: BENCH SCALE STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale solvent extraction and soil washing studies were performed on soil samples obtained from three abandoned wood preserving sites that included in the NPL. The soil samples from these sites were contaminated with high levels of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pentachlo...

Technical Approach for In Situ Biological Treatment Research: Bench- Scale Experiments

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

1 CONVERSION FACTORS, NON-SI TO SI (METRIC) UNITS OF MEASUREMENT . . 5 PART I: INTRODUCTION...141 REFERENCES ....................... .............................. 142 TABLES 1 -4 APPENDIX A: IN SITU IMPLEMENTATION CASE STUDIES...TREATMENT RESEARCH: BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS PART I: INTRODUCTION Background 1 . Many US Army installations have areas of contamination requiring

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durham, M.D.

The purpose of this research program is to identify and evaluate a variety of additives capable of increasing particle cohesion which could be used for improving collection efficiency in an ESP. A three-phase screening process will be used to provide the, evaluation of many additives in a logical and cost-effective manner. The three step approach involves the following experimental setups: 1. Provide a preliminary screening in the laboratory by measuring the effects of various conditioning agents on reentrainment of flyash particles in an electric field operating at simulated flue gas conditions. 2. Evaluate the successful additives using a 100 acfmmore » bench-scale ESP operating on actual flue gas. 3. Obtain the data required for scaling up the technology by testing the two or three most promising conditioning agents at the pilot scale.« less

NASA. Langley Research Center dry powder towpreg system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baucom, Robert M.; Marchello, Joseph M.

1990-01-01

Dry powder polymer impregnated carbon fiber tows were produced for preform weaving and composite materials molding applications. In the process, fluidized powder is deposited on spread tow bundles and melted on the fibers by radiant heating to adhere the polymer to the fiber. Unit design theory and operating correlations were developed to provide the basis for scale up of the process to commercial operation. Special features of the operation are the pneumatic tow spreader, fluidized bed, resin feeder, and quality control system. Bench scale experiments, at tow speeds up to 50 cm/sec, demonstrated that process variables can be controlled to produce weavable LARC-TPI carbon fiber towpreg. The towpreg made by the dry powder process was formed into unidirectional fiber moldings and was woven and molded into preform material of good quality.

Study on the removal efficiency of UF membranes using bacteriophages in bench-scale and semi-technical scale.

PubMed

Kreissel, K; Bösl, M; Lipp, P; Franzreb, M; Hambsch, B

2012-01-01

To determine the removal efficiency of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for nano-particles in the size range of viruses the state of the art uses challenge tests with virus-spiked water. This work focuses on bench-scale and semi-technical scale experiments. Different experimental parameters influencing the removal efficiency of the tested UF membrane modules were analyzed and evaluated for bench- and semi-technical scale experiments. Organic matter in the water matrix highly influenced the removal of the tested bacteriophages MS2 and phiX174. Less membrane fouling (low ΔTMP) led to a reduced phage reduction. Increased flux positively affected phage removal in natural waters. The tested bacteriophages MS2 and phiX174 revealed different removal properties. MS2, which is widely used as a model organism to determine virus removal efficiencies of membranes, mostly showed a better removal than phiX174 for the natural water qualities tested. It seems that MS2 is possibly a less conservative surrogate for human enteric virus removal than phiX174. In bench-scale experiments log removal values (LRV) for MS2 of 2.5-6.0 and of 2.5-4.5 for phiX174 were obtained for the examined range of parameters. Phage removal obtained with differently fabricated semi-technical modules was quite variable for comparable parameter settings, indicating that module fabrication can lead to differing results. Potting temperature and module size were identified as influencing factors. In conclusion, careful attention has to be paid to the choice of experimental settings and module potting when using bench-scale or semi-technical scale experiments for UF membrane challenge tests.

Investigation of E. coli and Virus Reductions Using Replicate, Bench-Scale Biosand Filter Columns and Two Filter Media

PubMed Central

Elliott, Mark; Stauber, Christine E.; DiGiano, Francis A.; Fabiszewski de Aceituno, Anna; Sobsey, Mark D.

2015-01-01

The biosand filter (BSF) is an intermittently operated, household-scale slow sand filter for which little data are available on the effect of sand composition on treatment performance. Therefore, bench-scale columns were prepared according to the then-current (2006–2007) guidance on BSF design and run in parallel to conduct two microbial challenge experiments of eight-week duration. Triplicate columns were loaded with Accusand silica or crushed granite to compare virus and E. coli reduction performance. Bench-scale experiments provided confirmation that increased schmutzdecke growth, as indicated by decline in filtration rate, is the primary factor causing increased E. coli reductions of up to 5-log10. However, reductions of challenge viruses improved only modestly with increased schmutzdecke growth. Filter media type (Accusand silica vs. crushed granite) did not influence reduction of E. coli bacteria. The granite media without backwashing yielded superior virus reductions when compared to Accusand. However, for columns in which the granite media was first backwashed (to yield a more consistent distribution of grains and remove the finest size fraction), virus reductions were not significantly greater than in columns with Accusand media. It was postulated that a decline in surface area with backwashing decreased the sites and surface area available for virus sorption and/or biofilm growth and thus decreased the extent of virus reduction. Additionally, backwashing caused preferential flow paths and deviation from plug flow; backwashing is not part of standard BSF field preparation and is not recommended for BSF column studies. Overall, virus reductions were modest and did not meet the 5- or 3-log10 World Health Organization performance targets. PMID:26308036

Rotating algal biofilm reactor and spool harvester for wastewater treatment with biofuels by-products.

PubMed

Christenson, Logan B; Sims, Ronald C

2012-07-01

Maximizing algae production in a wastewater treatment process can aid in the reduction of soluble nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the wastewater. If harvested, the algae-based biomass offers the added benefit as feedstock for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. However, difficulties in harvesting, concentrating, and dewatering the algae-based biomass have limited the development of an economically feasible treatment and production process. When algae-based biomass is grown as a surface attached biofilm as opposed to a suspended culture, the biomass is naturally concentrated and more easily harvested. This can lead to less expensive removal of the biomass from wastewater, and less expensive downstream processing in the production of biofuels and bioproducts. In this study, a novel rotating algal biofilm reactor (RABR) was designed, built, and tested at bench (8 L), medium (535 L), and pilot (8,000 L) scales. The RABR was designed to operate in the photoautotrophic conditions of open tertiary wastewater treatment, producing mixed culture biofilms made up of algae and bacteria. Growth substrata were evaluated for attachment and biofilm formation, and an effective substratum was discovered. The RABR achieved effective nutrient reduction, with average removal rates of 2.1 and 14.1 g m(-2) day(-1) for total dissolved phosphorus and total dissolved nitrogen, respectively. Biomass production ranged from 5.5 g m(-2) day(-1) at bench scale to as high as 31 g m(-2) day(-1) at pilot scale. An efficient spool harvesting technique was also developed at bench and medium scales to obtain a concentrated product (12-16% solids) suitable for further processing in the production of biofuels and bioproducts. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sulfur dioxide reactions on ice surfaces: Implications for dry deposition to snow

Treesearch

Martha H. Conklin; Richard A. Sommerfeld; S. Kay Laird; John E. Villinski

1993-01-01

Controlled exposure of ice to a reactive gas, SO2, demonstrated the importance of the chemical composition of the ice surface on the accumulation of acidity in snow. In a series of bench-scale continuous-flow column experiments run at four temperatures (-1, -8, -30 and -60°C), SO2 was shown to dissolve and to react with other species in the ice-air interfacial region...

In-situ Subaqueous Capping of Mercury-Contaminated Sediments in a Fresh-Water Aquatic System, Part I-Bench-Scale Microcosm Study to Assess Methylmercury Production

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale microcosm experiments were designed to provide a better understanding of the potential for Hg methylation in sediments from an aquatic environment. Experiments were conducted to examine the function of sulfate concentration, lactate concentration, the presence/absenc...

REVIEW OF BENCH-, PILOT-, AND FULL-SCALE ORIMULSION (R) COMBUSTION TESTS

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of a review of bench-, pilot-, and full-scale Orimulsion combustion tests. A fossil fuel marketed by its producer, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), since the late 1980s as an alternative to coal and heavy fuel oil, Orimulsion is a bitumen-in-water em...

MULTICOMPONENT AEROSOL DYNAMICS OF THE PB-O2 SYSTEM IN A BENCH SCALE FLAME INCINERATOR

EPA Science Inventory

A study was carried out to understand the formation and growth of lead particles in a flame incinerator. A bench scale flame incinerator was used to perform controlled experiments with lead acetate as a test compound. A dilution probe in conjunction with real-time aerosol instrum...

DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR SELECTING WASTE SAMPLES FOR BENCH-SCALE REFORMER TREATABILITY STUDIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BANNING DL

2011-02-11

This document describes the data quality objectives to select archived samples located at the 222-S Laboratory for Bench-Scale Reforming testing. The type, quantity, and quality of the data required to select the samples for Fluid Bed Steam Reformer testing are discussed. In order to maximize the efficiency and minimize the time to treat Hanford tank waste in the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, additional treatment processes may be required. One of the potential treatment processes is the fluidized bed steam reformer. A determination of the adequacy of the fluidized bed steam reformer process to treat Hanford tank waste is required.more » The initial step in determining the adequacy of the fluidized bed steam reformer process is to select archived waste samples from the 222-S Laboratory that will be used in a bench scale tests. Analyses of the selected samples will be required to confirm the samples meet the shipping requirements and for comparison to the bench scale reformer (BSR) test sample selection requirements.« less

Fuel-Flexible Gasification-Combustion Technology for Production of H2 and Sequestration-Ready CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Rizeq; Janice West; Raul Subia

GE Global Research is developing an innovative energy technology for coal gasification with high efficiency and near-zero pollution. This Unmixed Fuel Processor (UFP) technology simultaneously converts coal, steam and air into three separate streams of hydrogen-rich gas, sequestration-ready CO{sub 2}, and high-temperature, high-pressure vitiated air to produce electricity in gas turbines. This is the draft final report for the first stage of the DOE-funded Vision 21 program. The UFP technology development program encompassed lab-, bench- and pilot-scale studies to demonstrate the UFP concept. Modeling and economic assessments were also key parts of this program. The chemical and mechanical feasibility weremore » established via lab and bench-scale testing, and a pilot plant was designed, constructed and operated, demonstrating the major UFP features. Experimental and preliminary modeling results showed that 80% H{sub 2} purity could be achieved, and that a UFP-based energy plant is projected to meet DOE efficiency targets. Future work will include additional pilot plant testing to optimize performance and reduce environmental, operability and combined cycle integration risks. Results obtained to date have confirmed that this technology has the potential to economically meet future efficiency and environmental performance goals.« less

Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations for solvent-based carbon capture. Part 2: Chemical absorption across a wetted wall column: Original Research Article: Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Chao; Xu, Zhijie; Lai, Kevin

Part 1 of this paper presents a numerical model for non-reactive physical mass transfer across a wetted wall column (WWC). In Part 2, we improved the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate chemical absorption occurring in a WWC as a bench-scale study of solvent-based carbon dioxide (CO2) capture. To generate data for WWC model validation, CO2 mass transfer across a monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent was first measured on a WWC experimental apparatus. The numerical model developed in this work can account for both chemical absorption and desorption of CO2 in MEA. In addition, the overall mass transfer coefficient predictedmore » using traditional/empirical correlations is conducted and compared with CFD prediction results for both steady and wavy falling films. A Bayesian statistical calibration algorithm is adopted to calibrate the reaction rate constants in chemical absorption/desorption of CO2 across a falling film of MEA. The posterior distributions of the two transport properties, i.e., Henry's constant and gas diffusivity in the non-reacting nitrous oxide (N2O)/MEA system obtained from Part 1 of this study, serves as priors for the calibration of CO2 reaction rate constants after using the N2O/CO2 analogy method. The calibrated model can be used to predict the CO2 mass transfer in a WWC for a wider range of operating conditions.« less

Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations for solvent-based carbon capture. Part 2: Chemical absorption across a wetted wall column: Original Research Article: Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations

DOE PAGES

Wang, Chao; Xu, Zhijie; Lai, Kevin; ...

2017-10-24

Part 1 of this paper presents a numerical model for non-reactive physical mass transfer across a wetted wall column (WWC). In Part 2, we improved the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate chemical absorption occurring in a WWC as a bench-scale study of solvent-based carbon dioxide (CO2) capture. To generate data for WWC model validation, CO2 mass transfer across a monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent was first measured on a WWC experimental apparatus. The numerical model developed in this work can account for both chemical absorption and desorption of CO2 in MEA. In addition, the overall mass transfer coefficient predictedmore » using traditional/empirical correlations is conducted and compared with CFD prediction results for both steady and wavy falling films. A Bayesian statistical calibration algorithm is adopted to calibrate the reaction rate constants in chemical absorption/desorption of CO2 across a falling film of MEA. The posterior distributions of the two transport properties, i.e., Henry's constant and gas diffusivity in the non-reacting nitrous oxide (N2O)/MEA system obtained from Part 1 of this study, serves as priors for the calibration of CO2 reaction rate constants after using the N2O/CO2 analogy method. The calibrated model can be used to predict the CO2 mass transfer in a WWC for a wider range of operating conditions.« less

PRELIMINARY ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT ON THE INTEGRATION OF A PROCESS UTILIZING LOW-ENERGY SOLVENTS FOR CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE ENABLED BY A COMBINATION OF ENZYMES AND VACUUM REGENERATION WITH A SUBCRITICAL PC POWER PLANT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fitzgerald, David; Vidal, Rafael; Russell, Tania

2014-12-31

The results of the preliminary environmental, health and safety (EH&S) risk assessment for an enzyme-activated potassium carbonate (K2CO3) solution post-combustion CO2 capture (PCC) plant, integrated with a subcritical pulverized coal (PC) power plant, are presented. The expected emissions during normal steady-state operation have been estimated utilizing models of the PCC plant developed in AspenTech’s AspenPlus® software, bench scale test results from the University of Kentucky, and industrial experience of emission results from a slipstream PCC plant utilizing amine based solvents. A review of all potential emission species and their sources was undertaken that identified two credible emission sources, the absorbermore » off-gas that is vented to atmosphere via a stack and the waste removed from the PCC plant in the centrifuge used to reclaim enzyme and solvent. The conditions and compositions of the emissions were calculated and the potential EH&S effects were considered as well as legislative compliance requirements. Potential mitigation methods for emissions during normal operation have been proposed and solutions to mitigate uncontrolled releases of species have been considered. The potential emissions were found to pose no significant EH&S concerns and were compliant with the Federal legislation reviewed. The limitations in predicting full scale plant performance from bench scale tests have been noted and further work on a larger scale test unit is recommended to reduce the level of uncertainty.« less

Pyrolysis of automotive shredder residue in a bench scale rotary kiln.

PubMed

Notarnicola, Michele; Cornacchia, Giacinto; De Gisi, Sabino; Di Canio, Francesco; Freda, Cesare; Garzone, Pietro; Martino, Maria; Valerio, Vito; Villone, Antonio

2017-07-01

Automotive shredder residue (ASR) can create difficulties when managing, with its production increasing. It is made of different type of plastics, foams, elastomers, wood, glasses and textiles. For this reason, it is complicated to dispose of in a cost effective way, while also respecting the stringent environmental restrictions. Among thermal treatments, pyrolysis seems to offer an environmentally attractive method for the treatment of ASR; it also allows for the recovery of valuable secondary materials/fuels such as pyrolysis oils, chars, and gas. While, there is a great deal of significant research on ASR pyrolysis, the literature on higher scale pyrolysis experiments is limited. To improve current literature, the aim of the study was to investigate the pyrolysis of ASR in a bench scale rotary kiln. The Italian ASR was separated by dry-sieving into two particle size fractions: d<30mm and d>30mm. Both the streams were grounded, pelletized and then pyrolyzed in a continuous bench scale rotary kiln at 450, 550 and 650°C. The mass flow rate of the ASR pellets was 200-350g/h and each test ran for about 4-5h. The produced char, pyrolysis oil and syngas were quantified to determine product distribution. They were thoroughly analyzed with regard to their chemical and physical properties. The results show how higher temperatures increase the pyrolysis gas yield (44wt% at 650°C) as well as its heating value. The low heating value (LHV) of syngas ranges between 18 and 26MJ/Nm 3 dry. The highest pyrolysis oil yield (33wt.%) was observed at 550°C and its LHV ranges between 12.5 and 14.5MJ/kg. Furthermore, only two out of the six produced chars respect the LHV limit set by the Italian environmental regulations for landfilling. The obtained results in terms of product distribution and their chemical-physical analyses provide useful information for plant scale-up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced DOC removal using anion and cation ion exchange resins.

PubMed

Arias-Paic, Miguel; Cawley, Kaelin M; Byg, Steve; Rosario-Ortiz, Fernando L

2016-01-01

Hardness and DOC removal in a single ion exchange unit operation allows for less infrastructure, is advantageous for process operation and depending on the water source, could enhance anion exchange resin removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Simultaneous application of cationic (Plus) and anionic (MIEX) ion exchange resin in a single contact vessel was tested at pilot and bench scales, under multiple regeneration cycles. Hardness removal correlated with theoretical predictions; where measured hardness was between 88 and 98% of the predicted value. Comparing bench scale DOC removal of solely treating water with MIEX compared to Plus and MIEX treated water showed an enhanced DOC removal, where removal was increased from 0.5 to 1.25 mg/L for the simultaneous resin application compared to solely applying MIEX resin. A full scale MIEX treatment plant (14.5 MGD) reduced raw water DOC from 13.7 mg/L to 4.90 mg/L in the treated effluent at a bed volume (BV) treatment rate of 800, where a parallel operation of a simultaneous MIEX and Plus resin pilot (10 gpm) measured effluent DOC concentrations of no greater than 3.4 mg/L, even at bed volumes of treatment 37.5% greater than the full scale plant. MIEX effluent compared to simultaneous Plus and MIEX effluent resulted in differences in fluorescence intensity that correlated to decreases in DOC concentration. The simultaneous treatment of Plus and MIEX resin produced water with predominantly microbial character, indicating the enhanced DOC removal was principally due to increased removal of terrestrially derived organic matter. The addition of Plus resin to a process train with MIEX resin allows for one treatment process to remove both DOC and hardness, where a single brine waste stream can be sent to sewer at a full-scale plant, completely removing lime chemical addition and sludge waste disposal for precipitative softening processes. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The changing role of the medical technologist from technologist to information specialist.

PubMed

Miller, W G

2000-01-01

Pathology laboratory services are dependent on the laboratory information system (LIS) to organize the work, manage the operation, and communicate the results for effective laboratory medicine. For maximum efficiency, staffing for the LIS should be an integral component of laboratory operations and is facilitated by a two-tier structure. A core LIS staff provides system support and continuous services. A group of bench medical technologists have multitasking responsibilities, including LIS support for a specific laboratory work area. The two components form a team that uses staff efficiently to provide ongoing operational services and flexibility for problem solving and new functionality implementation.

Waste Heat-to-Power Using Scroll Expander for Organic Rankine Bottoming Cycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dieckmann, John; Smutzer, Chad; Sinha, Jayanti

The objective of this program was to develop a novel, scalable scroll expander for conversion of waste heat to power; this was accomplished and demonstrated in both a bench-scale system as well as a full-scale system. The expander is a key component in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery systems which are used to convert medium-grade waste heat to electric power in a wide range of industries. These types of waste heat recovery systems allow for the capture of energy that would otherwise just be exhausted to the atmosphere. A scroll expander has the benefit over other technologies ofmore » having high efficiency over a broad range of operating conditions. The speed range of the TIAX expander (1,200 to 3,600 RPM) enables the shaft power output to directly drive an electric generator and produce 60 Hz electric power without incurring the equipment costs or losses of electronic power conversion. This greatly simplifies integration with the plant electric infrastructure. The TIAX scroll expander will reduce the size, cost, and complexity of a small-scale waste heat recovery system, while increasing the system efficiency compared to the prevailing ORC technologies at similar scale. During this project, TIAX demonstrated the scroll expander in a bench-scale test setup to have isentropic efficiency of 70-75% and operated it successfully for ~200 hours with minimal wear. This same expander was then installed in a complete ORC system driven by a medium grade waste heat source to generate 5-7 kW of electrical power. Due to funding constraints, TIAX was unable to complete this phase of testing, although the initial results were promising and demonstrated the potential of the technology.« less

Flue gas conditioning for improved particle collection in electrostatic precipitators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durham, M.D.

1992-04-27

The purpose of this research program is to identify and evaluate a variety of additives capable of increasing particle cohesion which could be used for improving collection efficiency in an ESP. A three-phase screening process will be used to provide the, evaluation of many additives in a logical and cost-effective manner. The three step approach involves the following experimental setups: 1. Provide a preliminary screening in the laboratory by measuring the effects of various conditioning agents on reentrainment of flyash particles in an electric field operating at simulated flue gas conditions. 2. Evaluate the successful additives using a 100 acfmmore » bench-scale ESP operating on actual flue gas. 3. Obtain the data required for scaling up the technology by testing the two or three most promising conditioning agents at the pilot scale.« less

An ultra stable optical bench for the magnetic survey satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wingate, C. A., Jr.; Coughlin, T. B.; Sullivan, R. M.

1978-01-01

The Magsat optical bench has been designed and built to hold the alignment of five optical elements to deflections of 1-2 arcsec during orbital operation. The bench has been designed to withstand alignment changes during the launch and prestabilization phases of the mission. Severe weight constraints, in conjunction with the thermal and structural requirements, led to the choice of graphite-fiber-reinforced epoxy egg crate core and face sheets for the bench construction. Active temperature control was necessary to meet thermal deflection objectives, and novel kinematic mountings were required to prevent spacecraft bending from deflecting the bench.

LiveBench-1: continuous benchmarking of protein structure prediction servers.

PubMed

Bujnicki, J M; Elofsson, A; Fischer, D; Rychlewski, L

2001-02-01

We present a novel, continuous approach aimed at the large-scale assessment of the performance of available fold-recognition servers. Six popular servers were investigated: PDB-Blast, FFAS, T98-lib, GenTHREADER, 3D-PSSM, and INBGU. The assessment was conducted using as prediction targets a large number of selected protein structures released from October 1999 to April 2000. A target was selected if its sequence showed no significant similarity to any of the proteins previously available in the structural database. Overall, the servers were able to produce structurally similar models for one-half of the targets, but significantly accurate sequence-structure alignments were produced for only one-third of the targets. We further classified the targets into two sets: easy and hard. We found that all servers were able to find the correct answer for the vast majority of the easy targets if a structurally similar fold was present in the server's fold libraries. However, among the hard targets--where standard methods such as PSI-BLAST fail--the most sensitive fold-recognition servers were able to produce similar models for only 40% of the cases, half of which had a significantly accurate sequence-structure alignment. Among the hard targets, the presence of updated libraries appeared to be less critical for the ranking. An "ideally combined consensus" prediction, where the results of all servers are considered, would increase the percentage of correct assignments by 50%. Each server had a number of cases with a correct assignment, where the assignments of all the other servers were wrong. This emphasizes the benefits of considering more than one server in difficult prediction tasks. The LiveBench program (http://BioInfo.PL/LiveBench) is being continued, and all interested developers are cordially invited to join.

A rolling-sliding bench test for investigating rear axle lubrication

DOE PAGES

Stump, Benjamin C.; Zhou, Yan; Viola, Michael B.; ...

2018-02-07

An automotive rear axle is composed of a set of hypoid gears, whose contact surfaces experience a complex combination of rolling contact fatigue damage and sliding wear. Full-scale rear axle dynamometer tests are used in the industry for efficiency and durability assessment. Here, this study developed a bench-scale rolling-sliding test protocol by simulating the contact pressure, oil temperature, and lubrication regime experienced in a dynamometer duty cycle test. Initial bench results have demonstrated the ability of generating both rolling contact-induced micropitting and sliding wear and the feasibility of investigating the impact of slide-to-roll ratio, surface roughness, test duration, and oilmore » temperature on the friction behavior, vibration noise, and surface damage. Finally, this bench test will allow studying candidate rear axle lubricants and materials under relevant conditions.« less

A rolling-sliding bench test for investigating rear axle lubrication

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stump, Benjamin C.; Zhou, Yan; Viola, Michael B.

An automotive rear axle is composed of a set of hypoid gears, whose contact surfaces experience a complex combination of rolling contact fatigue damage and sliding wear. Full-scale rear axle dynamometer tests are used in the industry for efficiency and durability assessment. Here, this study developed a bench-scale rolling-sliding test protocol by simulating the contact pressure, oil temperature, and lubrication regime experienced in a dynamometer duty cycle test. Initial bench results have demonstrated the ability of generating both rolling contact-induced micropitting and sliding wear and the feasibility of investigating the impact of slide-to-roll ratio, surface roughness, test duration, and oilmore » temperature on the friction behavior, vibration noise, and surface damage. Finally, this bench test will allow studying candidate rear axle lubricants and materials under relevant conditions.« less

MTF measurements of a type-II superlattice infrared focal plane array sealed in a cryocooler.

PubMed

Nghiem, Jean; Jaeck, Julien; Primot, Jerome; Coudrain, Christophe; Derelle, Sophie; Huard, Edouard; Caes, Marcel; Bernhardt, Sylvie; Haidar, Riad; Christol, Philippe; Ribet-Mohamed, Isabelle

2018-04-16

In operational electro-optical systems, infrared focal plane arrays (IR FPA) are integrated in cryocoolers which induce vibrations that may strongly affect their modulation transfer function (MTF). In this paper, we present the MTF measurement of an IR FPA sealed in its cryocooler. The method we use to measure the MTF decorrelates operational constraints and the technological limitations of the IR FPA. The bench is based on the diffraction properties of a continuously self imaging grating (CSIG). The 26 µm pixel size extracted from the MTF measurement is in good agreement with the expected value.

IMPROVED CORROSION RESISTANCE OF ALUMINA REFRACTORIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

John P. Hurley; Patty L. Kleven

2001-09-30

The initial objective of this project was to do a literature search to define the problems of refractory selection in the metals and glass industries. The problems fall into three categories: Economic--What do the major problems cost the industries financially? Operational--How do the major problems affect production efficiency and impact the environment? and Scientific--What are the chemical and physical mechanisms that cause the problems to occur? This report presents a summary of these problems. It was used to determine the areas in which the EERC can provide the most assistance through bench-scale and laboratory testing. The final objective of thismore » project was to design and build a bench-scale high-temperature controlled atmosphere dynamic corrosion application furnace (CADCAF). The furnace will be used to evaluate refractory test samples in the presence of flowing corrodents for extended periods, to temperatures of 1600 C under controlled atmospheres. Corrodents will include molten slag, steel, and glass. This test should prove useful for the glass and steel industries when faced with the decision of choosing the best refractory for flowing corrodent conditions.« less

Design and performance of a trickling air biofilter for chlorobenzene and o-dichlorobenzene vapors.

PubMed Central

Oh, Y S; Bartha, R

1994-01-01

From contaminated industrial sludge, two stable multistrain microbial enrichments (consortia) that were capable of rapidly utilizing chlorobenzene and o-dichlorobenzene, respectively, were obtained. These consortia were characterized as to their species composition, tolerance range, and activity maxima in order to establish and maintain the required operational parameters during their use in biofilters for the removal of chlorobenzene contaminants from air. The consortia were immobilized on a porous perlite support packed into filter columns. Metered airstreams containing the contaminant vapors were partially humidified and passed through these columns. The vapor concentrations prior to and after biofiltration were measured by gas chromatography. Liquid was circulated concurrently with the air, and the device was operated in the trickling air biofilter mode. The experimental arrangement allowed the independent variation of liquid flow, airflow, and solvent vapor concentrations. Bench-scale trickling air biofilters removed monochlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, and their mixtures at rates of up to 300 g of solvent vapor h(-1) m(-3) filter volume. High liquid recirculation rates and automated pH control were critical for stable filtration performance. When the accumulating NaCl was periodically diluted, the trickling air biofilters continued to remove chlorobenzenes for several months with no loss of activity. The demonstrated high performance and stability of the described trickling air biofilters favor their use in industrial-scale air pollution control. PMID:8085815

Errors of car wheels rotation rate measurement using roller follower on test benches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potapov, A. S.; Svirbutovich, O. A.; Krivtsov, S. N.

2018-03-01

The article deals with rotation rate measurement errors, which depend on the motor vehicle rate, on the roller, test benches. Monitoring of the vehicle performance under operating conditions is performed on roller test benches. Roller test benches are not flawless. They have some drawbacks affecting the accuracy of vehicle performance monitoring. Increase in basic velocity of the vehicle requires increase in accuracy of wheel rotation rate monitoring. It determines the degree of accuracy of mode identification for a wheel of the tested vehicle. To ensure measurement accuracy for rotation velocity of rollers is not an issue. The problem arises when measuring rotation velocity of a car wheel. The higher the rotation velocity of the wheel is, the lower the accuracy of measurement is. At present, wheel rotation frequency monitoring on roller test benches is carried out by following-up systems. Their sensors are rollers following wheel rotation. The rollers of the system are not kinematically linked to supporting rollers of the test bench. The roller follower is forced against the wheels of the tested vehicle by means of a spring-lever mechanism. Experience of the test bench equipment operation has shown that measurement accuracy is satisfactory at small rates of vehicles diagnosed on roller test benches. With a rising diagnostics rate, rotation velocity measurement errors occur in both braking and pulling modes because a roller spins about a tire tread. The paper shows oscillograms of changes in wheel rotation velocity and rotation velocity measurement system’s signals when testing a vehicle on roller test benches at specified rates.

Thermal Destruction Of CB Contaminants Bound On Building ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Symposium Paper An experimental and theoretical program has been initiated by the U.S. EPA to investigate issues of chemical/biological agent destruction in incineration systems when the agent in question is bound on common porous building interior materials. This program includes 3-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modeling with matrix-bound agent destruction kinetics, bench-scale experiments to determine agent destruction kinetics while bound on various matrices, and pilot-scale experiments to scale-up the bench-scale experiments to a more practical scale. Finally, model predictions are made to predict agent destruction and combustion conditions in two full-scale incineration systems that are typical of modern combustor design.

Bench-scale operation of the DETOX wet oxidation process for mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dhooge, P.M.

1993-01-01

Waste matrices containing organics, radionuclides, and metals pose difficult problems in waste treatment and disposal when the organic compounds and/or metals are considered to be hazardous. A means of destroying hazardous organic components while safely containing and concentrating metals would be extremely useful in mixed waste volume reduction or conversion to a radioactive-only form. Previous studies have found the DETOX, a patented process utilizing a novel catalytic wet oxidation by iron(III) oxidant, cold have successful application to mixed wastes, and to many other waste types. This paper describes the results of bench scale studies of DETOX applied to the componentsmore » of liquid mixed wastes, with the goal of establishing parameters for the design of a prototype waste treatment unit. Apparent organic reaction rate orders, and the dependence of apparent reaction rate on the contact area, were measured for vacuum pump oil, scintillation fluids, and trichloroethylene. It was found that reaction rate was proportional to contact area above about 2.% w/w loading of organic. Oxidations in a 4 liter. volume, mixed bench top reactor have given destruction efficiencies of 99.9999+% for common organics. Reaction rates achieved in the mixedbench top reactor were one to two orders of magnitude greater than had been achieved in unmixed reactions; a thoroughly mixed reactor should be capable of oxidizing 10. to 100.+ grams of organic per liter-hour,depending on the nature and concentration of the organic.« less

Bench-scale operation of the DETOX wet oxidation process for mixed waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dhooge, P.M.

1993-03-01

Waste matrices containing organics, radionuclides, and metals pose difficult problems in waste treatment and disposal when the organic compounds and/or metals are considered to be hazardous. A means of destroying hazardous organic components while safely containing and concentrating metals would be extremely useful in mixed waste volume reduction or conversion to a radioactive-only form. Previous studies have found the DETOX, a patented process utilizing a novel catalytic wet oxidation by iron(III) oxidant, cold have successful application to mixed wastes, and to many other waste types. This paper describes the results of bench scale studies of DETOX applied to the componentsmore » of liquid mixed wastes, with the goal of establishing parameters for the design of a prototype waste treatment unit. Apparent organic reaction rate orders, and the dependence of apparent reaction rate on the contact area, were measured for vacuum pump oil, scintillation fluids, and trichloroethylene. It was found that reaction rate was proportional to contact area above about 2.% w/w loading of organic. Oxidations in a 4 liter. volume, mixed bench top reactor have given destruction efficiencies of 99.9999+% for common organics. Reaction rates achieved in the mixedbench top reactor were one to two orders of magnitude greater than had been achieved in unmixed reactions; a thoroughly mixed reactor should be capable of oxidizing 10. to 100.+ grams of organic per liter-hour,depending on the nature and concentration of the organic.« less

Evaluation of an Immobilized Cell Bioreactor for Degradation of Meta- and Para-Nitrobenzoate

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-18

AFB IWTP. 4 Shake flask tests and continuous flow, bench-scale bioreactor tests were conducted using EDA or spent CLEPO 204 as the substrate. It was...found that the shake flask cultures completely degraded EDA when it was the sole substrate. However, using spent CLEPO 204 as the substrate caused a...microorganisms isolated, Kelly 4. Erlenmeyer flasks (250 mL) were used in studies to determine the maximal growth rate of Kelly 4 at 30" C in SMSB

Surgical simulation: a urological perspective.

PubMed

Wignall, Geoffrey R; Denstedt, John D; Preminger, Glenn M; Cadeddu, Jeffrey A; Pearle, Margaret S; Sweet, Robert M; McDougall, Elspeth M

2008-05-01

Surgical education is changing rapidly as several factors including budget constraints and medicolegal concerns limit opportunities for urological trainees. New methods of skills training such as low fidelity bench trainers and virtual reality simulators offer new avenues for surgical education. In addition, surgical simulation has the potential to allow practicing surgeons to develop new skills and maintain those they already possess. We provide a review of the background, current status and future directions of surgical simulators as they pertain to urology. We performed a literature review and an overview of surgical simulation in urology. Surgical simulators are in various stages of development and validation. Several simulators have undergone extensive validation studies and are in use in surgical curricula. While virtual reality simulators offer the potential to more closely mimic reality and present entire operations, low fidelity simulators remain useful in skills training, particularly for novices and junior trainees. Surgical simulation remains in its infancy. However, the potential to shorten learning curves for difficult techniques and practice surgery without risk to patients continues to drive the development of increasingly more advanced and realistic models. Surgical simulation is an exciting area of surgical education. The future is bright as advancements in computing and graphical capabilities offer new innovations in simulator technology. Simulators must continue to undergo rigorous validation studies to ensure that time spent by trainees on bench trainers and virtual reality simulators will translate into improved surgical skills in the operating room.

Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations for solvent-based carbon capture. Part 2: Chemical absorption across a wetted wall column: Original Research Article: Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Chao; Xu, Zhijie; Lai, Kevin

The first part of this paper (Part 1) presents a numerical model for non-reactive physical mass transfer across a wetted wall column (WWC). In Part 2, we improved the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate chemical absorption occurring in a WWC as a bench-scale study of solvent-based carbon dioxide (CO2) capture. To generate data for WWC model validation, CO2 mass transfer across a monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent was first measured on a WWC experimental apparatus. The numerical model developed in this work has the ability to account for both chemical absorption and desorption of CO2 in MEA. In addition,more » the overall mass transfer coefficient predicted using traditional/empirical correlations is conducted and compared with CFD prediction results for both steady and wavy falling films. A Bayesian statistical calibration algorithm is adopted to calibrate the reaction rate constants in chemical absorption/desorption of CO2 across a falling film of MEA. The posterior distributions of the two transport properties, i.e., Henry’s constant and gas diffusivity in the non-reacting nitrous oxide (N2O)/MEA system obtained from Part 1 of this study, serves as priors for the calibration of CO2 reaction rate constants after using the N2O/CO2 analogy method. The calibrated model can be used to predict the CO2 mass transfer in a WWC for a wider range of operating conditions.« less

Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations for solvent-based carbon capture. Part 2: Chemical absorption across a wetted wall column: Original Research Article: Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Chao; Xu, Zhijie; Lai, Kevin

Part 1 of this paper presents a numerical model for non-reactive physical mass transfer across a wetted wall column (WWC). In Part 2, we improved the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate chemical absorption occurring in a WWC as a bench-scale study of solvent-based carbon dioxide (CO 2) capture. In this study, to generate data for WWC model validation, CO 2 mass transfer across a monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent was first measured on a WWC experimental apparatus. The numerical model developed in this work can account for both chemical absorption and desorption of CO 2 in MEA. In addition,more » the overall mass transfer coefficient predicted using traditional/empirical correlations is conducted and compared with CFD prediction results for both steady and wavy falling films. A Bayesian statistical calibration algorithm is adopted to calibrate the reaction rate constants in chemical absorption/desorption of CO 2 across a falling film of MEA. The posterior distributions of the two transport properties, i.e., Henry's constant and gas diffusivity in the non-reacting nitrous oxide (N 2O)/MEA system obtained from Part 1 of this study, serves as priors for the calibration of CO 2 reaction rate constants after using the N 2O/CO 2 analogy method. Finally, the calibrated model can be used to predict the CO 2 mass transfer in a WWC for a wider range of operating conditions.« less

Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations for solvent-based carbon capture. Part 2: Chemical absorption across a wetted wall column: Original Research Article: Hierarchical calibration and validation framework of bench-scale computational fluid dynamics simulations

DOE PAGES

Wang, Chao; Xu, Zhijie; Lai, Kevin; ...

2017-10-24

Part 1 of this paper presents a numerical model for non-reactive physical mass transfer across a wetted wall column (WWC). In Part 2, we improved the existing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to simulate chemical absorption occurring in a WWC as a bench-scale study of solvent-based carbon dioxide (CO 2) capture. In this study, to generate data for WWC model validation, CO 2 mass transfer across a monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent was first measured on a WWC experimental apparatus. The numerical model developed in this work can account for both chemical absorption and desorption of CO 2 in MEA. In addition,more » the overall mass transfer coefficient predicted using traditional/empirical correlations is conducted and compared with CFD prediction results for both steady and wavy falling films. A Bayesian statistical calibration algorithm is adopted to calibrate the reaction rate constants in chemical absorption/desorption of CO 2 across a falling film of MEA. The posterior distributions of the two transport properties, i.e., Henry's constant and gas diffusivity in the non-reacting nitrous oxide (N 2O)/MEA system obtained from Part 1 of this study, serves as priors for the calibration of CO 2 reaction rate constants after using the N 2O/CO 2 analogy method. Finally, the calibrated model can be used to predict the CO 2 mass transfer in a WWC for a wider range of operating conditions.« less

Production of nitrous oxide from anaerobic digester centrate and its use as a co-oxidant of biogas to enhance energy recovery.

PubMed

Scherson, Yaniv D; Woo, Sung-Geun; Criddle, Craig S

2014-05-20

Coupled Aerobic-anoxic Nitrous Decomposition Operation (CANDO) is a new process for wastewater treatment that removes nitrogen from wastewater and recovers energy from the nitrogen in three steps: (1) NH4(+) oxidation to NO2(-); (2) NO2(-) reduction to N2O gas; and (3) N2O conversion to N2 with energy production. In this work, we optimize Steps 1 and 2 for anaerobic digester centrate, and we evaluate Step 3 for a full-scale biogas-fed internal combustion engine. Using a continuous stirred reactor coupled to a bench-scale sequencing batch reactor, we observed sustained partial oxidation of NH4(+) to NO2(-) and sustained (3 months) partial reduction of NO2(-) to N2O (75-80% conversion, mass basis), with >95% nitrogen removal (Step 2). Alternating pulses of acetate and NO2(-) selected for Comamonas (38%), Ciceribacter (16%), and Clostridium (11%). Some species stored polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and coupled oxidation of PHB to reduction of NO2(-) to N2O. Some species also stored phosphorus as polyphosphate granules. Injections of N2O into a biogas-fed engine at flow rates simulating a full-scale system increased power output by 5.7-7.3%. The results underscore the need for more detailed assessment of bioreactor community ecology and justify pilot- and full-scale testing.

Integrating NZVI and carbon substrates in a non-pumping reactive wells array for the remediation of a nitrate contaminated aquifer.

PubMed

Hosseini, Seiyed Mossa; Tosco, Tiziana

2015-08-01

The work explores the efficacy of a biochemical remediation of a nitrate-contaminated aquifer by a combination of nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) and bacteria supported by carbon substrates. Nitrate removal was first assessed in batch tests, and then in a laboratory bench-scale aquifer model (60cm length×40cm width×50cm height), in which a background flow was maintained. Water and natural sandy material of a stratified aquifer were used in the tests to enhance the reliability of the results. An array of non-pumping-reactive wells (NPRWs) filled with NZVI (d50=50nm, and SSA=22.5m(2)/g) mixed with carbon substrates (beech sawdust and maize cobs) was installed in the bench-scale aquifer model to intercept the flow and remove nitrate (NO3(-) conc.=105mg/l). The NPRW array was preferred to a continuous permeable reactive barrier (PRB) since wells can be drilled at greater depths compared to PRBs. The optimal well diameter, spacing among the NPRWs and number of wells in the bench-scale model were designed based on flow simulations using the semi-analytical particle tracking (advection) model, PMPATH. An optimal configuration of four wells, 35mm diameter, and capture width of 1.8 times the well diameter was obtained for a hydraulic conductivity contrast between reactive materials in the wells and aquifer media (KPM/Kaq=16.5). To avoid excessive proximity between wells, the system was designed so that the capture of the contaminated water was not complete, and several sequential arrays of wells were preferred. To simulate the performance of the array, the water that passed through the bench-scale NPRW system was re-circulated to the aquifer inlet, and a nitrate degradation below the limit target concentration (10mg/l) was obtained after 13days (corresponding to 13 arrays of wells in the field). The results of this study demonstrated that using the NZVI-mixed-carbon substrates in the NPRW system has a great potential for in-situ nitrate reduction in contaminated groundwater. This NPRW system can be considered a promising and viable technology in deep aquifers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heavy metal removal from synthetic wastewaters in an anaerobic bioreactor using stillage from ethanol distilleries as a carbon source.

PubMed

Gonçalves, M M M; da Costa, A C A; Leite, S G F; Sant'Anna, G L

2007-11-01

This work was conducted to investigate the possibility of using stillage from ethanol distilleries as substrate for sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) growth and to evaluate the removal efficiency of heavy metals present in wastewaters containing sulfates. The experiments were carried out in a continuous bench-scale Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor (13 l) operated with a hydraulic retention time of 18 h. The bioreactor was inoculated with 7 l of anaerobic sludge. Afterwards, an enrichment procedure to increase SRB numbers was started. After this, cadmium and zinc were added to the synthetic wastewater, and their removal as metal sulfide was evaluated. The synthetic wastewater used represented the drainage from a dam of a metallurgical industry to which a carbon source (stillage) was added. The results showed that high percentages of removal (>99%) of Cd and Zn were attained in the bioreactor, and that the removal as sulfide precipitates was not the only form of metal removal occurring in the bioreactor environment.

Retrofit designs for small bench-type blood cell counters.

PubMed

Ferris, C D

1991-01-01

This paper describes several retrofit designs to correct operational problems associated with small bench-type blood cell counters. Replacement electronic circuits as well as modifications to the vacuum systems are discussed.

Development of the Write Process for Pipeline-Ready Heavy Oil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee Brecher; Charles Mones; Frank Guffey

Work completed under this program advances the goal of demonstrating Western Research Institute's (WRI's) WRITE{trademark} process for upgrading heavy oil at field scale. MEG Energy Corporation (MEG) located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada supported efforts at WRI to develop the WRITE{trademark} process as an oil sands, field-upgrading technology through this Task 51 Jointly Sponsored Research project. The project consisted of 6 tasks: (1) optimization of the distillate recovery unit (DRU), (2) demonstration and design of a continuous coker, (3) conceptual design and cost estimate for a commercial facility, (4) design of a WRITE{trademark} pilot plant, (5) hydrotreating studies, and (6) establishmore » a petroleum analysis laboratory. WRITE{trademark} is a heavy oil and bitumen upgrading process that produces residuum-free, pipeline ready oil from heavy material with undiluted density and viscosity that exceed prevailing pipeline specifications. WRITE{trademark} uses two processing stages to achieve low and high temperature conversion of heavy oil or bitumen. The first stage DRU operates at mild thermal cracking conditions, yielding a light overhead product and a heavy residuum or bottoms material. These bottoms flow to the second stage continuous coker that operates at severe pyrolysis conditions, yielding light pyrolyzate and coke. The combined pyrolyzate and mildly cracked overhead streams form WRITE{trademark}'s synthetic crude oil (SCO) production. The main objectives of this project were to (1) complete testing and analysis at bench scale with the DRU and continuous coker reactors and provide results to MEG for process evaluation and scale-up determinations and (2) complete a technical and economic assessment of WRITE{trademark} technology to determine its viability. The DRU test program was completed and a processing envelope developed. These results were used for process assessment and for scaleup. Tests in the continuous coker were intended to determine the throughput capability of the coker so a scaled design could be developed that maximized feed rate for a given size of reactor. These tests were only partially successful because of equipment problems. A redesigned coker, which addressed the problems, has been build but not operated. A preliminary economic analysis conducted by MEG and an their engineering consultant concluded that the WRITE{trademark} process is a technically feasible method for upgrading bitumen and that it produces SCO that meets pipeline specifications for density. When compared to delayed coking, the industry benchmark for thermal upgrading of bitumen, WRITE{trademark} produced more SCO, less coke, less CO{sub 2} per barrel of bitumen fed, and had lower capital and operating costs. On the other hand, WRITE{trademark}'s lower processing severity yielded crude with higher density and a different product distribution for naphtha, light gas oil and vacuum oil that, taken together, might reduce the value of the SCO. These issues plus the completion of more detailed process evaluation and economics need to be resolved before WRITE{trademark} is deployed as a field-scale pilot.« less

Performance study of protective clothing against hot water splashes: from bench scale test to instrumented manikin test.

PubMed

Lu, Yehu; Song, Guowen; Wang, Faming

2015-03-01

Hot liquid hazards existing in work environments are shown to be a considerable risk for industrial workers. In this study, the predicted protection from fabric was assessed by a modified hot liquid splash tester. In these tests, conditions with and without an air spacer were applied. The protective performance of a garment exposed to hot water spray was investigated by a spray manikin evaluation system. Three-dimensional body scanning technique was used to characterize the air gap size between the protective clothing and the manikin skin. The relationship between bench scale test and manikin test was discussed and the regression model was established to predict the overall percentage of skin burn while wearing protective clothing. The results demonstrated strong correlations between bench scale test and manikin test. Based on these studies, the overall performance of protective clothing against hot water spray can be estimated on the basis of the results of the bench scale hot water splashes test and the information of air gap size entrapped in clothing. The findings provide effective guides for the design and material selection while developing high performance protective clothing. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society 2014.

FGD Additives to Segregate and Sequester Mercury in Solid Byproducts - Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Searcy, K; Bltyhe, G M; Steen, W A

2012-02-28

Many mercury control strategies for U.S. coal-fired power generating plants involve co-benefit capture of oxidized mercury from flue gases treated by wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. For these processes to be effective at overall mercury control, the captured mercury must not be re-emitted to the atmosphere or into surface or ground water. The project sought to identify scrubber additives and FGD operating conditions under which mercury re-emissions would decrease and mercury would remain in the liquor and be blown down from the system in the chloride purge stream. After exiting the FGD system, mercury would react with precipitating agentsmore » to form stable solid byproducts and would be removed in a dewatering step. The FGD gypsum solids, free of most of the mercury, could then be disposed or processed for reuse as wallboard or in other beneficial reuse. The project comprised extensive bench-scale FGD scrubber tests in Phases I and II. During Phase II, the approaches developed at the bench scale were tested at the pilot scale. Laboratory wastewater treatment tests measured the performance of precipitating agents in removing mercury from the chloride purge stream. Finally, the economic viability of the approaches tested was evaluated.« less

Novel two stage bio-oxidation and chlorination process for high strength hazardous coal carbonization effluent.

PubMed

Manekar, Pravin; Biswas, Rima; Karthik, Manikavasagam; Nandy, Tapas

2011-05-15

Effluent generated from coal carbonization to coke was characterized with high organic content, phenols, ammonium nitrogen, and cyanides. A full scale effluent treatment plant (ETP) working on the principle of single stage carbon-nitrogen bio-oxidation process (SSCNBP) revealed competition between heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria in the bio-degradation and nitrification process. The effluent was pretreated in a stripper and further combined with other streams to treat in the SSCNBP. Laboratory studies were carried on process and stripped effluents in a bench scale model of ammonia stripper and a two stage bio-oxidation process. The free ammonia removal efficiency of stripper was in the range 70-89%. Bench scale studies of the two stage bio-oxidation process achieved a carbon-nitrogen reduction at 6 days hydraulic retention time (HRT) operating in an extended aeration mode. This paper addresses the studies on selection of a treatment process for removal of organic matter, phenols, cyanide and ammonia nitrogen. The treatment scheme comprising ammonia stripping (pretreatment) followed by the two stage bio-oxidation and chlorination process met the Indian Standards for discharge into Inland Surface Waters. This treatment process package offers a techno-economically viable treatment scheme to neuter hazardous effluent generated from coal carbonization process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Allometric scaling of strength scores in NCAA division I-A football athletes.

PubMed

Oba, Yukiya; Hetzler, Ronald K; Stickley, Christopher D; Tamura, Kaori; Kimura, Iris F; Heffernan, Thomas P

2014-12-01

This study examined population-specific allometric exponents to control for the effect of body mass (BM) on bench press, clean, and squat strength measures among Division I-A collegiate football athletes. One repetition maximum data were obtained from a university pre-season football strength assessment (bench press, n = 207; clean, n = 88; and squat n = 86) and categorized into 3 groups by positions (line, linebacker, and skill). Regression diagnostics and correlations of scaled strength data to BM were used to assess the efficacy of the allometric scaling model and contrasted with that of ratio scaling and theoretically based allometric exponents of 0.67 and 0.33. The log-linear regression models yielded the following exponents (b): b = 0.559, 0.287, and 0.496 for bench press, clean, and squat, respectively. Correlations between bench press, clean, and squat to BM were r = -0.024, -0.047, and -0.018, respectively, suggesting that the derived allometric exponents were effective in partialling out the effect of BM on these lifts and removing between-group differences. Conversely, unscaled, ratio-scaled, and allometrically scaled (b = 0.67 or 0.33) data resulted in significant differences between groups. It is suggested that the exponents derived in the present study be used for allometrically scaling strength measures in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A football athletes. Use of the normative percentile rank scores provide coaches and trainers with a valid means of judging the effectiveness of their training programs by allowing comparisons between individuals without the confounding influence of BM.

Influence of UV dose on the UV/H2O2 process for the degradation of carbamazepine in wastewater.

PubMed

Somathilake, Purnima; Dominic, John Albino; Achari, Gopal; Langford, Cooper H; Tay, Joo-Hwa

2018-05-02

This study evaluates the influence of UV dose on degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ) in wastewater under UV-C (λ = 254 nm) photolysis with and without H 2 O 2 . The rate of degradation of CBZ exhibited a direct dependence on the intensity of incident UV irradiation as the rate of degradation was observed to increase linearly (R 2  = 0.98) with UV intensity between 1.67 and 8.95 × 10 17 photons/s. More than 95% of the CBZ that spiked in wastewater rapidly degraded within 4 min with a first-order rate constant of 1.2 min -1 for an optimum H 2 O 2 dose of 100 mg/L. Bench-scale continuous flow reactor experiments also showed that CBZ degraded with first-order kinetics at a rate constant of 1.02 min -1 . The kinetic parameters obtained for a continuous bench-scale reactor were in good agreement with the relationships developed through batch experiments with only a marginal deviation of ± 6.5%. The relationship between UV intensity and CBZ degradation rate obtained in this study was extrapolated to the UV disinfection unit of a wastewater treatment plant to predict possible degradation of CBZ during UV disinfection. The addition of 100 mg/L of H 2 O 2 to the secondary-treated effluent entering the UV disinfection unit is predicted to achieve over 60% degradation of CBZ.

GAS/LIQUID MEMBRANES FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howard S. Meyer

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is conducting this research program whose objective is to develop gas/liquid membranes for natural gas upgrading to assist DOE in achieving their goal of developing novel methods of upgrading low quality natural gas to meet pipeline specifications. Kvaerner Process Systems (KPS) and W. L. Gore & Associates (GORE) gas/liquid membrane contactors are based on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes acting as the contacting barrier between the contaminated gas stream and the absorbing liquid. These resilient membranes provide much greater surface area for transfer than other tower internals, with packing densities five to ten times greater, resulting inmore » equipment 50-70% smaller and lower weight for the same treating service. The scope of the research program is to (1) build and install a laboratory- and a field-scale gas/liquid membrane absorber; (2) operate the units with a low quality natural gas feed stream for sufficient time to verify the simulation model of the contactors and to project membrane life in this severe service; and (3) conducted an economic evaluation, based on the data, to quantify the impact of the technology. Chevron, one of the major producers of natural gas, has offered to host the test at a gas treating plant. KPS will use their position as a recognized leader in the construction of commercial amine plants for building the unit along with GORE providing the membranes. GTI will provide operator and data collection support during lab- and field-testing to assure proper analytical procedures are used. Kvaerner and GTI will perform the final economic evaluation. GTI will provide project management and be responsible for reporting and interactions with DOE on this project. Efforts this quarter have concentrated on field site selection. ChevronTexaco has nominated their Headlee Gas Plant in Odessa, TX for a commercial-scale dehydration test. Design and cost estimation for this new site are underway. Potting and module materials testing continued. Preliminary design of the bench-scale equipment continues.« less

Geology of Saipan, Mariana Islands; Part 4, Submarine topography and shoal-water ecology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloud, Preston E.

