Fuel cell assembly unit for promoting fluid service and electrical conductivity

DOEpatents

Jones, Daniel O.

1999-01-01

Fluid service and/or electrical conductivity for a fuel cell assembly is promoted. Open-faced flow channel(s) are formed in a flow field plate face, and extend in the flow field plate face between entry and exit fluid manifolds. A resilient gas diffusion layer is located between the flow field plate face and a membrane electrode assembly, fluidly serviced with the open-faced flow channel(s). The resilient gas diffusion layer is restrained against entering the open-faced flow channel(s) under a compressive force applied to the fuel cell assembly. In particular, a first side of a support member abuts the flow field plate face, and a second side of the support member abuts the resilient gas diffusion layer. The support member is formed with a plurality of openings extending between the first and second sides of the support member. In addition, a clamping pressure is maintained for an interface between the resilient gas diffusion layer and a portion of the membrane electrode assembly. Preferably, the support member is spikeless and/or substantially flat. Further, the support member is formed with an electrical path for conducting current between the resilient gas diffusion layer and position(s) on the flow field plate face.

Issues associated with modelling of proton exchange membrane fuel cell by computational fluid dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednarek, Tomasz; Tsotridis, Georgios

2017-03-01

The objective of the current study is to highlight possible limitations and difficulties associated with Computational Fluid Dynamics in PEM single fuel cell modelling. It is shown that an appropriate convergence methodology should be applied for steady-state solutions, due to inherent numerical instabilities. A single channel fuel cell model has been taken as numerical example. Results are evaluated for quantitative as well qualitative points of view. The contribution to the polarization curve of the different fuel cell components such as bi-polar plates, gas diffusion layers, catalyst layers and membrane was investigated via their effects on the overpotentials. Furthermore, the potential losses corresponding to reaction kinetics, due to ohmic and mas transport limitations and the effect of the exchange current density and open circuit voltage, were also investigated. It is highlighted that the lack of reliable and robust input data is one of the issues for obtaining accurate results.

Fuel injection system and method of operating the same for an engine

DOEpatents

Topinka, Jennifer Ann [Niskayuna, NY; DeLancey, James Peter [Corinth, NY; Primus, Roy James [Niskayuna, NY; Pintgen, Florian Peter [Niskayuna, NY

2011-02-15

A fuel injector is coupled to an engine. The fuel injector includes an injection opening configured to vary in cross-section between a open state and a fully closed state. The fuel injector is configured to provide a plurality of discrete commanded fuel injections into an engine cylinder by modulating the size of the injection opening without completely closing the opening to the fully closed state.

Initial Assessment of Open Rotor Propulsion Applied to an Advanced Single-Aisle Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guynn, Mark D.; Berton, Jeffrey J.; Hendricks, Eric S.; Tong, Michael T.; Haller, William J.; Thurman, Douglas R.

2011-01-01

Application of high speed, advanced turboprops, or propfans, to subsonic transport aircraft received significant attention and research in the 1970s and 1980s when fuel efficiency was the driving focus of aeronautical research. Recent volatility in fuel prices and concern for aviation s environmental impact have renewed interest in unducted, open rotor propulsion, and revived research by NASA and a number of engine manufacturers. Unfortunately, in the two decades that have passed since open rotor concepts were thoroughly investigated, NASA has lost experience and expertise in this technology area. This paper describes initial efforts to re-establish NASA s capability to assess aircraft designs with open rotor propulsion. Specifically, methodologies for aircraft-level sizing, performance analysis, and system-level noise analysis are described. Propulsion modeling techniques have been described in a previous paper. Initial results from application of these methods to an advanced single-aisle aircraft using open rotor engines based on historical blade designs are presented. These results indicate open rotor engines have the potential to provide large reductions in fuel consumption and emissions. Initial noise analysis indicates that current noise regulations can be met with old blade designs and modern, noiseoptimized blade designs are expected to result in even lower noise levels. Although an initial capability has been established and initial results obtained, additional development work is necessary to make NASA s open rotor system analysis capability on par with existing turbofan analysis capabilities.

Means for supporting fuel elements in a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Andrews, Harry N.; Keller, Herbert W.

1980-01-01

A grid structure for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly comprising a plurality of connecting members forming at least one longitudinally extending opening peripheral and inner fuel element openings through each of which openings at least one nuclear fuel element extends, said connecting members forming wall means surrounding said each peripheral and inner fuel element opening, a pair of rigid projections longitudinally spaced from one another extending from a portion of said wall means into said each peripheral and inner opening for rigidly engaging said each fuel element, respectively, yet permit individual longitudinal slippage thereof, and resilient means formed integrally on and from said wall means and positioned in said each peripheral and inner opening in opposed relationship with said projections and located to engage said fuel element to bias the latter into engagement with said rigid projections, respectively

NASA Open Rotor Noise Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Envia, Ed

2010-01-01

Owing to their inherent fuel burn efficiency advantage compared with the current generation high bypass ratio turbofan engines, there is resurgent interest in developing open rotor propulsion systems for powering the next generation commercial aircraft. However, to make open rotor systems truly competitive, they must be made to be acoustically acceptable too. To address this challenge, NASA in collaboration with industry is exploring the design space for low-noise open rotor propulsion systems. The focus is on the system level assessment of the open rotors compared with other candidate concepts like the ultra high bypass ratio cycle engines. To that end there is an extensive research effort at NASA focused on component testing and diagnostics of the open rotor acoustic performance as well as assessment and improvement of open rotor noise prediction tools. In this presentation and overview of the current NASA research on open rotor noise will be provided. Two NASA projects, the Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project and the Subsonic Fixed Wing Project, have been funding this research effort.

Open Rotor Noise Prediction at NASA Langley - Capabilities, Research and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farassat, Fereidoun

2010-01-01

The high fuel prices of recent years have caused the operating cost of the airlines to soar. In an effort to bring down the fuel consumption, the major aircraft engine manufacturers are now taking a fresh look at open rotors for the propulsion of future airliners. Open rotors, also known as propfans or unducted fans, can offer up to 30 per cent improvement in efficiency compared to high bypass engines of 1980 vintage currently in use in most civilian aircraft. NASA Langley researchers have contributed significantly to the development of aeroacoustic technology of open rotors. This report discusses the current noise prediction technology at Langley and reviews the input data requirements, strengths and limitations of each method as well as the associated problems in need of attention by the researchers. We present a brief history of research on the aeroacoustics of rotating blade machinery at Langley Research Center. We then discuss the available noise prediction codes for open rotors developed at NASA Langley and their capabilities. In particular, we present the two useful formulations used for the computation of noise from subsonic and supersonic surfaces. Here we discuss the open rotor noise prediction codes ASSPIN and one based on Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation with penetrable data surface (FW - Hpds). The scattering of sound from surfaces near the rotor are calculated using the fast scattering code (FSC) which is also discussed in this report. Plans for further improvements of these codes are given.

Pulsed Laser Gate Experiment for Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, S. M.; Slutz, S. A.; Gomez, M. R.; Klein, S. R.; Campbell, P. C.; Woolstrum, J. M.; Yager-Elorriaga, D. A.; Jordan, N. M.; Lau, Y. Y.; Gilgenbach, R. M.; McBride, R. D.

2017-10-01

Fuel preheating in full scale magnetized liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) currently has low efficiency. This loss is thought to occur from laser-plasma interactions (LPI) at the laser entrance window (LEW). The gaseous fuel is held in a pressurized vessel by the thin mylar LEW that must be removed right before heating. To ensure more laser energy heats the fuel, the LEW could be weakened at an early time. One proposed solution is to use the current from a small pulse generator to break the LEW allowing it to open outward from the fuel. With the LEW removed away from the laser path, LPI losses would be reduced. Wire attached to a 13 kV mini-pulser will be used to remove the LEW from the laser path. We will report on LEW fabrication and the current state of the laser gate project. This research was funded in part by the University of Michigan, a Faculty Development Grant from the NRC, and Sandia National Laboratories under DOE-NNSA contract DE-NA0003525.

Catalysts for Lightweight Solar Fuels Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-10

single bandgap solar cells to OER catalysts could lead to very high solar -to-fuel efficiencies. Figure 3 illustrates a PV -EC utilizing a PV , an...3- or 4 -single junction c-Si solar cells connected in series. Considering a PV -EC device based on commercially available single junction-Si solar ...30.8%) with open circuit voltage and short circuit current density ; total plot area is scaled to incident solar power (100 mW cm–2). The PV -EC

Hybrid fusion-fission reactor with a thorium blanket: Its potential in the fuel cycle of nuclear reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shmelev, A. N.; Kulikov, G. G.; Kurnaev, V. A.; Salahutdinov, G. H.; Kulikov, E. G.; Apse, V. A.

2015-12-01

Discussions are currently going on as to whether it is suitable to employ thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle. This work demonstrates that the 231Pa-232U-233U-Th composition to be produced in the thorium blanket of a hybrid thermonuclear reactor (HTR) as a fuel for light-water reactors opens up the possibility of achieving high, up to 30% of heavy metals (HM), or even ultrahigh fuel burnup. This is because the above fuel composition is able to stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties in the process of high fuel burnup. In addition, it allows the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) to be better protected against unauthorized proliferation of fissile materials owing to an unprecedentedly large fraction of 232U (several percent!) in the uranium bred from the Th blanket, which will substantially hamper the use of fissile materials in a closed NFC for purposes other than power production.

77 FR 18243 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC); Notice of Open Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-27

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC); Notice of Open... open meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory... Committee: The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) was established under Section 807...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Ryder Opens Natural Gas Vehicle Maintenance

Science.gov Websites

Facility Ryder Opens Natural Gas Vehicle Maintenance Facility to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Ryder Opens Natural Gas Vehicle Maintenance Facility on Facebook Tweet about Alternative Fuels Data Center: Ryder Opens Natural Gas Vehicle Maintenance Facility on Twitter Bookmark

Photoassisted Oxygen Reduction Reaction in H2 -O2 Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Bingqing; Wang, Shengyang; Fan, Wenjun; Ma, Weiguang; Liang, Zhenxing; Shi, Jingying; Liao, Shijun; Li, Can

2016-11-14

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key step in H 2 -O 2 fuel cells, which, however, suffers from slow kinetics even for state-of-the-art catalysts. In this work, by making use of photocatalysis, the ORR was significantly accelerated with a polymer semiconductor (polyterthiophene). The onset potential underwent a positive shift from 0.66 to 1.34 V, and the current was enhanced by a factor of 44 at 0.6 V. The improvement was further confirmed in a proof-of-concept light-driven H 2 -O 2 fuel cell, in which the open circuit voltage (V oc ) increased from 0.64 to 1.18 V, and the short circuit current (J sc ) was doubled. This novel tandem structure combining a polymer solar cell and a fuel cell enables the simultaneous utilization of photo- and electrochemical energy, showing promising potential for applications in energy conversion and storage. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Dual membrane hollow fiber fuel cell and method of operating same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingham, J. D.; Lawson, D. D. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A gaseous fuel cell is described which includes a pair of electrodes formed by open-ended, ion-exchange hollow fibers, each having a layer of metal catalyst deposited on the inner surface and large surface area current collectors such as braided metal mesh in contact with the metal catalyst layer. A fuel cell results when the electrodes are immersed in electrolytes and electrically connected. As hydrogen and oxygen flow through the bore of the fibers, oxidation and reduction reactions develop an electrical potential. Since the hollow fiber configuration provides large electrode area per unit volume and intimate contact between fuel and oxidizer at the interface, and due to the low internal resistance of the electrolyte, high power densities can be obtained.

Verification of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sealed Dry Storage Casks via Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Muon Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durham, J. M.; Poulson, D.; Bacon, J.; Chichester, D. L.; Guardincerri, E.; Morris, C. L.; Plaud-Ramos, K.; Schwendiman, W.; Tolman, J. D.; Winston, P.

2018-04-01

Most of the plutonium in the world resides inside spent nuclear reactor fuel rods. This high-level radioactive waste is commonly held in long-term storage within large, heavily shielded casks. Currently, international nuclear safeguards inspectors have no stand-alone method of verifying the amount of reactor fuel stored within a sealed cask. Here we demonstrate experimentally that measurements of the scattering angles of cosmic-ray muons, which pass through a storage cask, can be used to determine if spent fuel assemblies are missing without opening the cask. This application of technology and methods commonly used in high-energy particle physics provides a potential solution to this long-standing problem in international nuclear safeguards.

Characterization of bacterial and archaeal communities in air-cathode microbial fuel cells, open circuit and sealed-off reactors.

PubMed

Shehab, Noura; Li, Dong; Amy, Gary L; Logan, Bruce E; Saikaly, Pascal E

2013-11-01

A large percentage of organic fuel consumed in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) is lost as a result of oxygen transfer through the cathode. In order to understand how this oxygen transfer affects the microbial community structure, reactors were operated in duplicate using three configurations: closed circuit (CC; with current generation), open circuit (OC; no current generation), and sealed off cathodes (SO; no current, with a solid plate placed across the cathode). Most (98 %) of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was removed during power production in the CC reactor (maximum of 640 ± 10 mW/m(2)), with a low percent of substrate converted to current (coulombic efficiency of 26.5 ± 2.1 %). Sealing the cathode reduced COD removal to 7 %, but with an open cathode, there was nearly as much COD removal by the OC reactor (94.5 %) as the CC reactor. Oxygen transfer into the reactor substantially affected the composition of the microbial communities. Based on analysis of the biofilms using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing, microbes most similar to Geobacter were predominant on the anodes in the CC MFC (72 % of sequences), but the most abundant bacteria were Azoarcus (42 to 47 %) in the OC reactor, and Dechloromonas (17 %) in the SO reactor. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens were most predominant, with sequences most similar to Methanobacterium in the CC and SO reactor, and Methanocorpusculum in the OC reactors. These results show that oxygen leakage through the cathode substantially alters the bacterial anode communities, and that hydrogenotrophic methanogens predominate despite high concentrations of acetate. The predominant methanogens in the CC reactor most closely resembled those in the SO reactor, demonstrating that oxygen leakage alters methanogenic as well as general bacterial communities.

A direct ascorbate fuel cell with an anion exchange membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muneeb, Omar; Do, Emily; Tran, Timothy; Boyd, Desiree; Huynh, Michelle; Ghosn, Gregory; Haan, John L.

2017-05-01

Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) is investigated as a renewable alternative fuel for alkaline direct liquid fuel cells (DLFCs). The environmentally- and biologically-friendly compound, L-ascorbic acid (AA) has been modeled and studied experimentally under acidic fuel cell conditions. In this work, we demonstrate that ascorbic acid is a more efficient fuel in alkaline media than in acidic media. An operating direct ascorbate fuel cell is constructed with the combination of L-ascorbic acid and KOH as the anode fuel, air or oxygen as the oxidant, a polymer anion exchange membrane, metal or carbon black anode materials and metal cathode catalyst. Operation of the fuel cell at 60 °C using 1 M AA and 1 M KOH as the anode fuel and electrolyte, respectively, and oxygen gas at the cathode, produces a maximum power density of 73 mW cm-2, maximum current density of 497 mA cm-2 and an open circuit voltage of 0.90 V. This performance is significantly greater than that of an ascorbic acid fuel cell with a cation exchange membrane, and it is competitive with alkaline DLFCs fueled by alcohols.

Heating subsurface formations by oxidizing fuel on a fuel carrier

DOEpatents

Costello, Michael; Vinegar, Harold J.

2012-10-02

A method of heating a portion of a subsurface formation includes drawing fuel on a fuel carrier through an opening formed in the formation. Oxidant is supplied to the fuel at one or more locations in the opening. The fuel is combusted with the oxidant to provide heat to the formation.

Hybrid fusion–fission reactor with a thorium blanket: Its potential in the fuel cycle of nuclear reactors

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

Shmelev, A. N., E-mail: shmelan@mail.ru; Kulikov, G. G., E-mail: ggkulikov@mephi.ru; Kurnaev, V. A., E-mail: kurnaev@yandex.ru

2015-12-15

Discussions are currently going on as to whether it is suitable to employ thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle. This work demonstrates that the {sup 231}Pa–{sup 232}U–{sup 233}U–Th composition to be produced in the thorium blanket of a hybrid thermonuclear reactor (HTR) as a fuel for light-water reactors opens up the possibility of achieving high, up to 30% of heavy metals (HM), or even ultrahigh fuel burnup. This is because the above fuel composition is able to stabilize its neutron-multiplying properties in the process of high fuel burnup. In addition, it allows the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) to be bettermore » protected against unauthorized proliferation of fissile materials owing to an unprecedentedly large fraction of {sup 232}U (several percent!) in the uranium bred from the Th blanket, which will substantially hamper the use of fissile materials in a closed NFC for purposes other than power production.« less

Verification of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sealed Dry Storage Casks via Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Muon Scattering

DOE PAGES

Durham, J. M.; Poulson, D.; Bacon, J.; ...

2018-04-10

Most of the plutonium in the world resides inside spent nuclear reactor fuel rods. This high-level radioactive waste is commonly held in long-term storage within large, heavily shielded casks. Currently, international nuclear safeguards inspectors have no stand-alone method of verifying the amount of reactor fuel stored within a sealed cask. In this paper, we demonstrate experimentally that measurements of the scattering angles of cosmic-ray muons, which pass through a storage cask, can be used to determine if spent fuel assemblies are missing without opening the cask. Finally, this application of technology and methods commonly used in high-energy particle physics providesmore » a potential solution to this long-standing problem in international nuclear safeguards.« less

Verification of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sealed Dry Storage Casks via Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Muon Scattering

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

Durham, J. M.; Poulson, D.; Bacon, J.

Most of the plutonium in the world resides inside spent nuclear reactor fuel rods. This high-level radioactive waste is commonly held in long-term storage within large, heavily shielded casks. Currently, international nuclear safeguards inspectors have no stand-alone method of verifying the amount of reactor fuel stored within a sealed cask. In this paper, we demonstrate experimentally that measurements of the scattering angles of cosmic-ray muons, which pass through a storage cask, can be used to determine if spent fuel assemblies are missing without opening the cask. Finally, this application of technology and methods commonly used in high-energy particle physics providesmore » a potential solution to this long-standing problem in international nuclear safeguards.« less

Development of wireless vehicle remote control for fuel lid operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulaiman, N.; Jadin, M. S.; Najib, M. S.; Mustafa, M.; Azmi, S. N. F.

2018-04-01

Nowadays, the evolution of the vehicle technology had made the vehicle especially car to be equipped with a remote control to control the operation of the locking and unlocking system of the car’s door and rear’s bonnet. However, for the fuel or petrol lid, it merely can be opened from inside the car’s cabin by handling the fuel level inside the car’s cabin to open the fuel lid. The petrol lid can be closed by pushing the lid by hand. Due to the high usage of using fuel lever to open the fuel lid when refilling the fuel, the car driver might encounter the malfunction of fuel lid (fail to open) when pushing or pulling the fuel lever. Thus, the main aim of the research is to enhance the operation of an existing car remote control where the car fuel lid can be controlled using two techniques; remote control-based and smartphone-based. The remote control is constructed using Arduino microcontroller, wireless sensors and XCTU software to set the transmitting and receiving parameters. Meanwhile, the smartphone can control the operation of the fuel lid by communicating with Arduino microcontroller which is attached to the fuel lid using Bluetooth sensor to open the petrol lid. In order to avoid the conflict of instruction between wireless systems with the existing mechanical-based system, the servo motor will be employed to release the fuel lid merely after receiving the instruction from Arduino microcontroller and smartphone. As a conclusion, the prototype of the multipurpose vehicle remote control is successfully invented, constructed and tested. The car fuel lid can be opened either using remote control or smartphone in a sequential manner. Therefore, the outcome of the project can be used to serve as an alternative solution to solve the car fuel lid problem even though the problem rarely occurred.

FUEL ASSAY REACTOR

DOEpatents

Spinrad, B.I.; Sandmeier, H.A.; Martens, F.H.

1962-12-25

A reactor having maximum sensitivity to perturbations is described comprising a core consisting of a horizontally disposed, rectangular, annular fuel zone containing enriched uranium dioxide dispersed in graphite, the concentration of uranium dioxide increasing from the outside to the inside of the fuel zone, an internal reflector of graphite containing an axial test opening disposed within the fuel zone, an external graphite reflector, means for changing the neutron spectrum in the test opening, and means for measuring perturbations in the neutron flux caused by the introduction of different fuel elements into the test opening. (AEC)

Hatch assembly

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

Marshall, J.R.; Hardin, R.T. Jr.

1987-07-07

This patent describes a nuclear reactor installation including means defining a fuel handling area and means defining a containment area separated from the fuel handling area and including a refuelling cavity; the improvement comprising: (a) a fuel transfer tube connecting the refuelling cavity with the fuel handling area; the fuel transfer tube having a first end in the fuel handling area and a second end in the refueling cavity; (b) valve means for opening and closing the first end; and (c) a hatch assembly mounted on the second end; the hatch assembly including (1) a hatch ring affixed to themore » fuel transfer tube at the second end the hatch ring has an integral annular seat surrounded by the hatch ring and defines a hatch opening in the second end of the fuel transfer tube; (2) a hatch cover adapts to be positioned on the annular seat for covering the hatch opening; (3) latching units are supported on the hatch ring about the hatch opening, each latching unit.« less

Smoke and Emissions Model Intercomparison Project (SEMIP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larkin, N. K.; Raffuse, S.; Strand, T.; Solomon, R.; Sullivan, D.; Wheeler, N.

2008-12-01

Fire emissions and smoke impacts from wildland fire are a growing concern due to increasing fire season severity, dwindling tolerance of smoke by the public, tightening air quality regulations, and their role in climate change issues. Unfortunately, while a number of models and modeling system solutions are available to address these issues, the lack of quantitative information on the limitations and difference between smoke and emissions models impedes the use of these tools for real-world applications (JFSP, 2007). We describe a new, open-access project to directly address this issue, the open-access Smoke Emissions Model Intercomparison Project (SEMIP) and invite the community to participate. Preliminary work utilizing the modular BlueSky framework to directly compare fire location and size information, fuel loading amounts, fuel consumption rates, and fire emissions from a number of current models that has found model-to-model variability as high as two orders of magnitude for an individual fire. Fire emissions inventories also show significant variability on both regional and national scales that are dependant on the fire location information used (ground report vs. satellite), the fuel loading maps assumed, and the fire consumption models employed. SEMIP expands on this work and creates an open-access database of model results and observations with the goal of furthering model development and model prediction usability for real-world decision support.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-12-01

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

Multi-tube thermal fuse for nozzle protection from a flame holding or flashback event

DOEpatents

Lacy, Benjamin Paul; Davis, Jr., Lewis Berkley; Johnson, Thomas Edward; York, William David

2012-07-03

A protection system for a pre-mixing apparatus for a turbine engine, includes: a main body having an inlet portion, an outlet portion and an exterior wall that collectively establish a fuel delivery plenum; and a plurality of fuel mixing tubes that extend through at least a portion of the fuel delivery plenum, each of the plurality of fuel mixing tubes including at least one fuel feed opening fluidly connected to the fuel delivery plenum; at least one thermal fuse disposed on an exterior surface of at least one tube, the at least one thermal fuse including a material that will melt upon ignition of fuel within the at least one tube and cause a diversion of fuel from the fuel feed opening to at least one bypass opening. A method and a turbine engine in accordance with the protection system are also provided.

Localised electrochemical impedance measurements of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using a reference electrode array to give cathode-specific measurements and examine membrane hydration dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engebretsen, Erik; Hinds, Gareth; Meyer, Quentin; Mason, Tom; Brightman, Edward; Castanheira, Luis; Shearing, Paul R.; Brett, Daniel J. L.

2018-04-01

Advances in bespoke diagnostic techniques for polymer electrolyte fuel cells continue to provide unique insight into the internal operation of these devices and lead to improved performance and durability. Localised measurements of current density have proven to be extremely useful in designing better fuel cells and identifying optimal operating strategies, with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) now routinely used to deconvolute the various losses in fuel cells. Combining the two techniques provides another dimension of understanding, but until now each localised EIS has been based on 2-electrode measurements, composed of both the anode and cathode responses. This work shows that a reference electrode array can be used to give individual electrode-specific EIS responses, in this case the cathode is focused on to demonstrate the approach. In addition, membrane hydration dynamics are studied under current load steps from open circuit voltage. A three-stage process is identified associated with an initial rapid reduction in membrane resistance after 10 s of applying a current step, followed by a slower ramp to approximately steady state, which was achieved after ∼250 s. These results support previously published work that has looked at membrane swelling dynamics and reveal that membrane hydration/membrane resistance is highly heterogeneous.

Rotary piston engine equipped with an improved air or fuel injection opening

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

Sasaki, Y.

An improved air or fuel injection opening is described for a rotary piston engine having a trochoidal inner surface of a center housing and an eccentrically rotating polygonal rotor. The air or fuel injection opening provided in a side housing wall is confined within a region limited so as to be outside of an outer envelope of traces of a side seal and inside an outer corner seal, with the opening having a contour smaller than that of the corner seal.

Coupled electrochemical and heat/mass transport characteristics in passive direct methanol fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Rong

This thesis presents both experimental and theoretical investigations of coupled heat/mass transfer and electrochemical characteristics in the passive DMFC. Unlike active fuel cells, which can be operated under stabilized operating conditions, the discharging behavior of the passive DMFC usually varies with time, as the methanol concentration in the fuel reservoir decreases with time. This poses a difficulty in characterizing the performance of the passive DMFC under relatively stable operating conditions. In this work, we found that the performance of the passive DMFC became relatively stable as the cell operating temperature rose to a relatively stable value. This finding indicates that the performance of the passive DMFC can be characterized by collecting polarization data at the instance when the cell operating temperature under the open-circuit condition rises to a relatively stable value. With this proposed standard of passive DMFC performance characterization, the effects of two important parameters, including methanol concentration and cell orientation, on the passive DMFC performance were then investigated. It is found that the cell performance increased with methanol concentration. Unlike previous studies that attributed the improved performance as a result of increasing methanol concentration to the reduced anode mass transport polarization, our experimental results revealed that the improved cell performance was primarily due to the increased cell operating temperature as a result of the increased rate of methanol crossover with high methanol concentration operation. We also found that the performance was sensitive to the cell orientation. The vertical operation always yielded better performance than did the horizontal operation. This can be attributed to the increased operating temperature as a result of a higher rate of methanol crossover, which resulted from the stronger natural convection in the vertical orientation. These parametric studies indicated that the thermal management is a key factor for improving the performance of the passive DMFC. To enhance oxygen transport on the air-breathing cathode and to reduce the heat loss from the cathode, a porous current collector for the passive DMFC was proposed to replace conventional perforated-plate current collectors. Because of its high specific area of transport and effectiveness in removing the liquid water as a result of the capillary action in the porous structure, the porous current collector enables a significant enhancement of oxygen supply to the fuel cell. In addition, because of the lower effective thermal conductivity of the porous structure, the heat loss from the fuel cell to ambient air can be reduced. The experimental results showed that the passive DMFC having the porous current collector yielded much higher and much more stable performance than did the cell having the conventional perforated-plate current collector with high methanol concentration operation. As a following up to oxygen transport enhancement, a new design of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was proposed, in which the conventional cathode gas diffusion layer (CGDL) is eliminated while utilizing a porous metal structure for transporting oxygen and collecting current. We show theoretically that the new MEA enables a higher mass transfer rate of oxygen and thus better performance. Moreover, the measured polarization and constant-current discharging behavior showed that the passive DMFC with the new MEA yielded higher and much more stable performance than did the cell having the conventional MEA. Besides the experimental investigations, to further theoretically study the thermal effect on the cell performance, a one-dimension single-phase model is developed by considering inherently coupled heat and mass transport along with the electrochemical reactions occurring in passive DMFCs. The analytical solutions predicting the performance of this type of fuel cell operating with different methanol concentrations are obtained. It was further revealed that the improved performance with higher methanol concentrations is due primarily to the increased operating temperature resulting from the exothermic reaction between the permeated methanol and oxygen on the cathode. In addition, to further reflect the effect of two-phase heat and mass transport on the performance of the passive DMFC, we then developed a two-phase two-dimensional thermal model. With this model, the effects of methanol concentration, open ratio and channel and rib width on cell performance were investigated. It was found that although the larger open ratio and smaller channel and rib width exhibit the lower cell operating temperature as a result of the lower heat generation rate, the cell performance is still higher as a result of the increased mass transfer rate on both the anode and cathode. Keywords: Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cell; Cell Performance; Thermal Effect; Open-circuit Condition; Methanol Concentration; Cell Orientation; Metal Foam, Effective Thermal Conductivity; Oxygen Transport; Mass Transfer Resistance; Two-phase Transport; Open Ratio; Channel and Rib Width.

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

Huttrer, G.W.

This report summarizes the investigation and evaluation of several {open_quotes}compact{close_quotes} drill rigs which could be used for drilling geothermal production wells. Use of these smaller rigs would save money by reducing mobilization costs, fuel consumption, crew sizes, and environmental impact. Advantages and disadvantages of currently-manufactured rigs are identified, and desirable characteristics for the {open_quotes}ideal{close_quotes} compact rig are defined. The report includes a detailed cost estimate of a specific rig, and an evaluation of the cost/benefit ratio of using this rig. Industry contacts for further information are given.

Apparatus tube configuration and mounting for solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Zymboly, G.E.

1993-09-14

A generator apparatus is made containing long, hollow, tubular, fuel cells containing an inner air electrode, an outer fuel electrode, and solid electrolyte there between, placed between a fuel distribution board and a board which separates the combustion chamber from the generating chamber, where each fuel cell has an insertable open end and in insertable, plugged, closed end, the plugged end being inserted into the fuel distribution board and the open end being inserted through the separator board where the plug is completely within the fuel distribution board. 3 figures.

COD removal characteristics in air-cathode microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoyuan; He, Weihua; Ren, Lijiao; Stager, Jennifer; Evans, Patrick J; Logan, Bruce E

2015-01-01

Exoelectrogenic microorganisms in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) compete with other microorganisms for substrate. In order to understand how this affects removal rates, current generation, and coulombic efficiencies (CEs), substrate removal rates were compared in MFCs fed a single, readily biodegradable compound (acetate) or domestic wastewater (WW). Removal rates based on initial test conditions fit first-order kinetics, but rate constants varied with circuit resistance. With filtered WW (100Ω), the rate constant was 0.18h(-)(1), which was higher than acetate or filtered WW with an open circuit (0.10h(-)(1)), but CEs were much lower (15-24%) than acetate. With raw WW (100Ω), COD removal proceeded in two stages: a fast removal stage with high current production, followed by a slower removal with little current. While using MFCs increased COD removal rate due to current generation, secondary processes will be needed to reduce COD to levels suitable for discharge. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Some Characteristics of Fuel Sprays from Open Nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothrock, A M; Lee, D W

1930-01-01

The penetration and cone-angle of fuel sprays from open nozzles were recorded with the NACA Spray Photography Equipment. The results show that for injection systems in which the rate of pressure rise at the discharge orifice is high, open nozzles give spray-tip velocities and penetrations which compare favorably with those of closed nozzles. The spray cone-angle was the same for all tests, although open nozzles having different orifice diameters were used, and one nozzle was used both as an open and as a closed nozzle. In designing a fuel system using open nozzles, particular care must be taken to avoid air pockets. The check valve should be placed close to the discharge orifice.

In-situ electrochemically active surface area evaluation of an open-cathode polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torija, Sergio; Prieto-Sanchez, Laura; Ashton, Sean J.

2016-09-01

The ability to evaluate the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) of fuel cell electrodes is crucial toward characterising designs and component suites in-situ, particularly when evaluating component durability in endurance testing, since it is a measure of the electrode area available to take part in the fuel cell reactions. Conventional methods to obtain the ECSA using cyclic voltammetry, however, rely on potentiostats that cannot be easily scaled to simultaneously evaluate all cells in a fuel cell stack of practical size, which is desirable in fuel cell development. In-situ diagnostics of an open-cathode fuel cell stack are furthermore challenging because the cells do not each possess an enclosed cathode compartment; instead, the cathodes are rather open to the environment. Here we report on a diagnostic setup that allows the electrochemically active surface area of each cell anode or cathode in an open-cathode fuel cell stack to be evaluated in-situ and simultaneously, with high resolution and reproducibility, using an easily scalable chronopotentiometry methodology and a gas-tight stack enclosure.

Investigation into the effects of sulfur on syngas reforming inside a solid oxide fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ting Shuai; Xu, Min; Gao, Chongxin; Wang, Baoqing; Liu, Xiyun; Li, Baihai; Wang, Wei Guo

2014-07-01

The electrochemical performance and long-term durability of a solid oxide fuel cell have been evaluated with a simulated coal syngas containing 2 ppm H2S as fuel. The resulting impedance spectra indicate that no observable power loss is caused by the addition of 2 ppm H2S, and the cell shows stability of nearly 500 h at 0.625 A cm-2. The composition of mixed gas is analyzed both at a current load of 0.625 A cm-2 and open circuit state. Hydrogen and carbon monoxide are directly consumed as fuels at the anode side, whereas methane stays unchanged during the operation. It seems the internal carbohydrate reforming and impurity poisoning interacts and weakens the poisoning effects. The oxidation of H2 and the water gas shift reaction take advantages over methane reforming at the cell operational conditions.

A Novel Fuel/Reactor Cycle to Implement the 300 Years Nuclear Waste Policy Approach - 12377

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

Carelli, M.D.; Franceschini, F.; Lahoda, E.J.

2012-07-01

A thorium-based fuel cycle system can effectively burn the currently accumulated commercial used nuclear fuel and move to a sustainable equilibrium where the actinide levels in the high level waste are low enough to yield a radiotoxicity after 300 years lower than that of the equivalent uranium ore. The second step of the Westinghouse approach to solving the waste 'problem' has been completed. The thorium fuel cycle has indeed the potential of burning the legacy TRU and achieve the waste objective proposed. Initial evaluations have been started for the third step, development and selection of appropriate reactors. Indications are thatmore » the probability of show-stoppers is rather remote. It is, therefore, believed that development of the thorium cycle and associated technologies will provide a permanent solution to the waste management. Westinghouse is open to the widest collaboration to make this a reality. (authors)« less

Spacer grid assembly and locking mechanism

DOEpatents

Snyder, Jr., Harold J.; Veca, Anthony R.; Donck, Harry A.

1982-01-01

A spacer grid assembly is disclosed for retaining a plurality of fuel rods in substantially parallel spaced relation, the spacer grids being formed with rhombic openings defining contact means for engaging from one to four fuel rods arranged in each opening, the spacer grids being of symmetric configuration with their rhombic openings being asymmetrically offset to permit inversion and relative rotation of the similar spacer grids for improved support of the fuel rods. An improved locking mechanism includes tie bars having chordal surfaces to facilitate their installation in slotted circular openings of the spacer grids, the tie rods being rotatable into locking engagement with the slotted openings.

Nutrition considerations for open-water swimming.

PubMed

Shaw, Gregory; Koivisto, Anu; Gerrard, David; Burke, Louise M

2014-08-01

Open-water swimming (OWS) is a rapidly developing discipline. Events of 5-25 km are featured at FINA World Championships, and the international circuit includes races of 5-88 km. The Olympic OWS event, introduced in 2008, is contested over 10 km. Differing venues present changing environmental conditions, including water and ambient temperatures, humidity, solar radiation, and unpredictable tides. Furthermore, the duration of most OWS events (1-6 hr) creates unique physiological challenges to thermoregulation, hydration status, and muscle fuel stores. Current nutrition recommendations for open-water training and competition are either an extension of recommendations from pool swimming or are extrapolated from other athletic populations with similar physiological requirements. Competition nutrition should focus on optimizing prerace hydration and glycogen stores. Although swimmers should rely on self-supplied fuel and fluid sources for shorter events, for races of 10 km or greater, fluid and fuel replacement can occur from feeding pontoons when tactically appropriate. Over the longer races, feeding pontoons should be used to achieve desirable targets of up to 90 g/ hr of carbohydrates from multitransportable sources. Exposure to variable water and ambient temperatures will play a significant role in determining race nutrition strategies. For example, in extreme environments, thermoregulation may be assisted by manipulating the temperature of the ingested fluids. Swimmers are encouraged to work with nutrition experts to develop effective and efficient strategies that enhance performance through appropriate in-competition nutrition.

Structure for common access and support of fuel cell stacks

DOEpatents

Walsh, Michael M.

2000-01-01

A structure provides common support and access to multiple fuel cells externally mounted thereto. The structure has openings leading to passages defined therein for providing the access. Various other fuel cell power system components are connected at the openings, such as reactant and coolant sources.

77 FR 2714 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-19

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. ACTION: Notice of open meeting, Webinar. SUMMARY: This notice announces an open meeting of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee...

Apparatus tube configuration and mounting for solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Zymboly, Gregory E.

1993-01-01

A generator apparatus (10) is made containing long, hollow, tubular, fuel cells containing an inner air electrode (64), an outer fuel electrode (56), and solid electrolyte (54) therebetween, placed between a fuel distribution board (29) and a board (32) which separates the combustion chamber (16) from the generating chamber (14), where each fuel cell has an insertable open end and in insertable, plugged, closed end (44), the plugged end being inserted into the fuel distribution board (29) and the open end being inserted through the separator board (32) where the plug (60) is completely within the fuel distribution board (29).

Conserving old-growth forest diversity in disturbance-prone landscapes.

PubMed

Spies, Thomas A; Hemstrom, Miles A; Youngblood, Andrew; Hummel, Susan

2006-04-01

A decade after its creation, the Northwest Forest Plan is contributing to the conservation of old-growth forests on federal land. However the success and outlook for the plan are questionable in the dry provinces, where losses of old growth to wildfire have been relatively high and risks of further loss remain. We summarize the state of knowledge of old-growth forests in the plan area, identify challenges to conserve them, and suggest some conservation approaches that might better meet the goals of the plan. Historically, old-growth forests in these provinces ranged from open, patchy stands, maintained by frequent low-severity fire, to a mosaic of dense and open stands maintained by mixed-severity fires. Old-growth structure and composition were spatially heterogeneous, varied strongly with topography and elevation, and were shaped by a complex disturbance regime of fire, insects, and disease. With fire suppression and cutting of large pines (Pinus spp.) and Douglas-firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirbel] Franco), old-growth diversity has declined and dense understories have developed across large areas. Challenges to conserving these forests include a lack of definitions needed for planning of fire-dependent old-growth stands and landscapes, and conflicts in conservation goals that can be resolved only at the landscape level. Fire suppression has increased the area of the dense, older forest favored by Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) but increased the probability of high-severity fire. The plan allows for fuel reduction in late-successional reserves; fuel treatments, however apparently have not happened at a high enough rate or been applied in a landscape-level approach. Landscape-level strategies are needed that prioritize fuel treatments by vegetation zones, develop shaded fuel breaks in strategic positions, and thin and apply prescribed fire to reduce ladder fuels around remaining old trees. Evaluations of the current and alternative strategies are needed to determine whether the current reserve-matrix approach is the best strategy to meet plan goals in these dynamic landscapes.

Perspective use of direct human blood as an energy source in air-breathing hybrid microfluidic fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dector, A.; Escalona-Villalpando, R. A.; Dector, D.; Vallejo-Becerra, V.; Chávez-Ramírez, A. U.; Arriaga, L. G.; Ledesma-García, J.

2015-08-01

This work presents a flexible and light air-breathing hybrid microfluidic fuel cell (HμFC) operated under biological conditions. A mixture of glucose oxidase, glutaraldehyde, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and vulcan carbon (GOx/VC-MWCNT-GA) was used as the bioanode. Meanwhile, integrating an air-exposed electrode (Pt/C) as the cathode enabled direct oxygen delivery from air. The microfluidic fuel cell performance was evaluated using glucose obtained from three different sources as the fuel: 5 mM glucose in phosphate buffer, human serum and human blood. For the last fuel, an open circuit voltage and maximum power density of 0.52 V and 0.20 mW cm-2 (at 0.38 V) were obtained respectively; meanwhile the maximum current density was 1.1 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the stability of the device was measured in terms of recovery after several polarization curves, showing excellent results. Although this air-breathing HμFC requires technological improvements before being tested in a biomedical device, it represents the best performance to date for a microfluidic fuel cell using human blood as glucose source.