1959-01-01

The topography of the sea floor within 10 miles of Saipan broadly resembles that of the land. Eastward, toward the Mariana trench, slopes are about 6°, without prominent benches or scarps. This is inferred to indicate easterly continuation of generally pyroclastic bedrock. The westward slope averages 2° to 3° and consists mainly of nearly flat benches and westfacing scarps. This is taken to imply westward continuation of a limestone bench-and-fault-scarp topography. Projection of known faults to sea and through Tinian, on the basis of topographic trends, suggests a pattern of west-dipping normal faults that parallel the strike of the Mariana ridge and affect the shape and position of islands at the crest of the ridge.

Depositional history of the Fire Clay coal bed (Late Duckmantian), Eastern Kentucky, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greb, S.F.; Eble, C.F.; Hower, J.C.

1999-01-01

More than 3800 coal thickness measurements, proximate analyses from 97 localities, and stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses from more than 300 outcrops and cores were used in conjunction with previously reported palynological and petrographic studies to map individual benches of the coal and document bench-scale variability in the Fire Clay (Hazard No. 4) coal bed across a 1860 km2 area of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field. The bench architecture of the Fire Clay coal bed consists of uncommon leader benches, a persistent but variable lower bench, a widespread, and generally thick upper bench, and local, variable rider benches. Rheotrophic conditions are inferred for the leader benches and lower bench based on sedimentological associations, mixed palynomorph assemblages, locally common cannel coal layers, and generally high ash yields. The lower bench consistently exhibits vertical variability in petrography and palynology that reflects changing trophic conditions as topographic depressions infilled. Infilling also led to unconfined flooding and ultimately the drowning of the lower bench mire. The drowned mire was covered by an air-fall volcanic-ash deposit, which produced the characteristic flint clay parting. The extent and uniform thickness of the parting suggests that the ash layer was deposited in water on a relatively flat surface without a thick canopy or extensive standing vegetation across most of the study area. Ash deposits led to regional ponding and establishment of a second planar mire. Because the topography had become a broadly uniform, nutrient-rich surface, upper-bench peats became widespread with large areas of the mire distant to clastic sources. Vertical sections of thick (> 70 cm), low-ash yield, upper coal bench show a common palynomorph change from arborescent lycopod dominance upward to fern and densospore-producing, small lycopod dominance, inferred as a shift from planar to ombrotrophic mire phases. Domed mires appear to have been surrounded by wide areas of planar mires, where the coal was thinner (< 70 cm), higher in ash yield, and dominated by arborescent lycopods. Rectangular thickness trends suggest that syndepositional faulting influenced peat accumulation, and possibly the position of the domed mire phase. Faulting also influenced post-depositional clastic environments of deposition, resulting in sandstone channels with angular changes in orientation. Channels and lateral facies were locally draped by high-ash-yield rider coal benches, which sometimes merged with the upper coal bench. These arborescent-lycopod dominant rider coal benches were profoundly controlled by palcotopography, much like the leader coal benches. Each of the benches of coal documented here represent distinctly different mires that came together to form the Fire Clay coal bed, rather than a single mire periodically split by clastic influx. This is significant as each bench of the coal has its own characteristics, which contribute to the total coal characteristics. The large data set allows interpretation of both vertical and lateral limits to postulated domed phases in the upper coal bench, and to the delineation of subtle tectonic structures that allow for meaningful thickness projections beyond the limits of present mining.A study was conducted to analyze the depositional history of the Fire Clay coal bed in the eastern Kentucky coal field. The study involved over 3800 coal thickness measurements, proximate analyses from 97 localities, and stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses from more than 300 outcrops and cores in conjunction with previously reported palynological and petrographic studies to map individual benches of the coal and document bench-scale variability.

Comparison of Rumen Fluid pH by Continuous Telemetry System and Bench pH Meter in Sheep with Different Ranges of Ruminal pH

PubMed Central

Reis, Leonardo F.; Minervino, Antonio H. H.; Araújo, Carolina A. S. C.; Sousa, Rejane S.; Oliveira, Francisco L. C.; Rodrigues, Frederico A. M. L.; Meira-Júnior, Enoch B. S.; Barrêto-Júnior, Raimundo A.; Mori, Clara S.; Ortolani, Enrico L.

2014-01-01

We aimed to compare the measurements of sheep ruminal pH using a continuous telemetry system or a bench pH meter using sheep with different degrees of ruminal pH. Ruminal lactic acidosis was induced in nine adult crossbred Santa Ines sheep by the administration of 15 g of sucrose per kg/BW. Samples of rumen fluid were collected at the baseline, before the induction of acidosis (T 0) and at six, 12, 18, 24, 48, and 72 hours after the induction for pH measurement using a bench pH meter. During this 72-hour period, all animals had electrodes for the continuous measurement of pH. The results were compared using the Bland-Altman analysis of agreement, Pearson coefficients of correlation and determination, and paired analysis of variance with Student's t-test. The measurement methods presented a strong correlation (r = 0.94, P < 0.05) but the rumen pH that was measured continuously using a telemetry system resulted in lower values than the bench pH meter (overall mean of 5.38 and 5.48, resp., P = 0.0001). The telemetry system was able to detect smaller changes in rumen fluid pH and was more accurate in diagnosing both subacute ruminal lactic acidosis and acute ruminal lactic acidosis in sheep. PMID:24967422

Evaluation of the Effects of AFFF Inputs on the VIP Biological Nutrient Removal Process and Pass-Through Toxicity. Phase 1A. Volume I.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-10-01

This report discusses the results of a bench scale study conducted to evaluate the potential inhibitory effects of untreated AFFF wastewater to the...untreated AFFF wastewater to the nitrification process of the Virginia Initiative Plant biological nutrient removal system. Under this testing, bench...scale reactors simulating the nitrification process were loaded at various AFFF concentrations and the influence on the process performance was

Pilot-Scale Biorefinery: Sustainable Transport Fuels from Biomass via Integrated Pyrolysis and Catalytic Hydroconversion - Wastewater Cleanup by Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Douglas C.; Olarte, Mariefel V.; Hart, Todd R.

2015-06-19

DOE-EE Bioenergy Technologies Office has set forth several goals to increase the use of bioenergy and bioproducts derived from renewable resources. One of these goals is to facilitate the implementation of the biorefinery. The biorefinery will include the production of liquid fuels, power and, in some cases, products. The integrated biorefinery should stand-alone from an economic perspective with fuels and power driving the economy of scale while the economics/profitability of the facility will be dependent on existing market conditions. UOP LLC proposed to demonstrate a fast pyrolysis based integrated biorefinery. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has expertise in an importantmore » technology area of interest to UOP for use in their pyrolysis-based biorefinery. This CRADA project provides the supporting technology development and demonstration to allow incorporation of this technology into the biorefinery. PNNL developed catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) for use with aqueous streams within the pyrolysis biorefinery. These aqueous streams included the aqueous phase separated from the fast pyrolysis bio-oil and the aqueous byproduct streams formed in the hydroprocessing of the bio-oil to finished products. The purpose of this project was to demonstrate a technically and economically viable technology for converting renewable biomass feedstocks to sustainable and fungible transportation fuels. To demonstrate the technology, UOP constructed and operated a pilot-scale biorefinery that processed one dry ton per day of biomass using fast pyrolysis. Specific objectives of the project were to: The anticipated outcomes of the project were a validated process technology, a range of validated feedstocks, product property and Life Cycle data, and technical and operating data upon which to base the design of a full-scale biorefinery. The anticipated long-term outcomes from successful commercialization of the technology were: (1) the replacement of a significant fraction of petroleum based fuels with advanced biofuels, leading to increased energy security and decreased carbon footprint; and (2) establishment of a new biofuel industry segment, leading to the creation of U.S. engineering, manufacturing, construction, operations and agricultural jobs. PNNL development of CHG progressed at two levels. Initial tests were made in the laboratory in both mini-scale and bench-scale continuous flow reactor systems. Following positive results, the next level of evaluation was in the scaled-up engineering development system, which was operated at PNNL.« less

Bench-Scale Development of a Hot Carbonate Absorption Process with Crystallization-Enabled High-Pressure Stripping for Post-Combustion CO{sub 2} Capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Yongqi; DeVries, Nicholas; Ruhter, David

A novel Hot Carbonate Absorption Process with Crystallization-Enabled High-Pressure Stripping (Hot-CAP) has been developed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Carbon Capture Scientific, LLC in this three-year, bench-scale project. The Hot-CAP features a concentrated carbonate solution (e.g., K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}) for CO{sub 2} absorption and a bicarbonate slurry (e.g., KHCO{sub 3}) for high-pressure CO{sub 2} stripping to overcome the energy use and other disadvantages associated with the benchmark monoethanolamine (MEA) process. The project was aimed at performing laboratory- and bench-scale experiments to prove its technical feasibility and generate process engineering and scale-up data, and conducting a techno-economic analysismore » (TEA) to demonstrate its energy use and cost competitiveness over MEA. To meet project goals and objectives, a combination of experimental, modeling, process simulation, and economic analysis studies were applied. Carefully designed and intensive experiments were conducted to measure thermodynamic and reaction engineering data relevant to four major unit operations in the Hot-CAP (i.e., CO{sub 2} absorption, CO{sub 2} stripping, bicarbonate crystallization, and sulfate reclamation). The rate promoters that could accelerate the CO{sub 2} absorption rate into the potassium carbonate/bicarbonate (PCB) solution to a level greater than that into the 5 M MEA solution were identified, and the superior performance of CO{sub 2} absorption into PCB was demonstrated in a bench-scale packed-bed column. Kinetic data on bicarbonate crystallization were developed and applied for crystallizer design and sizing. Parametric testing of high-pressure CO{sub 2} stripping with concentrated bicarbonate-dominant slurries at high temperatures ({>=}140{degrees}C) in a bench-scale stripping column demonstrated lower heat use than with MEA. The feasibility of a modified process for combining SO{sub 2} removal with CO{sub 2} capture was preliminarily demonstrated. In addition to the experimental studies, the technical challenges pertinent to fouling of slurry-handling equipment and the design of the crystallizer and stripper were addressed through consultation with vendors and engineering analyses. A process flow diagram of the Hot-CAP was then developed and a TEA was performed to compare the energy use and cost performance of a nominal 550-MWe subcritical pulverized coal (PC)-fired power plant without CO{sub 2} capture (DOE/NETL Case 9) with the benchmark MEA-based post-combustion CO{sub 2} capture (PCC; DOE/NETL Case 10) and the Hot-CAP-based PCC. The results revealed that the net power produced in the PC + Hot-CAP is 609 MWe, greater than the PC + MEA (550 MWe). The 20-year levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the PC + Hot-CAP, including CO{sub 2} transportation and storage, is 120.3 mills/kWh, a 60% increase over the base PC plant without CO{sub 2} capture. The LCOE increase for the Hot-CAP is 29% lower than that for MEA. TEA results demonstrated that the Hot-CAP is energy-efficient and cost-effective compared with the benchmark MEA process.« less

Validation of a Portable Low-Power Deep Brain Stimulation Device Through Anxiolytic Effects in a Laboratory Rat Model.

PubMed

Kouzani, Abbas Z; Kale, Rajas P; Zarate-Garza, Pablo Patricio; Berk, Michael; Walder, Ken; Tye, Susannah J

2017-09-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices deliver electrical pulses to neural tissue through an electrode. To study the mechanisms and therapeutic benefits of deep brain stimulation, murine preclinical research is necessary. However, conducting naturalistic long-term, uninterrupted animal behavioral experiments can be difficult with bench-top systems. The reduction of size, weight, power consumption, and cost of DBS devices can assist the progress of this research in animal studies. A low power, low weight, miniature DBS device is presented in this paper. This device consists of electronic hardware and software components including a low-power microcontroller, an adjustable current source, an n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, a coin-cell battery, electrode wires and a software program to operate the device. Evaluation of the performance of the device in terms of battery lifetime and device functionality through bench and in vivo tests was conducted. The bench test revealed that this device can deliver continuous stimulation current pulses of strength [Formula: see text], width [Formula: see text], and frequency 130 Hz for over 22 days. The in vivo tests demonstrated that chronic stimulation of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) with this device significantly increased psychomotor activity, together with a dramatic reduction in anxiety-like behavior in the elevated zero-maze test.

Robust telerobotics - an integrated system for waste handling, characterization and sorting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Couture, S.A.; Hurd, R.L.; Wilhelmsen, K.C.

The Mixed Waste Management Facility (MWMF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was designed to serve as a national testbed to demonstrate integrated technologies for the treatment of low-level organic mixed waste at a pilot-plant scale. Pilot-scale demonstration serves to bridge the gap between mature, bench-scale proven technologies and full-scale treatment facilities by providing the infrastructure needed to evaluate technologies in an integrated, front-end to back-end facility. Consistent with the intent to focus on technologies that are ready for pilot scale deployment, the front-end handling and feed preparation of incoming waste material has been designed to demonstrate the application ofmore » emerging robotic and remotely operated handling systems. The selection of telerobotics for remote handling in MWMF was made based on a number of factors - personnel protection, waste generation, maturity, cost, flexibility and extendibility. Telerobotics, or shared control of a manipulator by an operator and a computer, provides the flexibility needed to vary the amount of automation or operator intervention according to task complexity. As part of the telerobotics design effort, the technical risk of deploying the technology was reduced through focused developments and demonstrations. The work involved integrating key tools (1) to make a robust telerobotic system that operates at speeds and reliability levels acceptable to waste handling operators and, (2) to demonstrate an efficient operator interface that minimizes the amount of special training and skills needed by the operator. This paper describes the design and operation of the prototype telerobotic waste handling and sorting system that was developed for MWMF.« less

Project of electro-cyclotron resonance ion source test-bench for material investigation.

PubMed

Kulevoy, T V; Chalykh, B B; Kuibeda, R P; Kropachev, G N; Ziiatdinova, A V

2014-02-01

Development of new materials for future energy facilities with higher operating efficiency is a challenging and crucial task. However, full-scale testing of radiation hardness for reactor materials is quite sophisticated and difficult as it requires long session of reactor irradiation; moreover, induced radioactivity considerably complicates further investigation. Ion beam irradiation does not have such a drawback; on the contrary, it has certain advantages. One of them is high speed of defect formation. Therefore, it provides a useful tool for modeling of different radiation damages. Improved understanding of material behavior under high dose irradiation will probably allow to simulate reactor irradiation close to real conditions and to make an adequate estimation of material radiation hardness. Since 2008 in Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, the ion beam irradiation experiments are under development at the heavy ion radio frequency quadrupole linac and very important results are obtained already [T. V. Kulevoy et al., in Proceedings of the International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Research Applications and Utilization of Accelerators, IAEA Vienna, Austria, 2009, http://www.pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/P1433_CD/darasets/papers/ap_p5_07.pdf]. Nevertheless, the new test bench based on electro-cyclotron resonance ion source and high voltage platform is developed. The project of the test bench is presented and discussed.

Project of electro-cyclotron resonance ion source test-bench for material investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulevoy, T. V.; Chalykh, B. B.; Kuibeda, R. P.; Kropachev, G. N.; Ziiatdinova, A. V.

2014-02-01

Development of new materials for future energy facilities with higher operating efficiency is a challenging and crucial task. However, full-scale testing of radiation hardness for reactor materials is quite sophisticated and difficult as it requires long session of reactor irradiation; moreover, induced radioactivity considerably complicates further investigation. Ion beam irradiation does not have such a drawback; on the contrary, it has certain advantages. One of them is high speed of defect formation. Therefore, it provides a useful tool for modeling of different radiation damages. Improved understanding of material behavior under high dose irradiation will probably allow to simulate reactor irradiation close to real conditions and to make an adequate estimation of material radiation hardness. Since 2008 in Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics, the ion beam irradiation experiments are under development at the heavy ion radio frequency quadrupole linac and very important results are obtained already [T. V. Kulevoy et al., in Proceedings of the International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Research Applications and Utilization of Accelerators, IAEA Vienna, Austria, 2009, http://www.pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/P1433_CD/darasets/papers/ap_p5_07.pdf]. Nevertheless, the new test bench based on electro-cyclotron resonance ion source and high voltage platform is developed. The project of the test bench is presented and discussed.

Not-from-concentrate blueberry juice extraction utilizing frozen fruit, heated mash, and enzyme processes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Juice production is a multibillion dollar industry and an economical way to use fruit past seasonal harvests. To evaluate how production steps influence not-from-concentrate (NFC) blueberry (Vaccinium sp.) juice recovery, bench top and pilot scale experiments were performed. In bench-top, southern h...

Contribution of assimilable organic carbon to biological fouling in seawater reverse osmosis membrane treatment.

PubMed

Weinrich, Lauren; LeChevallier, Mark; Haas, Charles N

2016-09-15

Biological fouling occurs on RO membranes when bacteria and nutrients are present in conditions that are conducive to growth and proliferation of the bacteria. Controlling microbial growth on the membranes is typically limited to biocide application (i.e., disinfectants) in seawater RO plants. However, biological growth and subsequent fouling has not been well-managed. Pretreatment has not been focused on nutrient limitation. This project used a biological assay, the assimilable organic carbon (AOC) test to evaluate pretreatment effects on the nutrient supply. The AOC test provided a useful surrogate measurement for the biodegradability or biofouling potential of RO feed water. Biofouling observed in controlled conditions at the bench- and pilot-scale resulted in statistically significant correlations between AOC and the operational effects caused by biofouling. Membrane fouling rates are observed through operational changes over time such as increased differential pressure between the membrane feed and concentrate locations and decreased permeate flux through the membrane. In full scale plants there were strong correlations when AOC was used as a predictor variable for increased differential pressure (0.28-0.55 bar from September-December 2012) and decreased specific flux (1.40 L per hour/(m(2) · bar)). Increased differential pressure was associated with RO membrane biological fouling when the median AOC was 50 μg/L during pilot testing. Conditions were also evaluated at the bench-scale using a flat sheet RO membrane. In a comparison test using 30 and 1000 μg/L AOC, fouling was detected on more portions of the membrane when AOC was higher. Biofilm and bacterial deposits were apparent from scanning electron microscope imaging and biomass measurements using ATP. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent reflux receiver developments under the US DOE program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andraka, C. E.; Diver, R. B.; Moreno, J. B.; Moss, T. A.; Adkins, D. R.

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Thermal Program, through Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), is cooperating with industry to commercialize dish-Stirling technology. Sandia and the DOE have actively encouraged the use of liquid metal reflux receivers in these systems to improve efficiency and lower the levelized cost of electricity. The reflux receiver uses two-phase heat transfer as a 'thermal transformer' to transfer heat from a parabolic tracking-concentrator to the heater heads of the Stirling engine. The two-phase system leads to a higher available input temperature, lower thermal stresses, longer life, and independent design of the absorber and engine sections. Two embodiments of reflux receivers have been investigated: Pool boilers and heat pipes. Several pool-boiler reflux receivers have been successfully demonstrated on sun at up to 64 kWt throughput at SNL. In addition, a bench-scale device was operated for 7500 hours to investigate materials compatibility and boiling stability. Significant progress has also been made on heat pipe receiver technology. Sintered metal wick heat pipes have been investigated extensively for application to 7.5 kWe and 25 kWe systems. One test article has amassed over 1800 hours of on-sun operation. Another was limit tested at Sandia to 65 kWt throughput. These devices incorporate a nickel-powder thick wick structure with condensate return directly to the wick surface. Circumferential tubular arteries are optionally employed to improve the operating margin. In addition, DOE has begun a development program for advanced wick structures capable of supporting the Utility Scale Joint Venture Program, requiring up to 100 kWt throughput. Promising technologies include a brazed stainless steel powdered metal wick and a stainless steel metal felt wick. Bench-scale testing has been encouraging, and on-sun testing is expected this fall. Prototype gas-fired hybrid solar receivers have also been demonstrated.

Recent reflux receiver developments under the US DOE program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andraka, C.E.; Diver, R.B.; Moreno, J.B.

1994-10-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Thermal Program, through Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), is cooperating with industry to commercialize dish-Stirling technology. Sandia and the DOE have actively encouraged the use of liquid metal reflux receivers in these systems to improve efficiency and lower the levelized cost of electricity. The reflux receiver uses two-phase heat transfer as a {open_quotes}thermal transformer{close_quotes} to transfer heat from a parabolic tracking-concentrator to the heater heads of the Stirling engine. The two-phase system leads to a higher available input temperature, lower thermal stresses, longer life, and independent design of the absorber and engine sections.more » Two embodiments of reflux receivers have been investigated: Pool boilers and heat pipes. Several pool-boiler reflux receivers have been successfully demonstrated on sun at up to 64 kWt throughput at SNL. In addition, a bench-scale device was operated for 7500 hours to investigate materials compatibility and boiling stability. Significant progress has also been made on heat pipe receiver technology. Sintered metal wick heat pipes have been investigated extensively for application to 7.5 kWe and 25 kWe systems. One test article has a massed over 1800 hours of on-sun operation. Another was limit tested at Sandia to 65 kWt throughput. These devices incorporate a nickel-powder thick wick structure with condensate return directly to the wick surface. Circumferential tubular arteries are optionally employed to improve the operating margin. In addition, DOE has begun a development program for advanced wick structures capable of supporting the Utility Scale Joint Venture Program, requiring up to 100 kWt throughput. Promising technologies include a brazed stainless steel powdered metal wick and a stainless steel metal felt wick. Bench-scale testing has been encouraging, and on-sun testing is expected this fall. Prototype gas-fired hybrid solar receivers have also been.« less

DESTRUCTION OF TETRAPHENYLBORATE IN TANK 48H USING WET AIR OXIDATION BATCH BENCH SCALE AUTOCLAVE TESTING WITH ACTUAL RADIOACTIVE TANK 48H WASTE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adu-Wusu, K; Paul Burket, P

2009-03-31

Wet Air Oxidation (WAO) is one of the two technologies being considered for the destruction of Tetraphenylborate (TPB) in Tank 48H. Batch bench-scale autoclave testing with radioactive (actual) Tank 48H waste is among the tests required in the WAO Technology Maturation Plan. The goal of the autoclave testing is to validate that the simulant being used for extensive WAO vendor testing adequately represents the Tank 48H waste. The test objective was to demonstrate comparable test results when running simulated waste and real waste under similar test conditions. Specifically: (1) Confirm the TPB destruction efficiency and rate (same reaction times) obtainedmore » from comparable simulant tests, (2) Determine the destruction efficiency of other organics including biphenyl, (3) Identify and quantify the reaction byproducts, and (4) Determine off-gas composition. Batch bench-scale stirred autoclave tests were conducted with simulated and actual Tank 48H wastes at SRNL. Experimental conditions were chosen based on continuous-flow pilot-scale simulant testing performed at Siemens Water Technologies Corporation (SWT) in Rothschild, Wisconsin. The following items were demonstrated as a result of this testing. (1) Tetraphenylborate was destroyed to below detection limits during the 1-hour reaction time at 280 C. Destruction efficiency of TPB was > 99.997%. (2) Other organics (TPB associated compounds), except biphenyl, were destroyed to below their respective detection limits. Biphenyl was partially destroyed in the process, mainly due to its propensity to reside in the vapor phase during the WAO reaction. Biphenyl is expected to be removed in the gas phase during the actual process, which is a continuous-flow system. (3) Reaction byproducts, remnants of MST, and the PUREX sludge, were characterized in this work. Radioactive species, such as Pu, Sr-90 and Cs-137 were quantified in the filtrate and slurry samples. Notably, Cs-137, boron and potassium were shown as soluble as a result of the WAO reaction. (4) Off-gas composition was measured in the resulting gas phase from the reaction. Benzene and hydrogen were formed during the reaction, but they were reasonably low in the off-gas at 0.096 and 0.0063 vol% respectively. Considering the consistency in replicating similar test results with simulated waste and Tank 48H waste under similar test conditions, the results confirm the validity of the simulant for other WAO test conditions.« less

Removal of bromide and bromate from drinking water using granular activated carbon.

PubMed

Zhang, Yong-Qing; Wu, Qing-Ping; Zhang, Ju-Mei; Yang, Xiu-Hua

2015-03-01

Granular activated carbon (GAC) was used to remove bromide (Br⁻) and bromate (BrO(3)(-)) from drinking water in both bench- and pilot-scale experiments. The present study aims to minimize BrO(3)(-) formation and eliminate BrO(3)(-) generated during the ozonation of drinking water, particularly in packaged drinking water. Results show that the Br⁻ and BrO(3)(-) levels in GAC-treated water decreased in both bench- and pilot-scale experiments. In the bench-scale experiments, when the empty bed contact time (EBCT) was 5 min, the highest reduction rates of Br(-) in the mineral and ultrapure water were found to be 74.9% and 91.2%, respectively, and those of BrO(3)(-) were 94.4% and 98.8%, respectively. The GAC capacity for Br⁻ and BrO(3)(-) removal increased with the increase in EBCT. Reduction efficiency was better in ultrapure water than in mineral water. In the pilot-scale experiments, the minimum reduction rates of Br⁻ and BrO(3)(-) were 38.5% and 73.2%, respectively.

Predicting Power Output of Upper Body using the OMNI-RES Scale.

PubMed

Bautista, Iker J; Chirosa, Ignacio J; Tamayo, Ignacio Martín; González, Andrés; Robinson, Joseph E; Chirosa, Luis J; Robertson, Robert J

2014-12-09

The main aim of this study was to determine the optimal training zone for maximum power output. This was to be achieved through estimating mean bar velocity of the concentric phase of a bench press using a prediction equation. The values for the prediction equation would be obtained using OMNI-RES scale values of different loads of the bench press exercise. Sixty males (age 23.61 2.81 year; body height 176.29 6.73 cm; body mass 73.28 4.75 kg) voluntarily participated in the study and were tested using an incremental protocol on a Smith machine to determine one repetition maximum (1RM) in the bench press exercise. A linear regression analysis produced a strong correlation (r = -0.94) between rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and mean bar velocity (Velmean). The Pearson correlation analysis between real power output (PotReal) and estimated power (PotEst) showed a strong correlation coefficient of r = 0.77, significant at a level of p = 0.01. Therefore, the OMNI-RES scale can be used to predict Velmean in the bench press exercise to control the intensity of the exercise. The positive relationship between PotReal and PotEst allowed for the identification of a maximum power-training zone.

Predicting Power Output of Upper Body using the OMNI-RES Scale

PubMed Central

Bautista, Iker J.; Chirosa, Ignacio J.; Tamayo, Ignacio Martín; González, Andrés; Robinson, Joseph E.; Chirosa, Luis J.; Robertson, Robert J.

2014-01-01

The main aim of this study was to determine the optimal training zone for maximum power output. This was to be achieved through estimating mean bar velocity of the concentric phase of a bench press using a prediction equation. The values for the prediction equation would be obtained using OMNI–RES scale values of different loads of the bench press exercise. Sixty males (age 23.61 2.81 year; body height 176.29 6.73 cm; body mass 73.28 4.75 kg) voluntarily participated in the study and were tested using an incremental protocol on a Smith machine to determine one repetition maximum (1RM) in the bench press exercise. A linear regression analysis produced a strong correlation (r = −0.94) between rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and mean bar velocity (Velmean). The Pearson correlation analysis between real power output (PotReal) and estimated power (PotEst) showed a strong correlation coefficient of r = 0.77, significant at a level of p = 0.01. Therefore, the OMNI–RES scale can be used to predict Velmean in the bench press exercise to control the intensity of the exercise. The positive relationship between PotReal and PotEst allowed for the identification of a maximum power-training zone. PMID:25713677

Evaluation of a Bench Top Mechanical Delinter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This presentation will report on current research associated with a new mechancial delinter being developed at the Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit in conjunction with Cotton Inc. A bench-top version of the new mechanical delinter was built and evaluated to determine operational speeds...

Free nitrous acid pre-treatment of waste activated sludge enhances volatile solids destruction and improves sludge dewaterability in continuous anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Wei, Wei; Wang, Qilin; Zhang, Liguo; Laloo, Andrew; Duan, Haoran; Batstone, Damien J; Yuan, Zhiguo

2018-03-01

Previous work has demonstrated that pre-treatment of waste activated sludge (WAS) with free nitrous acid (FNA i.e. HNO 2 ) enhances the biodegradability of WAS, identified by a 20-50% increase in specific methane production in biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests. This suggests that FNA pre-treatment would enhance the destruction of volatile solids (VS) in an anaerobic sludge digester, and reduce overall sludge disposal costs, provided that the dewaterability of the digested sludge is not negatively affected. This study experimentally evaluates the impact of FNA pre-treatment on the VS destruction in anaerobic sludge digestion and on the dewaterability of digested sludge, using continuously operated bench-scale anaerobic digesters. Pre-treatment of full-scale WAS for 24 h at an FNA concentration of 1.8 mg NN/L enhanced VS destruction by 17 ± 1% (from 29.2 ± 0.9% to 34.2 ± 1.1%) and increased dewaterability (centrifuge test) from 12.4 ± 0.4% to 14.1 ± 0.4%. Supporting the VS destruction data, methane production increased by 16 ± 1%. Biochemical methane potential tests indicated that the final digestate stability was also improved with a lower potential from FNA treated digestate. Further, a 2.1 ± 0.2 log improvement in pathogen reduction was also achieved. With inorganic solids representing 15-22% of the full-scale WAS used, FNA pre-treatment resulted in a 16-17% reduction in the volume of dewatered sludge for final disposal. This results in significantly reduced costs as assessed by economic analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aqueous Two-Phase Systems at Large Scale: Challenges and Opportunities.

PubMed

Torres-Acosta, Mario A; Mayolo-Deloisa, Karla; González-Valdez, José; Rito-Palomares, Marco

2018-06-07

Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) have proved to be an efficient and integrative operation to enhance recovery of industrially relevant bioproducts. After ATPS discovery, a variety of works have been published regarding their scaling from 10 to 1000 L. Although ATPS have achieved high recovery and purity yields, there is still a gap between their bench-scale use and potential industrial applications. In this context, this review paper critically analyzes ATPS scale-up strategies to enhance the potential industrial adoption. In particular, large-scale operation considerations, different phase separation procedures, the available optimization techniques (univariate, response surface methodology, and genetic algorithms) to maximize recovery and purity and economic modeling to predict large-scale costs, are discussed. ATPS intensification to increase the amount of sample to process at each system, developing recycling strategies and creating highly efficient predictive models, are still areas of great significance that can be further exploited with the use of high-throughput techniques. Moreover, the development of novel ATPS can maximize their specificity increasing the possibilities for the future industry adoption of ATPS. This review work attempts to present the areas of opportunity to increase ATPS attractiveness at industrial levels. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Synergistic Combination of Advanced Separation and Chemical Scale Inhibitor Technologies for Efficient Use of Imparied Water As Cooling Water in Coal-based Power Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jasbir Gill

2010-08-30

Nalco Company is partnering with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in this project to jointly develop advanced scale control technologies that will provide cost-effective solutions for coal-based power plants to operate recirculating cooling water systems at high cycles using impaired waters. The overall approach is to use combinations of novel membrane separations and scale inhibitor technologies that will work synergistically, with membrane separations reducing the scaling potential of the cooling water and scale inhibitors extending the safe operating range of the cooling water system. The project started on March 31, 2006 and ended in August 30, 2010. The project was amore » multiyear, multi-phase project with laboratory research and development as well as a small pilot-scale field demonstration. In Phase 1 (Technical Targets and Proof of Concept), the objectives were to establish quantitative technical targets and develop calcite and silica scale inhibitor chemistries for high stress conditions. Additional Phase I work included bench-scale testing to determine the feasibility of two membrane separation technologies (electrodialysis ED and electrode-ionization EDI) for scale minimization. In Phase 2 (Technology Development and Integration), the objectives were to develop additional novel scale inhibitor chemistries, develop selected separation processes, and optimize the integration of the technology components at the laboratory scale. Phase 3 (Technology Validation) validated the integrated system's performance with a pilot-scale demonstration. During Phase 1, Initial evaluations of impaired water characteristics focused on produced waters and reclaimed municipal wastewater effluents. Literature and new data were collected and evaluated. Characteristics of produced waters vary significantly from one site to another, whereas reclaimed municipal wastewater effluents have relatively more uniform characteristics. Assessment to date confirmed that calcite and silica/silicate are two common potential cycle-limiting minerals for using impaired waters. For produced waters, barium sulfate and calcium sulfate are two additional potential cycle-limiting minerals. For reclaimed municipal wastewater effluents, calcium phosphate scaling can be an issue, especially in the co-presence of high silica. Computational assessment, using a vast amount of Nalco's field data from coal fired power plants, showed that the limited use and reuse of impaired waters is due to the formation of deposit caused by the presence of iron, high hardness, high silica and high alkalinity in the water. Appropriate and cost-effective inhibitors were identified and developed - LL99B0 for calcite and gypsum inhibition and TX-15060 for silica inhibition. Nalco's existing dispersants HSP-1 and HSP-2 has excellent efficacy for dispersing Fe and Mn. ED and EDI were bench-scale tested by the CRADA partner Argonne National Laboratory for hardness, alkalinity and silica removal from synthetic make-up water and then cycled cooling water. Both systems showed low power consumption and 98-99% salt removal, however, the EDI system required 25-30% less power for silica removal. For Phase 2, the EDI system's performance was optimized and the length of time between clean-in-place (CIP) increased by varying the wafer composition and membrane configuration. The enhanced EDI system could remove 88% of the hardness and 99% of the alkalinity with a processing flux of 19.2 gal/hr/m{sup 2} and a power consumption of 0.54 kWh/100 gal water. Bench tests to screen alternative silica/silicate scale inhibitor chemistries have begun. The silica/silicate control approaches using chemical inhibitors include inhibition of silicic acid polymerization and dispersion of silica/silicate crystals. Tests were conducted with an initial silica concentration of 290-300 mg/L as SiO{sub 2} at pH 7 and room temperature. A proprietary new chemistry was found to be promising, compared with a current commercial product commonly used for silica/silicate control. Additional pilot cooling tower testing confirmed the bench study. We also developed a molecule to inhibit calcium carbonate precipitation and calcium sulfate precipitation at high supersaturations. During Phase 3, a long-term test of the EDI system and scale inhibitors was done at Nalco's cooling tower water testing facility, producing 850 gallons of high purity water (90+% salt removal) at a rate of 220 L/day. The EDI system's performance was stable when the salt concentration in the concentrate compartment (i.e. the EDI waste stream) was controlled and a CIP was done after every 48 hours of operation time. A combination of EDI and scale inhibitors completely eliminated blowdown discharge from the Pilot cooling Tower. The only water-consumption came from evaporation, CIP and EDI concentrate. Silica Inhibitor was evaluated in the field at a western coal fired power plant.« less

Improvement of storage, handling, and transportability of fine coal. Quarterly technical progress report number 8, October 1--December 31, 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

The Mulled Coal process was developed as a means of overcoming the adverse handling characteristics of wet fine coal without thermal drying. The process involves the addition of a low cost, harmless reagent to wet fine coal using off-the-shelf mixing equipment. Based on laboratory- and bench-scale testing, Mulled coal can be stored, shipped, and burned without causing any of the plugging, pasting, carryback and freezing problems normally associated with wet coal. On the other hand, Mulled Coal does not cause the fugitive and airborne dust problems normally associated with thermally dried coal. The objectives of this project are to demonstratemore » that: the Mulled Coal process, which has been proved to work on a wide range of wet fine coals at bench scale, will work equally well on a continuous basis, producing consistent quality, and at a convincing rate of production in a commercial coal preparation plant; the wet product from a fine coal cleaning circuit can be converted to a solid fuel form for ease of handling and cost savings in storage and rail car transportation; and a wet fine coal product thus converted to a solid fuel form, can be stored, shipped, and burned with conventional fuel handling, transportation, and combustion systems.« less

Verbal messages strengthen bench press efficacy.

PubMed

Wise, James B; Posner, Amy E; Walker, Gretchen L

2004-02-01

This study examined the effects of verbal messages on bench press efficacy: the confidence to lift progressively heavier weights for 1 repetition. Thirty-two women who had not bench pressed within the previous 18 months were assigned to 1 of 2 groups and exposed to 2 sources of efficacy information. First, subjects in both groups performed 10 repetitions on a fixed movement, vertical bench press machine and completed the bench press efficacy scale. Next, each group received 1 of 2 possible verbal messages. Both messages included the speaker's strength training qualifications. In addition, one message conveyed specific performance feedback while the other contained more general information. Then efficacy was measured again. Results indicated both messages strengthened efficacy. Strength professionals who work one-on-one with novice women should: (a) make sure lifters are aware of their professional qualifications, (b) provide specific feedback, and (c) profess their beliefs in the lifters' abilities to perform the exercises.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting computer controlled test bench

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez-Rodriguez, M.; Jiménez, F. J.; de Frutos, J.; Alonso, D.

2016-09-01

In this paper a new computer controlled (C.C.) laboratory test bench is presented. The patented test bench is made up of a C.C. road traffic simulator, C.C. electronic hardware involved in automating measurements, and test bench control software interface programmed in LabVIEW™. Our research is focused on characterizing electronic energy harvesting piezoelectric-based elements in road traffic environments to extract (or "harvest") maximum power. In mechanical to electrical energy conversion, mechanical impacts or vibrational behavior are commonly used, and several major problems need to be solved to perform optimal harvesting systems including, but no limited to, primary energy source modeling, energy conversion, and energy storage. It is described a novel C.C. test bench that obtains, in an accurate and automatized process, a generalized linear equivalent electrical model of piezoelectric elements and piezoelectric based energy store harvesting circuits in order to scale energy generation with multiple devices integrated in different topologies.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting computer controlled test bench.

PubMed

Vázquez-Rodriguez, M; Jiménez, F J; de Frutos, J; Alonso, D

2016-09-01

In this paper a new computer controlled (C.C.) laboratory test bench is presented. The patented test bench is made up of a C.C. road traffic simulator, C.C. electronic hardware involved in automating measurements, and test bench control software interface programmed in LabVIEW™. Our research is focused on characterizing electronic energy harvesting piezoelectric-based elements in road traffic environments to extract (or "harvest") maximum power. In mechanical to electrical energy conversion, mechanical impacts or vibrational behavior are commonly used, and several major problems need to be solved to perform optimal harvesting systems including, but no limited to, primary energy source modeling, energy conversion, and energy storage. It is described a novel C.C. test bench that obtains, in an accurate and automatized process, a generalized linear equivalent electrical model of piezoelectric elements and piezoelectric based energy store harvesting circuits in order to scale energy generation with multiple devices integrated in different topologies.

Bench-scale research in biomass liquefaction in support of the Albany, Oregon experimental facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, D. C.

1981-03-01

The liquefaction of solid materials (wood, newsprint, animal manure) by beating to produce useful liquid fuels was investigated. Highlights of work performed include: (1) catalyst mechanism studies; (2) analytical reports on TR8 and TR9 product oils; (3) liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis of wood oil; (4) batch conversion tests on bottom material; (5) vapor pressure studies; and (6) product evaluation. It was confirmed that the key process parameters and the effects of varying operating conditions are in support of biomass liquefaction.

Characterization of Fernald Silo 3 Waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Langton, C.A.

This report summarizes characterization results for uranium residues from the Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) Operable Unit (OU-4). These residues are currently stored in a one-million-gallon concrete silo, Silo 3, at the DOE Fernald Site, Ohio. Characterization of the Silo 3 waste is the first part of a three part study requested by Rocky Mountain Remedial Services (RMRS) through a Work for others Agreement, WFO-00-007, between the Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) and RMRS. Parts 2 and 3 of this effort include bench- and pilot-scale testing.

Inorganic fouling mitigation by salinity cycling in batch reverse osmosis.

PubMed

Warsinger, David M; Tow, Emily W; Maswadeh, Laith A; Connors, Grace B; Swaminathan, Jaichander; Lienhard V, John H

2018-06-15

Enhanced fouling resistance has been observed in recent variants of reverse osmosis (RO) desalination which use time-varying batch or semi-batch processes, such as closed-circuit RO (CCRO) and pulse flow RO (PFRO). However, the mechanisms of batch processes' fouling resistance are not well-understood, and models have not been developed for prediction of their fouling performance. Here, a framework for predicting reverse osmosis fouling is developed by comparing the fluid residence time in batch and continuous (conventional) reverse osmosis systems to the nucleation induction times for crystallization of sparingly soluble salts. This study considers the inorganic foulants calcium sulfate (gypsum), calcium carbonate (calcite), and silica, and the work predicts maximum recovery ratios for the treatment of typical water sources using batch reverse osmosis (BRO) and continuous reverse osmosis. The prediction method is validated through comparisons to the measured time delay for CaSO 4 membrane scaling in a bench-scale, recirculating reverse osmosis unit. The maximum recovery ratio for each salt solution (CaCO 3 , CaSO 4 ) is individually predicted as a function of inlet salinity, as shown in contour plots. Next, the maximum recovery ratios of batch and conventional RO are compared across several water sources, including seawater, brackish groundwater, and RO brine. Batch RO's shorter residence times, associated with cycling from low to high salinity during each batch, enable significantly higher recovery ratios and higher salinity than in continuous RO for all cases examined. Finally, representative brackish RO brine samples were analyzed to determine the maximum possible recovery with batch RO. Overall, the induction time modeling methodology provided here can be used to allow batch RO to operate at high salinity and high recovery, while controlling scaling. The results show that, in addition to its known energy efficiency improvement, batch RO has superior inorganic fouling resistance relative to conventional RO. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-Production of Electricity and Hydrogen Using a Novel Iron-based Catalyst

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hilaly, Ahmad; Georgas, Adam; Leboreiro, Jose

2011-09-30

The primary objective of this project was to develop a hydrogen production technology for gasification applications based on a circulating fluid-bed reactor and an attrition resistant iron catalyst. The work towards achieving this objective consisted of three key activities: Development of an iron-based catalyst suitable for a circulating fluid-bed reactor; Design, construction, and operation of a bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production; Techno-economic analysis of the steam-iron and the pressure swing adsorption hydrogen production processes. This report describes the work completed in each of these activities during this project. The catalyst development and testing program prepared and iron-basedmore » catalysts using different support and promoters to identify catalysts that had sufficient activity for cyclic reduction with syngas and steam oxidation and attrition resistance to enable use in a circulating fluid-bed reactor system. The best performing catalyst from this catalyst development program was produced by a commercial catalyst toll manufacturer to support the bench-scale testing activities. The reactor testing systems used during material development evaluated catalysts in a single fluid-bed reactor by cycling between reduction with syngas and oxidation with steam. The prototype SIP reactor system (PSRS) consisted of two circulating fluid-bed reactors with the iron catalyst being transferred between the two reactors. This design enabled demonstration of the technical feasibility of the combination of the circulating fluid-bed reactor system and the iron-based catalyst for commercial hydrogen production. The specific activities associated with this bench-scale circulating fluid-bed reactor systems that were completed in this project included design, construction, commissioning, and operation. The experimental portion of this project focused on technical demonstration of the performance of an iron-based catalyst and a circulating fluid-bed reactor system for hydrogen production. Although a technology can be technically feasible, successful commercial deployment also requires that a technology offer an economic advantage over existing commercial technologies. To effective estimate the economics of this steam-iron process, a techno-economic analysis of this steam iron process and a commercial pressure swing adsorption process were completed. The results from this analysis described in this report show the economic potential of the steam iron process for integration with a gasification plant for coproduction of hydrogen and electricity.« less

Removal of hydrogen sulfide generated during anaerobic treatment of sulfate-laden wastewater using biochar: Evaluation of efficiency and mechanisms.

PubMed

Kanjanarong, Jarupat; Giri, Balendu S; Jaisi, Deb P; Oliveira, Fernanda R; Boonsawang, Piyarat; Chaiprapat, Sumate; Singh, R S; Balakrishna, Avula; Khanal, Samir Kumar

2017-06-01

Removal of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) from biogas was investigated in a biochar column integrated with a bench-scale continuous-stirred tank reactor (CSTR) treating sulfate-laden wastewater. Synthetic wastewater containing sulfate concentrations of 200-2000mg SO 4 2- /L was used as substrate, and the CSTR was operated at an organic loading rate of 1.5g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L·day and a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20days. The biochar was able to remove about 98.0 (±1.2)% of H 2 S for the ranges of concentrations from 105-1020ppmv, especially at high moisture content (80-85%). Very high H 2 S adsorption capacity (up to 273.2±1.9mg H 2 S/g) of biochar is expected to enhance the H 2 S oxidation into S 0 and sulfate. These findings bring a potentially novel application of sulfur-rich biochar as a source of sulfur, an essential but often deficient micro-nutrient in soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bench vise adapter grips tubing securely and safely

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howland, B. T.; Jones, A. S., Jr.

1966-01-01

Plastic self-compressing adapter with grooves, attached to the jaws of a bench vise, secures thin-wall tubing vertically or horizontally during cutting and flaring operations without marring or damaging it. Magnets incorporated in both sections of the adapter prevent detachment from the jaws when the vise is opened.

Selenium Speciation and Management in Wet FGD Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Searcy, K; Richardson, M; Blythe, G

2012-02-29

This report discusses results from bench- and pilot-scale simulation tests conducted to determine the factors that impact selenium speciation and phase partitioning in wet FGD systems. The selenium chemistry in wet FGD systems is highly complex and not completely understood, thus extrapolation and scale-up of these results may be uncertain. Control of operating parameters and application of scrubber additives have successfully demonstrated the avoidance or decrease of selenite oxidation at the bench and pilot scale. Ongoing efforts to improve sample handling methods for selenium speciation measurements are also discussed. Bench-scale scrubber tests explored the impacts of oxidation air rate, tracemore » metals, scrubber additives, and natural limestone on selenium speciation in synthetic and field-generated full-scale FGD liquors. The presence and concentration of redox-active chemical species as well as the oxidation air rate contribute to the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) conditions in FGD scrubbers. Selenite oxidation to the undesirable selenate form increases with increasing ORP conditions, and decreases with decreasing ORP conditions. Solid-phase manganese [Mn(IV)] appeared to be the significant metal impacting the oxidation of selenite to selenate. Scrubber additives were tested for their ability to inhibit selenite oxidation. Although dibasic acid and other scrubber additives showed promise in early clear liquor (sodium based and without calcium solids) bench-scale tests, these additives did not show strong inhibition of selenite oxidation in tests with higher manganese concentrations and with slurries from full-scale wet FGD systems. In bench-tests with field liquors, addition of ferric chloride at a 250:1 iron-to-selenium mass ratio sorbed all incoming selenite to the solid phase, although addition of ferric salts had no impact on native selenate that already existed in the field slurry liquor sample. As ORP increases, selenite may oxidize to selenate more rapidly than it sorbs to ferric solids. Though it was not possible to demonstrate a decrease in selenium concentrations to levels below the project'ale testing were evident at the pilot scale. Specifically, reducing oxidation air rate and ORP tends to either retain selenium as selenite in the liquor or shift selenium phase partitioning to the solid phase. Oxidation air flow rate control may be one option for managing selenium behavior in FGD scrubbers. Units that cycle load widely may find it more difficult to impact ORP conditions with oxidation air flow rate control alone. Because decreasing oxidation air rates to the reaction tank showed that all new selenium reported to the solids, the addition of ferric chloride to the pilot scrubber could not show further improvements in selenium behavior. Ferric chloride addition did shift mercury to the slurry solids, specifically to the fine particles. Several competing pathways may govern the reporting of selenium to the slurry solids: co-precipitation with gypsum into the bulk solids and sorption or co-precipitation with iron into the fine particles. Simultaneous measurement of selenium and mercury behavior suggests a holistic management strategy is best to optimize the fate of both of these elements in FGD waters. Work conducted under this project evaluated sample handling and analytical methods for selenium speciation in FGD waters. Three analytical techniques and several preservation methods were employed. Measurements of selenium speciation over time indicated that for accurate selenium speciation, it is best to conduct measurements on unpreserved, filtered samples as soon after sampling as possible. The capital and operating costs for two selenium management strategies were considered: ferric chloride addition and oxidation air flow rate control. For ferric chloride addition, as might be expected the reagent makeup costs dominate the overall costs, and range from 0.22 to 0.29 mills/kWh. For oxidation air flow rate control, a cursory comparison of capital costs and turndown capabilities for multi-stage and single-stage centrifugal blowers and several flow control methods was completed. For greenfield systems, changing the selection of blower type and flow control method may have payback periods of 4 to 5 years or more if based on energy savings alone. However, the benefits to managing redox chemistry in the scrubber could far outweigh the savings in electricity costs under some circumstances.« less

Loading Intensity Prediction by Velocity and the OMNI-RES 0-10 Scale in Bench Press.

PubMed

Naclerio, Fernando; Larumbe-Zabala, Eneko

2017-02-01

Naclerio, F and Larumbe-Zabala, E. Loading intensity prediction by velocity and the OMNI-RES 0-10 scale in bench press. J Strength Cond Res 32(1): 323-329, 2017-This study examined the possibility of using movement velocity and the perceived exertion as indicators of relative load in the bench press (BP) exercise. A total of 308 young, healthy, resistance trained athletes (242 men and 66 women) performed a progressive strength test up to the one repetition maximum for the individual determination of the full load-velocity and load-exertion relationships. Longitudinal regression models were used to predict the relative load from the average velocity (AV) and the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scales (OMNI-RES 0-10 scale), considering sets as the time-related variable. Load associated with the AV and the OMNI-RES 0-10 scale value expressed after performing a set of 1-3 repetitions were used to construct 2 adjusted predictive equations: Relative load = 107.75 - 62.97 × average velocity; and Relative load = 29.03 + 7.26 × OMNI-RES 0-10 scale value. The 2 models were capable of estimating the relative load with an accuracy of 84 and 93%, respectively. These findings confirm the ability of the 2 calculated regression models, using load-velocity and load-exertion from the OMNI-RES 0-10 scale, to accurately predict strength performance in BP.

Ups and downs on spreading flanks of ocean-island volcanoes: evidence from Mauna Loa and Kīlauea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lipman, Peter W.; Eakins, Barry W.; Yokose, Hisayoshi

2003-01-01

Submarine-flank deposits of Hawaiian volcanoes are widely recognized to have formed largely by gravitationally driven volcano spreading and associated landsliding. Observations from submersibles show that prominent benches at middepths on flanks of Mauna Loa and Kilauea consist of volcaniclastic debris derived by landsliding from nearby shallow submarine and subaerial flanks of the same edifice. Massive slide breccias from the mature subaerial tholeiitic shield of Mauna Loa underlie the frontal scarp of its South Kona bench. In contrast, coarse volcaniclastic sediments derived largely from submarine-erupted preshield alkalic and transitional basalts of ancestral Kilauea underlie its Hilina bench. Both midslope benches record the same general processes of slope failure, followed by modest compression during continued volcano spreading, even though they record development during different stages of edifice growth. The dive results suggest that volcaniclastic rocks at the north end of the Kona bench, interpreted by others as distal sediments from older volcanoes that were offscraped, uplifted, and accreted to the island by far-traveled thrusts, alternatively are a largely coherent stratigraphic assemblage deposited in a basin behind the South Kona bench.

Bench-scale Development of an Advanced Solid Sorbent-based CO 2 Capture Process for Coal-fired Power Plants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, Thomas; Kataria, Atish; Soukri, Mustapha

It is increasingly clear that CO 2 capture and sequestration (CCS) must play a critical role in curbing worldwide CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. Development of these technologies to cost-effectively remove CO 2 from coal-fired power plants is very important to mitigating the impact these power plants have within the world’s power generation portfolio. Currently, conventional CO 2 capture technologies, such as aqueous-monoethanolamine based solvent systems, are prohibitively expensive and if implemented could result in a 75 to 100% increase in the cost of electricity for consumers worldwide. Solid sorbent CO 2 capture processes – such as RTI’s Advancedmore » Solid Sorbent CO 2, Capture Process – are promising alternatives to conventional, liquid solvents. Supported amine sorbents – of the nature RTI has developed – are particularly attractive due to their high CO 2 loadings, low heat capacities, reduced corrosivity/volatility and the potential to reduce the regeneration energy needed to carry out CO 2 capture. Previous work in this area has failed to adequately address various technology challenges such as sorbent stability and regenerability, sorbent scale-up, improved physical strength and attrition-resistance, proper heat management and temperature control, proper solids handling and circulation control, as well as the proper coupling of process engineering advancements that are tailored for a promising sorbent technology. The remaining challenges for these sorbent processes have provided the framework for the project team’s research and development and target for advancing the technology beyond lab- and bench-scale testing. Under a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Energy, and part of NETL’s CO 2 Capture Program, RTI has led an effort to address and mitigate the challenges associated with solid sorbent CO 2 capture. The overall objective of this project was to mitigate the technical and economic risks associated with the scale-up of solid sorbent-based CO 2 capture processes, enabling subsequent larger pilot demonstrations and ultimately commercial deployment. An integrated development approach has been a key focus of this project in which process development, sorbent development, and economic analyses have informed each of the other development processes. Development efforts have focused on improving the performance stability of sorbent candidates, refining process engineering and design, and evaluating the viability of the technology through detailed economic analyses. Sorbent advancements have led to a next generation, commercially-viable CO 2 capture sorbent exhibiting performance stability in various gas environments and a physically strong fluidizable form. The team has reduced sorbent production costs and optimized the production process and scale-up of PEI-impregnated, fluidizable sorbents. Refinement of the process engineering and design, as well as the construction and operation of a bench-scale research unit has demonstrated promising CO 2 capture performance under simulated coal-fired flue gas conditions. Parametric testing has shown how CO 2 capture performance is impacted by changing process variables, such as Adsorber temperature, Regenerator temperature, superficial flue gas velocity, solids circulation rate, CO 2 partial pressure in the Regenerator, and many others. Long-term testing has generated data for the project team to set the process conditions needed to operate a solids-based system for optimal performance, with continuous 90% CO 2 capture, and no operational interruptions. Data collected from all phases of testing has been used to develop a detailed techno-economic assessment of RTI’s technology. These detailed analyses show that RTI’s technology has significant economic advantages over current amine scrubbing and potential to achieve the DOE’s Carbon Capture Program’s goal of >90% CO 2 capture rate at a cost of < $40/T-CO 2 captured by 2025. Through this integrated technology development approach, the project team has advanced RTI’s CO 2 capture technology to TRL-4 (nearly TRL-5, with the missing variable being testing on actual, coal-fired flue gas), according to the DOE/FE definitions for Technology Readiness Levels. At a broader level, this project has advanced the whole of the solid sorbent CO 2 capture field, with advancements in process engineering and design, technical risk mitigation, sorbent scale-up optimization, and an understanding of the commercial viability and applicability of solid sorbent CO 2 capture technologies for the U.S. existing fleet of coal-fired power plants.« less

Assessing pretreatment reactor scaling through empirical analysis

DOE PAGES

Lischeske, James J.; Crawford, Nathan C.; Kuhn, Erik; ...