Progress in Open Rotor Research: A U.S. Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Zante, Dale E.

2015-01-01

In response to the 1970s oil crisis, NASA created the Advanced Turboprop Project (ATP) to mature technologies for high-speed propellers to enable large reductions in fuel burn relative to turbofan engines of that era. Both single rotation and contra-rotation concepts were designed and tested in ground based facilities as well as flight. Some novel concepts configurations that were not well publicized at the time, were proposed as part of the effort. The high-speed propeller concepts did provide fuel burn savings, albeit with some acoustics and structural challenges to overcome. When fuel prices fell, the business case for radical new engine configurations collapsed and the research emphasis returned to high bypass ducted configurations. With rising oil prices and increased environmental concerns there is renewed interest in high-speed propeller based engine architectures. Contemporary analysis tools for aerodynamics and aeroacoustics have enabled a new era of blade designs that have both high efficiency and acceptable noise characteristics. A recent series of tests in the U.S. have characterized the aerodynamic performance and noise from these modern contra-rotating propeller designs. Additionally the installation and noise shielding aspects for conventional airframes and blended wing bodies have been studied. Historical estimates of propfan performance have relied on legacy propeller performance and acoustics data. Current system studies make use of the modern propeller data with higher fidelity installation effects data to estimate the performance of a contemporary aircraft system with favorable results. This paper presents the current state of high-speed propeller open rotor research within the U.S. from an overall viewpoint of the various efforts ongoing. The current projections for the technology are presented.

High Ethanol Fuel Endurance: A Study of the Effects of Running Gasoline with 15% Ethanol Concentration in Current Production Outboard Four-Stroke Engines and Conventional Two-Stroke Outboard Marine Engines

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

Hilbert, D.

2011-10-01

Three Mercury Marine outboard marine engines were evaluated for durability using E15 fuel -- gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. Direct comparison was made to operation on E0 (ethanol-free gasoline) to determine the effects of increased ethanol on engine durability. Testing was conducted using a 300-hour wide-open throttle (WOT) test protocol, a typical durability cycle used by the outboard marine industry. Use of E15 resulted in reduced CO emissions, as expected for open-loop, non-feedback control engines. HC emissions effects were variable. Exhaust gas and engine operating temperatures increased as a consequence of leaner operation. Each E15 test engine exhibited some deteriorationmore » that may have been related to the test fuel. The 9.9 HP, four-stroke E15 engine exhibited variable hydrocarbon emissions at 300 hours -- an indication of lean misfire. The 300HP, four-stroke, supercharged Verado engine and the 200HP, two-stroke legacy engine tested with E15 fuel failed to complete the durability test. The Verado engine failed three exhaust valves at 285 endurance hours while the 200HP legacy engine failed a main crank bearing at 256 endurance hours. All E0-dedicated engines completed the durability cycle without incident. Additional testing is necessary to link the observed engine failures to ethanol in the test fuel.« less

Deforestation, fire susceptibility, and potential tree responses to fire in the eastern Amazon

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

Uhl, C.; Kauffman, J.B.

1990-04-01

In the state of Para, Brazil, in the eastern Amazon, the authors studied the potential for sustained fire events within four dominant vegetation cover types (undisturbed rain forest, selectively logged forest, second-growth forest, and open pasture), by measuring fuel availability, microclimate, and rates of fuel moisture loss. They also estimated the potential tree mortality that might result from a wide-scale Amazon forest fire by measuring the thermal properties of bark for all trees in a 5-ha stand of mature forest, followed by measurements of heat flux through bark during simulated fires. In pastures the average midday temperature was almost 10{degree}Cmore » greater and the average midday relative humidity was 30% lower than in primary forest. The most five-prone ecosystem was the open pasture followed by selectively logged forest, second growth forest, and undisturbed rain forest in which sustained combustion was not possible even after prolonged rainless periods. Even though the autogenic factors in primary forest of the eastern Amazon create a microclimate that virtually eliminates the probability of fire, they are currently a common event in disturbed areas of Amazonia. As many as 8 {times} 10{sup 6} ha burned in the Amazon Basin of Brazil in 1987 alone. In terms of current land-use patterns, altered microclimates, and fuel mass, there are also striking similarities between the eastern Amazon and East Kalimantan, Indonesia (the site of recent rain forest wildfires that burned 3.5 {times} 10{sup 6} ha).« less

Experimental modeling of crown fire initiation in open and closed shrubland systems

Treesearch

W. Tachajapong; S. Lozano; S. Mahalingam; D.R. Weise

2014-01-01

The transition of surface fire to live shrub crown fuels was studied through a simplified laboratory experiment using an open-topped wind tunnel. Respective surface and crown fuels used were excelsior (shredded Populus tremuloides wood) and live chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum, including branches and foliage). A high crown fuel...

Control apparatus and method for efficiently heating a fuel processor in a fuel cell system

DOEpatents

Doan, Tien M.; Clingerman, Bruce J.

2003-08-05

A control apparatus and method for efficiently controlling the amount of heat generated by a fuel cell processor in a fuel cell system by determining a temperature error between actual and desired fuel processor temperatures. The temperature error is converted to a combustor fuel injector command signal or a heat dump valve position command signal depending upon the type of temperature error. Logic controls are responsive to the combustor fuel injector command signals and the heat dump valve position command signal to prevent the combustor fuel injector command signal from being generated if the heat dump valve is opened or, alternately, from preventing the heat dump valve position command signal from being generated if the combustor fuel injector is opened.

Flexible ceramic gasket for SOFC generator

DOEpatents

Zafred, Paolo [Murrysville, PA; Prevish, Thomas [Trafford, PA

2009-02-03

A solid oxide fuel cell generator (10) contains stacks of hollow axially elongated fuel cells (36) having an open top end (37), an oxidant inlet plenum (52), a feed fuel plenum (11), a combustion chamber (94) for combusting reacted oxidant/spent fuel; and, optionally, a fuel recirculation chamber (106) below the combustion chamber (94), where the fuel recirculation chamber (94) is in part defined by semi-porous fuel cell positioning gasket (108), all within an outer generator enclosure (8), wherein the fuel cell gasket (108) has a laminate structure comprising at least a compliant fibrous mat support layer and a strong, yet flexible woven layer, which may contain catalytic particles facing the combustion chamber, where the catalyst, if used, is effective to further oxidize exhaust fuel and protect the open top end (37) of the fuel cells.

Physics Features of TRU-Fueled VHTRs

DOE PAGES

Lewis, Tom G.; Tsvetkov, Pavel V.

2009-01-01

The current waste management strategy for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) mandated by the US Congress is the disposal of high-level waste (HLW) in a geological repository at Yucca Mountain. Ongoing efforts on closed-fuel cycle options and difficulties in opening and safeguarding such a repository have led to investigations of alternative waste management strategies. One potential strategy for the US fuel cycle would be to make use of fuel loadings containing high concentrations of transuranic (TRU) nuclides in the next-generation reactors. The use of such fuels would not only increase fuel supply but could also potentially facilitate prolonged operation modes (viamore » fertile additives) on a single fuel loading. The idea is to approach autonomous operation on a single fuel loading that would allow marketing power units as nuclear batteries for worldwide deployment. Studies have already shown that high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs) and their Generation IV (GEN IV) extensions, very-high-temperature reactors (VHTRs), have encouraging performance characteristics. This paper is focused on possible physics features of TRU-fueled VHTRs. One of the objectives of a 3-year U.S. DOE NERI project was to show that TRU-fueled VHTRs have the possibility of prolonged operation on a single fuel loading. A 3D temperature distribution was developed based on conceivable operation conditions of the 600 MWth VHTR design. Results of extensive criticality and depletion calculations with varying fuel loadings showed that VHTRs are capable for autonomous operation and HLW waste reduction when loaded with TRU fuel.« less

Simultaneous NOx and hydrocarbon emissions control for lean-burn engines using low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell at open circuit.

PubMed

Huang, Ta-Jen; Hsu, Sheng-Hsiang; Wu, Chung-Ying

2012-02-21

The high fuel efficiency of lean-burn engines is associated with high temperature and excess oxygen during combustion and thus is associated with high-concentration NO(x) emission. This work reveals that very high concentration of NO(x) in the exhaust can be reduced and hydrocarbons (HCs) can be simultaneously oxidized using a low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). An SOFC unit is constructed with Ni-YSZ as the anode, YSZ as the electrolyte, and La(0.6)Sr(0.4)CoO(3) (LSC)-Ce(0.9)Gd(0.1)O(1.95) as the cathode, with or without adding vanadium to LSC. SOFC operation at 450 °C and open circuit can effectively treat NO(x) over the cathode at a very high concentration in the simulated exhaust. Higher NO(x) concentration up to 5000 ppm can result in a larger NO(x) to N(2) rate. Moreover, a higher oxygen concentration promotes NO conversion. Complete oxidation of HCs can be achieved by adding silver to the LSC current collecting layer. The SOFC-based emissions control system can treat NO(x) and HCs simultaneously, and can be operated without consuming the anode fuel (a reductant) at near the engine exhaust temperature to eliminate the need for reductant refilling and extra heating.

Molybdenum dioxide-based anode for solid oxide fuel cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Byeong Wan; Ellefson, Caleb; Breit, Joe; Kim, Jinsoo; Grant Norton, M.; Ha, Su

2013-12-01

The present paper describes the fabrication and performance of a molybdenum dioxide (MoO2)-based anode for liquid hydrocarbon/oxygenated hydrocarbon-fueled solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). These fuel cells first internally reform the complex liquid fuel into carbon fragments and hydrogen, which are then electrochemically oxidized to produce electrical energy without external fuel processors. The MoO2-based anode was fabricated on to an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte via combined electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) and direct painting methods. The cell performance was measured by directly feeding liquid fuels such as n-dodecane (i.e., a model diesel/kerosene fuel) or biodiesel (i.e., a future biomass-based liquid fuel) to the MoO2-based anode at 850 °C. The maximum initial power densities obtained from our MoO2-based SOFC were 34 mW cm-2 and 45 mW cm-2 using n-dodecane and biodiesel, respectively. The initial power density of the MoO2-based SOFC was improved up to 2500 mW cm-2 by optimizing the porosity of the MoO2-based anode. To test the long-term stability of the MoO2-based anode SOFC against coking, n-dodecane was continuously fed into the cell for 24 h at the open circuit voltage (OCV). During long-term testing, voltage-current density (V-I) plots were periodically obtained and they showed no significant changes over the operation time. Microstructural examination of the tested cells indicated that the MoO2-based anode displayed negligible coke formation, which explains its stability. On the other hand, SOFCs with conventional nickel (Ni)-based anodes under the same operating conditions showed a significant amount of coke formation on the metal surface, which led to a rapid drop in cell performance. Hence, the present work demonstrates that MoO2-based anodes exhibit outstanding tolerance to coke formation. This result opens up the opportunity for more efficiently generating electrical energy from both existing transportation and next generation biomass-derived liquid fuels using liquid hydrocarbon/oxygenated hydrocarbon-fueled SOFCs.

Open-Cycle Gas Turbine/Steam Turbine Combined Cycles with synthetic fuels from coal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, R. P.; Corman, J. C.

1977-01-01

The Open-Cycle Gas Turbine/Steam Turbine Combined Cycle can be an effective energy conversion system for converting coal to electricity. The intermediate step in this energy conversion process is to convert the coal into a fuel acceptable to a gas turbine. This can be accomplished by producing a synthetic gas or liquid, and by removing, in the fuel conversion step, the elements in the fuel that would be harmful to the environment if combusted. In this paper, two open-cycle gas turbine combined systems are evaluated: one employing an integrated low-Btu gasifier, and one utilizing a semi-clean liquid fuel. A consistent technical/economic information base is developed for these two systems, and is compared with a reference steam plant burning coal directly in a conventional furnace.

Rotating disk electrode system for elevated pressures and temperatures.

PubMed

Fleige, M J; Wiberg, G K H; Arenz, M

2015-06-01

We describe the development and test of an elevated pressure and temperature rotating disk electrode (RDE) system that allows measurements under well-defined mass transport conditions. As demonstrated for the oxygen reduction reaction on polycrystalline platinum (Pt) in 0.5M H2SO4, the setup can easily be operated in a pressure range of 1-101 bar oxygen, and temperature of 140 °C. Under such conditions, diffusion limited current densities increase by almost two orders of magnitude as compared to conventional RDE setups allowing, for example, fuel cell catalyst studies under more realistic conditions. Levich plots demonstrate that the mass transport is indeed well-defined, i.e., at low electrode potentials, the measured current densities are fully diffusion controlled, while at higher potentials, a mixed kinetic-diffusion controlled regime is observed. Therefore, the setup opens up a new field for RDE investigations under temperature and current density conditions relevant for low and high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Rotating disk electrode system for elevated pressures and temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleige, M. J.; Wiberg, G. K. H.; Arenz, M.

2015-06-01

We describe the development and test of an elevated pressure and temperature rotating disk electrode (RDE) system that allows measurements under well-defined mass transport conditions. As demonstrated for the oxygen reduction reaction on polycrystalline platinum (Pt) in 0.5M H2SO4, the setup can easily be operated in a pressure range of 1-101 bar oxygen, and temperature of 140 °C. Under such conditions, diffusion limited current densities increase by almost two orders of magnitude as compared to conventional RDE setups allowing, for example, fuel cell catalyst studies under more realistic conditions. Levich plots demonstrate that the mass transport is indeed well-defined, i.e., at low electrode potentials, the measured current densities are fully diffusion controlled, while at higher potentials, a mixed kinetic-diffusion controlled regime is observed. Therefore, the setup opens up a new field for RDE investigations under temperature and current density conditions relevant for low and high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Performance, Efficiency, and Emissions Characterization of Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines Fueled with Hydrogen/Natural Gas Blends

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

Kirby S. Chapman; Amar Patil

2007-06-30

Hydrogen is an attractive fuel source not only because it is abundant and renewable but also because it produces almost zero regulated emissions. Internal combustion engines fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) are operated throughout a variety of industries in a number of mobile and stationary applications. While CNG engines offer many advantages over conventional gasoline and diesel combustion engines, CNG engine performance can be substantially improved in the lean operating region. Lean operation has a number of benefits, the most notable of which is reduced emissions. However, the extremely low flame propagation velocities of CNG greatly restrict the leanmore » operating limits of CNG engines. Hydrogen, however, has a high flame speed and a wide operating limit that extends into the lean region. The addition of hydrogen to a CNG engine makes it a viable and economical method to significantly extend the lean operating limit and thereby improve performance and reduce emissions. Drawbacks of hydrogen as a fuel source, however, include lower power density due to a lower heating value per unit volume as compared to CNG, and susceptibility to pre-ignition and engine knock due to wide flammability limits and low minimum ignition energy. Combining hydrogen with CNG, however, overcomes the drawbacks inherent in each fuel type. Objectives of the current study were to evaluate the feasibility of using blends of hydrogen and natural gas as a fuel for conventional natural gas engines. The experiment and data analysis included evaluation of engine performance, efficiency, and emissions along with detailed in-cylinder measurements of key physical parameters. This provided a detailed knowledge base of the impact of using hydrogen/natural gas blends. A four-stroke, 4.2 L, V-6 naturally aspirated natural gas engine coupled to an eddy current dynamometer was used to measure the impact of hydrogen/natural gas blends on performance, thermodynamic efficiency and exhaust gas emissions in a reciprocating four stroke cycle engine. The test matrix varied engine load and air-to-fuel ratio at throttle openings of 50% and 100% at equivalence ratios of 1.00 and 0.90 for hydrogen percentages of 10%, 20% and 30% by volume. In addition, tests were performed at 100% throttle opening, with an equivalence ratio of 0.98 and a hydrogen blend of 20% to further investigate CO emission variations. Data analysis indicated that the use of hydrogen/natural gas fuel blend penalizes the engine operation with a 1.5 to 2.0% decrease in torque, but provided up to a 36% reduction in CO, a 30% reduction in NOX, and a 5% increase in brake thermal efficiency. These results concur with previous results published in the open literature. Further reduction in emissions can be obtained by retarding the ignition timing.« less

Fuel cell integral bundle assembly including ceramic open end seal and vertical and horizontal thermal expansion control

DOEpatents

Zafred, Paolo R [Murrysville, PA; Gillett, James E [Greensburg, PA

2012-04-24

A plurality of integral bundle assemblies contain a top portion with an inlet fuel plenum and a bottom portion containing a base support, the base supports a dense, ceramic air exhaust manifold having four supporting legs, the manifold is below and connects to air feed tubes located in a recuperator zone, the air feed tubes passing into the center of inverted, tubular, elongated, hollow electrically connected solid oxide fuel cells having an open end above a combustion zone into which the air feed tubes pass and a closed end near the inlet fuel plenum, where the open end of the fuel cells rest upon and within a separate combination ceramic seal and bundle support contained in a ceramic support casting, where at least one flexible cushion ceramic band seal located between the recuperator and fuel cells protects and controls horizontal thermal expansion, and where the fuel cells operate in the fuel cell mode and where the base support and bottom ceramic air exhaust manifolds carry from 85% to all of the weight of the generator.

Durability and performance optimization of cathode materials for fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colon-Mercado, Hector Rafael

The primary objective of this dissertation is to develop an accelerated durability test (ADT) for the evaluation of cathode materials for fuel cells. The work has been divided in two main categories, namely high temperature fuel cells with emphasis on the Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) cathode current collector corrosion problems and low temperature fuel cells in particular Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEMFC) cathode catalyst corrosion. The high operating temperature of MCFC has given it benefits over other fuel cells. These include higher efficiencies (>50%), faster electrode kinetics, etc. At 650°C, the theoretical open circuit voltage is established, providing low electrode overpotentials without requiring any noble metal catalysts and permitting high electrochemical efficiency. The waste heat is generated at sufficiently high temperatures to make it useful as a co-product. However, in order to commercialize the MCFC, a lifetime of 40,000 hours of operation must be achieved. The major limiting factor in the MCFC is the corrosion of cathode materials, which include cathode electrode and cathode current collector. In the first part of this dissertation the corrosion characteristics of bare, heat-treated and cobalt coated titanium alloys were studied using an ADT and compared with that of state of the art current collector material, SS 316. PEMFCs are the best choice for a wide range of portable, stationary and automotive applications because of their high power density and relatively low-temperature operation. However, a major impediment in the commercialization of the fuel cell technology is the cost involved due to the large amount of platinum electrocatalyst used in the cathode catalyst. In an effort to increase the power and decrease the cathode cost in polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) systems, Pt-alloy catalysts were developed to increase its activity and stability. Extensive research has been conducted in the area of new alloy development and understanding the mechanisms of ORR. However, a relatively small number of publications are related to the durability of Pt alloys in the PEMFC environment. In the second part of this dissertation an ADT is developed for the evaluation of PEMFC cathode catalysts in a time and cost effective way.

Carbon nanocages: a new support material for Pt catalyst with remarkably high durability.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao Xia; Tan, Zhe Hua; Zeng, Min; Wang, Jian Nong

2014-03-24

Low durability is the major challenge hindering the large-scale implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, and corrosion of carbon support materials of current catalysts is the main cause. Here, we describe the finding of remarkably high durability with the use of a novel support material. This material is based on hollow carbon nanocages developed with a high degree of graphitization and concurrent nitrogen doping for oxidation resistance enhancement, uniform deposition of fine Pt particles, and strong Pt-support interaction. Accelerated degradation testing shows that such designed catalyst possesses a superior electrochemical activity and long-term stability for both hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction relative to industry benchmarks of current catalysts. Further testing under conditions of practical fuel cell operation reveals almost no degradation over long-term cycling. Such a catalyst of high activity, particularly, high durability, opens the door for the next-generation PEMFC for "real world" application.

Global models for synthetic fuels planning

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

Lamontagne, J.

1983-10-01

This study was performed to identify the set of existing global models with the best potential for use in the US Synthetic Fuels Corporation's strategic planning process, and to recommend the most appropriate model. The study was limited to global models with representations that encompass time horizons beyond the year 2000, multiple fuel forms, and significant regional detail. Potential accessibility to the Synthetic Fuels Corporation and adequate documentation were also required. Four existing models (LORENDAS, WIM, IIASA, and IEA/ORAU) were judged to be the best candidates for the SFC's use at this time; none of the models appears to bemore » ideal for the SFC's purposes. On the basis of currently available information, the most promising short-term option open to the SFC is the use of LORENDAS, with careful attention to definition of alternative energy demand scenarios. Longer-term options which deserve further study are coupling LORENDAS with an explicit model of energy demand, and modification of the IEA/ORAU model to include finer time-period definition and additional technological detail.« less

Finite element simulation of gap opening between cladding tube and spacer grid in a fuel rod assembly using crystallographic models of irradiation growth and creep

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

Patra, Anirban; Tomé, Carlos N.

A physically-based crystal plasticity framework for modeling irradiation growth and creep is interfaced with the finite element code ABAQUS in order to study the contact forces and the gap evolution between the spacer grid and the cladding tube as a function of irradiation in a representative section of a fuel rod assembly. Deformation mechanisms governing the gap opening are identified and correlated to the texture-dependent material response. Thus, in the absence of coolant flow-induced vibrations, these simulations predict the contribution of irradiation growth and creep to the gap opening between the cladding tube and the springs and dimples on themore » spacer grid. The simulated contact forces on the springs and dimples are compared to available experimental and modeling data. Various combinations of external loads are applied on the springs and dimples to simulate fuel rods in the interior and at the periphery of the fuel rod assembly. Furthermore, we found that loading conditions representative (to a first order approximation) of fuel rods at the periphery show higher gap opening. This is in agreement with in-reactor data, where rod leakages due to the synergistic effects of gap opening and coolant flow-induced vibrations were generally found to occur at the periphery of the fuel rod assembly.« less

Finite element simulation of gap opening between cladding tube and spacer grid in a fuel rod assembly using crystallographic models of irradiation growth and creep

DOE PAGES

Patra, Anirban; Tomé, Carlos N.

2017-03-06

A physically-based crystal plasticity framework for modeling irradiation growth and creep is interfaced with the finite element code ABAQUS in order to study the contact forces and the gap evolution between the spacer grid and the cladding tube as a function of irradiation in a representative section of a fuel rod assembly. Deformation mechanisms governing the gap opening are identified and correlated to the texture-dependent material response. Thus, in the absence of coolant flow-induced vibrations, these simulations predict the contribution of irradiation growth and creep to the gap opening between the cladding tube and the springs and dimples on themore » spacer grid. The simulated contact forces on the springs and dimples are compared to available experimental and modeling data. Various combinations of external loads are applied on the springs and dimples to simulate fuel rods in the interior and at the periphery of the fuel rod assembly. Furthermore, we found that loading conditions representative (to a first order approximation) of fuel rods at the periphery show higher gap opening. This is in agreement with in-reactor data, where rod leakages due to the synergistic effects of gap opening and coolant flow-induced vibrations were generally found to occur at the periphery of the fuel rod assembly.« less

Advanced emergency openings for commercial aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bement, L. J.; Schimmel, M. L.

1985-01-01

Explosively actuated openings in composite panels are proposed to enhance passenger survivability within commercial aircraft by providing improvements in emergency openings, fuselage venting, and fuel dump. The concept is to embed a tiny, highly stable explosive cord in the periphery of a load-carrying composite panel; on initiation of the cord, the panel is fractured to create a well-defined opening. The panel would be installed in the sides of the fuselage for passenger egress, in the top of the fuselage for smoke venting, and in the bottoms of the fuel cells for fuel dump. Described are the concerns with the use of explosive systems, safety improvements, advantages, experimental results, and recommended approach to gain acceptance and develop this concept.

A microfluidic direct formate fuel cell on paper.

PubMed

Copenhaver, Thomas S; Purohit, Krutarth H; Domalaon, Kryls; Pham, Linda; Burgess, Brianna J; Manorothkul, Natalie; Galvan, Vicente; Sotez, Samantha; Gomez, Frank A; Haan, John L

2015-08-01

We describe the first direct formate fuel cell on a paper microfluidic platform. In traditional membrane-less microfluidic fuel cells (MFCs), external pumping consumes power produced by the fuel cell in order to maintain co-laminar flow of the anode stream and oxidant stream to prevent mixing. However, in paper microfluidics, capillary action drives flow while minimizing stream mixing. In this work, we demonstrate a paper MFC that uses formate and hydrogen peroxide as the anode fuel and cathode oxidant, respectively. Using these materials we achieve a maximum power density of nearly 2.5 mW/mg Pd. In a series configuration, our MFC achieves an open circuit voltage just over 1 V, and in a parallel configuration, short circuit of 20 mA absolute current. We also demonstrate that the MFC does not require continuous flow of fuel and oxidant to produce power. We found that we can pre-saturate the materials on the paper, stop the electrolyte flow, and still produce approximately 0.5 V for 15 min. This type of paper MFC has potential applications in point-of-care diagnostic devices and other electrochemical sensors. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Investigation of Oxygen Reduction Activity of Catalysts Derived from Co and Co/Zn Methyl-Imidazolate Frameworks in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

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

Chong, Lina; Goenaga, Gabriel A.; Williams, Kia

We demonstrated that the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity over the catalysts derived from pyrolyzed cobalt zeolitic imidazolate frameworks depends strongly on the imidazole ligand structure and cobalt content. The activity and durability of these catalysts were tested in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell for the first time. The membrane electrode assembly containing a catalyst derived from Co/Zn bimetallic ZIF at cathode achieved an open circuit voltage of 0.93 V, a current density of 28 mA cm-2 at 0.8 ViR-free and a peak power density of 374 mW cm-2.

Interplay of oxygen-evolution kinetics and photovoltaic power curves on the construction of artificial leaves

PubMed Central

Surendranath, Yogesh; Bediako, D. Kwabena; Nocera, Daniel G.

2012-01-01

An artificial leaf can perform direct solar-to-fuels conversion. The construction of an efficient artificial leaf or other photovoltaic (PV)-photoelectrochemical device requires that the power curve of the PV material and load curve of water splitting, composed of the catalyst Tafel behavior and cell resistances, be well-matched near the thermodynamic potential for water splitting. For such a condition, we show here that the current density-voltage characteristic of the catalyst is a key determinant of the solar-to-fuels efficiency (SFE). Oxidic Co and Ni borate (Co-Bi and Ni-Bi) thin films electrodeposited from solution yield oxygen-evolving catalysts with Tafel slopes of 52 mV/decade and 30 mV/decade, respectively. The consequence of the disparate Tafel behavior on the SFE is modeled using the idealized behavior of a triple-junction Si PV cell. For PV cells exhibiting similar solar power-conversion efficiencies, those displaying low open circuit voltages are better matched to catalysts with low Tafel slopes and high exchange current densities. In contrast, PV cells possessing high open circuit voltages are largely insensitive to the catalyst’s current density-voltage characteristics but sacrifice overall SFE because of less efficient utilization of the solar spectrum. The analysis presented herein highlights the importance of matching the electrochemical load of water-splitting to the onset of maximum current of the PV component, drawing a clear link between the kinetic profile of the water-splitting catalyst and the SFE efficiency of devices such as the artificial leaf. PMID:22689962

Systems and processes for conversion of ethylene feedstocks to hydrocarbon fuels

DOEpatents

Lilga, Michael A.; Hallen, Richard T.; Albrecht, Karl O.; Cooper, Alan R.; Frye, John G.; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan Kallupalayam

2018-04-03

Systems, processes, and catalysts are disclosed for obtaining fuel and fuel blends containing selected ratios of open-chain and closed-chain fuel-range hydrocarbons suitable for production of alternate fuels including gasolines, jet fuels, and diesel fuels. Fuel-range hydrocarbons may be derived from ethylene-containing feedstocks and ethanol-containing feedstocks.

Systems and processes for conversion of ethylene feedstocks to hydrocarbon fuels

DOEpatents

Lilga, Michael A.; Hallen, Richard T.; Albrecht, Karl O.; Cooper, Alan R.; Frye, John G.; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan Kallupalayam

2017-05-30

Systems, processes, and catalysts are disclosed for obtaining fuel and fuel blends containing selected ratios of open-chain and closed-chain fuel-range hydrocarbons suitable for production of alternate fuels including gasolines, jet fuels, and diesel fuels. Fuel-range hydrocarbons may be derived from ethylene-containing feedstocks and ethanol-containing feedstocks.

Systems and processes for conversion of ethylene feedstocks to hydrocarbon fuels

DOEpatents

Lilga, Michael A.; Hallen, Richard T.; Albrecht, Karl O.; Cooper, Alan R.; Frye, John G.; Ramasamy, Karthikeyan Kallupalayam

2017-09-26

Systems, processes, and catalysts are disclosed for obtaining fuels and fuel blends containing selected ratios of open-chain and closed-chain fuel-range hydrocarbons suitable for production of alternate fuels including gasolines, jet fuels, and diesel fuels. Fuel-range hydrocarbons may be derived from ethylene-containing feedstocks and ethanol-containing feedstocks.

Testing of Lightweight Fuel Cell Vehicles System at Low Speeds with Energy Efficiency Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustaffa, Muhammad Rizuwan B.; Mohamed, Wan Ahmad Najmi B. Wan

2013-12-01

A fuel cell vehicle power train mini test bench was developed which consists of a 1 kW open cathode hydrogen fuel cell, electric motor, wheel, gearing system, DC/DC converter and vehicle control system (VCS). Energy efficiency identification and energy flow evaluation is a useful tool in identifying a detail performance of each component and sub-systems in a fuel cell vehicle system configuration. Three artificial traction loads was simulated at 30 kg, 40 kg and 50 kg force on a single wheel drive configuration. The wheel speed range reported here covers from idle to 16 km/h (low speed range) as a preliminary input in the research work frame. The test result shows that the system efficiency is 84.5 percent when the energy flow is considered from the fuel cell to the wheel and 279 watts of electrical power was produced by the fuel cell during that time. Dynamic system responses was also identified as the load increases beyond the motor traction capabilities where the losses at the converter and motor controller increased significantly as it tries to meet the motor traction power demands. This work is currently being further expanded within the work frame of developing a road-worthy fuel cell vehicle.

Channel geometric scales effect on performance and optimization for serpentine proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youcef, Kerkoub; Ahmed, Benzaoui; Ziari, Yasmina; Fadila, Haddad

2017-02-01

A three dimensional computational fluid dynamics model is proposed in this paper to investigate the effect of flow field design and dimensions of bipolar plates on performance of serpentine proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). A complete fuel cell of 25 cm2 with 25 channels have been used. The aim of the work is to investigate the effect of flow channels and ribs scales on overall performance of PEM fuel cell. Therefore, geometric aspect ratio parameter defined as (width of flow channel/width of rib) is used. Influences of the ribs and openings current collector scales have been studied and analyzed in order to find the optimum ratio between them to enhance the production of courant density of PEM fuel cell. Six kind of serpentine designs have been used in this paper included different aspect ratio varying from 0.25 to 2.33 while the active surface area and number of channels are keeping constant. Aspect ratio 0.25 corresponding of (0.4 mm channel width/ 1.6mm ribs width), and Aspect ratio2.33 corresponding of (0.6 mm channel width/ 1.4mm ribs width. The results show that the best flow field designs (giving the maximum density of current) are which there dimensions of channels width is minimal and ribs width is maximal (Γ≈0.25). Also decreasing width of channels enhance the pressure drop inside the PEM fuel cell, this causes an increase of gazes velocity and enhance convection process, therefore more power generation.

Characterization of cookstove emissions from various stoves, fuels, and cycles; intervention pathways and implications for climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeCarlo, P. F.; Jetter, J.; Khan, B.; Zhao, Y.; Yelverton, T.; Hays, M. D.

2011-12-01

Nearly half of the world's population relies on inefficient open fire or rudimentary cookstoves to prepare their food. Combustion of biomass or other fuels results in not only high indoor air pollution, but is also a large source of climate forcing species such as black and organic carbon species to the earth's atmosphere. Large-scale intervention programs are now underway to replace inefficient cooking methods with newer technologies. These intervention programs have as a goal the improvement of indoor air pollution and reduction of negative climate impacts. To characterize the current available alternatives, a major cookstove testing program was conducted at the US EPA. This presentation will focus on the characterization of the emission measurements for a variety of different cookstoves, fuels and cooking cycles. The work will focus on the aerosol optical properties measured with a PASS-3, and the climate impacts of various intervention pathways will be discussed.

Anion exchange membrane fuel cell modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fragiacomo, P.; Astorino, E.; Chippari, G.; De Lorenzo, G.; Czarnetzki, W. T.; Schneider, W.

2018-04-01

A parametric model predicting the performance of a solid polymer electrolyte, anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), has been developed, in Matlab environment, based on interrelated electrical and thermal models. The electrical model proposed is developed by modelling an AEMFC open-circuit output voltage, irreversible voltage losses along with a mass balance, while the thermal model is based on the energy balance. The proposed model of the AEMFC stack estimates its dynamic behaviour, in particular the operating temperature variation for different discharge current values. The results of the theoretical fuel cell (FC) stack are reported and analysed in order to highlight the FC performance and how it varies by changing the values of some parameters such as temperature and pressure. Both the electrical and thermal FC models were validated by comparing the model results with experimental data and the results of other models found in the literature.

Air intake side secondary air supply system for an internal combustion engine with a duty ratio control operation

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

Kawanabe, T.; Asakura, M.; Shina, T.

1987-09-01

An air intake side secondary air supply system is described for an internal combustion engine having an air intake passage with a carburetor and an exhaust passage, comprising: an air intake side secondary air supply passage communicating with the air intake passage on the downstream side of the carburetor; an open/close valve disposed in the air intake side secondary air supply passage; an oxygen concentration sensor disposed in the exhaust passage; and detection and control means for detecting whether an air-fuel ratio of mixture to be supplied to the engine is leaner or richer with respect to a target air-fuelmore » ratio through a level of an output signal of the oxygen concentration sensor and for periodically actuating the open/close valve, the detection and control means decreasing a valve open period of the open/close valve within each cyclic period by a first predetermined amount when a detected air-fuel ratio of mixture is leaner than the target air-fuel ratio and increasing the valve open period by a second predetermined amount when the detected air-fuel ratio of mixture is richer than the target air-fuel ratio. The second predetermined amount is different from the first predetermined amount.« less

Effect of compression ratio, nozzle opening pressure, engine load, and butanol addition on nanoparticle emissions from a non-road diesel engine.

PubMed

Maurya, Rakesh Kumar; Saxena, Mohit Raj; Rai, Piyush; Bhardwaj, Aashish

2018-05-01

Currently, diesel engines are more preferred over gasoline engines due to their higher torque output and fuel economy. However, diesel engines confront major challenge of meeting the future stringent emission norms (especially soot particle emissions) while maintaining the same fuel economy. In this study, nanosize range soot particle emission characteristics of a stationary (non-road) diesel engine have been experimentally investigated. Experiments are conducted at a constant speed of 1500 rpm for three compression ratios and nozzle opening pressures at different engine loads. In-cylinder pressure history for 2000 consecutive engine cycles is recorded and averaged data is used for analysis of combustion characteristics. An electrical mobility-based fast particle sizer is used for analyzing particle size and mass distributions of engine exhaust particles at different test conditions. Soot particle distribution from 5 to 1000 nm was recorded. Results show that total particle concentration decreases with an increase in engine operating loads. Moreover, the addition of butanol in the diesel fuel leads to the reduction in soot particle concentration. Regression analysis was also conducted to derive a correlation between combustion parameters and particle number emissions for different compression ratios. Regression analysis shows a strong correlation between cylinder pressure-based combustion parameters and particle number emission.

Fuel cell system with separating structure bonded to electrolyte

DOEpatents

Bourgeois, Richard Scott; Gudlavalleti, Sauri; Quek, Shu Ching; Hasz, Wayne Charles; Powers, James Daniel

2010-09-28

A fuel cell assembly comprises a separating structure configured for separating a first reactant and a second reactant wherein the separating structure has an opening therein. The fuel cell assembly further comprises a fuel cell comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrolyte interposed between the first and second electrodes, and a passage configured to introduce the second reactant to the second electrode. The electrolyte is bonded to the separating structure with the first electrode being situated within the opening, and the second electrode being situated within the passage.

40 CFR 86.402-78 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... atmosphere from any opening downstream from the exhaust port of a motor vehicle engine. Fuel system means the combination of fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, oil injection metering system, and carburetor or fuel injection components, and includes all fuel system vents. Loaded vehicle mass means curb mass plus 80 kg...

40 CFR 86.402-78 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... atmosphere from any opening downstream from the exhaust port of a motor vehicle engine. Fuel system means the combination of fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, oil injection metering system, and carburetor or fuel injection components, and includes all fuel system vents. Loaded vehicle mass means curb mass plus 80 kg...

40 CFR 86.402-78 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... atmosphere from any opening downstream from the exhaust port of a motor vehicle engine. Fuel system means the combination of fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, oil injection metering system, and carburetor or fuel injection components, and includes all fuel system vents. Loaded vehicle mass means curb mass plus 80 kg...

40 CFR 86.402-78 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... atmosphere from any opening downstream from the exhaust port of a motor vehicle engine. Fuel system means the combination of fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, oil injection metering system, and carburetor or fuel injection components, and includes all fuel system vents. Loaded vehicle mass means curb mass plus 80 kg...

40 CFR 86.402-78 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... atmosphere from any opening downstream from the exhaust port of a motor vehicle engine. Fuel system means the combination of fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel lines, oil injection metering system, and carburetor or fuel injection components, and includes all fuel system vents. Loaded vehicle mass means curb mass plus 80 kg...

Portable in-woods pyrolysis: Using forest biomass to reduce forest fuels, increase soil productivity, and sequester carbon

Treesearch

Deborah Page-Dumroese; Mark Coleman; Greg Jones; Tyron Venn; R. Kasten Dumroese; Nathanial Anderson; Woodam Chung; Dan Loeffler; Jim Archuleta; Mark Kimsey; Phil Badger; Terry Shaw; Kristin McElligott

2009-01-01

We describe the use of an in-woods portable pyrolysis unit that converts forest biomass to bio-oil and the application of the byproduct bio-char in a field trial. We also discuss how in-woods processing may reduce the need for long haul distances of lowvalue woody biomass and eliminate open, currently wasteful burning of forest biomass. If transportation costs can be...

Renewable sustainable biocatalyzed electricity production in a photosynthetic algal microbial fuel cell (PAMFC).

PubMed

Strik, David P B T B; Terlouw, Hilde; Hamelers, Hubertus V M; Buisman, Cees J N

2008-12-01

Electricity production via solar energy capturing by living higher plants and microalgae in combination with microbial fuel cells are attractive because these systems promise to generate useful energy in a renewable, sustainable, and efficient manner. This study describes the proof of principle of a photosynthetic algal microbial fuel cell (PAMFC) based on naturally selected algae and electrochemically active microorganisms in an open system and without addition of instable or toxic mediators. The developed solar-powered PAMFC produced continuously over 100 days renewable biocatalyzed electricity. The sustainable performance of the PAMFC resulted in a maximum current density of 539 mA/m2 projected anode surface area and a maximum power production of 110 mW/m2 surface area photobioreactor. The energy recovery of the PAMFC can be increased by optimization of the photobioreactor, by reducing the competition from non-electrochemically active microorganisms, by increasing the electrode surface and establishment of a further-enriched biofilm. Since the objective is to produce net renewable energy with algae, future research should also focus on the development of low energy input PAMFCs. This is because current algae production systems have energy inputs similar to the energy present in the outcoming valuable products.