2016-10-10

Pretreatment is a critical step in the biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals. Due to the complexity of the physicochemical transformations involved, predictively scaling up technology from bench- to pilot-scale is difficult. This study examines how pretreatment effectiveness under nominally similar reaction conditions is influenced by pretreatment reactor design and scale using four different pretreatment reaction systems ranging from a 3 g batch reactor to a 10 dry-ton/d continuous reactor. The reactor systems examined were an Automated Solvent Extractor (ASE), Steam Explosion Reactor (SER), ZipperClave(R) reactor (ZCR), and Large Continuous Horizontal-Screw Reactor (LHR). To our knowledge, thismore » is the first such study performed on pretreatment reactors across a range of reaction conditions (time and temperature) and at different reactor scales. The comparative pretreatment performance results obtained for each reactor system were used to develop response surface models for total xylose yield after pretreatment and total sugar yield after pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Near- and very-near-optimal regions were defined as the set of conditions that the model identified as producing yields within one and two standard deviations of the optimum yield. Optimal conditions identified in the smallest-scale system (the ASE) were within the near-optimal region of the largest scale reactor system evaluated. A reaction severity factor modeling approach was shown to inadequately describe the optimal conditions in the ASE, incorrectly identifying a large set of sub-optimal conditions (as defined by the RSM) as optimal. The maximum total sugar yields for the ASE and LHR were 95%, while 89% was the optimum observed in the ZipperClave. The optimum condition identified using the automated and less costly to operate ASE system was within the very-near-optimal space for the total xylose yield of both the ZCR and the LHR, and was within the near-optimal space for total sugar yield for the LHR. This indicates that the ASE is a good tool for cost effectively finding near-optimal conditions for operating pilot-scale systems, which may be used as starting points for further optimization. Additionally, using a severity-factor approach to optimization was found to be inadequate compared to a multivariate optimization method. As a result, the ASE and the LHR were able to enable significantly higher total sugar yields after enzymatic hydrolysis relative to the ZCR, despite having similar optimal conditions and total xylose yields. This underscores the importance of incorporating mechanical disruption into pretreatment reactor designs to achieve high enzymatic digestibilities.« less

Assessing pretreatment reactor scaling through empirical analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lischeske, James J.; Crawford, Nathan C.; Kuhn, Erik

Pretreatment is a critical step in the biochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals. Due to the complexity of the physicochemical transformations involved, predictively scaling up technology from bench- to pilot-scale is difficult. This study examines how pretreatment effectiveness under nominally similar reaction conditions is influenced by pretreatment reactor design and scale using four different pretreatment reaction systems ranging from a 3 g batch reactor to a 10 dry-ton/d continuous reactor. The reactor systems examined were an Automated Solvent Extractor (ASE), Steam Explosion Reactor (SER), ZipperClave(R) reactor (ZCR), and Large Continuous Horizontal-Screw Reactor (LHR). To our knowledge, thismore » is the first such study performed on pretreatment reactors across a range of reaction conditions (time and temperature) and at different reactor scales. The comparative pretreatment performance results obtained for each reactor system were used to develop response surface models for total xylose yield after pretreatment and total sugar yield after pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis. Near- and very-near-optimal regions were defined as the set of conditions that the model identified as producing yields within one and two standard deviations of the optimum yield. Optimal conditions identified in the smallest-scale system (the ASE) were within the near-optimal region of the largest scale reactor system evaluated. A reaction severity factor modeling approach was shown to inadequately describe the optimal conditions in the ASE, incorrectly identifying a large set of sub-optimal conditions (as defined by the RSM) as optimal. The maximum total sugar yields for the ASE and LHR were 95%, while 89% was the optimum observed in the ZipperClave. The optimum condition identified using the automated and less costly to operate ASE system was within the very-near-optimal space for the total xylose yield of both the ZCR and the LHR, and was within the near-optimal space for total sugar yield for the LHR. This indicates that the ASE is a good tool for cost effectively finding near-optimal conditions for operating pilot-scale systems, which may be used as starting points for further optimization. Additionally, using a severity-factor approach to optimization was found to be inadequate compared to a multivariate optimization method. As a result, the ASE and the LHR were able to enable significantly higher total sugar yields after enzymatic hydrolysis relative to the ZCR, despite having similar optimal conditions and total xylose yields. This underscores the importance of incorporating mechanical disruption into pretreatment reactor designs to achieve high enzymatic digestibilities.« less

Hybrid Membrane/Absorption Process for Post-combustion CO2 Capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Shiguang; Shou, S.; Pyrzynski, Travis

2013-12-31

This report summarizes scientific/technical progress made for bench-scale membrane contactor technology for post-combustion CO2 capture from DOE Contract No. DE-FE-0004787. Budget Period 1 (BP1) membrane absorber, Budget Period 2 (BP2) membrane desorber and Budget Period 3 (BP3) integrated system and field testing studies have been completed successfully and met or exceeded the technical targets (≥ 90% CO2 removal and CO2 purity of 97% in one membrane stage). Significant breakthroughs are summarized below: BP1 research: The feasibility of utilizing the poly (ether ether ketone), PEEK, based hollow fiber contractor (HFC) in combination with chemical solvents to separate and capture at leastmore » 90% of the CO2 from simulated flue gases has been successfully established. Excellent progress has been made as we have achieved the BP1 goal: ≥ 1,000 membrane intrinsic CO2 permeance, ≥ 90% CO2 removal in one stage, ≤ 2 psi gas side pressure drop, and ≥ 1 (sec)-1 mass transfer coefficient. Initial test results also show that the CO2 capture performance, using activated Methyl Diethanol Amine (aMDEA) solvent, was not affected by flue gas contaminants O2 (~3%), NO2 (66 ppmv), and SO2 (145 ppmv). BP2 research: The feasibility of utilizing the PEEK HFC for CO2-loaded solvent regeneration has been successfully established High CO2 stripping flux, one order of magnitude higher than CO2 absorption flux, have been achieved. Refined economic evaluation based on BP1 membrane absorber and BP2 membrane desorber laboratory test data indicate that the CO2 capture costs are 36% lower than DOE’s benchmark amine absorption technology. BP3 research: A bench-scale system utilizing a membrane absorber and desorber was integrated into a continuous CO2 capture process using contactors containing 10 to 20 ft2 of membrane area. The integrated process operation was stable through a 100-hour laboratory test, utilizing a simulated flue gas stream. Greater than 90% CO2 capture combined with 97% CO2 product purity was achieved throughout the test. Membrane contactor modules have been scaled from bench scale 2-inch diameter by 12-inch long (20 ft2 membrane surface area) modules to 4-inch diameter by 60-inch long pilot scale modules (165 ft2 membrane surface area). Pilot scale modules were tested in an integrated absorption/regeneration system for CO2 capture field tests at a coal-fired power plant (Midwest Generation’s Will County Station located in Romeoville, IL). Absorption and regeneration contactors were constructed utilizing high performance super-hydrophobic, nano-porous PEEK membranes with CO2 gas permeance of 2,000 GPU and a 1,000 GPU, respectively. Field tests using aMDEA solvent achieved greater than 90% CO2 removal in a single stage. The absorption mass transfer coefficient was 1.2 (sec)-1, exceeding the initial target of 1.0 (sec)-1. This mass transfer coefficient is over one order of magnitude greater than that of conventional gas/liquid contacting equipment. The economic evaluation based on field tests data indicates that the CO2 capture cost associated with membrane contactor technology is $54.69 (Yr 2011$)/tonne of CO2 captured when using aMDEA as a solvent. It is projected that the DOE’s 2025 cost goal of $40 (Yr 2011$)/tonne of CO2 captured can be met by decreasing membrane module cost and by utilizing advanced CO2 capture solvents. In the second stage of the field test, an advanced solvent, Hitachi’s H3-1 was utilized. The use of H3-1 solvent increased mass transfer coefficient by 17% as compared to aMDEA solvent. The high mass transfer coefficient of H3-1 solvent combined with much more favorable solvent regeneration requirements, indicate that the projected savings achievable with membrane contactor process can be further improved. H3-1 solvent will be used in the next pilot-scale development phase. The integrated absorption/regeneration process design and high performance membrane contactors developed in the current bench-scale program will be used as the base technology for future pilot-scale development.« less

Breakpoint chlorination and free-chlorine contact time: implications for drinking water N-nitrosodimethylamine concentrations.

PubMed

Charrois, Jeffrey W A; Hrudey, Steve E

2007-02-01

North American drinking water utilities are increasingly incorporating alternative disinfectants, such as chloramines, in order to comply with disinfection by-product (DBP) regulations. N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a non-halogenated DBP, associated with chloramination, having a drinking water unit risk two to three orders of magnitude greater than currently regulated halogenated DBPs. We quantified NDMA from two full-scale chloraminating water treatment plants in Alberta between 2003 and 2005 as well as conducted bench-scale chloramination/breakpoint experiments to assess NDMA formation. Distribution system NDMA concentrations varied and tended to increase with increasing distribution residence time. Bench-scale disinfection experiments resulted in peak NDMA production near the theoretical monochloramine maximum in the sub-breakpoint region of the disinfection curve. Breakpoints for the raw and partially treated waters tested ranged from 1.9:1 to 2.4:1 (Cl(2):total NH(3)-N, M:M). Bench-scale experiments with free-chlorine contact (2h) before chloramination resulted in significant reductions in NDMA formation (up to 93%) compared to no free-chlorine contact time. Risk-tradeoff issues involving alternative disinfection methods and unregulated DBPs, such as NDMA, are emerging as a major water quality and public health information gap.

Optimising Microbial Growth with a Bench-Top Bioreactor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, A. M. R.; Borin, S. L.; Chooi, K. P.; Huang, S. S.; Newgas, A. J. S.; Sodagar, D.; Ziegler, C. A.; Chan, G. H. T.; Walsh, K. A. P.

2006-01-01

The effects of impeller size, agitation and aeration on the rate of yeast growth were investigated using bench-top bioreactors. This exercise, carried out over a six-month period, served as an effective demonstration of the importance of different operating parameters on cell growth and provided a means of determining the optimisation conditions…

A Fast Pulse, High Intensity Neutron Source Based Upon The Dense Plasma Focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnan, M.; Bures, B.; Madden, R.; Blobner, F.; Elliott, K. Wilson

2009-12-01

Alameda Applied Sciences Corporation (AASC) has built a bench-top source of fast neutrons (˜10-30 ns, 2.45 MeV), that is portable and can be scaled to operate at ˜100 Hz. The source is a Dense Plasma Focus driven by three different capacitor banks: a 40 J/30 kA/100 Hz driver; a 500 J/130 kA/2 Hz driver and a 3 kJ/350 kA/0.5 Hz driver. At currents of ˜130 kA, this source produces ˜1×107 (DD) n/pulse. The neutron pulse widths are ˜10-30 ns and may be controlled by adjusting the DPF electrode geometry and operating parameters. This paper describes the scaling of the fast neutron output with current from such a Dense Plasma Focus source. For each current and driver, different DPF head designs are required to match to the current rise-time, as the operating pressure and anode radius/shape are varied. Doping of the pure D2 gas fill with Ar or Kr was shown earlier to increase the neutron output. Results are discussed in the light of scaling laws suggested by prior literature.

Impact of scaling on the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lambert, D.

Savannah River Remediation (SRR) is considering using glycolic acid as a replacement for formic acid in Sludge Receipt and Adjustment Tank (SRAT) processing in the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF). Catalytic decomposition of formic acid is responsible for the generation of hydrogen, a potentially flammable gas, during processing. To prevent the formation of a flammable mixture in the offgas, an air purge is used to dilute the hydrogen concentration below the 60% of the Composite Lower Flammability Limit (CLFL). The offgas is continuously monitored for hydrogen using Gas Chromatographs (GCs). Since formic acid is much more volatile and toxic thanmore » glycolic acid, a formic acid spill would lead to the release of much larger quantities to the environment. Switching from formic acid to glycolic acid is expected to eliminate the hydrogen flammability hazard leading to lower air purges, thus downgrading of Safety Significant GCs to Process Support GCs, and minimizing the consequence of a glycolic acid tank leak in DWPF. Overall this leads to a reduction in process operation costs and an increase in safety margin. Experiments were completed at three different scales to demonstrate that the nitric-glycolic acid flowsheet scales from the 4-L lab scale to the 22-L bench scale and 220-L engineering scale. Ten process demonstrations of the sludge-only flowsheet for SRAT and Slurry Mix Evaporator (SME) cycles were performed using Sludge Batch 8 (SB8)-Tank 40 simulant. No Actinide Removal Process (ARP) product or strip effluent was added during the runs. Six experiments were completed at the 4-L scale, two experiments were completed at the 22-L scale, and two experiments were completed at the 220-L scale. Experiments completed at the 4-L scale (100 and 110% acid stoichiometry) were repeated at the 22-L and 220-L scale for scale comparisons.« less

Syngas fermentation in a 100-L pilot scale fermentor: design and process considerations.

PubMed

Kundiyana, Dimple K; Huhnke, Raymond L; Wilkins, Mark R

2010-05-01

Fermentation of syngas offers several advantages compared to chemical catalysts such as higher specificity of biocatalysts, lower energy costs, and higher carbon efficiency. Scale-up of syngas fermentation from a bench scale to a pilot scale fermentor is a critical step leading to commercialization. The primary objective of this research was to install and commission a pilot scale fermentor, and subsequently scale-up the Clostridium strain P11 fermentation from a 7.5-L fermentor to a pilot scale 100-L fermentor. Initial preparation and fermentations were conducted in strictly anaerobic conditions. The fermentation system was maintained in a batch mode with continuous syngas supply. The effect of anaerobic fermentation in a pilot scale fermentor was evaluated. In addition, the impact of improving the syngas mass transfer coefficient on the utilization and product formation was studied. Results indicate a six fold improvement in ethanol concentration compared to serum bottle fermentation, and formation of other compounds such as isopropyl alcohol, acetic acid and butanol, which are of commercial importance. (c) 2009 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bench-Scale Synthetic Optimization of 1,2-bis(2-aminophenylthio)ethane (APO-Link) Used in the Production of APO-BMI Resin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hilary Wheeler; Crystal Densmore

2007-07-31

The diamine reagent 1,2-bis(2-aminophenylthio)ethane is no longer commercially available but still required for the synthesis of the bismaleimide resin, APO-BMI, used in syntactic foams. In this work, we examined the hydrolysis of benzothiazole followed the by reaction with dichloroethane or dibromoethane. We also studied the deprotonation of 2-aminothiophenol followed by the reaction with dibromoethane. We optimized the latter for scale-up by scrutinizing all aspects of the reaction conditions, work-up and recrystallization. On bench-scale, our optimized procedure consistently produced a 75-80% overall yield of finely divided, high purity product (>95%).

Relations between coal petrology and gas content in the Upper Newlands Seam, Central Queensland, Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, R.; Glikson, M.; Mastalerz, Maria

2001-01-01

The Upper Newlands Seam in the northern Bowen Basin, Queensland Australia consists of six benches (A-F) that have different petrographic assemblages. Benches C and E contain relatively abundant inertodetrinite and mineral matter, as well as anomalously high reflectance values; these characteristics support a largely allochthonous, detrital origin for the C and E benches. Fractures and cleats in the seam show a consistent orientation of northeast-southwest for face cleats, and a wide range of orientations for fractures. Cleat systems are well developed in bright bands, with poor continuity in the dull coal. Both maceral content and cleat character are suggested to influence gas drainage in the upper Newlands Seam. A pronounced positive correlation between vitrinite abundance and gas desorption data suggests more efficient drainage from benches with abundant vitrinite. Conversely, inertinite-rich benches are suggested to have less efficient drainage, and possibly retain gas within pore spaces, which could increase the outburst potential of the coal. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel algorithm implementations in DARC: the Durham AO real-time controller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basden, Alastair; Bitenc, Urban; Jenkins, David

2016-07-01

The Durham AO Real-time Controller has been used on-sky with the CANARY AO demonstrator instrument since 2010, and is also used to provide control for several AO test-benches, including DRAGON. Over this period, many new real-time algorithms have been developed, implemented and demonstrated, leading to performance improvements for CANARY. Additionally, the computational performance of this real-time system has continued to improve. Here, we provide details about recent updates and changes made to DARC, and the relevance of these updates, including new algorithms, to forthcoming AO systems. We present the computational performance of DARC when used on different hardware platforms, including hardware accelerators, and determine the relevance and potential for ELT scale systems. Recent updates to DARC have included algorithms to handle elongated laser guide star images, including correlation wavefront sensing, with options to automatically update references during AO loop operation. Additionally, sub-aperture masking options have been developed to increase signal to noise ratio when operating with non-symmetrical wavefront sensor images. The development of end-user tools has progressed with new options for configuration and control of the system. New wavefront sensor camera models and DM models have been integrated with the system, increasing the number of possible hardware configurations available, and a fully open-source AO system is now a reality, including drivers necessary for commercial cameras and DMs. The computational performance of DARC makes it suitable for ELT scale systems when implemented on suitable hardware. We present tests made on different hardware platforms, along with the strategies taken to optimise DARC for these systems.

Assessment of Canyon Wall Failure Process and Disturbance Gradients from Multibeam Bathymetry and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Observations, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaytor, J. D.; Demopoulos, A. W.; Ten Brink, U. S.; Quattrini, A.

2016-02-01

Over the last several years, canyons around Puerto Rico and along the U.S. Atlantic continental margin between Georges Bank and Cape Hatteras have been investigated using high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives utilizing the exploration vessels E/V Nautilus and NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The imaging capabilities of these ROVs have provided the opportunity to begin to investigate the size of canyon wall failures, the processes responsible for their occurrence and to develop a conceptual framework for determining their relative age. Bed and formation scale lithologies exposed in the canyons and localized structural features (bedding planes, fracture planes, etc.) appear to be the primary control on the style of failures observed. Near vertical walls, sedimented benches, talus slopes, and canyon floor debris aprons were present in most canyons visited. Evidence of brittle failure over different spatial and temporal scales, physical abrasion by downslope moving flows, and bio-erosion in the form of burrows and surficial scrape marks provide insight into the modification processes active in these canyons. The level of colonization by sessile species (e.g., corals, sponges) on the canyon walls and displaced material, especially on substrates affected by failure and sediment bioturbation, provide a critical, but as yet, poorly understood chronological record of geologic processes within these systems. Therefore, comparison of the processes among these geologically, oceanographically, and ecologically different regions provides the opportunity to critically assess the wide range of drivers that control recolonization of sessile fauna influenced by continuous or episodic disturbances.

Anaerobic co-digestion of municipal organic wastes and pre-treatment to enhance biogas production from waste.

PubMed

Li, Chenxi; Champagne, Pascale; Anderson, Bruce C

2014-01-01

Co-digestion and pre-treatment have been recognized as effective, low-cost and commercially viable approaches to reduce anaerobic digestion process limitations and improve biogas yields. In our previous batch-scale study, fat, oil, and grease (FOG) was investigated as a suitable potential co-substrate, and thermo-chemical pre-treatment (TCPT) at pH = 10 and 55 °C improved CH4 production from FOG co-digestions. In this project, co-digestions with FOG were studied in bench-scale two-stage thermophilic semi-continuous flow co-digesters with suitable TCPT (pH = 10, 55 °C). Overall, a 25.14 ± 2.14 L/d (70.2 ± 1.4% CH4) biogas production was obtained, which was higher than in the two-stage system without pre-treatment. The results could provide valuable fundamental information to support full-scale investigations of anaerobic co-digestion of municipal organic wastes.

Planning continuity and the actual conditions of shopping malls.

PubMed

Morita, Yoshitsugu; Tahara, Manabu

2004-11-01

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the continuity of the planning of shopping malls in downtown areas of Japan and to look into the tendencies of the current existing malls until today. This paper is a summary of a survey conducted on the actual conditions of current shopping malls and a questionnaire administered to local governments in the survey areas. The results of this study allow us to summarize the reasons for and changes caused by renewal efforts directed toward the streets, public spaces, and urban elements (pavement, bench, streetlight, arcade, sculpture, etc.) in shopping malls. Furthermore, these results also help us to understand the scale of the renewal efforts as well as their timing in relation to when the shopping mall was originally constructed.

Coal desulfurization by low temperature chlorinolysis, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalvinskas, J. J.; Hsu, G. C.; Ernest, J. B.; Andress, D. F.; Feller, D. R.

1977-01-01

The reported activity covers laboratory scale experiments on twelve bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite coals, and preliminary design and specifications for bench-scale and mini-pilot plant equipment.

GAS/LIQUID MEMBRANES FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howard S. Meyer

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is conducting this research program whose objective is to develop gas/liquid membranes for natural gas upgrading to assist DOE in achieving their goal of developing novel methods of upgrading low quality natural gas to meet pipeline specifications. Kvaerner Process Systems (KPS) and W. L. Gore & Associates (GORE) gas/liquid membrane contactors are based on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes acting as the contacting barrier between the contaminated gas stream and the absorbing liquid. These resilient membranes provide much greater surface area for transfer than other tower internals, with packing densities five to ten times greater, resulting inmore » equipment 50-70% smaller and lower weight for the same treating service. The scope of the research program is to (1) build and install a laboratory- and a field-scale gas/liquid membrane absorber; (2) operate the units with a low quality natural gas feed stream for sufficient time to verify the simulation model of the contactors and to project membrane life in this severe service; and (3) conducted an economic evaluation, based on the data, to quantify the impact of the technology. Chevron, one of the major producers of natural gas, has offered to host the test at a gas treating plant. KPS will use their position as a recognized leader in the construction of commercial amine plants for building the unit along with GORE providing the membranes. GTI will provide operator and data collection support during lab- and field-testing to assure proper analytical procedures are used. Kvaerner and GTI will perform the final economic evaluation. GTI will provide project management and be responsible for reporting and interactions with DOE on this project. Efforts this quarter have concentrated on field site selection. ChevronTexaco has nominated their Headlee Gas Plant in Odessa, TX for a commercial-scale dehydration test. Design and cost estimation for this new site are underway. A HazOp review was conducted. Potting and module materials testing continued. Preliminary design of the bench-scale equipment continues. A status meeting was held in Morgantown, WV with the DOE Project Manager.« less

Water Extraction from Coal-Fired Power Plant Flue Gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruce C. Folkedahl; Greg F. Weber; Michael E. Collings

2006-06-30

The overall objective of this program was to develop a liquid disiccant-based flue gas dehydration process technology to reduce water consumption in coal-fired power plants. The specific objective of the program was to generate sufficient subscale test data and conceptual commercial power plant evaluations to assess process feasibility and merits for commercialization. Currently, coal-fired power plants require access to water sources outside the power plant for several aspects of their operation in addition to steam cycle condensation and process cooling needs. At the present time, there is no practiced method of extracting the usually abundant water found in the powermore » plant stack gas. This project demonstrated the feasibility and merits of a liquid desiccant-based process that can efficiently and economically remove water vapor from the flue gas of fossil fuel-fired power plants to be recycled for in-plant use or exported for clean water conservation. After an extensive literature review, a survey of the available physical and chemical property information on desiccants in conjunction with a weighting scheme developed for this application, three desiccants were selected and tested in a bench-scale system at the Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC). System performance at the bench scale aided in determining which desiccant was best suited for further evaluation. The results of the bench-scale tests along with further review of the available property data for each of the desiccants resulted in the selection of calcium chloride as the desiccant for testing at the pilot-scale level. Two weeks of testing utilizing natural gas in Test Series I and coal in Test Series II for production of flue gas was conducted with the liquid desiccant dehumidification system (LDDS) designed and built for this study. In general, it was found that the LDDS operated well and could be placed in an automode in which the process would operate with no operator intervention or adjustment. Water produced from this process should require little processing for use, depending on the end application. Test Series II water quality was not as good as that obtained in Test Series I; however, this was believed to be due to a system upset that contaminated the product water system during Test Series II. The amount of water that can be recovered from flue gas with the LDDS is a function of several variables, including desiccant temperature, L/G in the absorber, flash drum pressure, liquid-gas contact method, and desiccant concentration. Corrosion will be an issue with the use of calcium chloride as expected but can be largely mitigated through proper material selection. Integration of the LDDS with either low-grade waste heat and or ground-source heating and cooling can affect the parasitic power draw the LDDS will have on a power plant. Depending on the amount of water to be removed from the flue gas, the system can be designed with no parasitic power draw on the power plant other than pumping loads. This can be accomplished in one scenario by taking advantage of the heat of absorption and the heat of vaporization to provide the necessary temperature changes in the desiccant with the flue gas and precipitates that may form and how to handle them. These questions must be addressed in subsequent testing before scale-up of the process can be confidently completed.« less

Machine Shop. Module 3: Bench Work and Material Science. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walden, Charles H.; Nobles, Jack

This document consists of materials for an 11-unit course on the following topics: (1) hacksawing; (2) filing and deburring; (3) locating centers for drilling; (4) cutting threads with tap and die; (5) using a hand reamer; (6) pedestal/bench grinder operation; (7) whetting, polishing, and lapping; (8) screw, drill, and tap extraction; (9) arbor…

Electrodeposition of metals and metal/cermet composites in low gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riley, Clyde; Coble, Dwain; Maybee, George

1987-01-01

Electrodeposition experiments were carried out on the bench and a KC-135 aircraft at 0.01 g in anticipation of microgravity flights on NASA's Space Transportation System Shuttle. Experimental results obtained by interferometry compare concentration gradients as a function of time in the vicinity of a reducing electrode (cathode) for Cu(+2) and Co(+2) electrodeposition cells. No difference was found between bench and 0.01 g produced gradients for a .1M CuSO4 cell, but a significant difference was noted between the gradients in a 1M CoSO4 cell even though the bench cells were operated in a nonconvecting shielded (cathode over anode) mode. The gradient for Co(+2) depletion produced at 0.01 g was greater and the entire layer was thicker than found on the bench. Neutral buoyancy/matched density codeposition experiments were performed on the bench in an attempt to physically duplicate the results of metal/cermet codepositions in microgravity. Polystyrene spheres with average diameter 11.8 microns and density approximately matching that of 1M CoSO4 were utilized to emulate nonsedimenting cermets in microgravity. The cells were operated in a shielded convectionless mode. Comparison with literature data on codeposition with stirred cells indicate significant improvement in volume percent neutral occluded in the depositing metal matrix. A multicell electrodeposition flight apparatus that has been designed, constructed and is undergoing testing is discussed.

The Hundred-Year Emotion War: Are Emotions Natural Kinds or Psychological Constructions? Comment on Lench, Flores, and Bench (2011)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindquist, Kristen A.; Siegel, Erika H.; Quigley, Karen S.; Barrett, Lisa Feldman

2013-01-01

For the last century, there has been a continuing debate about the nature of emotion. In the most recent offering in this scientific dialogue, Lench, Flores, and Bench (2011) reported a meta-analysis of emotion induction research and claimed support for the natural kind hypothesis that discrete emotions (e.g., happiness, sadness, anger, and…

Cyanobacteria, Toxins and Indicators: Full-Scale Monitoring & Bench-Scale Treatment Studies

EPA Science Inventory

Summary of: 1) Lake Erie 2014 bloom season full-scale treatment plant monitoring data for cyanobacteria and cyanobacteria toxins; 2) Follow-up work to examine the impact of pre-oxidation on suspensions of intact toxin-producing cyanobacterial cells.

Steam gasification of waste tyre: influence of process temperature on yield and product composition.

PubMed

Portofino, Sabrina; Donatelli, Antonio; Iovane, Pierpaolo; Innella, Carolina; Civita, Rocco; Martino, Maria; Matera, Domenico Antonio; Russo, Antonio; Cornacchia, Giacinto; Galvagno, Sergio

2013-03-01

An experimental survey of waste tyre gasification with steam as oxidizing agent has been conducted in a continuous bench scale reactor, with the aim of studying the influence of the process temperature on the yield and the composition of the products; the tests have been performed at three different temperatures, in the range of 850-1000°C, holding all the other operational parameters (pressure, carrier gas flow, solid residence time). The experimental results show that the process seems promising in view of obtaining a good quality syngas, indicating that a higher temperature results in a higher syngas production (86 wt%) and a lower char yield, due to an enhancement of the solid-gas phase reactions with the temperature. Higher temperatures clearly result in higher hydrogen concentrations: the hydrogen content rapidly increases, attaining values higher than 65% v/v, while methane and ethylene gradually decrease over the range of the temperatures; carbon monoxide and dioxide instead, after an initial increase, show a nearly constant concentration at 1000°C. Furthermore, in regards to the elemental composition of the synthesis gas, as the temperature increases, the carbon content continuously decreases, while the oxygen content increases; the hydrogen, being the main component of the gas fraction and having a small atomic weight, is responsible for the progressive reduction of the gas density at higher temperature. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hierarchical calibration and validation for modeling bench-scale solvent-based carbon capture. Part 1: Non-reactive physical mass transfer across the wetted wall column: Original Research Article: Hierarchical calibration and validation for modeling bench-scale solvent-based carbon capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Chao; Xu, Zhijie; Lai, Canhai

A hierarchical model calibration and validation is proposed for quantifying the confidence level of mass transfer prediction using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, where the solvent-based carbon dioxide (CO2) capture is simulated and simulation results are compared to the parallel bench-scale experimental data. Two unit problems with increasing level of complexity are proposed to breakdown the complex physical/chemical processes of solvent-based CO2 capture into relatively simpler problems to separate the effects of physical transport and chemical reaction. This paper focuses on the calibration and validation of the first unit problem, i.e. the CO2 mass transfer across a falling ethanolaminemore » (MEA) film in absence of chemical reaction. This problem is investigated both experimentally and numerically using nitrous oxide (N2O) as a surrogate for CO2. To capture the motion of gas-liquid interface, a volume of fluid method is employed together with a one-fluid formulation to compute the mass transfer between the two phases. Bench-scale parallel experiments are designed and conducted to validate and calibrate the CFD models using a general Bayesian calibration. Two important transport parameters, e.g. Henry’s constant and gas diffusivity, are calibrated to produce the posterior distributions, which will be used as the input for the second unit problem to address the chemical adsorption of CO2 across the MEA falling film, where both mass transfer and chemical reaction are involved.« less

Assessing sorbent injection mercury control effectiveness in flue gas streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carey, T.R.; Richardson, C.F.; Chang, R.; Meserole, F.B.; Rostam-Abadi, M.; Chen, S.

2000-01-01

One promising approach for removing mercury from coal-fired, utility flue gas involves the direct injection of mercury sorbents. Although this method has been effective at removing mercury in municipal waste incinerators, tests conducted to date on utility coal-fired boilers show that mercury removal is much more difficult in utility flue gas. EPRI is conducting research to investigate mercury removal using sorbents in this application. Bench-scale, pilot-scale, and field tests have been conducted to determine the ability of different sorbents to remove mercury in simulated and actual flue gas streams. This paper focuses on recent bench-scale and field test results evaluating the adsorption characteristics of activated carbon and fly ash and the use of these results to develop a predictive mercury removal model. Field tests with activated carbon show that adsorption characteristics measured in the lab agree reasonably well with characteristics measured in the field. However, more laboratory and field data will be needed to identify other gas phase components which may impact performance. This will allow laboratory tests to better simulate field conditions and provide improved estimates of sorbent performance for specific sites. In addition to activated carbon results, bench-scale and modeling results using fly ash are presented which suggest that certain fly ashes are capable of adsorbing mercury.

Bench-Scale Silicone Process for Low-Cost CO{sub 2} Capture

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wood, Benjamin; Genovese, Sarah; Perry, Robert

2013-12-31

A bench-scale system was designed and built to test an aminosilicone-based solvent. A model was built of the bench-scale system and this model was scaled up to model the performance of a carbon capture unit, using aminosilicones, for CO{sub 2} capture and sequestration (CCS) for a pulverized coal (PC) boiler at 550 MW. System and economic analysis for the carbon capture unit demonstrates that the aminosilicone solvent has significant advantages relative to a monoethanol amine (MEA)-based system. The CCS energy penalty for MEA is 35.9% and the energy penalty for aminosilicone solvent is 30.4% using a steam temperature of 395more » °C (743 °F). If the steam temperature is lowered to 204 °C (400 °F), the energy penalty for the aminosilicone solvent is reduced to 29%. The increase in cost of electricity (COE) over the non-capture case for MEA is ~109% and increase in COE for aminosilicone solvent is ~98 to 103% depending on the solvent cost at a steam temperature of 395 °C (743 °F). If the steam temperature is lowered to 204 °C (400 °F), the increase in COE for the aminosilicone solvent is reduced to ~95-100%.« less

Coal liquefaction process streams characterization and evaluation: Analysis of Black Thunder coal and liquefaction products from HRI Bench Unit Run CC-15

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pugmire, R.J.; Solum, M.S.

This study was designed to apply {sup 13}C-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry to the analysis of direct coal liquefaction process-stream materials. {sup 13}C-NMR was shown to have a high potential for application to direct coal liquefaction-derived samples in Phase II of this program. In this Phase III project, {sup 13}C-NMR was applied to a set of samples derived from the HRI Inc. bench-scale liquefaction Run CC-15. The samples include the feed coal, net products and intermediate streams from three operating periods of the run. High-resolution {sup 13}C-NMR data were obtained for the liquid samples and solid-state CP/MAS {sup 13}C-NMR datamore » were obtained for the coal and filter-cake samples. The {sup 1}C-NMR technique is used to derive a set of twelve carbon structural parameters for each sample (CONSOL Table A). Average molecular structural descriptors can then be derived from these parameters (CONSOL Table B).« less

FUEL-FLEXIBLE GASIFICATION-COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF H2 AND SEQUESTRATION-READY CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Rizeq; Janice West; Arnaldo Frydman

It is expected that in the 21st century the Nation will continue to rely on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and chemicals. It will be necessary to improve both the thermodynamic efficiency and environmental impact performance of fossil fuel utilization. General Electric Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (GE EER) has developed an innovative fuel-flexible Advanced Gasification-Combustion (AGC) concept to produce H{sub 2} and sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} from solid fuels. The AGC module offers potential for reduced cost and increased energy efficiency relative to conventional gasification and combustion systems. GE EER was awarded a Vision-21 program from U.S. DOE NETL tomore » develop the AGC technology. Work on this three-year program started on October 1, 2000. The project team includes GE EER, California Energy Commission, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and T. R. Miles, Technical Consultants, Inc. In the AGC technology, coal/opportunity fuels and air are simultaneously converted into separate streams of (1) pure hydrogen that can be utilized in fuel cells, (2) sequestration-ready CO{sub 2}, and (3) high temperature/pressure oxygen-depleted air to produce electricity in a gas turbine. The process produces near-zero emissions and, based on preliminary modeling work in the first quarter of this program, has an estimated process efficiency of approximately 67% based on electrical and H{sub 2} energy outputs relative to the higher heating value of coal. The three-year R&D program will determine the operating conditions that maximize separation of CO{sub 2} and pollutants from the vent gas, while simultaneously maximizing coal conversion efficiency and hydrogen production. The program integrates lab-, bench- and pilot-scale studies to demonstrate the AGC concept. This is the fifth quarterly technical progress report for the Vision-21 AGC program supported by U.S. DOE NETL (Contract: DE-FC26-00FT40974). This report summarizes program accomplishments for the period starting October 1, 2001 and ending December 31, 2001. The report includes an introduction summarizing the AGC concept, main program tasks, and program objectives; it also provides a summary of program activities covering program management and progress in tasks including lab- and bench-scale experimental testing, pilot-scale design, and economic studies.« less

FUEL-FLEXIBLE GASIFICATION-COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF H2 AND SEQUESTRATION-READY CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Rizeq; Janice West; Arnaldo Frydman

It is expected that in the 21st century the Nation will continue to rely on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and chemicals. It will be necessary to improve both the thermodynamic efficiency and environmental impact performance of fossil fuel utilization. General Electric Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (GE EER) has developed an innovative fuel-flexible Advanced Gasification-Combustion (AGC) concept to produce H{sub 2} and sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} from solid fuels. The AGC module offers potential for reduced cost and increased energy efficiency relative to conventional gasification and combustion systems. GE EER was awarded a Vision-21 program from U.S. DOE NETL tomore » develop the AGC technology. Work on this three-year program started on October 1, 2000. The project team includes GE EER, California Energy Commission, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and T. R. Miles, Technical Consultants, Inc. In the AGC technology, coal/opportunity fuels and air are simultaneously converted into separate streams of (1) pure hydrogen that can be utilized in fuel cells, (2) sequestration-ready CO{sub 2}, and (3) high temperature/pressure oxygen-depleted air to produce electricity in a gas turbine. The process produces near-zero emissions and, based on preliminary modeling work in the first quarter of this program, has an estimated process efficiency of approximately 67% based on electrical and H{sub 2} energy outputs relative to the higher heating value of coal. The three-year R&D program will determine the operating conditions that maximize separation of CO{sub 2} and pollutants from the vent gas, while simultaneously maximizing coal conversion efficiency and hydrogen production. The program integrates lab-, bench- and pilot-scale studies to demonstrate the AGC concept. This is the seventh quarterly technical progress report for the Vision-21 AGC program supported by U.S. DOE NETL (Contract: DE-FC26-00FT40974). This report summarizes program accomplishments for the period starting April 1, 2002 and ending June 30, 2002. The report includes an introduction summarizing the AGC concept, main program tasks, and program objectives; it also provides a summary of program activities covering program management and progress in tasks including lab-/bench-scale experimental testing and pilot-scale design.« less

FUEL-FLEXIBLE GASIFICATION-COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF H2 AND SEQUESTRATION-READY CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Rizeq; Janice West; Arnaldo Frydman

It is expected that in the 21st century the Nation will continue to rely on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and chemicals. It will be necessary to improve both the thermodynamic efficiency and environmental impact performance of fossil fuel utilization. GE Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (GE EER) has developed an innovative fuel-flexible Advanced Gasification-Combustion (AGC) concept to produce H{sub 2} and sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} from solid fuels. The AGC module offers potential for reduced cost and increased energy efficiency relative to conventional gasification and combustion systems. GE EER was awarded a Vision 21 program from U.S. DOE NETL tomore » develop the AGC technology. Work on this three-year program started on October 1, 2000. The project team includes GE EER, California Energy Commission, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and T. R. Miles, Technical Consultants, Inc. In the AGC technology, coal/opportunity fuels and air are simultaneously converted into separate streams of (1) pure hydrogen that can be utilized in fuel cells, (2) sequestration-ready CO{sub 2}, and (3) high temperature/pressure oxygen-depleted air to produce electricity in a gas turbine. The process produces near-zero emissions and, based on preliminary modeling work, has an estimated process efficiency of approximately 67% based on electrical and H{sub 2} energy outputs relative to the higher heating value of coal. The three-year R&D program will determine the operating conditions that maximize separation of CO{sub 2} and pollutants from the vent gas, while simultaneously maximizing coal conversion efficiency and hydrogen production. The program integrates lab-, bench- and pilot-scale studies to demonstrate the AGC concept. This is the second annual technical progress report for the Vision 21 AGC program supported by U.S. DOE NETL (Contract No. DE-FC26-00FT40974). This report summarizes program accomplishments for the period starting October 1, 2001 and ending September 30, 2002. The report includes an introduction summarizing the AGC concept, main program tasks, and program objectives; it also provides a summary of program activities and accomplishments covering progress in tasks including lab- and bench-scale experimental testing, pilot-scale design and assembly, and program management.« less

FUEL-FLEXIBLE GASIFICATION-COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF H2 AND SEQUESTRATION-READY CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Rizeq; Janice West; Arnaldo Frydman

It is expected that in the 21st century the Nation will continue to rely on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and chemicals. It will be necessary to improve both the process efficiency and environmental impact performance of fossil fuel utilization. GE Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (GE EER) has developed an innovative fuel-flexible Unmixed Fuel Processor (UFP) technology to produce H{sub 2}, power, and sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} from coal and other solid fuels. The UFP module offers the potential for reduced cost, increased process efficiency relative to conventional gasification and combustion systems, and near-zero pollutant emissions including NO{sub x}. GEmore » EER was awarded a Vision 21 program from U.S. DOE NETL to develop the UFP technology. Work on this Phase I program started on October 1, 2000. The project team includes GE EER, California Energy Commission, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and T. R. Miles, Technical Consultants, Inc. In the UFP technology, coal/opportunity fuels and air are simultaneously converted into separate streams of (1) pure hydrogen that can be utilized in fuel cells, (2) sequestration-ready CO{sub 2}, and (3) high temperature/pressure oxygen-depleted air to produce electricity in a gas turbine. The process produces near-zero emissions and, based on process modeling work, has an estimated process efficiency of 68%, based on electrical and H{sub 2} energy outputs relative to the higher heating value of coal, and an estimated equivalent electrical efficiency of 60%. The Phase I R&D program will determine the operating conditions that maximize separation of CO{sub 2} and pollutants from the vent gas, while simultaneously maximizing coal conversion efficiency and hydrogen production. The program integrates lab-, bench- and pilot-scale studies to demonstrate the UFP technology. This is the ninth quarterly technical progress report for the Vision 21 UFP program supported by U.S. DOE NETL (Contract No. DE-FC26-00FT40974). This report summarizes program accomplishments for the period starting October 1, 2002 and ending December 31, 2002. The report includes an introduction summarizing the UFP technology, main program tasks, and program objectives; it also provides a summary of program activities and accomplishments covering progress in tasks including lab- and bench-scale experimental testing, pilot-scale design and assembly, and program management.« less

Strontium Removal: Full-Scale Ohio Demonstrations

EPA Science Inventory

The objectives of this presentation are to present a brief overview of past bench-scale research to evaluate the impact lime softening on strontium removal from drinking water and present full-scale drinking water treatment studies to impact of lime softening and ion exchange sof...

Scale-up and process integration of sugar production by acidolysis of municipal solid waste/corn stover blends in ionic liquids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Chenlin; Liang, Ling; Sun, Ning

The study presents the successful scale-up demonstration of the acid-assisted IL deconstruction on feedstock blends of municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues (corn stover) by 30-fold, relative to the bench scale (6L vs 0.2L), at 10% solid loading. By integrating IL pretreatment and acid hydrolysis with subsequent centrifugation and extraction, the sugar and lignin products can be further recovered efficiently. This scale-up development at Advanced Biofuels/Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) will leverage the opportunity and synergistic efforts towards developing a cost-effective IL based deconstruction technology by drastically eliminating enzyme, reducing water usage, and simplifying the downstream sugar/lignin recovery and ILmore » recycling. Results indicate that MSW blends are viable and valuable resource to consider when assessing biomass availability and affordability for lignocellulosic biorefineries. This scale-up evaluation demonstrates that the acid-assisted IL deconstruction technology can be effectively scaled up to larger operations and the current study established the baseline of scaling parameters for this process.« less

Scale-up and process integration of sugar production by acidolysis of municipal solid waste/corn stover blends in ionic liquids

DOE PAGES

Li, Chenlin; Liang, Ling; Sun, Ning; ...

2017-01-05

The study presents the successful scale-up demonstration of the acid-assisted IL deconstruction on feedstock blends of municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues (corn stover) by 30-fold, relative to the bench scale (6L vs 0.2L), at 10% solid loading. By integrating IL pretreatment and acid hydrolysis with subsequent centrifugation and extraction, the sugar and lignin products can be further recovered efficiently. This scale-up development at Advanced Biofuels/Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) will leverage the opportunity and synergistic efforts towards developing a cost-effective IL based deconstruction technology by drastically eliminating enzyme, reducing water usage, and simplifying the downstream sugar/lignin recovery and ILmore » recycling. Results indicate that MSW blends are viable and valuable resource to consider when assessing biomass availability and affordability for lignocellulosic biorefineries. This scale-up evaluation demonstrates that the acid-assisted IL deconstruction technology can be effectively scaled up to larger operations and the current study established the baseline of scaling parameters for this process.« less

Millimeter wave experiment for ATS-F

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, J. S.; Parisky, R. N.; Shapiro, S. S.

1973-01-01

A detailed description of spaceborne equipment is provided. The equipment consists of two transmitters radiating signals at 20 and 30 GHz from either U.S. coverage horn antennas or a narrow beam parabolic antenna. Three modes of operation are provided: a continuous wave mode, a multitone mode in which nine spectral lines having 180 MHz separation and spaced symmetrically about each carrier, and a communications mode in which communications signals from the main spacecraft transponder are modulated on the two carriers. Detailed performance attained in the flight/prototype model of the equipment is presented both under laboratory conditions and under environmental extremes. Provisions made for ensuring reliability in space operation are described. Also described the bench test equipment developed for use with the experiment, and a summary of the new technology is included.

SP2Bench: A SPARQL Performance Benchmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Michael; Hornung, Thomas; Meier, Michael; Pinkel, Christoph; Lausen, Georg

A meaningful analysis and comparison of both existing storage schemes for RDF data and evaluation approaches for SPARQL queries necessitates a comprehensive and universal benchmark platform. We present SP2Bench, a publicly available, language-specific performance benchmark for the SPARQL query language. SP2Bench is settled in the DBLP scenario and comprises a data generator for creating arbitrarily large DBLP-like documents and a set of carefully designed benchmark queries. The generated documents mirror vital key characteristics and social-world distributions encountered in the original DBLP data set, while the queries implement meaningful requests on top of this data, covering a variety of SPARQL operator constellations and RDF access patterns. In this chapter, we discuss requirements and desiderata for SPARQL benchmarks and present the SP2Bench framework, including its data generator, benchmark queries and performance metrics.

Evaluation of quartz melt rate furnace with the nitric-glycolic flowsheet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, M. S.; Miller, D. H.

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) was tasked to support validation of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) melter offgas flammability model for the Nitric-Glycolic (NG) flowsheet. The work is supplemental to the Cold Cap Evaluation Furnace (CEF) testing conducted in 20141 and the Slurry-fed Melt Rate Furnace (SMRF) testing conducted in 20162 that supported Deliverable 4 of the DWPF & Saltstone Facility Engineering Technical Task Request (TTR).3 The Quartz Melt Rate Furnace (QMRF) was evaluated as a bench-scale scoping tool to potentially be used in lieu of or simply prior to the use of the larger-scale SMRF or CEF.more » The QMRF platform has been used previously to evaluate melt rate behavior and offgas compositions of DWPF glasses prepared from the Nitric-Formic (NF) flowsheet but not for the NG flowsheet and not with continuous feeding.4 The overall objective of the 2016-2017 testing was to evaluate the efficacy of the QMRF as a lab-scale platform for steady state, continuously fed melter testing with the NG flowsheet as an alternative to more expensive and complex testing with the SMRF or CEF platforms.« less

Evaluation of malodor for automobile air conditioner evaporator by using laboratory-scale test cooling bench.

PubMed

Kim, Kyung Hwan; Kim, Sun Hwa; Jung, Young Rim; Kim, Man Goo

2008-09-12

As one of the measures to improve the environment in an automobile, malodor caused by the automobile air-conditioning system evaporator was evaluated and analyzed using laboratory-scale test cooling bench. The odor was simulated with an evaporator test cooling bench equipped with an airflow controller, air temperature and relative humidity controller. To simulate the same odor characteristics that occur from automobiles, one previously used automobile air conditioner evaporator associated with unpleasant odors was selected. The odor was evaluated by trained panels and collected with aluminum polyester bags. Collected samples were analyzed by thermal desorption into a cryotrap and subsequent gas chromatographic separation, followed by simultaneous olfactometry, flame ionization detector and identified by atomic emission detection and mass spectrometry. Compounds such as alcohols, aldehydes, and organic acids were identified as responsible odor-active compounds. Gas chromatography/flame ionization detection/olfactometry combined sensory method with instrumental analysis was very effective as an odor evaluation method in an automobile air-conditioning system evaporator.

In-situ biogas upgrading during anaerobic digestion of food waste amended with walnut shell biochar at bench scale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Linville, Jessica L.; Shen, Yanwen; Ignacio-de Leon, Patricia A.

Here, a modified version of an in-situ CO 2 removal process was applied during AD of food waste with two types of walnut shell biochar (WSB) at bench-scale under batch operating mode. Compared to the coarse WSB, the fine WSB has a higher ash content (43 vs. 36 wt%) and higher concentrations of calcium (31 vs. 19 wt% of ash), magnesium (8.4 vs. 5.6 wt% of ash) and sodium (23.4 vs. 0.3 wt% of ash), but a lower potassium concentration (0.2 vs. 40% wt% of ash). The 0.96 - 3.83 g biochar (g VS added) -1 fine WSB amended digestersmore » produced biogas with 77.5-98.1% CH 4 content by removing 40-96% of the CO 2 compared to the control digesters at mesophilic and thermophilic temperature conditions. In a direct comparison at 1.83 g biochar (g VS added) -1, the fine WSB amended digesters (85.7% CH 4 content and 61% CO 2 removal) outperformed the coarse WSB amended digesters (78.9% CH 4 content and 51% CO 2 removal). Biochar addition also increased alkalinity as CaCO3 from 2,800 mg L -1 in the control digesters to 4,800-6,800 mg L -1 providing process stability for food waste AD.« less

In-situ biogas upgrading during anaerobic digestion of food waste amended with walnut shell biochar at bench scale.

PubMed

Linville, Jessica L; Shen, Yanwen; Ignacio-de Leon, Patricia A; Schoene, Robin P; Urgun-Demirtas, Meltem

2017-06-01

A modified version of an in-situ CO 2 removal process was applied during anaerobic digestion of food waste with two types of walnut shell biochar at bench scale under batch operating mode. Compared with the coarse walnut shell biochar, the fine walnut shell biochar has a higher ash content (43 vs. 36 wt%) and higher concentrations of calcium (31 vs. 19 wt% of ash), magnesium (8.4 vs. 5.6 wt% of ash) and sodium (23.4 vs. 0.3 wt% of ash), but a lower potassium concentration (0.2 vs. 40% wt% of ash). The 0.96-3.83 g biochar (g VS added ) -1 fine walnut shell biochar amended digesters produced biogas with 77.5%-98.1% CH 4 content by removing 40%-96% of the CO 2 compared with the control digesters at mesophilic and thermophilic temperature conditions. In a direct comparison at 1.83 g biochar (g VS added ) -1 , the fine walnut shell biochar amended digesters (85.7% CH 4 content and 61% CO 2 removal) outperformed the coarse walnut shell biochar amended digesters (78.9% CH 4 content and 51% CO 2 removal). Biochar addition also increased alkalinity as CaCO 3 from 2800 mg L -1 in the control digesters to 4800-6800 mg L -1 , providing process stability for food waste anaerobic digestion.

In-situ biogas upgrading during anaerobic digestion of food waste amended with walnut shell biochar at bench scale

DOE PAGES

Linville, Jessica L.; Shen, Yanwen; Ignacio-de Leon, Patricia A.; ...

2017-05-10

Here, a modified version of an in-situ CO 2 removal process was applied during AD of food waste with two types of walnut shell biochar (WSB) at bench-scale under batch operating mode. Compared to the coarse WSB, the fine WSB has a higher ash content (43 vs. 36 wt%) and higher concentrations of calcium (31 vs. 19 wt% of ash), magnesium (8.4 vs. 5.6 wt% of ash) and sodium (23.4 vs. 0.3 wt% of ash), but a lower potassium concentration (0.2 vs. 40% wt% of ash). The 0.96 - 3.83 g biochar (g VS added) -1 fine WSB amended digestersmore » produced biogas with 77.5-98.1% CH 4 content by removing 40-96% of the CO 2 compared to the control digesters at mesophilic and thermophilic temperature conditions. In a direct comparison at 1.83 g biochar (g VS added) -1, the fine WSB amended digesters (85.7% CH 4 content and 61% CO 2 removal) outperformed the coarse WSB amended digesters (78.9% CH 4 content and 51% CO 2 removal). Biochar addition also increased alkalinity as CaCO3 from 2,800 mg L -1 in the control digesters to 4,800-6,800 mg L -1 providing process stability for food waste AD.« less

CO 2 Binding Organic Liquids Gas Capture with Polarity Swing Assisted Regeneration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heldebrant, David

This report outlines the comprehensive bench-scale testing of the CO 2-binding organic liquids (CO 2BOLs) solvent platform and its unique Polarity Swing Assisted Regeneration (PSAR). This study outlines all efforts on a candidate CO 2BOL solvent molecule, including solvent synthesis, material characterization, preliminary toxicology studies, and measurement of all physical, thermodynamic and kinetic data, including bench-scale testing. Equilibrium and kinetic models and analysis were made using Aspen Plus™. Preliminary process configurations, a technoeconomic assessment and solvent performance projections for separating CO 2 from a subcritical coal-fired power plant are compared to the U.S. Department of Energy's Case 10 monoethanolamine baseline.