Fuel flexible fuel injector

DOEpatents

Tuthill, Richard S; Davis, Dustin W; Dai, Zhongtao

2015-02-03

A disclosed fuel injector provides mixing of fuel with airflow by surrounding a swirled fuel flow with first and second swirled airflows that ensures mixing prior to or upon entering the combustion chamber. Fuel tubes produce a central fuel flow along with a central airflow through a plurality of openings to generate the high velocity fuel/air mixture along the axis of the fuel injector in addition to the swirled fuel/air mixture.

Method and apparatus for igniting an in situ oil shale retort

DOEpatents

Burton, Robert S.; Rundberg, Sten I.; Vaughn, James V.; Williams, Thomas P.; Benson, Gregory C.

1981-01-01

A technique is provided for igniting an in situ oil shale retort having an open void space over the top of a fragmented mass of particles in the retort. A conduit is extended into the void space through a hole in overlying unfragmented formation and has an open end above the top surface of the fragmented mass. A primary air pipe having an open end above the open end of the conduit and a liquid atomizing fuel nozzle in the primary air pipe above the open end of the primary air pipe are centered in the conduit. Fuel is introduced through the nozzle, primary air through the pipe, and secondary air is introduced through the conduit for vortical flow past the open end of the primary air pipe. The resultant fuel and air mixture is ignited for combustion within the conduit and the resultant heated ignition gas impinges on the fragmented mass for heating oil shale to an ignition temperature.

A High Performance H2-Cl2 Fuel Cell for Space Power Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Everett B.; Taylor, E. Jennings; Wilemski, Gerald; Gelb, Alan

1993-01-01

NASA has numerous airborne/spaceborne applications for which high power and energy density power sources are needed. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an attractive candidate for such a power source. PEMFC's offer many advantages for airborne/spaceborne applications. They have high power and energy densities, convert fuel to electrical power with high efficiency at both part and full load, and can rapidly startup and shutdown. In addition, PEMFC's are lightweight and operate silently. A significant impediment to the attainment of very high power and energy densities by PEMFC's is their current exclusive reliance on oxygen as the oxidant. Conventional PEMFC's oxidize hydrogen at the anode and reduce oxygen at the cathode. The electrode kinetics of oxygen reduction are known to be highly irreversible, incurring large overpotential losses. In addition, the modest open circuit potential of 1.2V for the H2-O2 fuel cell is unattainable due to mixed potential effects at the oxygen electrode. Because of the high overpotential losses, cells using H2 and O2 are capable of achieving high current densities only at very low cell voltages, greatly curtailing their power output. Based on experimental work on chlorine reduction in a gas diffusion electrode, we believe significant increases in both the energy and power densities of PEMFC systems can be achieved by employing chlorine as an alternative oxidant.

Characterization of Emissions from Liquid Fuel and Propane Open Burns

EPA Science Inventory

The comparative combustion emissions of using jet propellant (JP-5) liquid fuel pools or a propane manifold grid to simulate the effects of accidental fires was investigated. A helium-filled tethered aerostat was used to maneuver an instrument package into the open fire plumes ...

On controllability and system constraints of the linear models of proton exchange membrane and solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radisavljevic, Verica

2011-10-01

In this paper we first show that the linear models of proton exchange membrane (polymer electrolyte membrane, PEM) and solid oxide (SO) fuel cells, commonly used in power and energy literature, are not controllable. The source of uncontrollability is the equation for pressure of the water vapor that is only affected by the fuel cell current, which in fact is a disturbance in this system and cannot be controlled by the given model inputs: inlet molar flow rates of hydrogen and oxygen. Being uncontrollable these models are not good candidates for studying control of dynamic processes in PEM and SO fuel cells. However, due to their simplicity, they can be used in hybrid configurations with other energy producing devices such as photovoltaic (solar) cells, wind turbine, micro gas turbine, battery (ultra capacitor) to demonstrate some other phenomena, but not for control purposes unless the hybrid models formed in such hybrid configurations are controllable. Testing controllability of such hybrid models is mandatory. Secondly, we introduce some algebraic constraints that follow from the model dynamics and the Nernst open-loop fuel cell voltage formula. These constraints must be satisfied in simulation of considered fuel cell modes, for example, via MATLAB/Simulink or any other computer software package.

Mixed Mode Fuel Injector And Injection System

DOEpatents

Stewart, Chris Lee; Tian, Ye; Wang, Lifeng; Shafer, Scott F.

2005-12-27

A fuel injector includes a homogenous charge nozzle outlet set and a conventional nozzle outlet set that are controlled respectively by first and second three way needle control valves. Each fuel injector includes first and second concentric needle valve members. One of the needle valve members moves to an open position for a homogenous charge injection event, while the other needle valve member moves to an open position for a conventional injection event. The fuel injector has the ability to operate in a homogenous charge mode with a homogenous charge spray pattern, a conventional mode with a conventional spray pattern or a mixed mode.

Spent fuel container alignment device and method

DOEpatents

Jones, Stewart D.; Chapek, George V.

1996-01-01

An alignment device is used with a spent fuel shipping container including a plurality of fuel pockets for spent fuel arranged in an annular array and having a rotatable cover including an access opening therein. The alignment device includes a lightweight plate which is installed over the access opening of the cover. A laser device is mounted on the plate so as to emit a laser beam through a laser admittance window in the cover into the container in the direction of a pre-established target associated with a particular fuel pocket. An indexing arrangement on the container provides an indication of the angular position of the rotatable cover when the laser beam produced by the laser is brought into alignment with the target of the associated fuel pocket.

Design, fabrication and testing of an air-breathing micro direct methanol fuel cell with compound anode flow field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Luwen; Zhang, Yufeng; Zhao, Youran; An, Zijiang; Zhou, Zhiping; Liu, Xiaowei

2011-10-01

An air-breathing micro direct methanol fuel cell (μDMFC) with a compound anode flow field structure (composed of the parallel flow field and the perforated flow field) is designed, fabricated and tested. To better analyze the effect of the compound anode flow field on the mass transfer of methanol, the compound flow field with different open ratios (ratio of exposure area to total area) and thicknesses of current collectors is modeled and simulated. Micro process technologies are employed to fabricate the end plates and current collectors. The performances of the μDMFC with a compound anode flow field are measured under various operating parameters. Both the modeled and the experimental results show that, comparing the conventional parallel flow field, the compound one can enhance the mass transfer resistance of methanol from the flow field to the anode diffusion layer. The results also indicate that the μDMFC with an anode open ratio of 40% and a thickness of 300 µm has the optimal performance under the 7 M methanol which is three to four times higher than conventional flow fields. Finally, a 2 h stability test of the μDMFC is performed with a methanol concentration of 7 M and a flow velocity of 0.1 ml min-1. The results indicate that the μDMFC can work steadily with high methanol concentration.

Carbon nanocages: A new support material for Pt catalyst with remarkably high durability

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiao Xia; Tan, Zhe Hua; Zeng, Min; Wang, Jian Nong

2014-01-01

Low durability is the major challenge hindering the large-scale implementation of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology, and corrosion of carbon support materials of current catalysts is the main cause. Here, we describe the finding of remarkably high durability with the use of a novel support material. This material is based on hollow carbon nanocages developed with a high degree of graphitization and concurrent nitrogen doping for oxidation resistance enhancement, uniform deposition of fine Pt particles, and strong Pt-support interaction. Accelerated degradation testing shows that such designed catalyst possesses a superior electrochemical activity and long-term stability for both hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction relative to industry benchmarks of current catalysts. Further testing under conditions of practical fuel cell operation reveals almost no degradation over long-term cycling. Such a catalyst of high activity, particularly, high durability, opens the door for the next-generation PEMFC for “real world” application. PMID:24658614

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

Pamminger, Michael; Sevik, James; Scarcelli, Riccardo

The compression ratio is a strong lever to increase the efficiency of an internal combustion engine. However, among others, it is limited by the knock resistance of the fuel used. Natural gas shows a higher knock resistance compared to gasoline, which makes it very attractive for use in internal combustion engines. The current paper describes the knock behavior of two gasoline fuels, and specific incylinder blend ratios with one of the gasoline fuels and natural gas. The engine used for these investigations is a single cylinder research engine for light duty application which is equipped with two separate fuel systems.more » Both fuels can be used simultaneously which allows for gasoline to be injected into the intake port and natural gas to be injected directly into the cylinder to overcome the power density loss usually connected with port fuel injection of natural gas. Adding natural gas at wide open throttle helps to reduce knock mitigating measures and increases the efficiency and power density compared to the other gasoline type fuels with lower knock resistance. The used methods, knock intensity and number of pressure waves, do not show significant differences in knock behavior for the natural gas - gasoline blends compared to the gasoline type fuels. A knock integral was used to describe the knock onset location of the fuels tested. Two different approaches were used to determine the experimental knock onset and were compared to the knock onset delivered by the knock integral (chemical knock onset). The gasoline type fuels show good agreement between chemical and experimental knock onset. However, the natural gas -gasoline blends show higher discrepancies comparing chemical and experimental knock onset.« less

33 CFR 183.564 - Fuel tank fill system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fuel tank fill system. 183.564...) BOATING SAFETY BOATS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT Fuel Systems Manufacturer Requirements § 183.564 Fuel tank fill system. (a) Each fuel fill opening must be located so that a gasoline overflow of up to five...

Investigation of platinum and palladium as potential anodic catalysts for direct borohydride and ammonia borane fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olu, Pierre-Yves; Deschamps, Fabien; Caldarella, Giuseppe; Chatenet, Marian; Job, Nathalie

2015-11-01

Platinum and palladium are investigated as anodic catalysts for direct borohydride and direct ammonia borane fuel cells (DBFC and DABFC). Half-cell characterizations performed at 25 °C using NH3BH3 or NaBH4 alkaline electrolytes demonstrate the lowest open-circuit potential and highest electrocatalytic activity for the NH3BH3 alkaline electrolyte for Pd and Pt rotating disk electrodes, respectively. Voltammograms performed in fuel cell configuration at 25 °C confirm this trend: the highest open circuit voltage (1.05 V) and peak power density (181 mW·cm-2) are monitored for DABFC using Pd/C and Pt/C anodes, respectively. Increasing the temperature heightens the peak power density (that reaches 420 mW·cm-2 at 60 °C for DBFC using Pt/C anodes), but strongly generates gas from the fuel hydrolysis, hindering the overall fuel cells performances. The anode texture strongly influences the fuel cell performances, highlighting: (i) that an open anode texture is required to efficiently circulate the anolyte and (ii) the difficulty to compare potential anodic catalysts characterized using different fuel cell setups within the literature. Furthermore, TEM imaging of Pt/C and Pd/C catalysts prior/post DBFC and DABFC operation shows fast degradation of the carbon-supported nanoparticles.

75 FR 36648 - Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technologies Subcommittee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technologies Subcommittee AGENCY: Office of Nuclear Energy, DOE. ACTION: Notice of open meeting correction. On June 21, 2010, the Department of Energy published a notice announcing an open meeting of the Reactor...

40 CFR 59.653 - How do I test portable fuel containers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PRODUCTS Control of Evaporative Emissions From New and In-Use Portable Fuel Containers Certifying Emission... container must be tested in their open condition unless they close automatically and are unlikely to be left open by the user during typical storage. All manual closures such as caps must be left off the...

Thin walled channel

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

Crowther, R.L.; Johansson, E.B.

1988-06-07

A fuel assembly is described comprising fuel rods positioned in a spaced array by upper and lower tie-plates, an open ended flow channel surrounding the array for conducting coolant upward about the fuel rods, the open ended channel having a polygon shaped cross section with flat side sections connected between the corner sections; means separate from the channel connecting the upper and lower tie-plates together and maintaining the fuel rods in spaced array independent of the flow channel, improvement in the flow channel comprising: four corners having a first thickness; four sides having a second and reduced thickness from themore » corner thickness, the sides welded to the corner sections.« less

Effect of buoyancy on fuel containment in an open-cycle gas-core nuclear rocket engine.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putre, H. A.

1971-01-01

Analysis aimed at determining the scaling laws for the buoyancy effect on fuel containment in an open-cycle gas-core nuclear rocket engine, so conducted that experimental conditions can be related to engine conditions. The fuel volume fraction in a short coaxial flow cavity is calculated with a programmed numerical solution of the steady Navier-Stokes equations for isothermal, variable density fluid mixing. A dimensionless parameter B, called the Buoyancy number, was found to correlate the fuel volume fraction for large accelerations and various density ratios. This parameter has the value B = 0 for zero acceleration, and B = 350 for typical engine conditions.

Open circuit versus closed circuit enrichment of anodic biofilms in MFC: effect on performance and anodic communities.

PubMed

Larrosa-Guerrero, Amor; Scott, Keith; Katuri, Krishna P; Godinez, Carlos; Head, Ian M; Curtis, Thomas

2010-08-01

The influence of various carbon anodes; graphite, sponge, paper, cloth, felt, fiber, foam and reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC); on microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance is reported. The feed was brewery wastewater diluted in domestic wastewater. Biofilms were grown at open circuit or under an external load. Microbial diversity was analysed as a function of current and anode material. The bacterial community formed at open circuit was influenced by the anode material. However at closed circuit its role in determining the bacterial consortia formed was less important than the passage of current. The rate and extent of organic matter removal were similar for all materials: over 95% under closed circuit. The biofilm in MFCs working at open circuit and in the control reactors, increased COD removal by up to a factor of nine compared with that for baseline reactors. The average voltage output was 0.6 V at closed circuit, with an external resistor of 300 kOmega and 0.75 V at open circuit for all materials except RVC. The poor performance of this material might be related to the surface area available and concentration polarizations caused by the morphology of the material and the structure of the biofilm. Peak power varied from 1.3 mW m(-2) for RVC to 568 mW m(-2) for graphite with biofilm grown at closed circuit.

77 FR 65542 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-29

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell... Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. SUMMARY: The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee... Updates Congressional Fuel Cell Caucuses NREL Reports on Hydrogen in Natural Gas Pipelines and...

Open Rotor Aeroacoustic Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Envia, Edmane

2012-01-01

Owing to their inherent fuel efficiency, there is renewed interest in developing open rotor propulsion systems that are both efficient and quiet. The major contributor to the overall noise of an open rotor system is the propulsor noise, which is produced as a result of the interaction of the airstream with the counter-rotating blades. As such, robust aeroacoustic prediction methods are an essential ingredient in any approach to designing low-noise open rotor systems. To that end, an effort has been underway at NASA to assess current open rotor noise prediction tools and develop new capabilities. Under this effort, high-fidelity aerodynamic simulations of a benchmark open rotor blade set were carried out and used to make noise predictions via existing NASA open rotor noise prediction codes. The results have been compared with the aerodynamic and acoustic data that were acquired for this benchmark open rotor blade set. The emphasis of this paper is on providing a summary of recent results from a NASA Glenn effort to validate an in-house open noise prediction code called LINPROP which is based on a high-blade-count asymptotic approximation to the Ffowcs-Williams Hawkings Equation. The results suggest that while predicting the absolute levels may be difficult, the noise trends are reasonably well predicted by this approach.

Open Rotor Aeroacoustic Modelling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Envia, Edmane

2012-01-01

Owing to their inherent fuel efficiency, there is renewed interest in developing open rotor propulsion systems that are both efficient and quiet. The major contributor to the overall noise of an open rotor system is the propulsor noise, which is produced as a result of the interaction of the airstream with the counter-rotating blades. As such, robust aeroacoustic prediction methods are an essential ingredient in any approach to designing low-noise open rotor systems. To that end, an effort has been underway at NASA to assess current open rotor noise prediction tools and develop new capabilities. Under this effort, high-fidelity aerodynamic simulations of a benchmark open rotor blade set were carried out and used to make noise predictions via existing NASA open rotor noise prediction codes. The results have been compared with the aerodynamic and acoustic data that were acquired for this benchmark open rotor blade set. The emphasis of this paper is on providing a summary of recent results from a NASA Glenn effort to validate an in-house open noise prediction code called LINPROP which is based on a high-blade-count asymptotic approximation to the Ffowcs-Williams Hawkings Equation. The results suggest that while predicting the absolute levels may be difficult, the noise trends are reasonably well predicted by this approach.

Comparison of Mixing Characteristics for Several Fuel Injectors on an Open Plate and in a Ducted Flowpath Configuration at Hypervelocity Flow Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drozda, Tomasz G.; Shenoy, Rajiv R.; Passe, Bradley J.; Baurle, Robert A.; Drummond, J. Philip

2017-01-01

In order to reduce the cost and complexity associated with fuel injection and mixing experiments for high-speed flows, and to further enable optical access to the test section for nonintrusive diagnostics, the Enhanced Injection and Mixing Project (EIMP) utilizes an open flat plate configuration to characterize inert mixing properties of various fuel injectors for hypervelocity applications. The experiments also utilize reduced total temperature conditions to alleviate the need for hardware cooling. The use of "cold" flows and non-reacting mixtures for mixing experiments is not new, and has been extensively utilized as a screening technique for scramjet fuel injectors. The impact of reduced facility-air total temperature, and the use of inert fuel simulants, such as helium, on the mixing character of the flow has been assessed in previous numerical studies by the authors. Mixing performance was characterized for three different injectors: a strut, a ramp, and a flushwall. The present study focuses on the impact of using an open plate to approximate mixing in the duct. Toward this end, Reynolds-averaged simulations (RAS) were performed for the three fuel injectors in an open plate configuration and in a duct. The mixing parameters of interest, such as mixing efficiency and total pressure recovery, are then computed and compared for the two configurations. In addition to mixing efficiency and total pressure recovery, the combustion efficiency and thrust potential are also computed for the reacting simulations.

Archaea-based microbial fuel cell operating at high ionic strength conditions.

PubMed

Abrevaya, Ximena C; Sacco, Natalia; Mauas, Pablo J D; Cortón, Eduardo

2011-11-01

In this work, two archaea microorganisms (Haloferax volcanii and Natrialba magadii) used as biocatalyst at a microbial fuel cell (MFC) anode were evaluated. Both archaea are able to grow at high salt concentrations. By increasing the media conductivity, the internal resistance was diminished, improving the MFC's performance. Without any added redox mediator, maximum power (P (max)) and current at P (max) were 11.87/4.57/0.12 μW cm(-2) and 49.67/22.03/0.59 μA cm(-2) for H. volcanii, N. magadii and E. coli, respectively. When neutral red was used as the redox mediator, P (max) was 50.98 and 5.39 μW cm(-2) for H. volcanii and N. magadii, respectively. In this paper, an archaea MFC is described and compared with other MFC systems; the high salt concentration assayed here, comparable with that used in Pt-catalyzed alkaline hydrogen fuel cells, will open new options when MFC scaling up is the objective necessary for practical applications.

Utilizing TEMPO surface estimates to determine changes in emissions, community exposure and environmental impacts from cement kilns across North America using alternative fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pegg, M. J.; Gibson, M. D.; Asamany, E.

2015-12-01

A major problem faced by all North American (NA) Governments is managing solid waste from residential and non-residential sources. One way to mitigate the need to expand landfill sites across NA is waste diversion for use as alternative fuel in industries such as cement manufacture. Currently, waste plastic, tires, waste shingles and other high carbon content waste destined for landfill are being explored, or currently used, as an alternative supplemental fuels for use in cement kilns across NA. While this is an attractive, environmentally sustainable solution, significant knowledge gaps remain in our fundamental understanding of whether these alternative fuels may lead to increased air pollution emissions from cement kilns across NA. The long-term objective of using TEMPO is to advance fundamental understanding of uncharacterized air pollution emissions and to assess the actual or potential environmental and health impacts of these emissions from cement kilns across NA. TEMPO measurements will be made in concert with in-situ observations augmented by air dispersion, land-use regression and receptor modelling. This application of TEMPO follows on from current research on a series of bench scale and pilot studies for Lafarge Canada Inc., that investigated the change in combustion emissions from various mixtures of coal (C), petroleum coke (PC) and non-recyclable alternative fuels. From our work we demonstrated that using an alternative fuel mixture in a cement kiln has potential to reduce emissions of CO2 by 34%; reduce NOx by 80%, and reduce fuel SO2 emissions by 98%. We also provided evidence that there would be a significant reduction in the formation of secondary ground-level ozone (O3) and secondary PM2.5 in downwind stack plumes if alternative waste derived fuels are used. The application of air dispersion, source apportionment, land use regression; together with remote sensing offers a powerful set of tools with the potential to improve air pollution community exposure research in NA. The application of the new NASA TEMPO satellite to track the dispersion of SO2, PM2.5 and NO2 in plumes and secondary O3 and aerosol formation downwind of cement kilns opens up an exciting new avenue of air pollution research in NA.

Design and fabrication of novel anode flow-field for commercial size solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canavar, Murat; Timurkutluk, Bora

2017-04-01

In this study, nickel based woven meshes are tested as not only anode current collecting meshes but also anode flow fields instead of the conventional gas channels fabricated by machining. For this purpose, short stacks with different anode flow fields are designed and built by using different number of meshes with various wire diameters and widths of opening. A short stack with classical machined flow channels is also constructed. Performance and impedance measurements of the short stacks with commercial size cells of 81 cm2 active area are performed and compared. The results reveal that it is possible to create solid oxide fuel cell anode flow fields with woven meshes and obtain acceptable power with a proper selection of the mesh number, type and orientation.

Numerical Simulation of Metallic Uranium Sintering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berry, Bruce

Conventional ceramic oxide nuclear fuels are limited in their thermal and life-cycle properties. The desire to operate at higher burnups as is required by current utility economics has proven a formidable challenge for oxide fuel designs. Metallic formulations have superior thermal performance but are plagued by volumetric swelling due to fission gas buildup. In this study, we consider a number of specific microstructure configurations that have been experimentally shown to exhibit considerable resistance to porosity loss. Specifically, a void sizing that is bimodally distributed was shown to resist early pore loss and could provide collection sites for fission gas buildup. We employ the phase field model of Cahn and Hilliard, solved via the finite element method using the open source Multi-User Object Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE) developed by INL.

Alkaline-Acid Zn-H2 O Fuel Cell for the Simultaneous Generation of Hydrogen and Electricity.

PubMed

Cai, Pingwei; Li, Yan; Wang, Genxiang; Wen, Zhenhai

2018-04-03

An alkaline-acid Zn-H 2 O fuel cell is proposed for the simultaneous generation of electricity with an open circuit voltage of about 1.25 V and production of H 2 with almost 100 % Faradic efficiency. We demonstrate that, as a result of harvesting energy from both electrochemical neutralization and electrochemical Zn oxidation, the as-developed hybrid cell can deliver a power density of up to 80 mW cm -2 and an energy density of 934 Wh kg -1 and maintain long-term stability for H 2 production with an output voltage of 1.16 V at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 . © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrochemical fuel cell generator having an internal and leak tight hydrocarbon fuel reformer

DOEpatents

Dederer, J.T.; Hager, C.A.

1998-03-31

An electrochemical fuel cell generator configuration is made having a generator section which contains a plurality of axially elongated fuel cells, each cell containing a fuel electrode, air electrode, and solid oxide electrolyte between the electrodes, in which axially elongated dividers separate portions of the fuel cells from each other, and where at least one divider also reforms a reformable fuel gas mixture prior to electricity generation reactions, the at least one reformer-divider is hollow having a closed end and an open end entrance for a reformable fuel mixture to pass to the closed end of the divider and then reverse flow and pass back along the hollowed walls to be reformed, and then finally to pass as reformed fuel out of the open end of the divider to contact the fuel cells, and further where the reformer-divider is a composite structure having a gas diffusion barrier of metallic foil surrounding the external walls of the reformer-divider except at the entrance to prevent diffusion of the reformable gas mixture through the divider, and further housed in an outer insulating jacket except at the entrance to prevent short-circuiting of the fuel cells by the gas diffusion barrier. 10 figs.

Electrochemical fuel cell generator having an internal and leak tight hydrocarbon fuel reformer

DOEpatents

Dederer, Jeffrey T.; Hager, Charles A.

1998-01-01

An electrochemical fuel cell generator configuration is made having a generator section which contains a plurality of axially elongated fuel cells, each cell containing a fuel electrode, air electrode, and solid oxide electrolyte between the electrodes, in which axially elongated dividers separate portions of the fuel cells from each other, and where at least one divider also reforms a reformable fuel gas mixture prior to electricity generation reactions, the at least one reformer-divider is hollow having a closed end and an open end entrance for a reformable fuel mixture to pass to the closed end of the divider and then reverse flow and pass back along the hollowed walls to be reformed, and then finally to pass as reformed fuel out of the open end of the divider to contact the fuel cells, and further where the reformer-divider is a composite structure having a gas diffusion barrier of metallic foil surrounding the external walls of the reformer-divider except at the entrance to prevent diffusion of the reformable gas mixture through the divider, and further housed in an outer insulating jacket except at the entrance to prevent short-circuiting of the fuel cells by the gas diffusion barrier.

A Characteristics-Based Approach to Radioactive Waste Classification in Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djokic, Denia

The radioactive waste classification system currently used in the United States primarily relies on a source-based framework. This has lead to numerous issues, such as wastes that are not categorized by their intrinsic risk, or wastes that do not fall under a category within the framework and therefore are without a legal imperative for responsible management. Furthermore, in the possible case that advanced fuel cycles were to be deployed in the United States, the shortcomings of the source-based classification system would be exacerbated: advanced fuel cycles implement processes such as the separation of used nuclear fuel, which introduce new waste streams of varying characteristics. To be able to manage and dispose of these potential new wastes properly, development of a classification system that would assign appropriate level of management to each type of waste based on its physical properties is imperative. This dissertation explores how characteristics from wastes generated from potential future nuclear fuel cycles could be coupled with a characteristics-based classification framework. A static mass flow model developed under the Department of Energy's Fuel Cycle Research & Development program, called the Fuel-cycle Integration and Tradeoffs (FIT) model, was used to calculate the composition of waste streams resulting from different nuclear fuel cycle choices: two modified open fuel cycle cases (recycle in MOX reactor) and two different continuous-recycle fast reactor recycle cases (oxide and metal fuel fast reactors). This analysis focuses on the impact of waste heat load on waste classification practices, although future work could involve coupling waste heat load with metrics of radiotoxicity and longevity. The value of separation of heat-generating fission products and actinides in different fuel cycles and how it could inform long- and short-term disposal management is discussed. It is shown that the benefits of reducing the short-term fission-product heat load of waste destined for geologic disposal are neglected under the current source-based radioactive waste classification system, and that it is useful to classify waste streams based on how favorable the impact of interim storage is on increasing repository capacity. The need for a more diverse set of waste classes is discussed, and it is shown that the characteristics-based IAEA classification guidelines could accommodate wastes created from advanced fuel cycles more comprehensively than the U.S. classification framework.

Algae biodiesel - a feasibility report

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Algae biofuels have been studied numerous times including the Aquatic Species program in 1978 in the U.S., smaller laboratory research projects and private programs. Results Using Molina Grima 2003 and Department of Energy figures, captial costs and operating costs of the closed systems and open systems were estimated. Cost per gallon of conservative estimates yielded $1,292.05 and $114.94 for closed and open ponds respectively. Contingency scenarios were generated in which cost per gallon of closed system biofuels would reach $17.54 under the generous conditions of 60% yield, 50% reduction in the capital costs and 50% hexane recovery. Price per gallon of open system produced fuel could reach $1.94 under generous assumptions of 30% yield and $0.2/kg CO2. Conclusions Current subsidies could allow biodiesel to be produced economically under the generous conditions specified by the model. PMID:22540986

Ionic Liquids and New Proton Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belieres, Jean-Philippe

2004-01-01

There is currently a great surge of activity in fuel cell research as laboratories across the world seek to take advantage of the high energy capacity provided by &el cells relative to those of other portable electrochemical power systems. Much of this activity is aimed at high temperature fie1 cells, and a vital component of such &el cells must be the availability of a high temperature stable proton-permeable membrane. NASA Glenn Research Center is greatly involved in developing this technology. Other approaches to the high temperature fuel cell involve the use of single- component or almost-single-component electrolytes that provide a path for protons through the cell. A heavily researched case is the phosphoric acid fuel cell, in which the electrolyte is almost pure phosphoric acid and the cathode reaction produces water directly. The phosphoric acid fie1 cell delivers an open circuit voltage of 0.9 V falling to about 0.7 V under operating conditions at 170 C. The proton transport mechanism is mainly vehicular in character according to the viscosity/conductance relation. Here we describe some Proton Transfer Ionic Liquids (PTILs) with low vapor pressure and high temperature stability that have conductivities of unprecedented magnitude for non-aqueous systems. The first requirement of an ionic liquid is that, contrary to experience with most liquids consisting of ions, it must have a melting point that is not much above room temperature. The limit commonly suggested is 100 C. PTILs constitute an interesting class of non-corrosive proton-exchange electrolyte, which can serve well in high temperature (T = 100 - 250 C) fuel cell applications. We will present cell performance data showing that the open circuit voltage output, and the performance of a simple H2(g)Pt/PTIL/Pt/O2(g) fuel cell may be superior to those of the equivalent phosphoric acid electrolyte fuel cell both at ambient temperature and temperatures up to and above 200 C. My work at NASA Glenn Research Center during this summer is to develop and characterize proton exchange membranes doped with ionic liquids. The main techniques used to characterize these materials are: Impedance Spectroscopy, NMR, DSC, TGA, DMA, IR, and SEM ...

Autonomous, Retrievable, Deep Sea Microbial Fuel Cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, K.

2014-12-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) work by providing bacteria in anaerobic sediments with an electron acceptor (anode) that stimulates metabolism of organic matter. The buried anode is connected via control circuitry to a cathode exposed to oxygen in the overlying water. During metabolism, bacteria release hydrogen ions into the sediment and transfer electrons extra-cellularly to the anode, which eventually reduce dissolved oxygen at the cathode, forming water. The open circuit voltage is approximately 0.8 v. The voltage between electrodes is operationally kept at 0.4 v with a potentiastat. The current is chiefly limited by the rate of microbial metabolism at the anode. The Office of Naval Research has encouraged development of microbial fuel cells in the marine environment at a number of academic and naval institutions. Earlier work in shallow sediments of San Diego Bay showed that the most important environmental parameters that control fuel cell power output in San Diego Bay were total organic carbon in the sediment and seasonal water temperature. Current MFC work at SPAWAR includes extension of microbial fuel cell tests to the deep sea environment (>1000 m) and, in parallel, testing microbial fuel cells in the laboratory under deep sea conditions. One question we are asking is whether MFC power output from deep water sediments repressurized and chilled in the laboratory comparable to those measured in situ. If yes, mapping the power potential of deep sea sediments may be made much easier, requiring sediment grabs and lab tests rather than deployment and retrieval of fuel cells. Another question we are asking is whether in situ temperature and total organic carbon in the deep sea sediment can predict MFC power. If yes, then we can make use of the large collection of publicly available, deep sea oceanographic measurements to make these predictions, foregoing expensive work at sea. These regressions will be compared to those derived from shallow water measurements.

Solid state lift for micrometering in a fuel injector

DOEpatents

Milam, David M.; Carroll, Thomas S.; Lee, Chien-Chang; Miller, Charles R.

2002-01-01

A fuel injector performs main fuel injection by raising fuel pressure in a nozzle chamber to lift a check valve member to a fully open position, and performs preinjection or microinjection by operating a solid state motor to lift the check valve member a much smaller distance.

78 FR 60866 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-02

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) AGENCY: Office of...: This notice announces an open meeting of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC... Committee: The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) was established under section 807...

14 CFR 23.1557 - Miscellaneous markings and placards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... airplanes— (A) The word “Avgas”; and (B) The minimum fuel grade. (ii) For turbine engine-powered airplanes— (A) The words “Jet Fuel”; and (B) The permissible fuel designations, or references to the Airplane... to the seat structure. (c) Fuel, oil, and coolant filler openings. The following apply: (1) Fuel...

14 CFR 23.1557 - Miscellaneous markings and placards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... airplanes— (A) The word “Avgas”; and (B) The minimum fuel grade. (ii) For turbine engine-powered airplanes— (A) The words “Jet Fuel”; and (B) The permissible fuel designations, or references to the Airplane... to the seat structure. (c) Fuel, oil, and coolant filler openings. The following apply: (1) Fuel...

14 CFR 23.1557 - Miscellaneous markings and placards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... airplanes— (A) The word “Avgas”; and (B) The minimum fuel grade. (ii) For turbine engine-powered airplanes— (A) The words “Jet Fuel”; and (B) The permissible fuel designations, or references to the Airplane... to the seat structure. (c) Fuel, oil, and coolant filler openings. The following apply: (1) Fuel...

14 CFR 23.1557 - Miscellaneous markings and placards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... airplanes— (A) The word “Avgas”; and (B) The minimum fuel grade. (ii) For turbine engine-powered airplanes— (A) The words “Jet Fuel”; and (B) The permissible fuel designations, or references to the Airplane... to the seat structure. (c) Fuel, oil, and coolant filler openings. The following apply: (1) Fuel...

14 CFR 23.1557 - Miscellaneous markings and placards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... airplanes— (A) The word “Avgas”; and (B) The minimum fuel grade. (ii) For turbine engine-powered airplanes— (A) The words “Jet Fuel”; and (B) The permissible fuel designations, or references to the Airplane... to the seat structure. (c) Fuel, oil, and coolant filler openings. The following apply: (1) Fuel...

In situ, simultaneous thermal imaging and infrared molecular emission studies of solid oxide fuel cell electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirtley, J. D.; Qadri, S. N.; Steinhurst, D. A.; Owrutsky, J. C.

2016-12-01

Various in situ probes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have advanced recently to provide detailed, real time data regarding materials and chemical processes that relate to device performance and degradation. These techniques offer insights into complex fuel chemistry at the anode in particular, especially in the context of model predictions. However, cell-to-cell variations can hinder mechanistic interpretations of measurements from separate, independent techniques. The present study describes an in situ technique that for the first time simultaneously measures surface temperature changes using near infrared thermal imaging and gas species using Fourier-transform infrared emission spectra at the anodes of operating SOFCs. Electrolyte-supported SOFCs with Ni-based anodes are operated at 700 °C with internal, dry-reformed methane at 75% maximum current and at open circuit voltage (OCV) while electrochemical and optical measurements are collected. At OCV, more cooling is observed coincident with more CO reforming products. Under load, CO decreases while the anode cools less, especially near the current collectors. The extent of cooling is more sensitive to polarization for electrolyte-supported cells because their anodes are thinner relative to anode-supported cells. This study exemplifies how this duplex technique can be a useful probe of electrochemical processes in SOFCs.

Efficient electricity production and simultaneously wastewater treatment via a high-performance photocatalytic fuel cell.

PubMed

Liu, Yanbiao; Li, Jinhua; Zhou, Baoxue; Li, Xuejin; Chen, Hongchong; Chen, Quanpeng; Wang, Zhongsheng; Li, Lei; Wang, Jiulin; Cai, Weimin

2011-07-01

A great quantity of wastewater were discharged into water body, causing serious environmental pollution. Meanwhile, the organic compounds in wastewater are important sources of energy. In this work, a high-performance short TiO(2) nanotube array (STNA) electrode was applied as photoanode material in a novel photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system for electricity production and simultaneously wastewater treatment. The results of current work demonstrate that various model compounds as well as real wastewater samples can be used as substrates for the PFC system. As a representative of model compounds, the acetic acid solution produces the highest cell performance with short-circuit current density 1.42 mA cm(-2), open-circuit voltage 1.48 V and maximum power density output 0.67 mW cm(-2). The STNA photoanode reveals obviously enhanced cell performance compared with TiO(2) nanoparticulate film electrode or other long nanotubes electrode. Moreover, the photoanode material, electrolyte concentration, pH of the initial solution, and cathode material were found to be important factors influencing the system performance of PFC. Therefore, the proposed fuel cell system provides a novel way of energy conversion and effective disposal mode of organics and serves well as a promising technology for wastewater treatment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cathodic and anodic biofilms in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Cristiani, P; Carvalho, M L; Guerrini, E; Daghio, M; Santoro, C; Li, B

2013-08-01

The oxygen reduction due to microaerophilic biofilms grown on graphite cathodes (biocathodes) in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells (SCMFCs) is proved and analysed in this paper. Pt-free cathode performances are compared with those of different platinum-loaded cathodes, before and after the biofilm growth. Membraneless SCMFCs were operating in batch-mode, filled with wastewater. A substrate (fuel) of sodium acetate (0.03 M) was periodically added and the experiment lasted more than six months. A maximum of power densities, up to 0.5 W m(-2), were reached when biofilms developed on the electrodes and the cathodic potential decreased (open circuit potential of 50-200 mV vs. SHE). The power output was almost constant with an acetate concentration of 0.01-0.05 M and it fell down when the pH of the media exceeded 9.5, independently of the Pt-free/Pt-loading at the cathodes. Current densities varied in the range of 1-5 Am(-2) (cathode area of 5 cm(2)). Quasi-stationary polarization curves performed with a three-electrode configuration on cathodic and anodic electrodes showed that the anodic overpotential, more than the cathodic one, may limit the current density in the SCMFCs for a long-term operation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A strong-focusing 800 MeV cyclotron for high-current applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pogue, N.; Assadi, S.; Badgley, K.; Comeaux, J.; Kellams, J.; McInturff, A.; McIntyre, P.; Sattarov, A.

2013-04-01

A superconducting strong-focusing cyclotron (SFC) is being developed for high-current applications. It incorporates four innovations. Superconducting quarter-wave cavities are used to provide >20 MV/turn acceleration. The orbit separation is thereby opened so that bunch-bunch interactions between successive orbits are eliminated. Quadrapole focusing channels are incorporated within the sectors so that alternating-gradient strong-focusing transport is maintained throughout. Dipole windings on the inner and outer orbits provide enhanced control for injection and extraction of bunches. Finally each sector magnet is configured as a flux-coupled stack of independent apertures, so that any desired number of independent cyclotrons can be integrated within a common footprint. Preliminary simulations indicate that each SFC should be capable of accelerating 10 mA CW to 800 MeV with very low loss and >50% energy efficiency. A primary motivation for SFC is as a proton driver for accelerator-driven subcritical fission in a molten salt core. The cores are fueled solely with the transuranics from spent nuclear fuel from a conventional nuclear power plant. The beams from one SFC stack would destroy all of the transuranics and long-lived fission products that are produced by a GWe reactor [1]. This capability offers the opportunity to close the nuclear fuel cycle and provide a path to green nuclear energy.

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

Yanagawa, T.; Sakagami, H.; Nagatomo, H.

In inertial confinement fusion, the implosion process is important in forming a high-density plasma core. In the case of a fast ignition scheme using a cone-guided target, the fuel target is imploded with a cone inserted. This scheme is advantageous for efficiently heating the imploded fuel core; however, asymmetric implosion is essentially inevitable. Moreover, the effect of cone position and opening angle on implosion also becomes critical. Focusing on these problems, the effect of the asymmetric implosion, the initial position, and the opening angle on the compression rate of the fuel is investigated using a three-dimensional pure hydrodynamic code.

Paper-based enzymatic microfluidic fuel cell: From a two-stream flow device to a single-stream lateral flow strip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Guerrero, Maria José; del Campo, F. Javier; Esquivel, Juan Pablo; Giroud, Fabien; Minteer, Shelley D.; Sabaté, Neus

2016-09-01

This work presents a first approach towards the development of a cost-effective enzymatic paper-based glucose/O2 microfluidic fuel cell in which fluid transport is based on capillary action. A first fuel cell configuration consists of a Y-shaped paper device with the fuel and the oxidant flowing in parallel over carbon paper electrodes modified with bioelectrocatalytic enzymes. The anode consists of a ferrocenium-based polyethyleneimine polymer linked to glucose oxidase (GOx/Fc-C6-LPEI), while the cathode contains a mixture of laccase, anthracene-modified multiwall carbon nanotubes, and tetrabutylammonium bromide-modified Nafion (MWCNTs/laccase/TBAB-Nafion). Subsequently, the Y-shaped configuration is improved to use a single solution containing both, the anolyte and the catholyte. Thus, the electrolytes pHs of the fuel and the oxidant solutions are adapted to an intermediate pH of 5.5. Finally, the fuel cell is run with this single solution obtaining a maximum open circuit of 0.55 ± 0.04 V and a maximum current and power density of 225 ± 17 μA cm-2 and 24 ± 5 μW cm-2, respectively. Hence, a power source closer to a commercial application (similar to conventional lateral flow test strips) is developed and successfully operated. This system can be used to supply the energy required to power microelectronics demanding low power consumption.