Improvements of PKU PMECRIS for continuous hundred hours CW proton beam operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peng, S. X., E-mail: sxpeng@pku.edu.cn; Ren, H. T.; Zhang, T.

2016-02-15

In order to improve the source stability, a long term continuous wave (CW) proton beam experiment has been carried out with Peking University compact permanent magnet 2.45 GHz ECR ion source (PKU PMECRIS). Before such an experiment a lot of improvements and modifications were completed on the source body, the Faraday cup and the PKU ion source test bench. At the beginning of 2015, a continuous operation of PKU PMECRIS for 306 h with more than 50 mA CW beam was carried out after success of many short term tests. No plasma generator failure or high voltage breakdown was observedmore » during that running period and the proton source reliability is near 100%. Total beam availability, which is defined as 35-keV beam-on time divided by elapsed time, was higher than 99% [S. X. Peng et al., Chin. Phys. B 24(7), 075203 (2015)]. A re-inspection was performed after another additional 100 h operation (counting time) and no obvious sign of component failure was observed. Counting the previous source testing time together, this PMECRs longevity is now demonstrated to be greater than 460 h. This paper is mainly concentrated on the improvements for this long term experiment.« less

Developing a cost effective environmental solution for produced water and creating a ''new'' water resource

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doran, Glenn; Leong, Lawrence Y.C.

2000-05-01

The project goal is to convert a currently usable by-product of oil production, produced water, into a valuable drinking water resource. The project was located at the Placate Oil Field in Santa Clarita, California, approximately 25 miles north of Los Angeles. The project included a literature review of treatment technologies; preliminary bench-scale studies to refine a planning level cost estimate; and a 10-100 gpm pilot study to develop the conceptual design and cost estimate for a 44,000 bpd treatment facility. A reverse osmosis system was constructed, pilot tested, and the data used to develop a conceptual design and operation ofmore » four operational scenarios, two industrial waters levels and two irrigation/potable water.« less

Wastewater characterization survey, Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority and hazardous-waste survey at George AFB, California. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Binovi, R.D.; Ng, E.K.; Tetla, R.A.

1987-01-01

This is a report of a survey of the Victor Wastewater Reclamation Authority Sewerage system, the sewage treatment plant, and effluent from the various operations at George AFB, California. The scope of work included the characterization of the wastewater from George AFB, as well as characterization of effluents from 29 oil/water separators servicing industrial operations on base, flow measurements at three locations on base, a microbiological evaluation of aeration basin foam, bench-scale activated-sludge studies, and a review of results from previous surveys. Recommendations: (1) AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) should never be discharged to the sewer. (2) Programming for pretreatmentmore » should proceed at selected operations. (3) More waste and wastestream analysis be performed. (4) Upgrade waste accumulation points. (5) Implement an aggressive inspection program for oil/water separators. (6) Cut down on nonessential washing.« less

Electrokinetic remediation of plutonium-contaminated nuclear site wastes: results from a pilot-scale on-site trial.

PubMed

Agnew, Kieran; Cundy, Andrew B; Hopkinson, Laurence; Croudace, Ian W; Warwick, Phillip E; Purdie, Philip

2011-02-28

This paper examines the field-scale application of a novel low-energy electrokinetic technique for the remediation of plutonium-contaminated nuclear site soils, using soil wastes from the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston site, Berkshire, UK as a test medium. Soils and sediments with varying composition, contaminated with Pu through historical site operations, were electrokinetically treated at laboratory-scale with and without various soil pre-conditioning agents. Results from these bench-scale trials were used to inform a larger on-site remediation trial, using an adapted containment pack with battery power supply. 2.4 m(3) (ca. 4t onnes) of Pu-contaminated soil was treated for 60 days at a power consumption of 33 kWh/m(3), and then destructively sampled. Radiochemical data indicate mobilisation of Pu in the treated soil, and migration (probably as a negatively charged Pu-citrate complex) towards the anodic compartment of the treatment cell. Soil in the cathodic zone of the treatment unit was remediated to a level below free-release disposal thresholds (1.7 Bq/g, or <0.4 Bq/g above background activities). The data show the potential of this method as a low-cost, on-site tool for remediation of radioactively contaminated soils and wastes which can be operated remotely on working sites, with minimal disruption to site infrastructure or operations. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Alternative Fuel Research in Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Surgenor, Angela D.; Klettlinger, Jennifer L.; Yen, Chia H.; Nakley, Leah M.

2011-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center has recently constructed an Alternative Fuels Laboratory which is solely being used to perform Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reactor studies, novel catalyst development and thermal stability experiments. Facility systems have demonstrated reliability and consistency for continuous and safe operations in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The purpose of this test facility is to conduct bench scale Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) catalyst screening experiments while focusing on reducing energy inputs, reducing CO2 emissions and increasing product yields within the F-T process. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is considered a gas to liquid process which reacts syn-gas (a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide), over the surface of a catalyst material which is then converted into liquids of various hydrocarbon chain length and product distributions1. These hydrocarbons can then be further processed into higher quality liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The experiments performed in this laboratory will enable the investigation of F-T reaction kinetics to focus on newly formulated catalysts, improved process conditions and enhanced catalyst activation methods. Currently the facility has the capability of performing three simultaneous reactor screening tests, along with a fourth fixed-bed reactor used solely for cobalt catalyst activation.

Development and numerical/experimental characterization of a lab-scale flat flame reactor allowing the analysis of pulverized solid fuel devolatilization and oxidation at high heating rates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lemaire, R., E-mail: romain.lemaire@mines-douai.fr; Menanteau, S.

2016-01-15

This paper deals with the thorough characterization of a new experimental test bench designed to study the devolatilization and oxidation of pulverized fuel particles in a wide range of operating conditions. This lab-scale facility is composed of a fuel feeding system, the functioning of which has been optimized by computational fluid dynamics. It allows delivering a constant and time-independent mass flow rate of fuel particles which are pneumatically transported to the central injector of a hybrid McKenna burner using a carrier gas stream that can be inert or oxidant depending on the targeted application. A premixed propane/air laminar flat flamemore » stabilized on the porous part of the burner is used to generate the hot gases insuring the heating of the central coal/carrier-gas jet with a thermal gradient similar to those found in industrial combustors (>10{sup 5} K/s). In the present work, results issued from numerical simulations performed a priori to characterize the velocity and temperature fields in the reaction chamber have been analyzed and confronted with experimental measurements carried out by coupling particle image velocimetry, thermocouple and two-color pyrometry measurements so as to validate the order of magnitude of the heating rate delivered by such a new test bench. Finally, the main features of the flat flame reactor we developed have been discussed with respect to those of another laboratory-scale system designed to study coal devolatilization at a high heating rate.« less

Development and numerical/experimental characterization of a lab-scale flat flame reactor allowing the analysis of pulverized solid fuel devolatilization and oxidation at high heating rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemaire, R.; Menanteau, S.

2016-01-01

This paper deals with the thorough characterization of a new experimental test bench designed to study the devolatilization and oxidation of pulverized fuel particles in a wide range of operating conditions. This lab-scale facility is composed of a fuel feeding system, the functioning of which has been optimized by computational fluid dynamics. It allows delivering a constant and time-independent mass flow rate of fuel particles which are pneumatically transported to the central injector of a hybrid McKenna burner using a carrier gas stream that can be inert or oxidant depending on the targeted application. A premixed propane/air laminar flat flame stabilized on the porous part of the burner is used to generate the hot gases insuring the heating of the central coal/carrier-gas jet with a thermal gradient similar to those found in industrial combustors (>105 K/s). In the present work, results issued from numerical simulations performed a priori to characterize the velocity and temperature fields in the reaction chamber have been analyzed and confronted with experimental measurements carried out by coupling particle image velocimetry, thermocouple and two-color pyrometry measurements so as to validate the order of magnitude of the heating rate delivered by such a new test bench. Finally, the main features of the flat flame reactor we developed have been discussed with respect to those of another laboratory-scale system designed to study coal devolatilization at a high heating rate.

HANDBOOK ON ADVANCED PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDATION PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

This handbook summarizes commercial-scale system performance and cost data for advanced photochemical oxidation (APO) treatment of contaminated water, air, and solids. Similar information from pilot- and bench-scale evaluations of APO processes is also included to supplement the...

40 CFR 264.17 - General requirements for ignitable, reactive, or incompatible wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (e.g., from heat-producing chemical reactions), and radiant heat. While ignitable or reactive waste... scientific or engineering literature, data from trial tests (e.g., bench scale or pilot scale tests), waste...

GLYPHOSATE REMOVAL FROM DRINKING WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Activated-carbon, oxidation, conventional-treatment, filtration, and membrane studies are conducted to determine which process is best suited to remove the herbicide glyphosate from potable water. Both bench-scale and pilot-scale studies are completed. Computer models are used ...

Assessment of Water Quality of Runoff from Sealed Asphalt Surfaces

EPA Science Inventory

This report discusses the results of runoff tests from recently-sealed asphalt surfaces conducted at EPA's Urban Watershed Research Facility (UWRF) in Edison, New Jersey. Both bench-scale panels and full-scale test plots were evaluated. Full-scale tests were performed on an asp...

THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S SITE EMERGING TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

Under the SITE Emerging Technology Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking to foster the further development of technol- ogies that have been successfully tested at bench-scale and are now ready for pilot-scale testing, prior to field- or full-scale demonstra...

EFFECTS OF STORAGE ON STABILITY AND PATHOGEN REDUCTION IN BIOSOLIDS

EPA Science Inventory

Storage can be an effective means of stabilizing small quantities of wastewater sludge. This paper summarizes the performance of two laboratory-scale sludge storage units and that of four full-scale tanks sampled at four treatment facilities in eastern Nebraska. The bench-scale u...

Fuel-Flexible Gasification-Combustion Technology for Production of H2 and Sequestration-Ready CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Rizeq; Parag Kulkarni; Wei Wei

It is expected that in the 21st century the Nation will continue to rely on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and chemicals. It will be necessary to improve both the process efficiency and environmental impact performance of fossil fuel utilization. GE Global Research is developing an innovative fuel-flexible Unmixed Fuel Processor (UFP) technology to produce H{sub 2}, power, and sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} from coal and other solid fuels. The UFP module offers the potential for reduced cost, increased process efficiency relative to conventional gasification and combustion systems, and near-zero pollutant emissions including NO{sub x}. GE was awarded a contract frommore » U.S. DOE NETL to develop the UFP technology. Work on the Phase I program started in October 2000, and work on the Phase II effort started in April 2005. In the UFP technology, coal and air are simultaneously converted into separate streams of (1) high-purity hydrogen that can be utilized in fuel cells or turbines, (2) sequestration-ready CO{sub 2}, and (3) high temperature/pressure vitiated air to produce electricity in a gas turbine. The process produces near-zero emissions with an estimated efficiency higher than IGCC with conventional CO2 separation. The Phase I R&D program established the feasibility of the integrated UFP technology through lab-, bench- and pilot-scale testing and investigated operating conditions that maximize separation of CO{sub 2} and pollutants from the vent gas, while simultaneously maximizing coal conversion efficiency and hydrogen production. The Phase I effort integrated experimental testing, modeling and preliminary economic studies to demonstrate the UFP technology. The Phase II effort will focus on three high-risk areas: economics, sorbent attrition and lifetime, and product gas quality for turbines. The economic analysis will include estimating the capital cost as well as the costs of hydrogen and electricity for a full-scale UFP plant. These costs will be benchmarked with IGCC polygen costs for plants of similar size. Sorbent attrition and lifetime will be addressed via bench-scale experiments that monitor sorbent performance over time and by assessing materials interactions at operating conditions. The product gas from the third reactor (high-temperature vitiated air) will be evaluated to assess the concentration of particulates, pollutants and other impurities relative to the specifications required for gas turbine feed streams. This is the eighteenth quarterly technical progress report for the UFP program, which is supported by U.S. DOE NETL (Contract No. DE-FC26-00FT40974) and GE. This report summarizes program accomplishments for the Phase II period starting July 01, 2005 and ending September 30, 2005. The report includes an introduction summarizing the UFP technology, main program tasks, and program objectives; it also provides a summary of program activities and accomplishments covering progress in tasks including process modeling, scale-up and economic analysis.« less

Process engineering and scale-up of autotrophic Clostridium strain P11 syngas fermentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kundiyana, Dimple Kumar Aiyanna

Scope and Method of Study. Biomass gasification followed by fermentation of syngas to ethanol is a potential process to produce bioenergy. The process is currently being researched under laboratory- and pilot-scale in an effort to optimize the process conditions and make the process feasible for commercial production of ethanol and other biofuels such as butanol and propanol. The broad research objectives for the research were to improve ethanol yields during syngas fermentation and to design a economical fermentation process. The research included four statistically designed experimental studies in serum bottles, bench-scale and pilot-scale fermentors to screen alternate fermentation media components, to determine the effect of process parameters such as pH, temperature and buffer on syngas fermentation, to determine the effect of key limiting nutrients of the acetyl-CoA pathway in a continuous series reactor design, and to scale-up the syngas fermentation in a 100-L pilot scale fermentor. Findings and Conclusions. The first experimental study identified cotton seed extract (CSE) as a feasible medium for Clostridium strain P11 fermentation. The study showed that CSE at 0.5 g L-1 can potentially replace all the standard Clostridium strain P11 fermentation media components while using a media buffer did not significantly improve the ethanol production when used in fermentation with CSE. Scale-up of the CSE fermentation in 2-L and 5-L stirred tank fermentors showed 25% increase in ethanol yield. The second experimental study showed that syngas fermentation at 32°C without buffer was associated with higher ethanol concentration and reduced lag time in switching to solventogenesis. Conducting fermentation at 40°C or by lowering incubation pH to 5.0 resulted in reduced cell growth and no production of ethanol or acetic acid. The third experiment studied the effect of three limiting nutrients, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B12 and CoCl2 on syngas fermentation. Results indicated that it is possible to modulate the product formation by limiting key nutrients of acetyl-CoA pathway and using a continuous fermentation in two-stage fermentor design to improve ethanol yields. The last experimental study was conducted to commission a pilot scale fermentor, and subsequently scale-up the Clostridium strain P11 fermentation from a bench-scale to a pilot scale 100-L fermentor. Results indicated a six-fold improvement in ethanol concentration (25.3 g L-1 at the end of 59 d) compared to previous Clostridium strain P11 and Clostridium carboxidivorans fermentations plus the formation of other compounds such as isopropyl alcohol, acetic acid and butanol, which are of commercial importance.

GAS/LIQUID MEMBRANES FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howard S. Meyer

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is conducting this research program whose objective is to develop gas/liquid membranes for natural gas upgrading to assist DOE in achieving their goal of developing novel methods of upgrading low quality natural gas to meet pipeline specifications. Kvaerner Process Systems (KPS) and W. L. Gore & Associates (GORE) gas/liquid membrane contactors are based on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes acting as the contacting barrier between the contaminated gas stream and the absorbing liquid. These resilient membranes provide much greater surface area for transfer than other tower internals, with packing densities five to ten times greater, resulting inmore » equipment 50-70% smaller and lower weight for the same treating service. The scope of the research program is to (1) build and install a laboratory- and a field-scale gas/liquid membrane absorber; (2) operate the units with a low quality natural gas feed stream for sufficient time to verify the simulation model of the contactors and to project membrane life in this severe service; and (3) conducted an economic evaluation, based on the data, to quantify the impact of the technology. Chevron, one of the major producers of natural gas, has offered to host the test at a gas treating plant. KPS will use their position as a recognized leader in the construction of commercial amine plants for building the unit along with GORE providing the membranes. GTI will provide operator and data collection support during lab- and field-testing to assure proper analytical procedures are used. KPS and GTI will perform the final economic evaluation. GTI will provide project management and be responsible for reporting and interactions with DOE on this project. Efforts this quarter have concentrated on legal agreements, including alternative field sites. Preliminary design of the bench-scale equipment continues.« less

GAS/LIQUID MEMBRANES FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howard S. Meyer

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is conducting this research program whose objective is to develop gas/liquid membranes for natural gas upgrading to assist DOE in achieving their goal of developing novel methods of upgrading low quality natural gas to meet pipeline specifications. Kvaerner Process Systems (KPS) and W. L. Gore & Associates (GORE) gas/liquid membrane contactors are based on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes acting as the contacting barrier between the contaminated gas stream and the absorbing liquid. These resilient membranes provide much greater surface area for transfer than other tower internals, with packing densities five to ten times greater, resulting inmore » equipment 50-70% smaller and lower weight for the same treating service. The scope of the research program is to (1) build and install a laboratory- and a field-scale gas/liquid membrane absorber; (2) operate the units with a low quality natural gas feed stream for sufficient time to verify the simulation model of the contactors and to project membrane life in this severe service; and (3) conducted an economic evaluation, based on the data, to quantify the impact of the technology. Chevron, one of the major producers of natural gas, has offered to host the test at a gas treating plant. KPS will use their position as a recognized leader in the construction of commercial amine plants for building the unit along with GORE providing the membranes. GTI will provide operator and data collection support during lab- and field-testing to assure proper analytical procedures are used. Kvaerner and GTI will perform the final economic evaluation. GTI will provide project management and be responsible for reporting and interactions with DOE on this project. Efforts this quarter have concentrated on legal agreements, including alternative field sites. Preliminary design of the bench-scale equipment continues.« less

GAS/LIQUID MEMBRANES FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howard S. Meyer

Efforts this quarter have concentrated on legal agreements, including alternative field sites. Preliminary design of the bench-scale equipment continues. Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is conducting this research program whose objective is to develop gas/liquid membranes for natural gas upgrading to assist DOE in achieving their goal of developing novel methods of upgrading low quality natural gas to meet pipeline specifications. Kvaerner Process Systems (KPS) and W. L. Gore & Associates (GORE) gas/liquid membrane contactors are based on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes acting as the contacting barrier between the contaminated gas stream and the absorbing liquid. These resilient membranes provide muchmore » greater surface area for transfer than other tower internals, with packing densities five to ten times greater, resulting in equipment 50--70% smaller and lower weight for the same treating service. The scope of the research program is to (1) build and install a laboratory- and a field-scale gas/liquid membrane absorber; (2) operate the units with a low quality natural gas feed stream for sufficient time to verify the simulation model of the contactors and to project membrane life in this severe service; and (3) conducted an economic evaluation, based on the data, to quantify the impact of the technology. Chevron, one of the major producers of natural gas, has offered to host the test at a gas treating plant. KPS will use their position as a recognized leader in the construction of commercial amine plants for building the unit along with GORE providing the membranes. GTI will provide operator and data collection support during lab- and field-testing to assure proper analytical procedures are used. Kvaerner and GTI will perform the final economic evaluation. GTI will provide project management and be responsible for reporting and interactions with DOE on this project.« less

Surfactant studies for bench-scale operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hickey, Gregory S.; Sharma, Pramod K.

1992-01-01

A phase 2 study was initiated to investigate surfactant-assisted coal liquefaction, with the objective of quantifying the enhancement in liquid yields and product quality. This publication covers the first quarter of work. The major accomplishments were: the refurbishment of the high-pressure, high-temperature reactor autoclave, the completion of four coal liquefaction runs with Pittsburgh #8 coal, two each with and without sodium lignosulfonate surfactant, and the development of an analysis scheme for the product liquid filtrate and filter cake. Initial results at low reactor temperatures show that the addition of the surfactant produces an improvement in conversion yields and an increase in lighter boiling point fractions for the filtrate.

Ozone oxidation of pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors and pesticides during drinking water treatment.

PubMed

Broséus, R; Vincent, S; Aboulfadl, K; Daneshvar, A; Sauvé, S; Barbeau, B; Prévost, M

2009-10-01

This study investigates the oxidation of pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting compounds and pesticides during ozonation applied in drinking water treatment. In the first step, second-order rate constants for the reactions of selected compounds with molecular ozone (k(O3)) were determined in bench-scale experiments at pH 8.10: caffeine (650+/-22M(-1)s(-1)), progesterone (601+/-9M(-1)s(-1)), medroxyprogesterone (558+/-9M(-1)s(-1)), norethindrone (2215+/-76M(-1)s(-1)) and levonorgestrel (1427+/-62M(-1)s(-1)). Compared to phenolic estrogens (estrone, 17beta-estradiol, estriol and 17alpha-ethinylestradiol), the selected progestogen endocrine disruptors reacted far slower with ozone. In the second part of the study, bench-scale experiments were conducted with surface waters spiked with 16 target compounds to assess their oxidative removal using ozone and determine if bench-scale results would accurately predict full-scale removal data. Overall, the data provided evidence that ozone is effective for removing trace organic contaminants from water with ozone doses typically applied in drinking water treatment. Ozonation removed over 80% of caffeine, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors within the CT value of about 2 mg min L(-1). As expected, pesticides were found to be the most recalcitrant compounds to oxidize. Caffeine can be used as an indicator compound to gauge the efficacy of ozone treatment.

Multi-Column Experimental Test Bed Using CaSDB MOF for Xe/Kr Separation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Welty, Amy Keil; Greenhalgh, Mitchell Randy; Garn, Troy Gerry

Processing of spent nuclear fuel produces off-gas from which several volatile radioactive components must be separated for further treatment or storage. As part of the Off-gas Sigma Team, parallel research at INL and PNNL has produced several promising sorbents for the selective capture of xenon and krypton from these off-gas streams. In order to design full-scale treatment systems, sorbents that are promising on a laboratory scale must be proven under process conditions to be considered for pilot and then full-scale use. To that end, a bench-scale multi-column system with capability to test multiple sorbents was designed and constructed at INL.more » This report details bench-scale testing of CaSDB MOF, produced at PNNL, and compares the results to those reported last year using INL engineered sorbents. Two multi-column tests were performed with the CaSDB MOF installed in the first column, followed with HZ-PAN installed in the second column. The CaSDB MOF column was placed in a Stirling cryocooler while the cryostat was employed for the HZ-PAN column. Test temperatures of 253 K and 191 K were selected for the first column while the second column was held at 191 K for both tests. Calibrated volume sample bombs were utilized for gas stream analyses. At the conclusion of each test, samples were collected from each column and analyzed for gas composition. While CaSDB MOF does appear to have good capacity for Xe, the short time to initial breakthrough would make design of a continuous adsorption/desorption cycle difficult, requiring either very large columns or a large number of smaller columns. Because of the tenacity with which Xe and Kr adhere to the material once adsorbed, this CaSDB MOF may be more suitable for use as a long-term storage solution. Further testing is recommended to determine if CaSDB MOF is suitable for this purpose.« less

Scale-up and process integration of sugar production by acidolysis of municipal solid waste/corn stover blends in ionic liquids.

PubMed

Li, Chenlin; Liang, Ling; Sun, Ning; Thompson, Vicki S; Xu, Feng; Narani, Akash; He, Qian; Tanjore, Deepti; Pray, Todd R; Simmons, Blake A; Singh, Seema

2017-01-01

Lignocellulosic biorefineries have tonnage and throughput requirements that must be met year round and there is no single feedstock available in any given region that is capable of meeting the price and availability demands of the biorefineries scheduled for deployment. Significant attention has been historically given to agriculturally derived feedstocks; however, a diverse range of wastes, including municipal solid wastes (MSW), also have the potential to serve as feedstocks for the production of advanced biofuels and have not been extensively studied. In addition, ionic liquid (IL) pretreatment with certain ILs is receiving great interest as a potential process that enables fractionation of a wide range of feedstocks. Acid catalysts have been used previously to hydrolyze polysaccharides into fermentable sugars following IL pretreatment, which could potentially provide a means of liberating fermentable sugars from lignocellulose without the use of costly enzymes. However, successful optimization and scale-up of the one-pot acid-assisted IL deconstruction for further commercialization involve challenges such as reactor compatibility, mixing at high solid loading, sugar recovery, and IL recycling, which have not been effectively resolved during the development stages at bench scale. Here, we present the successful scale-up demonstration of the acid-assisted IL deconstruction on feedstock blends of municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues (corn stover) by 30-fold, relative to the bench scale (6 vs 0.2 L), at 10% solid loading. By integrating IL pretreatment and acid hydrolysis with subsequent centrifugation and extraction, the sugar and lignin products can be further recovered efficiently. This scale-up development at Advanced Biofuels/Bioproducts Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) will leverage the opportunity and synergistic efforts toward developing a cost-effective IL-based deconstruction technology by drastically eliminating enzyme, reducing water usage, and simplifying the downstream sugar/lignin recovery and IL recycling. Results indicate that MSW blends are viable and valuable resource to consider when assessing biomass availability and affordability for lignocellulosic biorefineries. This scale-up evaluation demonstrates that the acid-assisted IL deconstruction technology can be effectively scaled up to larger operations and the current study established the baseline of scaling parameters for this process.

HANDBOOK ON ADVANCED NONPHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDATION PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this handbook is to summarize commercial-scale system performance and cost data for advanced nonphotochemical oxidation (ANPO) treatment of contaminated water, air, and soil. Similar information from pilot-and bench-scale evaluations of ANPO processes is also inclu...

Endotoxin Studies And Biosolids Stabilization Research

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation has three parts; a review of bench-scale endotoxin research, a review of observations from a field scale endotoxin release study, and discussion of biosolids stabilization and characterization by PLFA/FAME microbial community analysis. Endotoxins are part of th...

TREATMENT OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS USING PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS

EPA Science Inventory

Permeable reactive barriers are an emerging alternative to traditional pump and treat systems for groundwater remediation. This technique has progressed rapidly over the past decade from laboratory bench-scale studies to full-scale implementation. Laboratory studies indicate the ...

Behavior and structure of metal vapor arc plasma between molten electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanner, F. J.; Williamson, R. L.; Hareland, W. A.; Bertram, L. A.

A metal vapor arc is utilized in the industrially important vacuum arc remelting (VAR) process to produce materials by melting and resolidification which have improved structure and chemical homogeneity. Homogeneity is dependent on achieving quasi-steady conditions in the plasma because of its thermal and MHD coupling with the molten pool atop the ingot. Optimal operating conditions of low pressure (approx. = 0.01 torr) and short electrode gap (less than 15 mm) produce a diffuse arc and cathode spot behavior similar to that observed for the vacuum breaker arc. Under these conditions the arc provides a quasi-steady heat source that is considered to be the bench mark arc of the VAR process. Previous work has shown that deviation from the bench mark arc behavior can occur under production conditions, and is caused by electrode irregularities and liberation of gases such as CO from the molten pool. This study is an effort to characterize these behavioral deviations and discover operational conditions which stabilize the bench mark arc.

Evaluating energy efficient strategies and product quality for distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in dry-grind ethanol plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lan, Tian

The drying of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a coproduct of dry-grind corn processing to ethanol utilizes about 30% of the total energy required for the production of a liter of fuel ethanol. Therefore, improving DDGS drying energy efficiency could have significant impact on the economics of the dry-grind corn-to-ethanol process. Drying process improvements must take account into the effects of various drying strategies on the final quality of DDGS which is primarily utilized as a feed ingredient. Previous studies in the literature have shown that physical and chemical properties of DDGS vary according to the ratio of the two primarily feed streams, wet distillers grains (WDG) and condensed distillers solubles (CDS) which make up DDGS. Extensive research using plant-scale and bench-scale experiments have been conducted on the effect of process variables (ratios of WDG, CDS and DDGS add-back) during drying on the physical and chemical properties of DDGS. However, these investigations did not correlate the product characteristics data to drying efficiency. Additionally, it cannot be clearly determined from the literature on DDGS drying that processes used in the industry are optimized for both product quality and energy efficiency. A bench-scale rotary drum dryer heated by an electrically powered heat gun was used to investigate the effects of WDG, CDS and add-back ratios on both energy efficiency, drying performance and DDGS physical and chemical properties. A two stage drying process with the bench-scale rotary dryer was used to simulate the drying of DDGS using ICM (ICM, Inc., Colwich, KS) dry-grind process technology for DDGS drying which uses two rotary drum dryers in series. Effects of drying process variables, CDS content (0, 10, 20 and 40% by mass) and percent DDGS add-back (0, 20, 40 and 60% by mass) on energy performance and product quality were determined. Sixteen different drying strategies based on drying process variable ratios were tested and the response variables were measured which included energy performance (specific power consumption, energy efficiency, drying efficiency, drying rate), physical properties [particle size distribution (PSD), geometric mean particle size (dwg), bulk density, tapped bulk density, true density, color, compressibility index (CI), Hausner ratio (HR)], and chemical properties [acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), oil, crude protein, starch, ash, etc]. The results of the bench-scale study were also compared with data from a previous plant-scale DDGS production process investigation that used similar drying strategies. Results from the experiments indicated that among all 16 drying strategies, the 10% CDS content and 60% DDGS add-back strategy achieved the least specific power consumption (SPC) while the 40% CDS content and 20% DDGS add-back strategy had the highest SPC. The energy efficiency and drying efficiency of the bench-scale data in both drying stage I and drying stage II presented similar trends as process parameters changed. The highest energy and drying efficiencies were achieved in strategies with 10% CDS content while the lowest were in strategies with 40% CDS content. A comparison of the energy and drying efficiencies for the bench-scale strategies conducted in this study with those of similar plant-scale strategies from a previous study showed a similar trend in the data for drying stage 1, even though the actual numbers were quite different for the two experimental scales. On average, the energy and drying efficiencies for the bench-scale study was 40% less than the corresponding plant-scale strategy. CDS content had the most influence on the energy performance during DDGS drying, while percent DDGS add-back had more impact on the SPC given a constant CDS content level. By comparing both the physical properties, bulk density in particular which relates to logistics, and energy performance data, the drying strategy with 20% CDS and 60% add-back performed the best. Therefore, it is not surprising why this is the strategy used by ICM drying process technology for DDGS. The particle size (dwg) and particle size distribution (PSD) of DDGS varied with the drying strategies; by varying CDS content and percent DDGS add-back. It was determined that the percent DDGS add-back had no effect on either PSD or dgw. Under the same drying strategy, drying stage I always had a higher drying rate than stage II. Also, the drying curves under the same CDS content showed similar shapes. As CDS content increased, the color of DDGS became darker; both DDGS bulk density and tapped bulk density increased. In addition, CI and HR values decreased, ADF and NDF contents decreased and oil and ash contents increased with increased CDS content. Changes in percent DDGS add-back had a negligible effect on the DDGS chemical composition. Overall, the physical and chemical composition analysis of DDGS for both bench-scale and plant-scale studies followed similar trends.

Crash Testing of Helicopter Airframe Fittings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clarke, Charles W.; Townsend, William; Boitnott, Richard

2004-01-01

As part of the Rotary Wing Structures Technology Demonstration (RWSTD) program, a surrogate RAH-66 seat attachment fitting was dynamically tested to assess its response to transient, crash impact loads. The dynamic response of this composite material fitting was compared to the performance of an identical fitting subjected to quasi-static loads of similar magnitude. Static and dynamic tests were conducted of both smaller bench level and larger full-scale test articles. At the bench level, the seat fitting was supported in a steel fixture, and in the full-scale tests, the fitting was integrated into a surrogate RAH-66 forward fuselage. Based upon the lessons learned, an improved method to design, analyze, and test similar composite material fittings is proposed.

Glass Waste Forms for Oak Ridge Tank Wastes: Fiscal Year 1998 Report for Task Plan SR-16WT-31, Task B

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andrews, M.K.

1999-05-10

Using ORNL information on the characterization of the tank waste sludges, SRTC performed extensive bench-scale vitrification studies using simulants. Several glass systems were tested to ensure the optimum glass composition (based on the glass liquidus temperature, viscosity and durability) is determined. This optimum composition will balance waste loading, melt temperature, waste form performance and disposal requirements. By optimizing the glass composition, a cost savings can be realized during vitrification of the waste. The preferred glass formulation was selected from the bench-scale studies and recommended to ORNL for further testing with samples of actual OR waste tank sludges.

Textile wastewater treatment and reuse by solar catalysis: results from a pilot plant in Tunisia.

PubMed

Bousselmi, L; Geissen, S U; Schroeder, H

2004-01-01

Based on results from bench-scale flow-film-reactors (FFR) and aerated cascade photoreactors, a solar catalytic pilot plant has been built at the site of a textile factory. This plant has an illuminated surface area of 50 m2 and is designed for the treatment of 1 m3 h(-1) of wastewater. The preliminary results are presented and compared with a bench-scale FFR using textile wastewater and dichloroacetic acid. Equivalent degradation kinetics were obtained and it was demonstrated that the solar catalytic technology is able to remove recalcitrant compounds and color. However, on-site optimization is still necessary for wastewater reuse and for an economic application.

GAS/LIQUID MEMBRANES FOR NATURAL GAS UPGRADING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howard S. Meyer

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is conducting this research program whose objective is to develop gas/liquid membranes for natural gas upgrading to assist DOE in achieving their goal of developing novel methods of upgrading low quality natural gas to meet pipeline specifications. Kvaerner Process Systems (KPS) and W. L. Gore & Associates (GORE) gas/liquid membrane contactors are based on expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes acting as the contacting barrier between the contaminated gas stream and the absorbing liquid. These resilient membranes provide much greater surface area for transfer than other tower internals, with packing densities five to ten times greater, resulting inmore » equipment 50-70% smaller and lower weight for the same treating service. The scope of the research program is to (1) build and install a laboratory- and a field-scale gas/liquid membrane absorber; (2) operate the units with a low quality natural gas feed stream for sufficient time to verify the simulation model of the contactors and to project membrane life in this severe service; and (3) conducted an economic evaluation, based on the data, to quantify the impact of the technology. Chevron, one of the major producers of natural gas, has offered to host the test at a gas treating plant. KPS will use their position as a recognized leader in the construction of commercial amine plants for building the unit along with GORE providing the membranes. GTI will provide operator and data collection support during lab- and field-testing to assure proper analytical procedures are used. KPS and GTI will perform the final economic evaluation. GTI will provide project management and be responsible for reporting and interactions with DOE on this project. Efforts this quarter have concentrated on field site selection. ChevronTexaco has nominated their Headlee Gas Plant in Odessa, TX for a commercial-scale dehydration test. Potting and module materials testing were initiated. Preliminary design of the bench-scale equipment continues.« less

Development of a Pyramid Wave-front Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Hadi, Kacem; Vignaux, Mael; Fusco, Thierry

2013-12-01

Within the framework of the E-ELT studies, several laboratories are involved on some instruments: HARMONY with its ATLAS adaptive optics [AO] system, EAGLE or EPICS. Most of the AO systems will probably integrate one or several pyramidal wavefront sensors, PWFS (R. Ragazzoni [1]). The coupling in an AO loop and the control in laboratory (then on sky) of this type of sensor is fundamental for the continuation of the projects related to OA systems on the E-ELT. LAM (Laboratory of Astrophysics of Marseille) is involved in particular in the VLT-SPHERE, ATLAS, EPICS projects. For the last few years, our laboratory has been carrying out different R&D activities in AO instrumentation for ELTs. An experimental AO bench is designed and being developed to allow the validation of new wave-front sensing and control concepts [2]. One the objectives of this bench, is the experimental validation of a pyramid WFS. Theoretical investigations on its behavior have been already made. The world's fastest and most sensitive camera system (OCAM2) has been recently developed at LAM (J.L Gach [3], First Light Imaging). Conjugating this advantage with the pyramid concept, we plan to demonstrate a home made Pyramid sensor for Adaptive Optics whose the speed and the precision are the key points. As a joint collaboration with ONERA and Shaktiware, our work aims at the optimization (measurement process, calibration and operation) in laboratory then on the sky of a pyramid sensor dedicated to the first generation instruments for ELTs. The sensor will be implemented on the ONERA ODISSEE AO bench combining thus a pyramid and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors. What would give the possibility to compare strictly these two WFS types and make this bench unique in France and even in Europe. Experimental work on laboratory demonstration is undergoing. The status of our development will presented at the conference.

A comparison of large-scale electron beam and bench-scale 60Co irradiations of simulated aqueous waste streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurucz, Charles N.; Waite, Thomas D.; Otaño, Suzana E.; Cooper, William J.; Nickelsen, Michael G.

2002-11-01

The effectiveness of using high energy electron beam irradiation for the removal of toxic organic chemicals from water and wastewater has been demonstrated by commercial-scale experiments conducted at the Electron Beam Research Facility (EBRF) located in Miami, Florida and elsewhere. The EBRF treats various waste and water streams up to 450 l min -1 (120 gal min -1) with doses up to 8 kilogray (kGy). Many experiments have been conducted by injecting toxic organic compounds into various plant feed streams and measuring the concentrations of compound(s) before and after exposure to the electron beam at various doses. Extensive experimentation has also been performed by dissolving selected chemicals in 22,700 l (6000 gal) tank trucks of potable water to simulate contaminated groundwater, and pumping the resulting solutions through the electron beam. These large-scale experiments, although necessary to demonstrate the commercial viability of the process, require a great deal of time and effort. This paper compares the results of large-scale electron beam irradiations to those obtained from bench-scale irradiations using gamma rays generated by a 60Co source. Dose constants from exponential contaminant removal models are found to depend on the source of radiation and initial contaminant concentration. Possible reasons for observed differences such as a dose rate effect are discussed. Models for estimating electron beam dose constants from bench-scale gamma experiments are presented. Data used to compare the removal of organic compounds using gamma irradiation and electron beam irradiation are taken from the literature and a series of experiments designed to examine the effects of pH, the presence of turbidity, and initial concentration on the removal of various organic compounds (benzene, toluene, phenol, PCE, TCE and chloroform) from simulated groundwater.

Method, apparatus and system for managing queue operations of a test bench environment

DOEpatents

Ostler, Farrell Lynn

2016-07-19

Techniques and mechanisms for performing dequeue operations for agents of a test bench environment. In an embodiment, a first group of agents are each allocated a respective ripe reservation and a second set of agents are each allocated a respective unripe reservation. Over time, queue management logic allocates respective reservations to agents and variously changes one or more such reservations from unripe to ripe. In another embodiment, an order of servicing agents allocated unripe reservations is based on relative priorities of the unripe reservations with respect to one another. An order of servicing agents allocated ripe reservations is on a first come, first served basis.

Advanced direct coal liquefaction concepts. Quarterly report, January 1, 1994--March 31, 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berger, D.J.; Parker, R.J.; Simpson, P.L.

A detailed evaluation of the bench unit data on Black Thunder feedstocks was completed. The results show that in a once-through operation using counterflow, reactor technology coal conversions in excess of 90% could be obtained, giving distillable oil yields in the range 60--65 wt % on MAF coal. The remaining non-distillable oil fraction which represents 20--25 wt % on MAF coal is a source of additional distillable oil in further processing, for example, bottoms recycle operation. C{sub 1}-C{sub 3} gas yields were generally in the order of 6--8 wt %. In autoclave studies, Illinois No. 6 coal was found tomore » be much less reactive than Black Thunder coal, and did not respond well to solubilization with carbon monoxide/steam. Process severity was, therefore, increased for bench unit operations on Illinois No. 6 coal, and work has concentrated on the use of hydrogen rather than carbon monoxide for solubilization. Preliminary coking studies on the resid from bench unit runs on Black Thunder coal were also carried out. Distillable liquid yields of 55--60 wt % were obtained. The technical and economic study to be carried out by Kilborn Engineering Company has been initiated.« less

Removal of volatile organic compounds at extreme shock-loading using a scaled-up pilot rotating drum biofilter.

PubMed

Sawvel, Russell A; Kim, Byung; Alvarez, Pedro J J

2008-11-01

A pilot-scale rotating drum biofilter (RDB), which is a novel biofilter design that offers flexible flow-through configurations, was used to treat complex and variable volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, including shock loadings, emanating from paint drying operations at an Army ammunition plant. The RDB was seeded with municipal wastewater activated sludge. Removal efficiencies up to 86% and an elimination capacity of 5.3 g chemical oxygen demand (COD) m(-3) hr(-1) were achieved at a filter-medium contact time of 60 sec. Efficiency increased at higher temperatures that promote higher biological activity, and decreased at lower pH, which dropped down to pH 5.5 possibly as a result of carbon dioxide and volatile fatty acid production and ammonia consumption during VOC degradation. In comparison, other studies have shown that a bench-scale RDB could achieve a removal efficiency of 95% and elimination capacity of 331 g COD m(-3) hr(-1). Sustainable performance of the pilot-scale RDB was challenged by the intermittent nature of painting operations, which typically resulted in 3-day long shutdown periods when bacteria were not fed. This challenge was overcome by adding sucrose (2 g/L weekly) as an auxiliary substrate to sustain metabolic activity during shutdown periods.

An audit questionnaire that examines specifically the management of technical activities clauses in ISO 15189.

PubMed

Hartley, T F

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to design an audit questionnaire that focuses on the management of the technical activities in a Diagnostic Pathology Laboratory. The ISO 15189 Standard is written in such a way that it continually moves back and forth from topics where the auditor needs to question bench level staff, to topics where the auditor needs to question Technical Management Staff. This makes for a disjointed audit process - both Bench Staff and Technical Managers are repeatedly interrupted. The solution was to do a clause by clause analysis of the Standard and assign the major responsibility for the compliance to each clause to either Technical Managers or Bench Staff. The Clauses were then grouped under four topic headings regardless of whether they were a Section 4 or Section 5 Clause. Two questionnaires have emerged - the one described in this work and one directed primarily towards the activities of bench staff. There are 95 questions and it takes approximately two hours to complete.

PILOT SCALE REACTOR FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL DECHLORINATION OF MODEL CHLORINATED CONTAMINANTS

EPA Science Inventory

Electrochemical degradation (ECD) is a promising technology for in-situ remediation of diversely contaminated submarine matrices, by the application of low level DC electric fields. This study, prompted by successful bench-scale electrochemical dechlorination of Trichloroe...

An elegant Breadboard of the optical bench for eLISA/NGO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Arcio, Luigi; Bogenstahl, Johanna; Diekmann, Christian; Fitzsimons, Ewan D.; Heinzel, Gerhard; Hogenhuis, Harm; Killow, Christian J.; Lieser, Maike; Nikolov, Susanne; Perreur-Lloyd, Michael; Pijnenburg, Joep; Robertson, David I.; Taylor, Alasdair; Tröbs, Michael; Ward, Harry; Weise, Dennis

2017-11-01

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, as well as its reformulated European-only evolution, the New Gravitational-Wave Observatory, both employ heterodyne laser interferometry on million kilometer scale arm lengths in a triangular spacecraft formation, to observe gravitational waves at frequencies between 3 × 10-5 Hz and 1 Hz. The Optical Bench as central payload element realizes both the inter-spacecraft as well as local laser metrology with respect to inertial proof masses, and provides further functions, such as point-ahead accommodation, acquisition sensing, transmit beam conditioning, optical power monitoring, and laser redundancy switching. These functions have been combined in a detailed design of an Optical Bench Elegant Breadboard, which is currently under assembly and integration. We present an overview of the realization and current performances of the Optical Bench subsystems, which employ ultraprecise piezo mechanism, ultrastable assembly techniques, and shot noise limited RF detection to achieve translation and tilt metrology at Picometer and Nanoradian noise levels.

Study and design of cryogenic propellant acquisition systems. Volume 2: Supporting experimental program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burge, G. W.; Blackmon, J. B.

1973-01-01

Areas of cryogenic fuel systems were identified where critical experimental information was needed either to define a design criteria or to establish the feasibility of a design concept or a critical aspect of a particular design. Such data requirements fell into three broad categories: (1) basic surface tension screen characteristics; (2) screen acquisition device fabrication problems; and (3) screen surface tension device operational failure modes. To explore these problems and to establish design criteria where possible, extensive laboratory or bench test scale experiments were conducted. In general, these proved to be quite successful and, in many instances, the test results were directly used in the system design analyses and development. In some cases, particularly those relating to operational-type problems, areas requiring future research were identified, especially screen heat transfer and vibrational effects.

Detox{sup SM} wet oxidation system studies for engineering scale up

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robertson, D.T.; Moslander, J.E.; Zigmond, J.A.

1995-12-31

Catalyzed wet oxidation utilizing iron(III) has been shown to have promise for treating many hazardous and mixed wastes. The reaction occurs at the surface of contact between an aqueous iron(III) solution and organic material. Studies with liquid- and vapor-phase organic waste surrogates have established reaction kinetics and the limits of reaction rate based on organic concentration and iron(III) diffusion. Continuing engineering studies have concentrated on reaction vessel agitator and solids feed configurations, an improved bench scale reflux condenser and reflux condenser calculations, sparging of organic compounds from the process condensate water, filtration of solids from the process solution, and flammabilitymore » limits for volatile organic compounds in the headspace of the reaction vessel under the reaction conditions. Detailed engineering design and fabrication of a demonstration unit for treatment of mixed waste is in progress.« less

A handheld computer as part of a portable in vivo knee joint load monitoring system

PubMed Central

Szivek, JA; Nandakumar, VS; Geffre, CP; Townsend, CP

2009-01-01

In vivo measurement of loads and pressures acting on articular cartilage in the knee joint during various activities and rehabilitative therapies following focal defect repair will provide a means of designing activities that encourage faster and more complete healing of focal defects. It was the goal of this study to develop a totally portable monitoring system that could be used during various activities and allow continuous monitoring of forces acting on the knee. In order to make the monitoring system portable, a handheld computer with custom software, a USB powered miniature wireless receiver and a battery-powered coil were developed to replace a currently used computer, AC powered bench top receiver and power supply. A Dell handheld running Windows Mobile operating system(OS) programmed using Labview was used to collect strain measurements. Measurements collected by the handheld based system connected to the miniature wireless receiver were compared with the measurements collected by a hardwired system and a computer based system during bench top testing and in vivo testing. The newly developed handheld based system had a maximum accuracy of 99% when compared to the computer based system. PMID:19789715

SITE TECHNOLOGY CAPSULE: SONOTECH PULSE COMBUSTION SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

Sonotech has targeted waste incineration as a potential application for this technology. Based on bench-scale rotary-kiln simulator tests, Sonotech proposed a demonstration under the SITE program to evaluate the Sonotech pulse combustion system on a larger scale at EPA's IRF in J...

MERCURIC CHLORIDE CAPTURE BY ALKALINE SORBENTS

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of bench-scale mechanistic studies of mercury/sorbent reactions that showed that mercuric chloride (HgC12) is readily adsorbed by alkaline sorbents, which may offers a less expensive alternative to the use of activated carbons. A laboratory-scale, fixed-b...

Biofiltration of odors, toxics and volatile organic compounds from publicly owned treatment works

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Webster, T.S.; Devinny, J.S.; Torres, E.M.

1996-12-31

Increasing federal and state regulation has made it necessary to apply air pollution control measures at publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). Traditional control technologies may not be suitable for treating the low and variable contaminant concentrations often found in POTW off-gases. An alternative control technology, biofiltration, was studied. An experiment using bench- and pilot-scale reactors established optimal operating conditions for a full-scale conceptual design. The waste airstream contained ppmv levels of hydrogen sulfide and ppbv levels of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Granular activated carbon (GAC) and yard waste compost (YWG) were tested as possible biofilter media with and withoutmore » pH control. The 16-month field study bench reactors achieved 99% removal of hydrogen sulfide, 53 to 98% removal of aromatic hydrocarbons, 37 to 95% removal of aldehydes and ketones, and 0 to 85% removal of chlorinated compounds. The GAC and YWC pilot reactors removed more than 80% and 65% of the total VOCs at 17 second and 70 second empty bed retention times, respectively. The YWC reactors performed poorly at empty bed retention times of 30 and 45 seconds, removing less than 40% of total VOCs. Declining pH had little negative effect on contaminant removal, suggesting costly control measures may not be necessary. Biofiltration appears to be a feasible alternative to traditional control technologies in treating off-gases from POTWs. 13 refs., 3 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Pilot-scale studies on biological treatment of hypersaline wastewater at low temperature.

PubMed

Peng, Y Z; Zhu, G B; Wang, S Y; Yu, D S; Cui, Y W; Meng, X S

2005-01-01

In order to investigate the feasibility of biological treatment of hypersaline wastewater produced from toilet flushing with seawater at low temperature, pilot-scale studies were established with plug-flow activated sludge process at low temperature (5-9 degrees C) based on bench-scale experiments. The critical salinity concentration of 30 g/L, which resulted from the cooperation results of the non-halophilic bacteria and the halophilic bacteria, was drawn in bench-scale experiments. Pilot-scale studies showed that high COD removal efficiency, higher than 80%, was obtained at low temperature when 30 percent seawater was introduced. The salinity improved the settleability of activated sludge, and average sludge value dropped down from 38% to 22.5% after adding seawater. Seawater salinity had a strong negative effect on notronomonas and nitrobacter growth, but much more on the nitrobacter. The nitrification action was mainly accomplished by nitrosomonas. Bench-scale experiments using two SBRs were carried out for further investigation under different conditions of salinities, ammonia loadings and temperatures. Biological nitrogen removal via nitrite pathway from wastewater containing 30 percent seawater was achieved, but the ammonia removal efficiency was strongly related not only to the influent ammonia loading at different salinities but also to temperature. When the ratio of seawater to wastewater was 30 percent, and the ammonia loading was below the critical value of 0.15 kgNH4+-N/(kgMLSS.d), the ammonia removal efficiency via nitrite pathway was above 90%. The critical level of ammonia loading was 0.15, 0.08 and 0.03 kgNH4+-N/(kgMLSS.d) respectively at the different temperature 30 degrees C, 25 degrees C and 20 degrees C when the influent ammonia concentration was 60-80 mg/L and pH was 7.5-8.0.

Process Development for Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Algae Feedstocks in a Continuous-Flow Reactor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, Douglas C.; Hart, Todd R.; Schmidt, Andrew J.

Wet algae slurries can be converted into an upgradeable biocrude by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). High levels of carbon conversion to gravity-separable biocrude product were accomplished at relatively low temperature (350 °C) in a continuous-flow, pressurized (sub-critical liquid water) environment (20 MPa). As opposed to earlier work in batch reactors reported by others, direct oil recovery was achieved without the use of a solvent and biomass trace components were removed by processing steps so that they did not cause process difficulties. High conversions were obtained even with high slurry concentrations of up to 35 wt% of dry solids. Catalytic hydrotreating wasmore » effectively applied for hydrodeoxygenation, hydrodenitrogenation, and hydrodesulfurization of the biocrude to form liquid hydrocarbon fuel. Catalytic hydrothermal gasification was effectively applied for HTL byproduct water cleanup and fuel gas production from water soluble organics, allowing the water to be considered for recycle of nutrients to the algae growth ponds. As a result, high conversion of algae to liquid hydrocarbon and gas products was found with low levels of organic contamination in the byproduct water. All three process steps were accomplished in bench-scale, continuous-flow reactor systems such that design data for process scale-up was generated.« less

Steam-air blown bubbling fluidized bed biomass gasification (BFBBG): Multi-scale models and experimental validation

DOE PAGES

Bates, Richard B.; Ghoniem, Ahmed F.; Jablonski, Whitney S.; ...

2017-02-02

During fluidized bed biomass gasification, complex gas-solid mixing patterns and numerous chemical and physical phenomena make identification of optimal operating conditions challenging. In this work, a parametric experimental campaign was carried out alongside the development of a coupled reactor network model which successfully integrates the individually validated sub-models to predict steady-state reactor performance metrics and outputs. The experiments utilized an integrated gasification system consisting of an externally-heated, bench-scale, 4-in., 5 kWth, fluidized bed steam/air blown gasifier fed with woody biomass equipped with a molecular beam mass spectrometer to directly measure tar species. The operating temperature (750-850°C) and air/fuel equivalence ratiomore » (ER = 0-0.157) were independently varied to isolate their effects. Elevating temperature is shown to improve the char gasification rate and reduce tar concentrations. In conclusion, air strongly impacts the composition of tar, accelerating the conversion of lighter polycyclic-aromatic hydrocarbons into soot precursors, while also improving the overall carbon conversion.« less

Active transmission isolation/rotor loads measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenigsberg, I. J.; Defelice, J. J.

1973-01-01

Modifications were incorporated into a helicopter active transmission isolation system to provide the capability of utilizing the system as a rotor force measuring device. These included; (1) isolator redesign to improve operation and minimize friction, (2) installation of pressure transducers in each isolator, and (3) load cells in series with each torque restraint link. Full scale vibration tests performed during this study on a CH-53A helicopter airframe verified that these modifications do not degrade the systems wide band isolation characteristics. Bench tests performed on each isolator unit indicated that steady and transient loads can be measured to within 1 percent of applied load. Individual isolator vibratory load measurement accuracy was determined to be 4 percent. Load measurement accuracy was found to be independent of variations in all basic isolator operating characteristics. Full scale system load calibration tests on the CH-53A airframe established the feasibility of simultaneously providing wide band vibration isolation and accurate measurement of rotor loads. Principal rotor loads (lift, propulsive force, and torque) were measured to within 2 percent of applied load.