Studies on an ultrasonic atomization feed direct methanol fuel cell.

PubMed

Wu, Chaoqun; Liu, Linghao; Tang, Kai; Chen, Tao

2017-01-01

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is promising as an energy conversion device for the replacement of conventional chemical cell in future, owing to its convenient fuel storage, high energy density and low working temperature. The development of DMFC technology is currently limited by catalyst poison and methanol crossover. To alleviate the methanol crossover, a novel fuel supply system based on ultrasonic atomization is proposed. Experimental investigations on this fuel supply system to evaluate methanol permeation rates, open circuit voltages (OCVs) and polarization curves under a series of conditions have been carried out and reported in this paper. In comparison with the traditional liquid feed DMFC system, it can be found that the methanol crossover under the ultrasonic atomization feed system was significantly reduced because the DMFC reaches a large stable OCV value. Moreover, the polarization performance does not vary significantly with the liquid feed style. Therefore, the cell fed by ultrasonic atomization can be operated with a high concentration methanol to improve the energy density of DMFC. Under the supply condition of relatively high concentration methanol such as 4M and 8M, the maximum power density fed by ultrasonic atomization is higher than liquid by 6.05% and 12.94% respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct alcohol fuel cells: Increasing platinum performance by modification with sp-group metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueiredo, Marta C.; Sorsa, Olli; Doan, Nguyet; Pohjalainen, Elina; Hildebrand, Helga; Schmuki, Patrik; Wilson, Benjamin P.; Kallio, Tanja

2015-02-01

By using sp group metals as modifiers, the catalytic properties of Pt can be improved toward alcohols oxidation. In this work we report the performance increase of direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFC) fuelled with ethanol or 2-propanol with platinum based anode electrodes modified with Bi and Sb adatoms. For example, by simply adding Sb to the Pt/C based anode ink during membrane electrode assembly fabrication of a direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) its performance is improved three-fold, with more than 100 mV increase in the open circuit potential. For the fuel cell fuelled with 2-propanol high power densities are obtained at very high potentials with these catalyst materials suggesting a great improvement for practical applications. Particularly in the case of Pt/C-Bi, the improvement is such that within 0.6 V (from 0.7 to 0.1 V) the power densities are between 7 and 9 mW/cm2. The results obtained with these catalysts are in the same range as those obtained with other bimetallic catalysts comprising of PtRu and PtSn, which are currently considered to be the best for these type of fuel cells and that are obtained by more complicated (and consequently more expensive) methods.

Characterization of ceria electrolyte in solid oxide fuel cell applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milliken, Christopher Edward

The goal of this research effort is to characterize cation doped cerium dioxide for use as an electrolyte material in solid oxide fuel cell applications. A variety of analytical techniques including thermogravimetric analysis, controlled atmosphere dilatometry, and AC/DC electronic measurements on single cells and stacks have been coupled with thermodynamic calculations to evaluate the suitability of several doping schemes. The results of this analysis indicate that doping CeOsb2 with 20% SmOsb{1.5} or codoping with 19% GdOsb{1.5} + 1% PrOsb{1.83} provides the best combination of stability and performance. Under dual atmosphere fuel cell conditions, these dopants do not provide sufficient stabilization energy to prevent the reduction of ceria. A significant oxygen leakage current can be expected, particularly near open circuit conditions. Incorporation of 10% SrO provides similar short-term advantages to the lanthanide doped system but this electrolyte material undergoes an irreversible degradation mechanism that results in cell failure within 1500 hours of test. Under fuel cell conditions, the maximum efficiency of such systems in stacks will be below 40% at 200 mW/cmsp2 when operated on humidified hydrogen fuels. This compares to an expected efficiency of 45-50% at a similar power density for nonmixed conducting electrolyte (e.g., YSZ).

75 FR 51025 - Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technology Subcommittee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-18

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle... meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces an open meeting of the Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technology (RFCT... back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. The Commission will provide advice and make recommendations on...

Analysis of an open cycle gas core nuclear propulsion system using MHD driven vortices for fuel containment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedwick, Raymond John

1998-12-01

A novel method for containing gaseous uranium vapor in an open cycle nuclear space propulsion system is developed. In an attempt to increase the operating temperature of the nuclear reactor beyond the melting point of solid fuel rods (thus increasing specific impulse), the fuel is instead suspended as a vapor in the propellant using the pressure forces developed in a confined vortex flow. The introduction of the fuel as uranium hexafluoride is found to be effective in maintaining its vapor phase in the feed passages from the tank, but not in the main vortex. A mechanism by which the resulting condensation of the uranium may be tolerated is identified, and the electro- optical properties of the resulting mixture are investigated. Containment is modeled using a 1D- axisymmetric geometry, and radiative heat transfer is found to restrict the maximum specific impulse of the system to 1500 seconds using pumping pressures of 500 atm. The specific impulse is related to this pressure as pm1/4, allowing only marginal increases in Isp at increased pressure levels. Additional 2D- axisymmetric issues, such as non-uniform current distribution and bypass flows through the boundary layers, are investigated, with possible methods of solution cited. A two-group, two-region reactor analysis is performed, estimating the mass of the reactor to be about 10 metric tonnes, and establishing the thrust to weight ratio achievable by the system at about 50. To reduce the mass of the power system, a scheme for using cross-flow heat exchange with the propellant flow to minimize (and possibly eliminate) the need for radiators to reject waste heat is presented. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)

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

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

Raza, Rizwan, E-mail: razahussaini786@gmail.com; Department of Energy Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH, Stockholm 10044; Ahmed, Akhlaq

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

NEUTRONIC REACTORS

DOEpatents

Wigner, E.P.; Young, G.J.

1958-10-14

A method is presented for loading and unloading rod type fuel elements of a neutronic reactor of the heterogeneous, solld moderator, liquid cooled type. In the embodiment illustrated, the fuel rods are disposed in vertical coolant channels in the reactor core. The fuel rods are loaded and unloaded through the upper openings of the channels which are immersed in the coolant liquid, such as water. Unloading is accomplished by means of a coffer dam assembly having an outer sleeve which is placed in sealing relation around the upper opening. A radiation shield sleeve is disposed in and reciprocable through the coffer dam sleeve. A fuel rod engaging member operates through the axial bore in the radiation shield sleeve to withdraw the fuel rod from its position in the reactor coolant channel into the shield, the shield snd rod then being removed. Loading is accomplished in the reverse procedure.

Combustion modeling and kinetic rate calculations for a stoichiometric cyclohexane flame. 1. Major reaction pathways.

PubMed

Zhang, Hongzhi R; Huynh, Lam K; Kungwan, Nawee; Yang, Zhiwei; Zhang, Shaowen

2007-05-17

The Utah Surrogate Mechanism was extended in order to model a stoichiometric premixed cyclohexane flame (P = 30 Torr). Generic rates were assigned to reaction classes of hydrogen abstraction, beta scission, and isomerization, and the resulting mechanism was found to be adequate in describing the combustion chemistry of cyclohexane. Satisfactory results were obtained in comparison with the experimental data of oxygen, major products and important intermediates, which include major soot precursors of C2-C5 unsaturated species. Measured concentrations of immediate products of fuel decomposition were also successfully reproduced. For example, the maximum concentrations of benzene and 1,3-butadiene, two major fuel decomposition products via competing pathways, were predicted within 10% of the measured values. Ring-opening reactions compete with those of cascading dehydrogenation for the decomposition of the conjugate cyclohexyl radical. The major ring-opening pathways produce 1-buten-4-yl radical, molecular ethylene, and 1,3-butadiene. The butadiene species is formed via beta scission after a 1-4 internal hydrogen migration of 1-hexen-6-yl radical. Cascading dehydrogenation also makes an important contribution to the fuel decomposition and provides the exclusive formation pathway of benzene. Benzene formation routes via combination of C2-C4 hydrocarbon fragments were found to be insignificant under current flame conditions, inferred by the later concentration peak of fulvene, in comparison with benzene, because the analogous species series for benzene formation via dehydrogenation was found to be precursors with regard to parent species of fulvene.

Control of electrolyte fill to fuel cell stack

DOEpatents

Pollack, William

1982-01-01

A fuel cell stack which can be operated with cells in a horizontal position so that the fuel cell stack does not have to be taken out of operation when adding an electrolyte such as an acid. Acid is supplied to each matrix in a stack of fuel cells at a uniform, low pressure so that the matrix can either be filled initially or replenished with acid lost in operation of the cell, without exceeding the bubble pressure of the matrix or the flooding pressure of the electrodes on either side of the matrix. Acid control to each cell is achieved by restricting and offsetting the opening of electrolyte fill holes in the matrix relative to openings in the plates which sandwich the matrix and electrodes therebetween.

Transpiration cooling in the locality of a transverse fuel jet for supersonic combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Northam, G. Burton; Capriotti, Diego P.; Byington, Carl S.

1990-01-01

The objective of the current work was to determine the feasibility of transpiration cooling for the relief of the local heating rates in the region of a sonic, perpendicular, fuel jet of gaseous hydrogen. Experiments were conducted to determine the interaction between the cooling required and flameholding limits of a transverse jet in a high-enthalpy, Mach 3 flow in both open-jet and direct-connect test mode. Pulsed shadowgraphs were used to illustrate the flow field. Infrared thermal images indicated the surface temperatures, and the OH(-) emission of the flame was used to visualize the limits of combustion. Wall, static presures indicated the location of the combustion within the duct and were used to calculate the combustion efficiency. The results from both series of tests at facility total temperatures of 1700 K and 2000 K are presented.

Inert matrix fuel neutronic, thermal-hydraulic, and transient behavior in a light water reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmack, W. J.; Todosow, M.; Meyer, M. K.; Pasamehmetoglu, K. O.

2006-06-01

Currently, commercial power reactors in the United States operate on a once-through or open cycle, with the spent nuclear fuel eventually destined for long-term storage in a geologic repository. Since the fissile and transuranic (TRU) elements in the spent nuclear fuel present a proliferation risk, limit the repository capacity, and are the major contributors to the long-term toxicity and dose from the repository, methods and systems are needed to reduce the amount of TRU that will eventually require long-term storage. An option to achieve a reduction in the amount, and modify the isotopic composition of TRU requiring geological disposal is 'burning' the TRU in commercial light water reactors (LWRs) and/or fast reactors. Fuel forms under consideration for TRU destruction in light water reactors (LWRs) include mixed-oxide (MOX), advanced mixed-oxide, and inert matrix fuels. Fertile-free inert matrix fuel (IMF) has been proposed for use in many forms and studied by several researchers. IMF offers several advantages relative to MOX, principally it provides a means for reducing the TRU in the fuel cycle by burning the fissile isotopes and transmuting the minor actinides while producing no new TRU elements from fertile isotopes. This paper will present and discuss the results of a four-bundle, neutronic, thermal-hydraulic, and transient analyses of proposed inert matrix materials in comparison with the results of similar analyses for reference UOX fuel bundles. The results of this work are to be used for screening purposes to identify the general feasibility of utilizing specific inert matrix fuel compositions in existing and future light water reactors. Compositions identified as feasible using the results of these analyses still require further detailed neutronic, thermal-hydraulic, and transient analysis study coupled with rigorous experimental testing and qualification.

Zero-CO2 emission and low-crossover 'rechargeable' PEM fuel cells using cyclohexane as an organic hydrogen reservoir.

PubMed

Kariya, Nobuko; Fukuoka, Atsushi; Ichikawa, Masaru

2003-03-21

High performance (open circuit voltage = 920 mV, maximum power density = 14-15 mW cm(-2)) of the PEM fuel cell was achieved by using cyclohexane as a fuel with zero-CO2 emission and lower-crossover through PEM than with a methanol-based fuel cell.

Nuclear fuel pellet sintering boat unloading apparatus and method

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

Huggins, T.B.; Widener, W.H.; Klapper, K.K.

1990-05-22

This patent describes a method for unloading nuclear fuel pellets from a sintering boat having an open top. It comprises: pivoting a transfer housing loaded with the boat filled with nuclear fuel pellets about a generally horizontal axis from an upright position remote from a pellet deposit surface to an inverted position adjacent to the deposit surface to move the boat from an upright to inverted orientation with the pellets retained within the boat by a latched lid in a closed condition on the housing; unlatching the lid of the housing as the housing reaches its inverted position but engagingmore » the unlatched lid with the deposit surface to retain it in its closed condition; and reverse pivoting the housing from its inverted position back toward its upright position to permit the unlatched lid to pivot from the closed condition to an opened condition thereby allowing pellets to slide out of the open top of the inverted boat and down the opened lid of the housing to the deposit site.« less

Plutonium: Advancing our Understanding to Support Sustainable Nuclear Fuel Cycles

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

Lines, Amanda M.; Adami, Susan R.; Casella, Amanda

With Global energy needs increasing, real energy solutions to meet demands now, are needed. Fossil fuels are not an ideal candidate to meet these needs because of their negative impact on the environment. Renewables such as wind and solar have huge potential, but still need major technological advancements (particularly in the area of battery storage) before they can effectively meet growing world needs. The best option for meeting large energy needs without a large carbon footprint is nuclear energy. Of course, nuclear energy can face a fair amount of opposition and concern. However, through modern engineering and science many ofmore » these concerns can now be addressed. Many safety concerns can be met by engineering advancements, but perhaps the biggest area of concern is what to do with the used nuclear fuel after it is removed from the reactor. Currently the United States (and several other countries) utilize an open fuel cycle, meaning fuel is only used once and then discarded. It should be noted that fuel coming out of a reactor has utilized approximately 1% of the total energy that could be produced by the uranium in the fuel rod. The answer here is to close the fuel cycle and recycle the nuclear materials. By reprocessing used nuclear fuel, all the U can be repurposed without requiring disposal. The various fission products can be removed and either discarded (hugely reduced waste volume) or more reasonably, utilized in specialty reactors to make more energy or needed research/medical isotopes. While reprocessing technology is currently advanced enough to meet energy needs, completing research to improve and better understand these techniques is still needed. Better understanding behavior of fission products is one area of important research. Despite it being discovered over 75 years ago, plutonium is still an exciting element to study because of the complex solution chemistry it exhibits. In aqueous solutions Pu can exist simultaneously in multiple oxidation states, including 3+, 4+, and 6+. It also readily forms a variety of metal-ligand complexes depending on solution pH and available ligands. Understanding of the behavior of Pu in solution remains an important area of research today, with relevance to developing sustainable nuclear fuel cycles, minimizing its impact on the environment, and detecting and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons technology.« less

Monodispersed porous flowerlike PtAu nanocrystals as effective electrocatalysts for ethanol oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shumin; Xu, Hui; Xiong, Zhiping; Zhang, Ke; Wang, Caiqin; Yan, Bo; Guo, Jun; Du, Yukou

2017-11-01

Designing and tuning the bimetallic nanoparticles with desirable morphology and structure can embody them with greatly enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability towards liquid fuel oxidation. We herein reported a facile one-pot method for the controlled synthesis of monodispersed binary PtAu nanoflowers with abundant exposed surface area. Owing to its fantastic structure, synergistic and electronic effect, such as-prepared PtAu nanoflowers exhibited outstandingly high electrocatalytic activity with the mass activity of 6482 mA mg-1 towards ethanol oxidation, which is 28.3 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C (227 mA mg-1). More interesting, the present PtAu nanoflower catalysts are more stable for the ethanol oxidation reaction in the alkaline with lower current density decay and retained a much higher current density after successive CVs of 500 cycles than that of commercial Pt/C. This work may open a new way for maximizing the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts towards ethanol oxidation by synthesizing shape-controlled alloy nanoparticles with more surface active sites to enhance the performances of direct fuel cells reaction, chemical conversion, and beyond.

30 CFR 57.8520 - Ventilation plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... mine openings adjacent to the mine; (9) Locations of permanent underground shops, diesel fuel storage depots, oil fuel storage depots, hoist rooms, compressors, battery charging stations and explosive...

Progress in Open Rotor Research: A U.S. Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Zante, Dale E.

2015-01-01

In response to the 1970s oil crisis, NASA created the Advanced Turboprop Project (ATP) to mature technologies for high-speed propellers to enable large reductions in fuel burn relative to turbofan engines of that era. Both single rotation and contra- rotation concepts were designed and tested in ground based facilities as well as flight. Some novel concepts/configurations were proposed as part of the effort. The high-speed propeller concepts did provide fuel burn savings, albeit with some acoustics and structural challenges to overcome. When fuel prices fell, the business case for radical new engine configurations collapsed and the research emphasis returned to high bypass ducted configurations. With rising oil prices and increased environmental concerns there is renewed interest in high-speed propeller based engine architectures. Contemporary analysis tools for aerodynamics and aeroacoustics have enabled a new era of blade designs that have both high efficiency and lower noise characteristics. A recent series of tests in the U.S. have characterized the aerodynamic performance and noise from these modern contra-rotating propeller designs. Additionally the installation and noise shielding aspects for conventional airframes and blended wing bodies have been studied. Historical estimates of 'propfan' performance have relied on legacy propeller performance and acoustics data. Current system studies make use of the modern propeller data and higher fidelity installation effects data to estimate the performance of a contemporary aircraft system. Contemporary designs have demonstrated high net efficiency, approximately 86%, at 0.78 Mach, and low noise, greater than 15 EPNdB cumulative margin to Chapter 4 when analyzed on a NASA derived aircraft/mission. This paper presents the current state of high-speed propeller/open rotor research within the U.S. from an overall viewpoint of the various efforts ongoing. The remaining technical challenges to a production engine include propulsion airframe integration, acoustic sensitivity to aircraft weight and certification issues.

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

Alderfer, R.R.; Futa, P.W.

This patent describes a fuel system for an engine having a filter through which fuel from a pump passes to a regulator in response to an operator input. The regulator controls the flow of fuel presented to a combustion chamber in the engine, the regulator having a feedback apparatus to provide an operator with a signal indicative of the fuel supplied to the combustion chamber. It comprises: bypass means having a housing with a chamber therein, the chamber having an entrance port connected to the pump and an exit port connected to the regulator; piston means located in the chambermore » for separating the entrance port from the exit port, the piston having a face with a projection extending therefrom; stop means located in the chamber; resilient means located is the chamber for urging the piston means toward the stop means to prevent the flow of fuel from the pump through the housing to the regulator; and indicator means having a body retained in the housing with a first end which extends through the housing into the from a full-open position at which the closed circuit is fully opened to a full-closed position at which the closed circuit is fully blocked; ratio detecting means which detects the speed reduction ratio to find if the speed reduction ratio becomes substantially 1; and valve position detecting means which detects position of the direct clutch valve to find if the direct clutch valve is moved to a slight-open position at which the closed circuit is slightly opened.« less

Fuel handling system for a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Saiveau, James G.; Kann, William J.; Burelbach, James P.

1986-01-01

A pool type nuclear fission reactor has a core, with a plurality of core elements and a redan which confines coolant as a hot pool at a first end of the core separated from a cold pool at a second end of the core by the redan. A fuel handling system for use with such reactors comprises a core element storage basket located outside of the redan in the cold pool. An access passage is formed in the redan with a gate for opening and closing the passage to maintain the temperature differential between the hot pool and the cold pool. A mechanism is provided for opening and closing the gate. A lifting arm is also provided for manipulating the fuel core elements through the access passage between the storage basket and the core when the redan gate is open.

Fuel handling system for a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Saiveau, James G.; Kann, William J.; Burelbach, James P.

1986-12-02

A pool type nuclear fission reactor has a core, with a plurality of core elements and a redan which confines coolant as a hot pool at a first end of the core separated from a cold pool at a second end of the core by the redan. A fuel handling system for use with such reactors comprises a core element storage basket located outside of the redan in the cold pool. An access passage is formed in the redan with a gate for opening and closing the passage to maintain the temperature differential between the hot pool and the cold pool. A mechanism is provided for opening and closing the gate. A lifting arm is also provided for manipulating the fuel core elements through the access passage between the storage basket and the core when the redan gate is open.

Valve for fuel pin loading system

DOEpatents

Christiansen, David W.

1985-01-01

A cyclone valve surrounds a wall opening through which cladding is projected. An axial valve inlet surrounds the cladding. Air is drawn through the inlet by a cyclone stream within the valve. An inflatable seal is included to physically engage a fuel pin subassembly during loading of fuel pellets.

145. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN FUEL CONTROL ...

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

145. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN FUEL CONTROL ROOM (215), LSB (BLDG. 751), FROM FUEL APRON WITH BAY DOOR OPEN - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

75 FR 59705 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-28

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. ACTION: Notice of open meeting. SUMMARY: The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) was established under section 807 of...

77 FR 50488 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee AGENCY: Department of...). SUMMARY: This notice announces an open meeting (Webinar) of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory... Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) was established under Section 807 of the Energy Policy Act of...

75 FR 2860 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-19

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. SUMMARY: The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee...

75 FR 26743 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-12

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. SUMMARY: The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) was established under section 807 of...

Combinatorial approach toward high-throughput analysis of direct methanol fuel cells.

PubMed

Jiang, Rongzhong; Rong, Charles; Chu, Deryn

2005-01-01

A 40-member array of direct methanol fuel cells (with stationary fuel and convective air supplies) was generated by electrically connecting the fuel cells in series. High-throughput analysis of these fuel cells was realized by fast screening of voltages between the two terminals of a fuel cell at constant current discharge. A large number of voltage-current curves (200) were obtained by screening the voltages through multiple small-current steps. Gaussian distribution was used to statistically analyze the large number of experimental data. The standard deviation (sigma) of voltages of these fuel cells increased linearly with discharge current. The voltage-current curves at various fuel concentrations were simulated with an empirical equation of voltage versus current and a linear equation of sigma versus current. The simulated voltage-current curves fitted the experimental data well. With increasing methanol concentration from 0.5 to 4.0 M, the Tafel slope of the voltage-current curves (at sigma=0.0), changed from 28 to 91 mV.dec-1, the cell resistance from 2.91 to 0.18 Omega, and the power output from 3 to 18 mW.cm-2.

Advanced Functional Materials for Energy Related Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasan, Koroush

The current global heavy dependency on fossil fuels gives rise to two critical problems: I) fossil fuels will be depleted in the near future; II) the release of green house gas CO2 generated by the combustion of fossil fuels contributes to global warming. To potentially address both problems, this dissertation documents three primary areas of investigation related to the development of alternative energy sources: electrocatalysts for fuel cells, photocatalysts for hydrogen generation, and photoreduction catalysts for converting CO2 to CH4. Fuel cells could be a promising source of alternative energy. Decreasing the cost and improving the durability and power density of Pt/C as a catalyst for reducing oxygen are major challenges for developing fuel cells. To address these concerns, we have synthesized a Nitrogen-Sulfur-Iron-doped porous carbon material. Our results indicate that the synthesized catalyst exhibits not only higher current density and stability but also higher tolerance to crossover chemicals than the commercial Pt/C catalyst. More importantly, the synthetic method is simple and inexpensive. Using photocatalysts and solar energy is another potential alternative solution for energy demand. We have synthesized a new biomimetic heterogeneous photocatalyst through the incorporation of homogeneous complex 1 [(i-SCH 2)2NC(O)C5H4N]-Fe2(CO) 6] into the highly robust zirconium-porphyrin based metal-organic framework (ZrPF). As photosensitizer ZrPF absorbs the visible light and produces photoexcited electrons that can be transferred through axial covalent bond to di-nuclear complex 1 for hydrogen generation. Additionally, we have studied the photoreduction of CO2 to CH4 using self-doped TiO2 (Ti+3@TiO 2) as photocatalytic materials. The incorporation of Ti3+ into TiO2 structures narrows the band gap, leading to significantly increased photocatalytic activity for the reduction of CO2 into renewable hydrocarbon fuel in the presence of water vapor under visible light. Finally, we demonstrate that open-framework chalcogenides can also be used as efficient photocatalysts for the reduction of CO2 to CH 4. These materials contain covalent superlattices of nanosized supertetrahedral clusters, which can be made with different metal cations to provide high electrical conductivity and current density as well as materials with different band gaps. The ability in incorporating different metal cations further enhances the material's photocatalytic activity, which could possibly provide alternative technologies for reducing CO2 in the atmosphere and simultaneously producing fuel.

Fuel cell stack monitoring and system control

DOEpatents

Keskula, Donald H.; Doan, Tien M.; Clingerman, Bruce J.

2004-02-17

A control method for monitoring a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system in which the actual voltage and actual current from the fuel cell stack are monitored. A preestablished relationship between voltage and current over the operating range of the fuel cell is established. A variance value between the actual measured voltage and the expected voltage magnitude for a given actual measured current is calculated and compared with a predetermined allowable variance. An output is generated if the calculated variance value exceeds the predetermined variance. The predetermined voltage-current for the fuel cell is symbolized as a polarization curve at given operating conditions of the fuel cell.

Consolidated fuel reprocessing program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1985-04-01

A survey of electrochemical methods applications in fuel reprocessing was completed. A dummy fuel assembly shroud was cut using the remotely operated laser disassembly equipment. Operations and engineering efforts have continued to correct equipment operating, software, and procedural problems experienced during the previous uranium compaigns. Fuel cycle options were examined for the liquid metal reactor fuel cycle. In high temperature gas cooled reactor spent fuel studies, preconceptual designs were completed for the concrete storage cask and open field drywell storage concept. These and other tasks operating under the consolidated fuel reprocessing program are examined.

[Electricity generation from corn steepwater using microbial fuel cell technology].

PubMed

Lu, Na; Zhou, Shun-Gui; Zhang, Jin-Tao; Ni, Jin-Ren

2009-02-15

Corn steepwater containing 49,732.2 mg/L of chemical oxygen demand (COD) was used as fuel for a membrane electrode assembly microbial fuel cell (MEA-MFC), which could generate electricity and treat the wastewater at the same time. During a batch experiment of 94 days with a fixed 1,000 Omega external resistance, the maximum voltage output of 525.0 mV and power density of 169.6 mW/m2 were obtained after 17 days, corresponding to the current density, internal resistance and open voltage of 440.2 mA/m2, 350 Omega and 619.5 mV, respectively. However, data showed that the coulombic efficiency was only 1.6%, suggesting very limited COD was utilized for electricity generation. At the conclusion of the test, the removals of COD and ammonia-nitrogen were achieved 51.6% and 25.8%, respectively. This study demonstrates that corn steepwater can be used for power generation in MFC with simultaneous accomplishments of wastewater treatment, providing a novel approach for the safe disposal and recycle of corn steepwater.

Electricity generation from an inorganic sulfur compound containing mining wastewater by acidophilic microorganisms.

PubMed

Ni, Gaofeng; Christel, Stephan; Roman, Pawel; Wong, Zhen Lim; Bijmans, Martijn F M; Dopson, Mark

2016-09-01

Sulfide mineral processing often produces large quantities of wastewaters containing acid-generating inorganic sulfur compounds. If released untreated, these wastewaters can cause catastrophic environmental damage. In this study, microbial fuel cells were inoculated with acidophilic microorganisms to investigate whether inorganic sulfur compound oxidation can generate an electrical current. Cyclic voltammetry suggested that acidophilic microorganisms mediated electron transfer to the anode, and that electricity generation was catalyzed by microorganisms. A cation exchange membrane microbial fuel cell, fed with artificial wastewater containing tetrathionate as electron donor, reached a maximum whole cell voltage of 72 ± 9 mV. Stepwise replacement of the artificial anolyte with real mining process wastewater had no adverse effect on bioelectrochemical performance and generated a maximum voltage of 105 ± 42 mV. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the microbial consortia resulted in sequences that aligned within the genera Thermoplasma, Ferroplasma, Leptospirillum, Sulfobacillus and Acidithiobacillus. This study opens up possibilities to bioremediate mining wastewater using microbial fuel cell technology. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.

Conversion of Biomass Derivatives to Electricity in Photo Fuel Cells using Undoped and Tungsten-doped Bismuth Vanadate Photoanodes.

PubMed

Zhang, Bingqing; Shi, Jingying; Ding, Chunmei; Chong, Ruifeng; Zhang, Bao; Wang, Zhiliang; Li, Ailong; Liang, Zhenxing; Liao, Shijun; Li, Can

2015-12-07

The photo fuel cell (PFC) is a promising technology for simultaneously converting solar energy and bioenergy into electricity. Here, we present a miniature air-breathing PFC that uses either BiVO4 or W-doped BiVO4 as the photoanode and a Pt/C catalyst as the air-breathing cathode. The PFC exhibited excellent performance under solar illumination and when fed with several types of biomaterial. We found the PFC performance could be significantly enhanced using W-doping into the BiVO4 photoanode. With glucose as the fuel and simulated sunlight (AM 1.5 G) as the light source, the open-circuit voltage increased from 0.74 to 0.92 V, the short-circuit current density rose from 0.46 to 1.62 mA cm(-2) , and the maximum power density was boosted from 0.05 to 0.38 mW cm(-2) , compared to a PFC using undoped BiVO4 as the anode. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Performance and stability of Pd nanostructures in an alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrera-Cerritos, R.; Fuentes-Ramírez, R.; Cuevas-Muñiz, F. M.; Ledesma-García, J.; Arriaga, L. G.

2014-12-01

Pd nanopolyhedral, nanobar and nanorod particles were synthesised using the polyol process and evaluated as anodes in a direct ethanol fuel cell. The materials were physico-chemically characterised by high-resolution transmission electronic microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effect of the operation parameters (i.e., temperature and fuel ethanol concentration) on the maximum power density (MPD) and open circuit voltage (OCV) was investigated. In addition, a stability test was performed by applying three current density steps for fifty cycles. The OCV values increased as the temperature increased for all of the catalysts at low ethanol concentration. Although the MPD increased with temperature for all of the catalyst independent of the ethanol concentration, the effect of the temperature on the MPD for each Pd structure results in different slopes due to the different crystal faces. Finally, a loss of electro-catalytic activity after fifty cycles was observed in all of the catalysts evaluated, which may be in response to morphological changes in the nanostructures.

78 FR 6086 - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-29

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) AGENCY: Office of...). SUMMARY: This notice announces an open meeting (Webinar) of the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory... Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC) was established under Section 807 of the Energy Policy Act of...

Fuel Cells Utilizing Oxygen From Air at Low Pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cisar, Alan; Boyer, Chris; Greenwald, Charles

2006-01-01

A fuel cell stack has been developed to supply power for a high-altitude aircraft with a minimum of air handling. The fuel cell is capable of utilizing oxygen from ambient air at low pressure with no need for compression. For such an application, it is advantageous to take oxygen from the air (in contradistinction to carrying a supply of oxygen onboard), but it is a challenging problem to design a fuel-cell stack of reasonable weight that can generate sufficient power while operating at reduced pressures. The present fuel-cell design is a response to this challenge. The design features a novel bipolar plate structure in combination with a gas-diffusion structure based on a conductive metal core and a carbon gas-diffusion matrix. This combination makes it possible for the flow fields in the stack to have a large open fraction (ratio between open volume and total volume) to permit large volumes of air to flow through with exceptionally low backpressure. Operations at reduced pressure require a corresponding increase in the volume of air that must be handled to deliver the same number of moles of oxygen to the anodes. Moreover, the increase in the open fraction, relative to that of a comparable prior fuel-cell design, reduces the mass of the stack. The fuel cell has been demonstrated to operate at a power density as high as 105 W/cm2 at an air pressure as low as 2 psia (absolute pressure 14 kPa), which is the atmospheric pressure at an altitude of about 50,000 ft ( 15.2 km). The improvements in the design of this fuel cell could be incorporated into designs of other fuel cells to make them lighter in weight and effective at altitudes higher than those of prior designs. Potential commercial applications for these improvements include most applications now under consideration for fuel cells.

10 CFR 431.242 - Test Procedures [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., automatically operated, fossil fuel-fired appliance that is designed to automatically open the flue outlet... individual, automatically operated, fossil fuel-fired appliance either in the outlet or downstream of the...

10 CFR 431.242 - Test Procedures [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., automatically operated, fossil fuel-fired appliance that is designed to automatically open the flue outlet... individual, automatically operated, fossil fuel-fired appliance either in the outlet or downstream of the...

10 CFR 431.242 - Test Procedures [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., automatically operated, fossil fuel-fired appliance that is designed to automatically open the flue outlet... individual, automatically operated, fossil fuel-fired appliance either in the outlet or downstream of the...

40 CFR 49.129 - Rule for limiting emissions of sulfur dioxide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., incinerator, marine vessel, mobile sources, motor vehicle, nonroad engine, nonroad vehicle, open burning, process source, reference method, refuse, residual fuel oil, solid fuel, stack, standard conditions...

40 CFR 49.129 - Rule for limiting emissions of sulfur dioxide.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., incinerator, marine vessel, mobile sources, motor vehicle, nonroad engine, nonroad vehicle, open burning, process source, reference method, refuse, residual fuel oil, solid fuel, stack, standard conditions...

Current state of nuclear fuel cycles in nuclear engineering and trends in their development according to the environmental safety requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vislov, I. S.; Pischulin, V. P.; Kladiev, S. N.; Slobodyan, S. M.

2016-08-01

The state and trends in the development of nuclear fuel cycles in nuclear engineering, taking into account the ecological aspects of using nuclear power plants, are considered. An analysis of advantages and disadvantages of nuclear engineering, compared with thermal engineering based on organic fuel types, was carried out. Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) reprocessing is an important task in the nuclear industry, since fuel unloaded from modern reactors of any type contains a large amount of radioactive elements that are harmful to the environment. On the other hand, the newly generated isotopes of uranium and plutonium should be reused to fabricate new nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel also includes other types of fission products. Conditions for SNF handling are determined by ecological and economic factors. When choosing a certain handling method, one should assess these factors at all stages of its implementation. There are two main methods of SNF handling: open nuclear fuel cycle, with spent nuclear fuel assemblies (NFAs) that are held in storage facilities with their consequent disposal, and closed nuclear fuel cycle, with separation of uranium and plutonium, their purification from fission products, and use for producing new fuel batches. The development of effective closed fuel cycles using mixed uranium-plutonium fuel can provide a successful development of the nuclear industry only under the conditions of implementation of novel effective technological treatment processes that meet strict requirements of environmental safety and reliability of process equipment being applied. The diversity of technological processes is determined by different types of NFA devices and construction materials being used, as well as by the composition that depends on nuclear fuel components and operational conditions for assemblies in the nuclear power reactor. This work provides an overview of technological processes of SNF treatment and methods of handling of nuclear fuel assemblies. Based on analysis of modern engineering solutions on SNF regeneration, it has been concluded that new reprocessing technologies should meet the ecological safety requirements, provide a more extensive use of the resource base of nuclear engineering, allow the production of valuable and trace elements on an industrial scale, and decrease radioactive waste release.

Meta-analysis of Microbial Fuel Cells Using Waste Substrates.

PubMed

Dowdy, F Ryan; Kawakita, Ryan; Lange, Matthew; Simmons, Christopher W

2018-05-01

Microbial fuel cell experimentation using waste streams is an increasingly popular field of study. One obstacle to comparing studies has been the lack of consistent conventions for reporting results such that meta-analysis can be used for large groups of experiments. Here, 134 unique microbial fuel cell experiments using waste substrates were compiled for analysis. Findings include that coulombic efficiency correlates positively with volumetric power density (p < 0.001), negatively with working volume (p < 0.05), and positively with percentage removal of chemical oxygen demand (p < 0.005). Power density in mW/m 2 correlates positively with chemical oxygen demand loading (p < 0.005), and positively with maximum open-circuit voltage (p < 0.05). Finally, single-chamber versus double-chamber reactor configurations differ significantly in maximum open-circuit voltage (p < 0.005). Multiple linear regression to predict either power density or maximum open-circuit voltage produced no significant models due to the amount of multicollinearity between predictor variables. Results indicate that statistically relevant conclusions can be drawn from large microbial fuel cell datasets. Recommendations for future consistency in reporting results following a MIAMFCE convention (Minimum Information About a Microbial Fuel Cell Experiment) are included.

Emission reductions from woody biomass waste for energy as an alternative to open burning.

PubMed

Springsteen, Bruce; Christofk, Tom; Eubanks, Steve; Mason, Tad; Clavin, Chris; Storey, Brett

2011-01-01

Woody biomass waste is generated throughout California from forest management, hazardous fuel reduction, and agricultural operations. Open pile burning in the vicinity of generation is frequently the only economic disposal option. A framework is developed to quantify air emissions reductions for projects that alternatively utilize biomass waste as fuel for energy production. A demonstration project was conducted involving the grinding and 97-km one-way transport of 6096 bone-dry metric tons (BDT) of mixed conifer forest slash in the Sierra Nevada foothills for use as fuel in a biomass power cogeneration facility. Compared with the traditional open pile burning method of disposal for the forest harvest slash, utilization of the slash for fuel reduced particulate matter (PM) emissions by 98% (6 kg PM/BDT biomass), nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 54% (1.6 kg NOx/BDT), nonmethane volatile organics (NMOCs) by 99% (4.7 kg NMOCs/BDT), carbon monoxide (CO) by 97% (58 kg CO/BDT), and carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) by 17% (0.38 t CO2e/BDT). Emission contributions from biomass processing and transport operations are negligible. CO2e benefits are dependent on the emission characteristics of the displaced marginal electricity supply. Monetization of emissions reductions will assist with fuel sourcing activities and the conduct of biomass energy projects.

Swelling-resistant nuclear fuel

DOEpatents

Arsenlis, Athanasios [Hayward, CA; Satcher, Jr., Joe; Kucheyev, Sergei O [Oakland, CA

2011-12-27

A nuclear fuel according to one embodiment includes an assembly of nuclear fuel particles; and continuous open channels defined between at least some of the nuclear fuel particles, wherein the channels are characterized as allowing fission gasses produced in an interior of the assembly to escape from the interior of the assembly to an exterior thereof without causing significant swelling of the assembly. Additional embodiments, including methods, are also presented.

Copper-palladium core-shell as an anode in a multi-fuel membraneless nanofluidic fuel cell: toward a new era of small energy conversion devices.

PubMed

Maya-Cornejo, J; Ortiz-Ortega, E; Álvarez-Contreras, L; Arjona, N; Guerra-Balcázar, M; Ledesma-García, J; Arriaga, L G

2015-02-14

A membraneless nanofluidic fuel cell with flow-through electrodes that works with several fuels (individually or mixed): methanol, ethanol, glycerol and ethylene-glycol in alkaline media is presented. For this application, an efficient Cu@Pd electrocatalyst was synthesized and tested, resulting outstanding performance until now reported, opening the possibility of power nano-devices for multi-uses purposes, regardless of fuel re-charge employed.

Fuel handling apparatus for a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Hawke, Basil C.

1987-01-01

Fuel handling apparatus for transporting fuel elements into and out of a nuclear reactor and transporting them within the reactor vessel extends through a penetration in the side of the reactor vessel. A lateral transport device carries the fuel elements laterally within the vessel and through the opening in the side of the vessel, and a reversible lifting device raises and lowers the fuel elements. In the preferred embodiment, the lifting device is supported by a pair of pivot arms.

Electricity generation and modeling of microbial fuel cell from continuous beer brewery wastewater.

PubMed

Wen, Qing; Wu, Ying; Cao, Dianxue; Zhao, Lixin; Sun, Qian

2009-09-01

Electricity production and modeling of microbial fuel cell (MFC) from continuous beer brewery wastewater was studied in this paper. A single air-cathode MFC was constructed, carbon fiber was used as anode and diluted brewery wastewater (COD=626.58 mg/L) as substrate. The MFC displayed an open-circuit voltage of 0.578 V and a maximum power density of 9.52 W/m(3) (264 mW/m(2)). Using the model based on polarization curve, various voltage losses were quantified. At current density of 1.79 A/m(2), reaction kinetic loss and mass transport loss both achieved to 0.248 V; while ohmic loss was 0.046 V. Results demonstrated that it was feasible and stable for producing bioelectricity from brewery wastewater; while the most important factors which influenced the performance of the MFC are reaction kinetic loss and mass transport loss.

Novel bufferless photosynthetic microbial fuel cell (PMFCs) for enhanced electrochemical performance.

PubMed

Wang, Chin-Tsan; Huang, Yan-Sian; Sangeetha, Thangavel; Chen, Yen-Ming; Chong, Wen-Tong; Ong, Hwai-Chyuan; Zhao, Feng; Yan, Wei-Mon

2018-05-01

Photosynthetic microbial fuel cells (PMFCs) are novel bioelectrochemical transducers that employ microalgae to generate oxygen, organic metabolites and electrons. Conventional PMFCs employ non-eco-friendly membranes, catalysts and phosphate buffer solution. Eliminating the membrane, buffer and catalyst can make the MFC a practical possibility. Therefore, single chambered (SPMFC) were constructed and operated at different recirculation flow rates (0, 40 and 240 ml/min) under bufferless conditions. Furthermore, maximum power density of 4.06 mW/m 2 , current density of 46.34 mA/m 2 and open circuit potential of 0.43 V and low internal resistance of 611.8 Ω were obtained at 40 ml/min. Based on the results it was decided that SPMFC was better for operation at 40 ml/min. Therefore, these findings provided progressive insights for future pilot and industrial scale studies of PMFCs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fuel cell stack monitoring and system control

DOEpatents

Keskula, Donald H.; Doan, Tien M.; Clingerman, Bruce J.

2005-01-25

A control method for monitoring a fuel cell stack in a fuel cell system in which the actual voltage and actual current from the fuel cell stack are monitored. A preestablished relationship between voltage and current over the operating range of the fuel cell is established. A variance value between the actual measured voltage and the expected voltage magnitude for a given actual measured current is calculated and compared with a predetermined allowable variance. An output is generated if the calculated variance value exceeds the predetermined variance. The predetermined voltage-current for the fuel cell is symbolized as a polarization curve at given operating conditions of the fuel cell. Other polarization curves may be generated and used for fuel cell stack monitoring based on different operating pressures, temperatures, hydrogen quantities.

Fuel injector system

DOEpatents

Hsu, Bertrand D.; Leonard, Gary L.

1988-01-01

A fuel injection system particularly adapted for injecting coal slurry fuels at high pressures includes an accumulator-type fuel injector which utilizes high-pressure pilot fuel as a purging fluid to prevent hard particles in the fuel from impeding the opening and closing movement of a needle valve, and as a hydraulic medium to hold the needle valve in its closed position. A fluid passage in the injector delivers an appropriately small amount of the ignition-aiding pilot fuel to an appropriate region of a chamber in the injector's nozzle so that at the beginning of each injection interval the first stratum of fuel to be discharged consists essentially of pilot fuel and thereafter mostly slurry fuel is injected.

Shuttle Primary Reaction Control Subsystem Thruster Fuel Valve Pilot Seal Extrusion: A Failure Correlation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waller, Jess; Saulsberry, Regor L.

2003-01-01

Pilot operated valves (POVs) are used to control the flow of hypergolic propellants monomethylhydrazine (fuel) and nitrogen tetroxide (oxidizer) to the Shuttle orbiter Primary Reaction Control Subsystem (PRCS) thrusters. The POV incorporates a two-stage design: a solenoid-actuated pilot stage, which in turn controls a pressure-actuated main stage. Isolation of propellant supply from the thruster chamber is accomplished in part by a captive polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) pilot seal retained inside a Custom 455.1 stainless steel cavity. Extrusion of the pilot seal restricts the flow of fuel around the pilot poppet, thus impeding or preventing the main valve stage from opening. It can also prevent the main stage from staying open with adequate force margin, particularly if there is gas in the main stage actuation cavity. During thruster operation on-orbit, fuel valve pilot seal extrusion is commonly indicated by low or erratic chamber pressure or failure of the thruster to fire upon command (Fail-Off). During ground turnaround, pilot seal extrusion is commonly indicated by slow gaseous nitrogen (GN2) main valve opening times (greater than 38 ms) or slow water main valve opening response times (greater than 33 ms). Poppet lift tests and visual inspection can also detect pilot seal extrusion during ground servicing; however, direct metrology on the pilot seat assembly provides the most quantitative and accurate means of identifying extrusion. Minimizing PRCS fuel valve pilot seal extrusion has become an important issue in the effort to improve PRCS reliability and reduce associated life cycle costs.

Direct alcohol fuel cells: toward the power densities of hydrogen-fed proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

PubMed

Chen, Yanxin; Bellini, Marco; Bevilacqua, Manuela; Fornasiero, Paolo; Lavacchi, Alessandro; Miller, Hamish A; Wang, Lianqin; Vizza, Francesco

2015-02-01

A 2 μm thick layer of TiO2 nanotube arrays was prepared on the surface of the Ti fibers of a nonwoven web electrode. After it was doped with Pd nanoparticles (1.5 mgPd  cm(-2) ), this anode was employed in a direct alcohol fuel cell. Peak power densities of 210, 170, and 160 mW cm(-2) at 80 °C were produced if the cell was fed with 10 wt % aqueous solutions of ethanol, ethylene glycol, and glycerol, respectively, in 2 M aqueous KOH. The Pd loading of the anode was increased to 6 mg cm(-2) by combining four single electrodes to produce a maximum peak power density with ethanol at 80 °C of 335 mW cm(-2) . Such high power densities result from a combination of the open 3 D structure of the anode electrode and the high electrochemically active surface area of the Pd catalyst, which promote very fast kinetics for alcohol electro-oxidation. The peak power and current densities obtained with ethanol at 80 °C approach the output of H2 -fed proton exchange membrane fuel cells. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Final Technical Report: Imaging a Dry Storage Cask with Cosmic Ray Muons

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

Yang, Haori; Hayward, Jason; Chichester, David

The goal of this project is to build a scaled prototype system for monitoring used nuclear fuel (UNF) dry storage casks (DSCs) through cosmic ray muon imaging. Such a system will have the capability of verifying the content inside a DSC without opening it. Because of the growth of the nuclear power industry in the U.S. and the policy decision to ban reprocessing of commercial UNF, the used fuel inventory at commercial reactor sites has been increasing. Currently, UNF needs to be moved to independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs), as its inventory approaches the limit on capacity of on-sitemore » wet storage. Thereafter, the fuel will be placed in shipping containers to be transferred to a final disposal site. The ISFSIs were initially licensed as temporary facilities for ~20-yr periods. Given the cancellation of the Yucca mountain project and no clear path forward, extended dry-cask storage (~100 yr.) at ISFSIs is very likely. From the point of view of nuclear material protection, accountability and control technologies (MPACT) campaign, it is important to ensure that special nuclear material (SNM) in UNF is not stolen or diverted from civilian facilities for other use during the extended storage.« less

33 CFR 183.220 - Preconditioning for tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... motor and controls and for the submerged weight or the battery, respectively. (e) Permanent fuel tanks must be filled with fuel and each external opening into the fuel tank must be sealed. (f) The boat must... be placed in the normal operating position of the motor and controls and the battery in lieu of this...

Laboratory characterization of PM emissions from combustion of wildland biomass fuels

Treesearch

Seyedehsan Hosseini; Shawn Urbanski; P. Dixit; Qi Li; Ian Burling; Robert Yokelson; Timothy E. Johnson; Manish Sharivastava; Heejung Jung; David R. Weise; Wayne Miller; David Cocker

2013-01-01

Particle emissions from open burning of southwestern (SW) and southeastern (SE) U.S. fuel types during 77 controlled laboratory burns are presented. The fuels include SW vegetation types: ceanothus, chamise/scrub oak, coastal sage scrub, California sagebrush, manzanita, maritime chaparral, masticated mesquite, oak savanna, and oak woodland, as well as SE vegetation...

Apparatus for the pulverization and burning of solid fuels

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

Sayler, W.H.; White, J.C.

1988-06-07

This patent describes an apparatus for pulverizing coarsely-divided, solid fuel, such as coal, and for feeding the pulverized fuel to a burner. It comprises an upstanding housing having side, bottom and top walls; an upstanding shaft axially mounted for rotation within the housing; means for rotating the shaft; a slinger having an annular opening therethrough concentric with and closely encircling the shaft; fan means secured to the shaft immediately below the top wall of the housing; air-turbulating means comprising a pair of spiders; air-inlet means in the housing below the slinger so that air will flow upwardly through the annularmore » opening as well as peripherally of the slinger, entraining fine solid fuel particles during passage through the housing interior for further pulverization by size attrition between the spiders; outlet means provided through the side of the housing adjacent to the fan means; and outlet means being adapted for connection with the burner; and solid fuel input mans leading into the housing and positioned to feed coarsely-divided solid fuel onto the slinger.« less

Emergency cooling analysis for the loss of coolant malfunction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peoples, J. A.

1972-01-01

This report examines the dynamic response of a conceptual space power fast-spectrum lithium cooled reactor to the loss of coolant malfunction and several emergency cooling concepts. The results show that, following the loss of primary coolant, the peak temperatures of the center most 73 fuel elements can range from 2556 K to the region of the fuel melting point of 3122 K within 3600 seconds after the start of the accident. Two types of emergency aftercooling concepts were examined: (1) full core open loop cooling and (2) partial core closed loop cooling. The full core open loop concept is a one pass method of supplying lithium to the 247 fuel pins. This method can maintain fuel temperature below the 1611 K transient damage limit but requires a sizable 22,680-kilogram auxiliary lithium supply. The second concept utilizes a redundant internal closed loop to supply lithium to only the central area of each hexagonal fuel array. By using this method and supplying lithium to only the triflute region, fuel temperatures can be held well below the transient damage limit.

Heteropoly acid functionalized fluoroelastomer with outstanding chemical durability and performance for vehicular fuel cells

DOE PAGES

Motz, Andrew R.; Kuo, Mei-Chen; Horan, James L.; ...

2018-03-23

To further facilitate commercialization of automotive fuel cells, durability concerns need to be addressed. Currently the addition of a mechanical support in the membrane is able to adequately solve issues of mechanical degradation, but chemical degradation via oxygenated radical attack remains an unsolved challenge. Typical mitigation strategies use cerium or manganese species to serve as radical scavengers, but these ions are able to migrate in the membrane and even leach out of the system. The approach used in this paper is to covalently link and immobilize a heteropoly acid (HPA), more specifically 11-silicotungstic acid (HSiW11), a lacunary HPA of themore » Keggin structure to a fluoroelastomer, serving as both a radical decomposition catalyst and the proton conducting acid. This dual functionality allows for both high content of radical scavenging species and high ion-exchange capacity. An efficient three step, high yield (77%), commercially viable synthesis for this polymer is reported. The synthesis route for making this new heteropoly acid functionalized polymer is confirmed using infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The material exhibits clustering of the HSiW11 moieties, resulting in a poorly connected proton conducting phase when dry, but excellent conductivity is achieved at elevated humidities (0.298 S cm -1 at 80 °C and 95% RH). The proton conductivity shows an enhancement above 60 °C due to a softening of the polymer, as shown by DSC. Under an aggressive chemical accelerated stress test (AST), 90 °C, 30% RH, zero current, and pure O 2, the PolyHPA losses only 0.05 V of open circuit voltage (OCV) after 500 h, greatly out performing any other material reported in the literature. For comparison, the Nafion® N211 fuel cell drops below 0.8 V after only 76 h under the same conditions. Finally, in fuel cell testing the PolyHPAs have outstanding chemical stability and also possess very low in situ high frequency resistance (HFR) leading to high performance (1.14 W cm -2 at 2 A cm -2), compared to 1.11 W cm -2 for the Nafion® N211 fuel cell at the same current. At 75 wt% HSiW11 loading, the fuel cell HFR showed a 22% decrease over N211.« less

Heteropoly acid functionalized fluoroelastomer with outstanding chemical durability and performance for vehicular fuel cells

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

Motz, Andrew R.; Kuo, Mei-Chen; Horan, James L.

To further facilitate commercialization of automotive fuel cells, durability concerns need to be addressed. Currently the addition of a mechanical support in the membrane is able to adequately solve issues of mechanical degradation, but chemical degradation via oxygenated radical attack remains an unsolved challenge. Typical mitigation strategies use cerium or manganese species to serve as radical scavengers, but these ions are able to migrate in the membrane and even leach out of the system. The approach used in this paper is to covalently link and immobilize a heteropoly acid (HPA), more specifically 11-silicotungstic acid (HSiW11), a lacunary HPA of themore » Keggin structure to a fluoroelastomer, serving as both a radical decomposition catalyst and the proton conducting acid. This dual functionality allows for both high content of radical scavenging species and high ion-exchange capacity. An efficient three step, high yield (77%), commercially viable synthesis for this polymer is reported. The synthesis route for making this new heteropoly acid functionalized polymer is confirmed using infrared spectroscopy (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The material exhibits clustering of the HSiW11 moieties, resulting in a poorly connected proton conducting phase when dry, but excellent conductivity is achieved at elevated humidities (0.298 S cm -1 at 80 °C and 95% RH). The proton conductivity shows an enhancement above 60 °C due to a softening of the polymer, as shown by DSC. Under an aggressive chemical accelerated stress test (AST), 90 °C, 30% RH, zero current, and pure O 2, the PolyHPA losses only 0.05 V of open circuit voltage (OCV) after 500 h, greatly out performing any other material reported in the literature. For comparison, the Nafion® N211 fuel cell drops below 0.8 V after only 76 h under the same conditions. Finally, in fuel cell testing the PolyHPAs have outstanding chemical stability and also possess very low in situ high frequency resistance (HFR) leading to high performance (1.14 W cm -2 at 2 A cm -2), compared to 1.11 W cm -2 for the Nafion® N211 fuel cell at the same current. At 75 wt% HSiW11 loading, the fuel cell HFR showed a 22% decrease over N211.« less

Performance of a Fuel-Injection Spark-Ignition Engine Using a Hydrogenated Safety Fuel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schey, Oscar W; Young, Alfred W

1934-01-01

This report presents the performance of a single-cylinder test engine using a hydrogenated safety fuel. The safety fuel has a flash point of 125 degrees f. (Cleveland open-dup method), which is high enough to remove most of the fire hazard, and an octane number of 95, which permits higher compression ratios to be used than are permissible with most undoped gasolines.

PRELIMINARY COUPLING OF THE MONTE CARLO CODE OPENMC AND THE MULTIPHYSICS OBJECT-ORIENTED SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT (MOOSE) FOR ANALYZING DOPPLER FEEDBACK IN MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS

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

Matthew Ellis; Derek Gaston; Benoit Forget

In recent years the use of Monte Carlo methods for modeling reactors has become feasible due to the increasing availability of massively parallel computer systems. One of the primary challenges yet to be fully resolved, however, is the efficient and accurate inclusion of multiphysics feedback in Monte Carlo simulations. The research in this paper presents a preliminary coupling of the open source Monte Carlo code OpenMC with the open source Multiphysics Object-Oriented Simulation Environment (MOOSE). The coupling of OpenMC and MOOSE will be used to investigate efficient and accurate numerical methods needed to include multiphysics feedback in Monte Carlo codes.more » An investigation into the sensitivity of Doppler feedback to fuel temperature approximations using a two dimensional 17x17 PWR fuel assembly is presented in this paper. The results show a functioning multiphysics coupling between OpenMC and MOOSE. The coupling utilizes Functional Expansion Tallies to accurately and efficiently transfer pin power distributions tallied in OpenMC to unstructured finite element meshes used in MOOSE. The two dimensional PWR fuel assembly case also demonstrates that for a simplified model the pin-by-pin doppler feedback can be adequately replicated by scaling a representative pin based on pin relative powers.« less

Educators Assess "Open Content" Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trotter, Andrew

2009-01-01

This article discusses the open-content movement in education. A small but growing movement of K-12 educators is latching on to educational resources that are "open," or free for others to use, change, and republish on web sites that promote sharing. The open-content movement is fueled partly by digital creation tools that make it easy…

The role of water management on the oxygen transport resistance in polymer electrolyte fuel cell with ultra-low precious metal loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srouji, A. K.; Zheng, L. J.; Dross, R.; Aaron, D.; Mench, M. M.

2017-10-01

Limiting current measurements are used to evaluate oxygen transport resistance in the catalyst layer of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). The pressure independent oxygen transport resistance in the electrode is quantified for two cell architectures and two cathode Pt loadings (0.4 and 0.07 mgPt.cm-2). The compounded effect of the flow field and Pt loading is used to shed light on the nature of the observed transport resistance, especially its response to fundamentally different flow fields, which is shown to directly or indirectly scale with Pt loading in the open literature. By varying gas pressure and using low oxygen concentrations, the total oxygen transport resistance is divided into intermolecular gas diffusion (a pressure-dependent component) and a pressure independent component, which can be attributed to Knudsen diffusion or dissolution film resistance. The pressure-independent oxygen transport resistance in the catalyst layer varies between 13.3 and 34.4 s/m. It is shown that the pressure independent oxygen transport resistance increases with reduced Pt loading, but that effect is greatly exacerbated by using conventional channel/lands. The results indicate that open metallic element architecture improves the oxygen transport resistance in ultra-low Pt loading electrodes, likely due to enhanced water management at the catalyst layer.

Protozoan grazing reduces the current output of microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Holmes, Dawn E; Nevin, Kelly P; Snoeyenbos-West, Oona L; Woodard, Trevor L; Strickland, Justin N; Lovley, Derek R

2015-10-01

Several experiments were conducted to determine whether protozoan grazing can reduce current output from sediment microbial fuel cells. When marine sediments were amended with eukaryotic inhibitors, the power output from the fuel cells increased 2-5-fold. Quantitative PCR showed that Geobacteraceae sequences were 120 times more abundant on anodes from treated fuel cells compared to untreated fuel cells, and that Spirotrichea sequences in untreated fuel cells were 200 times more abundant on anode surfaces than in the surrounding sediments. Defined studies with current-producing biofilms of Geobacter sulfurreducens and pure cultures of protozoa demonstrated that protozoa that were effective in consuming G. sulfurreducens reduced current production up to 91% when added to G. sulfurreducens fuel cells. These results suggest that anode biofilms are an attractive food source for protozoa and that protozoan grazing can be an important factor limiting the current output of sediment microbial fuel cells. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Use of freeze-casting in advanced burner reactor fuel design

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

Lang, A. L.; Yablinsky, C. A.; Allen, T. R.

2012-07-01

This paper will detail the modeling of a fast reactor with fuel pins created using a freeze-casting process. Freeze-casting is a method of creating an inert scaffold within a fuel pin. The scaffold is created using a directional solidification process and results in open porosity for emplacement of fuel, with pores ranging in size from 300 microns to 500 microns in diameter. These pores allow multiple fuel types and enrichments to be loaded into one fuel pin. Also, each pore could be filled with varying amounts of fuel to allow for the specific volume of fission gases created by thatmore » fuel type. Currently fast reactors, including advanced burner reactors (ABR's), are not economically feasible due to the high cost of operating the reactors and of reprocessing the fuel. However, if the fuel could be very precisely placed, such as within a freeze-cast scaffold, this could increase fuel performance and result in a valid design with a much lower cost per megawatt. In addition to competitive costs, freeze-cast fuel would also allow for selective breeding or burning of actinides within specific locations in fast reactors. For example, fast flux peak locations could be utilized on a minute scale to target specific actinides for transmutation. Freeze-cast fuel is extremely flexible and has great potential in a variety of applications. This paper performs initial modeling of freeze-cast fuel, with the generic fast reactor parameters for this model based on EBR-II. The core has an assumed power of 62.5 MWt. The neutronics code used was Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5) transport code. Uniform pore sizes were used in increments of 100 microns. Two different freeze-cast scaffold materials were used: ceramic (MgO-ZrO{sub 2}) and steel (SS316L). Separate models were needed for each material because the freeze-cast ceramic and metal scaffolds have different structural characteristics and overall porosities. Basic criticality results were compiled for the various models. Preliminary results show that criticality is achievable with freeze-cast fuel pins despite the significant amount of inert fuel matrix. Freeze casting is a promising method to achieve very precise fuel placement within fuel pins. (authors)« less

A Glucose Fuel Cell for Implantable Brain–Machine Interfaces

PubMed Central

Rapoport, Benjamin I.; Kedzierski, Jakub T.; Sarpeshkar, Rahul

2012-01-01

We have developed an implantable fuel cell that generates power through glucose oxidation, producing steady-state power and up to peak power. The fuel cell is manufactured using a novel approach, employing semiconductor fabrication techniques, and is therefore well suited for manufacture together with integrated circuits on a single silicon wafer. Thus, it can help enable implantable microelectronic systems with long-lifetime power sources that harvest energy from their surrounds. The fuel reactions are mediated by robust, solid state catalysts. Glucose is oxidized at the nanostructured surface of an activated platinum anode. Oxygen is reduced to water at the surface of a self-assembled network of single-walled carbon nanotubes, embedded in a Nafion film that forms the cathode and is exposed to the biological environment. The catalytic electrodes are separated by a Nafion membrane. The availability of fuel cell reactants, oxygen and glucose, only as a mixture in the physiologic environment, has traditionally posed a design challenge: Net current production requires oxidation and reduction to occur separately and selectively at the anode and cathode, respectively, to prevent electrochemical short circuits. Our fuel cell is configured in a half-open geometry that shields the anode while exposing the cathode, resulting in an oxygen gradient that strongly favors oxygen reduction at the cathode. Glucose reaches the shielded anode by diffusing through the nanotube mesh, which does not catalyze glucose oxidation, and the Nafion layers, which are permeable to small neutral and cationic species. We demonstrate computationally that the natural recirculation of cerebrospinal fluid around the human brain theoretically permits glucose energy harvesting at a rate on the order of at least 1 mW with no adverse physiologic effects. Low-power brain–machine interfaces can thus potentially benefit from having their implanted units powered or recharged by glucose fuel cells. PMID:22719888

Forest biomass diversion in the Sierra Nevada: Energy, economics and emissions

Treesearch

Bruce Springsteen; Thomas Christofk; Robert A. York; Tad Mason; Stephen Baker; Emily Lincoln; Bruce Hartsough; Takuyuki Yoshioka

2015-01-01

As an alternative to open pile burning, use of forest wastes from fuel hazard reduction projects at Blodgett Forest Research Station for electricity production was shown to produce energy and emission benefits: energy (diesel fuel) expended for processing and transport was 2.5% of the biomass fuel (energy equivalent); based on measurements from a large pile...

Fuel cell generator

DOEpatents

Makiel, Joseph M.

1985-01-01

A high temperature solid electrolyte fuel cell generator comprising a housing means defining a plurality of chambers including a generator chamber and a combustion products chamber, a porous barrier separating the generator and combustion product chambers, a plurality of elongated annular fuel cells each having a closed end and an open end with the open ends disposed within the combustion product chamber, the cells extending from the open end through the porous barrier and into the generator chamber, a conduit for each cell, each conduit extending into a portion of each cell disposed within the generator chamber, each conduit having means for discharging a first gaseous reactant within each fuel cell, exhaust means for exhausting the combustion product chamber, manifolding means for supplying the first gaseous reactant to the conduits with the manifolding means disposed within the combustion product chamber between the porous barrier and the exhaust means and the manifolding means further comprising support and bypass means for providing support of the manifolding means within the housing while allowing combustion products from the first and a second gaseous reactant to flow past the manifolding means to the exhaust means, and means for flowing the second gaseous reactant into the generator chamber.

Reactor moderator, pressure vessel, and heat rejection system of an open-cycle gas core nuclear rocket concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, M. F.; Whitmarsh, C. L., Jr.; Sirocky, P. J., Jr.; Iwanczyke, L. C.

1973-01-01

A preliminary design study of a conceptual 6000-megawatt open-cycle gas-core nuclear rocket engine system was made. The engine has a thrust of 196,600 newtons (44,200 lb) and a specific impulse of 4400 seconds. The nuclear fuel is uranium-235 and the propellant is hydrogen. Critical fuel mass was calculated for several reactor configurations. Major components of the reactor (reflector, pressure vessel, and waste heat rejection system) were considered conceptually and were sized.

Open-type ferry safety system design for using LNG fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pagonis, D. N.; Livanos, G.; Theotokatos, G.; Peppa, S.; Themelis, N.

2016-12-01

In this feasibility study, we investigate the viability of using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fuel in an open type Ro-Ro passenger ferry and the associated potential challenges with regard to the vessel safety systems. We recommend an appropriate methodology for converting existing ships to run on LNG fuel, discuss all the necessary modifications to the ship's safety systems, and also evaluate the relevant ship evacuation procedures. We outline the basic requirements with which the ship already complies for each safety system and analyze the additional restrictions that must be taken into consideration for the use of LNG fuel. Appropriate actions are recommended. Furthermore, we carry out a hazard identification study. Overall, we clearly demonstrate the technical feasibility of the investigated scenario. Minimal modifications to the ship's safety systems are required to comply with existing safety rules for this specific type of ship.

Method and means of packaging nuclear fuel rods for handling

DOEpatents

Adam, Milton F.

1979-01-01

Nuclear fuel rods, especially spent nuclear fuel rods that may show physical distortion, are encased within a metallic enclosing structure by forming a tube about the fuel rod. The tube has previously been rolled to form an overlapping tubular structure and then unrolled and coiled about an axis perpendicular to the tube. The fuel rod is inserted into the tube as the rolled tube is removed from a coiled strip and allowed to reassume its tubular shape about the fuel rod. Rollers support the coiled strip in an open position as the coiled strip is uncoiled and allowed to roll about the fuel rod.

Viability of Existing INL Facilities for Dry Storage Cask Handling

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

Randy Bohachek; Charles Park; Bruce Wallace

2013-04-01

This report evaluates existing capabilities at the INL to determine if a practical and cost effective method could be developed for opening and handling full-sized dry storage casks. The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) CPP-603, Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility, provides the infrastructure to support handling and examining casks and their contents. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions, it is possible to receive, open, inspect, remove samples, close, and reseal large bolted-lid dry storage casks at the INL. The capability can also be used to open and inspect casks that were last examined at the TAN Hotmore » Shop over ten years ago. The Castor V/21 and REA-2023 casks can provide additional confirmatory information regarding the extended performance of low-burnup (<45 GWD/MTU) used nuclear fuel. Once a dry storage cask is opened inside CPP-603, used fuel retrieved from the cask can be packaged in a shipping cask, and sent to a laboratory for testing. Testing at the INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) can occur starting with shipment of samples from CPP-603 over an on-site road, avoiding the need to use public highways. This reduces cost and reduces the risk to the public. The full suite of characterization methods needed to establish the condition of the fuel exists and MFC. Many other testing capabilities also exist at MFC, but when those capabilities are not adequate, samples can be prepared and shipped to other laboratories for testing. This report discusses how the casks would be handled, what work needs to be done to ready the facilities/capabilities, and what the work will cost.« less

Viability of Existing INL Facilities for Dry Storage Cask Handling

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

Bohachek, Randy; Wallace, Bruce; Winston, Phil

2013-04-30

This report evaluates existing capabilities at the INL to determine if a practical and cost effective method could be developed for opening and handling full-sized dry storage casks. The Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) CPP-603, Irradiated Spent Fuel Storage Facility, provides the infrastructure to support handling and examining casks and their contents. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions, it is possible to receive, open, inspect, remove samples, close, and reseal large bolted-lid dry storage casks at the INL. The capability can also be used to open and inspect casks that were last examined at the TAN Hotmore » Shop over ten years ago. The Castor V/21 and REA-2023 casks can provide additional confirmatory information regarding the extended performance of low-burnup (<45 GWD/MTU) used nuclear fuel. Once a dry storage cask is opened inside CPP-603, used fuel retrieved from the cask can be packaged in a shipping cask, and sent to a laboratory for testing. Testing at the INL’s Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) can occur starting with shipment of samples from CPP-603 over an on-site road, avoiding the need to use public highways. This reduces cost and reduces the risk to the public. The full suite of characterization methods needed to establish the condition of the fuel exists and MFC. Many other testing capabilities also exist at MFC, but when those capabilities are not adequate, samples can be prepared and shipped to other laboratories for testing. This report discusses how the casks would be handled, what work needs to be done to ready the facilities/capabilities, and what the work will cost.« less

Highly exposed Fe-N4 active sites in porous poly-iron-phthalocyanine based oxygen reduction electrocatalyst with ultrahigh performance for air cathode.

PubMed

Anandhababu, Ganesan; Abbas, Syed Comail; Lv, Jiangquan; Ding, Kui; Liu, Qin; Babu, Dickson D; Huang, Yiyin; Xie, Jiafang; Wu, Maoxiang; Wang, Yaobing

2017-02-14

Progress in the development of efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions is imperative for various energy systems such as metal-air batteries and fuel cells. In this paper, an innovative porous two-dimensional (2D) poly-iron-phthalocyanine (PFe-Pc) based oxygen reduction electrocatalyst created with a simple solid-state chemical reaction without pyrolysis is reported. In this strategy, silicon dioxide nanoparticles play a pivotal role in preserving the Fe-N 4 structure during the polymerization process and thereby assist in the development of a porous structure. The new polymerized phthalocyanine electrocatalyst with tuned porous structure, improved specific surface area and more exposed catalytic active sites via the 2D structure shows an excellent performance towards an oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media. The onset potential (E = 1.033 V) and limiting current density (I = 5.58 mA cm -2 ) are much better than those obtained with the commercial 20% platinum/carbon electrocatalyst (1.046 V and 4.89 mA cm -2 ) and also show better stability and tolerance to methanol crossover. For practical applications, a zinc-air (Zn-air) battery and methanol fuel cell equipped with the PFe-Pc electrocatalyst as an air cathode reveal a high open circuit voltage and maximum power output (1.0 V and 23.6 mW cm -2 for a methanol fuel cell, and 1.6 V and 192 mW cm -2 for the liquid Zn-air battery). In addition, using the PFe-Pc electrocatalyst as an air cathode in a flexible cable-type Zn-air battery exhibits excellent performance with an open-circuit voltage of 1.409 V. This novel porous 2D PFe-Pc has been designed logically using a new, simple strategy with ultrahigh electrochemical performances in Zn-air batteries and methanol fuel cell applications.

Process Design and Costing of Bioethanol Technology: A Tool for Determining the Status and Direction of Research and Development.

PubMed

Wooley; Ruth; Glassner; Sheehan

1999-10-01

Bioethanol is a fuel-grade ethanol made from trees, grasses, and waste materials. It represents a sustainable substitute for gasoline in today's passenger cars. Modeling and design of processes for making bioethanol are critical tools used in the U.S. Department of Energy's bioethanol research and development program. We use such analysis to guide new directions for research and to help us understand the level at which and the time when bioethanol will achieve commercial success. This paper provides an update on our latest estimates for current and projected costs of bioethanol. These estimates are the result of very sophisticated modeling and costing efforts undertaken in the program over the past few years. Bioethanol could cost anywhere from $1.16 to $1.44 per gallon, depending on the technology and the availability of low cost feedstocks for conversion to ethanol. While this cost range opens the door to fuel blending opportunities, in which ethanol can be used, for example, to improve the octane rating of gasoline, it is not currently competitive with gasoline as a bulk fuel. Research strategies and goals described in this paper have been translated into cost savings for ethanol. Our analysis of these goals shows that the cost of ethanol could drop by 40 cents per gallon over the next ten years by taking advantage of exciting new tools in biotechnology that will improve yield and performance in the conversion process.

77 FR 72337 - Apps for Vehicles Challenge

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-05

... innovation while rigorously protecting privacy. The primary fuel for the Energy Data Initiative is open data. Open data can take many forms but generally includes information that is machine-readable, freely accessible and in an industry-standard format. In particular, open data from the private sector made...

Effect of time step size and turbulence model on the open water hydrodynamic performance prediction of contra-rotating propellers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhan-zhi; Xiong, Ying

2013-04-01

A growing interest has been devoted to the contra-rotating propellers (CRPs) due to their high propulsive efficiency, torque balance, low fuel consumption, low cavitations, low noise performance and low hull vibration. Compared with the single-screw system, it is more difficult for the open water performance prediction because forward and aft propellers interact with each other and generate a more complicated flow field around the CRPs system. The current work focuses on the open water performance prediction of contra-rotating propellers by RANS and sliding mesh method considering the effect of computational time step size and turbulence model. The validation study has been performed on two sets of contra-rotating propellers developed by David W Taylor Naval Ship R & D center. Compared with the experimental data, it shows that RANS with sliding mesh method and SST k-ω turbulence model has a good precision in the open water performance prediction of contra-rotating propellers, and small time step size can improve the level of accuracy for CRPs with the same blade number of forward and aft propellers, while a relatively large time step size is a better choice for CRPs with different blade numbers.

Hydrogen production at hydro-power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarnay, D. S.

A tentative design for hydrogen-producing installations at hydropower facilities is discussed from technological, economic and applications viewpoints. The plants would use alternating current to electrolyze purified river water. The hydrogen would be stored in gas or liquid form and oxygen would be sold or vented to the atmosphere. The hydrogen could later be burned in a turbine generator for meeting peak loads, either in closed or open cycle systems. The concept would allow large hydroelectric plants to function in both base- and peak-load modes, thus increasing the hydraulic utilization of the plant and the capacity factor to a projected 0.90. Electrolyzer efficiencies ranging from 0.85-0.90 have been demonstrated. Excess hydrogen can be sold for other purposes or, eventually, as domestic and industrial fuel, at prices competitive with current industrial hydrogen.

The time lag and interval of discharge with a spring actuated fuel injection pump

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matthews, Robertson; Gardiner, A W

1923-01-01

Discussed here is research on a spring activated fuel pump for solid or airless injection with small, high speed internal combustion engines. The pump characteristics under investigation were the interval of fuel injection in terms of degrees of crank travel and in absolute time, the lag between the time the injection pump plunger begins its stroke and the appearance of the jet at the orifice, and the manner in which the fuel spray builds up to a maximum when the fuel valve is opened, and then diminishes.

Rates of fuel discharge as affected by the design of fuel-injection systems for internal-combustion engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gelalles, A G; Marsh, E T

1933-01-01

Using the method of weighing fuel collected in a receiver during a definite interval of the injection period, rates of discharge were determined, and the effects noted, when various changes were made in a fuel-injection system. The injection system consisted primarily of a by-pass controlled fuel pump and an automatic injection valve. The variables of the system studied were the pump speed, pump-throttle setting, discharge-orifice diameter, injection-valve opening and closing pressures, and injection-tube length and diameter.

Robust fuel- and time-optimal control of uncertain flexible space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, Bong; Sinha, Ravi; Sunkel, John; Cox, Ken

1993-01-01

The problem of computing open-loop, fuel- and time-optimal control inputs for flexible space structures in the face of modeling uncertainty is investigated. Robustified, fuel- and time-optimal pulse sequences are obtained by solving a constrained optimization problem subject to robustness constraints. It is shown that 'bang-off-bang' pulse sequences with a finite number of switchings provide a practical tradeoff among the maneuvering time, fuel consumption, and performance robustness of uncertain flexible space structures.

Optimization of spent fuel pool weir gate driving mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chao; Du, Lin; Tao, Xinlei; Wang, Shijie; Shang, Ertao; Yu, Jianjiang

2018-04-01

Spent fuel pool is crucial facility for fuel storage and nuclear safety, and the spent fuel pool weir gate is the key related equipment. In order to achieve a goal of more efficient driving force transfer, loading during the opening/closing process is analyzed and an optimized calculation method for dimensions of driving mechanism is proposed. The result of optimizing example shows that the method can be applied to weir gates' design with similar driving mechanism.

Influence of several factors on ignition lag in a compression-ignition engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerrish, Harold C; Voss, Fred

1932-01-01

This investigation was made to determine the influence of fuel quality, injection advance angle, injection valve-opening pressure, inlet-air pressure, compression ratio, and engine speed on the time lag of auto-ignition of a Diesel fuel oil in a single-cylinder compression-ignition engine as obtained from an analysis of indicator diagrams. Three cam-operated fuel-injection pumps, two pumps cams, and an automatic injection valve with two different nozzles were used. Ignition lag was considered to be the interval between the start of injection of the fuel as determined with a Stroborama and the start of effective combustion as determined from the indicator diagram, the latter being the point where 4.0 x 10(exp-6) pound of fuel had been effectively burned. For this particular engine and fuel it was found that: (1) for a constant start and the same rate of fuel injection up the point of cut-off, a variation in fuel quantity from 1.2 x 10(exp-4) to 4.1 x 10(exp-4) pound per cycle has no appreciable effect on the ignition lag; (2) injection advance angle increases or decreases the lag according to whether density, temperature, or turbulence has the controlling influence; (3) increase in valve-opening pressure slightly increases the lag; and (4) increase of inlet-air pressure, compression ratio, and engine speed reduces the lag.

Dual Tank Fuel System

DOEpatents

Wagner, Richard William; Burkhard, James Frank; Dauer, Kenneth John

1999-11-16

A dual tank fuel system has primary and secondary fuel tanks, with the primary tank including a filler pipe to receive fuel and a discharge line to deliver fuel to an engine, and with a balance pipe interconnecting the primary tank and the secondary tank. The balance pipe opens close to the bottom of each tank to direct fuel from the primary tank to the secondary tank as the primary tank is filled, and to direct fuel from the secondary tank to the primary tank as fuel is discharged from the primary tank through the discharge line. A vent line has branches connected to each tank to direct fuel vapor from the tanks as the tanks are filled, and to admit air to the tanks as fuel is delivered to the engine.

Algae-Based Jet Fuel: The Renewable Alternative to the Air Force’s Focus On Coal-To-Liquid Synthetic Fuel

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-19

20 Analysis of Results ........................................................................................................... 25...Process in a Conceptual Fischer-Tropsch Plant ......................... 8 Figure 2. Algae cultivation methods: PBR and open racetrack ponds (left to...proceeds to the results of the evaluation and the analysis of results. The argument focuses on each alternative fuel and how well it meets the

Tier 3 Certification Fuel Impacts Test Program

EPA Science Inventory

The recent Tier 3 regulations for light duty vehicles introduced a new certification fuel designed to be more characteristic of current market fuels. A laboratory test program was conducted to measure differences in CO2 and fuel economy between the current and future certificatio...

Ukraine nuclear power struggles for survival

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

Kramchenkov, V.M.; Launer, M.K.

1996-07-01

The breakup of the former Soviet Union left Ukraine`s nuclear power industry in the lurch. Rampant inflation and the consequent skyrocketing price of fossil fuels has given Ukrain`s nuclear industry a greater share of the energy pie, say Vladimir M. Kramchenkov, deputy head of the technical department at the Zaporozhe nuclear station in Energodar, Ukraine, and Michael K. Launer, professor of Russian at Florida State University in Tallahassee. But with the economy in a downward spiral, conditions in the nuclear industry are getting worse rather than better. {open_quotes}Manufacturers don`t pay transporters; and employers often don`t pay workers for several monthsmore » at a time,{close_quotes} the authors note. The authors conclude that while nuclear power will be vital to Ukrain`s industrial strength, {open_quotes}the economic woes currently plaguing Ukraine-including persistent, rampant inflation-will continue to affect every aspect of Ukrainian society, including the energy sector.{close_quotes}« less

Sea water magnesium fuel cell power supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, Robert; Mainert, Jan; Glaw, Fabian; Lang, K.-D.