Dry syngas purification process for coal gas produced in oxy-fuel type integrated gasification combined cycle power generation with carbon dioxide capturing feature.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Makoto; Akiho, Hiroyuki

2017-12-01

Electricity production from coal fuel with minimizing efficiency penalty for the carbon dioxide abatement will bring us sustainable and compatible energy utilization. One of the promising options is oxy-fuel type Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (oxy-fuel IGCC) power generation that is estimated to achieve thermal efficiency of 44% at lower heating value (LHV) base and provide compressed carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) with concentration of 93 vol%. The proper operation of the plant is established by introducing dry syngas cleaning processes to control halide and sulfur compounds satisfying tolerate contaminants level of gas turbine. To realize the dry process, the bench scale test facility was planned to demonstrate the first-ever halide and sulfur removal with fixed bed reactor using actual syngas from O 2 -CO 2 blown gasifier for the oxy-fuel IGCC power generation. Design parameter for the test facility was required for the candidate sorbents for halide removal and sulfur removal. Breakthrough test was performed on two kinds of halide sorbents at accelerated condition and on honeycomb desulfurization sorbent at varied space velocity condition. The results for the both sorbents for halide and sulfur exhibited sufficient removal within the satisfactory short depth of sorbent bed, as well as superior bed conversion of the impurity removal reaction. These performance evaluation of the candidate sorbents of halide and sulfur removal provided rational and affordable design parameters for the bench scale test facility to demonstrate the dry syngas cleaning process for oxy-fuel IGCC system as the scaled up step of process development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stable partial nitritation for low-strength wastewater at low temperature in an aerobic granular reactor.

PubMed

Isanta, Eduardo; Reino, Clara; Carrera, Julián; Pérez, Julio

2015-09-01

Partial nitritation for a low-strength wastewater at low temperature was stably achieved in an aerobic granular reactor. A bench-scale granular sludge bioreactor was operated in continuous mode treating an influent of 70 mg N-NH4(+) L(-1) to mimic pretreated municipal nitrogenous wastewater and the temperature was progressively decreased from 30 to 12.5 °C. A suitable effluent nitrite to ammonium concentrations ratio to a subsequent anammox reactor was maintained stable during 300 days at 12.5 °C. The average applied nitrogen loading rate at 12.5 °C was 0.7 ± 0.3 g N L(-1) d(-1), with an effluent nitrate concentration of only 2.5 ± 0.7 mg N-NO3(-) L(-1). The biomass fraction of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in the granular sludge decreased from 19% to only 1% in 6 months of reactor operation at 12.5 °C. Nitrobacter spp. where found as the dominant NOB population, whereas Nitrospira spp. were not detected. Simulations indicated that: (i) NOB would only be effectively repressed when their oxygen half-saturation coefficient was higher than that of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria; and (ii) a lower specific growth rate of NOB was maintained at any point in the biofilm (even at 12.5 °C) due to the bulk ammonium concentration imposed through the control strategy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomass characteristics of two types of submerged membrane bioreactors for nitrogen removal from wastewater.

PubMed

Liang, Zhihua; Das, Atreyee; Beerman, Daniel; Hu, Zhiqiang

2010-06-01

Biomass characteristics and microbial community diversity between a submerged membrane bioreactor with mixed liquor recirculation (MLE/MBR) and a membrane bioreactor with the addition of integrated fixed biofilm medium (IFMBR) were compared for organic carbon and nitrogen removal from wastewater. The two bench-scale MBRs were continuously operated in parallel at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 24h and solids retention time (SRT) of 20d. Both MBRs demonstrated good COD removal efficiencies (>97.7%) at incremental inflow organic loading rates. The total nitrogen removal efficiencies were 67% for MLE/MBR and 41% for IFMBR. The recirculation of mixed liquor from aerobic zone to anoxic zone in the MLE/MBR resulted in higher microbial activities of heterotrophic (46.96mgO(2)/gVSSh) and autotrophic bacteria (30.37mgO(2)/gVSSh) in the MLE/MBR compared to those from IFMBR. Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analysis indicated that the higher nitrifying activities were correlated with more diversity of nitrifying bacterial populations in the MLE/MBR. Membrane fouling due to bacterial growth was evident in both the reactors. Even though the trans-membrane pressure and flux profiles of MLE/MBR and IFMBR were different, the patterns of total membrane resistance changes had no considerable difference under the same operating conditions. The results suggest that metabolic selection via alternating anoxic/aerobic processes has the potential of having higher bacterial activities and improved nutrient removal in MBR systems. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

WASHING STUDIES FOR PCP AND CREOSOTE-CONTAMINATED SOIL

EPA Science Inventory

The Environmental Protection Agency has conducted a series of bench-scale and pilot-scale studies to evaluate the feasibility of washing pentachlorophenol (PCP) and creosote from the soil at an abandoned wood-treatment Superfund site in Pensacola, FL. The high sand content and lo...

INTEGRATION OF PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION WITH AIR STRIPPING OF CONTAMINATED AQUIFERS

EPA Science Inventory

Bench scale laboratory studies and pilot scale studies in a simulated field-test situation were performed to evaluate the integration of gas-solid ultaviolet (UV) photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) downstream if an air stripper unit as a technology for cost-effectively treating water...

Rain Garden Research at EPA’s Urban Watershed Research Facility

EPA Science Inventory

Summary of the ongoing rain garden research at UWMB. The context for the study was described as well as the experimental design for the full-scale study, instrumentation, and stormwater collection system. Supporting bench scale research on hydraulic properties of media and soil...

Dynamics of the Genetic Diversity of Subsurface Microbial Communities and Their Applications to Contaminated Site Cleanups

EPA Science Inventory

When compared to traditional approaches, the utilization of molecular and genomic techniques to soil and groundwater cleanup investigations can reduce inherent parameter variability when conducting bench and pilot-scale investigations or carrying out full-scale field applications...

Removal of adenovirus, calicivirus, and bacteriophages by conventional drinking water treatment.

PubMed

Abbaszadegan, Morteza; Monteiro, Patricia; Nwachuku, Nena; Alum, Absar; Ryu, Hodon

2008-02-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the removal of adenovirus, feline calicivirus (FCV), and bacteriophages MS-2, fr, PRD-1, and Phi X-174 during conventional drinking water treatment using ferric chloride as a coagulant. Adenovirus and FCV were removed to a greater extent than PRD-1 and Phi X-174, indicating that these bacteriophages may be appropriate surrogates for both adenovirus and FCV. Of the four bacteriophages studied in the pilot plant, MS-2 was removed to the greatest extent (5.1 log), followed by fr (4.9 log), PRD-1 (3.5 log), and Phi X-174 (1.3 log). The virus removal trend in the pilot-scale testing was similar to the bench-scale testing; however, the bench-scale testing seemed to provide a conservative estimate of the pilot plant performance. In the pilot-scale testing, MS-2 and fr were removed with the greatest efficiency during filtration, whereas PRD-1 and Phi X-174 showed the greatest removal during sedimentation.

Effect of trace metals and sulfite oxidation of adipic acid degradation in FGD systems. Final report Dec 81-May 82

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jarvis, J.B.; Terry, J.C.; Schubert, S.A.

The report gives results of the measurement of the adipic acid degradation rate in a bench-scale flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system, designed to simulate many of the important aspects of full-scale FGD systems. Results show that the adipic acid degradation rate depends on the sulfite oxidation rate, the adipic acid concentration, the presence of manganese in solution, and temperature. The degradation rate is also affected by pH, but only when manganese is present. Adipic acid degradation products identified in the liquid phase include valeric, butyric, propionic, succinic, and glutaric acids. When manganese was present, the predominant degradation products were succinicmore » and glutaric acids. Analysis of solids from the bench scale tests shows large concentrations of coprecipitated adipic acid in low oxidation sulfite solids. By contrast, low quantities of coprecipitated adipic acid were found in high oxidation gypsum solids.« less

Surfactant studies for bench-scale operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hickey, Gregory S.; Sharma, Pramod K.

1993-01-01

A phase 2 study has been initiated to investigate surfactant-assisted coal liquefaction, with the objective of quantifying the enhancement in liquid yields and product quality. This report covers the second quarter of work. The major accomplishments were: completion of coal liquefaction autoclave reactor runs with Illinois number 6 coal at processing temperatures of 300, 325, and 350 C, and pressures of 1800 psig; analysis of the filter cake and the filtrate obtained from the treated slurry in each run; and correlation of the coal conversions and the liquid yield quality to the surfactant concentration. An increase in coal conversions and upgrading of the liquid product quality due to surfactant addition was observed for all runs.

High performance bilateral telerobot control.

PubMed

Kline-Schoder, Robert; Finger, William; Hogan, Neville

2002-01-01

Telerobotic systems are used when the environment that requires manipulation is not easily accessible to humans, as in space, remote, hazardous, or microscopic applications or to extend the capabilities of an operator by scaling motions and forces. The Creare control algorithm and software is an enabling technology that makes possible guaranteed stability and high performance for force-feedback telerobots. We have developed the necessary theory, structure, and software design required to implement high performance telerobot systems with time delay. This includes controllers for the master and slave manipulators, the manipulator servo levels, the communication link, and impedance shaping modules. We verified the performance using both bench top hardware as well as a commercial microsurgery system.

Optical Bench for LISA-like missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Guido

The detection of B-modes in the μ-Wave background has rattled the scientific community and further enhanced the large scientific interest in gravitational waves and gravitational wave astronomy. The first direct detection of gravitational waves by Advanced LIGO and maybe also by pulsar timing arrays in the second half of this decade will be another watershed event which will start a new era in astronomy and astrophysics. However, the holy grail of gravitational wave astronomy will be opened by a LISA-like mission. Only space provides the environment that allows to cover the signal-rich mHz frequency range where we expect to see gravitational waves from massive black hole mergers, compact galactic binaries, and many other sources. All mature concepts use laser interferometry between free falling test masses separated by millions of km. The central piece in all these concepts is a stable optical bench which is used to prepare and exchange the laser beams between the different arms. It has always been assumed that the base material for the optical bench has to be one of the ultra-low expansion glasses such as Zerodur or ULE to meet the pm/#Hz stability requirements. This very conservative approach was a reflection of the state-of-the-art in frequency stabilization experiments which used optical reference cavities in the early ‘90s. It is not surprising that the LISA pathfinder (LPF) uses also an all Zerodur bench where each optical component is precision bonded to the bench using hydroxide bonding, a nonreversible bonding technique. The manufacturing of this bench was a very time consuming one-mirror-a-day effort and was one of the highest risk items in terms of schedule and cost. The original LISA design uses the same approach except that the LISA bench is far more complex than the LPF bench and manufacturing of the required 10+ benches, six flight units and at least four pre-flight models and spares, will be even more time consuming and expensive. We question the need for ultra-low expansion glass for the optical bench. We will streamline the design of the bench and explore other materials and assembly techniques to significantly simplify the manufacturing process. Why are we confident that this is possible? One argument is that in early LISA designs the reference cavity was also part of the bench. This cavity drove the requirements to 30 fm/#Hz, a factor 30 more stringent compared to the current requirements. Since the cavity has now been removed from the bench, the requirements have been relaxed. A second argument is that we demonstrated pm/#Hz performance for a number of different materials and structures which are all candidate materials for the telescopes which also have to meet the same requirements over actually a larger distance. Our objective is to take a fresh look at the optical bench. We will redesign core parts of the interferometer bench with a focus on reducing the number and lengths of critical paths and moving non-critical parts away from the core part of the bench and sometimes even into optical fibers. We also propose to use different materials and assembly techniques for the optical bench and strongly believe that they will still meet the pm/#Hz requirement and will also be stable on long time scales. This confidence is based on nearly ten years of experience during which we investigated different materials and structures for the telescopes which we plan to apply now to the optical bench.

Anaerobic sludge digestion with a biocatalytic additive. [Lactobacillus acidophilus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghosh, S.; Henry, M.P.; Fedde, P.A.

1982-01-01

Aimed at improving the process operating characteristics of anaerobic digestion for sludge stabilization and SNG production, this study evaluates the effects of a lactobacillus additive under normal, variable, and overload conditions. This whey fermentation product of an acid-tolerant strain of L. acidophilus fortified with CoCO/sub 3/, (NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/HPO/sub 4/, ferrous lactate, and lactic acid provides growth factors, metabolic intermediates, and enzymes needed for substrate degradation and cellular synthesis. Data indicate that the biochemical additive increases methane yield, gas production rate, and volatile solids reduction; decreases volatile acids accumulation; enhances the digester buffer capacity; and improves the fertilizer value andmore » dewatering characteristics of the digested residue. Digester capacities could be potentially doubled when the feed is so treated. Results of field tests with six full-scale digesters confirm observations made with bench-scale digesters.« less

Attrition and carbon formation on iron catalysts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kohler, S.D.; Harrington, M.S.; Jackson, N.B.

1994-08-01

A serious engineering problem that needs to be addressed in the scale-up of slurry-phase, Fischer-Tropsch reactors is attrition of the precipitated iron catalyst. Attrition, which can break down the catalyst into particles too small to filter, results from both mechanical and chemical forces. This study examines the chemical causes of attrition in iron catalysts. A bench-scale, slurry-phase CSTR is used to simulate operating conditions that lead to attrition of the catalyst. The average particle size and size distribution of the catalyst samples are used to determine the effect of slurry temperature, reducing gas, gas flow rate and time upon attritionmore » of the catalyst. Carbon deposition, a possible contributing factor to attrition, has been examined using gravimetric analysis and TEM. Conditions affecting the rate of carbon deposition have been compared to those leading to attrition of the precipitated iron catalyst.« less

Testing of advanced liquefaction concepts in HTI Run ALC-1: Coal cleaning and recycle solvent treatment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robbins, G.A.; Winschel, R.A.; Burke, F.P.

In 1991, the Department of Energy initiated the Advanced Liquefaction Concepts Program to promote the development of new and emerging technology that has potential to reduce the cost of producing liquid fuels by direct coal liquefaction. Laboratory research performed by researchers at CAER, CONSOL, Sandia, and LDP Associates in Phase I is being developed further and tested at the bench scale at HTI. HTI Run ALC-1, conducted in the spring of 1996, was the first of four planned tests. In Run ALC-1, feed coal ash reduction (coal cleaning) by oil agglomeration, and recycle solvent quality improvement through dewaxing and hydrotreatmentmore » of the recycle distillate were evaluated. HTI`s bench liquefaction Run ALC-1 consisted of 25 days of operation. Major accomplishments were: 1) oil agglomeration reduced the ash content of Black Thunder Mine coal by 40%, from 5.5% to 3.3%; 2) excellent coal conversion of 98% was obtained with oil agglomerated coal, about 3% higher than the raw Black Thunder Mine coal, increasing the potential product yield by 2-3% on an MAF coal basis; 3) agglomerates were liquefied with no handling problems; 4) fresh catalyst make-up rate was decreased by 30%, with no apparent detrimental operating characteristics, both when agglomerates were fed and when raw coal was fed (with solvent dewaxing and hydrotreating); 5) recycle solvent treatment by dewaxing and hydrotreating was demonstrated, but steady-state operation was not achieved; and 6) there was some success in achieving extinction recycle of the heaviest liquid products. Performance data have not been finalized; they will be available for full evaluation in the new future.« less

Ultrafine particle emission characteristics of diesel engine by on-board and test bench measurement.

PubMed

Huang, Cheng; Lou, Diming; Hu, Zhiyuan; Tan, Piqiang; Yao, Di; Hu, Wei; Li, Peng; Ren, Jin; Chen, Changhong

2012-01-01

This study investigated the emission characteristics of ultrafine particles based on test bench and on-board measurements. The bench test results showed the ultrafine particle number concentration of the diesel engine to be in the range of (0.56-8.35) x 10(8) cm(-3). The on-board measurement results illustrated that the ultrafine particles were strongly correlated with changes in real-world driving cycles. The particle number concentration was down to 2.0 x 10(6) cm(-3) and 2.7 x 10(7) cm(-3) under decelerating and idling operations and as high as 5.0 x 10(8) cm(-3) under accelerating operation. It was also indicated that the particle number measured by the two methods increased with the growth of engine load at each engine speed in both cases. The particle number presented a "U" shaped distribution with changing speed at high engine load conditions, which implies that the particle number will reach its lowest level at medium engine speeds. The particle sizes of both measurements showed single mode distributions. The peak of particle size was located at about 50-80 nm in the accumulation mode particle range. Nucleation mode particles will significantly increase at low engine load operations like idling and decelerating caused by the high concentration of unburned organic compounds.

Thermochemical conversion of biomass in smouldering combustion across scales: The roles of heterogeneous kinetics, oxygen and transport phenomena.

PubMed

Huang, Xinyan; Rein, Guillermo

2016-05-01

The thermochemical conversion of biomass in smouldering combustion is investigated here by combining experiments and modeling at two scales: matter (1mg) and bench (100g) scales. Emphasis is put on the effect of oxygen (0-33vol.%) and oxidation reactions because these are poorly studied in the literature in comparison to pyrolysis. The results are obtained for peat as a representative biomass for which there is high-quality experimental data published previously. Three kinetic schemes are explored, including various steps of drying, pyrolysis and oxidation. The kinetic parameters are found using the Kissinger-Genetic Algorithm method, and then implemented in a one-dimensional model of heat and mass transfer. The predictions are validated with thermogravimetric and bench-scale experiments and then analyzed to unravel the role of heterogeneous reaction. This is the first time that the influence of oxygen on biomass smouldering is explained in terms of both chemistry and transport phenomena across scales. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Rapid growing clay coatings to reduce the fire threat of furniture.

PubMed

Kim, Yeon Seok; Li, Yu-Chin; Pitts, William M; Werrel, Martin; Davis, Rick D

2014-02-12

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly coatings reduce the flammability of textiles and polyurethane foam but require extensive repetitive processing steps to produce the desired coating thickness and nanoparticle fire retardant content that translates into a fire retardant coating. Reported here is a new hybrid bi-layer (BL) approach to fabricate fire retardant coatings on polyurethane foam. Utilizing hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction along with the pH adjustment, a fast growing coating with significant fire retardant clay content was achieved. This hybrid BL coating exhibits significant fire performance improvement in both bench scale and real scale tests. Cone calorimetry bench scale tests show a 42% and 71% reduction in peak and average heat release rates, respectively. Real scale furniture mockups constructed using the hybrid LbL coating reduced the peak and average heat release rates by 53% and 63%, respectively. This is the first time that the fire safety in a real scale test has been reported for any LbL technology. This hybrid LbL coating is the fastest approach to develop an effective fire retardant coating for polyurethane foam.

System for Measuring Flexing of a Large Spaceborne Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scharf, Daniel; Kuhnert, Andreas; Kovalik, Joseph; Hadaegh, Fred; Shaddock, Daniel

2008-01-01

An optoelectronic metrology system is used for determining the attitude and flexing of a large spaceborne radar antenna or similar structure. The measurements are needed for accurate pointing of the antenna and correction and control of the phase of the radar signal wavefront. The system includes a dual-field-of-view star tracker; a laser ranging unit (LRU) and a position-sensitive-detector (PSD)-based camera mounted on an optical bench; and fiducial targets at various locations on the structure. The fiducial targets are illuminated in sequence by laser light coupled via optical fibers. The LRU and the PSD provide measurements of the position of each fiducial target in a reference frame attached to the optical bench. During routine operation, the star tracker utilizes one field of view and functions conventionally to determine the orientation of the optical bench. During operation in a calibration mode, the star tracker also utilizes its second field of view, which includes stars that are imaged alongside some of the fiducial targets in the PSD; in this mode, the PSD measurements are traceable to star measurements.

Wall and corner fire tests on selected wood products

Treesearch

H. C. Tran; M. L. Janssens

1991-01-01

As part of a fire growth program to develop and validate a compartment fire model, several bench-scale and full-scale tests were conducted. This paper reports the full-scale wall and corner test results of step 2 of this study. A room fire test following the ASTM proposed standard specifications was used for these full-scale tests. In step 1, we investigated the...

Filtration of micron-sized particles for coal liquids: carbonaceous precoats. [5 refs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodgers, B.R.

Carbonaceous precoats, such as bituminous coal and char from hydrocarbonization, are shown to be effective, inexpensive substitutes for traditional diatomaceous earth materials, both at laboratory-scale and bench-scale. Model equations are developed for filtration of Solvent Refined Coal-Unfiltered Oil (SRC-UFO).

Biochemical Process Development and Integration | Bioenergy | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Process Development We develop and scale fermentation processes that produce fuels and chemicals from guide experimental designs. Our newly updated fermentation laboratory houses 38 bench-scale fermentors current projects cover the fermentation spectrum including anaerobic, micro-aerobic, aerobic, and gas-to

The ignitability of petrol vapours and potential for vapour phase explosion by use of TASER® law enforcement electronic control device.

PubMed

Clarke, C; Andrews, S P

2014-12-01

An experimental study was made of the potential of the TASER-X26™ law enforcement electronic control device to ignite petrol vapours if used by an officer to incapacitate a person soaked in petrol, or within a flammable atmosphere containing petrol vapour. Bench scale tests have shown that a wooden mannequin with pig skin covering the chest was a suitable representation of a human target. Full scale tests using the mannequin have shown that the arc from a TASER-X26™ is capable of igniting petrol/air vapours on a petrol-soaked person. Further tests in a 1/5 scale and a full scale compartment have shown that if a TASER is used within a compartment, a petrol vapour explosion (deflagration) may be achieved. It is evident from this research that if used in a flammable vapour rich environment, the device could prove fatal not only to the target but the TASER® operator as well. Copyright © 2014 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrical Energy Storage for Renewable Energy Systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helms, C. R.; Cho, K. J.; Ferraris, John

This program focused on development of the fundamental understanding necessary to significantly improve advanced battery and ultra-capacitor materials and systems to achieve significantly higher power and energy density on the one hand, and significantly lower cost on the other. This program spanned all the way from atomic-level theory, to new nanomaterials syntheses and characterization, to system modeling and bench-scale technology demonstration. This program not only delivered significant advancements in fundamental understanding and new materials and technology, it also showcased the power of the cross-functional, multi-disciplinary teams at UT Dallas and UT Tyler for such work. These teams are continuing thismore » work with other sources of funding from both industry and government.« less

A bench-scale study on the removal and recovery of phosphate by hydrous zirconia-coated magnetite nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhe; Fang, Wenkan; Xing, Mingchao; Wu, Deyi

2017-02-01

Owing to the easy magnetic separation from water for reuse, magnetic nanoparticles have drawn great interest as adsorbents. Herein hydrous zirconia-coated magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4@ZrO2) were created by a facile method and a bench-scale study was undertaken to evaluate its effectiveness and mechanism to remove phosphate at low concentrations. Results indicated that phosphate removal by Fe3O4@ZrO2 was fast (95% of phosphate removal within 10 min) and nearly complete removal could be achieved at the adsorbent dosage >0.6 g/L. In tap water or wastewater where competitive anions coexist, regulation of pH was found to be quite effective to augment the performance of phosphate removal. In pH-lowered adsorption systems, phosphate removal followed a good pattern similarly to pure water, i.e., a continuous high efficiency removal followed by a rapid saturation. Adsorption-desorption-regeneration studies showed that Fe3O4@ZrO2 could be repeatedly used for phosphate removal and adsorbed phosphate could be stripped for recovery. The fractionation of adsorbed phosphorus suggested that NaOH-P fraction was dominant. We also found that the adsorption reaction of phosphate with Fe3O4@ZrO2 shifted the isoelectric point of Fe3O4@ZrO2 from 9.0 to 3.0. FTIR measurements further showed the direct coordination of phosphate onto zirconium by replacement of hydroxyl groups. The formation of the monodentate (ZrO)PO2(OH) complex was proposed.

Effects of biodiesel on continuous regeneration DPF characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tao; Xie, Hui; Gao, Guoyou; Wang, Wei; Hui, Chun

2017-06-01

A critical requirement for the implementation of DPF on a modern engine is the determination of Break-even Temperature (BET) which is defined as the temperature at which particulate deposition on the filter is balanced by particulate oxidation on the filter. In order to study the influence of biodiesel on the Regenerating Characteristics of Continuously Regeneration DPF, Bench test were carried out to investigate the BET of a continuously regeneration DPF assembled with a diesel engine fueled with neat diesel and biodiesel. Test results show that at the same engine operation conditions the fuel consumption is higher for biodiesel case, and also the intake air quantity and boost pressure are lower; the BET for the Diesel fuel is about 310 ° while it is about 250 ° for the Biodiesel case. When the engine is at the low torque and low exhaust temperature operation condition, CO conversion rate is extremely low, NO2/NOX ratio is small; with the increase of torque and exhaust temperature, CO conversion and NO2/NOX ratio increased significantly, and the maximum NO2/NOX ratio (about 35%) has been measured at 350 °. In addition, the DPF has better filtration efficiency for biodiesel PM, and the use of biodiesel to engine assembled with DPF has significant benefits.

Full-Scale and Bench-Scale Studies on the Removal of Strontium from Water (abstract)

EPA Science Inventory

Strontium (Sr) is a natural and commonly occurring alkaline earth metal which has an oxidation state of +2 under normal environmental conditions. Stable strontium is suspended in water and is dissolved after water runs through rocks and soil. It behaves very similar to calcium. G...

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY: REMOVAL AND RECOVERY OF METAL IONS FROM GROUNDWATER

EPA Science Inventory

A series of bench-scale tests and an onsite pilot scale demonstration of Bio-Recovery Systems' AlgaSORB® technology for the removal and recovery of mercury-contaminated groundwaters were conducted under the SITE program. The AlgaSORB® process is based on the natural, very st...

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF MERCURY TRANSFORMATIONS IN PILOT-SCALE COMBUSTION SYSTEMS AND A BENCH-SCALE ENTRAINED FLOW REACTOR. (R827649)

EPA Science Inventory

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Assessment Of The Functionality Of A Pilot-Scale Reactor And Its Potential For Electrochemical Degradation Of Calmagite, A Sulfonated Azo-Dye

EPA Science Inventory

Electrochemical degradation (ECD) is a promising technology for in situ remediation of diversely contaminated environmental matrices by application of a low level electric potential gradient. This investigation, prompted by successful bench-scale ECD of trichloroethylene,...

FUEL-FLEXIBLE GASIFICATION-COMBUSTION TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF H2 AND SEQUESTRATION-READY CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George Rizeq; Janice West; Arnaldo Frydman

It is expected that in the 21st century the Nation will continue to rely on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and chemicals. It will be necessary to improve both the thermodynamic efficiency and environmental impact performance of fossil fuel utilization. General Electric Energy and Environmental Research Corporation (GE EER) has developed an innovative fuel-flexible Advanced Gasification-Combustion (AGC) concept to produce H{sub 2} and sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} from solid fuels. The AGC module offers potential for reduced cost and increased energy efficiency relative to conventional gasification and combustion systems. GE EER was awarded a Vision-21 program from U.S. DOE NETL tomore » develop the AGC technology. Work on this three-year program started on October 1, 2000. The project team includes GE EER, California Energy Commission, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and T. R. Miles, Technical Consultants, Inc. In the AGC technology, coal/opportunity fuels and air are simultaneously converted into separate streams of (1) pure hydrogen that can be utilized in fuel cells, (2) sequestration-ready CO{sub 2}, and (3) high temperature/pressure oxygen-depleted air to produce electricity in a gas turbine. The process produces near-zero emissions and, based on preliminary modeling work in the first quarter of this program, has an estimated process efficiency of approximately 67% based on electrical and H{sub 2} energy outputs relative to the higher heating value of coal. The three-year R&D program will determine the operating conditions that maximize separation of CO{sub 2} and pollutants from the vent gas, while simultaneously maximizing coal conversion efficiency and hydrogen production. The program integrates lab-, bench- and pilot-scale studies to demonstrate the AGC concept. This is the third quarterly technical progress report for the Vision-21 AGC program supported by U.S. DOE NETL (Contract: DE-FC26-00FT40974). This report summarizes program accomplishments for the period starting April 1, 2001 and ending June 30, 2001. The report includes an introduction summarizing the AGC concept, main program tasks, objectives of this program, and provides a summary of program activities covering program management and progress in first year tasks including lab- and bench-scale design, facilities preparation, and engineering studies.« less

Effect of loading on unintentional lifting velocity declines during single sets of repetitions to failure during upper and lower extremity muscle actions.

PubMed

Izquierdo, M; González-Badillo, J J; Häkkinen, K; Ibáñez, J; Kraemer, W J; Altadill, A; Eslava, J; Gorostiaga, E M

2006-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different loads on repetition speed during single sets of repetitions to failure in bench press and parallel squat. Thirty-six physical active men performed 1-repetition maximum in a bench press (1 RM (BP)) and half squat position (1 RM (HS)), and performed maximal power-output continuous repetition sets randomly every 10 days until failure with a submaximal load (60 %, 65 %, 70 %, and 75 % of 1RM, respectively) during bench press and parallel squat. Average velocity of each repetition was recorded by linking a rotary encoder to the end part of the bar. The values of 1 RM (BP) and 1 RM (HS) were 91 +/- 17 and 200 +/- 20 kg, respectively. The number of repetitions performed for a given percentage of 1RM was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in half squat than in bench press performance. Average repetition velocity decreased at a greater rate in bench press than in parallel squat. The significant reductions observed in the average repetition velocity (expressed as a percentage of the average velocity achieved during the initial repetition) were observed at higher percentage of the total number of repetitions performed in parallel squat (48 - 69 %) than in bench press (34 - 40 %) actions. The major finding in this study was that, for a given muscle action (bench press or parallel squat), the pattern of reduction in the relative average velocity achieved during each repetition and the relative number of repetitions performed was the same for all percentages of 1RM tested. However, relative average velocity decreased at a greater rate in bench press than in parallel squat performance. This would indicate that in bench press the significant reductions observed in the average repetition velocity occurred when the number of repetitions was over one third (34 %) of the total number of repetitions performed, whereas in parallel squat it was nearly one half (48 %). Conceptually, this would indicate that for a given exercise (bench press or squat) and percentage of maximal dynamic strength (1RM), the pattern of velocity decrease can be predicted over a set of repetitions, so that a minimum repetition threshold to ensure maximal speed performance is determined.

Michelle L. Reed | NREL

Science.gov Websites

liquid chromatography analysis Bench-scale methods Education B.S., Chemistry (Mathematics Minor), Adams ;Improved methods for the determination of drying conditions and fraction insoluble solids (FIS) in biomass

Commercial Ion Exchange Resin Vitrification in Borosilicate Glass

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cicero-Herman, C.A.; Workman, P.; Poole, K.

1998-05-01

Bench-scale studies were performed to determine the feasibility of vitrification treatment of six resins representative of those used in the commercial nuclear industry. Each resin was successfully immobilized using the same proprietary borosilicate glass formulation. Waste loadings varied from 38 to 70 g of resin/100 g of glass produced depending on the particular resin, with volume reductions of 28 percent to 68 percent. The bench-scale results were used to perform a melter demonstration with one of the resins at the Clemson Environmental Technologies Laboratory (CETL). The resin used was a weakly acidic meth acrylic cation exchange resin. The vitrification processmore » utilized represented a approximately 64 percent volume reduction. Glass characterization, radionuclide retention, offgas analyses, and system compatibility results will be discussed in this paper.« less

Benzene destruction in aqueous waste—I. Bench-scale gamma irradiation experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, William J.; Dougal, Roger A.; Nickelsen, Michael G.; Waite, Thomas D.; Kurucz, Charles N.; Lin, Kaijin; Bibler, Jane P.

1996-07-01

Destruction of the benzene component of a simulated low-level mixed aqueous waste stream by high energy irradiation was explored. This work was motivated by the fact that mixed waste, containing both radionuclides and regulated (non-radioactive) chemicals, is more difficult and more expensive to dispose of than only radioactive waste. After the benzene is destroyed, the waste can then be listed only as radiological waste instead of mixed waste, simplifying its disposal. This study quantifies the removal of benzene, and the formation and destruction of reaction products in a relatively complex waste stream matrix consisting of NO 3-, SO 42-, PO 43-, Fe 2+ and detergent at a pH of 3. All of the experiments were conducted at a bench scale using a 60Co gamma source.

Improving the performance of membrane bioreactors by powdered activated carbon dosing with cost considerations.

PubMed

Yang, W; Paetkau, M; Cicek, N

2010-01-01

Effects of powdered activated carbon (PAC) dosing on the overall performance of membrane bioreactors (MBR) were investigated in two bench-scale submerged MBRs. Positive impacts of PAC dosing on membrane fouling and the removal of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 17alpha-ethyinylestradiol (EE2) were demonstrated over a six-month stable operational period. PAC dosing in the MBR increased the removal rates of E2 and EE2 by 3.4% and 15.8%, respectively. The average soluble extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and colloidal total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in the PAC-MBR sludge was 60.1% and 61.8% lower than the control MBR sludge, respectively. Lower soluble EPS and colloidal TOC concentrations in the PAC-MBR sludge resulted in a slower rate of trans-membrane pressure (TMP) increase during MBRs operation, which could prolong the lifespan of membranes. Cost assessment showed that PAC dosing could reduce the operating cost for membrane cleaning and/or membrane replacement by about 25%. The operating cost for PAC dosing could be offset by the benefit from its reducing the cost for membrane maintenance.

Feasibility study of utilizing ultraportable projectors for endoscopic video display (with videos).

PubMed

Tang, Shou-Jiang; Fehring, Amanda; Mclemore, Mac; Griswold, Michael; Wang, Wanmei; Paine, Elizabeth R; Wu, Ruonan; To, Filip

2014-10-01

Modern endoscopy requires video display. Recent miniaturized, ultraportable projectors are affordable, durable, and offer quality image display. Explore feasibility of using ultraportable projectors in endoscopy. Prospective bench-top comparison; clinical feasibility study. Masked comparison study of images displayed via 2 Samsung ultraportable light-emitting diode projectors (pocket-sized SP-HO3; pico projector SP-P410M) and 1 Microvision Showwx-II Laser pico projector. BENCH-TOP FEASIBILITY STUDY: Prerecorded endoscopic video was streamed via computer. CLINICAL COMPARISON STUDY: Live high-definition endoscopy video was simultaneously displayed through each processor onto a standard liquid crystal display monitor and projected onto a portable, pull-down projection screen. Endoscopists, endoscopy nurses, and technicians rated video images; ratings were analyzed by linear mixed-effects regression models with random intercepts. All projectors were easy to set up, adjust, focus, and operate, with no real-time lapse for any. Bench-top study outcomes: Samsung pico preferred to Laser pico, overall rating 1.5 units higher (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7-2.4), P < .001; Samsung pocket preferred to Laser pico, 3.3 units higher (95% CI = 2.4-4.1), P < .001; Samsung pocket preferred to Samsung pico, 1.7 units higher (95% CI = 0.9-2.5), P < .001. The clinical comparison study confirmed the Samsung pocket projector as best, with a higher overall rating of 2.3 units (95% CI = 1.6-3.0), P < .001, than Samsung pico. Low brightness currently limits pico projector use in clinical endoscopy. The pocket projector, with higher brightness levels (170 lumens), is clinically useful. Continued improvements to ultraportable projectors will supply a needed niche in endoscopy through portability, reduced cost, and equal or better image quality. © The Author(s) 2013.

Creatine supplementation prevents acute strength loss induced by concurrent exercise.

PubMed

de Salles Painelli, Vítor; Alves, Victor Tavares; Ugrinowitsch, Carlos; Benatti, Fabiana Braga; Artioli, Guilherme Giannini; Lancha, Antonio Herbert; Gualano, Bruno; Roschel, Hamilton

2014-08-01

To investigate the effect of creatine (CR) supplementation on the acute interference induced by aerobic exercise on subsequent maximum dynamic strength (1RM) and strength endurance (SE, total number of repetitions) performance. Thirty-two recreationally strength-trained men were submitted to a graded exercise test to determine maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max: 41.56 ± 5.24 ml kg(-1) min(-1)), anaerobic threshold velocity (ATv: 8.3 ± 1.18 km h(-1)), and baseline performance (control) on the 1RM and SE (4 × 80 % 1RM to failure) tests. After the control tests, participants were randomly assigned to either a CR (20 g day(-1) for 7 days followed by 5 g day(-1) throughout the study) or a placebo (PL-dextrose) group, and then completed 4 experimental sessions, consisting of a 5-km run on a treadmill either continuously (90 % ATv) or intermittently (1:1 min at vVO2max) followed by either a leg- or bench-press SE/1RM test. CR was able to maintain the leg-press SE performance after the intermittent aerobic exercise when compared with C (p > 0.05). On the other hand, the PL group showed a significant decrease in leg-press SE (p ≤ 0.05). CR supplementation significantly increased bench-press SE after both aerobic exercise modes, while the bench-press SE was not affected by either mode of aerobic exercise in the PL group. Although small increases in 1RM were observed after either continuous (bench press and leg press) or intermittent (bench press) aerobic exercise in the CR group, they were within the range of variability of the measurement. The PL group only maintained their 1RM. In conclusion, the acute interference effect on strength performance observed in concurrent exercise may be counteracted by CR supplementation.

Development of circumferential seal for helicopter transmissions: Results of bench and flight tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strom, T. N.; Ludwig, L. P.

1975-01-01

A modified circumferential segmented ring seal was designed for direct replacement of a helicopter transmission elastomeric lip seal operating on a shaft diameter of 13.91 centimeters (5.481 in.) at sliding velocities to 52.48 m/sec (10 330 ft/min). The modifications involved the garter spring tension, shaft roundness, seal housing flatness, and pumping grooves to inhibit leakage. Operation of the seals in bench tests under simulated helicopter transmission conditions revealed that the seal leakage rate was within acceptable limits and that the wear rate was negligible. The low leakage and wear rates were confirmed in flight tests of 600 and 175 hours (sliding speed, 48.11 m/sec (9470 ft/min)). An additional 200 hours of air worthiness qualification testing (aircraft tie down) demonstrated that the seal can operate at the advanced sliding conditions of 52.48 m/sec (10 330 ft/min).

DEVELOPMENT, TESTING, AND DEMONSTRATION OF AN OPTIMAL FINE COAL CLEANING CIRCUIT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steven R. Hadley; R. Mike Mishra; Michael Placha

1999-01-27

The objective of this project was to improve the efficiency of the fine coal froth flotation circuit in commercial coal preparation plants. The plant selected for this project, Cyprus Emerald Coal Preparation Plant, cleans 1200-1400 tph of Pittsburgh seam raw coal and uses conventional flotation cells to clean the minus 100-mesh size fraction. The amount of coal in this size fraction is approximately 80 tph with an average ash content of 35%. The project was carried out in two phases. In Phase I, four advanced flotation cells, i.e., a Jameson cell, an Outokumpu HG tank cell, an open column, andmore » a packed column cell, were subjected to bench-scale testing and demonstration. In Phase II, two of these flotation cells, the Jameson cell and the packed column, were subjected to in-plant, proof-of-concept (POC) pilot plant testing both individually and in two-stage combination in order to ascertain whether a two-stage circuit results in lower levelized production costs. The bench-scale results indicated that the Jameson cell and packed column cell would be amenable to the single- and two-stage flotation approach. POC tests using these cells determined that single-stage coal matter recovery (CMR) of 85% was possible with a product ash content of 5.5-7%. Two-stage operation resulted in a coal recovery of 90% with a clean coal ash content of 6-7.5%. This compares favorably with the plant flotation circuit recovery of 80% at a clean coal ash of 11%.« less

Emission control system for nitrogen oxides using enhanced oxidation, scrubbing, and biofiltration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martinez, A.; Cabezas, J.

2009-05-15

Nitric oxide (NO) constitutes about 90% of the nitrogen oxide (NOx) species in the flue gases emitted from combustion processes, but NO is difficult to remove in existing scrubbers due to its low solubility. NO may be oxidized with hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) into soluble species that can be partially removed in wet scrubbers simultaneously with sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) and biofilters located downstream of the scrubber can increase the removal efficiency. This article presents the results of a bench-scale evaluation of such an integrated system combining enhanced oxidation, scrubbing, and biofiltration. Main components of the bench-scale system consistedmore » of a quartz tube in a furnace to simulate the NO oxidation stage and two vertical packed bed cylinders constituting the scrubber and the biofilter. Inlet synthetic gas had a concentration of 50 mu L/L of NO. Overall removal efficiency by the integrated system was in the range of 53% to 93% with an average of 79%, absorption accounted for 43% and biofiltration for 36% of the total removal. Key parameters in the operation of the system are the H{sub 2}O{sub 2}:NO mole ratio, the reaction temperature, the liquid to gas flow ratio, and the biofilter residence time. Experimental results suggest a path for optimization of the technology focusing simultaneously in minimizing H{sub 2}O{sub 2} use in the enhanced oxidation stage, reducing water consumption in the scrubber stage and balancing the residence times in the three stages of the integrated system.« less

Bench-Scale Monolith Autothermal Reformer Catalyst Screening Evaluations in a Micro-Reactor With Jet-A Fuel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tomsik, Thomas M.; Yen, Judy C.H.; Budge, John R.

2006-01-01

Solid oxide fuel cell systems used in the aerospace or commercial aviation environment require a compact, light-weight and highly durable catalytic fuel processor. The fuel processing method considered here is an autothermal reforming (ATR) step. The ATR converts Jet-A fuel by a reaction with steam and air forming hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) to be used for production of electrical power in the fuel cell. This paper addresses the first phase of an experimental catalyst screening study, looking at the relative effectiveness of several monolith catalyst types when operating with untreated Jet-A fuel. Six monolith catalyst materials were selected for preliminary evaluation and experimental bench-scale screening in a small 0.05 kWe micro-reactor test apparatus. These tests were conducted to assess relative catalyst performance under atmospheric pressure ATR conditions and processing Jet-A fuel at a steam-to-carbon ratio of 3.5, a value higher than anticipated to be run in an optimized system. The average reformer efficiencies for the six catalysts tested ranged from 75 to 83 percent at a constant gas-hourly space velocity of 12,000 hr 1. The corresponding hydrocarbon conversion efficiency varied from 86 to 95 percent during experiments run at reaction temperatures between 750 to 830 C. Based on the results of the short-duration 100 hr tests reported herein, two of the highest performing catalysts were selected for further evaluation in a follow-on 1000 hr life durability study in Phase II.

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES TO ACHIEVE VOC (VOLATILE ORGANIC CHEMICALS) REMOVAL TO SAFE LEVELS

EPA Science Inventory

In the VOC regulations both Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and Packed Tower Aeration (PTA) have been designated as Best Available Treatment. DWRD has performed a great deal of research both at the bench, pilot and field scale on the use of GAC and pilot and field scale research ...

SITE EMERGING TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY: INTEGRATION OF PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION WITH AIR STRIPPING OF CONTAMINATED AQUIFERS

EPA Science Inventory

In a recently completed test program, bench-scale laboratory studies at Arizona State University (ASU) in Tempe, AZ, and pilot-scale studies in a simulated field test situation at Zentox Corp in Ocala, FL, were performed to evaluate the integration of gas-solid ultraviolet (UV) p...

Comparison between Synthesized Lead Particles and Lead Solids Formed on Surfaces in Real Drinking Water Distribution Systems

EPA Science Inventory

The objective of this work is to compare the properties of lead solids formed during bench-scale precipitation experiments to solids found on lead pipe removed from real drinking water distribution systems and metal coupons used in pilot scale corrosion testing. Specifically, so...

Lightweight, high-opacity paper : process costs and energy use reduction

Treesearch

John H. Klungness; Fabienne Pianta; Mathew L. Stroika; Marguerite Sykes; Freya Tan; Said AbuBakr

1999-01-01

Fiber loading is an environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and economical method for depositing precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) partly within pulp fibers. Fiber loading can easily be done within the existing pulp processing system. This paper is a review of the process development from bench-scale to industrial-scale demonstrations, with additional...

Bench-Scale and Pilot-Scale Treatment Technologies for the Removal of Total Dissolved Solids from Coal Mine Water: A Review

EPA Science Inventory

Coal mine water (CMW) is typically treated to remove suspended solids, acidity, and soluble metals, but high concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) have been reported to impact the environment at several CMW discharge points. Consequently, various states have establishe...

SORPTION OF MERCURY SPECIES BY ACTIVATED CARBONS AND CALCIUM-BASES SORBENTS: EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE, MERCURY CONCENTRATION AND ACID GASES

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale studies of mercury/sorbent reactions were conducted to understand mechanistic limitations of field-scale attempts to reduce emissions of mercury from combustion processes. The effects of temperature (60 - 140 degrees C), sulfur dioxide (SO2, 1000 ppm ), hydrogen chlor...

Control of air emissions from POTWs using biofiltration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Webster, T.S.; Devinny, J.S.; Torres, E.M.

1995-12-31

The University of Southern California (USC), in collaboration with the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County (CSDOC), the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), Southern California Edison (SCE), the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), and Huntingdon Environmental Engineering, Inc. (HEEI), is conducting a research project to evaluate the application of biofiltration to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), odor-causing air pollutants, and toxics from a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) waste airstream. As part of this project, bench-scale and pilot-scale experiments are being conducted to test the effectiveness of biofiltration and determine the optimum parameters for applying biofiltration to POTWs.more » Results from the bench-scale experiments demonstrate that biofiltration is effective in reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) and total VOCs present in waste airstreams by over 99% and up to 90%, respectively. Average reduction of specific aromatic and carbonyl compounds ranged from 55% to 91%. Removal efficiencies for chlorinated hydrocarbons were variable, ranging from 6% to 88%. Overall, biofiltration appears to be a promising technology for full-scale implementation at POTWs for VOC and odor emission compliance.« less

Open fermentative production of fuel ethanol from food waste by an acid-tolerant mutant strain of Zymomonas mobilis.

PubMed

Ma, Kedong; Ruan, Zhiyong; Shui, Zongxia; Wang, Yanwei; Hu, Guoquan; He, Mingxiong

2016-03-01

The aim of present study was to develop a process for open ethanol fermentation from food waste using an acid-tolerant mutant of Zymomonas mobilis (ZMA7-2). The mutant showed strong tolerance to acid condition of food waste hydrolysate and high ethanol production performance. By optimizing fermentation parameters, ethanol fermentation with initial glucose concentration of 200 g/L, pH value around 4.0, inoculum size of 10% and without nutrient addition was considered as best conditions. Moreover, the potential of bench scales fermentation and cell reusability was also examined. The fermentation in bench scales (44 h) was faster than flask scale (48 h), and the maximum ethanol concentration and ethanol yield (99.78 g/L, 0.50 g/g) higher than that of flask scale (98.31 g/L, 0.49 g/g). In addition, the stable cell growth and ethanol production profile in five cycles successive fermentation was observed, indicating the mutant was suitable for industrial ethanol production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen sulfide removal from air by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans in a trickle bed reactor.

PubMed

Ramirez, M; Gómez, J M; Cantero, D; Páca, J; Halecký, M; Kozliak, E I; Sobotka, M

2009-09-01

A strain of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans immobilized in polyurethane foam was utilized for H(2)S removal in a bench-scale trickle-bed reactor, testing the limits of acidity and SO(4) (2-) accumulation. The use of this acidophilic strain resulted in remarkable stability in the performance of the system. The reactor maintained a >98-99 % H(2)S removal efficiency for c of up to 66 ppmv and empty bed residence time 98 % H(2)S was achieved under steady-state conditions, over the pH range of 0.44-7.30. Despite the accumulation of acidity and SO(4) (2-) (up to 97 g/L), the system operated without inhibition.

Nitric Oxide Reduction over Sewage Sludge and Coal Chars at Conditions Relevant to Staged Fluidized Bed Combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salatino, P.; Solimene, R.; Chirone, R.

The de-NOx potential of coal and of dried and pelletized sewage sludge, a waste-derived fuel candidate for cofiring with coal, is assessed. The experimental procedure is based on operation of a bench scale fluidized bed reactor where NO-doped nitrogen is contacted with batches of the fuel. A second type of experiment has been purposely designed to assess the loss of reactivity of chars toward gasification by NOx as char is heat-treated for pre-set times at temperatures typical of fluidized bed combustion. A simple phenomenological model is developed to shed light on the basic features of the interaction between heterogeneous char-NOx reaction and thermal annealing of the char.

Alternative Fuels Research Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Surgenor, Angela D.; Klettlinger, Jennifer L.; Nakley, Leah M.; Yen, Chia H.

2012-01-01

NASA Glenn has invested over $1.5 million in engineering, and infrastructure upgrades to renovate an existing test facility at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), which is now being used as an Alternative Fuels Laboratory. Facility systems have demonstrated reliability and consistency for continuous and safe operations in Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis and thermal stability testing. This effort is supported by the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Subsonic Fixed Wing project. The purpose of this test facility is to conduct bench scale F-T catalyst screening experiments. These experiments require the use of a synthesis gas feedstock, which will enable the investigation of F-T reaction kinetics, product yields and hydrocarbon distributions. Currently the facility has the capability of performing three simultaneous reactor screening tests, along with a fourth fixed-bed reactor for catalyst activation studies. Product gas composition and performance data can be continuously obtained with an automated gas sampling system, which directly connects the reactors to a micro-gas chromatograph (micro GC). Liquid and molten product samples are collected intermittently and are analyzed by injecting as a diluted sample into designated gas chromatograph units. The test facility also has the capability of performing thermal stability experiments of alternative aviation fuels with the use of a Hot Liquid Process Simulator (HLPS) (Ref. 1) in accordance to ASTM D 3241 "Thermal Oxidation Stability of Aviation Fuels" (JFTOT method) (Ref. 2). An Ellipsometer will be used to study fuel fouling thicknesses on heated tubes from the HLPS experiments. A detailed overview of the test facility systems and capabilities are described in this paper.

Uncertainty Quantification Analysis of Both Experimental and CFD Simulation Data of a Bench-scale Fluidized Bed Gasifier

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shahnam, Mehrdad; Gel, Aytekin; Subramaniyan, Arun K.

Adequate assessment of the uncertainties in modeling and simulation is becoming an integral part of the simulation based engineering design. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the application of non-intrusive Bayesian uncertainty quantification (UQ) methodology in multiphase (gas-solid) flows with experimental and simulation data, as part of our research efforts to determine the most suited approach for UQ of a bench scale fluidized bed gasifier. UQ analysis was first performed on the available experimental data. Global sensitivity analysis performed as part of the UQ analysis shows that among the three operating factors, steam to oxygen ratio has themore » most influence on syngas composition in the bench-scale gasifier experiments. An analysis for forward propagation of uncertainties was performed and results show that an increase in steam to oxygen ratio leads to an increase in H2 mole fraction and a decrease in CO mole fraction. These findings are in agreement with the ANOVA analysis performed in the reference experimental study. Another contribution in addition to the UQ analysis is the optimization-based approach to guide to identify next best set of additional experimental samples, should the possibility arise for additional experiments. Hence, the surrogate models constructed as part of the UQ analysis is employed to improve the information gain and make incremental recommendation, should the possibility to add more experiments arise. In the second step, series of simulations were carried out with the open-source computational fluid dynamics software MFiX to reproduce the experimental conditions, where three operating factors, i.e., coal flow rate, coal particle diameter, and steam-to-oxygen ratio, were systematically varied to understand their effect on the syngas composition. Bayesian UQ analysis was performed on the numerical results. As part of Bayesian UQ analysis, a global sensitivity analysis was performed based on the simulation results, which shows that the predicted syngas composition is strongly affected not only by the steam-to-oxygen ratio (which was observed in experiments as well) but also by variation in the coal flow rate and particle diameter (which was not observed in experiments). The carbon monoxide mole fraction is underpredicted at lower steam-to-oxygen ratios and overpredicted at higher steam-to-oxygen ratios. The opposite trend is observed for the carbon dioxide mole fraction. These discrepancies are attributed to either excessive segregation of the phases that leads to the fuel-rich or -lean regions or alternatively the selection of reaction models, where different reaction models and kinetics can lead to different syngas compositions throughout the gasifier. To improve quality of numerical models used, the effect that uncertainties in reaction models for gasification, char oxidation, carbon monoxide oxidation, and water gas shift will have on the syngas composition at different grid resolution, along with bed temperature were investigated. The global sensitivity analysis showed that among various reaction models employed for water gas shift, gasification, char oxidation, the choice of reaction model for water gas shift has the greatest influence on syngas composition, with gasification reaction model being second. Syngas composition also shows a small sensitivity to temperature of the bed. The hydrodynamic behavior of the bed did not change beyond grid spacing of 18 times the particle diameter. However, the syngas concentration continued to be affected by the grid resolution as low as 9 times the particle diameter. This is due to a better resolution of the phasic interface between the gases and solid that leads to stronger heterogeneous reactions. This report is a compilation of three manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals for the series of studies mentioned above.« less

CAPSULE REPORT: AQUEOUS MERCURY TREATMENT

EPA Science Inventory

This report describes established technologies and identifies evolving methods for treating aqueous mercury. The information provided encompasses full-, pilot- and bench-scale treatment results as presented in the technical literature. The report describes alternative technologi...

GREENSCOPE Technical User’s Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

GREENSCOPE’s methodology has been developed and its software tool designed such that it can be applied to an entire process, to a piece of equipment or process unit, or at the investigatory bench scale.

Measurement of the initial phase of ozone decomposition in water and wastewater by means of a continuous quench-flow system: application to disinfection and pharmaceutical oxidation.

PubMed

Buffle, Marc-Olivier; Schumacher, Jochen; Salhi, Elisabeth; Jekel, Martin; von Gunten, Urs

2006-05-01

Due to a lack of adequate experimental techniques, the kinetics of the first 20s of ozone decomposition in natural water and wastewater is still poorly understood. Introducing a continuous quench-flow system (CQFS), measurements starting 350 ms after ozone addition are presented for the first time. Very high HO. to O3 exposures ratios (Rct=integralHO.dt/integralO3dt) reveal that the first 20s of ozonation present oxidation conditions that are similar to ozone-based advanced oxidation processes (AOP). The oxidation of carbamazepine could be accurately modeled using O3 and HO. exposures measured with CQFS during wastewater ozonation. These results demonstrate the applicability of bench scale determined second-order rate constants for wastewater ozonation. Important degrees of pharmaceutical oxidation and microbial inactivation are predicted, indicating that a significant oxidation potential is available during wastewater ozonation, even when ozone is entirely decomposed in the first 20s.

Letter report on PCT/Monolith glass ceramic corrosion tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crawford, Charles L.

2015-09-24

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is collaborating with personnel from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to study advanced waste form glass ceramics for immobilization of waste from Used Nuclear Fuel (UNF) separations processes. The glass ceramic waste forms take advantage of both crystalline and glassy phases where ‘troublesome’ elements (e.g., low solubility in glass or very long-lived) partition to highly durable ceramic phases with the remainder of elements residing in the glassy phase. The ceramic phases are tailored to create certain minerals or unique crystalline structures that can host the radionuclides by binding them in their specific crystalline networkmore » while not adversely impacting the residual glass network (Crum et al., 2011). Glass ceramics have been demonstrated using a scaled melter test performed in a pilot scale (1/4 scale) cold crucible induction melter (CCIM) (Crum et al., 2014; Maio et al., 2015). This report summarizes recent results from both Phase I and Phase II bench scale tests involving crucible fabrication and corrosion testing of glass ceramics using the Product Consistency Test (PCT). Preliminary results from both Phase I and Phase II bench scale tests involving statistically designed matrices have previously been reported (Crawford, 2013; Crawford, 2014).« less

Simplified behaviors from increased heterogeneity: II. 3-D uranium transport at the decimeter scale and intertank comparisons.

PubMed

Miller, Andrew W; Rodriguez, Derrick R; Honeyman, Bruce D

2013-05-01

Upscaling from bench scale systems to field scale systems incorporates physical and chemical heterogeneities from atomistic up to field scales. Heterogeneities of intermediate scale (~10(-1) m) are impossible to incorporate in a bench scale experiment. To transcend these scale discrepancies, this second in a pair of papers presents results from an intermediate scale, 3-D tank experiment completed using five different particle sizes of uranium contaminated sediment from a former uranium mill field site. The external dimensions of the tank were 2.44 m×0.61 m×0.61 m (L×H×W). The five particle sizes were packed in a heterogeneous manner using roughly 11 cm cubes. Small groundwater wells were installed for spatial characterization of chemical gradients and flow parameters. An approximately six month long bromide tracer test was used for flow field characterization. Within the flow domain, local uranium breakthrough curves exhibited a wide range of behaviors. However, the global effluent breakthrough curve was smooth, and not unlike breakthrough curves observed in column scale experiments. This paper concludes with an inter-tank comparison of all three experimental systems presented in this pair of papers. Although there is a wide range of chemical and physical variability between the three tanks, major chemical constituent behaviors are often quite similar or even identical. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enhanced Combustion Low NOx Pulverized Coal Burner

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David Towle; Richard Donais; Todd Hellewell

2007-06-30

For more than two decades, Alstom Power Inc. (Alstom) has developed a range of low cost, infurnace technologies for NOx emissions control for the domestic U.S. pulverized coal fired boiler market. This includes Alstom's internally developed TFS 2000{trademark} firing system, and various enhancements to it developed in concert with the U.S. Department of Energy. As of the date of this report, more than 270 units representing approximately 80,000 MWe of domestic coal fired capacity have been retrofit with Alstom low NOx technology. Best of class emissions range from 0.18 lb/MMBtu for bituminous coal to 0.10 lb/MMBtu for subbituminous coal, withmore » typical levels at 0.24 lb/MMBtu and 0.13 lb/MMBtu, respectively. Despite these gains, NOx emissions limits in the U.S. continue to ratchet down for new and existing boiler equipment. On March 10, 2005, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). CAIR requires 25 Eastern states to reduce NOx emissions from the power generation sector by 1.7 million tons in 2009 and 2.0 million tons by 2015. Low cost solutions to meet such regulations, and in particular those that can avoid the need for a costly selective catalytic reduction system (SCR), provide a strong incentive to continue to improve low NOx firing system technology to meet current and anticipated NOx control regulations. The overall objective of the work is to develop an enhanced combustion, low NOx pulverized coal burner, which, when integrated with Alstom's state-of-the-art, globally air staged low NOx firing systems will provide a means to achieve: Less than 0.15 lb/MMBtu NOx emissions when firing a high volatile Eastern or Western bituminous coal, Less than 0.10 lb/MMBtu NOx emissions when firing a subbituminous coal, NOx reduction costs at least 25% lower than the costs of an SCR, Validation of the NOx control technology developed through large (15 MWt) pilot scale demonstration, and Documentation required for economic evaluation and commercial application. During the project performance period, Alstom performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling and large pilot scale combustion testing in its Industrial Scale Burner Facility (ISBF) at its U.S. Power Plant Laboratories facility in Windsor, Connecticut in support of these objectives. The NOx reduction approach was to optimize near-field combustion to ensure that minimum NOx emissions are achieved with minimal impact on unburned carbon in ash, slagging and fouling, corrosion, and flame stability/turn-down. Several iterations of CFD and combustion testing on a Midwest coal led to an optimized design, which was extensively combustion tested on a range of coals. The data from these tests were then used to validate system costs and benefits versus SCR. Three coals were evaluated during the bench-scale and large pilot-scale testing tasks. The three coals ranged from a very reactive subbituminous coal to a moderately reactive Western bituminous coal to a much less reactive Midwest bituminous coal. Bench-scale testing was comprised of standard ASTM properties evaluation, plus more detailed characterization of fuel properties through drop tube furnace testing and thermogravimetric analysis. Bench-scale characterization of the three test coals showed that both NOx emissions and combustion performance are a strong function of coal properties. The more reactive coals evolved more of their fuel bound nitrogen in the substoichiometric main burner zone than less reactive coal, resulting in the potential for lower NOx emissions. From a combustion point of view, the more reactive coals also showed lower carbon in ash and CO values than the less reactive coal at any given main burner zone stoichiometry. According to bench-scale results, the subbituminous coal was found to be the most amenable to both low NOx, and acceptably low combustibles in the flue gas, in an air staged low NOx system. The Midwest bituminous coal, by contrast, was predicted to be the most challenging of the three coals, with the Western bituminous coal predicted to behave in-between the subbituminous coal and the Midwest bituminous coal. CFD modeling was used to gain insight into the mechanisms governing nozzle tip performance with respect to NOx emissions. The CFD simulations were run as steady state, turbulent, non-reacting flow with heat transfer and focused on predicting the near field mixing and particle dispersion rates. CFD results were used to refine the proposed tip concepts before they were built, as well as to help identify and evaluate possible improvements to the tips for subsequent test weeks.« less

Validation of an optical encoder during free weight resistance movements and analysis of bench press sticking point power during fatigue.

PubMed

Drinkwater, Eric J; Galna, Brook; McKenna, Michael J; Hunt, Patrick H; Pyne, David B

2007-05-01

During the concentric movement of the bench press, there is an initial high-power push after chest contact, immediately followed by a characteristic area of low power, the so-called "sticking region." During high-intensity lifting, a decline in power can result in a failed lift attempt. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of an optical encoder to measure power and then employ this device to determine power changes during the initial acceleration and sticking region during fatiguing repeated bench press training. Twelve subjects performed a free weight bench press, a Smith Machine back squat, and a Smith Machine 40-kg bench press throw for power validation measures. All barbell movements were simultaneously monitored using cinematography and an optical encoder. Eccentric and concentric mean and peak power were calculated using time and position data derived from each method. Validity of power measures between the video (criterion) and optical encoder scores were evaluated by standard error of the estimate (SEE) and coefficient of variation (CV). Seven subjects then performed 4 sets of 6 free weight bench press repetitions progressively increasing from 85 to 95% of their 6 repetition maximum, with each repetition continually monitored by an optical encoder. The SEE for power ranged from 3.6 to 14.4 W (CV, 1.0-3.0%; correlation, 0.97-1.00). During the free weight bench press training, peak power declined by approximately 55% (p < 0.01) during the initial acceleration phase of the final 2 repetitions of the final set. Although decreases in power of the sticking point were significant (p < 0.01), as early as repetition 5 (-40%) they reached critically low levels in the final 2 repetitions (>-95%). In conclusion, the optical encoder provided valid measures of kinetics during free weight resistance training movements. The decline in power during the initial acceleration phase appears a factor in a failed lift attempt at the sticking point.

Comparison of concentric and eccentric bench press repetitions to failure.

PubMed

Kelly, Stephen B; Brown, Lee E; Hooker, Steven P; Swan, Pamela D; Buman, Matthew P; Alvar, Brent A; Black, Laurie E

2015-04-01

Eccentric muscle actions (ECC) are characterized by muscle lengthening, despite actin-myosin crossbridge formation. Muscles acting eccentrically are capable of producing higher levels of force compared with muscles acting concentrically. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ECC bench press yields greater strength than concentric (CON) as determined by 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Additionally, a comparison was made examining differences in the number of repetitions to failure at different relative intensities of 1RM. Thirty healthy men (age = 24.63 ± 5.6 years) were tested for 1RM in CON and ECC bench press and the number of repetitions completed at 60, 70, 80, and 90% 1RM. For CON repetitions, the weight was mechanically lowered to the chest, and the participant pressed it up until the elbows were fully extended. The ECC bench press consisted of lowering a barbell from a fully extended elbow position to the chest in a continuous controlled manner for 3 seconds as determined by electronic metronome. Paired t-tests showed that ECC 1RM (115.99 ± 31.08 kg) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater than CON 1RM (93.56 ± 26.56 kg), and the number of repetitions completed at 90% 1RM was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater in ECC (7.67 ± 3.24) as compared with CON (4.57 ± 2.21). There were no significant differences in number of completed repetitions during CON and ECC bench press at 60, 70, and 80% 1RM. These data indicate that ECC actions yield increased force capabilities (∼120%) as compared with CON in the bench press and may be less prone to fatigue, especially at higher intensities. These differences suggest a need to develop unique strategies for training eccentrically.

A case study of dissolved air flotation for seasonal high turbidity water in Korea.

PubMed

Kwon, S B; Ahn, H W; Ahn, C J; Wang, C K

2004-01-01

A DAF (Dissolved-Air-Flotation) process has been designed considering raw water quality characteristics in Korea. Although direct filtration is usually operated, DAF is operated when freshwater algae blooms occur or raw water turbidity becomes high. Pre-sedimentation is operated in case when the raw water turbidity is very high due to rainstorms. A main feature of this plant is that the operation mode can be changed (controlled) based on the characteristics of the raw water to optimize the effluent quality and the operation costs. Treatment capacity (surface loading rate) and efficiency of DAF was found to be better than the conventional sedimentation process. Moreover, low-density particles (algae and alum flocs) are easily separated while the removal of them by sedimentation is more difficult. One of the main concerns for DAF operation is a high raw water turbidity. DAF is not adequate for raw water, which is more turbid than 100 NTU. In order to avoid this problem, pre-sedimentation basins are installed in the DAF plant to decrease the turbidity of the DAF inflow. For simulation of the actual operation, bench and full-scale tests were performed for highly turbid water conditions. Consequently, it is suggested that pre-sedimentation with optimum coagulation prior to DAF is the appropriate treatment scheme.

Adsorptive removal of catalyst poisons from coal gas for methanol synthesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhatt, B.L.; Golden, T.C.; Hsiung, T.H.

1991-12-01

As an integral part of the liquid-phase methanol (LPMEOH) process development program, the present study evaluated adsorptive schemes to remove traces of catalyst poisons such as iron carbonyl, carbonyl sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide from coal gas on a pilot scale. Tests were conducted with coal gas from the Cool Water gasification plant at Daggett, California. Iron carbonyl, carbonyl sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide were effectively removed from the coal gas. The adsorption capacities of Linde H-Y zeolite and Calgon BPL carbon for Fe(CO){sub 5} compared well with previous bench-scale results at similar CO{sub 2} partial pressure. Adsorption of COS by Calgonmore » FCA carbon appeared to be chemical and nonregenerable by thermal treatment in nitrogen. A Cu/Zn catalyst removed H{sub 2}S very effectively. With the adsorption system on-line, a methanol catalyst showed stable activity during 120 h operation, demonstrating the feasibility of adsorptive removal of trace catalyst poisons from the synthesis gas. Mass transfer coefficients were estimated for Fe(CO){sub 5} and COS removal which can be directly used for design and scale up.« less

Metrology System for a Large, Somewhat Flexible Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liebe, Carl Christian; Bartman, Randall; Cook, Walter; Craig, William

2009-01-01

A proposed metrology system would be incorporated into a proposed telescope that would include focusing optics on a rigid bench connected via a deployable mast to another rigid bench holding a focal-plane array of photon counting photodetectors. Deformations of the deployable mast would give rise to optical misalignments that would alter the directions (and, hence, locations) of incidence of photons on the focal plane. The metrology system would measure the relative displacement of the focusing- optics bench and the focal-plane array bench. The measurement data would be used in post-processing of the digitized photodetector outputs to compensate for the mast-deformation-induced changes in the locations of incidence of photons on the focal plane, thereby making it possible to determine the original directions of incidence of photons with greater accuracy. The proposed metrology system is designed specifically for the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) a proposed spaceborne x-ray telescope. The basic principles of design and operation are also applicable to other large, somewhat flexible telescopes, both terrestrial and spaceborne. In the NuSTAR, the structural member connecting the optical bench and the photodetector array would be a 10-m-long deployable mast, and there is a requirement to keep errors in measured directions of incidence of photons below 10 arc seconds (3 sigma). The proposed system would include three diode lasers that would be mounted on the focusing-optics bench. For clarity, only one laser is shown in the figure, which is a greatly simplified schematic diagram of the system. Each laser would be aimed at a position-sensitive photodiode that would be mounted on the detector bench alongside the aforementioned telescope photodetector array. The diode lasers would operate at a wavelength of 830 nm, each at a power of 200 mW. Each laser beam would be focused to a spot of .1-mm diameter on the corresponding position-sensitive photodiode. To reduce the effect of sunlight on the measurements, a one-stage light baffle and an 830-nm transmission filter of 10-nm bandwidth would be placed in front of the position- sensitive photodiode. For each metrology reading, the output of the position-sensitive detector would be sampled and digitized twice: once with the lasers turned on, then once with the lasers turned off. The data from these two sets of samples would be subtracted from each other to further reduce the effects of sun glints or other background light sources.

Pyrosequencing Analysis of Bench-Scale Nitrifying BiofiltersRemoving Trihalomethanes

EPA Science Inventory

The bacterial biofilm communities in four nitrifying biofilters degrading regulated drinking water trihalomethanes were characterized by 454 pyrosequencing. The three most abundant phylotypes based on total diversity were Nitrosomonas (70%), Nitrobacter (14%), and Chitinophagace...

Effects of lipid concentration on anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass wastes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sun, Yifei, E-mail: sunif@buaa.edu.cn; Wang, Dian; Yan, Jiao

2014-06-01

Highlights: • Lipid in municipal biomass would not inhibited the anaerobic digestion process. • A lipid concentration of 65% of total VS was the inhibition concentration. • The amount of Brevibacterium decreased with the increasing of the lipid contents. • Long chain fatty acids stacked on the methanogenic bacteria and blocked the mass transfer process. - Abstract: The influence of the lipid concentration on the anaerobic co-digestion of municipal biomass waste and waste-activated sludge was assessed by biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests and by bench-scale tests in a mesophilic semi-continuous stirred tank reactor. The effect of increasing the volatile solidmore » (VS) concentration of lipid from 0% to 75% was investigated. BMP tests showed that lipids in municipal biomass waste could enhance the methane production. The results of bench-scale tests showed that a lipids concentration of 65% of total VS was the inhibition concentration. Methane yields increased with increasing lipid concentration when lipid concentrations were below 60%, but when lipid concentration was set as 65% or higher, methane yields decreased sharply. When lipid concentrations were below 60%, the pH values were in the optimum range for the growth of methanogenic bacteria and the ratios of volatile fatty acid (VFA)/alkalinity were in the range of 0.2–0.6. When lipid concentrations exceeded 65%, the pH values were below 5.2, the reactor was acidized and the values of VFA/alkalinity rose to 2.0. The amount of Brevibacterium decreased with increasing lipid content. Long chain fatty acids stacked on the methanogenic bacteria and blocked the mass transfer process, thereby inhibiting anaerobic digestion.« less

Evaluation of Hydrogel Technologies for the Decontamination ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report This current research effort was developed to evaluate intermediate level (between bench-scale and large-scale or wide-area implementation) decontamination procedures, materials, technologies, and techniques used to remove radioactive material from different surfaces. In the event of such an incident, application of this technology would primarily be intended for decontamination of high-value buildings, important infrastructure, and landmarks.

Ignition and flame-growth modeling on realistic building and landscape objects in changing environments

Treesearch

Mark A. Dietenberger

2010-01-01

Effective mitigation of external fires on structures can be achieved flexibly, economically, and aesthetically by (1) preventing large-area ignition on structures by avoiding close proximity of burning vegetation; and (2) stopping flame travel from firebrands landing on combustible building objects. Using bench-scale and mid-scale fire tests to obtain flammability...

Ignition and flame travel on realistic building and landscape objects in changing environments

Treesearch

Mark A. Dietenberger

2007-01-01

Effective mitigation of external fires on structures can be achieved flexibly, economically, and aesthetically by (1) preventing large-area ignition on structures from close proximity of burning vegetations and (2) stopping flame travel from firebrands landing on combustible building objects. In using bench-scale and mid-scale fire tests to obtain fire growth...

Pennycress protein isolate: Pilot plant production and application in films polymeric composites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This work scaled up the process of producing pennycress protein isolates (PPI) using 5 kg starting material (previously 100 g in bench-scale research). Defatted press cake, produced by prepressing and hexane extraction, was mixed with preheated 50 L of aqueous NaOH (pH 10) for 90 min in a jacketed k...

Interconnected ponds operation for flood hazard distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putra, S. S.; Ridwan, B. W.

2016-05-01

The climatic anomaly, which comes with extreme rainfall, will increase the flood hazard in an area within a short period of time. The river capacity in discharging the flood is not continuous along the river stretch and sensitive to the flood peak. This paper contains the alternatives on how to locate the flood retention pond that are physically feasible to reduce the flood peak. The flood ponds were designed based on flood curve number criteria (TR-55, USDA) with the aim of rapid flood peak capturing and gradual flood retuning back to the river. As a case study, the hydrologic condition of upper Ciliwung river basin with several presumed flood pond locations was conceptually designed. A fundamental tank model that reproducing the operation of interconnected ponds was elaborated to achieve the designed flood discharge that will flows to the downstream area. The flood hazard distribution status, as the model performance criteria, will be computed within Ciliwung river reach in Manggarai Sluice Gate spot. The predicted hazard reduction with the operation of the interconnected retention area result had been bench marked with the normal flow condition.

ANAEROBIC AND AEROBIC TREATMENT OF CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS

EPA Science Inventory

Biological degradation of 12 chlorinated aliphatic compounds (CACs) was assessed in bench-top reactors and in serum bottle tests. Three continuously mixed daily batch-fed reactor systems were evaluated: anaerobic, aerobic, and sequential-anaerobic-aerobic (sequential). Glucose,...

Noncontacting-optical-strain device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silver, R. H.

1970-01-01

Noncontacting-strain-measuring gauge and extensometer remotely measures the mechanical displacement along the entire length of a test specimen. Measurement is accomplished by continuous scanning of a reflected light from reflective bench markings or stripes previously affixed to the specimen.

Characterizing fluorescent dissolved organic matter in a membrane bioreactor via excitation-emission matrix combined with parallel factor analysis.

PubMed

Maqbool, Tahir; Quang, Viet Ly; Cho, Jinwoo; Hur, Jin

2016-06-01

In this study, we successfully tracked the dynamic changes in different constitutes of bound extracellular polymeric substances (bEPS), soluble microbial products (SMP), and permeate during the operation of bench scale membrane bioreactors (MBRs) via fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Three fluorescent groups were identified, including two protein-like (tryptophan-like C1 and tyrosine-like C2) and one microbial humic-like components (C3). In bEPS, protein-like components were consistently more dominant than C3 during the MBR operation, while their relative abundance in SMP depended on aeration intensities. C1 of bEPS exhibited a linear correlation (R(2)=0.738; p<0.01) with bEPS amounts in sludge, and C2 was closely related to the stability of sludge. The protein-like components were more greatly responsible for membrane fouling. Our study suggests that EEM-PARAFAC can be a promising monitoring tool to provide further insight into process evaluation and membrane fouling during MBR operation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The HSOB GAIA: a cryogenic high stability cesic optical bench for missions requiring sub-nanometric optical stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courteau, Pascal; Poupinet, Anne; Kroedel, Mathias; Sarri, Giuseppe

2017-11-01

Global astrometry, very demanding in term of stability, requires extremely stable material for optical bench. CeSiC developed by ECM and Alcatel Alenia Space for mirrors and high stability structures, offers the best compromise in term of structural strength, stability and very high lightweight capability, with characteristics leading to be insensitive to thermo-elastic at cryogenic T°. The HSOB GAIA study realised by Alcatel Alenia Space under ESA contract aimed to design, develop and test a full scale representative High Stability Optical Bench in CeSiC. The bench has been equipped with SAGEIS-CSO laser metrology system MOUSE1, Michelson interferometer composed of integrated optics with a nm resolution. The HSOB bench has been submitted to an homogeneous T° step under vacuum to characterise the homothetic behaviour of its two arms. The quite negligible inter-arms differential measured with a nm range reproducibility, demonstrates that a complete 3D structure in CeSiC has the same CTE homogeneity as characterisation samples, fully in line with the GAIA need (1pm at 120K). This participates to the demonstration that CeSiC properties at cryogenic T° is fully appropriate to the manufacturing of complex highly stable optical structures. This successful study confirms ECM and Alcatel Alenia Space ability to define and manufacture monolithic lightweight highly stable optical structures, based on inner cells triangular design made only possible by the unique CeSiC manufacturing process.

Biological treatment of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrodimethylamine (NTDMA) in a field-scale fluidized bed bioreactor.

PubMed

Hatzinger, Paul B; Lewis, Celeste; Webster, Todd S

2017-12-01

The ex situ treatment of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and N-nitrodimethylamine (NTDMA) in groundwater was evaluated in a field-scale fluidized bed bioreactor (FBR). Both of these compounds, which originally entered groundwater at the test site from the use of liquid rocket propellant, are suspected human carcinogens. The objective of this research was to examine the application of a novel field-scale propane-fed fluidized bed bioreactor as an alternative to ultraviolet irradiation (UV) for treating NDMA and NTDMA to low part-per-trillion (ng/L) concentrations. Previous laboratory studies have shown that the bacterium Rhodococcus ruber ENV425 can biodegrade NDMA and NTDMA during growth on propane as a primary substrate and that the strain can effectively reduce NDMA concentrations in propane-fed bench-scale bioreactors of different design. R. ruber ENV425 was used as a seed culture for the FBR, which operated at a fluidization flow of ∼19 L-per-min (LPM) and received propane, oxygen, and inorganic nutrients in the feed. The reactor effectively treated ∼1 μg/L of influent NDMA to effluent concentrations of less than 10 ng/L at a hydraulic residence time (HRT) of only 10 min. At a 20 min HRT, the FBR reduced NDMA to <4.2 ng/L in the effluent, which was the discharge limit at the test site where the study was conducted. Similarly, NTDMA was consistently treated in the FBR from ∼0.5 μg/L to <10 ng/L at an HRT of 10 min or longer. Based on these removal rates, the average NDMA and NTDMA elimination capacities achieved were 2.1 mg NDMA treated/m 3 of expanded bed/hr of operation and 1.1 mg NTDMA treated/m 3 of expanded bed/hr of operation, respectively. The FBR system was highly resilient to upsets including power outages. Treatment of NDMA, but not NTDMA, was marginally affected when trace co-contaminants including trichloroethene (TCE) and trichlorofluoromethane (Freon 11) were initially added to feed groundwater, but performance recovered over a few weeks in the continued presence of these compounds. Strain ENV425 appeared to be replaced by native propanotrophs over time based on qPCR analysis, but contaminant treatment was not diminished. The results suggest that a FBR can be a viable alternative to UV treatment for removing NDMA from groundwater. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of Multiple Contaminants: Biological Treatment

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation contains (1) background material on nitrate, perchlorate and ammonia contamination in the continental US; (2) scientific background on biological drinking water treatment; (3) results of bench-scale anaerobic and aerobic treatment studies; (4) results of pilot-s...

Pervious Pavement System Evaluation

EPA Science Inventory

Pervious pavement is a low impact development stormwater control. The Urban Watershed Management Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Edison, NJ, is evaluating concrete pavers as a popular implementation. The pollutant removal of a bench-scale permeable interlo...

Hydrodynamic optimization of membrane bioreactor by horizontal geometry modification using computational fluid dynamics.

PubMed

Yan, Xiaoxu; Wu, Qing; Sun, Jianyu; Liang, Peng; Zhang, Xiaoyuan; Xiao, Kang; Huang, Xia

2016-01-01

Geometry property would affect the hydrodynamics of membrane bioreactor (MBR), which was directly related to membrane fouling rate. The simulation of a bench-scale MBR by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) showed that the shear stress on membrane surface could be elevated by 74% if the membrane was sandwiched between two baffles (baffled MBR), compared with that without baffles (unbaffled MBR). The effects of horizontal geometry characteristics of a bench-scale membrane tank were discussed (riser length index Lr, downcomer length index Ld, tank width index Wt). Simulation results indicated that the average cross flow of the riser was negatively correlated to the ratio of riser and downcomer cross-sectional area. A relatively small tank width would also be preferable in promoting shear stress on membrane surface. The optimized MBR had a shear elevation of 21.3-91.4% compared with unbaffled MBR under same aeration intensity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainable oil and grease removal from synthetic stormwater runoff using bench-scale bioretention studies.

PubMed

Hong, Eunyoung; Seagren, Eric A; Davis, Allen P

2006-02-01

One of the principal components of the contaminant load in urban stormwater runoff is oil and grease (O&G) pollution, resulting from vehicle emissions. A mulch layer was used as a contaminant trap to remove O&G (dissolved and particulate-associated naphthalene, dissolved toluene, and dissolved motor oil hydrocarbons) from a synthetic runoff during a bench-scale infiltration study. Approximately 80 to 95% removal of all contaminants from synthetic runoff was found via sorption and filtration. Subsequently, approximately 90% of the sorbed naphthalene, toluene, oil, and particulate-associated naphthalene was biodegraded within approximately 3, 4, 8, and 2 days after the event, respectively, based on decreases in contaminant concentrations coupled with increases of microbial populations. These results indicate the effectiveness and sustainability of placing a thin layer of mulch on the surface of a bioretention facility for reducing O&G pollution from urban stormwater runoff.

Optimization of culture conditions and bench-scale production of L-asparaginase by submerged fermentation of Aspergillus terreus MTCC 1782.

PubMed

Gurunathan, Baskar; Sahadevan, Renganathan

2012-07-01

Optimization of culture conditions for L-asparaginase production by submerged fermentation of Aspergillus terreus MTCC 1782 was studied using a 3-level central composite design of response surface methodology and artificial neural network linked genetic algorithm. The artificial neural network linked genetic algorithm was found to be more efficient than response surface methodology. The experimental L-asparaginase activity of 43.29 IU/ml was obtained at the optimum culture conditions of temperature 35 degrees C, initial pH 6.3, inoculum size 1% (v/v), agitation rate 140 rpm, and incubation time 58.5 h of the artificial neural network linked genetic algorithm, which was close to the predicted activity of 44.38 IU/ml. Characteristics of L-asparaginase production by A. terreus MTCC 1782 were studied in a 3 L bench-scale bioreactor.

Rate and extent NOM removal during oxidation and biofiltration.

PubMed

Black, Kerry E; Bérubé, Pierre R

2014-04-01

The presence of natural organic matter (NOM) in drinking water treatment presents many challenges. Integrated treatment processes combining oxidation and biofiltration have been demonstrated to be very effective at reducing NOM, specifically biodegradable organics. Laboratory bench-scale experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of oxidation by ozonation or UV/H2O2 on NOM. Specifically the rate of biodegradation was studied by performing bench-scale biodegradation experiments using acclimatized biological activated carbon (BAC). For the source water investigated, oxidation did not preferentially react with the biodegradable or non-biodegradable NOM. In addition, the type or dose of oxidation applied did not affect the observed rate of biodegradation. The rate kinetics for biodegradation were constant for all oxidation conditions investigated. Oxidation prior to biofiltration increased the overall removal of organic matter, but did not affect the rate of biodegradation of NOM. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethanol production in small- to medium-size facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiler, E. A.; Coble, C. G.; Oneal, H. P.; Sweeten, J. M.; Reidenbach, V. G.; Schelling, G. T.; Lawhon, J. T.; Kay, R. D.; Lepori, W. A.; Aldred, W. H.

1982-04-01

In early 1980 system design criteria were developed for a small-scale ethanol production plant. The plant was eventually installed on November 1, 1980. It has a production capacity of 30 liters per hour; this can be increased easily (if desired) to 60 liters per hour with additional fermentation tanks. Sixty-six test runs were conducted to date in the alcohol production facility. Feedstocks evaluated in these tests include: corn (28 runs); grain sorghum (33 runs); grain sorghum grits (1 run); half corn/half sorghum (1 run); and sugarcane juice (3 runs). In addition, a small bench-scale fermentation and distillation system was used to evaluate sugarcane and sweet sorghum feedstocks prior to their evaluation in the larger unit. In each of these tests, evaluation of the following items was conducted: preprocessing requirements; operational problems; conversion efficiency (for example, liters of alcohol produced per kilogram of feedstock); energy balance and efficiency; nutritional recovery from stillage; solids separation by screw press; chemical characterization of stillage including liquid and solids fractions; wastewater requirements; and air pollution potential.

"Bioneering"--Teaching Biotechnology Entrepreneurship at the Undergraduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collet, Chris; Wyatt, David

2005-01-01

Purpose - The authors have developed an educational model that operates at the undergraduate level and aims to produce graduates who can comfortably operate in the gulf between the laboratory bench and the commercial marketplace. The purpose of the paper is to describe the course, approaches, activities and initial outcomes of the Bachelor of…

Standardized Curriculum for Machine Tool Operation/Machine Shop.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mississippi State Dept. of Education, Jackson. Office of Vocational, Technical and Adult Education.

Standardized vocational education course titles and core contents for two courses in Mississippi are provided: machine tool operation/machine shop I and II. The first course contains the following units: (1) orientation; (2) shop safety; (3) shop math; (4) measuring tools and instruments; (5) hand and bench tools; (6) blueprint reading; (7)…

MACHINE TOOL OPERATOR--GENERAL, ENTRY, SUGGESTED GUIDE FOR A TRAINING COURSE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RONEY, MAURICE W.; AND OTHERS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS CURRICULUM GUIDE IS TO ASSIST THE ADMINISTRATOR AND INSTRUCTOR IN PLANNING AND DEVELOPING MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS TO PREPARE MACHINE TOOL OPERATORS FOR ENTRY-LEVEL POSITIONS. THE COURSE OUTLINE PROVIDES UNITS IN -- (1) ORIENTATION, (2) BENCH WORK, (3) SHOP MATHEMATICS, (4) BLUEPRINT READING AND SKETCHING, (5)…

Validation of large-scale, monochromatic UV disinfection systems for drinking water using dyed microspheres.

PubMed

Blatchley, E R; Shen, C; Scheible, O K; Robinson, J P; Ragheb, K; Bergstrom, D E; Rokjer, D

2008-02-01

Dyed microspheres have been developed as a new method for validation of ultraviolet (UV) reactor systems. When properly applied, dyed microspheres allow measurement of the UV dose distribution delivered by a photochemical reactor for a given operating condition. Prior to this research, dyed microspheres had only been applied to a bench-scale UV reactor. The goal of this research was to extend the application of dyed microspheres to large-scale reactors. Dyed microsphere tests were conducted on two prototype large-scale UV reactors at the UV Validation and Research Center of New York (UV Center) in Johnstown, NY. All microsphere tests were conducted under conditions that had been used previously in biodosimetry experiments involving two challenge bacteriophage: MS2 and Qbeta. Numerical simulations based on computational fluid dynamics and irradiance field modeling were also performed for the same set of operating conditions used in the microspheres assays. Microsphere tests on the first reactor illustrated difficulties in sample collection and discrimination of microspheres against ambient particles. Changes in sample collection and work-up were implemented in tests conducted on the second reactor that allowed for improvements in microsphere capture and discrimination against the background. Under these conditions, estimates of the UV dose distribution from the microspheres assay were consistent with numerical simulations and the results of biodosimetry, using both challenge organisms. The combined application of dyed microspheres, biodosimetry, and numerical simulation offers the potential to provide a more in-depth description of reactor performance than any of these methods individually, or in combination. This approach also has the potential to substantially reduce uncertainties in reactor validation, thereby leading to better understanding of reactor performance, improvements in reactor design, and decreases in reactor capital and operating costs.

Comparison of the goals and MISTELS scores for the evaluation of surgeons on training benches.

PubMed

Wolf, Rémi; Medici, Maud; Fiard, Gaëlle; Long, Jean-Alexandre; Moreau-Gaudry, Alexandre; Cinquin, Philippe; Voros, Sandrine

2018-01-01

Evaluation of surgical technical abilities is a major issue in minimally invasive surgery. Devices such as training benches offer specific scores to evaluate surgeons but cannot transfer in the operating room (OR). A contrario, several scores measure performance in the OR, but have not been evaluated on training benches. Our aim was to demonstrate that the GOALS score, which can effectively grade in the OR the abilities involved in laparoscopy, can be used for evaluation on a laparoscopic testbench (MISTELS). This could lead to training systems that can identify more precisely the skills that have been acquired or must still be worked on. 32 volunteers (surgeons, residents and medical students) performed the 5 tasks of the MISTELS training bench and were simultaneously video-recorded. Their performance was evaluated with the MISTELS score and with the GOALS score based on the review of the recording by two experienced, blinded laparoscopic surgeons. The concurrent validity of the GOALS score was assessed using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients with the MISTELS score. The construct validity of the GOALS score was assessed with k-means clustering and accuracy rates. Lastly, abilities explored by each MISTELS task were identified with multiple linear regression. GOALS and MISTELS scores are strongly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.85 and Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.82 for the overall score). The GOALS score proves to be valid for construction for the tasks of the training bench, with a better accuracy rate between groups of level after k-means clustering, when compared to the original MISTELS score (accuracy rates, respectively, 0.75 and 0.56). GOALS score is well suited for the evaluation of the performance of surgeons of different levels during the completion of the tasks of the MISTELS training bench.

Test-bench system for a borehole azimuthal acoustic reflection imaging logging tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xianping; Ju, Xiaodong; Qiao, Wenxiao; Lu, Junqiang; Men, Baiyong; Liu, Dong

2016-06-01

The borehole azimuthal acoustic reflection imaging logging tool (BAAR) is a new generation of imaging logging tool, which is able to investigate stratums in a relatively larger range of space around the borehole. The BAAR is designed based on the idea of modularization with a very complex structure, so it has become urgent for us to develop a dedicated test-bench system to debug each module of the BAAR. With the help of a test-bench system introduced in this paper, test and calibration of BAAR can be easily achieved. The test-bench system is designed based on the client/server model. The hardware system mainly consists of a host computer, an embedded controlling board, a bus interface board, a data acquisition board and a telemetry communication board. The host computer serves as the human machine interface and processes the uploaded data. The software running on the host computer is designed based on VC++. The embedded controlling board uses Advanced Reduced Instruction Set Machines 7 (ARM7) as the micro controller and communicates with the host computer via Ethernet. The software for the embedded controlling board is developed based on the operating system uClinux. The bus interface board, data acquisition board and telemetry communication board are designed based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and provide test interfaces for the logging tool. To examine the feasibility of the test-bench system, it was set up to perform a test on BAAR. By analyzing the test results, an unqualified channel of the electronic receiving cabin was discovered. It is suggested that the test-bench system can be used to quickly determine the working condition of sub modules of BAAR and it is of great significance in improving production efficiency and accelerating industrial production of the logging tool.

ESA's CCD test bench for the PLATO mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaufort, Thierry; Duvet, Ludovic; Bloemmaert, Sander; Lemmel, Frederic; Prod'homme, Thibaut; Verhoeve, Peter; Smit, Hans; Butler, Bart; van der Luijt, Cornelis; Heijnen, Jerko; Visser, Ivo

2016-08-01

PLATO { PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars { is the third medium-class mission to be selected in the European Space Agency (ESA) Science and Robotic Exploration Cosmic Vision programme. Due for launch in 2025, the payload makes use of a large format (8 cm x 8 cm) Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs), the e2v CCD270 operated at 4 MHz and at -70 C. To de-risk the PLATO CCD qualification programme initiated in 2014 and support the mission definition process, ESA's Payload Technology Validation section from the Future Missions Office has developed a dedicated test bench.

The Microgravity Science Glovebox

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baugher, Charles R.; Primm, Lowell (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) provides scientific investigators the opportunity to implement interactive experiments on the International Space Station. The facility has been designed around the concept of an enclosed scientific workbench that allows the crew to assemble and operate an experimental apparatus with participation from ground-based scientists through real-time data and video links. Workbench utilities provided to operate the experiments include power, data acquisition, computer communications, vacuum, nitrogen. and specialized tools. Because the facility work area is enclosed and held at a negative pressure with respect to the crew living area, the requirements on the experiments for containment of small parts, particulates, fluids, and gasses are substantially reduced. This environment allows experiments to be constructed in close parallel with bench type investigations performed in groundbased laboratories. Such an approach enables experimental scientists to develop hardware that more closely parallel their traditional laboratory experience and transfer these experiments into meaningful space-based research. When delivered to the ISS the MSG will represent a significant scientific capability that will be continuously available for a decade of evolutionary research.

An innovative modular device and wireless control system enabling thermal and pressure sensors using FPGA on real-time fault diagnostics of steam turbine functional deterioration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, S.; Saravanan, M.

2018-03-01

It is necessary that the condition of the steam turbines is continuously monitored on a scheduled basis for the safe operation of the steam turbines. The review showed that steam turbine fault detection and operation maintenance system (STFDOMS) is gaining importance recently. In this paper, novel hardware architecture is proposed for STFDOMS that can be communicated through the GSM network. Arduino is interfaced with the FPGA so as to transfer the message. The design has been simulated using the Verilog programming language and implemented in hardware using FPGA. The proposed system is shown to be a simple, cost effective and flexible and thereby making it suitable for the maintenance of steam turbines. This system forewarns the experts to access to data messages and take necessary action in a short period with great accuracy. The hardware developed is promised as a real-time test bench, specifically for investigations of long haul effects with different parameter settings.

40 CFR 86.320-79 - Analyzer bench check.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) CONTROL OF EMISSIONS FROM NEW AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES Emission Regulations for...) Water rejection ratio, NDIR analyzers only (see §§ 86.316(c) and 86.318 (b)(5). (7) CO2 rejection ratio...

Improvement of activated sludge dewaterability by humus soil induced bioflocculation.

PubMed

Choi, Young-Gyun; Kim, Seong-Hong; Kim, Hee-Jun; Kim, Gyu Dong; Chung, Tai-Hak

2004-01-01

Effects of humus soil particles on the dewaterability of activated sludge were investigated. Cations leaching increased proportionally with the dosage of humus soil, and the leaching was not significant after 2 h. Divalent cations, Ca2+ and Mg2+, leaching from the humus soil played an important role in improving dewaterability of the biological sludge. On the contrary, dewaterability was not affected or slightly deteriorated by the monovalent cations, K+ and Na+ leached from the humus soil. Improvement in dewaterability of the sludge by addition of humus soil was higher than that of equivalent cations mixture. It seemed that the decrease of supracolloidal bio-particles (1 to 100 microm in diameter) resulted in diminishing of the blinding effect on cake and filter medium. SRF (specific resistance to filtration) of the humus soil added sludge varied in parallel with the M/D (monovalent to divalent cation) ratio, and the M/D ratio could be utilized as a useful tool for evaluation of the sludge dewatering characteristics. Long-term effects of humus soil on the improvement of activated sludge dewaterability were clearly identified by continuous operation results of a bench-scale MLE (Modified Ludzack Ettinger) system combined with a humus soil contactor. On the other hand, dewaterability of the control sludge was only slightly improved by a decrease in M/D ratio of the wastewater influent.

Fuel-Flexible Gasification-Combustion Technology for Production of H2 and Sequestration-Ready CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parag Kulkarni; Jie Guan; Raul Subia

In the near future, the nation will continue to rely on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and chemicals. It is necessary to improve both the process efficiency and environmental impact of fossil fuel utilization including greenhouse gas management. GE Global Research (GEGR) investigated an innovative fuel-flexible Unmixed Fuel Processor (UFP) technology with potential to produce H{sub 2}, power, and sequestration-ready CO{sub 2} from coal and other solid fuels. The UFP technology offers the long-term potential for reduced cost, increased process efficiency relative to conventional gasification and combustion systems, and near-zero pollutant emissions. GE was awarded a contract from U.S. DOEmore » NETL to investigate and develop the UFP technology. Work started on the Phase I program in October 2000 and on the Phase II effort in April 2005. In the UFP technology, coal, water and air are simultaneously converted into (1) hydrogen rich stream that can be utilized in fuel cells or turbines, (2) CO{sub 2} rich stream for sequestration, and (3) high temperature/pressure vitiated air stream to produce electricity in a gas turbine expander. The process produces near-zero emissions with an estimated efficiency higher than Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) process with conventional CO{sub 2} separation. The Phase I R&D program established the chemical feasibility of the major reactions of the integrated UFP technology through lab-, bench- and pilot-scale testing. A risk analysis session was carried out at the end of Phase I effort to identify the major risks in the UFP technology and a plan was developed to mitigate these risks in the Phase II of the program. The Phase II effort focused on three high-risk areas: economics, lifetime of solids used in the UFP process, and product gas quality for turbines (or the impact of impurities in the coal on the overall system). The economic analysis included estimating the capital cost as well as the costs of hydrogen and electricity for a full-scale UFP plant. These costs were benchmarked with IGCC polygen plants with similar level of CO{sub 2} capture. Based on the promising economic analysis comparison results (performed with the help from Worley Parsons), GE recommended a 'Go' decision in April 2006 to continue the experimental investigation of the UFP technology to address the remaining risks i.e. solids lifetime and the impact of impurities in the coal on overall system. Solids attrition and lifetime risk was addressed via bench-scale experiments that monitor solids performance over time and by assessing materials interactions at operating conditions. The product gas under the third reactor (high-temperature vitiated air) operating conditions was evaluated to assess the concentration of particulates, pollutants and other impurities relative to the specifications required for gas turbine feed streams. During this investigation, agglomeration of solids used in the UFP process was identified as a serious risk that impacts the lifetime of the solids and in turn feasibility of the UFP technology. The main causes of the solids agglomeration were the combination of oxygen transfer material (OTM) reduction at temperatures {approx}1000 C and interaction between OTM and CO{sub 2} absorbing material (CAM) at high operating temperatures (>1200 C). At the end of phase II, in March 2008, GEGR recommended a 'No-go' decision for taking the UFP technology to the next level of development, i.e. development of a 3-5 MW prototype system, at this time. GEGR further recommended focused materials development research programs on improving the performance and lifetime of solids materials used in UFP or chemical looping technologies. The scale-up activities would be recommended only after mitigating the risks involved with the agglomeration and overall lifetime of the solids. This is the final report for the phase II of the DOE-funded Vision 21 program entitled 'Fuel-Flexible Gasification-Combustion Technology for Production of H{sub 2} and Sequestration-Ready CO{sub 2}' (DOE Award No. DE-FC26-00NT40974). The report focuses on the major accomplishments and lessons learned in analyzing the risks of the novel UFP technology during Phase II of the DOE program.« less

The influenced of PAC, zeolite, and Moringa oleifera as biofouling reducer (BFR) on hybrid membrane bioreactor of palm oil mill effluent (POME).

PubMed

Damayanti, A; Ujang, Z; Salim, M R

2011-03-01

The main objective of this work was to determine the effectiveness of various biofouling reducers (BFRs) to operational condition in hybrid membrane bioreactor (MBR) of palm oil mill effluent (POME). A series of tests involving three bench scale (100 L) hybrid MBR were operated at sludge retention times (SRTs) of 30 days with biofouling reducer (BFR). Three different biofouling reducers (BFRs) were powdered actived carbon (PAC), zeolite (Ze), and Moringa oleifera (Mo) with doses of 4, 8 and 12 g L(-1) respectively were used. Short-term filtration trials and critical flux tests were conducted. Results showed that, all BFRs successfully removed soluble microbial products (SMP), for PAC, Ze, and Mo at 58%, 42%, and 48%, respectively. At their optimum dosages, PAC provided above 70% reductions and 85% in fouling rates during the short-term filtration and critical flux tests. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of temperature downshifts on a bench-scale hybrid A/O system: Process performance and microbial community dynamics.

PubMed

Zhou, Hexi; Li, Xiangkun; Chu, Zhaorui; Zhang, Jie

2016-06-01

Effect of temperature downshifts on process performance and bacterial community dynamics was investigated in a bench-scale hybrid A/O system treating real domestic wastewater. Results showed that the average COD removal in this system reached 90.5%, 89.1% and 90.3% for Run 1 (25 °C), Run 2 (15 °C) and Run 3 (10 °C), respectively, and variations in temperature barely affected the effluent COD concentration. The average removal efficiencies of NH4(+)-N were 98.4%, 97.8%, 95.7%, and that of TN were 77.1%, 61.8%, 72% at 25 °C, 15 °C and 10 °C, respectively. Although the hybrid system was subjected to low temperature, this process effectively removed NH4(+)-N and TN even at 10 °C with the average effluent concentrations of 2.4 mg/L and 14.3 mg/L, respectively. Results from high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that when the operation temperature decreased from 25 °C to 10 °C, the richness and diversity indexes of the system decreased in the sludge samples, while underwent an increase in the biofilm samples. Furthermore, the major heterotrophic bacteria consisted of Lewinella, Lutimonas, Chitinophaga and Fluviicola at 10 °C, which could be central to effective COD removal at low temperature. Additionally, Azospira, one denitrifying-related genus increased from 0.4% to 4.45% in the biofilm samples, with a stable TN removal in response to temperature downshifts. Nitrosomonas and Nitrospira increased significantly in the biofilm samples, implying that the attached biofilm contributed to more nitrification at low temperature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of alternatives for best available technology treatment and retreatment of uranium-contaminated wastewater at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant C-400 Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Del Cul, G.D.; Osborne, P.E.; Beck, D.E.

1991-01-01

The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) C-400 Decontamination Facility generates aqueous solutions that originate in drum washing, machine parts and equipment cleaning, and other decontamination processes. The chemical composition of the waste depends on the particular operation involved. In general, the waste contains uranyl, fluoride, carbonate, and nitrate ions, plus soaps, detergents, secondary contaminants, and particulate matter. The uranium content is rather variable ranging between 0.5 and 30 g/l. The main contaminants are fluoride, technetium, uranium, and other heavy metals. The plan included (1) a literature search to support best available technology (BAT) evaluation of treatment alternatives, (2) a qualitymore » assurance/quality control plan, (3) suggestion of alternative treatment options, (4) bench-scale tests studies of the proposed treatment alternatives, and (5) establishment of the final recommendation. The following report records the evaluation of items (1) to (3) of the action plan for the BAT evaluation of alternatives for the treatment and retreatment of uranium-contaminated wastewater at the PGDP C-400 treatment facility. After a thorough literature search, five major technologies were considered: (1) precipitation/coprecipitation, (2) reverse osmosis, (3) ultrafiltration, (4) supported liquid membranes, and (5) ion exchange. Biosorption was also considered, but as it is a fairly new technology with few demonstrations of its capabilities, it is mentioned only briefly in the report. Based on C-400's requirements and facilities, the precipitation/coprecipitation process appears to be the best suited for use at the plant. Four different treatment options using the precipitation/coprecipitation technology are proposed. Bench-scale studies of the four options are suggested. 37 refs.« less

The Effect of Hydraulic Gradient and Pattern of Conduit Systems on Tracing Tests: Bench-Scale Modeling.

PubMed

Mohammadi, Zargham; Gharaat, Mohammad Javad; Field, Malcolm

2018-03-13

Tracer breakthrough curves provide valuable information about the traced media, especially in inherently heterogeneous karst aquifers. In order to study the effect of variations in hydraulic gradient and conduit systems on breakthrough curves, a bench scale karst model was constructed. The bench scale karst model contains both matrix and a conduit. Eight tracing tests were conducted under a wide range of hydraulic gradients from 1 to greater than 5 for branchwork and network-conduit systems. Sampling points at varying distances from the injection point were utilized. Results demonstrate that mean tracer velocities, tracer mass recovery and linear rising slope of the breakthrough curves were directly controlled by hydraulic gradient. As hydraulic gradient increased, both one half the time for peak concentration and one fifth the time for peak concentration decreased. The results demonstrate the variations in one half the time for peak concentration and one fifth the time for peak concentration of the descending limb for different sampling points under differing hydraulic gradients are mainly controlled by the interactions of advection with dispersion. The results are discussed from three perspectives: different conduit systems, different hydraulic-gradient conditions, and different sampling points. The research confirmed the undeniable role of hydrogeological setting (i.e., hydraulic gradient and conduit system) on the shape of the breakthrough curve. The extracted parameters (mobile-fluid velocity, tracer-mass recovery, linear rising limb, one half the time for peak concentration, and one fifth the time for peak concentration) allow for differentiating hydrogeological settings and enhance interpretations the tracing tests in karst aquifers. © 2018, National Ground Water Association.

Simulating maar-diatreme volcanic systems in bench-scale experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, R. G.; White, J. D. L.; Dürig, T.; Zimanowski, B.

2015-12-01

Maar-diatreme eruptions are incompletely understood, and explanations for the processes involved in them have been debated for decades. This study extends bench-scale analogue experiments previously conducted on maar-diatreme systems and attempts to scale the results up to both field-scale experimentation and natural volcanic systems in order to produce a reconstructive toolkit for maar volcanoes. These experimental runs produced via multiple mechanisms complex deposits that match many features seen in natural maar-diatreme deposits. The runs include deeper single blasts, series of descending discrete blasts, and series of ascending blasts. Debris-jet inception and diatreme formation are indicated by this study to involve multiple types of granular fountains within diatreme deposits produced under varying initial conditions. The individual energies of blasts in multiple-blast series are not possible to infer from the final deposits. The depositional record of blast sequences can be ascertained from the proportion of fallback sedimentation versus maar ejecta rim material, the final crater size and the degree of overturning or slumping of accessory strata. Quantitatively, deeper blasts involve a roughly equal partitioning of energy into crater excavation energy versus mass movement of juvenile material, whereas shallower blasts expend a much greater proportion of energy in crater excavation.

HANDBOOK ON ADVANCED PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDATION ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This handbook summarizes commercial-scale system performance and cost data for advanced photochemical oxidation (APO) treatment of contaminated water, air, and solids. Similar information from pilot- and bench-scale evaluations of APO processes is also included to supplement the commercial-scale data. Performance and cost data is summarized for various APO processes, including vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis, ultraviolet (UV)/oxidation, photo-Fenton, and dye- or semiconductor-sensitized APO processes. This handbook is intended to assist engineering practitioners in evaluating the applicability of APO processes and in selecting one or more such processes for site-specific evaluation.APO has been shown to be effective in treating contaminated water and air. Regarding contaminated water treatment, UV/oxidation has been evaluated for the most contaminants, while VUV photolysis has been evaluated for the fewest. Regarding contaminated air treatment, the sensitized APO processes have been evaluated for the most contaminants, while VUV photolysis has been evaluated for the fewest.APO processes for treating contaminated solids generally involve treatment of contaminated slurry or leachate generated using an extraction process such as soil washing. APO has been shown to be effective in treating contaminated solids, primarily at the bench-scale level. Information

APPLIED MERCURY CAPTURE

EPA Science Inventory

The first purpose of this project is to complete bench and pilot scale testing of promising mercury sorbents. This work would apply findings from fundamental, mechanistic efforts over the past three years that have developed sorbents which show improved capture of elemental and ...

TREATMENT STUDIES OF CCL CONTAMINANTS

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale screening-level treatment data are presented for compounds listed in the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL). All of the CCl compounds are predicted to be economically removed by either activated carbon or air stripping technologies. To complete the screening-level treat...

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM INACTIVATION AND REMOVAL RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

Bench- and pilot-scale tests were performed to assess the ability of conventional treatment, ozonation and chlorine dioxide to remove and inactivate Cryptosporidium oocysts. The impacts of coagulant type, coagulant dose, raw water quality, filter loading rates and filter media w...

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF PIC FORMATION IN CFC INCINERATION

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of the collection of combustion emission characterization data from chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) incineration. A bench scale test program to provide emission characterization data from CFC incineration was developed and performed, with emphasis on the format...

Insights into the history and timing of post-European land use disturbance on sedimentation rates in catchments draining to the Great Barrier Reef.