2015-08-01

An environmentally friendly magnesium fuel cell system using seawater electrolyte and atmospheric oxygen was tested under practical considerations for use as maritime power supply. The hydrogen rate and therefore the power density of the system were increased by a factor of two by using hydrogen evolution cathodes with a gas separation membrane instead of submerged cathodes without gas separation. Commercial magnesium AZ31 rolled sheet anodes can be dissolved in seawater for hydrogen production, down to a thickness below 100 μm thickness, resulting in hydrogen generation efficiency of the anode of over 80%. A practical specific energy/energy density of the alloy of more than 1200 Wh/kg/3000 Wh/l was achieved when coupled to a fuel cell with atmospheric air breathing cathode. The performance of several AZ31 alloy anodes was tested as well as the influence of temperature, electrolyte concentration and anode - cathode separation. The excess hydrogen produced by the magnesium hydrogen evolving cell, due to the negative difference effect, is proportional to the cell current in case of the AZ31 alloys, which simplifies system control considerably. Stable long-term operation of the system was demonstrated at low pressures which can be maintained in an open-seawater-submerged hydrogen generator.

A Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cell for Powering a Single-Hop Wireless Sensor Network.

PubMed

Zhang, Daxing; Zhu, Yingmin; Pedrycz, Witold; Guo, Yongxian

2016-05-18

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are envisioned as one of the most promising alternative renewable energy sources because they can generate electric current continuously while treating waste. Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cells (TMFCs) can be inoculated and work on the use of soil, which further extends the application areas of MFCs. Energy supply, as a primary influential factor determining the lifetime of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) nodes, remains an open challenge in sensor networks. In theory, sensor nodes powered by MFCs have an eternal life. However, low power density and high internal resistance of MFCs are two pronounced problems in their operation. A single-hop WSN powered by a TMFC experimental setup was designed and experimented with. Power generation performance of the proposed TMFC, the relationships between the performance of the power generation and the environment temperature, the water content of the soil by weight were measured by experiments. Results show that the TMFC can achieve good power generation performance under special environmental conditions. Furthermore, the experiments with sensor data acquisition and wireless transmission of the TMFC powering WSN were carried out. We demonstrate that the obtained experimental results validate the feasibility of TMFCs powering WSNs.

A Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cell for Powering a Single-Hop Wireless Sensor Network

PubMed Central

Zhang, Daxing; Zhu, Yingmin; Pedrycz, Witold; Guo, Yongxian

2016-01-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are envisioned as one of the most promising alternative renewable energy sources because they can generate electric current continuously while treating waste. Terrestrial Microbial Fuel Cells (TMFCs) can be inoculated and work on the use of soil, which further extends the application areas of MFCs. Energy supply, as a primary influential factor determining the lifetime of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) nodes, remains an open challenge in sensor networks. In theory, sensor nodes powered by MFCs have an eternal life. However, low power density and high internal resistance of MFCs are two pronounced problems in their operation. A single-hop WSN powered by a TMFC experimental setup was designed and experimented with. Power generation performance of the proposed TMFC, the relationships between the performance of the power generation and the environment temperature, the water content of the soil by weight were measured by experiments. Results show that the TMFC can achieve good power generation performance under special environmental conditions. Furthermore, the experiments with sensor data acquisition and wireless transmission of the TMFC powering WSN were carried out. We demonstrate that the obtained experimental results validate the feasibility of TMFCs powering WSNs. PMID:27213346

Degradation modeling of high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells using dual time scale simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohl, E.; Maximini, M.; Bauschulte, A.; vom Schloß, J.; Hermanns, R. T. E.

2015-02-01

HT-PEM fuel cells suffer from performance losses due to degradation effects. Therefore, the durability of HT-PEM is currently an important factor of research and development. In this paper a novel approach is presented for an integrated short term and long term simulation of HT-PEM accelerated lifetime testing. The physical phenomena of short term and long term effects are commonly modeled separately due to the different time scales. However, in accelerated lifetime testing, long term degradation effects have a crucial impact on the short term dynamics. Our approach addresses this problem by applying a novel method for dual time scale simulation. A transient system simulation is performed for an open voltage cycle test on a HT-PEM fuel cell for a physical time of 35 days. The analysis describes the system dynamics by numerical electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Furthermore, a performance assessment is performed in order to demonstrate the efficiency of the approach. The presented approach reduces the simulation time by approximately 73% compared to conventional simulation approach without losing too much accuracy. The approach promises a comprehensive perspective considering short term dynamic behavior and long term degradation effects.

High performance direct methanol fuel cell with thin electrolyte membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Nianfang

2017-06-01

A high performance direct methanol fuel cell is achieved with thin electrolyte membrane. 320 mW cm-2 of peak power density and over 260 mW cm-2 at 0.4 V are obtained when working at 90 °C with normal pressure air supply. It is revealed that the increased anode half-cell performance with temperature contributes primarily to the enhanced performance at elevated temperature. From the comparison of iR-compensated cathode potential of methanol/air with that of H2/air fuel cell, the impact of methanol crossover on cathode performance decreases with current density and becomes negligible at high current density. Current density is found to influence fuel efficiency and methanol crossover significantly from the measurement of fuel efficiency at different current density. At high current density, high fuel efficiency can be achieved even at high temperature, indicating decreased methanol crossover.

Tubular solid oxide fuel cell current collector

DOEpatents

Bischoff, Brian L.; Sutton, Theodore G.; Armstrong, Timothy R.

2010-07-20

An internal current collector for use inside a tubular solid oxide fuel cell (TSOFC) electrode comprises a tubular coil spring disposed concentrically within a TSOFC electrode and in firm uniform tangential electrical contact with the electrode inner surface. The current collector maximizes the contact area between the current collector and the electrode. The current collector is made of a metal that is electrically conductive and able to survive under the operational conditions of the fuel cell, i.e., the cathode in air, and the anode in fuel such as hydrogen, CO, CO.sub.2, H.sub.2O or H.sub.2S.

A three-dimensional non-isothermal model for a membraneless direct methanol redox fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Lin; Yuan, Xianxia; Jiang, Fangming

2018-05-01

In the membraneless direct methanol redox fuel cell (DMRFC), three-dimensional electrodes contribute to the reduction of methanol crossover and the open separator design lowers the system cost and extends its service life. In order to better understand the mechanisms of this configuration and further optimize its performance, the development of a three-dimensional numerical model is reported in this work. The governing equations of the multi-physics field are solved based on computational fluid dynamics methodology, and the influence of the CO2 gas is taken into consideration through the effective diffusivities. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental data, and the deviation observed for cases of large current density may be related to the single-phase assumption made. The three-dimensional electrode is found to be effective in controlling methanol crossover in its multi-layer structure, while it also increases the flow resistance for the discharging products. It is found that the current density distribution is affected by both the electronic conductivity and the concentration of reactants, and the temperature rise can be primarily attributed to the current density distribution. The sensitivity and reliability of the model are analyzed through the investigation of the effects of cell parameters, including porosity values of gas diffusion layers and catalyst layers, methanol concentration and CO2 volume fraction, on the polarization characteristics.

Placing microalgae on the biofuels priority list: a review of the technological challenges

PubMed Central

Greenwell, H. C.; Laurens, L. M. L.; Shields, R. J.; Lovitt, R. W.; Flynn, K. J.

2010-01-01

Microalgae provide various potential advantages for biofuel production when compared with ‘traditional’ crops. Specifically, large-scale microalgal culture need not compete for arable land, while in theory their productivity is greater. In consequence, there has been resurgence in interest and a proliferation of algae fuel projects. However, while on a theoretical basis, microalgae may produce between 10- and 100-fold more oil per acre, such capacities have not been validated on a commercial scale. We critically review current designs of algal culture facilities, including photobioreactors and open ponds, with regards to photosynthetic productivity and associated biomass and oil production and include an analysis of alternative approaches using models, balancing space needs, productivity and biomass concentrations, together with nutrient requirements. In the light of the current interest in synthetic genomics and genetic modifications, we also evaluate the options for potential metabolic engineering of the lipid biosynthesis pathways of microalgae. We conclude that although significant literature exists on microalgal growth and biochemistry, significantly more work needs to be undertaken to understand and potentially manipulate algal lipid metabolism. Furthermore, with regards to chemical upgrading of algal lipids and biomass, we describe alternative fuel synthesis routes, and discuss and evaluate the application of catalysts traditionally used for plant oils. Simulations that incorporate financial elements, along with fluid dynamics and algae growth models, are likely to be increasingly useful for predicting reactor design efficiency and life cycle analysis to determine the viability of the various options for large-scale culture. The greatest potential for cost reduction and increased yields most probably lies within closed or hybrid closed–open production systems. PMID:20031983

Automatically closing swing gate closure assembly

DOEpatents

Chang, Shih-Chih; Schuck, William J.; Gilmore, Richard F.

1988-01-01

A swing gate closure assembly for nuclear reactor tipoff assembly wherein the swing gate is cammed open by a fuel element or spacer but is reliably closed at a desired closing rate primarily by hydraulic forces in the absence of a fuel charge.

A membraneless single compartment abiotic glucose fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slaughter, Gymama; Sunday, Joshua

2014-09-01

A simple energy harvesting strategy has been developed to selectively catalyze glucose in the presence of oxygen in a glucose/O2 fuel cell. The anode consists of an abiotic catalyst Al/Au/ZnO, in which ZnO seed layer was deposited on the surface of Al/Au substrate using hydrothermal method. The cathode is constructed from a single rod of platinum with an outer diameter of 500 μm. The abiotic glucose fuel cell was studied in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) containing 5 mM glucose at a temperature of 22 °C. The cell is characterized according to its open-circuit voltage, polarization profile, and power density plot. Under these conditions, the abiotic glucose fuel cell possesses an open-circuit voltage of 840 mV and delivered a maximum power density of 16.2 μW cm-2 at a cell voltage of 495 mV. These characteristics are comparable to biofuel cell utilizing a much more complex system design. Such low-cost lightweight abiotic catalyzed glucose fuel cells have a great promise to be optimized, miniaturized to power bio-implantable devices.

Life-Cycle Assessment of Cookstove Fuels in India and China

EPA Science Inventory

A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to compare the environmental footprint of current and possible fuels used for cooking within China and India. Current fuel mix profiles are compared to scenarios of projected differences in and/or cleaner cooking fuels. Results are repo...

Gasoline-fueled solid oxide fuel cell using MoO2-Based Anode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Xiaoxue; Marin-Flores, Oscar; Kwon, Byeong Wan; Kim, Jinsoo; Norton, M. Grant; Ha, Su

2014-12-01

This short communication describes the performance of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) fueled by directly feeding premium gasoline to the anode without using external reforming. The novel component of the fuel cell that enables such operation is the mixed conductivity of MoO2-based anode. Using this anode, a fuel cell demonstrating a maximum power density of 31 mW/cm2 at 0.45 V was successfully fabricated. Over a 24 h period of operation, the open cell voltage remained stable at ∼0.92 V. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the anode surface pre- and post-testing showed no evidence of coking.

Fuel assembly for nuclear reactors

DOEpatents

Creagan, Robert J.; Frisch, Erling

1977-01-01

A new and improved fuel assembly is formed to minimize the amount of parasitic structural material wherein a plurality of hollow tubular members are juxtaposed to the fuel elements of the assembly. The tubular members may serve as guide tubes for control elements and are secured to a number of longitudinally spaced grid members along the fuel assembly. The grid members include means thereon engaging each of the fuel elements to laterally position the fuel elements in a predetermined array. Openings in the bottom of each hollow member serve as a shock absorber to cushion shock transmitted to the structure when the control elements are rapidly inserted in their corresponding tubular members.

Analysis of Advanced Fuel Assemblies and Core Designs for the Current and Next Generations of LWRs

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

Ragusa, Jean; Vierow, Karen

2011-09-01

The objective of the project is to design and analyze advanced fuel assemblies for use in current and future light water reactors and to assess their ability to reduce the inventory of transuranic elements, while preserving operational safety. The reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel can delay or avoid the need for a second geological repository in the US. Current light water reactor fuel assembly designs under investigation could reduce the plutonium inventory of reprocessed fuel. Nevertheless, these designs are not effective in stabilizing or reducing the inventory of minor actinides. In the course of this project, we developed and analyzedmore » advanced fuel assembly designs with improved thermal transmutation capability regarding transuranic elements and especially minor actinides. These designs will be intended for use in thermal spectrum (e.g., current and future fleet of light water reactors in the US). We investigated various fuel types, namely high burn-up advanced mixed oxides and inert matrix fuels, in various geometrical designs that are compliant with the core internals of current and future light water reactors. Neutronic/thermal hydraulic effects were included. Transmutation efficiency and safety parameters were used to rank and down-select the various designs.« less

A Non-Proliferating Fuel Cycle: No Enrichment, Reprocessing or Accessible Spent Fuel - 12375

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

Parker, Frank L.

2012-07-01

Current fuel cycles offer a number of opportunities for access to plutonium, opportunities to create highly enriched uranium and access highly radioactive wastes to create nuclear weapons and 'dirty' bombs. The non-proliferating fuel cycle however eliminates or reduces such opportunities and access by eliminating the mining, milling and enrichment of uranium. The non-proliferating fuel cycle also reduces the production of plutonium per unit of energy created, eliminates reprocessing and the separation of plutonium from the spent fuel and the creation of a stream of high-level waste. It further simplifies the search for land based deep geologic repositories and interim storagemore » sites for spent fuel in the USA by disposing of the spent fuel in deep sub-seabed sediments after storing the spent fuel at U.S. Navy Nuclear Shipyards that have the space and all of the necessary equipment and security already in place. The non-proliferating fuel cycle also reduces transportation risks by utilizing barges for the collection of spent fuel and transport to the Navy shipyards and specially designed ships to take the spent fuel to designated disposal sites at sea and to dispose of them there in deep sub-seabed sediments. Disposal in the sub-seabed sediments practically eliminates human intrusion. Potential disposal sites include Great Meteor East and Southern Nares Abyssal Plain. Such sites then could easily become international disposal sites since they occur in the open ocean. It also reduces the level of human exposure in case of failure because of the large physical and chemical dilution and the elimination of a major pathway to man-seawater is not potable. Of course, the recovery of uranium from sea water and the disposal of spent fuel in sub-seabed sediments must be proven on an industrial scale. All other technologies are already operating on an industrial scale. If externalities, such as reduced terrorist threats, environmental damage (including embedded emissions), long term care, reduced access to 'dirty' bomb materials, the social and political costs of siting new facilities and the psychological impact of no solution to the nuclear waste problem, were taken into account, the costs would be far lower than those of the present fuel cycle. (authors)« less

Welding fixture for nuclear fuel pin cladding assemblies

DOEpatents

Oakley, David J.; Feld, Sam H.

1986-01-01

A welding fixture for locating a driver sleeve about the open end of a nuclear fuel pin cladding. The welding fixture includes a holder provided with an open cavity having shoulders for properly positioning the driver sleeve, the end cap, and a soft, high temperature resistant plastic protective sleeve that surrounds a portion of the end cap stem. Ejected contaminant particles spewed forth by closure of the cladding by pulsed magnetic welding techniques are captured within a contamination trap formed in the holder for ultimate removal and disposal of contaminating particles along with the holder.

Micro-combustor for gas turbine engine

DOEpatents

Martin, Scott M.

2010-11-30

An improved gas turbine combustor (20) including a basket (26) and a multiplicity of micro openings (29) arrayed across an inlet wall (27) for passage of a fuel/air mixture for ignition within the combustor. The openings preferably have a diameter on the order of the quenching diameter; i.e. the port diameter for which the flame is self-extinguishing, which is a function of the fuel mixture, temperature and pressure. The basket may have a curved rectangular shape that approximates the shape of the curved rectangular shape of the intake manifolds of the turbine.

Penetration and Duration of Fuel Sprays from a Pump Injection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothrock, A M; Marsh, E T

1931-01-01

High-speed motion pictures were taken of individual fuel sprays from a pump injection system. The changes in the spray-tip penetration with changes in the pump speed, injection-valve opening and closing pressures, discharge-orifice area, injection-tube length and diameter, and pump throttle setting were measured. In addition, the effects of the variables on the time lag and duration of injection can be controlled by the dimensions of the injection tube, the area of the discharge orifice, and the injection-valve opening and closing pressures.

Penetration and Duration of Fuel Sprays from a Pump Injection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothrock, A M; Marsh, E T

1934-01-01

High-speed motion pictures were taken of individual fuel sprays from a pump injection system. The changes in the spray-tip penetration with changes in the pump speed, injection-valve opening and closing pressures, discharge-orifice area, injection-tube length and diameter, and pump throttle setting were measured. The pump was used with and without a check valve. The results show that the penetration of the spray tip can be controlled by the dimensions of the injection tube, the area of the discharge orifice, and the injection-valve opening and closing pressures.

Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), Westinghouse phase 1. Volume 1: Introduction and summary and general assumptions. [energy conversion systems for electric power plants using coal - feasibility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beecher, D. T.

1976-01-01

Nine advanced energy conversion concepts using coal or coal-derived fuels are summarized. They are; (1) open-cycle gas turbines, (2) combined gas-steam turbine cycles, (3) closed-cycle gas turbines, (4) metal vapor Rankine topping, (5) open-cycle MHD; (6) closed-cycle MHD; (7) liquid-metal MHD; (8) advanced steam; and (9) fuel cell systems. The economics, natural resource requirements, and performance criteria for the nine concepts are discussed.

Seasonal variation in surface fuel moisture between unthinned and thinned mixed conifer forest, northern California, USA

Treesearch

Becky L. Estes; Eric E. Knapp; Carl N. Skinner; Fabian C. C. Uzoh

2012-01-01

Reducing stand density is often used as a tool for mitigating the risk of high-intensity crown fires. However, concern has been expressed that opening stands might lead to greater drying of surface fuels, contributing to increased fire risk. The objective of this study was to determine whether woody fuel moisture differed between unthinned and thinned mixed-conifer...

Assure Access to the Maritime Battlespace

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-22

Energy Section ( PEM Fuel Cells & Stirling Engines) Smart Battery High Pressure Gas Smart Li-Ion Battery BAA Technologies Energy Section... Fuel Cells and Advanced Reactant Storage 30 Days Endurance Ref Mission LDUUV INP Energy Plan 14 At Sea Test and Analysis At Sea Test and...undersea vehicles capable of operating near shore BAA Contracts awarded BAA Open for Competition Stirling Engine Demo UUV Fuel Cell 500hr

Electricity generation in microbial fuel cells using neutral red as an electronophore

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

Park, D.H.; Zeikus, J.G.

2000-04-01

Neutral red (NR) was utilized as an electron mediator in microbial fuel cells consuming glucose to study both its efficiency during electricity generation and its role in altering anaerobic growth and metabolism of Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus succinogenes. A study of chemical fuel cells in which NADH, NR, and ferricyanide were the electron donor, the electronophore, and the electron acceptor, respectively, showed that electrical current produced from NADH was proportional to the concentration of NADH. Fourfold more current was produced from NADH in chemical fuel cells when NR was the electron mediator than when thionin was the electron mediator. Inmore » microbial fuel cells in which E. coli resting cells were used the amount of current produced from glucose when NR was the electron mediator was 10-fold more than the amount produced when thionin was the electron mediator. The amount of electrical energy generated and the amount of current produced from glucose in NR-mediated microbial fuel cells containing either E. coli or A. succinogenes were about 10- and 2-fold greater, respectively, when resting cells were used than when growing cells were used. Cell growth was inhibited substantially when these microbial fuel cells were making current, and more oxidized end products were formed under these conditions. When sewage sludge was used in the fuel cell, stable and equivalent levels of current were obtained with glucose, as observed in the pure-culture experiments. These results suggest that NR is better than other electron mediators used in microbial fuel cells and that sludge production can be decreased while electricity is produced in fuel cells. Their results are discussed in relation to factors that may improve the relatively low electrical efficiencies obtained with microbial fuel cells.« less

Fuel cell stack with passive air supply

DOEpatents

Ren, Xiaoming; Gottesfeld, Shimshon

2006-01-17

A fuel cell stack has a plurality of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) where each PEFC includes a rectangular membrane electrode assembly (MEA) having a fuel flow field along a first axis and an air flow field along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, where the fuel flow field is long relative to the air flow field. A cathode air flow field in each PEFC has air flow channels for air flow parallel to the second axis and that directly open to atmospheric air for air diffusion within the channels into contact with the MEA.

An open-source library for the numerical modeling of mass-transfer in solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novaresio, Valerio; García-Camprubí, María; Izquierdo, Salvador; Asinari, Pietro; Fueyo, Norberto

2012-01-01

The generation of direct current electricity using solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) involves several interplaying transport phenomena. Their simulation is crucial for the design and optimization of reliable and competitive equipment, and for the eventual market deployment of this technology. An open-source library for the computational modeling of mass-transport phenomena in SOFCs is presented in this article. It includes several multicomponent mass-transport models ( i.e. Fickian, Stefan-Maxwell and Dusty Gas Model), which can be applied both within porous media and in porosity-free domains, and several diffusivity models for gases. The library has been developed for its use with OpenFOAM ®, a widespread open-source code for fluid and continuum mechanics. The library can be used to model any fluid flow configuration involving multicomponent transport phenomena and it is validated in this paper against the analytical solution of one-dimensional test cases. In addition, it is applied for the simulation of a real SOFC and further validated using experimental data. Program summaryProgram title: multiSpeciesTransportModels Catalogue identifier: AEKB_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEKB_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public License No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 18 140 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 64 285 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language:: C++ Computer: Any x86 (the instructions reported in the paper consider only the 64 bit case for the sake of simplicity) Operating system: Generic Linux (the instructions reported in the paper consider only the open-source Ubuntu distribution for the sake of simplicity) Classification: 12 External routines: OpenFOAM® (version 1.6-ext) ( http://www.extend-project.de) Nature of problem: This software provides a library of models for the simulation of the steady state mass and momentum transport in a multi-species gas mixture, possibly in a porous medium. The software is particularly designed to be used as the mass-transport library for the modeling of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). When supplemented with other sub-models, such as thermal and charge-transport ones, it allows the prediction of the cell polarization curve and hence the cell performance. Solution method: Standard finite volume method (FVM) is used for solving all the conservation equations. The pressure-velocity coupling is solved using the SIMPLE algorithm (possibly adding a porous drag term if required). The mass transport can be calculated using different alternative models, namely Fick, Maxwell-Stefan or dusty gas model. The code adopts a segregated method to solve the resulting linear system of equations. The different regions of the SOFC, namely gas channels, electrodes and electrolyte, are solved independently, and coupled through boundary conditions. Restrictions: When extremely large species fluxes are considered, current implementation of the Neumann and Robin boundary conditions do not avoid negative values of molar and/or mass fractions, which finally end up with numerical instability. However this never happened in the documented runs. Eventually these boundary conditions could be reformulated to become more robust. Running time: From seconds to hours depending on the mesh size and number of species. For example, on a 64 bit machine with Intel Core Duo T8300 and 3 GBytes of RAM, the provided test run requires less than 1 second.

Future Directions of Supersonic Combustion Research: Air Force/NASA Workshop on Supersonic Combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tishkoff, Julian M.; Drummond, J. Philip; Edwards, Tim; Nejad, Abdollah S.

1997-01-01

The Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Air Force Wright Laboratory Aero Propulsion and Power Directorate, and the NASA Langley Research Center held a joint supersonic combustion workshop on 14-16 May 1996. The intent of this meeting was to: (1) examine the current state-of-the-art in hydrocarbon and/or hydrogen fueled scramjet research; (2) define the future direction and needs of basic research in support of scramjet technology; and (3) when appropriate, help transition basic research findings to solve the needs of developmental engineering programs in the area of supersonic combustion and fuels. A series of topical sessions were planned. Opening presentations were designed to focus and encourage group discussion and scientific exchange. The last half-day of the workshop was set aside for group discussion of the issues that were raised during the meeting for defining future research opportunities and directions. The following text attempts to summarize the discussions that took place at the workshop.

Comparison the performance of carbon plate and Pt-loaded carbon in photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalik, Wan Fadhilah; Ong, Soon-An; Ho, Li-Ngee; Voon, Chun-Hong; Wong, Yee-Shian; Yusoff, Nik Athirah; Lee, Sin-Li

2017-04-01

The objective of this study is to compare the performance of cathode electrode in photocatalytic fuel cell (PFC) system under UV light irradiation. The initial concentration 10 mg/L of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) with carbon plate (CP) and Pt-loaded carbon (Pt/C) as cathode reduced to 2.052 and 0.549 mg/L, respectively, after 24 h irradiated by UV light. The value for open circuit voltage, Voc, short-circuit current density, Jsc and maximum power density, Pmax for CP was 0.825 V, 0.00035 mA/cm2 and 0.000063 mW/cm2, respectively, meanwhile Voc, Jsc and Pmax for Pt/C was 1.15 V, 0.0015 mA/cm2 and 0.000286 mW/cm2, respectively, by varying external resistor value from 300 kΩ to 10 Ω. The degradation of RB5 and generation of electricity with Pt/C as cathode showed greater performance than CP.

Iodine Pathways and Off-Gas Stream Characteristics for Aqueous Reprocessing Plants – A Literature Survey and Assessment

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

R. T. Jubin; D. M. Strachan; N. R. Soelberg

2013-09-01

Used nuclear fuel is currently being reprocessed in only a few countries, notably France, England, Japan, and Russia. The need to control emissions of the gaseous radionuclides to the air during nuclear fuel reprocessing has already been reported for the entire plant. But since the gaseous radionuclides can partition to various different reprocessing off-gas streams, for example, from the head end, dissolver, vessel, cell, and melter, an understanding of each of these streams is critical. These off-gas streams have different flow rates and compositions and could have different gaseous radionuclide control requirements, depending on how the gaseous radionuclides partition. Thismore » report reviews the available literature to summarize specific engineering data on the flow rates, forms of the volatile radionuclides in off-gas streams, distributions of these radionuclides in these streams, and temperatures of these streams. This document contains an extensive bibliography of the information contained in the open literature.« less

Two-phase pressure drop reduction BWR assembly design

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

Dix, G.E.; Crowther, R.L.; Colby, M.J.

1992-05-12

This patent describes a boiling water reactor having discrete bundles of fuel rods confined within channel enclosed fuel assemblies, an improvement to a fuel bundle assembly for placement in the reactor. It comprises a fuel channel having vertically extending walls forming a continuous channel around a fuel assembly volume, the channel being open at the bottom end for engagement to a lower tie plate and open at the upper end for engagement to an upper tie plate; rods for placement within the chamber, each the rod containing fissile material for producing nuclear reaction when in the presence of sufficient moderatedmore » neutron flux; a lower tie plate for supporting the bundle of rods within the channel, the lower tie plate for supporting the bundle of rods within the channel, the lower tie plate joining the bottom of the channel to close the bottom end of the channel, the lower tie plate providing defined apertures for the inflow of water in the channel between the rods for the generating of steam during the nuclear reaction; the plurality of fuel rods extending from the lower tie plate wherein a single phase region of the water in the bundle is defined to an upward portion of the bundle wherein a two phase region of the water and steam in the bundle is defined during nuclear steam generating reaction in the fuel bundle.« less

Air breathing direct methanol fuel cell

DOEpatents

Ren, Xiaoming

2002-01-01

An air breathing direct methanol fuel cell is provided with a membrane electrode assembly, a conductive anode assembly that is permeable to air and directly open to atmospheric air, and a conductive cathode assembly that is permeable to methanol and directly contacting a liquid methanol source.

Cleaner Cooking Solutions to Achieve Health, Climate, and Economic Cobenefits

EPA Science Inventory

Nearly half the world’s population has to rely on solid fuels such as biomass (wood, charcoal, agricultural residues, and animal dung) and coal for household energy, burning them in inefficient open fires and stoves with inadequate ventilation. Household solid fuel combustion is...

40 CFR 52.1370 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., Montana submitted revisions to the open burning regulation and redesignated the Anaconda area from...) and its Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment Rule (16.8.1402). (i) Incorporation by reference....8.937) and the Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment rule (16.8.1402) adopted on January 15...

40 CFR 52.1370 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., Montana submitted revisions to the open burning regulation and redesignated the Anaconda area from...) and its Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment Rule (16.8.1402). (i) Incorporation by reference....8.937) and the Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment rule (16.8.1402) adopted on January 15...

40 CFR 52.1370 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., Montana submitted revisions to the open burning regulation and redesignated the Anaconda area from...) and its Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment Rule (16.8.1402). (i) Incorporation by reference....8.937) and the Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment rule (16.8.1402) adopted on January 15...

40 CFR 52.1370 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., Montana submitted revisions to the open burning regulation and redesignated the Anaconda area from...) and its Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment Rule (16.8.1402). (i) Incorporation by reference....8.937) and the Particulate Matter, Fuel Burning Equipment rule (16.8.1402) adopted on January 15...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Car2Go Launches Electric Carsharing Fleet in

Science.gov Websites

Gas from Cow Manure July 9, 2016 Photo of a truck Krug Energy Opens Natural Gas Fueling Station in City Schools Sept. 17, 2011 San Diego Leads in Promoting EVs Sept. 3, 2011 Natural Gas Powers Milk

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

Ishihara, Hidetaka; Chen, Yen-Chang; De Marco, Nicholas

The tantalizing prospect of harnessing the unique properties of graphene crumpled nanostructures continues to fuel tremendous interest in energy storage and harvesting applications. However, the paper ball-like, hard texture, and closed-sphere morphology of current 3D graphitic nanostructure production not only constricts the conductive pathways but also limits the accessible surface area. Here, we report new insights into electrohydrodynamically-generated droplets as colloidal nanoreactors in that the stimuli-responsive nature of reduced graphene oxide can lead to the formation of crumpled nanostructures with a combination of open structures and doubly curved, saddle-shaped edges. In particular, the crumpled nanostructures dynamically adapt to non-spherical, polyhedralmore » shapes under continuous deposition, ultimately assembling into foam-like microstructures with a highly accessible surface area and spatially interconnected transport pathways. The implementation of such crumpled nanostructures as three-dimensional rear contacts for solar conversion applications realize benefits of a high aspect ratio, electrically addressable and energetically favorable interfaces, and substantial enhancement of both short-circuit currents and fill-factors compared to those made of planar graphene counterparts. Further, the 3D crumpled nanostructures may shed lights onto the development of effective electrocatalytic electrodes due to their open structure that simultaneously allows for efficient water flow and hydrogen escape.« less

A new topology of fuel cell hybrid power source for efficient operation and high reliability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bizon, Nicu

2011-03-01

This paper analyzes a new fuel cell Hybrid Power Source (HPS) topology having the feature to mitigate the current ripple of the fuel cell inverter system. In the operation of the inverter system that is grid connected or supplies AC motors in vehicle application, the current ripple normally appears at the DC port of the fuel cell HPS. Consequently, if mitigation measures are not applied, this ripple is back propagated to the fuel cell stack. Other features of the proposed fuel cell HPS are the Maximum Power Point (MPP) tracking, high reliability in operation under sharp power pulses and improved energy efficiency in high power applications. This topology uses an inverter system directly powered from the appropriate fuel cell stack and a controlled buck current source as low power source used for ripple mitigation. The low frequency ripple mitigation is based on active control. The anti-ripple current is injected in HPS output node and this has the LF power spectrum almost the same with the inverter ripple. Consequently, the fuel cell current ripple is mitigated by the designed active control. The ripple mitigation performances are evaluated by indicators that are defined to measure the mitigation ratio of the low frequency harmonics. In this paper it is shown that good performances are obtained by using the hysteretic current control, but better if a dedicated nonlinear controller is used. Two ways to design the nonlinear control law are proposed. First is based on simulation trials that help to draw the characteristic of ripple mitigation ratio vs. fuel cell current ripple. The second is based on Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC). The ripple factor is up to 1% in both cases.

SEE Design Guide and Requirements for Electrical Deadfacing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berki, Joe M.; Sargent, Noel; Kauffman, W. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The purpose of this design guide is to present information for understanding and mitigating the potential hazards associated with de-mating and mating powered electrical connectors on space flight vehicles. The process of staging is a necessary function in the launching of space vehicles and in the deployment of satellites, and now in manned assembly of systems in space. During this electrical interconnection process, various environments may be encountered that warrant the restriction of the voltage and current present across the pins of an electrical connector prior to separation, mating, or in a static open non-mated configuration. This process is called deadfacing. These potentially hazardous environments encompass the obvious explosive fuel vapors and human shock hazard, to multiple Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI) phenomena related to the rapid rate of change in current as well as exposure to Radio Frequency (RF) fields.

Combustion mode switching with a turbocharged/supercharged engine

DOEpatents

Mond, Alan; Jiang, Li

2015-09-22

A method for switching between low- and high-dilution combustion modes in an internal combustion engine having an intake passage with an exhaust-driven turbocharger, a crankshaft-driven positive displacement supercharger downstream of the turbocharger and having variable boost controllable with a supercharger bypass valve, and a throttle valve downstream of the supercharger. The current combustion mode and mass air flow are determined. A switch to the target combustion mode is commanded when an operating condition falls within a range of predetermined operating conditions. A target mass air flow to achieve a target air-fuel ratio corresponding to the current operating condition and the target combustion mode is determined. The degree of opening of the supercharger bypass valve and the throttle valve are controlled to achieve the target mass air flow. The amount of residual exhaust gas is manipulated.

Use of ceramics in point-focus solar receivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smoak, R. H.; Kudirka, A. A.

1981-01-01

One of the research and development efforts in the Solar Thermal Energy Systems Project at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been focused on application of ceramic components for advanced point-focus solar receivers. The impetus for this effort is a need for high efficiency, low cost solar receivers which operate in a temperature regime where use of metal components is impractical. The current status of the work on evaluation of ceramic components at JPL and elsewhere is outlined and areas where lack of knowledge is currently slowing application of ceramics are discussed. Future developments of ceramic processing technology and reliability assurance methodology should open up applications for the point-focus solar concentrator system in fuels and chemicals production, in thermochemical energy transport and storage, in detoxification of hazardous materials and in high temperature process heat as well as for electric power generation.

Magnetotomography—a new method for analysing fuel cell performance and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauer, Karl-Heinz; Potthast, Roland; Wüster, Thorsten; Stolten, Detlef

Magnetotomography is a new method for the measurement and analysis of the current density distribution of fuel cells. The method is based on the measurement of the magnetic flux surrounding the fuel cell stack caused by the current inside the stack. As it is non-invasive, magnetotomography overcomes the shortcomings of traditional methods for the determination of current density in fuel cells [J. Stumper, S.A. Campell, D.P. Wilkinson, M.C. Johnson, M. Davis, In situ methods for the determination of current distributions in PEM fuel cells, Electrochem. Acta 43 (1998) 3773; S.J.C. Cleghorn, C.R. Derouin, M.S. Wilson, S. Gottesfeld, A printed circuit board approach to measuring current distribution in a fuel cell, J. Appl. Electrochem. 28 (1998) 663; Ch. Wieser, A. Helmbold, E. Gülzow, A new technique for two-dimensional current distribution measurements in electro-chemical cells, J. Appl. Electrochem. 30 (2000) 803; Grinzinger, Methoden zur Ortsaufgelösten Strommessung in Polymer Elektrolyt Brennstoffzellen, Diploma thesis, TU-München, 2003; Y.-G. Yoon, W.-Y. Lee, T.-H. Yang, G.-G. Park, C.-S. Kim, Current distribution in a single cell of PEMFC, J. Power Sources 118 (2003) 193-199; M.M. Mench, C.Y. Wang, An in situ method for determination of current distribution in PEM fuel cells applied to a direct methanol fuel cell, J. Electrochem. Soc. 150 (2003) A79-A85; S. Schönbauer, T. Kaz, H. Sander, E. Gülzow, Segmented bipolar plate for the determination of current distribution in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, in: Proceedings of the Second European PEMFC Forum, vol. 1, Lucerne/Switzerland, 2003, pp. 231-237; G. Bender, S.W. Mahlon, T.A. Zawodzinski, Further refinements in the segmented cell approach to diagnosing performance in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, J. Power Sources 123 (2003) 163-171]. After several years of research a complete prototype system is now available for research on single cells and stacks. This paper describes the basic system (fundamentals, hardware and software) as well as the state of development until December 2003. Initial findings on a full-size single cell will be presented together with an outlook on the planned next steps.

Combination nickel foam expanded nickel screen electrical connection supports for solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Draper, Robert; Prevish, Thomas; Bronson, Angela; George, Raymond A.

2007-01-02

A solid oxide fuel assembly is made, wherein rows (14, 25) of fuel cells (17, 19, 21, 27, 29, 31), each having an outer interconnection (20) and an outer electrode (32), are disposed next to each other with corrugated, electrically conducting expanded metal mesh member (22) between each row of cells, the corrugated mesh (22) having top crown portions and bottom portions, where the top crown portion (40) have a top bonded open cell nickel foam (51) which contacts outer interconnections (20) of the fuel cells, said mesh and nickel foam electrically connecting each row of fuel cells, and where there are no more metal felt connections between any fuel cells.

Energy Conversion Alternatives Study (ECAS), General Electric Phase 1. Volume 2: Advanced energy conversion systems. Part 1: Open-cycle gas turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, D. H.; Corman, J. C.

1976-01-01

Ten energy conversion systems are defined and analyzed in terms of efficiency. These include: open-cycle gas turbine recuperative; open-cycle gas turbine; closed-cycle gas turbine; supercritical CO2 cycle; advanced steam cycle; liquid metal topping cycle; open-cycle MHD; closed-cycle inert gas MHD; closed-cycle liquid metal MHD; and fuel cells. Results are presented.

Using live algae at the anode of a microbial fuel cell to generate electricity.

PubMed

Xu, Chang; Poon, Karen; Choi, Martin M F; Wang, Ruihua

2015-10-01

Live green microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa was introduced in the anode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) to act as an electron donor. By controlling the oxygen content, light intensity, and algal cell density at the anode, microalgae would generate electricity without requiring externally added substrates. Two models of algal microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were constructed with graphite/carbon electrodes and no mediator. Model 1 algal MFC has live microalgae grown at the anode and potassium ferricyanide at the cathode, while model 2 algal MFC had live microalgae in both the anode and cathode in different growth conditions. Results indicated that a higher current produced in model 1 algal MFC was obtained at low light intensity of 2500 lx and algal cell density of 5 × 10(6) cells/ml, in which high algal density would limit the electricity generation, probably by increasing oxygen level and mass transfer problem. The maximum power density per unit anode volume obtained in model 1 algal MFC was relatively high at 6030 mW/m(2), while the maximum power density at 30.15 mW/m(2) was comparable with that of previous reported bacteria-driven MFC with graphite/carbon electrodes. A much smaller power density at 2.5 mW/m(2) was observed in model 2 algal MFC. Increasing the algal cell permeability by 4-nitroaniline would increase the open circuit voltage, while the mitochondrial acting and proton leak promoting agents resveratrol and 2,4-dinitrophenol would increase the electric current production in algal MFC.

33 CFR 183.410 - Ignition protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... both vertically and horizontally the distance of the open space between the fuel source and the... sources, such as engines, and valves, connections, or other fittings in vent lines, fill lines... component is isolated from a gasoline fuel source if: (1) A bulkhead that meets the requirements of...

Solid oxide fuel cell with transitioned cross-section for improved anode gas management at the open end

DOEpatents

Zafred, Paolo R [Murrysville, PA; Draper, Robert [Pittsburgh, PA

2012-01-17

A solid oxide fuel cell (400) is made having a tubular, elongated, hollow, active section (445) which has a cross-section containing an air electrode (452) a fuel electrode (454) and solid oxide electrolyte (456) between them, where the fuel cell transitions into at least one inactive section (460) with a flattened parallel sided cross-section (462, 468) each cross-section having channels (472, 474, 476) in them which smoothly communicate with each other at an interface section (458).

Dynamics of Different Bacterial Communities Are Capable of Generating Sustainable Electricity from Microbial Fuel Cells with Organic Waste

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Shuji; Suzuki, Kei; Araki, Yoko; Mochihara, Hiroki; Hosokawa, Tetsuya; Kubota, Hiroko; Chiba, Yusuke; Rubaba, Owen; Tashiro, Yosuke; Futamata, Hiroyuki

2014-01-01

The relationship between the bacterial communities in anolyte and anode biofilms and the electrochemical properties of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was investigated when a complex organic waste-decomposing solution was continuously supplied to MFCs as an electron donor. The current density increased gradually and was maintained at approximately 100 to 150 mA m−2. Polarization curve analyses revealed that the maximum power density was 7.4 W m−3 with an internal resistance of 110 Ω. Bacterial community structures in the organic waste-decomposing solution and MFCs differed from each other. Clonal analyses targeting 16S rRNA genes indicated that bacterial communities in the biofilms on MFCs developed to specific communities dominated by novel Geobacter. Multidimensional scaling analyses based on DGGE profiles revealed that bacterial communities in the organic waste-decomposing solution fluctuated and had no dynamic equilibrium. Bacterial communities on the anolyte in MFCs had a dynamic equilibrium with fluctuations, while those of the biofilm converged to the Geobacter-dominated structure. These bacterial community dynamics of MFCs differed from those of control-MFCs under open circuit conditions. These results suggested that bacterial communities in the anolyte and biofilm have a gentle symbiotic system through electron flow, which resulted in the advance of current density from complex organic waste. PMID:24789988

Dynamics of different bacterial communities are capable of generating sustainable electricity from microbial fuel cells with organic waste.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Shuji; Suzuki, Kei; Araki, Yoko; Mochihara, Hiroki; Hosokawa, Tetsuya; Kubota, Hiroko; Chiba, Yusuke; Rubaba, Owen; Tashiro, Yosuke; Futamata, Hiroyuki

2014-01-01

The relationship between the bacterial communities in anolyte and anode biofilms and the electrochemical properties of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was investigated when a complex organic waste-decomposing solution was continuously supplied to MFCs as an electron donor. The current density increased gradually and was maintained at approximately 100 to 150 mA m(-2). Polarization curve analyses revealed that the maximum power density was 7.4 W m(-3) with an internal resistance of 110 Ω. Bacterial community structures in the organic waste-decomposing solution and MFCs differed from each other. Clonal analyses targeting 16S rRNA genes indicated that bacterial communities in the biofilms on MFCs developed to specific communities dominated by novel Geobacter. Multidimensional scaling analyses based on DGGE profiles revealed that bacterial communities in the organic waste-decomposing solution fluctuated and had no dynamic equilibrium. Bacterial communities on the anolyte in MFCs had a dynamic equilibrium with fluctuations, while those of the biofilm converged to the Geobacter-dominated structure. These bacterial community dynamics of MFCs differed from those of control-MFCs under open circuit conditions. These results suggested that bacterial communities in the anolyte and biofilm have a gentle symbiotic system through electron flow, which resulted in the advance of current density from complex organic waste.

High-Performance Direct Methanol Fuel Cells with Precious-Metal-Free Cathode.

PubMed

Li, Qing; Wang, Tanyuan; Havas, Dana; Zhang, Hanguang; Xu, Ping; Han, Jiantao; Cho, Jaephil; Wu, Gang

2016-11-01

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) hold great promise for applications ranging from portable power for electronics to transportation. However, apart from the high costs, current Pt-based cathodes in DMFCs suffer significantly from performance loss due to severe methanol crossover from anode to cathode. The migrated methanol in cathodes tends to contaminate Pt active sites through yielding a mixed potential region resulting from oxygen reduction reaction and methanol oxidation reaction. Therefore, highly methanol-tolerant cathodes must be developed before DMFC technologies become viable. The newly developed reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based Fe-N-C cathode exhibits high methanol tolerance and exceeds the performance of current Pt cathodes, as evidenced by both rotating disk electrode and DMFC tests. While the morphology of 2D rGO is largely preserved, the resulting Fe-N-rGO catalyst provides a more unique porous structure. DMFC tests with various methanol concentrations are systematically studied using the best performing Fe-N-rGO catalyst. At feed concentrations greater than 2.0 m, the obtained DMFC performance from the Fe-N-rGO cathode is found to start exceeding that of a Pt/C cathode. This work will open a new avenue to use nonprecious metal cathode for advanced DMFC technologies with increased performance and at significantly reduced cost.

Baseline study of methane emission from anaerobic ponds of palm oil mill effluent treatment.

PubMed

Yacob, Shahrakbah; Ali Hassan, Mohd; Shirai, Yoshihito; Wakisaka, Minato; Subash, Sunderaj

2006-07-31

The world currently obtains its energy from the fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal. However, the international crisis in the Middle East, rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves as well as climate change have driven the world towards renewable energy sources which are abundant, untapped and environmentally friendly. Malaysia has abundant biomass resources generated from the agricultural industry particularly the large commodity, palm oil. This paper will focus on palm oil mill effluent (POME) as the source of renewable energy from the generation of methane and establish the current methane emission from the anaerobic treatment facility. The emission was measured from two anaerobic ponds in Felda Serting Palm Oil Mill for 52 weeks. The results showed that the methane content was between 35.0% and 70.0% and biogas flow rate ranged between 0.5 and 2.4 L/min/m(2). Total methane emission per anaerobic pond was 1043.1 kg/day. The total methane emission calculated from the two equations derived from relationships between methane emission and total carbon removal and POME discharged were comparable with field measurement. This study also revealed that anaerobic pond system is more efficient than open digesting tank system for POME treatment. Two main factors affecting the methane emission were mill activities and oil palm seasonal cropping.

To Recycle or Not to Recycle? An Intergenerational Approach to Nuclear Fuel Cycles

PubMed Central

Kloosterman, Jan Leen

2007-01-01

This paper approaches the choice between the open and closed nuclear fuel cycles as a matter of intergenerational justice, by revealing the value conflicts in the production of nuclear energy. The closed fuel cycle improve sustainability in terms of the supply certainty of uranium and involves less long-term radiological risks and proliferation concerns. However, it compromises short-term public health and safety and security, due to the separation of plutonium. The trade-offs in nuclear energy are reducible to a chief trade-off between the present and the future. To what extent should we take care of our produced nuclear waste and to what extent should we accept additional risks to the present generation, in order to diminish the exposure of future generation to those risks? The advocates of the open fuel cycle should explain why they are willing to transfer all the risks for a very long period of time (200,000 years) to future generations. In addition, supporters of the closed fuel cycle should underpin their acceptance of additional risks to the present generation and make the actual reduction of risk to the future plausible. PMID:18075732

To recycle or not to recycle? An intergenerational approach to nuclear fuel cycles.

PubMed

Taebi, Behnam; Kloosterman, Jan Leen

2008-06-01

This paper approaches the choice between the open and closed nuclear fuel cycles as a matter of intergenerational justice, by revealing the value conflicts in the production of nuclear energy. The closed fuel cycle improve sustainability in terms of the supply certainty of uranium and involves less long-term radiological risks and proliferation concerns. However, it compromises short-term public health and safety and security, due to the separation of plutonium. The trade-offs in nuclear energy are reducible to a chief trade-off between the present and the future. To what extent should we take care of our produced nuclear waste and to what extent should we accept additional risks to the present generation, in order to diminish the exposure of future generation to those risks? The advocates of the open fuel cycle should explain why they are willing to transfer all the risks for a very long period of time (200,000 years) to future generations. In addition, supporters of the closed fuel cycle should underpin their acceptance of additional risks to the present generation and make the actual reduction of risk to the future plausible.

Transport studies in polymer electrolyte fuel cell with porous metallic flow field at ultra high current density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srouji, Abdul-Kader

Achieving cost reduction for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) requires a simultaneous effort in increasing power density while reducing precious metal loading. In PEFCs, the cathode performance is often limiting due to both the slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and mass transport limitation caused by limited oxygen diffusion and liquid water flooding at high current density. This study is motivated by the achievement of ultra-high current density through the elimination of the channel/land (C/L) paradigm in PEFC flow field design. An open metallic element (OME) flow field capable of operating at unprecedented ultra-high current density (3 A/cm2) introduces new advantages and limitations for PEFC operation. The first part of this study compares the OME with a conventional C/L flow field, through performance and electrochemical diagnostic tools such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results indicate the uniqueness of the OME's mass transport improvement. No sign of operation limitation due to flooding is noted. The second part specifically examines water management at high current density using the OME flow field. A unique experimental setup is developed to measure steady-state and transient net water drag across the membrane, in order to characterize the fundamental aspects of water transport at high current density with the OME. Instead of flooding, the new limitation is identified to be anode side dry-out of the membrane, caused by electroosmotic drag. The OME improves water removal from the cathode, which immediately improves oxygen transport and performance. However, the low water content in the cathode reduces back diffusion of water to the membrane, and electroosmotic drag dominates at high current density, leading to dry-out. The third part employs the OME flow field as a tool that avoids C/L effects endemic to a typical flow field, in order to study oxygen transport resistance at the catalyst layer of a PEFC. In open literature, a resistance of unknown origin, was shown to directly or indirectly scale with Pt loading. A lack of understanding of the mechanism responsible for such resistance is noted, and several possible theories have been proposed. This lack of fundamental understanding of the origins of this resistance adds complexity to computational models which are designed to capture performance behavior with ultra-low loading electrodes. By employing the OME flow field as a tool to study this phenomena, the origins of the transport resistance appearing at ultra-low Platinum (Pt) loading is proposed to be an increase in oxygen dilution resistance through water film.

NEUTRONIC REACTOR SHIELD AND SPACER CONSTRUCTION

DOEpatents

Wigner, E.P.; Ohlinger, L.A.

1958-11-18

Reactors of the heterogeneous, graphite moderated, fluid cooled type and shielding and spacing plugs for the coolant channels thereof are reported. In this design, the coolant passages extend horizontally through the moderator structure, accommodating the fuel elements in abutting end-to-end relationship, and have access openings through the outer shield at one face of the reactor to facilitate loading of the fuel elements. In the outer ends of the channels which extend through the shields are provided spacers and shielding plugs designed to offer minimal reslstance to coolant fluid flow while preventing emanation of harmful radiation through the access openings when closed between loadings.

Welding fixture for nuclear fuel pin cladding assemblies

DOEpatents

Oakley, D.J.; Feld, S.H.

1984-02-22

A welding fixture is described for locating a driver sleeve about the open end of a nuclear fuel pin cladding. The welding fixture includes a holder provided with an open cavity having shoulders for properly positioning the driver sleeve, the end cap, and a soft, high temperature resistant plastic protective sleeve that surrounds a portion of the end cap stem. Ejected contaminant particles spewed forth by closure of the cladding by pulsed magnetic welding techniques are captured within a contamination trap formed in the holder for ultimate removal and disposal of contaminating particles along with the holder.

Wafer-scale development and experimental verification of 0.36 mm2 228 mV open-circuit-voltage solid-state CMOS-compatible glucose fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arata, Shigeki; Hayashi, Kenya; Nishio, Yuya; Kobayashi, Atsuki; Nakazato, Kazuo; Niitsu, Kiichi

2018-04-01

The world’s smallest (0.36 mm2) solid-state CMOS-compatible glucose fuel cell, which exhibits an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of 228 mV and a power generation density of 1.32 µW/cm2 with a 30 mM glucose solution, is reported in this paper. Compared with conventional wet etching, dry etching (reactive ion etching) for patterning minimizes damage to the anode and cathode, resulting in a cell with a small size and a high OCV, sufficient for CMOS circuit operation.

Exhaust emissions of low level blend alcohol fuels from two-stroke and four-stroke marine engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sevik, James M., Jr.

The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard mandates that by 2022, 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels must be produced on a yearly basis. Ethanol production is capped at 15 billion gallons, meaning 21 billion gallons must come from different alternative fuel sources. A viable alternative to reach the remainder of this mandate is iso-butanol. Unlike ethanol, iso-butanol does not phase separate when mixed with water, meaning it can be transported using traditional pipeline methods. Iso-butanol also has a lower oxygen content by mass, meaning it can displace more petroleum while maintaining the same oxygen concentration in the fuel blend. This research focused on studying the effects of low level alcohol fuels on marine engine emissions to assess the possibility of using iso-butanol as a replacement for ethanol. Three marine engines were used in this study, representing a wide range of what is currently in service in the United States. Two four-stroke engine and one two-stroke engine powered boats were tested in the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, near Annapolis, Maryland over the course of two rounds of weeklong testing in May and September. The engines were tested using a standard test cycle and emissions were sampled using constant volume sampling techniques. Specific emissions for two-stroke and four-stroke engines were compared to the baseline indolene tests. Because of the nature of the field testing, limited engine parameters were recorded. Therefore, the engine parameters analyzed aside from emissions were the operating relative air-to-fuel ratio and engine speed. Emissions trends from the baseline test to each alcohol fuel for the four-stroke engines were consistent, when analyzing a single round of testing. The same trends were not consistent when comparing separate rounds because of uncontrolled weather conditions and because the four-stroke engines operate without fuel control feedback during full load conditions. Emissions trends from the baseline test to each alcohol fuel for the two-stroke engine were consistent for all rounds of testing. This is due to the fact the engine operates open-loop, and does not provide fueling compensation when fuel composition changes. Changes in emissions with respect to the baseline for iso-butanol were consistent with changes for ethanol. It was determined iso-butanol would make a viable replacement for ethanol.

Effect of aviation fuel type and fuel injection conditions on the spray characteristics of pressure swirl and hybrid air blast fuel injectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feddema, Rick

Feddema, Rick T. M.S.M.E., Purdue University, December 2013. Effect of Aviation Fuel Type and Fuel Injection Conditions on the Spray Characteristics of Pressure Swirl and Hybrid Air Blast Fuel Injectors. Major Professor: Dr. Paul E. Sojka, School of Mechanical Engineering Spray performance of pressure swirl and hybrid air blast fuel injectors are central to combustion stability, combustor heat management, and pollutant formation in aviation gas turbine engines. Next generation aviation gas turbine engines will optimize spray atomization characteristics of the fuel injector in order to achieve engine efficiency and emissions requirements. Fuel injector spray atomization performance is affected by the type of fuel injector, fuel liquid properties, fuel injection pressure, fuel injection temperature, and ambient pressure. Performance of pressure swirl atomizer and hybrid air blast nozzle type fuel injectors are compared in this study. Aviation jet fuels, JP-8, Jet A, JP-5, and JP-10 and their effect on fuel injector performance is investigated. Fuel injector set conditions involving fuel injector pressure, fuel temperature and ambient pressure are varied in order to compare each fuel type. One objective of this thesis is to contribute spray patternation measurements to the body of existing drop size data in the literature. Fuel droplet size tends to increase with decreasing fuel injection pressure, decreasing fuel injection temperature and increasing ambient injection pressure. The differences between fuel types at particular set conditions occur due to differences in liquid properties between fuels. Liquid viscosity and surface tension are identified to be fuel-specific properties that affect the drop size of the fuel. An open aspect of current research that this paper addresses is how much the type of aviation jet fuel affects spray atomization characteristics. Conventional aviation fuel specifications are becoming more important with new interest in alternative fuels. Optical patternation data and line of sight laser diffraction data show that there is significant difference between jet fuels. Particularly at low fuel injection pressures (0.345 MPa) and cold temperatures (-40 C), the patternation data shows that the total surface area in the spray at 38.1 mm from the pressure swirl injector for the JP-10 fuel type is one-sixth the amount of the JP-8. Finally, this study compares the atomizer performance of a pressure swirl nozzle to a hybrid air blast nozzle. The total surface area for both the hybrid air blast nozzle and the pressure swirl nozzle show a similar decline in atomization performance at low fuel injection pressures and cold temperatures. However, the optical patternator radial profile data and the line of sight laser diffraction data show that the droplet size and spray distribution data are less affected by injection conditions and fuel type in the hybrid air blast nozzle, than they are in the pressure swirl nozzle. One explanation is that the aerodynamic forces associated with the swirler on the hybrid air blast nozzle control the distribution droplets in the spray. This is in contrast to the pressure swirl nozzle droplet distribution that is controlled by internal geometry and droplet ballistics.

Fire safety distances for open pool fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudheer, S.; Kumar, Lokendra; Manjunath, B. S.; Pasi, Amit; Meenakshi, G.; Prabhu, S. V.

2013-11-01

Fire accidents that carry huge loss with them have increased in the previous two decades than at any time in the history. Hence, there is a need for understanding the safety distances from different fires with different fuels. Fire safety distances are computed for different open pool fires. Diesel, gasoline and hexane are used as fuels for circular pool diameters of 0.5 m, 0.7 m and 1.0 m. A large square pool fire of 4 m × 4 m is also conducted with diesel as a fuel. All the prescribed distances in this study are purely based on the thermal analysis. IR camera is used to get the thermal images of pool fires and there by the irradiance at different locations is computed. The computed irradiance is presented with the threshold heat flux limits for human beings.

Solid oxide fuel cell generator

DOEpatents

Draper, Robert; George, Raymond A.; Shockling, Larry A.

1993-01-01

A solid oxide fuel cell generator has a pair of spaced apart tubesheets in a housing. At least two intermediate barrier walls are between the tubesheets and define a generator chamber between two intermediate buffer chambers. An array of fuel cells have tubes with open ends engaging the tubesheets. Tubular, axially elongated electrochemical cells are supported on the tubes in the generator chamber. Fuel gas and oxidant gas are preheated in the intermediate chambers by the gases flowing on the other side of the tubes. Gas leakage around the tubes through the tubesheets is permitted. The buffer chambers reentrain the leaked fuel gas for reintroduction to the generator chamber.

Stack configurations for tubular solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Armstrong, Timothy R.; Trammell, Michael P.; Marasco, Joseph A.

2010-08-31

A fuel cell unit includes an array of solid oxide fuel cell tubes having porous metallic exterior surfaces, interior fuel cell layers, and interior surfaces, each of the tubes having at least one open end; and, at least one header in operable communication with the array of solid oxide fuel cell tubes for directing a first reactive gas into contact with the porous metallic exterior surfaces and for directing a second reactive gas into contact with the interior surfaces, the header further including at least one busbar disposed in electrical contact with at least one surface selected from the group consisting of the porous metallic exterior surfaces and the interior surfaces.

Fabrication and Testing of CERMET Fuel Materials for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hickman, Robert; Broadway, Jeramie; Mireles, Omar

2012-01-01

A first generation Nuclear Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (NCPS) based on Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) is currently being developed for Advanced Space Exploration Systems. The overall goal of the project is to address critical NTP technology challenges and programmatic issues to establish confidence in the affordability and viability of NTP systems. The current technology roadmap for NTP identifies the development of a robust fuel form as a critical near term need. The lack of a qualified nuclear fuel is a significant technical risk that will require a considerable fraction of program resources to mitigate. Due to these risks and the cost for qualification, the development and selection of a primary fuel must begin prior to Authority to Proceed (ATP) for a specific mission. The fuel development is a progressive approach to incrementally reduce risk, converge the fuel materials, and mature the design and fabrication process of the fuel element. A key objective of the current project is to advance the maturity of CERMET fuels. The work includes fuel processing development and characterization, fuel specimen hot hydrogen screening, and prototypic fuel element testing. Early fuel materials development is critical to help validate requirements and fuel performance. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview and status of the work at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

Life Cycle Assessment of Cooking Fuel Systems in India, China, Kenya, and Ghana

EPA Science Inventory

Daily use of traditional cooking fuels and stoves in India, China, Kenya, and Ghana emits harmful air pollutants that result in over a million premature deaths annually. Reducing pollution from cookstoves is a key priority, as emissions from traditional cookstoves and open fires ...

A Review of Gas-Cooled Reactor Concepts for SDI Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-01

710 program .) Wire- Core Reactor (proposed by Rockwell). The wire- core reactor utilizes thin fuel wires woven between spacer wires to form an open...reactor is based on results of developmental studies of nuclear rocket propulsion systems. The reactor core is made up of annular fuel assemblies of...XE Addendum to Volume II. NERVA Fuel Development , Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory, TNR-230, July 15’ 1972. J I8- Rover Program Reactor Tests

Multi-Megawatt Space Nuclear Power Generation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-28

electric generation, both for open- and closed-cycle opera- tion. These reactors use the particulate fuel of the type developed for HTGR reactors. What...commercial HTGR power reactors, the particles are held in place and directly cooled. Figure 2.7 shows the two types of fuel particles developed for...of MW(e), for pulsed energy devices. The FBR would use HTGR -type particle fuel , contained in a annular bed be- tween two porous frits. Helium would

The national fire and fire surrogate study: vegetation changes over 11 years of fuel reduction treatments in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Treesearch

Thomas A. Waldrop; Helen H. Mohr; Ross J. Phillips; Dean M. Simon

2014-01-01

At the Appalachian site of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study, prescribed burning was repeated three times and chainsaw felling of shrubs was done twice between 2002 and 2012. Goals were to reduce fuel loading and to promote restoration of an open woodland community. Chainsaw felling created a vertical fuel break, but the effect was temporary, and no...

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

Miley, G.H.

Remarks made in the author{close_quote}s acceptance lecture for the 1995 Edward Teller Medal are presented and expanded. Topics covered include research on nuclear-pumped lasers, the first direct e-beam-pumped laser, direct energy conversion and advanced fuel fusion, plus recent work on inertial electrostatic confinement. {open_quote}{open_quote}Patience{close_quote}{close_quote} and {open_quote}{open_quote}optimism{close_quote}{close_quote} are viewed as essential elements needed by scientists following the {open_quote}{open_quote}zig-zag{close_quote}{close_quote} path to fusion energy production. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

Electricity Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells Using Neutral Red as an Electronophore

PubMed Central

Park, Doo Hyun; Zeikus, J. Gregory

2000-01-01

Neutral red (NR) was utilized as an electron mediator in microbial fuel cells consuming glucose to study both its efficiency during electricity generation and its role in altering anaerobic growth and metabolism of Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus succinogenes. A study of chemical fuel cells in which NADH, NR, and ferricyanide were the electron donor, the electronophore, and the electron acceptor, respectively, showed that electrical current produced from NADH was proportional to the concentration of NADH. Fourfold more current was produced from NADH in chemical fuel cells when NR was the electron mediator than when thionin was the electron mediator. In microbial fuel cells in which E. coli resting cells were used the amount of current produced from glucose when NR was the electron mediator (3.5 mA) was 10-fold more than the amount produced when thionin was the electron mediator (0.4 mA). The amount of electrical energy generated (expressed in joules per mole of substrate) and the amount of current produced from glucose (expressed in milliamperes) in NR-mediated microbial fuel cells containing either E. coli or A. succinogenes were about 10- and 2-fold greater, respectively, when resting cells were used than when growing cells were used. Cell growth was inhibited substantially when these microbial fuel cells were making current, and more oxidized end products were formed under these conditions. When sewage sludge (i.e., a mixed culture of anaerobic bacteria) was used in the fuel cell, stable (for 120 h) and equivalent levels of current were obtained with glucose, as observed in the pure-culture experiments. These results suggest that NR is better than other electron mediators used in microbial fuel cells and that sludge production can be decreased while electricity is produced in fuel cells. Our results are discussed in relation to factors that may improve the relatively low electrical efficiencies (1.2 kJ/mol) obtained with microbial fuel cells. PMID:10742202

Effect of broadened-specification fuels on aircraft engines and fuel systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudey, R. A.

1979-01-01

A wide variety of studies on the potential effects of broadened-specification fuels on future aircraft engines and fuel systems are summarized. The compositions and characteristics of aircraft fuels that may be derived from current and future crude-oil sources are described, and the most critical properties that may effect aircraft engines and fuel systems are identified and discussed. The problems that are most likely to be encountered because of changes in selected fuel properties are explored; and the related effects on engine performance, component durability and maintenance, and aircraft fuel-system performance are examined. The ability of current technology to accept possible future fuel specification changes is assessed and selected technological advances that can reduce the severity of the potential problems are illustrated.

Effect of broadened-specification fuels on aircraft engines and fuel systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudey, R. A.

1979-01-01

A wide variety of studies on the potential effects of broadened-specification fuels on future aircraft engines and fuel systems are summarized. The compositions and characteristics of aircraft fuels that may be derived from current and future crude-oil sources are described, and the most critical properties that may affect aircraft engines and fuel systems are identified and discussed. The problems that are most likely to be encountered because of changes in selected fuel properties are described; and the related effects on engine performance, component durability and maintenance, and aircraft fuel-system performance are discussed. The ability of current technology to accept possible future fuel-specification changes is discussed, and selected technological advances that can reduce the severity of the potential problems are illustrated.

Fabrication and characterization of a pd nanowire-based glucose biofuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amoah, Kweku Obeng

The use of glucose as a source in biofuel cell technology has received a lot of attention in part due to the potential applications of such systems. In addition to the being a clean energy alternative, it provides a pathway for implantable microelectronic devices, such as pacemakers, to be powered by interstitial fluid and eliminate the need for batteries. Furthermore, using interstitial fluid as fuel sources will drastically reduce necessary invasive surgeries to replace batteries. Additionally, cost to such patients will be reduced while quality of life enhanced. The research presents a unique platform for harvesting energy from glucose. Using semiconductor cleanroom techniques, electrically conductive palladium nanowires are grown on anodized aluminum oxide templates using silicon and glass as supporting substrates. Photolithography is used to create two non-continuous gold windows and contact pads on the substrates. AAO templates are attached to the two gold windows and palladium nanowires are electrochemically grown on the AAO templates. Glucose oxidase and catalase are immobilized on the anode and laccase on the cathode. In the presence of glucose, electrons are released that result in the generation of voltage and current. The current-voltage behavior of the fuel cell, as well as electrochemical properties, is characterized using standard performance metrics. In 5 mM glucose solution with a neutral pH of 7.3, the open circuit voltage obtained was 335 mV and the short circuit current of 6 microA to yield a maximum power output of 1.38 microW.

Highly efficient sulfonated polybenzimidazole as a proton exchange membrane for microbial fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singha, Shuvra; Jana, Tushar; Modestra, J. Annie; Naresh Kumar, A.; Mohan, S. Venkata

2016-06-01

Although microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising bio-energy technology with a dual advantage (i.e., electricity production and waste-water treatment), their low power densities and high installation costs are major impediments. To address these bottlenecks and replace highly expensive Nafion, which is a proton exchange membrane (PEM), the current study focuses for the first time on membranes made from an easily synthesizable and more economical oxy-polybenzimidazole (OPBI) and its sulfonated analogue (S-OPBI) as alternate PEMs in single-chambered MFCs. The S-OPBI membrane exhibits better properties, with high water uptake, ion exchange capacity (IEC) and proton conductivity and a comparatively smaller degree of swelling compared to Nafion. The membrane morphology is characterized by atomic force microscopy, and the bright and dark regions of the S-OPBI membrane reveals the formation of ionic domains in the matrix, forming continuous water nanochannels when doped with water. These water-filled nanochannels are responsible for faster proton conduction in S-OPBI than in Nafion; therefore, the power output in the MFC with S-OPBI as the PEM is higher than in other MFCs. The open circuit voltage (460 mV), current generation (2.27 mA) and power density profile (110 mW/m2) as a function of time, as well as the polarization curves, exhibits higher current and power density (87.8 mW/m2) with S-OPBI compared to Nafion as the PEM.

Separator plate for a fuel cell

DOEpatents

Petri, R.J.; Meek, J.; Bachta, R.P.; Marianowski, L.G.

1996-04-02

A separator plate is described for a fuel cell comprising an anode current collector, a cathode current collector and a main plate, the main plate disposed between the anode current collector and the cathode current collector. The anode current collector forms a flattened peripheral wet seal structure and manifold wet seal structure on the anode side of the separator plate and the cathode current collector forms a flattened peripheral wet seal structure and manifold wet seal structure on the cathode side of the separator plate. In this manner, the number of components required to manufacture and assemble a fuel cell stack is reduced. 9 figs.

Separator plate for a fuel cell

DOEpatents

Petri, Randy J.; Meek, John; Bachta, Robert P.; Marianowski, Leonard G.

1996-01-01

A separator plate for a fuel cell comprising an anode current collector, a cathode current collector and a main plate, the main plate disposed between the anode current collector and the cathode current collector. The anode current collector forms a flattened peripheral wet seal structure and manifold wet seal structure on the anode side of the separator plate and the cathode current collector forms a flattened peripheral wet seal structure and manifold wet seal structure on the cathode side of the separator plate. In this manner, the number of components required to manufacture and assemble a fuel cell stack is reduced.

Electrospun sulfonated poly(ether ketone) nanofibers as proton conductive reinforcement for durable Nafion composite membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klose, Carolin; Breitwieser, Matthias; Vierrath, Severin; Klingele, Matthias; Cho, Hyeongrae; Büchler, Andreas; Kerres, Jochen; Thiele, Simon

2017-09-01

We show that the combination of direct membrane deposition with proton conductive nanofiber reinforcement yields highly durable and high power density fuel cells. Sulfonated poly(ether ketone) (SPEK) was directly electrospun onto gas diffusion electrodes and then filled with Nafion by inkjet-printing resulting in a 12 μm thin membrane. The ionic membrane resistance (30 mΩ*cm2) was well below that of a directly deposited membrane reinforced with chemically inert (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers (47 mΩ*cm2) of comparable thickness. The power density of the fuel cell with SPEK reinforced membrane (2.04 W/cm2) is 30% higher than that of the PVDF-HFP reinforced reference sample (1.57 W/cm2). During humidity cycling and open circuit voltage (OCV) hold, the SPEK reinforced Nafion membrane showed no measurable degradation in terms of H2 crossover current density, thus fulfilling the target of 2 mA/cm2 of the DOE after degradation. The chemical accelerated stress test (100 h OCV hold at 90 °C, 30% RH, H2/air, 50/50 kPa) revealed a degradation rate of about 0.8 mV/h for the fuel cell with SPEK reinforced membrane, compared to 1.0 mV/h for the PVDF-HFP reinforced membrane.

Quaternized poly(styrene ethylene butylene poly styrene)/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites for alkaline fuel cell applications.

PubMed

Vinodh, Rajangam; Sangeetha, Dharmalingam

2013-08-01

The present study is aimed at synthesizing a novel anion exchange composite membrane from quaternized polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)-block-polystyrene [QPSEBS] and functionalized multi walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNT) by solution casting method. The characteristic properties of the QPSEBS/f-MWCNT composite membranes were investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-Visible spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies and Raman spectroscopy. The water uptake, ion exchange capacity, ionic conductivity, methanol permeability and selectivity ratio of the membranes were also studied. The prepared composite membranes were tested in an in-house fabricated alkaline membrane fuel cell (AMFC) set up using Pt/C as the common anode catalyst and three different cathode catalysts namely Pt/C, Pd-Ni/C and Ag/C. Among all the three cathode catalysts, Pt/C for QPSEBS/5% f-MWCNT is found to show the maximum power density and open circuit voltage (OCV) of 187 mW cm(-2) and 0.73 V respectively. For direct methanol alkaline membrane fuel cells (DMAMFC), the OCV of QPSEBS/5% f-MWCNT is found to be 0.76 V and the maximum power density of 59.5 mW cm(-2) is achieved at a current density of 175 mA cm(-2).

Ship Compliance in Emission Control Areas: Technology Costs and Policy Instruments.

PubMed

Carr, Edward W; Corbett, James J

2015-08-18

This paper explores whether a Panama Canal Authority pollution tax could be an effective economic instrument to achieve Emission Control Area (ECA)-like reductions in emissions from ships transiting the Panama Canal. This tariff-based policy action, whereby vessels in compliance with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) ECA standards pay a lower transit tariff than noncompliant vessels, could be a feasible alternative to petitioning for a Panamanian ECA through the IMO. A $4.06/container fuel tax could incentivize ECA-compliant emissions reductions for nearly two-thirds of Panama Canal container vessels, mainly through fuel switching; if the vessel(s) also operate in IMO-defined ECAs, exhaust-gas treatment technologies may be cost-effective. The RATES model presented here compares current abatement technologies based on hours of operation within an ECA, computing costs for a container vessel to comply with ECA standards in addition to computing the Canal tax that would reduce emissions in Panama. Retrofitted open-loop scrubbers are cost-effective only for vessels operating within an ECA for more than 4500 h annually. Fuel switching is the least-cost option to industry for vessels that operate mostly outside of ECA regions, whereas vessels operating entirely within an ECA region could reduce compliance cost with exhaust-gas treatment technology (scrubbers).

The Need for Integrating the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the United States of America

DOE PAGES

Bonano, Evaristo J.; Kalinina, Elena A.; Swift, Peter N.

2018-02-26

Current practice for commercial spent nuclear fuel management in the United States of America (US) includes storage of spent fuel in both pools and dry storage cask systems at nuclear power plants. Most storage pools are filled to their operational capacity, and management of the approximately 2,200 metric tons of spent fuel newly discharged each year requires transferring older and cooler fuel from pools into dry storage. In the absence of a repository that can accept spent fuel for permanent disposal, projections indicate that the US will have approximately 134,000 metric tons of spent fuel in dry storage by mid-centurymore » when the last plants in the current reactor fleet are decommissioned. Current designs for storage systems rely on large dual-purpose (storage and transportation) canisters that are not optimized for disposal. Various options exist in the US for improving integration of management practices across the entire back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.« less

The Need for Integrating the Back End of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle in the United States of America

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

Bonano, Evaristo J.; Kalinina, Elena A.; Swift, Peter N.

Current practice for commercial spent nuclear fuel management in the United States of America (US) includes storage of spent fuel in both pools and dry storage cask systems at nuclear power plants. Most storage pools are filled to their operational capacity, and management of the approximately 2,200 metric tons of spent fuel newly discharged each year requires transferring older and cooler fuel from pools into dry storage. In the absence of a repository that can accept spent fuel for permanent disposal, projections indicate that the US will have approximately 134,000 metric tons of spent fuel in dry storage by mid-centurymore » when the last plants in the current reactor fleet are decommissioned. Current designs for storage systems rely on large dual-purpose (storage and transportation) canisters that are not optimized for disposal. Various options exist in the US for improving integration of management practices across the entire back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.« less

Experimental study on the 300W class planar type solid oxide fuel cell stack: Investigation for appropriate fuel provision control and the transient capability of the cell performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Y.; Brus, G.; Kimijima, S.; Szmyd, J. S.

2012-11-01

The present paper reports the experimental study on the dynamic behavior of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The cell stack consists of planar type cells with standard power output 300W. A Major subject of the present study is characterization of the transient response to the electric current change, assuming load-following operation. The present studies particularly focus on fuel provision control to the load change. Optimized fuel provision improves power generation efficiency. However, the capability of SOFC must be restricted by a few operative parameters. Fuel utilization factor, which is defined as the ratio of the consumed fuel to the supplied fuel is adopted for a reference in the control scheme. The fuel flow rate was regulated to keep the fuel utilization at 50%, 60% and 70% during the current ramping. Lower voltage was observed with the higher fuel utilization, but achieved efficiency was higher. The appropriate mass flow control is required not to violate the voltage transient behavior. Appropriate fuel flow manipulation can contribute to moderate the overshoot on the voltage that may appear to the current change. The overshoot on the voltage response resulted from the gradual temperature behavior in the SOFC stack module.

75 FR 16683 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 777-200LR and -300ER Series Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... eddy current inspection for cracking of the keyway of the fuel tank access door cutout on the left and... frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspection for cracking at the keyway of the fuel tank access door cutout on... frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspection for cracking of the keyway of the fuel tank access door cutout on...

Safety and Regulatory Issues of the Thorium Fuel Cycle

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

Ade, Brian; Worrall, Andrew; Powers, Jeffrey

2014-02-01

Thorium has been widely considered an alternative to uranium fuel because of its relatively large natural abundance and its ability to breed fissile fuel (233U) from natural thorium (232Th). Possible scenarios for using thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle include use in different nuclear reactor types (light water, high temperature gas cooled, fast spectrum sodium, molten salt, etc.), advanced accelerator-driven systems, or even fission-fusion hybrid systems. The most likely near-term application of thorium in the United States is in currently operating light water reactors (LWRs). This use is primarily based on concepts that mix thorium with uranium (UO2 + ThO2),more » add fertile thorium (ThO2) fuel pins to LWR fuel assemblies, or use mixed plutonium and thorium (PuO2 + ThO2) fuel assemblies. The addition of thorium to currently operating LWRs would result in a number of different phenomenological impacts on the nuclear fuel. Thorium and its irradiation products have nuclear characteristics that are different from those of uranium. In addition, ThO2, alone or mixed with UO2 fuel, leads to different chemical and physical properties of the fuel. These aspects are key to reactor safety-related issues. The primary objectives of this report are to summarize historical, current, and proposed uses of thorium in nuclear reactors; provide some important properties of thorium fuel; perform qualitative and quantitative evaluations of both in-reactor and out-of-reactor safety issues and requirements specific to a thorium-based fuel cycle for current LWR reactor designs; and identify key knowledge gaps and technical issues that need to be addressed for the licensing of thorium LWR fuel in the United States.« less

Implementation of alternative bio-based fuels in aviation: The Clean Airports Program

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

Shauck, M.E.; Zanin, M.G.

1997-12-31

The Renewable Aviation Fuels Development Center at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, was designated, in March 1996, by the US Department of Energy (US DOE) as the national coordinator of the Clean Airports Program. This program, a spin-off of the Clean Cities Program, was initiated to increase the use of alternative fuels in aviation. There are two major fuels used in aviation today, the current piston engine aviation gasoline, and the current turbine engine fuel. The environmental impact of each of these fuels is significant. Aviation Gasoline (100LL), currently used in the General Aviation piston engine fleet, contributes 100% ofmore » the emissions containing lead in the USA today. In the case of the turbine engine fuel (Jet fuel), there are two major environmental impacts to be considered: the local, in the vicinity of the airports, and the global impact on climate change. The Clean Airports Program was established to promote the use of clean burning fuels in order to achieve and maintain clean air at and in the vicinities of airports through the use of alternative fuel-powered air and ground transportation vehicles.« less

Status of commercial fuel cell powerplant system development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warshay, Marvin

1987-01-01

The primary focus is on the development of commercial Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) powerplant systems because the PAFC, which has undergone extensive development, is currently the closest fuel cell system to commercialization. Shorter discussions are included on the high temperature fuel cell systems which are not as mature in their development, such as the Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC) and the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The alkaline and the Solid Polymer Electrolyte (SPE) fuel cell systems, are also included, but their discussions are limited to their prospects for commercial development. Currently, although the alkaline fuel cell continues to be used for important space applications there are no commercial development programs of significant size in the USA and only small efforts outside. The market place for fuel cells and the status of fuel cell programs in the USA receive extensive treatment. The fuel cell efforts outside the USA, especially the large Japanese programs, are also discussed.

Fuel cycle cost reduction through Westinghouse fuel design and core management

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

Frank, F.J.; Scherpereel, L.R.

1985-11-01

This paper describes advances in Westinghouse nuclear fuel and their impact on fuel cycle cost. Recent fabrication development has been aimed at maintaining high integrity, increased operating flexibility, longer operating cycles, and improved core margins. Development efforts at Westinghouse toward meeting these directions have culminated in VANTAGE 5 fuel. The current trend toward longer operating cycles provides a further driving force to minimize the resulting inherent increase in fuel cycle costs by further increases in region discharge burnup. Westinghouse studies indicate the capability of currently offered products to meet cycle lengths up to 24 months.

Fuzzy Logic Based Controller for a Grid-Connected Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power Plant.

PubMed

Chatterjee, Kalyan; Shankar, Ravi; Kumar, Amit

2014-10-01

This paper describes a mathematical model of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power plant integrated in a multimachine power system. The utilization factor of a fuel stack maintains steady state by tuning the fuel valve in the fuel processor at a rate proportional to a current drawn from the fuel stack. A suitable fuzzy logic control is used for the overall system, its objective being controlling the current drawn by the power conditioning unit and meet a desirable output power demand. The proposed control scheme is verified through computer simulations.