PubMed

Bartley, Rebecca; Thompson, Chris; Croke, Jacky; Pietsch, Tim; Baker, Brett; Hughes, Kate; Kinsey-Henderson, Anne

2018-06-01

Sediment runoff has been cited as a major contributor to the declining health of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), however, climate and land use drivers have not been jointly evaluated. This study used alluvial archives from fluvial benches in two tributaries of the Upper Burdekin catchment together with the best available land use history and climate proxy records to provide insights into the timing of depositional events in this region over the past 500 years. This study suggests that mining and the increased runoff variability in the latter half of the nineteenth century are the likely sources of the original excess sediment that was used to build the bench features in these catchments. Grazing also contributed to increased bench sedimentation prior to 1900, however, the contribution of grazing was likely more significant in the second half of the 20th century, and continues to be a dominant land use contributor today. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optical studies in the holographic ground station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Workman, Gary L.

1991-01-01

The Holographic Group System (HGS) Facility in rooms 22 & 123, Building 4708 has been developed to provide for ground based research in determining pre-flight parameters and analyzing the results from space experiments. The University of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH) has researched the analysis aspects of the HGS and reports their findings here. Some of the results presented here also occur in the Facility Operating Procedure (FOP), which contains instructions for power up, operation, and powerdown of the Fluid Experiment System (FES) Holographic Ground System (HGS) Test Facility for the purpose of optically recording fluid and/or crystal behavior in a test article during ground based testing through the construction of holograms and recording of videotape. The alignment of the optical bench components, holographic reconstruction and and microscopy alignment sections were also included in the document for continuity even though they are not used until after optical recording of the test article) setup of support subsystems and the Automated Holography System (AHS) computer. The HGS provides optical recording and monitoring during GCEL runs or development testing of potential FES flight hardware or software. This recording/monitoring can be via 70mm holographic film, standard videotape, or digitized images on computer disk. All optical bench functions necessary to construct holograms will be under the control of the AHS personal computer (PC). These include type of exposure, time intervals between exposures, exposure length, film frame identification, film advancement, film platen evacuation and repressurization, light source diffuser introduction, and control of realtime video monitoring. The completed sequence of hologram types (single exposure, diffuse double exposure, etc.) and their time of occurrence can be displayed, printed, or stored on floppy disk posttest for the user.

Effectiveness evaluation of existing noise controls in a deep shaft underground mine.

PubMed

Lutz, Eric A; Reed, Rustin J; Turner, Dylan; Littau, Sally R; Lee, Vivien; Hu, Chengcheng

2015-01-01

Noise exposures and hearing loss in the mining industry continue to be a major problem, despite advances in noise control technologies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of engineering, administrative, and personal noise controls using both traditional and in-ear dosimetry by job task, work shift, and five types of earplug. The noise exposures of 22 miners performing deep shaft-sinking tasks were evaluated during 56 rotating shifts in an underground mine. Miners were earplug-insertion trained, earplug fit-tested, and monitored utilizing traditional and in-ear dosimetry. The mean TWA8 noise exposure via traditional dosimetry was 90.1 ± 8.2 dBA, while the mean in-ear TWA8 was 79.6 ± 13.8 dBA. The latter was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) personal exposure limit (PEL) of 90 dBA. Dosimetry mean TWA8 noise exposures for bench blowing (103.5 ± 0.9 dBA), jumbo drill operation (103.0 ± 0.8 dBA), and mucking tasks (99.6 ± 4.7 dBA) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than other tasks. For bench blowing, cable pulling, grinding, and jumbo drill operation tasks, the mean in-ear TWA8 was greater than 85 dBA. Those working swing shift had a significantly higher (p < 0.001) mean TWA8 noise exposure (95.4 ± 7.3 dBA) than those working day shift. For percent difference between traditional vs. in-ear dosimetry, there was no significant difference among types of earplug used. Reflective of occupational hearing loss rate trends across the mining industry, this study found that, despite existing engineering and administrative controls, noise exposure levels exceeded regulatory limits, while the addition of personal hearing protection limited excessive exposures.

Vibro-acoustic condition monitoring of Internal Combustion Engines: A critical review of existing techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delvecchio, S.; Bonfiglio, P.; Pompoli, F.

2018-01-01

This paper deals with the state-of-the-art strategies and techniques based on vibro-acoustic signals that can monitor and diagnose malfunctions in Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) under both test bench and vehicle operating conditions. Over recent years, several authors have summarized what is known in critical reviews mainly focused on reciprocating machines in general or on specific signal processing techniques: no attempts to deal with IC engine condition monitoring have been made. This paper first gives a brief summary of the generation of sound and vibration in ICEs in order to place further discussion on fault vibro-acoustic diagnosis in context. An overview of the monitoring and diagnostic techniques described in literature using both vibration and acoustic signals is also provided. Different faulty conditions are described which affect combustion, mechanics and the aerodynamics of ICEs. The importance of measuring acoustic signals, as opposed to vibration signals, is due since the former seem to be more suitable for implementation on on-board monitoring systems in view of their non-intrusive behaviour, capability in simultaneously capturing signatures from several mechanical components and because of the possibility of detecting faults affecting airborne transmission paths. In view of the recent needs of the industry to (-) optimize component structural durability adopting long-life cycles, (-) verify the engine final status at the end of the assembly line and (-) reduce the maintenance costs monitoring the ICE life during vehicle operations, monitoring and diagnosing system requests are continuously growing up. The present review can be considered a useful guideline for test engineers in understanding which types of fault can be diagnosed by using vibro-acoustic signals in sufficient time in both test bench and operating conditions and which transducer and signal processing technique (of which the essential background theory is here reported) could be considered the most reliable and informative to be implemented for the fault in question.

An afocal telescope configuration for the ESA Ariel mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Da Deppo, V.; Middleton, K.; Focardi, M.; Morgante, G.; Pace, E.; Claudi, R.; Micela, G.

2017-09-01

ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey) is one of the three candidates for the next ESA medium-class science mission (M4) expected to be launched in 2026. This mission will be devoted to observing spectroscopically in the infrared (IR) a large population of known transiting planets in the neighborhood of the Solar System, opening a new discovery space in the field of extrasolar planets and enabling the understanding of the physics and chemistry of these far away worlds. ARIEL is based on a 1-m class telescope ahead of two spectrometer channels covering the band 1.95 to 7.8 microns. In addition there are four photometric channels: two wide band, also used as fine guidance sensors, and two narrow band. During its 3.5 years of operations from L2 orbit, ARIEL will continuously observe exoplanets transiting their host star. The ARIEL optical design is conceived as a fore-module common afocal telescope that will feed the spectrometer and photometric channels. The telescope optical design is composed of an off-axis portion of a two-mirror classic Cassegrain coupled to a tertiary off-axis paraboloidal mirror. The telescope and optical bench operating temperatures, as well as those of some subsystems, will be monitored and fine tuned/stabilised mainly by means of a thermal control subsystem (TCU-Telescope Control Unit) working in closed-loop feedback and hosted by the main Payload electronics unit, the Instrument Control Unit (ICU). Another important function of the TCU will be to monitor the telescope and optical bench thermistors when the Payload decontamination heaters will be switched on (when operating the instrument in Decontamination Mode) during the Commissioning Phase and cyclically, if required. Then the thermistors data will be sent by the ICU to the On Board Computer by means of a proper formatted telemetry. The latter (OBC) will be in charge of switching on and off the decontamination heaters on the basis of the thermistors readout values.

Advanced direct coal liquefaction concepts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berger, D.J.; Parker, R.J.; Simpson, P.L.

During the first quarter of FY 1993, the Project proceeded close to the Project Plan. The analysis of the feed material has been completed as far as possible. Some unplanned distillation was needed to correct the boiling range of the Black Thunder solvent used during the autoclave tests. Additional distillation will be required if the same solvent is to be used for the bench unit tests. A decision on this is still outstanding. The solvent to be used with Illinois No. 6 coal has not yet been defined. As a result, the procurement of the feed and the feed analysismore » is somewhat behind schedule. Agglomeration tests with Black Thunder coal indicates that small agglomerates can be formed. However, the ash removal is quite low (about 10%), which is not surprising in view of the low ash content of the coal. The first series of autoclave tests with Black Thunder coal was completed as planned. Also, additional runs are in progress as repeats of previous runs or at different operating conditions based on the data obtained so far. The results are promising indicating that almost complete solubilization (close to 90%) of Black Thunder coal can be achieved in a CO/H[sub 2]O environment at our anticipated process conditions. The design of the bench unit has been completed. In contrast to the originally planned modifications, the bench unit is now designed based on a computerized control and data acquisition system. All major items of equipment have been received, and prefabrication of assemblies and control panels is proceeding on schedule. Despite a slight delay in the erection of the structural steel, it is anticipated that the bench unit will be operational at the beginning of April 1993.« less

Advanced direct coal liquefaction concepts. Quarterly report, October 1, 1992--December 31, 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berger, D.J.; Parker, R.J.; Simpson, P.L.

During the first quarter of FY 1993, the Project proceeded close to the Project Plan. The analysis of the feed material has been completed as far as possible. Some unplanned distillation was needed to correct the boiling range of the Black Thunder solvent used during the autoclave tests. Additional distillation will be required if the same solvent is to be used for the bench unit tests. A decision on this is still outstanding. The solvent to be used with Illinois No. 6 coal has not yet been defined. As a result, the procurement of the feed and the feed analysismore » is somewhat behind schedule. Agglomeration tests with Black Thunder coal indicates that small agglomerates can be formed. However, the ash removal is quite low (about 10%), which is not surprising in view of the low ash content of the coal. The first series of autoclave tests with Black Thunder coal was completed as planned. Also, additional runs are in progress as repeats of previous runs or at different operating conditions based on the data obtained so far. The results are promising indicating that almost complete solubilization (close to 90%) of Black Thunder coal can be achieved in a CO/H{sub 2}O environment at our anticipated process conditions. The design of the bench unit has been completed. In contrast to the originally planned modifications, the bench unit is now designed based on a computerized control and data acquisition system. All major items of equipment have been received, and prefabrication of assemblies and control panels is proceeding on schedule. Despite a slight delay in the erection of the structural steel, it is anticipated that the bench unit will be operational at the beginning of April 1993.« less

The influence of EI-21 redox ion-exchange resins on the secondary-coolant circuit water chemistry of vehicular nuclear power installations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moskvin, L. N.; Rakov, V. T.

2015-06-01

The results obtained from testing the secondary-coolant circuit water chemistry of full-scale land-based prototype bench models of vehicular nuclear power installations equipped with water-cooled water-moderated and liquid-metal reactor plants are presented. The influence of copper-containing redox ionexchange resins intended for chemically deoxygenating steam condensate on the working fluid circulation loop's water chemistry is determined. The influence of redox ion-exchange resins on the water chemistry is evaluated by generalizing an array of data obtained in the course of extended monitoring using the methods relating to physicochemical analysis of the quality of condensate-feedwater path media and the methods relating to metallographic analysis of the state of a faulty steam generator's tube system surfaces. The deoxygenating effectiveness of the normal state turbine condensate vacuum deaeration system is experimentally determined. The refusal from applying redox ion-exchange resins in the condensate polishing ion-exchange filters is formulated based on the obtained data on the adverse effect of copper-containing redox ionexchange resins on the condensate-feedwater path water chemistry and based on the data testifying a sufficient effect from using the normal state turbine condensate vacuum deaeration system. Data on long-term operation of the prototype bench model of a vehicular nuclear power installation without subjecting the turbine condensate to chemical deoxygenation are presented.

Transverse mixing of conservative and reactive tracers in porous media: Quantification through the concepts of flux-related and critical dilution indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiogna, Gabriele; Cirpka, Olaf A.; Grathwohl, Peter; Rolle, Massimo

2011-02-01

The correct quantification of mixing is of utmost importance for modeling reactive transport in porous media and for assessing the fate and transport of contaminants in the subsurface. An appropriate measure of mixing in heterogeneous porous formations should correctly capture the effects on mixing intensity of various processes at different scales, such as local dispersion and the mixing enhancement due to heterogeneities. In this work, we use the concept of flux-related dilution index as a measure of transverse mixing. This quantity expresses the dilution of the mass flux of a conservative tracer solution over the total discharge of the system, and is particularly suited to address problems where a compound is continuously injected into the domain. We focus our attention on two-dimensional systems under steady state flow conditions and investigate both conservative and reactive transport in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous media at different scales. For mixing-controlled reactive systems, we introduce and illustrate the concept of critical dilution index, which represents the amount of mixing required for complete degradation of a continuously emitted plume undergoing decay upon mixing with ambient water. We perform two-dimensional numerical experiments at bench and field scales in homogeneous and heterogeneous conductivity fields. These numerical simulations show that the flux-related dilution index quantifies mixing and that the concept of critical dilution index is a useful measure to relate the mixing of conservative tracers to mixing-controlled degradation of reactive compounds.

GEOCHEMICAL FACTORS GOVERNING METHYL MERCURY PRODUCTION IN MERCURY CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

Bench scale experiments were conducted to improve our understanding of aquatic mercury transformation processes (biotic and abiotic), specifically those factors which govern the production of methyl mercury (MeHg) in sedimentary environments. The greatest cause for concern regar...

Evaluation of mechanical and corrosion properties of MMFX reinforcing steel for concrete

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

The corrosion performance of MMFX and conventional reinforcing steels is compared based on macrocell and bench-scale tests. The conventional steel includes epoxy-coated and uncoated bars. Macrocell tests are conducted on bare bars and bars symmetrica...

BENCH-SCALE PERFORMANCE OF PARTITIONING ELECTRON DONORS FOR TCE DNAPL BIOREMEDIATION

EPA Science Inventory

The objective of the Source Area Bioremediation (SABRE) project, an international collaboration of twelve companies, two government agencies and three research institutions, is to evaluate the performance of enhanced anaerobic bioremediation for the treatment of chlorinated ethen...

Sustainability of the Catalytic Activity of a Silica-Titania Composite (STC) for Long-Term Indoor Air Quality Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coutts, Janelle L.; Levine, Lanfang H.; Richards, Jeffrey T.

2011-01-01

TiO2-assisted photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is an emerging technology for indoor air quality control and is also being evaluated as an alternative trace contaminant control technology for crew habitats in space exploration. Though there exists a vast range of literature on the development of photocatalysts and associated reactor systems, including catalyst performance and performance-influencing factors, the critical question of whether photocatalysts can sustain their initial catalytic activity over an extended period of operation has not been adequately addressed. For a catalyst to effectively serve as an air quality control product, it must be rugged enough to withstand exposure to a multitude of low concentration volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over long periods of time with minimal loss of activity. The objective of this study was to determine the functional lifetime of a promising photocatalyst - the silica-titania composite (STC) from Sol Gel Solutions, LLC in a real-world scenario. A bench-scale STC-packed annular reactor under continuous irradiation by a UV-A fluorescent black-light blue lamp ((lambda)max = 365 nm) was exposed to laboratory air continuously at an apparent contact time of 0.27 sand challenged with a known concentration of ethanol periodically to assess any changes in catalytic activity. Laboratory air was also episodically spiked with halocarbons (e.g., octafluoropropane), organosulfur compounds (e.g., sulfur hexafluoride), and organosilicons (e.g., siloxanes) to simulate accidental releases or leaks of such VOCs. Total organic carbon (TOC) loading and contaminant profiles of the laboratory air were also monitored. Changes in STC photocatalytic performance were evaluated using the ethanol mineralization rate, mineralization efficiency, and oxidation intermediate (acetaldehyde) formation. Results provide insights to any potential catalyst poisoning by trace halocarbons and organosulfur compounds.

An Ownership/Lease Cost Comparison Analysis of Heavy Equipment Motor Vehicles in Air Force Materiel Command

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

costs are the costs associated with a particular piece of equipment that do not change despite change in variable operating cost ( Horngren and Foster...The Operating and maintenance costs account for direct and indirect costs associated with their respective functions and vary with the utilization of...each vehicle. The operating direct cost includes all on-base and off- base fuel cost . Indirect operations costs account for bench 28 stock items

Reducing Risk in CO2 Sequestration: A Framework for Integrated Monitoring of Basin Scale Injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seto, C. J.; Haidari, A. S.; McRae, G. J.

2009-12-01

Geological sequestration of CO2 is an option for stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Technical ability to safely store CO2 in the subsurface has been demonstrated through pilot projects and a long history of enhanced oil recovery and acid gas disposal operations. To address climate change, current injection operations must be scaled up by a factor of 100, raising issues of safety and security. Monitoring and verification is an essential component in ensuring safe operations and managing risk. Monitoring provides assurance that CO2 is securely stored in the subsurface, and the mechanisms governing transport and storage are well understood. It also provides an early warning mechanism for identification of anomalies in performance, and a means for intervention and remediation through the ability to locate the CO2. Through theoretical studies, bench scale experiments and pilot tests, a number of technologies have demonstrated their ability to monitor CO2 in the surface and subsurface. Because the focus of these studies has been to demonstrate feasibility, individual techniques have not been integrated to provide a more robust method for monitoring. Considering the large volumes required for injection, size of the potential footprint, length of time a project must be monitored and uncertainty, operational considerations of cost and risk must balance safety and security. Integration of multiple monitoring techniques will reduce uncertainty in monitoring injected CO2, thereby reducing risk. We present a framework for risk management of large scale injection through model based monitoring network design. This framework is applied to monitoring CO2 in a synthetic reservoir where there is uncertainty in the underlying permeability field controlling fluid migration. Deformation and seismic data are used to track plume migration. A modified Ensemble Kalman filter approach is used to estimate flow properties by jointly assimilating flow and geomechanical observations. Issues of risk, cost and uncertainty are considered.

Development of Fuzzy Logic Controller for Quanser Bench-Top Helicopter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafri, M. H.; Mansor, H.; Gunawan, T. S.

2017-11-01

Bench-top helicopter is a laboratory scale helicopter that usually used as a testing bench of the real helicopter behavior. This helicopter is a 3 Degree of Freedom (DOF) helicopter which works by three different axes wshich are elevation, pitch and travel. Thus, fuzzy logic controller has been proposed to be implemented into Quanser bench-top helicopter because of its ability to work with non-linear system. The objective for this project is to design and apply fuzzy logic controller for Quanser bench-top helicopter. Other than that, fuzzy logic controller performance system has been simulated to analyze and verify its behavior over existing PID controller by using Matlab & Simulink software. In this research, fuzzy logic controller has been designed to control the elevation angle. After simulation has been performed, it can be seen that simulation result shows that fuzzy logic elevation control is working for 4°, 5° and 6°. These three angles produce zero steady state error and has a fast response. Other than that, performance comparisons have been performed between fuzzy logic controller and PID controller. Fuzzy logic elevation control has a better performance compared to PID controller where lower percentage overshoot and faster settling time have been achieved in 4°, 5° and 6° step response test. Both controller are have zero steady state error but fuzzy logic controller is managed to produce a better performance in term of settling time and percentage overshoot which make the proposed controller is reliable compared to the existing PID controller.

Cost effective and advanced phosphorus removal in membrane bioreactors for a decentralised wastewater technology.

PubMed

Gnirss, R; Lesjean, B; Adam, C; Buisson, H

2003-01-01

Future stringent phosphorus regulations (down to 50 microg/L in some cases) together with the availability of more cost effective and/or innovative membrane processes, are the bases for this project. In contrast to conventional activated sludge plants, process parameters are not optimised and especially enhanced biological phosphorus (Bio-P) removal in membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are not proven yet. Current practice of P-removal in MBRs is the addition of coagulants in a co-precipitation mode. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal, when adapted to MBR technology, might be a cost-effective process. For very stringent effluent criteria additional P-adsorption on activated clay after membrane filtration can be also an interesting solution. The objective of this research project is to identify and test various phosphorus removal processes or process combinations, including MBR technologies. This should enable us to establish efficient and cost effective P-removal strategies for upgrading small sewage treatment units (up to 10,000 PE), as needed in some decentralised areas of Berlin. In particular, enhanced Bio-P removal technology was developed and optimised in MBR. Combinations of co-precipitation and post-adsorption will be tested when low P-values down to 50 microg/L are required in the effluent. One MBR bench-scale plant of 200 to 250 L and two MBR pilot plants of 1 to 3 m3 each were operated in parallel to a conventional wastewater treatment plant (Ruhleben WWTP, Berlin, Germany). The MBR bench-scale and pilot plants were operated under sludge ages of respectively 15 and 25 days. In both cases, Bio-P was possible, and phosphorus effluent concentration of about 0.1 mg/L could be achieved. A similar effluent quality was observed with the conventional WWTP. Investigations with lab columns indicated that P-adsorption could lead to concentrations down to 50 microg/L and no particle accumulation occurred in the filter media. The three tested materials exhibited great differences in break-through curves. Granulated ferric hydroxyde (GEH) showed higher capacity than activated alumina and FerroSorpPlus.

Fixture for winding transformers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mclyman, M. T.

1980-01-01

Bench-mounted fixture assists operator in winding toroid-shaped transformer cores. Toroid is rigidly held in place as wires are looped around. Arrangement frees both hands for rapid winding and untangling of wires that occurs when core is hand held.

Extracorporeal CO2 removal by hemodialysis: in vitro model and feasibility.

PubMed

May, Alexandra G; Sen, Ayan; Cove, Matthew E; Kellum, John A; Federspiel, William J

2017-12-01

Critically ill patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often develop hypercapnia and require mechanical ventilation. Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal can manage hypercarbia by removing carbon dioxide directly from the bloodstream. Respiratory hemodialysis uses traditional hemodialysis to remove CO 2 from the blood, mainly as bicarbonate. In this study, Stewart's approach to acid-base chemistry was used to create a dialysate that would maintain blood pH while removing CO 2 as well as determine the blood and dialysate flow rates necessary to remove clinically relevant CO 2 volumes. Bench studies were performed using a scaled down respiratory hemodialyzer in bovine or porcine blood. The scaling factor for the bench top experiments was 22.5. In vitro dialysate flow rates ranged from 2.2 to 24 mL/min (49.5-540 mL/min scaled up) and blood flow rates were set at 11 and 18.7 mL/min (248-421 mL/min scaled up). Blood inlet CO 2 concentrations were set at 50 and 100 mmHg. Results are reported as scaled up values. The CO 2 removal rate was highest at intermittent hemodialysis blood and dialysate flow rates. At an inlet pCO 2 of 50 mmHg, the CO 2 removal rate increased from 62.6 ± 4.8 to 77.7 ± 3 mL/min when the blood flow rate increased from 248 to 421 mL/min. At an inlet pCO 2 of 100 mmHg, the device was able to remove up to 117.8 ± 3.8 mL/min of CO 2 . None of the test conditions caused the blood pH to decrease, and increases were ≤0.08. When the bench top data is scaled up, the system removes a therapeutic amount of CO 2 standard intermittent hemodialysis flow rates. The zero bicarbonate dialysate did not cause acidosis in the post-dialyzer blood. These results demonstrate that, with further development, respiratory hemodialysis can be a minimally invasive extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal treatment option.

46 CFR 194.15-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS HANDLING, USE, AND CONTROL OF EXPLOSIVES AND OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Chemistry Laboratory and Scientific Laboratory § 194.15-1 General..., such as desks, file and storage cabinets, waste paper baskets, work benches, chair frames, etc. Working...

46 CFR 194.15-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS HANDLING, USE, AND CONTROL OF EXPLOSIVES AND OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Chemistry Laboratory and Scientific Laboratory § 194.15-1 General..., such as desks, file and storage cabinets, waste paper baskets, work benches, chair frames, etc. Working...

46 CFR 194.15-1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS HANDLING, USE, AND CONTROL OF EXPLOSIVES AND OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Chemistry Laboratory and Scientific Laboratory § 194.15-1 General..., such as desks, file and storage cabinets, waste paper baskets, work benches, chair frames, etc. Working...

Influence of high gas production during thermophilic anaerobic digestion in pilot-scale and lab-scale reactors on survival of the thermotolerant pathogens Clostridium perfringens and Campylobacter jejuni in piggery wastewater.

PubMed

Skillman, L C; Bajsa, O; Ho, L; Santhanam, B; Kumar, M; Ho, G

2009-07-01

Safe reuse of animal wastes to capture energy and nutrients, through anaerobic digestion processes, is becoming an increasingly desirable solution to environmental pollution. Pathogen decay is the most important safety consideration and is in general, improved at elevated temperatures and longer hydraulic residence times. During routine sampling to assess pathogen decay in thermophilic digestion, an inversely proportional relationship between levels of Clostridium perfringens and gas production was observed. Further samples were collected from pilot-scale, bench-scale thermophilic reactors and batch scale vials to assess whether gas production (predominantly methane) could be a useful indicator of decay of the thermotolerant pathogens C. perfringens and Campylobacter jejuni. Pathogen levels did appear to be lower where gas production and levels of methanogens were higher. This was evident at each operating temperature (50, 57, 65 degrees C) in the pilot-scale thermophilic digesters, although higher temperatures also reduced the numbers of pathogens detected. When methane production was higher, either when feed rate was increased, or pH was lowered from 8.2 (piggery wastewater) to 6.5, lower numbers of pathogens were detected. Although a number of related factors are known to influence the amount and rate of methane production, it may be a useful indicator of the removal of the pathogens C. perfringens and C. jejuni.

Affinity adsorption of cells to surfaces and strategies for cell detachment.

PubMed

Hubble, John

2007-01-01

The use of bio-specific interactions for the separation and recovery of bio-molecules is now widely established and in many cases the technique has successfully crossed the divide between bench and process scale operation. Although the major specificity advantage of affinity-based separations also applies to systems intended for cell fractionation, developments in this area have been slower. Many of the problems encountered result from attempts to take techniques developed for molecular systems and, with only minor modification to the conditions used, apply them for the separation of cells. This approach tends to ignore or at least trivialise the problems, which arise from the heterogeneous nature of a cell suspension and the multivalent nature of the cell/surface interaction. To develop viable separation processes on a larger scale, effective contacting strategies are required in separators that also allow detachment or recovery protocols that overcome the enhanced binding strength generated by multivalent interactions. The effects of interaction valency on interaction strength needs to be assessed and approaches developed to allow effective detachment and recovery of adsorbed cells without compromising cell viability. This article considers the influence of operating conditions on cell attachment and the extent to which multivalent interactions determine the strength of cell binding and subsequent detachment.

Small-Scale Coal-Biomass to Liquids Production Using Highly Selective Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gangwal, Santosh K.; McCabe, Kevin

2015-04-30

The research project advanced coal-to-liquids (CTL) and coal-biomass to liquids (CBTL) processes by testing and validating Chevron’s highly selective and active cobalt-zeolite hybrid Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalyst to convert gasifier syngas predominantly to gasoline, jet fuel and diesel range hydrocarbon liquids, thereby eliminating expensive wax upgrading operations The National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) operated by Southern Company (SC) at Wilsonville, Alabama served as the host site for the gasifier slip-stream testing/demonstration. Southern Research designed, installed and commissioned a bench scale skid mounted FT reactor system (SR-CBTL test rig) that was fully integrated with a slip stream from SC/NCCC’s transport integrated gasifiermore » (TRIG TM). The test-rig was designed to receive up to 5 lb/h raw syngas augmented with bottled syngas to adjust the H 2/CO molar ratio to 2, clean it to cobalt FT catalyst specifications, and produce liquid FT products at the design capacity of 2 to 4 L/day. It employed a 2-inch diameter boiling water jacketed fixed-bed heat-exchange FT reactor incorporating Chevron’s catalyst in Intramicron’s high thermal conductivity micro-fibrous entrapped catalyst (MFEC) packing to efficiently remove heat produced by the highly exothermic FT reaction.« less

Flight test of a full authority Digital Electronic Engine Control system in an F-15 aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barrett, W. J.; Rembold, J. P.; Burcham, F. W.; Myers, L.

1981-01-01

The Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC) system considered is a relatively low cost digital full authority control system containing selectively redundant components and fault detection logic with capability for accommodating faults to various levels of operational capability. The DEEC digital control system is built around a 16-bit, 1.2 microsecond cycle time, CMOS microprocessor, microcomputer system with approximately 14 K of available memory. Attention is given to the control mode, component bench testing, closed loop bench testing, a failure mode and effects analysis, sea-level engine testing, simulated altitude engine testing, flight testing, the data system, cockpit, and real time display.

EFFECT OF SOOT AND COPPER COMBUSTOR DEPOSITS ON DIOXIN EMISSIONS

EPA Science Inventory

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effects of residual soot and copper combustor deposits on the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) during the combustion of a chlorinated waste. In a bench-scale set...

DEVELOPMENT OF SRB TREATMENT SYSTEMS FOR ACID MINE DRAINAGE

EPA Science Inventory

Over the past decade, significant advances have been made in the development of sulfate- reducing bacteria (SRB) technology to treat acid mine drainage (AMD), Bench-scale testing, field demonstrations, and engineered applications of SRBs for the treatment of AMD will be presented...

DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF BENCH-SCALE COMPOST TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE

EPA Science Inventory

Soil bound contamination presents a significant set of problems to those attempting to remediate the soil. Bioremediation has received considerable attention, as a potential answer to the obvious remediation needs. Composting technology represents a promising means to use indigen...

Bacterial Mercury Methylation At The Sediment-Water Interface Of Mercury Contaminated Sediments

EPA Science Inventory

Bench scale experiments were conducted to improve our understanding of bacterial mediation of mercury transformation (methylation), specifically those factors which govern the production of methyl mercury (MeHg) at the sediment-water interface. The greatest cause for concern re...

Low temperature fluidized wood chip drying with monoterpene analysis

Treesearch

Bridget N. Bero; Alarick Reiboldt; Ward Davis; Natalie Bedard; Evan Russell

2011-01-01

This paper describes the drying of ponderosa pine wood chips at low (20°C and 50°C) temperatures using a bench-scale batch pulsed fluidizer to evaluate both volatile pine oils (monoterpenes) and moisture losses during drying.

Removal and Transformation of Estrogens During the Coagulation Process

EPA Science Inventory

Estrogenic compounds have been shown to be present in surface waters, leading to concerns over the possible presence of endocrine disrupting compounds in finished drinking waters. Bench-scale studies (jar tests) simulating coagulation were conducted to evaluate the ability of tw...

FILTRATION MODEL FOR COAL FLY ASH WITH GLASS FABRICS

EPA Science Inventory

The report describes a new mathematical model for predicting woven glass filter performance with coal fly ash aerosols from utility boilers. Its data base included: an extensive bench- and pilot-scale laboratory investigation of several dust/fabric combinations; field data from t...

Cyanobacteria, Toxins and Indicators: Field Monitoring,Treatment Facility Monitoring and Treatment Studies

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation is a compilation of harmful algal bloom (HAB) related field monitoring data from the 2015 bloom season, treatment plant monitoring data from the 2013 and 2014 bloom seasons, and bench-scale treatment study data from 2015.

PHYSICAL SOLUTIONS FOR ACID MINE DRAINAGE AT REMOTE MINE SITES

EPA Science Inventory

After completing extensive bench-scale testing to determine optimum treatment approaches, the technology has been taken to the field. Preliminary results show that calcium hydroxide precipitates the bulk of the arsenic and zinc; the granular ferric hydroxide removes the rest of ...

BENCH-SCALE EVALUATION OF AMMONIA REMOVAL FROM WASTEWATER BY STEAM STRIPPING

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the study was to generate laboratory data to support the development of wastewater discharge standards for ammonia in nonferrous metal winning processes. The objective was accomplished by studying ammonia removal from synthetically compounded 'wastewater' samples u...

Latest developments at the ALBA magnetic measurements laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcos, J.; Massana, V.; García, L.; Campmany, J.

2018-02-01

ALBA is a third-generation synchrotron light source that has been in operation since 2012 near Barcelona. A magnetic measurements laboratory has been associated with the facility since its very early stages and has been active for the last 20 years. In the first part of this work, the different instruments available at the laboratory are described, and a brief overview of the measurement campaigns carried out during its 20 years of history is presented. In the second part, a more detailed description of the approach to Hall probe measurements adopted at ALBA is offered, with an explanation of the methods and ancillary equipment that have been developed along the years in order to improve the accuracy of the system. In the third part, a new concept of Hall probe bench devoted to the measurement of closed structures is presented. The in-house design and building of a prototype for such a bench is described, together with its mechanical and magnetic characterization. As a conclusion, the first results obtained with this bench are discussed.

Self-Rated Accuracy of Rating of Perceived Exertion-Based Load Prescription in Powerlifters.

PubMed

Helms, Eric R; Brown, Scott R; Cross, Matt R; Storey, Adam; Cronin, John; Zourdos, Michael C

2017-10-01

This study assessed male (n = 9) and female (n = 3) powerlifters' (18-49 years) ability to select loads using the repetitions in reserve-based rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale for a single set for squat, bench press, and deadlift. Subjects trained 3× per week. For 3 weeks on nonconsecutive days in the weekly order of hypertrophy (8 repetitions at 8 RPE), power (2 repetitions at 8 RPE), and strength (3 repetitions at 9 RPE), using subject-selected loads intended to match the target RPE. Bench press and squat were performed every session and deadlift during strength and power only. Mean absolute RPE differences (|reported RPE-target RPE|) ranged from 0.22-0.44, with a mean of 0.33 ± 0.28 RPE. There were no significant RPE differences within lifts between sessions for squat or deadlift. However, bench press was closer to the target RPE for strength (0.15 ± 0.42 RPE) vs. power (-0.21 ± 0.35 RPE, p = 0.05). There were no significant differences within session between lifts for power and strength. However, bench press was closer (0.14 ± 0.44 RPE) to the target RPE than squat (-0.19 ± 0.21 RPE) during hypertrophy (p = 0.02). Squat power was closer to the target RPE in week 3 (0.08 ± 0.29 RPE) vs. 1 (-0.46 ± 0.69 RPE, p = 0.03). It seems that powerlifters can accurately select loads to reach a prescribed RPE. However, accuracy for 8-repetition sets at 8 RPE may be better for bench press compared with squat. Rating squat power-type training may take 3 weeks to reach peak accuracy. Finally, bench press RPE accuracy seems better closer rather than further from failure (i.e., 3-repetition 9 RPE sets vs. 2-repetition 8 RPE sets).

Highly attrition-resistant zinc oxide-based sorbents for H{sub 2}S removal by spray-drying technique

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, J.B.; Baek, J.I.; Ryu, C.K.

2008-07-15

A ZnO-based sorbent, ZAC 32N, applicable to transport reactors was successfully prepared by the spray-drying technique. Another sorbent, ZAC 32SU, was prepared by scale-up preparation of ZAC 32N sorbent. The physical properties of the sorbents such as attrition resistance, specific surface area, pore volume, and particle size were extensively characterized and exhibited a good potential for use in transport applications. The chemical reactivity tested in the thermogravimetric analyzer and microreactor exhibited desirable characteristics for effective desulfurization of syngas streams in the range of 450-550{sup o}C. Bench-scale tests for the sorbent ZAC 32SU were performed for a continuous 160 h withmore » a steady solid circulation of 54.6 kg/h. The results showed 99.5%+ desulfurization at 500-550{sup o}C and reasonable regenerability at 550-620{sup o}C. Test results on the physical properties and chemical reactivity indicated that the performance of developed sorbents proved to be outstanding.« less

Development of ITM oxygen technology for integration in IGCC and other advanced power generation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Armstrong, Phillip A.

2015-03-31

Ion Transport Membrane (ITM) technology is based on the oxygen-ion-conducting properties of certain mixed-metal oxide ceramic materials that can separate oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas, such as air, under a suitable driving force. The “ITM Oxygen” air separation system that results from the use of such ceramic membranes produces a hot, pure oxygen stream and a hot, pressurized, oxygen-depleted stream from which significant amounts of energy can be extracted. Accordingly, the technology integrates well with other high-temperature processes, including power generation. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., the Recipient, in conjunction with a dozen subcontractors, developed ITM Oxygen technology under thismore » five-phase Cooperative Agreement from the laboratory bench scale to implementation in a pilot plant capable of producing power and 100 tons per day (TPD) of purified oxygen. A commercial-scale membrane module manufacturing facility (the “CerFab”), sized to support a conceptual 2000 TPD ITM Oxygen Development Facility (ODF), was also established and operated under this Agreement. In the course of this work, the team developed prototype ceramic production processes and a robust planar ceramic membrane architecture based on a novel ceramic compound capable of high oxygen fluxes. The concept and feasibility of the technology was thoroughly established through laboratory pilot-scale operations testing commercial-scale membrane modules run under industrial operating conditions with compelling lifetime and reliability performance that supported further scale-up. Auxiliary systems, including contaminant mitigation, process controls, heat exchange, turbo-machinery, combustion, and membrane pressure vessels were extensively investigated and developed. The Recipient and subcontractors developed efficient process cycles that co-produce oxygen and power based on compact, low-cost ITMs. Process economics assessments show significant benefits relative to state-of-the-art cryogenic air separation technology in energy-intensive applications such as IGCC with and without carbon capture.« less

Can Energy Cost During Low-Intensity Resistance Exercise be Predicted by the OMNI-RES Scale?

PubMed Central

Vianna, Jefferson M.; Reis, Victor M.; Saavedra, Francisco; Damasceno, Vinicius; Silva, Sérgio G.; Goss, Fredric

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the precision of the OMNI-RES scale to predict energy cost (EC) at low intensity in four resistance exercises (RE). 17 male recreational body builders (age = 26.6 ± 4.9 years; height = 177.7 ± 0.1 cm; body weight = 79.0 ± 11.1 kg and percent body fat = 10.5 ± 4.6%) served as subjects. Initially tests to determine 1RM for four resistance exercises (bench press, half squat, lat pull down and triceps extension) were administered. Subjects also performed resistance exercise at 12, 16, 20, and 24% of 1RM at a rate of 40 bpm until volitional exhaustion. Oxygen uptake (VO2) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) using the OMNI-RES were obtained during and after all RE. EC was calculated using VO2 and the caloric values of VO2 for non-protein RER. Regression analyses were performed for every RE, using EC as the dependent and RPE as the predictor variable. The triceps extension, lat pull down and bench press, RPE correlated strongly with EC (R > 0.97) and predicted EC with a error of less than 0.2 kcal.min−1. In conclusion, RPE using the OMNI-RES scale can be considered as an accurate indicator of EC in the bench press, lat pull down and triceps extension performed by recreational bodybuilders, provided lower intensities are used (up to 24% of 1-RM) and provided each set of exercise is performed for the maximal sustainable duration. It would be interesting in future studies to consider having the subjects exercise at low intensities for longer durations than those in the present study. PMID:23486188

Bench-scale screening tests for a boiling sodium-potassium alloy solar receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreno, J. B.; Moss, T. A.

1993-06-01

Bench-scale tests were carried out in support of the design of a second-generation 75-kW(sub t) reflux pool-boiler solar receiver. The receiver will be made from Haynes Alloy 230 and will contain the sodium-potassium alloy NaK-78. The bench-scale tests used quartz lamp heated boilers to screen candidate boiling stabilization materials and methods at temperatures up to 750 degree C. Candidates that provided stable boiling were tested for hot-restart behavior. Poor stability was obtained with single 1/4-inch diameter patches of powdered metal hot press sintered onto the wetted side of the heat-input area. Laser-drilled and electric discharge machined cavities in the heated surface also performed poorly. Small additions of xenon, and heated-surface tilt out of the vertical, dramatically improved poor boiling stability; additions of helium or oxygen did not. The most stable boiling was obtained when the entire heat-input area was covered by a powdered-metal coating. The effect of heated-area size was assessed for one coating: at low incident fluxes, when even this coating performed poorly, increasing the heated-area size markedly improved boiling stability. Good hot-restart behavior was not observed with any candidate, although results were significantly better with added xenon in a boiler shortened from 3 to 2 feet. In addition to the screening tests, flash-radiography imaging of metal-vapor bubbles during boiling was attempted. Contrary to the Cole-Rohsenow correlation, these bubble-size estimates did not vary with pressure; instead they were constant, consistent with the only other alkali metal measurements, but about 1/2 their size.

Fixture facilitates soldering operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, C. M.

1968-01-01

Soldering fixture, designed for printed circuit cards, is a basic bench-mounted, self-contained integral unit combining all soldering needs into a compact, readily available work station. All tools, materials, and accessories are available to provide an ideal station to perform critical soldering.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alptekin, Gokhan

The overall objective of the proposed research is to develop a low cost, high capacity CO{sub 2} sorbent and demonstrate its technical and economic viability for pre-combustion CO{sub 2} capture. The specific objectives supporting our research plan were to optimize the chemical structure and physical properties of the sorbent, scale-up its production using high throughput manufacturing equipment and bulk raw materials and then evaluate its performance, first in bench-scale experiments and then in slipstream tests using actual coal-derived synthesis gas. One of the objectives of the laboratory-scale evaluations was to demonstrate the life and durability of the sorbent for overmore » 10,000 cycles and to assess the impact of contaminants (such as sulfur) on its performance. In the field tests, our objective was to demonstrate the operation of the sorbent using actual coal-derived synthesis gas streams generated by air-blown and oxygen-blown commercial and pilot-scale coal gasifiers (the CO{sub 2} partial pressure in these gas streams is significantly different, which directly impacts the operating conditions hence the performance of the sorbent). To support the field demonstration work, TDA collaborated with Phillips 66 and Southern Company to carry out two separate field tests using actual coal-derived synthesis gas at the Wabash River IGCC Power Plant in Terre Haute, IN and the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) in Wilsonville, AL. In collaboration with the University of California, Irvine (UCI), a detailed engineering and economic analysis for the new CO{sub 2} capture system was also proposed to be carried out using Aspen PlusTM simulation software, and estimate its effect on the plant efficiency.« less

The UNIQUe Label: Supporting a Culture of Innovation and Quality in Higher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boonen, Annemie; Bijnens, Helena

European higher education institutions will need significant reforms, in order to guarantee their leading role in a globalized knowledge economy. These reforms can be enhanced by improving the way in which traditional universities integrate new technologies both in their educational activities and throughout their strategic and operational processes. The UNIQUe institutional accreditation scheme, analyzed and described in this chapter, intends to support this process of integrating the use of new technologies in higher education. With its specific open approach to quality in e-Learning, UNIQUe emphasizes innovation and creativity in a process that includes self-assessment and constructive dialog with peers and stakeholders involved. UNIQUe intends to use the institutional quality label as a catalyst for continuous improvement and change while setting up collaborative bench learning processes among universities for the adoption and integration of e-Learning.

Hollow Fibers Structured Packings in Olefin/Paraffin Distillation: Apparatus Scale-Up and Long-Term Stability

DOE PAGES

Yang, Dali; Le, Loan; Martinez, Ronald; ...

2013-06-21

Following the conceptual demonstration of high separation efficiency and column capacity obtained in olefin/paraffin distillation using hollow fiber structured packings (HFSPs) in a bench scale (J. Membr. Sci.2006, 2007, and 2010), we scaled-up this process with a 10-fold increase in the internal flow rate and a 3-fold increase in the module length. We confirmed that the HFSPs technology gives high separation efficiency and column capacity in iso-/n-butane distillation for 18 months. We systematically investigated the effects of packing density, concentration of light component, reflux ratio, and module age on the separation efficiency and operating stability. The comprehensive characterizations using scanningmore » electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were carried out to probe the changes in the morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) hollow fibers over the aging process. Our results suggest that after a long-term exposure to light hydrocarbon environments at ≤70 °C the morphological and mechanical properties of the PP polymer do not degrade significantly in a propane/propylene and iso-/n-butane environment.« less

Phosphate Recovery from Human Waste via the Formation of Hydroxyapatite during Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Electrolysis of toilet wastewater with TiO2-coated semiconductor anodes and stainless steel cathodes is a potentially viable onsite sanitation solution in parts of the world without infrastructure for centralized wastewater treatment. In addition to treating toilet wastewater, pilot-scale and bench-scale experiments demonstrated that electrolysis can remove phosphate by cathodic precipitation as hydroxyapatite at no additional energy cost. Phosphate removal could be predicted based on initial phosphate and calcium concentrations, and up to 80% total phosphate removal was achieved. While calcium was critical for phosphate removal, magnesium and bicarbonate had only minor impacts on phosphate removal rates at concentrations typical of toilet wastewater. Optimal conditions for phosphate removal were 3 to 4 h treatment at about 5 mA cm–2 (∼3.4 V), with greater than 20 m2 m–3 electrode surface area to reactor volume ratios. Pilot-scale systems are currently operated under similar conditions, suggesting that phosphate removal can be viewed as an ancillary benefit of electrochemical wastewater treatment, adding utility to the process without requiring additional energy inputs. Further value may be provided by designing reactors to recover precipitated hydroxyapatite for use as a low solubility phosphorus-rich fertilizer. PMID:29607266

Phosphate Recovery from Human Waste via the Formation of Hydroxyapatite during Electrochemical Wastewater Treatment.

PubMed

Cid, Clément A; Jasper, Justin T; Hoffmann, Michael R

2018-03-05

Electrolysis of toilet wastewater with TiO 2 -coated semiconductor anodes and stainless steel cathodes is a potentially viable onsite sanitation solution in parts of the world without infrastructure for centralized wastewater treatment. In addition to treating toilet wastewater, pilot-scale and bench-scale experiments demonstrated that electrolysis can remove phosphate by cathodic precipitation as hydroxyapatite at no additional energy cost. Phosphate removal could be predicted based on initial phosphate and calcium concentrations, and up to 80% total phosphate removal was achieved. While calcium was critical for phosphate removal, magnesium and bicarbonate had only minor impacts on phosphate removal rates at concentrations typical of toilet wastewater. Optimal conditions for phosphate removal were 3 to 4 h treatment at about 5 mA cm -2 (∼3.4 V), with greater than 20 m 2 m -3 electrode surface area to reactor volume ratios. Pilot-scale systems are currently operated under similar conditions, suggesting that phosphate removal can be viewed as an ancillary benefit of electrochemical wastewater treatment, adding utility to the process without requiring additional energy inputs. Further value may be provided by designing reactors to recover precipitated hydroxyapatite for use as a low solubility phosphorus-rich fertilizer.

Validation of cross-contamination control in biological safety cabinet for biotech/pharmaceutical manufacturing process.

PubMed

Hu, Shih-Cheng; Shiue, Angus; Tu, Jin-Xin; Liu, Han-Yang; Chiu, Rong-Ben

2015-12-01

For class II, type A2 biological safety cabinets (BSC), NSF/ANSI Standard 49 should be conformed in cabinet airflow velocity derivation, particle contamination, and aerodynamic flow properties. However, there exists a potential problem. It has been built that the cabinet air flow stabilize is influenced by the quantity of downflow of air and the height above the cabinet exhaust opening. Three air downflow quantities were compared as an operating apparatus was placed from 20 to 40 cm above the bench of the cabinet. The results show that the BSC air downflow velocity is a function of increased sampling height, displaying that containment is improvingly permitted over product protection as the sampling height decreases. This study investigated the concentration gradient of particles at various heights and downflow air quantity from the bench of the BSC. Experiment results indicate that performance near the bench was better than in the rest of the BSC. In terms of height, the best cleanliness was measured at a height of 10 cm over the bench; it reduced actually with add in height. The empirical curves accommodate, founded on the concentration gradient of particle created was elaborated for evaluating the particle concentration at different heights and downflow air quantity from the source of the bench of the BSC. The particle image velocimetry system applied for BSC airflow research to fix amount of airflow patterns and air distribution measurement and results of measurements show how obstructions can greatly influence the airflow and contaminant transportation in a BSC.

NaK pool-boiler bench-scale receiver durability test: Test results and materials analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andraka, C.E.; Goods, S.H.; Bradshaw, R.W.

1994-06-01

Pool-boiler reflux receivers have been considered as an alternative to heat pipes for the input of concentrated solar energy to Stirling-cycle engines in dish-Stirling electric generation systems. Pool boilers offer simplicity in design and fabrication. The operation of a full-scale pool-boiler receiver has been demonstrated for short periods of time. However, to generate cost-effective electricity, the receiver must operate Without significant maintenance for the entire system life, as much as 20 to 30 years. Long-term liquid-metal boiling stability and materials compatibility with refluxing NaK-78 is not known and must be determined for the pool boiler receiver. No boiling system hasmore » been demonstrated for a significant duration with the current porous boiling enhancement surface and materials. Therefore, it is necessary to simulate the full-scale pool boiler design as much as possible, including flux levels, materials, and operating cycles. On-sun testing is impractical because of the limited test time available. A test vessel was constructed with a porous boiling enhancement surface. The boiling surface consisted of a brazed stainless steel powder with about 50% porosity. The vessel was heated with a quartz lamp array providing about go W/CM2 peak incident thermal flux. The vessel was charged with NaK-78. This allows the elimination of costly electric preheating, both on this test and on fullscale receivers. The vessel was fabricated from Haynes 230 alloy. The vessel operated at 750{degrees}C around the clock, with a 1/2-hour shutdown cycle to ambient every 8 hours. The test completed 7500 hours of lamp-on operation time, and over 1000 startups from ambient. The test was terminated when a small leak in an Inconel 600 thermowell was detected. The test design and data are presented here. Metallurgical analysis of virgin and tested materials has begun, and initial results are also presented.« less

Comparative research on phosphorus removal by pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands using steel slag and modified steel slag as substrates.

PubMed

Yun, Yupan; Zhou, Xiaoqin; Li, Zifu; Uddin, Sayed Mohammad Nazim; Bai, Xiaofeng

2015-01-01

This research mainly focused on the phosphorus removal performance of pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands with steel slag (SS) and modified steel slag (MSS). First, bench-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the phosphorus adsorption capacity. Results showed that the Langmuir model could better describe the adsorption characteristics of the two materials; the maximum adsorption of MSS reached 12.7 mg/g, increasing by 34% compared to SS (9.5 mg/g). Moreover, pilot-scale constructed wetlands with SS and MSS were set up outdoors. Then, the influence of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and phosphorus concentration in phosphorus removal for two wetlands were investigated. Results revealed that better performance of the two systems could be achieved with an HRT of 2 d and phosphorus concentration in the range of 3-4.5 mg/L; the system with MSS had a better removal efficiency than the one with SS in the same control operation. Finally, the study implied that MSS could be used as a promising substrate for wetlands to treat wastewater with a high phosphorus concentration. However, considering energy consumption, SS could be regarded as a better alternative for substrate when treating sewage with a low phosphorus concentration.

Transitioning Active Flow Control to Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joslin, Ronald D.; Horta, Lucas G.; Chen, Fang-Jenq

1999-01-01

Active Flow Control Programs at NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and DARPA have been initiated with the goals of obtaining revolutionary advances in aerodynamic performance and maneuvering compared to conventional approaches. These programs envision the use of actuators, sensors, and controllers on applications such as aircraft wings/tails, engine nacelles, internal ducts, nozzles, projectiles, weapons bays, and hydrodynamic vehicles. Anticipated benefits of flow control include reduced weight, part count, and operating cost and reduced fuel burn (and emissions), noise and enhanced safety if the sensors serve a dual role of flow control and health monitoring. To get from the bench-top or laboratory test to adaptive distributed control systems on realistic applications, reliable validated design tools are needed in addition to sub- and large-scale wind-tunnel and flight experiments. This paper will focus on the development of tools for active flow control applications.

Electrodeposition in microgravity: Ground-based experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riley, C.; Coble, H. D.

1982-01-01

Electrodeposition was studied at one-hundreth g and compared with bench studies at 1 g. The low gravity was achieved during KC-135 aircraft parobolic flights. Flow in a simple cobalt cell (1 M CoSO4) operating under typical commercial conditions (10 to 20 mA/sq cm and 1 V) was monitored with a Schlieren optical system. Natural convection was absent at one-hundreth g. Quantitative comparisons on a cobalt cell with shielded electrodes using interferometry were carried out. Fringe shift differences indicate greater semi-infinite linear diffusion at 1 g than at one-hundreth g for cobalt. Since a shielded electrode operates under diffusion controlled conditions, no differences between 1 g and one-hundreth g would be expected. Similar comparisons on a shielded electrode copper cell were inconclusive. Bench codeposition experiments using polystyrene neutral buoyancy particles coupled with a shielded electrode cobalt cell were begun. Tracking of 12 micron particles showed no measurable difference between thermal/Brownian motion when the cell was operational or nonoperational. Initial experiments on codeposition quality showed a strong dependence upon cathode surface preparation in a shielded electrode configuration.

"In-Situ Chemical Oxidation" - Sessions: #6 Technology Development, Process Fundamentals, Mechanisms;#7 Advantages and Disadvantages; #9 Oxidant Selection; #10 Bench- and Pilot-Scale Studies; #11 Monitoring; #12 Field-Scale Implementation; #13 Chemical Oxidation Regeneration of Granular Activated Carbon

EPA Science Inventory

A series of seven technical presentations involving chemical oxidation will be given to faculty, graduate students, and environmental professionals at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China (April 21-22, 2010). Chemical oxidation technologies include in-situ chemical o...

Analytical model of flame spread in full-scale room/corner tests (ISO9705)

Treesearch

Mark Dietenberger; Ondrej Grexa

1999-01-01

A physical, yet analytical, model of fire growth has predicted flame spread and rate of heat release (RHR) for an ISO9705 test scenario using bench-scale data from the cone calorimeter. The test scenario simulated was the propane ignition burner at the comer with a 100/300 kW program and the specimen lined on the walls only. Four phases of fire growth were simulated....

Development of Bench and Full-Scale Temperature and pH Responsive Functionalized PVDF Membranes with Tunable Properties

PubMed Central

Xiao, Li; Isner, Austin; Waldrop, Krysta; Saad, Anthony; Takigawa, Doreen; Bhattacharyya, Dibakar

2014-01-01

Temperature and pH responsive polymers (poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), and polyacrylic acid, PAA) were synthesized in one common macrofiltration PVDF membrane platform by pore-filling method. The microstructure and morphology of the PNIPAAm-PVDF, and PNIPAAm-FPAA-PVDF membranes were studied by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The membrane pore size was controlled by the swelling and shrinking of the PNIPAAm at the temperature around lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The composite membrane demonstrated a rapid and reversible swelling and deswelling change within a small temperature range. The controllable flux makes it possible to utilize this temperature responsive membrane as a valve to regulate filtration properties by temperature change. Dextran solution (Mw=2,000,000g/mol, 26 nm diameter) was used to evaluate the separation performance of the temperature responsive membranes. The ranges of dextran rejection are from 4% to 95% depending on the temperature, monomer amount and pressure. The full-scale membrane was also developed to confirm the feasibility of our bench-scale experimental results. The full-scale membrane also exhibited both temperature and pH responsivity. This system was also used for controlled nanoparticles synthesis and for dechlorination reaction. PMID:24944434

Fate of glucuronide conjugated estradiol in the environment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The fate and transport of conjugated reproductive hormones, which are polar compared to parent hormones, are little understood. Laboratory bench-scale soil (Hamar; Sandy, mixed, frigid typic Endoaquolls) sorption studies were conducted using [14C] 17ß-estradiol-3-glucuronide for a range of concentra...

SUPERFUND TREATABILITY CLEARINGHOUSE: COMPOSITING OF EXPLOSIVES

EPA Science Inventory

This treatability study was conducted by Atlantic Research Corporation for the U.S. Army Toxic and Hazardous Material Agency. The objective of this bench-scale study was to determine the extent to which TNT and RDX concentrations were reduced by composting for a six week peri...

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S SITE EMERGING TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM: 1991 UPDATE

EPA Science Inventory

The Emerging Technology Program (ETP) supports the development of technologies successfully tested at the bench- and pilot-scale level. The ETP is part of the Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program which was established in 1986 under the Superfund Amendments an...

INVESTIGATION OF TRANSFORMATION PRODUCTS FROM THE CHLORINATION OF ESTROGENIC AND ANDROGENIC COMPOUNDS- Poster

EPA Science Inventory

The objective of this research is to investigate chlorinated by-products of a selected number of steroids representing both estrogens and androgens. Highly controlled reaction conditions were used to ascertain product distribution. Bench-scale studies were conducted to identify...

SUPERFUND TREATABILITY CLEARINGHOUSE: FINAL REPORT: SOIL TREATMENT PILOT STUDY BRIO/DOP SITE

EPA Science Inventory

Bench and pilot-scale studies were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of using solid-phase biodegradation for destroying portions of organic constituents present in the soil. The predominant constituents at the BRIO DOP site located in Texas were volatile compounds such...

BENCH-SCALE STUDIES ON THE FORMATION OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING CHEMICALS FROM COMBUSTION SOURCES

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses the formsation of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) from precursors, such as phenol and chlorobenzens, under various combustion conditions. It gives results of an exploration of the effects of precursor and catalysys composition on homologue production an...

ENTRAINED-FLOW ADSORPTION OF MERCURY USING ACTIVATED CARBON

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale experiments were conducted in a flow reactor to simulate entrained-flow capture of elemental mercury (Hg) by activated carbon. Adsorption of Hg by several commercial activated carbons was examined at different carbon-to-mercury (C:Hg) ratios (by weight) (600:1 - 29000...

LAND TREATMENT OF TWO PLATEAU MATERIALS CONTAMINATED WITH PAHS

EPA Science Inventory

This study was designed to evaluate several treatments for their ability to enhance the biological removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soil and sediment. Previously land-treated material was used to test the treatments in a 13 week bench scale stu...

Measure Twice, Build Once: Bench-Scale Testing to Evaluate Bioretention Media Design (Presentation)

EPA Science Inventory

Rain garden design manuals and guidelines typically recommend using native soils or engineered media that meet specifications for low content of clay, silt, fine and very fine sands, and organic matter. These characteristics promote stormwater infiltration and sorption of heavy ...

Hydraulic Test of a Bioretention Media Carbon Amendment

EPA Science Inventory

Rain gardens effectively remove some stressors from stormwater, but in most cases they show much smaller removal rates of nitrate, likely due to the high sand and low organic matter content of rain garden media inhibiting denitrification. A bench-scale experiment was conducted to...

1992 UPDATE OF U.S. EPA'S SUPERFUND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION (SITE) EMERGING TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

The Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Emerging Technology Program (ETP) has encouraged and financially supported further development of bench- and pilot-scale testing and evaluation of innovative technologies suitable for use at hazardous waste sites for five year...

REMOVAL OF ORGANIC CCL CONTAMINANTS FROM DRINKING WATERS BY MEMBRANE AND GAC PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale treatment data for membrane and granular activated carbon technologies are presented for the organic contaminants on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Contaminant Candidate List (CCL). For granular activated carbon (GAC), isotherm results are presented and q...

Ryan M. Ness | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Interests Ryan M. Ness is a research technician in the Biomass Analysis group within the National Renewable , wet chemical analysis, and instrumental analysis of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks. Bench-scale Publications "The Effect of Biomass Densification on Structural Sugar Release and Yield in Biofuel

HYNOL PROCESS ENGINEERING: PROCESS CONFIGURATION, SITE PLAN, AND EQUIPMENT DESIGN

EPA Science Inventory

The report describes the design of the hydropyrolysis reactor system of the Hynol process. (NOTE: A bench scale methanol production facility is being constructed to demonstrate the technical feasibility of producing methanol from biomass using the Hynol process. The plant is bein...

PHYSICAL SOLUTIONS FOR ACID MINE DRAINAGE AT REMOTE MINE SITES (SLIDES)

EPA Science Inventory

After completing extensive bench-scale testing to determine optimum treatment approaches, the technology has been taken to the field. Preliminary results show that calcium hydroxide precipitates the bulk of the arsenic and zinc; the granular ferric hydroxide removes the rest of ...

Concise Review: Guidance in Developing Commercializable Autologous/Patient-Specific Cell Therapy Manufacturing

PubMed Central

Armant, Myriam; Brandwein, Harvey; Burger, Scott; Campbell, Andrew; Carpenito, Carmine; Clarke, Dominic; Fong, Timothy; Karnieli, Ohad; Niss, Knut; Van't Hof, Wouter; Wagey, Ravenska

2013-01-01

Cell therapy is poised to play an enormous role in regenerative medicine. However, little guidance is being made available to academic and industrial entities in the start-up phase. In this technical review, members of the International Society for Cell Therapy provide guidance in developing commercializable autologous and patient-specific manufacturing strategies from the perspective of process development. Special emphasis is placed on providing guidance to small academic or biotech researchers as to what simple questions can be addressed or answered at the bench in order to make their cell therapy products more feasible for commercial-scale production. We discuss the processes that are required for scale-out at the manufacturing level, and how many questions can be addressed at the bench level. The goal of this review is to provide guidance in the form of topics that can be addressed early in the process of development to better the chances of the product being successful for future commercialization. PMID:24101671

Bench-Scale Evaluation of Hydrothermal Processing Technology for Conversion of Wastewater Solids to Fuels

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marrone, Philip A.; Elliott, Douglas C.; Billing, Justin M.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) and Catalytic Hydrothermal Gasification (CHG) proof-of-concept bench-scale tests were performed to assess the potential of hydrothermal treatment for handling municipal wastewater sludge. HTL tests were conducted at 300-350°C and 20 MPa on three different feeds: primary sludge, secondary sludge, and digested solids. Corresponding CHG tests were conducted at 350°C and 20 MPa on the HTL aqueous phase output using a ruthenium based catalyst. Biocrude yields ranged from 25-37%. Biocrude composition and quality were comparable to biocrudes generated from algae feeds. Subsequent hydrotreating of biocrude resulted in a product with comparable physical and chemical properties to crude oil.more » CHG product gas methane yields on a carbon basis ranged from 47-64%. Siloxane concentrations in the CHG product gas were below engine limits. The HTL-CHG process resulted in a chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction of > 99.9% and a reduction in residual solids for disposal of 94-99%.« less

Characterization of L-asparaginase from marine-derived Aspergillus niger AKV-MKBU, its antiproliferative activity and bench scale production using industrial waste.

PubMed

Vala, Anjana K; Sachaniya, Bhumi; Dudhagara, Dushyant; Panseriya, Haresh Z; Gosai, Haren; Rawal, Rakesh; Dave, Bharti P

2018-03-01

L-asparaginase (LA), an enzyme with anticancer activities, produced by marine-derived Aspergillus niger was subjected to purification and characterization. The purified enzyme was observed to have molecular weight ∼90KDa. The enzyme retained activity over a wide range of pH, i.e. pH 4-10. The enzyme was quite stable in temperature range 20-40°C. Tween 80 and Triton X-100 were observed to enhance LA activity while inhibition of LA activity was observed in presence of heavy metals. The values for K m was found to be 0.8141 mM and V max was 6.228μM/mg/min. The enzyme exhibited noteworthy antiproliferative activity against various cancer cell lines tested. Successful bench scale production (in 5L bioreacator) of LA using groundnut oil cake as low cost substrate has also been carried out. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterizing the Influence of Abstraction in Full-Scale Wind Turbine Nacelle Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schkoda, Ryan; Bibo, Amin; Guo, Yi

2016-08-21

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in full-scale wind turbine nacelle testing to complement individual component testing. As a result, several wind turbine nacelle test benches have been built to perform such testing with the intent of loading the integrated components as they are in the field. However, when mounted on a test bench the nacelle is not on the top of a tower and does not have blades attached to it - this is a form of abstraction. This paper aims to quantify the influence of such an abstraction on the dynamic response of the nacellemore » through a series of simulation case studies. The responses of several nacelle components are studied including the main bearing, main shaft, gearbox supports, generator, and yaw bearing interface. Results are presented to highlight the differences in the dynamic response of the nacelle caused by the abstraction. Additionally, the authors provide recommendations for mitigating the effects of the abstraction.« less

Characterizing the Influence of Abstraction in Full-Scale Wind Turbine Nacelle Testing: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schkoda, Ryan; Bibo, Amin; Guo, Yi

2016-08-01

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in full-scale wind turbine nacelle testing to complement individual component testing. As a result, several wind turbine nacelle test benches have been built to perform such testing with the intent of loading the integrated components as they are in the field. However, when mounted on a test bench the nacelle is not on the top of a tower and does not have blades attached to it--this is a form of abstraction. This paper aims to quantify the influence of such an abstraction on the dynamic response of the nacelle through amore » series of simulation case studies. The responses of several nacelle components are studied including the main bearing, main shaft, gearbox supports, generator, and yaw bearing interface. Results are presented to highlight the differences in the dynamic response of the nacelle caused by the abstraction. Additionally, the authors provide recommendations for mitigating the effects of the abstraction.« less

Advanced direct coal liquefaction concepts. Quarterly report, January 1, 1993--March 31, 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berger, D.J.; Parker, R.J.; Simpson, P.L.

1993-07-01

Five barrels of a Wilsonville process derived solvent (V-1074) from Black Thunder coal were obtained. This material boils within the preferred gas oil range, is more aromatic than previous solvents, and will therefore be used for the bench unit studies. Several repeat runs were performed in the autoclave to confirm the results of the matrix study. In addition, runs were carried out with different catalysts, with agglomerates and with the V-1074 solvent. The results of the autoclave runs were analyzed with respect to coal conversion, CO conversion, oil yield, hydrogen consumption and oxygen removal. It was concluded that the bestmore » operating conditions for the first stage operation was a temperature of at least 390{degrees}C, residence time of at least 30 minutes, cold CO pressure of at least 600 psig and potassium carbonate catalyst (2% wt on total feed). The data also indicated however, that the coal conversion goes through a maximum, and too high a severity leads to retrograde reaction and lower coal solubilization. The scope for increasing temperature and time is therefore limited. Petrographic examination of the THF insoluble resids from the autoclave program indicated a maximum coal conversion of about 90% for Black Thunder coal. The bench unit construction was also essentially completed and the bench unit program to be carded out in the next twelve months was defined.« less

Evaluation of empirical process design relationships for ozone disinfection of water and wastewater

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finch, G.R.; Smith, D.W.

A research program was undertaken to examine the dose-response of Escherichia coli ATCC 11775 in ozone demand-free phosphate buffer solution and in a high quality secondary wastewater effluent with a total organic carbon content of 8 mg/L and a chemical oxygen demand of 26 mg/L. The studies were conducted in bench-scale batch reactors for both water types. In addition, studies using secondary effluent also were conducted in a pilot-scale, semi-batch reactor to evaluate scale-up effects. It was found that the ozone dose was the most important design parameter in both types of water. Contact time was of some importance inmore » the ozone demand-free water and had no detectable effect in the secondary effluent. Pilot-scale data confirmed the results obtained at bench-scale for the secondary effluent. Regression analysis of the logarithm of the E. coli response on the logarithm of the utilized ozone dose revealed that there was lack-of-fit using the model form which has been used frequently for the design of wastewater disinfection systems. This occurred as a result of a marked tailing effect of the log-log plot as the ozone dose increased and the kill increased. It was postulated that this was caused by some unknown physiological differences within the E. coli population due to age or another factor.« less

Evaluation of several biological monitoring techniques for hazard assessment of potentially contaminated wastewater and groundwater. Volume 3. Old O-field groundwater. Final report, July 1990-December 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burton, D.T.; Turley, S.D.

1992-03-01

The toxicity of contaminated Old O-Field (Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground) groundwater and the reduction and/or elimination of toxicity by various treatment processes were evaluated. The study was divided into a bench scale and pilot scale study. The bench scale studies consisted of 48-h definitive acute toxicity tests run with daphnid neonates (Daphnia magna) and juvenile fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed to untreated Old O-Field groundwater and groundwater treated by metals precipitation, UV oxidation (H 2O2 ), carbon adsorption, and carbon adsorption/biological sludge. The pilot scale studies consisted of several 96-h definitive acute toxicity tests run with two freshwatermore » and two saltwater invertebrates and fish and Ames mutagenicity assays. Acute toxicity tests were run on untreated Old O-Field groundwater and groundwater treated by metals precipitation, UV oxidation (H2O2), air stripping, and carbon adsorption during the pilot scale study. The freshwater invertebrate and fish used in the study were daphnid neonates and juvenile fathead minnows, respectively. The saltwater invertebrate and fish were juvenile mysids (Mysidopsis bahia) and juvenile sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus). Ames tests were run on untreated groundwater, UV oxidation-treated groundwater, and carbon-treated groundwater.... Groundwater, Aquatic, Toxicity, Daphnia, Daphnia magna, Fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, Mysid, Mysidopsis bahia, Sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon variegatus.« less

Production of aluminum-silicon alloy and ferrosilicon and commercial purity aluminum by the direct reduction process. First interim technical report, Phase D, January 1-March 31, 1981

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruno, M.J.

1981-04-01

Operation of the bench AF-reactor on burden with all reducing carbon exterior to the ore pellet resulted in low metal alloy product yields and prematurely terminated runs, indicating the need for intimate contact between alumina and carbon to produce oxycarbide liquid prior to reaction with solid silicon carbide. Carbon solubility tests made on 60Al-40Si alloys at 2200/sup 0/C in graphite crucibles indicated continued reaction to form SiC for one hour. Efficiency of reduction to SiC ranged from 68 to 100%. The A-C two-electrode submerged arc reactor pilot, SAR-II, was successfully operated on both alumina-clay-coke and alumina-silicon carbide-coke (from the VSRmore » prereduction) burdens. Metal alloy was produced and tapped in each of four runs. The pilot crystallizer was operated to evalute the two-stage (stop and go) crystallization technique on obtaining high yields of Al in Al-Si eutectic, with a limit of 1.0% Fe and 0.1% Ti in the alloy product. 18 figures, 19 tables. (DLC)« less

EFRT M12 Issue Resolution: Comparison of PEP and Bench-Scale Oxidative Leaching Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rapko, Brian M.; Brown, Christopher F.; Eslinger, Paul W.

2009-08-14

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has been tasked by Bechtel National Inc. (BNI) on the River Protection Project-Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (RPP-WTP) project to perform research and development activities to resolve technical issues identified for the Pretreatment Facility (PTF). The Pretreatment Engineering Platform (PEP) was designed and constructed and is to be operated as part of a plan to respond to issue M12, “Undemonstrated Leaching Processes.” The PEP is a 1/4.5-scale test platform designed to simulate the WTP pretreatment caustic leaching, oxidative leaching, ultrafiltration solids concentration, and slurry washing processes. The PEP replicates the WTP leaching processesmore » using prototypic equipment and control strategies. The PEP also includes non-prototypic ancillary equipment to support the core processing. Two operating scenarios are currently being evaluated for the ultrafiltration process (UFP) and leaching operations. The first scenario has caustic leaching performed in the UFP-2 ultrafiltration feed vessels (i.e., vessel UFP-VSL-T02A in the PEP; and vessels UFP-VSL-00002A and B in the WTP PTF). The second scenario has caustic leaching conducted in the UFP-1 ultrafiltration feed preparation vessels (i.e., vessels UFP-VSL-T01A and B in the PEP; vessels UFP-VSL-00001A and B in the WTP PTF). In both scenarios, 19-M sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH, caustic) is added to the waste slurry in the vessels to dissolve solid aluminum compounds (e.g., gibbsite, boehmite). Caustic addition is followed by a heating step that uses direct steam injection to accelerate the leaching process. Following the caustic leach, the vessel contents are cooled using vessel cooling jackets and/or external heat exchangers. The main difference between the two scenarios is that for leaching in UFP1, the 19-M NaOH is added to un-concentrated waste slurry (3 to 8 wt% solids), while for leaching in UFP2, the slurry is concentrated to nominally 20 wt% solids using cross-flow ultrafiltration before the addition of caustic. For wastes that have significantly high chromium content, the caustic leaching and slurry dewatering is followed by adding sodium permanganate to UFP-VSL-T02A, and the slurry is subjected to oxidative leaching at nominally ambient temperature. The purpose of the oxidative leaching is to selectively oxidize the poorly alkaline-soluble Cr(III) believed to be the insoluble form in Hanford tank sludge to the much more alkaline-soluble Cr(VI), e.g., chromate. The work described in this report provides the test results that are related to the efficiency of the oxidative leaching process to support process modeling based on tests performed with a Hanford waste simulant. The tests were completed both at the lab-bench scale and in the PEP. The purpose of this report is to summarize the results from both scales that are related to oxidative leaching chemistry to support a scale factor for the submodels to be used in the G2 model, which predicts WTP operating performance. Owing to schedule constraints, the PEP test data to be included in this report are limited to those from Integrated Tests A (T01 A/B caustic leaching) and B (T02A caustic leaching).« less

Low ash, planar peat swamp development in an alluvial plain setting: The No. 5 block beds of southern West Virginia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Staub, J.R.; Richards, B.K.

1992-01-01

Coals from the No. 5 Block beds (Westphalian D) are noted for their low ash and sulfur content. Beds are multiple benched, with rock partings separating individual benches. Benches have limited continuity and, where thick are dominated by bright, high ash coal at the base and dull, low ash coal in their upper portions. The duller coals contain more exinite and inertinite group macerals than the brighter coals. The depositional setting is an alluvial plain environment with channel systems separated by distances of about 20 km. The channel systems were flanked by clastic swamps for distances of up to 7more » km or more on either side. Areas of flood plain most distant from the channels were sites where peat accumulated and these zones were about 8 km across. High energy, low frequency flood events introduced fine grained sediment into the peat swamps resulting in thin layers of sediment being deposited on top of the peat. These sediment layers are thicker in areas where the underlying coal is the thickest. These thick coal areas are topographically negative. This relationship between coal and parting thickness and topography indicates that these peat swamps were low-lying or planar. Individual coal benches contain abundant amounts of preserved cellular tissue (telocollinite, semifusinite, fusinite) at most locations indicating that woody arborescent like vegetation was widespread in the swamps suggesting a planar morphology. The high concentrations of exinite and inertinite group macerals found in the upper portions of individual benches resulted from decomposition and oxidation of the peat in subaerial to aquatic planar swamp environments.« less

A Distribution-Free Description of Fragmentation by Blasting Based on Dimensional Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchidrián, José A.; Ouchterlony, Finn

2017-04-01

A model for fragmentation in bench blasting is developed from dimensional analysis adapted from asteroid collision theory, to which two factors have been added: one describing the discontinuities spacing and orientation and another the delay between successive contiguous shots. The formulae are calibrated by nonlinear fits to 169 bench blasts in different sites and rock types, bench geometries and delay times, for which the blast design data and the size distributions of the muckpile obtained by sieving were available. Percentile sizes of the fragments distribution are obtained as the product of a rock mass structural factor, a rock strength-to-explosive energy ratio, a bench shape factor, a scale factor or characteristic size and a function of the in-row delay. The rock structure is described by means of the joints' mean spacing and orientation with respect to the free face. The strength property chosen is the strain energy at rupture that, together with the explosive energy density, forms a combined rock strength/explosive energy factor. The model is applicable from 5 to 100 percentile sizes, with all parameters determined from the fits significant to a 0.05 level. The expected error of the prediction is below 25% at any percentile. These errors are half to one-third of the errors expected with the best prediction models available to date.

On-Orbit Performance of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Instrument onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoeksema, J. T.; Baldner, C. S.; Bush, R. I.; Schou, J.; Scherrer, P. H.

2018-03-01

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument is a major component of NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft. Since commencement of full regular science operations on 1 May 2010, HMI has operated with remarkable continuity, e.g. during the more than five years of the SDO prime mission that ended 30 September 2015, HMI collected 98.4% of all possible 45-second velocity maps; minimizing gaps in these full-disk Dopplergrams is crucial for helioseismology. HMI velocity, intensity, and magnetic-field measurements are used in numerous investigations, so understanding the quality of the data is important. This article describes the calibration measurements used to track the performance of the HMI instrument, and it details trends in important instrument parameters during the prime mission. Regular calibration sequences provide information used to improve and update the calibration of HMI data. The set-point temperature of the instrument front window and optical bench is adjusted regularly to maintain instrument focus, and changes in the temperature-control scheme have been made to improve stability in the observable quantities. The exposure time has been changed to compensate for a 20% decrease in instrument throughput. Measurements of the performance of the shutter and tuning mechanisms show that they are aging as expected and continue to perform according to specification. Parameters of the tunable optical-filter elements are regularly adjusted to account for drifts in the central wavelength. Frequent measurements of changing CCD-camera characteristics, such as gain and flat field, are used to calibrate the observations. Infrequent expected events such as eclipses, transits, and spacecraft off-points interrupt regular instrument operations and provide the opportunity to perform additional calibration. Onboard instrument anomalies are rare and seem to occur quite uniformly in time. The instrument continues to perform very well.

Differences in unilateral chest press muscle activation and kinematics on a stable versus unstable surface while holding one versus two dumbbells

PubMed Central

Patterson, Jeffrey M.; Oppenheimer, Nicole E.; Feser, Erin H.

2015-01-01

Training the bench press exercise on a traditional flat bench does not induce a level of instability as seen in sport movements and activities of daily living. Twenty participants were recruited to test two forms of instability: using one dumbbell rather than two and lifting on the COR bench compared to a flat bench. Electromyography (EMG) amplitudes of the pectoralis major, middle trapezius, external oblique, and internal oblique were recorded and compared. Differences in range of motion (ROM) were evaluated by measuring an angular representation of the shoulder complex. Four separate conditions of unilateral bench press were tested while lifting on a: flat bench with one dumbbell, flat bench with two dumbbells, COR Bench with one dumbbell, and COR Bench with two dumbbells. The results imply that there are no differences in EMG amplitude or ROM between the COR bench and traditional bench. However, greater ROM was found to be utilized in the single dumbbell condition, both in the COR bench and the flat bench. PMID:26528421

Effects of chemical sludge disintegration on the performances of wastewater treatment by membrane bioreactor.

PubMed

Oh, Young-Khee; Lee, Ki-Ryong; Ko, Kwang-Baik; Yeom, Ick-Tae

2007-06-01

A new wastewater treatment process combining a membrane bioreactor (MBR) with chemical sludge disintegration was tested in bench scale experiments. In particular, the effects of the disintegration treatment on the excess sludge production in MBR were investigated. Two MBRs were operated. In one reactor, a part of the mixed liquor was treated with NaOH and ozone gas consecutively and was returned to the bioreactor. The flow rate of the sludge disintegration stream was 1.5% of the influent flow rate. During the 200 days of operation, the MLSS level in the bioreactor with the disintegration treatment was maintained relatively constant at the range of 10,000-11,000 mg/L while it increased steadily up to 25,000 mg/L in the absence of the treatment. In the MBR with the sludge disintegration, relatively constant transmembrane pressures (TMPs) could be maintained for more than 6 months while the MBR without disintegration showed an abrupt increase of TMP in the later phase of the operation. In conclusion, a complete control of excess sludge production in the membrane-coupled bioreactor was possible without significant deterioration of the treated water quality and membrane performances.

Enhancing dissolved oxygen control using an on-line hybrid fuzzy-neural soft-sensing model-based control system in an anaerobic/anoxic/oxic process.

PubMed

Huang, Mingzhi; Wan, Jinquan; Hu, Kang; Ma, Yongwen; Wang, Yan

2013-12-01

An on-line hybrid fuzzy-neural soft-sensing model-based control system was developed to optimize dissolved oxygen concentration in a bench-scale anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A(2)/O) process. In order to improve the performance of the control system, a self-adapted fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm and adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models were employed. The proposed control system permits the on-line implementation of every operating strategy of the experimental system. A set of experiments involving variable hydraulic retention time (HRT), influent pH (pH), dissolved oxygen in the aerobic reactor (DO), and mixed-liquid return ratio (r) was carried out. Using the proposed system, the amount of COD in the effluent stabilized at the set-point and below. The improvement was achieved with optimum dissolved oxygen concentration because the performance of the treatment process was optimized using operating rules implemented in real time. The system allows various expert operational approaches to be deployed with the goal of minimizing organic substances in the outlet while using the minimum amount of energy.

49 CFR 572.197 - Abdomen.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICES IIsD Side Impact Crash Test Dummy... impacted side removed. The dummy is equipped with a lower spine laterally oriented accelerometer as... side of the seated dummy tangent to a vertical plane located within 10 mm of the side edge of the bench...

49 CFR 572.197 - Abdomen.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICES IIsD Side Impact Crash Test Dummy... impacted side removed. The dummy is equipped with a lower spine laterally oriented accelerometer as... side of the seated dummy tangent to a vertical plane located within 10 mm of the side edge of the bench...

Correlating optical bench performance with clinical defocus curves in varifocal and trifocal intraocular lenses.

PubMed

Plaza-Puche, Ana B; Alió, Jorge L; MacRae, Scott; Zheleznyak, Len; Sala, Esperanza; Yoon, Geunyoung

2015-05-01

To investigate the correlations existing between a trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) and a varifocal IOL using the "ex vivo" optical bench through-focus image quality analysis and the clinical visual performance in real patients by study of the defocus curves. This prospective, consecutive, nonrandomized, comparative study included a total of 64 eyes of 42 patients. Three groups of eyes were differentiated according to the IOL implanted: 22 eyes implanted with the varifocal Lentis Mplus LS-313 IOL (Oculentis GmbH, Berlin, Germany); 22 eyes implanted with the trifocal FineVision IOL (Physiol, Liege, Belgium), and 20 eyes implanted with the monofocal Acrysof SA60AT IOL (Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Fort Worth, TX). Visual outcomes and defocus curve were evaluated postoperatively. Optical bench through-focus performance was quantified by computing an image quality metric and the cross-correlation coefficient between an unaberrated reference image and captured retinal images from a model eye with a 3.0-mm artificial pupil. Statistically significant differences among defocus curves of different IOLs were detected for the levels of defocus from -4.00 to -1.00 diopters (D) (P < .01). Significant correlations were found between the optical bench image quality metric results and logMAR visual acuity scale in all groups (Lentis Mplus group: r = -0.97, P < .01; FineVision group: r = -0.82, P < .01; Acrys of group: r = -0.99, P < .01). Linear predicting models were obtained. Significant correlations were found between logMAR visual acuity and image quality metric for the multifocal and monofocal IOLs analyzed. This finding enables surgeons to predict visual outcomes from the optical bench analysis. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

A Lightweight, Precision-Deployable, Optical Bench for High Energy Astrophysics Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danner, Rolf; Dailey, D.; Lillie, C.

2011-09-01

The small angle of total reflection for X-rays, forcing grazing incidence optics with large collecting areas to long focal lengths, has been a fundamental barrier to the advancement of high-energy astrophysics. Design teams around the world have long recognized that a significant increase in effective area beyond Chandra and XMM-Newton requires either a deployable optical bench or separate X-ray optics and instrument module on formation flying spacecraft. Here, we show that we have in hand the components for a lightweight, precision-deployable optical bench that, through its inherent design features, is the affordable path to the next generation of imaging high-energy astrophysics missions. We present our plans for a full-scale engineering model of a deployable optical bench for Explorer-class missions. We intend to use this test article to raise the technology readiness level (TRL) of the tensegrity truss for a lightweight, precision-deployable optical bench for high-energy astrophysics missions from TRL 3 to TRL 5 through a set of four well-defined technology milestones. The milestones cover the architecture's ability to deploy and control the focal point, characterize the deployed dynamics, determine long-term stability, and verify the stowed load capability. Our plan is based on detailed design and analysis work and the construction of a first prototype by our team. Building on our prior analysis and the high TRL of the architecture components we are ready to move on to the next step. The key elements to do this affordably are two existing, fully characterized, flight-quality, deployable booms. After integrating them into the test article, we will demonstrate that our architecture meets the deployment accuracy, adjustability, and stability requirements. The same test article can be used to further raise the TRL in the future.

Low-Energy Water Recovery from Subsurface Brines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, Young Chul; Kim, Gyu Dong; Hendren, Zachary

A novel non-aqueous phase solvent (NAS) desalination process was proposed and developed in this research project. The NAS desalination process uses less energy than thermal processes, doesn’t require any additional chemicals for precipitation, and can be utilized to treat high TDS brine. In this project, our experimental work determined that water solubility changes and selective absorption are the key characteristics of NAS technology for successful desalination. Three NAS desalination mechanisms were investigated: (1) CO2 switchable, (2) high-temp absorption to low-temp desorption (thermally switchable), and (3) low-temp absorption to high-temp desorption (thermally switchable). Among these mechanisms, thermally switchable (low-temp absorption tomore » high-temp desorption) showed the highest water recovery and relatively high salt rejection. A test procedure for semi-continuous, bench scale NAS desalination process was also developed and used to assess performance under a range of conditions.« less

Water Treatment Residuals and Scrap Tire Rubber as Green Sorbents for Removal of Stormwater Metals.

PubMed

Deng, Yang; Morris, Ciapha; Rakshit, Sudipta; Landa, Edward; Punamiya, Pravin; Sarkar, Dibyendu

2016-06-01

Bench scale tests were performed to evaluate two recycled wastes, water treatment residuals (WTR) and scrap tire rubber (STR), for adsorption of selected metals from urban stormwater, and assess their release from used sorbents. Aluminum-WTR alone could rapidly and effectively remove Cu, Pb, and Zn, while STR alone continuously released Zn accompanied with Cu and Pb adsorption. Zn leaching from STR was significantly reduced in the presence of WTR. Very little metals released from used combined adsorbents in NaNO3 solution, and only part of them were extracted with EDTA (a strong chelating agent), suggesting that metal release is not a concern in a typical stormwater condition. A combination of WTR and STR is a new, effective method for mitigation of urban stormwater metals-WTR can inhibit the STR leaching, and STR improves the hydraulic permeability of WTR powders, a limiting factor for stormwater flow when WTR is used alone.

Improving methane yield and quality via co-digestion of cow dung mixed with food waste.

PubMed

Awasthi, Sanjeev Kumar; Joshi, Rutu; Dhar, Hiya; Verma, Shivpal; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Varjani, Sunita; Sarsaiya, Surendra; Zhang, Zengqiang; Kumar, Sunil

2018-03-01

Methane (CH 4 ) production and quality were enhanced by the co-digestion of cow dung and food waste (FW) mixed with organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) under optimized conditions in bench and semi continuous-scale mode for a period of 30 days. A bacterium capable of high yield of CH 4 was enriched and isolated by employing activated sewage sludge as the inoculums. The thirteen bacterial isolates were identified through morphological and biochemical tests. Gas chromatography was used to analyze the chemical compositions of the generated biogas. CH 4 yields were significantly higher during co-digestion of Run II (7.59 L) than Run I (3.7 L). Therefore, the co-digestion of FW with OFMSW and Run II was observed to be a competent method for biogas conversion from organic waste resources. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

JY1 time scale: a new Kalman-filter time scale designed at NIST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Jian; Parker, Thomas E.; Levine, Judah

2017-11-01

We report on a new Kalman-filter hydrogen-maser time scale (i.e. JY1 time scale) designed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The JY1 time scale is composed of a few hydrogen masers and a commercial Cs clock. The Cs clock is used as a reference clock to ease operations with existing data. Unlike other time scales, the JY1 time scale uses three basic time-scale equations, instead of only one equation. Also, this time scale can detect a clock error (i.e. time error, frequency error, or frequency drift error) automatically. These features make the JY1 time scale stiff and less likely to be affected by an abnormal clock. Tests show that the JY1 time scale deviates from the UTC by less than  ±5 ns for ~100 d, when the time scale is initially aligned to the UTC and then is completely free running. Once the time scale is steered to a Cs fountain, it can maintain the time with little error even if the Cs fountain stops working for tens of days. This can be helpful when we do not have a continuously operated fountain or when the continuously operated fountain accidentally stops, or when optical clocks run occasionally.

Rebound of a coal tar creosote plume following partial source zone treatment with permanganate.

PubMed

Thomson, N R; Fraser, M J; Lamarche, C; Barker, J F; Forsey, S P

2008-11-14

The long-term management of dissolved plumes originating from a coal tar creosote source is a technical challenge. For some sites stabilization of the source may be the best practical solution to decrease the contaminant mass loading to the plume and associated off-site migration. At the bench-scale, the deposition of manganese oxides, a permanganate reaction byproduct, has been shown to cause pore plugging and the formation of a manganese oxide layer adjacent to the non-aqueous phase liquid creosote which reduces post-treatment mass transfer and hence mass loading from the source. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of partial permanganate treatment to reduce the ability of a coal tar creosote source zone to generate a multi-component plume at the pilot-scale over both the short-term (weeks to months) and the long-term (years) at a site where there is >10 years of comprehensive synoptic plume baseline data available. A series of preliminary bench-scale experiments were conducted to support this pilot-scale investigation. The results from the bench-scale experiments indicated that if sufficient mass removal of the reactive compounds is achieved then the effective solubility, aqueous concentration and rate of mass removal of the more abundant non-reactive coal tar creosote compounds such as biphenyl and dibenzofuran can be increased. Manganese oxide formation and deposition caused an order-of-magnitude decrease in hydraulic conductivity. Approximately 125 kg of permanganate were delivered into the pilot-scale source zone over 35 days, and based on mass balance estimates <10% of the initial reactive coal tar creosote mass in the source zone was oxidized. Mass discharge estimated at a down-gradient fence line indicated >35% reduction for all monitored compounds except for biphenyl, dibenzofuran and fluoranthene 150 days after treatment, which is consistent with the bench-scale experimental results. Pre- and post-treatment soil core data indicated a highly variable and random spatial distribution of mass within the source zone and provided no insight into the mass removed of any of the monitored species. The down-gradient plume was monitored approximately 1, 2 and 4 years following treatment. The data collected at 1 and 2 years post-treatment showed a decrease in mass discharge (10 to 60%) and/or total plume mass (0 to 55%); however, by 4 years post-treatment there was a rebound in both mass discharge and total plume mass for all monitored compounds to pre-treatment values or higher. The variability of the data collected was too large to resolve subtle changes in plume morphology, particularly near the source zone, that would provide insight into the impact of the formation and deposition of manganese oxides that occurred during treatment on mass transfer and/or flow by-passing. Overall, the results from this pilot-scale investigation indicate that there was a significant but short-term (months) reduction of mass emanating from the source zone as a result of permanganate treatment but there was no long-term (years) impact on the ability of this coal tar creosote source zone to generate a multi-component plume.

Final Report, University of California Merced: Uranium and strontium fate in waste-weathered sediments: Scaling of molecular processes to predict reactive transport

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chorover, Jon; Mueller, Karl; O'Day, Peggy Anne

2016-06-30

Objectives of the Project: 1. Determine the process coupling that occurs between mineral transformation and contaminant (U and Sr) speciation in acid-uranium waste weathered Hanford sediments. 2. Establish linkages between molecular-scale contaminant speciation and meso-scale contaminant lability, release and reactive transport. 3. Make conjunctive use of molecular- to bench-scale data to constrain the development of a mechanistic, reactive transport model that includes coupling of contaminant sorption-desorption and mineral transformation reactions. Hypotheses Tested: Uranium and strontium speciation in legacy sediments from the U-8 and U-12 Crib sites can be reproduced in bench-scale weathering experiments conducted on unimpacted Hanford sediments from themore » same formations; Reactive transport modeling of future uranium and strontium releases from the vadose zone of acid-waste weathered sediments can be effectively constrained by combining molecular-scale information on contaminant bonding environment with grain-scale information on contaminant phase partitioning, and meso-scale kinetic data on contaminant release from the waste-weathered porous media; Although field contamination and laboratory experiments differ in their diagenetic time scales (decades for field vs. months to years for lab), sediment dissolution, neophase nucleation, and crystal growth reactions that occur during the initial disequilibrium induced by waste-sediment interaction leave a strong imprint that persists over subsequent longer-term equilibration time scales and, therefore, give rise to long-term memory effects. Enabling Capabilities Developed: Our team developed an iterative measure-model approach that is broadly applicable to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of reactive contaminant transport in geomedia subject to active weathering.« less

Characteristics of iron corrosion scales and water quality variations in drinking water distribution systems of different pipe materials.

PubMed

Li, Manjie; Liu, Zhaowei; Chen, Yongcan; Hai, Yang

2016-12-01

Interaction between old, corroded iron pipe surfaces and bulk water is crucial to the water quality protection in drinking water distribution systems (WDS). Iron released from corrosion products will deteriorate water quality and lead to red water. This study attempted to understand the effects of pipe materials on corrosion scale characteristics and water quality variations in WDS. A more than 20-year-old hybrid pipe section assembled of unlined cast iron pipe (UCIP) and galvanized iron pipe (GIP) was selected to investigate physico-chemical characteristics of corrosion scales and their effects on water quality variations. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze micromorphology and chemical composition of corrosion scales. In bench testing, water quality parameters, such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation reduction potential (ORP), alkalinity, conductivity, turbidity, color, Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and Zn 2+ , were determined. Scale analysis and bench-scale testing results demonstrated a significant effect of pipe materials on scale characteristics and thereby water quality variations in WDS. Characteristics of corrosion scales sampled from different pipe segments show obvious differences, both in physical and chemical aspects. Corrosion scales were found highly amorphous. Thanks to the protection of zinc coatings, GIP system was identified as the best water quality stability, in spite of high zinc release potential. It is deduced that the complicated composition of corrosion scales and structural break by the weld result in the diminished water quality stability in HP system. Measurement results showed that iron is released mainly in ferric particulate form. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting Pre-college Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, P. L.; Lee, R. L.

2000-10-01

The Fusion Education Program, with continued support from DOE, has strengthened its interactions with educators in promoting pre-college science education for students. Projects aggressively pursued this year include an on-site, college credited, laboratory-based 10-day educator workshop on plasma and fusion science; completion of `Starpower', a fusion power plant simulation on interactive CD; expansion of scientist visits to classrooms; broadened participation in an internet-based science olympiad; and enhancements to the tours of the DIII-D Facility. In the workshop, twelve teachers used bench top devices to explore basic plasma physics. Also included were radiation experiments, computer aided drafting, techniques to integrate fusion science and technology in the classroom, and visits to a University Physics lab and the San Diego Supercomputer Center. Our ``Scientist in a Classroom'' program reached more than 2200 students at 20 schools. Our `Starpower' CD allows a range of interactive learning from the effects of electric and magnetic fields on charged particles to operation of a Tokamak-based power plant. Continuing tours of the DIII-D facility were attended by more than 800 students this past year.

Greywater as a sustainable water source: A photocatalytic treatment technology under artificial and solar illumination.

PubMed

Tsoumachidou, Sophia; Velegraki, Theodora; Antoniadis, Apostolos; Poulios, Ioannis

2017-06-15

Greywater considers being a highly reclaimable water source particularly important for water-stressed nations. In this work, heterogeneous photocatalysis using artificial and solar illumination has been applied for the mineralization of simulated light greywater (effluents from dishwashers and kitchen sinks were excluded from the study). The effects on the process' efficiency of TiO 2 P25 catalyst's concentration, initial concentration of H 2 O 2 and Fe 3+ , pH of the solution, as well as the type of radiation, were evaluated in a bench-scale Pyrex reactor and a pilot-scale slurry fountain photoreactor. The treatment efficiency has been followed through the evolution of the organic matter content expresses as dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Best results were obtained with the photo-Fenton-assisted TiO 2 photocatalytic process with 72% DOC removal after 210 min of bench scale treatment, while under the same photocatalytic conditions in the pilot reactor the DOC removal reached almost 64%. Moreover, the decrease in toxicity, phytotoxicity and biodegradability of the simulated wastewater has been observed after solar-induced photocatalytic treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Field-Integrated Studies of Long-Term Sustainability of Chromium Bioreduction at Hanford 100H Site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Long, Philip E.

2006-06-01

The objectives of the project are to investigate coupled hydraulic, geochemical, and microbial conditions, and to determine the critical biogeochemical parameters necessary to maximize the extent of Cr(VI) bioreduction and minimize Cr(III) reoxidation in groundwater. Specific goals of the project are as follows: (1) Field testing and monitoring of Cr(VI) bioreduction in ground water and its transformation into insoluble species of Cr(III) at the Hanford 100H site, to develop the optimal strategy of water sampling for chemical, microbial, stable isotope analyses, and noninvasive geophysical monitoring; (2) Bench-scale flow and transport investigations using columns of undisturbed sediments to obtain diffusion andmore » kinetic parameters needed for the development of a numerical model, predictions of Cr(VI) bioreduction, and potential of Cr(III) reoxidation; and (3) Development of a multiphase, multi-component 3D reactive transport model and a code, TOUGHREACT-BIO, to predict coupled biogeochemical-hydrological processes associated with bioremediation, and to calibrate and validate the developed code based on the results of bench-scale and field-scale Cr(VI) biostimulation experiments in ground water at the Hanford Site.« less

Development of a SMA-Based Slat-Cove Filler for Reduction of Aeroacoustic Noise Associated With Transport-Class Aircraft Wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, Travis L.; Kidd, Reggie T.; Hartl, Darren J.; Scholten, William D.

2013-01-01

Airframe noise is a significant part of the overall noise produced by typical, transport-class aircraft during the approach and landing phases of flight. Leading-edge slat noise is a prominent source of airframe noise. The concept of a slat-cove filler was proposed in previous work as an effective means of mitigating slat noise. Bench-top models were deployed at 75% scale to study the feasibility of producing a functioning slat-cove filler. Initial results from several concepts led to a more-focused effort investigating a deformable structure based upon pseudoelastic SMA materials. The structure stows in the cavity between the slat and main wing during cruise and deploys simultaneously with the slat to guide the aerodynamic flow suitably for low noise. A qualitative parametric study of SMA-enabled, slat-cove filler designs was performed on the bench-top. Computational models were developed and analyses were performed to assess the displacement response under representative aerodynamic load. The bench-top and computational results provide significant insight into design trades and an optimal design.

BioPreDyn-bench: a suite of benchmark problems for dynamic modelling in systems biology.

PubMed

Villaverde, Alejandro F; Henriques, David; Smallbone, Kieran; Bongard, Sophia; Schmid, Joachim; Cicin-Sain, Damjan; Crombach, Anton; Saez-Rodriguez, Julio; Mauch, Klaus; Balsa-Canto, Eva; Mendes, Pedro; Jaeger, Johannes; Banga, Julio R

2015-02-20

Dynamic modelling is one of the cornerstones of systems biology. Many research efforts are currently being invested in the development and exploitation of large-scale kinetic models. The associated problems of parameter estimation (model calibration) and optimal experimental design are particularly challenging. The community has already developed many methods and software packages which aim to facilitate these tasks. However, there is a lack of suitable benchmark problems which allow a fair and systematic evaluation and comparison of these contributions. Here we present BioPreDyn-bench, a set of challenging parameter estimation problems which aspire to serve as reference test cases in this area. This set comprises six problems including medium and large-scale kinetic models of the bacterium E. coli, baker's yeast S. cerevisiae, the vinegar fly D. melanogaster, Chinese Hamster Ovary cells, and a generic signal transduction network. The level of description includes metabolism, transcription, signal transduction, and development. For each problem we provide (i) a basic description and formulation, (ii) implementations ready-to-run in several formats, (iii) computational results obtained with specific solvers, (iv) a basic analysis and interpretation. This suite of benchmark problems can be readily used to evaluate and compare parameter estimation methods. Further, it can also be used to build test problems for sensitivity and identifiability analysis, model reduction and optimal experimental design methods. The suite, including codes and documentation, can be freely downloaded from the BioPreDyn-bench website, https://sites.google.com/site/biopredynbenchmarks/ .

WHY DOES FLUE GAS ELEMENTAL MERCURY CONCENTRATION INCREASE ACROSS A WET SCRUBBER?

EPA Science Inventory

The paper describes the results of research investigating the potential reduction of oxidized mercury (Hg2+) to elemental mercury (Hg0) and subsequent emission of Hg0 from wet scrubbers. Experiments were performed in a bench-scale, wet scrubber simulator containing solutions used...

BENCH-SCALE STUDIES TO IDENTIFY PROCESS PARAMETERS CONTROLLING REBURNING WITH PULVERIZED COAL

EPA Science Inventory

The report addresses the evaluation of a technology which is a combination of two technologies used to control the atmospheric emission of NOx by stationary sources: (1) combustion modification (controls flame temperature and maximizes fuel-rich residence time to minimize NOx for...

EFFECT OF MOISTURE ON ADSORPTION OF ELEMENTAL MERCURY BY ACTIVATED CARBON

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses experiments using activated carbon to capture elemental mercury (Hgo), and a bench-scale dixed-bed reactor and a flow reactor to determine the role of surface moisture in Hgo adsorption. Three activated-carbon samples, with different pore structure and ash co...

A BENCH SCALE STUDY ON BIODEGRADATION AND VOLATILIZATION OF ETHYLBENZOATE IN AQUIFERS. (R825549C039)

EPA Science Inventory

Experiments were conducted to investigate the fate of ethylbenzoate and soil microorganisms in shallow aquifers. Biodegradation and volatilization have been identified as the major mechanisms in attenuating ethylbenzoate in contaminated soils. The rate of volatilization was ex...

HYDROXYL RADICAL/OZONE RATIOS DURING OZONATION PROCESSES. I. THE RCT CONCEPT

EPA Science Inventory

The ozonation of model systems and several natural waters was examined in bench-scale batch experiments. In addition to measuring the concentration of ozone (03), the rate of depletion of an in situ hydroxyl radical probe compound was monitored, thus providing information on the ...

EVALUATING ION EXCHANGE FOR REMOVING RADIUM FROM GROUNDWATER

EPA Science Inventory

This article, the second in a series, focuses on the results of bench- and pilot-scale studies of ion exchange processes for radium removal from groundwater in Lemont, Ill. Batch and column studies indicated a very high resin selectivity for radium compared with common cations. E...

SORPTION OF ELEMENTAL MERCURY BY ACTIVATED CARBONS

EPA Science Inventory

The mechanisms and rate of elemental mercury (HgO) capture by activated carbons have been studied using a bench-scale apparatus. Three types of activated carbons, two of which are thermally activated (PC-100 and FGD) and one with elemental sulfur (S) impregnated in it (HGR), were...

REMEDIATING PESTICIDE CONTAMINATED SOILS USING SOLVENT EXTRACTION

EPA Science Inventory

Bench-scale solvent extraction studies were performed on soil samples obtained from a Superfund site contaminated with high levels of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD,, p,p'-DDE and toxaphene. The effectiveness of the solvent extraction process was assessed using methanol and 2-propanol as sol...

Assessment Of Chemical Dispersant Effectiveness In A Wave Tank Under Regular Non-Breaking And Breaking Wave Conditions

EPA Science Inventory

Current chemical dispersant effectiveness tests for product selection are commonly performed with bench-scale testing apparatus. However, for the assessment of oil dispersant effectiveness under real sea state conditions, test protocols are required to have hydrodynamic conditio...

DEWATERING WASTEWATER TREATMENT SLUDGE BY CLATHRATE FREEZING: A BENCH-SCALE FEASIBILITY STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

Laboratory studies were performed to prove the concept and feasibility for a novel technology to dewater sludges. This involves the formation of solid hydrate crystals of water and specific clathrate-forming agents followed by separation of the hydrate crystal solids from the slu...

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS FROM OBSERVATIONS OF MERCURY OXIDATION AND BINDING MECHANISMS

EPA Science Inventory

This paper describes a bench-scale program at the U.S. EPA. The goals of this program are to (a) isolate individual mechanisms of elemental mercury oxidation and oxidized mercury capture, (b) compete these mechanisms over a broad temperature range to determine which are dominant...

Continuously-stirred anaerobic digester to convert organic wastes into biogas: system setup and basic operation.

PubMed

Usack, Joseph G; Spirito, Catherine M; Angenent, Largus T

2012-07-13

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a bioprocess that is commonly used to convert complex organic wastes into a useful biogas with methane as the energy carrier. Increasingly, AD is being used in industrial, agricultural, and municipal waste(water) treatment applications. The use of AD technology allows plant operators to reduce waste disposal costs and offset energy utility expenses. In addition to treating organic wastes, energy crops are being converted into the energy carrier methane. As the application of AD technology broadens for the treatment of new substrates and co-substrate mixtures, so does the demand for a reliable testing methodology at the pilot- and laboratory-scale. Anaerobic digestion systems have a variety of configurations, including the continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), plug flow (PF), and anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) configurations. The CSTR is frequently used in research due to its simplicity in design and operation, but also for its advantages in experimentation. Compared to other configurations, the CSTR provides greater uniformity of system parameters, such as temperature, mixing, chemical concentration, and substrate concentration. Ultimately, when designing a full-scale reactor, the optimum reactor configuration will depend on the character of a given substrate among many other nontechnical considerations. However, all configurations share fundamental design features and operating parameters that render the CSTR appropriate for most preliminary assessments. If researchers and engineers use an influent stream with relatively high concentrations of solids, then lab-scale bioreactor configurations cannot be fed continuously due to plugging problems of lab-scale pumps with solids or settling of solids in tubing. For that scenario with continuous mixing requirements, lab-scale bioreactors are fed periodically and we refer to such configurations as continuously stirred anaerobic digesters (CSADs). This article presents a general methodology for constructing, inoculating, operating, and monitoring a CSAD system for the purpose of testing the suitability of a given organic substrate for long-term anaerobic digestion. The construction section of this article will cover building the lab-scale reactor system. The inoculation section will explain how to create an anaerobic environment suitable for seeding with an active methanogenic inoculum. The operating section will cover operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The monitoring section will introduce testing protocols using standard analyses. The use of these measures is necessary for reliable experimental assessments of substrate suitability for AD. This protocol should provide greater protection against a common mistake made in AD studies, which is to conclude that reactor failure was caused by the substrate in use, when really it was improper user operation.

Water electrolysis system refurbishment and testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenough, B. M.

1972-01-01

The electrolytic oxygen generator for the back-up water electrolysis system in a 90-day manned test was refurbished, improved and subjected to a 182-day bench test. The performance of the system during the test demonstrated the soundness of the basic electrolysis concept, the high development status of the automatic controls which allowed completely hands-off operation, and the capability for orbital operation. Some design improvements are indicated.

Testing of a work bench for handling of explosives in the laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hank, R.; Johansson, K.; Lagman, L.

1981-01-01

A prototype work station was developed at which jobs can be carried out with explosives up to 10 gr and deflagrating products up to 50 gr. Tests were made to investigate the consequences of a spontaneous accident during work. Conclusions are: the workbench offers good protection against splinters provided the inside walls are coated with a shock absorber; the carbonate glass should be a minimum of eight mm thick; the risk of burns, except on arms and hands, is very low; the bench withstands the explosion with the given weight of explosives (10 gr); the risk of lesions on the lung are very low, for the operator as well as for somebody nearby.

Dynamic MTF, an innovative test bench for detector characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmanuel, Rossi; Raphaël, Lardière; Delmonte, Stephane

2017-11-01

PLEIADES HR are High Resolution satellites for Earth observation. Placed at 695km they reach a 0.7m spatial resolution. To allow such performances, the detectors are working in a TDI mode (Time and Delay Integration) which consists in a continuous charge transfer from one line to the consecutive one while the image is passing on the detector. The spatial resolution, one of the most important parameter to test, is characterized by the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function). Usually, detectors are tested in a staring mode. For a higher level of performances assessment, a dedicated bench has been set-up, allowing detectors' MTF characterization in the TDI mode. Accuracy and reproducibility are impressive, opening the door to new perspectives in term of HR imaging systems testing.