Current Abstracts Nuclear Reactors and Technology

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

Bales, J.D.; Hicks, S.C.

1993-01-01

This publication Nuclear Reactors and Technology (NRT) announces on a monthly basis the current worldwide information available from the open literature on nuclear reactors and technology, including all aspects of power reactors, components and accessories, fuel elements, control systems, and materials. This publication contains the abstracts of DOE reports, journal articles, conference papers, patents, theses, and monographs added to the Energy Science and Technology Database during the past month. Also included are US information obtained through acquisition programs or interagency agreements and international information obtained through acquisition programs or interagency agreements and international information obtained through the International Energy Agency`smore » Energy Technology Data Exchange or government-to-government agreements. The digests in NRT and other citations to information on nuclear reactors back to 1948 are available for online searching and retrieval on the Energy Science and Technology Database and Nuclear Science Abstracts (NSA) database. Current information, added daily to the Energy Science and Technology Database, is available to DOE and its contractors through the DOE Integrated Technical Information System. Customized profiles can be developed to provide current information to meet each user`s needs.« less

Linking complex forest fuel structure and fire behavior at fine scales

Treesearch

EL Loudermilk; Joseph O' Brien; RJ Mitchell; JK Hiers; WP Cropper; S Grunwald; J Grego; J Fernandez

2012-01-01

Improved fire management of savannas and open woodlands requires better understanding of the fundamental connection between fuel heterogeneity, variation in fire behaviour and the influence of fire variation on vegetation feedbacks. In this study, we introduce a novel approach to predicting fire behaviour at the submetre scale, including measurements of forest...

Biomass utilization modeling on the Bitterroot National Forest

Treesearch

Robin P. Silverstein; Dan Loeffler; J. Greg Jones; Dave E. Calkin; Hans R. Zuuring; Martin Twer

2006-01-01

Utilization of small-sized wood (biomass) from forests as a potential source of renewable energy is an increasingly important aspect of fuels management on public lands as an alternative to traditional disposal methods (open burning). The potential for biomass utilization to enhance the economics of treating hazardous forest fuels was examined on the Bitterroot...

75 FR 35001 - Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technologies Subcommittee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-21

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technologies Subcommittee AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open... facsimile (202) 586- 0544; e-mail [email protected]nuclear.energy.gov . Additional information may also be...

75 FR 61139 - Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technology Subcommittee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, Reactor and Fuel Cycle Technology Subcommittee AGENCY: Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open...) 586- 0544; e-mail [email protected]nuclear.energy.gov . Additional information will be available at http...

Emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from open burning of biomass

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

Jenkins, B.M.

Emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were measured during wind tunnel simulations of open burning for various types of biomass. The wind tunnel (Jenkins, et al., 1993) was used to simulate open fires spreading in opposition to the wind for cereal crop residues, and pile fires in agricultural and sylvicultural wood residues. Emission factors expressing the mass of pollutant species emitted per unit mass of dry fuel consumed were derived from mass balances conducted on each fire. Emission factors for primary pollutants and volatile organic species were similarly derived. Partitioning of PAH in the combustion products was investigated by determiningmore » mass fractions on particulate matter and in a downstream resin trap and other sampling train components. Yields of PAH are given for the major types of fuels and burning conditions.« less

Axially shaped channel and integral flow trippers

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

Crowther, R.L.; Johansson, E.B.; Matzner, B.

1988-06-07

A fuel assembly is described comprising fuel rods positioned in spaced array by upper and lower tie-plates, an open ended flow channel surrounding the array for conducting coolant upward between a lower support plate having coolant communicated thereto to an upper support grid having a steam/water outlet communicated thereto. The flow channel surrounds the array for conducting coolant about the fuel rods. The open ended channel has a polygon shaped cross section with the channel constituting a closed conduit with flat side sections connected at corners to form the enclosed conduit; means separate from the channel for connecting the uppermore » and lower tie-plates together and maintaining the fuel rods in spaced array independent of the flow channel. The improvement in the flow channel comprises tapered side walls. The tapered side walls extend from an average thick cross section adjacent the lower support plate to an average thin cross section adjacent the upper core grid whereby the channel is reduced in thickness adjacent the upper core grid to correspond with the reduced pressure adjacent the upper core grid.« less

Axially shaped channel and integral flow trippers

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

Crowther, R.L. Jr.; Johansson, E.B.; Matzner, B.

1992-02-11

This patent describes a fuel assembly. It comprises: fuel rods positioned in spaced array by upper and lower tie-plates, and open ended flow channel surrounding the array for conducting coolant upward between a lower support plate having coolant communicated thereto to an upper support grid having a steam/water outlet communicated thereto. The flow channel surrounding the array for conducting coolant about the fuel rods; the open ended channel having a polygon shaped cross section with the channel constituting a closed conduit with flat side sections connected at corners to form the enclosed conduit; means separate from the channel for connectingmore » the upper and lower tie-plates together and maintaining the fuel rods in spaced array independent of the flow channel, the improvement in the flow channel comprising tapered side walls, the tapered side walls extending from an average thick cross section adjacent the lower support plate to an average thin cross section adjacent the upper core grid whereby the channel is reduced in thickness adjacent the upper core grid to correspond with the reduced pressure adjacent the upper core grid.« less

Identification of failed fuel element

DOEpatents

Fryer, Richard M.; Matlock, Robert G.

1976-06-22

A passive fission product gas trap is provided in the upper portion of each fuel subassembly in a nuclear reactor. The gas trap consists of an inverted funnel of less diameter than the subassembly having a valve at the apex thereof. An actuating rod extends upwardly from the valve through the subassembly to a point where it can be contacted by the fuel handling mechanism for the reactor. Interrogation of the subassembly for the presence of fission products is accomplished by lowering the fuel handling machine onto the subassembly to press down on the actuating rod and open the valve.

Ducted fuel injection

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

Mueller, Charles J.

Various technologies presented herein relate to enhancing mixing inside a combustion chamber to form one or more locally premixed mixtures comprising fuel and charge-gas with low peak fuel to charge-gas ratios to enable minimal, or no, generation of soot and other undesired emissions during ignition and subsequent combustion of the locally premixed mixtures. To enable sufficient mixing of the fuel and charge-gas, a jet of fuel can be directed to pass through a bore of a duct causing charge-gas to be drawn into the bore creating turbulence to mix the fuel and the drawn charge-gas. The duct can be locatedmore » proximate to an opening in a tip of a fuel injector. The duct can comprise of one or more holes along its length to enable charge-gas to be drawn into the bore, and further, the duct can cool the fuel and/or charge-gas prior to combustion.« less

Dedicated exhaust gas recirculation control systems and methods

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

Sczomak, David P.; Narayanaswamy, Kushal; Keating, Edward J.

An engine control system of a vehicle includes a fuel control module that controls fuel injection of a first cylinder of an engine based on a first target air/fuel ratio that is fuel lean relative to a stoichiometric air/fuel ratio and that controls fuel injection of a second cylinder of the engine based on a second target air/fuel ratio that is fuel rich relative to stoichiometry. The first cylinder outputs exhaust to a first three way catalyst (TWC), and the second cylinder outputs exhaust to an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve. An EGR control module controls opening of the EGRmore » valve to: (i) a second TWC that reacts with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the exhaust and outputs ammonia to a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst; and (ii) a conduit that recirculates exhaust back to an intake system of the engine.« less

Job Creation and Petroleum Independence with E85 in Texas

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

Walk, Steve

Protec Fuel Management project objectives are to help design, build, provide, promote and supply biofuels for the greater energy independence, national security and domestic economic growth through job creations, infrastructure projects and supply chain business stimulants. Protec Fuel has teamed up with station owners to convert 5 existing retail fueling stations to include E85 fuel to service existing large number of fleet FFVs and general public FFVs. The stations are located in high flex fuel vehicle locations in the state of TX. Under the project name, “Job Creation and Petroleum Independence with E85 in Texas,” Protec Fuel identified and successfullymore » opened stations strategically located to maximize e85 fueling success for fleets and public. Protec Fuel and industry affiliates and FFV manufacturers are excited about these stations and the opportunities as they will help reduce emissions, increase jobs, economic stimulus benefits, energy independence and petroleum displacement.« less

Performance and economics of advanced energy conversion systems for coal and coal-derived fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corman, J. C.; Fox, G. R.

1978-01-01

The desire to establish an efficient Energy Conversion System to utilize the fossil fuel of the future - coal - has produced many candidate systems. A comparative technical/economic evaluation was performed on the seven most attractive advanced energy conversion systems. The evaluation maintains a cycle-to-cycle consistency in both performance and economic projections. The technical information base can be employed to make program decisions regarding the most attractive concept. A reference steam power plant was analyzed to the same detail and, under the same ground rules, was used as a comparison base. The power plants were all designed to utilize coal or coal-derived fuels and were targeted to meet an environmental standard. The systems evaluated were two advanced steam systems, a potassium topping cycle, a closed cycle helium system, two open cycle gas turbine combined cycles, and an open cycle MHD system.

Gas may be answer to world`s fuel needs

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

Nakicenovic, N.; Nolan, L.

1995-08-01

Natural gas could become the major energy source of the 21st century, serving as a {open_quotes}bridge{close_quotes} fuel from the use of fossil fuels today to renewable energy sources tomorrow, say Nebojsa Nakicenovic and Lucy Nolan. Nakicenovic is a project leader and Nolan is a former research assistant for the Environmentally Compatible Energy Strategies Project at an Austrian research institute. The use of nuclear energy will by stymied by public opposition, costs, and waste-storage problems; renewable energy technology, on the other hand, must still overcome many technological barriers. Natural gas, then, is likely to become our next dominant energy source. {open_quotes}Themore » development of a methane economy, led by increased use of natural gas, could provide another important step in the world`s century-old stride toward a carbon-free economy,{close_quotes} the authors conclude.« less

Encapsulated fuel unit and method of forming same

DOEpatents

Groh, Edward F.; Cassidy, Dale A.; Lewandowski, Edward F.

1985-01-01

This invention teaches an encapsulated fuel unit for a nuclear reactor, such as for an enriched uranium fuel plate of thin cross section of the order of 1/64 or 1/8 of an inch and otherwise of rectangular shape 1-2 inches wide and 2-4 inches long. The case is formed from (a) two similar channel-shaped half sections extended lengthwise of the elongated plate and having side edges butted and welded together to define an open ended tube-like structure and from (b) porous end caps welded across the open ends of the tube-like structure. The half sections are preferably of stainless steel between 0.002 and 0.01 of an inch thick, and are beam welded together over and within machined and hardened tool steel chill blocks. The porous end caps preferably are of T-316-L stainless steel having pores of approximately 3-10 microns size.

Improved encapsulated fuel unit and method of forming same

DOEpatents

Groh, E.F.; Cassidy, D.A.; Lewandowski, E.

1982-09-07

This invention teaches an encapsulated fuel unit for a nuclear reactor, such as for an enriched uranium fuel plate of thin cross section of the order of 1/64 or 1/8 of an inch and otherwise of rectangular shape 1 to 2 inches wide and 2 to 4 inches long. The case is formed from (a) two similar channel-shaped half sections extended lengthwise of the elongated plate and having side edges butted and welded together to define an open ended tube-like structure and from (b) porous end caps welded across the open ends of the tube-like structure. The half sections are preferably of stainless steel between 0.002 and 0.01 of an inch thick, and are beam welded together over and within machined and hardened tool steel chill blocks. The porous end caps preferably are of T-316-L stainless steel having pores of approximately 3 to 10 microns size.

Technology for Transportation Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Boston Insulated Wire & Cable developed a new polyimide foam material, commercially known as Solimide, which resists ignition. It chars and decomposes when exposed to open flames. Used in the space shuttle, the material does not "outgas" until it begins to char making it safer than current materials with respect to toxic fumes. The polyimide can be made in two forms: a resilient foam and a rigid foam. Used in commercial transport interiors for such soft components as seat cushions to door, wall, floor, and ceiling panels. Material's flame resistance could lengthen from two minutes to five minutes, the time needed for passenger evacuation in a ground emergency. Could help reduce airline fuel consumption, since the foam is 50% lighter than current materials. Low-smoke cable assemblies used in rapid transit systems consists of an advanced wire and cable jacketing material with superior flame resistance and smoke retardation characteristics. Being supplied to mass transit systems in the U.S. and abroad.

Anaerobic biorefinery: Current status, challenges, and opportunities.

PubMed

Sawatdeenarunat, Chayanon; Nguyen, Duc; Surendra, K C; Shrestha, Shilva; Rajendran, Karthik; Oechsner, Hans; Xie, Li; Khanal, Samir Kumar

2016-09-01

Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been in use for many decades. To date, it has been primarily aimed at treating organic wastes, mainly manures and wastewater sludge, and industrial wastewaters. However, with the current advancements, a more open mind is required to look beyond these somewhat restricted original applications of AD. Biorefineries are such concepts, where multiple products including chemicals, fuels, polymers etc. are produced from organic feedstocks. The anaerobic biorefinery concept is now gaining increased attention, utilizing AD as the final disposal step. This review aims at evaluating the potential significance of anaerobic biorefineries, including types of feedstocks, uses for the produced energy, as well as sustainable applications of the generated residual digestate. A comprehensive analysis of various types of anaerobic biorefineries has been developed, including both large-scale and household level applications. Finally, future directives are highlighted showing how anaerobic biorefinery concept could impact the bioeconomy in the near future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shipping lanes or offshore rigs

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

Not Available

1980-09-01

This information was from the Los Angeles Steamship Association (LASSA) luncheon meeting. The problems of limiting access and availability of the Santa Barbara/Santa Catalina channels to commercial vessel traffic and other related uses. LASSA speaks for about 85% of the maritime industry in Southern California. The Association is actively seeking a compromise with the oil companies in keeping the Vessel Traffic Separation Scheme (VTSS) in the channels; however, the Western Oil and Gas Association (WOGA) is seeking to abolish VTSS as currently established in the channels and move the sea lanes outside the Channel Islands, and open up the entiremore » Santa Barbara Channel to unlimited drilling sites. LASSA claims that moving the VTSS sea lanes outside of the Channel Islands would add 18 to 22 miles to the average trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, with fuel cost etc. would make for a big loss to the merchant ship operators. LASSA has offered to support the concept of opening up the Buffer Zone that separates the Sea Lanes themselves to exploratory drilling. This two mile wide stretch of water is off limits to vessels and it would open new areas to the oil companies heretofore unaccessible to them. (DP)« less

Synthesis of phylogeny and taxonomy into a comprehensive tree of life

PubMed Central

Hinchliff, Cody E.; Smith, Stephen A.; Allman, James F.; Burleigh, J. Gordon; Chaudhary, Ruchi; Coghill, Lyndon M.; Crandall, Keith A.; Deng, Jiabin; Drew, Bryan T.; Gazis, Romina; Gude, Karl; Hibbett, David S.; Katz, Laura A.; Laughinghouse, H. Dail; McTavish, Emily Jane; Midford, Peter E.; Owen, Christopher L.; Ree, Richard H.; Rees, Jonathan A.; Soltis, Douglas E.; Williams, Tiffani; Cranston, Karen A.

2015-01-01

Reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships that unite all lineages (the tree of life) is a grand challenge. The paucity of homologous character data across disparately related lineages currently renders direct phylogenetic inference untenable. To reconstruct a comprehensive tree of life, we therefore synthesized published phylogenies, together with taxonomic classifications for taxa never incorporated into a phylogeny. We present a draft tree containing 2.3 million tips—the Open Tree of Life. Realization of this tree required the assembly of two additional community resources: (i) a comprehensive global reference taxonomy and (ii) a database of published phylogenetic trees mapped to this taxonomy. Our open source framework facilitates community comment and contribution, enabling the tree to be continuously updated when new phylogenetic and taxonomic data become digitally available. Although data coverage and phylogenetic conflict across the Open Tree of Life illuminate gaps in both the underlying data available for phylogenetic reconstruction and the publication of trees as digital objects, the tree provides a compelling starting point for community contribution. This comprehensive tree will fuel fundamental research on the nature of biological diversity, ultimately providing up-to-date phylogenies for downstream applications in comparative biology, ecology, conservation biology, climate change, agriculture, and genomics. PMID:26385966

Synthesis of phylogeny and taxonomy into a comprehensive tree of life.

PubMed

Hinchliff, Cody E; Smith, Stephen A; Allman, James F; Burleigh, J Gordon; Chaudhary, Ruchi; Coghill, Lyndon M; Crandall, Keith A; Deng, Jiabin; Drew, Bryan T; Gazis, Romina; Gude, Karl; Hibbett, David S; Katz, Laura A; Laughinghouse, H Dail; McTavish, Emily Jane; Midford, Peter E; Owen, Christopher L; Ree, Richard H; Rees, Jonathan A; Soltis, Douglas E; Williams, Tiffani; Cranston, Karen A

2015-10-13

Reconstructing the phylogenetic relationships that unite all lineages (the tree of life) is a grand challenge. The paucity of homologous character data across disparately related lineages currently renders direct phylogenetic inference untenable. To reconstruct a comprehensive tree of life, we therefore synthesized published phylogenies, together with taxonomic classifications for taxa never incorporated into a phylogeny. We present a draft tree containing 2.3 million tips-the Open Tree of Life. Realization of this tree required the assembly of two additional community resources: (i) a comprehensive global reference taxonomy and (ii) a database of published phylogenetic trees mapped to this taxonomy. Our open source framework facilitates community comment and contribution, enabling the tree to be continuously updated when new phylogenetic and taxonomic data become digitally available. Although data coverage and phylogenetic conflict across the Open Tree of Life illuminate gaps in both the underlying data available for phylogenetic reconstruction and the publication of trees as digital objects, the tree provides a compelling starting point for community contribution. This comprehensive tree will fuel fundamental research on the nature of biological diversity, ultimately providing up-to-date phylogenies for downstream applications in comparative biology, ecology, conservation biology, climate change, agriculture, and genomics.

Gaseous fuel nuclear reactor research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwenk, F. C.; Thom, K.

1975-01-01

Gaseous-fuel nuclear reactors are described; their distinguishing feature is the use of fissile fuels in a gaseous or plasma state, thereby breaking the barrier of temperature imposed by solid-fuel elements. This property creates a reactor heat source that may be able to heat the propellant of a rocket engine to 10,000 or 20,000 K. At this temperature level, gas-core reactors would provide the breakthrough in propulsion needed to open the entire solar system to manned and unmanned spacecraft. The possibility of fuel recycling makes possible efficiencies of up to 65% and nuclear safety at reduced cost, as well as high-thrust propulsion capabilities with specific impulse up to 5000 sec.

NREL Collaboration Breaks 1-Volt Barrier in CdTe Solar Technology

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

2016-05-01

NREL scientists have worked with Washington State University and the University of Tennessee to improve the maximum voltage available from CdTe solar cells. Changes in dopants, stoichiometry, interface design, and defect chemistry improved the CdTe conductivity and carrier lifetime by orders of magnitude, thus enabling CdTe solar cells with open-circuit voltages exceeding 1 volt for the first time. Values of current density and fill factor for CdTe solar cells are already at high levels, but sub-par voltages has been a barrier to improved efficiencies. With voltages pushed beyond 1 volt, CdTe cells have a path to produce electricity at costsmore » less than fossil fuels.« less

Porous polymers: enabling solutions for energy applications.

PubMed

Thomas, Arne; Kuhn, Pierre; Weber, Jens; Titirici, Maria-Magdalena; Antonietti, Markus

2009-02-18

A new generation of porous polymers was made for various energy-related applications, e.g., as fuel cell membranes, as electrode materials for batteries, for gas storage, partly from renewable resources. This review intends to catch this emerging field by reporting on a variety of different approaches to make high performing polymers porous. This includes template techniques, polymers with inherent microporosity, polymer frameworks by ionothermal polymerization, and the polymerization of carbon from appropriate precursors and by hydrothermal polymerization. In this process, we try to not only identify the current status of the field, but also point to open question and tasks to identify the potentially relevant progress. Copyright © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

75 FR 3876 - Mark Edward Leyse; Receipt of Petition for Rulemaking

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-25

... (assembly) severe fuel damage experiments. The petitioner also requests that the NRC promulgate a regulation... aware that data from multi-rod (assembly) severe fuel damage experiments indicates that the current... fuel damage experiments indicates that the current peak cladding temperature limit contained in 10 CFR...

Distillate Fuel Oil Assessment for Winter 1996-1997

EIA Publications

1997-01-01

This article describes findings of an analysis of the current low level of distillate stocks which are available to help meet the demand for heating fuel this winter, and presents a summary of the Energy Information Administration's distillate fuel oil outlook for the current heating season under two weather scenarios.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Petroleum Reduction Planning Tool

Science.gov Websites

alternative fuel. Values found in Table 1. Fuel Cost Fuel_cost_current Fuel_cost_alt_new Fuel_cost_alt Fuel cost for old vehicle. Fuel cost for new vehicle using conventional vehicle Fuel cost for new vehicle *(Alt_GGE_factor_conv/Alt_GGE_factor)*Alt_GGE_factor*GHG_alt)] Yearly fuel cost savings resulting from fuel and vehicle

NEUTRONIC REACTOR CONSTRUCTION

DOEpatents

Vernon, H.C.; Goett, J.J.

1958-09-01

A cover device is described for the fuel element receiving tube of a neutronic reactor of the heterogeneous, water cooled type wherein said tubes are arranged in a moderator with their longitudinal axes vertical. The cover is provided with means to support a rod-type fuel element from the bottom thereof and means to lock the cover in place, the latter being adapted for remote operation. This cover device is easily removable and seals the opening in the upper end of the fuel tube against leakage of coolant.

Hydrogen Fuel Quality

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

Rockward, Tommy

2012-07-16

For the past 6 years, open discussions and/or meetings have been held and are still on-going with OEM, Hydrogen Suppliers, other test facilities from the North America Team and International collaborators regarding experimental results, fuel clean-up cost, modeling, and analytical techniques to help determine levels of constituents for the development of an international standard for hydrogen fuel quality (ISO TC197 WG-12). Significant progress has been made. The process for the fuel standard is entering final stages as a result of the technical accomplishments. The objectives are to: (1) Determine the allowable levels of hydrogen fuel contaminants in support of themore » development of science-based international standards for hydrogen fuel quality (ISO TC197 WG-12); and (2) Validate the ASTM test method for determining low levels of non-hydrogen constituents.« less

Small Volume Fuel Testers Report

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

Schoegl, I.; McNenly, M. J.; Killingsworth, N. J.

Micro-liter fuel ignition testing (μ-FIT) is based on the premise that characteristics FREI (Flames with Repetitive Extinction and Ignition, i.e. cyclically occurring combustion events within heated capillaries), are linked to fuel properties. In early FY16, proof-of-concept measurements with primary reference fuel (PRF) mixtures, i.e. blends of n-heptane and iso-octane, yielded clear evidence for the feasibility of the approach. Our experiments showed that it is critical to accurately link observed flame positions to local temperatures, which provides information on ignition, extinction and flame propagation, all of which are known to be impacted by fuel properties. In FY16, one major hurdle wasmore » uncertainty of temperature calibration, which required significant efforts for corrective action that were not included in the original scope of work. Temperature calibrations are obtained by translating a thermocouple within the capillary in absence of a flame. While measurements have good repeatability when accounting for transient and insertion effects, results from nominally identical thermocouples reveal unacceptable uncertainty (up to ±50K), which is attributed to variations in thermocouple placement and manufacturing tolerances. This issue is currently being resolved by switching to non-intrusive optical temperature measurements. Updates are expected to yield uncertainties of less than ±10K, while also eliminating transient and insertion effects. The experimental work was complemented by computational efforts where it was shown that a simplified Lagrangian zero-D model with detailed kinetics yields fuelspecific differentiation of ignition temperatures for simple fuels that are consistent with experiments. Further, a 2D transient model was implemented in OpenFOAM to investigate combustion behavior of simple fuels at elevated pressure. In an upcoming visit to LLNL, more advanced simulations using LLNL’s computational tools (e.g. zero-RK) are planned, which will yield additional numerical insights on FREI behavior of more realistic spark ignited (SI) engine fuel surrogates. As there is a lag between DOE FY16 and the time frame of the LSU subcontract, it is anticipated that deliverables outlined in the scope of work will be met by the end of the subcontract (January 2017).« less

Global combustion: the connection between fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions (1997-2010).

PubMed

Balch, Jennifer K; Nagy, R Chelsea; Archibald, Sally; Bowman, David M J S; Moritz, Max A; Roos, Christopher I; Scott, Andrew C; Williamson, Grant J

2016-06-05

Humans use combustion for heating and cooking, managing lands, and, more recently, for fuelling the industrial economy. As a shift to fossil-fuel-based energy occurs, we expect that anthropogenic biomass burning in open landscapes will decline as it becomes less fundamental to energy acquisition and livelihoods. Using global data on both fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions, we tested this relationship over a 14 year period (1997-2010). The global average annual carbon emissions from biomass burning during this time were 2.2 Pg C per year (±0.3 s.d.), approximately one-third of fossil fuel emissions over the same period (7.3 Pg C, ±0.8 s.d.). There was a significant inverse relationship between average annual fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions. Fossil fuel emissions explained 8% of the variation in biomass burning emissions at a global scale, but this varied substantially by land cover. For example, fossil fuel burning explained 31% of the variation in biomass burning in woody savannas, but was a non-significant predictor for evergreen needleleaf forests. In the land covers most dominated by human use, croplands and urban areas, fossil fuel emissions were more than 30- and 500-fold greater than biomass burning emissions. This relationship suggests that combustion practices may be shifting from open landscape burning to contained combustion for industrial purposes, and highlights the need to take into account how humans appropriate combustion in global modelling of contemporary fire. Industrialized combustion is not only an important driver of atmospheric change, but also an important driver of landscape change through companion declines in human-started fires.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Global combustion: the connection between fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions (1997–2010)

PubMed Central

Balch, Jennifer K.; Nagy, R. Chelsea; Archibald, Sally; Moritz, Max A.; Williamson, Grant J.

2016-01-01

Humans use combustion for heating and cooking, managing lands, and, more recently, for fuelling the industrial economy. As a shift to fossil-fuel-based energy occurs, we expect that anthropogenic biomass burning in open landscapes will decline as it becomes less fundamental to energy acquisition and livelihoods. Using global data on both fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions, we tested this relationship over a 14 year period (1997–2010). The global average annual carbon emissions from biomass burning during this time were 2.2 Pg C per year (±0.3 s.d.), approximately one-third of fossil fuel emissions over the same period (7.3 Pg C, ±0.8 s.d.). There was a significant inverse relationship between average annual fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions. Fossil fuel emissions explained 8% of the variation in biomass burning emissions at a global scale, but this varied substantially by land cover. For example, fossil fuel burning explained 31% of the variation in biomass burning in woody savannas, but was a non-significant predictor for evergreen needleleaf forests. In the land covers most dominated by human use, croplands and urban areas, fossil fuel emissions were more than 30- and 500-fold greater than biomass burning emissions. This relationship suggests that combustion practices may be shifting from open landscape burning to contained combustion for industrial purposes, and highlights the need to take into account how humans appropriate combustion in global modelling of contemporary fire. Industrialized combustion is not only an important driver of atmospheric change, but also an important driver of landscape change through companion declines in human-started fires. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216509

Fully Burdened Cost of Fuel Using Input-Output Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

Distribution Model could be used to replace the current seven-step Fully Burdened Cost of Fuel process with a single step, allowing for less complex and...wide extension of the Bulk Fuels Distribution Model could be used to replace the current seven-step Fully Burdened Cost of Fuel process with a single...ABBREVIATIONS AEM Atlantic, Europe, and the Mediterranean AOAs Analysis of Alternatives DAG Defense Acquisition Guidebook DAU Defense Acquisition University

Regulatory cross-cutting topics for fuel cycle facilities.

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

Denman, Matthew R.; Brown, Jason; Goldmann, Andrew Scott

This report overviews crosscutting regulatory topics for nuclear fuel cycle facilities for use in the Fuel Cycle Research & Development Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening study. In particular, the regulatory infrastructure and analysis capability is assessed for the following topical areas: Fire Regulations (i.e., how applicable are current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and/or International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fire regulations to advance fuel cycle facilities) Consequence Assessment (i.e., how applicable are current radionuclide transportation tools to support risk-informed regulations and Level 2 and/or 3 PRA) While not addressed in detail, the following regulatory topic is also discussed: Integrated Security,more » Safeguard and Safety Requirement (i.e., how applicable are current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations to future fuel cycle facilities which will likely be required to balance the sometimes conflicting Material Accountability, Security, and Safety requirements.)« less

Application of the monolithic solid oxide fuel cell to space power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myles, Kevin M.; Bhattacharyya, Samit K.

1991-01-01

The monolithic solid-oxide fuel cell (MSOFC) is a promising electrochemical power generation device that is currently under development at Argonne National Laboratory. The extremely high power density of the MSOFC leads to MSOFC systems that have sufficiently high energy densities that they are excellent candidates for a number of space missions. The fuel cell can also be operated in reverse, if it can be coupled to an external power source, to regenerate the fuel and oxidant from the water product. This feature further enhances the potential mission applications of the MSOFC. In this paper, the current status of the fuel cell development is presented—the focus being on fabrication and currently achievable performance. In addition, a specific example of a space power system, featuring a liquid metal cooled fast spectrum nuclear reactor and a monolithic solid oxide fuel cell, is presented to demonstrate the features of an integrated system.

Advanced fuel system technology for utilizing broadened property aircraft fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reck, G. M.

1980-01-01

Possible changes in fuel properties are identified based on current trends and projections. The effect of those changes with respect to the aircraft fuel system are examined and some technological approaches to utilizing those fuels are described.

Emerging Open Online Distance Education Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Raymond

2012-01-01

A revolution of sorts is underway in providing open access to rich resources, actual courses, and even entire degrees online. This revolution is fueled by the combination of a bubble in tuition rates, lingering effects of the recession, monumental student debt exceeding one trillion dollars in the United States, development of increasingly…

Electrohydrodynamic-assisted Assembly of Hierarchically Structured, 3D Crumpled Nanostructures for Efficient Solar Conversions

DOE PAGES

Ishihara, Hidetaka; Chen, Yen-Chang; De Marco, Nicholas; ...

2016-12-07

The tantalizing prospect of harnessing the unique properties of graphene crumpled nanostructures continues to fuel tremendous interest in energy storage and harvesting applications. However, the paper ball-like, hard texture, and closed-sphere morphology of current 3D graphitic nanostructure production not only constricts the conductive pathways but also limits the accessible surface area. Here, we report new insights into electrohydrodynamically-generated droplets as colloidal nanoreactors in that the stimuli-responsive nature of reduced graphene oxide can lead to the formation of crumpled nanostructures with a combination of open structures and doubly curved, saddle-shaped edges. In particular, the crumpled nanostructures dynamically adapt to non-spherical, polyhedralmore » shapes under continuous deposition, ultimately assembling into foam-like microstructures with a highly accessible surface area and spatially interconnected transport pathways. The implementation of such crumpled nanostructures as three-dimensional rear contacts for solar conversion applications realize benefits of a high aspect ratio, electrically addressable and energetically favorable interfaces, and substantial enhancement of both short-circuit currents and fill-factors compared to those made of planar graphene counterparts. Further, the 3D crumpled nanostructures may shed lights onto the development of effective electrocatalytic electrodes due to their open structure that simultaneously allows for efficient water flow and hydrogen escape.« less

Electrohydrodynamic-assisted Assembly of Hierarchically Structured, 3D Crumpled Nanostructures for Efficient Solar Conversions.

PubMed

Ishihara, Hidetaka; Chen, Yen-Chang; De Marco, Nicholas; Lin, Oliver; Huang, Chih-Meng; Limsakoune, Vipawee; Chou, Yi-Chia; Yang, Yang; Tung, Vincent

2016-12-07

The tantalizing prospect of harnessing the unique properties of graphene crumpled nanostructures continues to fuel tremendous interest in energy storage and harvesting applications. However, the paper ball-like, hard texture, and closed-sphere morphology of current 3D graphitic nanostructure production not only constricts the conductive pathways but also limits the accessible surface area. Here, we report new insights into electrohydrodynamically-generated droplets as colloidal nanoreactors in that the stimuli-responsive nature of reduced graphene oxide can lead to the formation of crumpled nanostructures with a combination of open structures and doubly curved, saddle-shaped edges. In particular, the crumpled nanostructures dynamically adapt to non-spherical, polyhedral shapes under continuous deposition, ultimately assembling into foam-like microstructures with a highly accessible surface area and spatially interconnected transport pathways. The implementation of such crumpled nanostructures as three-dimensional rear contacts for solar conversion applications realize benefits of a high aspect ratio, electrically addressable and energetically favorable interfaces, and substantial enhancement of both short-circuit currents and fill-factors compared to those made of planar graphene counterparts. Further, the 3D crumpled nanostructures may shed lights onto the development of effective electrocatalytic electrodes due to their open structure that simultaneously allows for efficient water flow and hydrogen escape.

Electrohydrodynamic-assisted Assembly of Hierarchically Structured, 3D Crumpled Nanostructures for Efficient Solar Conversions

PubMed Central

Ishihara, Hidetaka; Chen, Yen-Chang; De Marco, Nicholas; Lin, Oliver; Huang, Chih-Meng; Limsakoune, Vipawee; Chou, Yi-Chia; Yang, Yang; Tung, Vincent

2016-01-01

The tantalizing prospect of harnessing the unique properties of graphene crumpled nanostructures continues to fuel tremendous interest in energy storage and harvesting applications. However, the paper ball-like, hard texture, and closed-sphere morphology of current 3D graphitic nanostructure production not only constricts the conductive pathways but also limits the accessible surface area. Here, we report new insights into electrohydrodynamically-generated droplets as colloidal nanoreactors in that the stimuli-responsive nature of reduced graphene oxide can lead to the formation of crumpled nanostructures with a combination of open structures and doubly curved, saddle-shaped edges. In particular, the crumpled nanostructures dynamically adapt to non-spherical, polyhedral shapes under continuous deposition, ultimately assembling into foam-like microstructures with a highly accessible surface area and spatially interconnected transport pathways. The implementation of such crumpled nanostructures as three-dimensional rear contacts for solar conversion applications realize benefits of a high aspect ratio, electrically addressable and energetically favorable interfaces, and substantial enhancement of both short-circuit currents and fill-factors compared to those made of planar graphene counterparts. Further, the 3D crumpled nanostructures may shed lights onto the development of effective electrocatalytic electrodes due to their open structure that simultaneously allows for efficient water flow and hydrogen escape. PMID:27924857

A mathematical model of a large open fire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harsha, P. T.; Bragg, W. N.; Edelman, R. B.

1981-01-01

A mathematical model capable of predicting the detailed characteristics of large, liquid fuel, axisymmetric, pool fires is described. The predicted characteristics include spatial distributions of flame gas velocity, soot concentration and chemical specie concentrations including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water, unreacted oxygen, unreacted fuel and nitrogen. Comparisons of the predictions with experimental values are also given.

49 CFR 175.310 - Transportation of flammable liquid fuel; aircraft only means of transportation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., no person may smoke, carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe, or operate any device capable of... carrying of any lighted cigar, pipe, cigarette or flame, and the use of anything that might cause an open... of the fuel and the hazards involved. (e) Operators must comply with the following: (1) If the...

49 CFR 175.310 - Transportation of flammable liquid fuel; aircraft only means of transportation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., no person may smoke, carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe, or operate any device capable of... carrying of any lighted cigar, pipe, cigarette or flame, and the use of anything that might cause an open... of the fuel and the hazards involved. (e) Operators must comply with the following: (1) If the...

49 CFR 175.310 - Transportation of flammable liquid fuel; aircraft only means of transportation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., no person may smoke, carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe, or operate any device capable of... carrying of any lighted cigar, pipe, cigarette or flame, and the use of anything that might cause an open... of the fuel and the hazards involved. (e) Operators must comply with the following: (1) If the...

49 CFR 175.310 - Transportation of flammable liquid fuel; aircraft only means of transportation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., no person may smoke, carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe, or operate any device capable of... carrying of any lighted cigar, pipe, cigarette or flame, and the use of anything that might cause an open... of the fuel and the hazards involved. (e) Operators must comply with the following: (1) If the...

Fuel-reduction treatments for restoration in eastern hardwoods: impacts on multiple ecosystem components

Treesearch

Thomas A. Waldrop; Daniel A. Yaussy; Ralph E.J. Boerner; Cathryn H. Greenberg; Dean M. Simon

2013-01-01

The Southern Appalachian Mountains and Ohio Hills sites are unique within the National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study because they are in hardwood-dominated forests. The efficacy of four fuel-reduction treatments was evaluated to restore these unmanaged hardwood forests to the structure and function of open woodland habitats. Treatments included control, prescribed...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maine's Only Biodiesel Manufacturer Powers

Science.gov Websites

this project, contact Maine Clean Communities. Download QuickTime Video QuickTime (.mov) Download Windows Media Video Windows Media (.wmv) Video Download Help Text version See more videos provided by truck Krug Energy Opens Natural Gas Fueling Station in Arkansas June 18, 2016 photo of natural gas

78 FR 47785 - Biweekly Notice; Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses and Combined Licenses...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-06

... correlation for the General Electric Nuclear Energy advanced fuel designs (i.e., GE14 and GNF2 fuels) used at... Electric Nuclear Energy in its report, ``10 CFR 21 Reportable Condition Notification: Potential to Exceed... failure-maximum demand open (PRFO) transient as reported by General Electric Nuclear Energy in its Part 21...

ATR Spent Fuel Options Study

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

Connolly, Michael James; Bean, Thomas E.; Brower, Jeffrey O.

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is a materials and fuels test nuclear reactor that performs irradiation services for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Naval Reactors, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and other research programs. ATR achieved initial criticality in 1967 and is expected to operate in support of needed missions until the year 2050 or beyond. It is anticipated that ATR will generate approximately 105 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) elements per year through the year 2050. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) currently stores 2,008 ATR SNF elements in dry storage, 976 in wet storage,more » and expects to have 1,000 elements in wet storage before January 2017. A capability gap exists at INL for long-term (greater than the year 2050) management, in compliance with the Idaho Settlement Agreement (ISA), of ATR SNF until a monitored retrievable geological repository is open. INL has significant wet and dry storage capabilities that are owned by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) and operated and managed by Fluor Idaho, which include the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center’s (INTEC’s) CPP-666, CPP-749, and CPP-603. In addition, INL has other capabilities owned by DOE-NE and operated and managed by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), which are located at the Materials and Fuel Complex (MFC). Additional storage capabilities are located on the INL Site at the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF). Current INL SNF management planning, as defined in the Fluor Idaho contract, shows INTEC dry fuel storage, which is currently used for ATR SNF, will be nearly full after transfer of an additional 1,000 ATR SNF from wet storage. DOE-NE tasked BEA with identifying and analyzing options that have the potential to fulfill this capability gap. BEA assembled a team comprised of SNF management experts from Fluor Idaho, Savannah River Site (SRS), INL/BEA, and the MITRE Corp with an objective of developing and analyzing options for fulfilling the capability gap. This management options analysis is not an alternatives analysis as defined by DOE Order 413.3B; rather, it is an evaluation of near-term, mid term and long-term actions needed to fulfill the capability gap. The actions are described in sufficient detail to inform stakeholders and DOE decision makers regarding a potential path forward. The recommended path forward will inform Fiscal Year 2019 budget formulation, support potential National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses, and may or may not include capital asset projects.« less

Electrochemical testing of suspension plasma sprayed solid oxide fuel cell electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waldbillig, D.; Kesler, O.

Electrochemical performance of metal-supported plasma sprayed (PS) solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was tested for three nominal electrolyte thicknesses and three electrolyte fabrication conditions to determine the effects of electrolyte thickness and microstructure on open circuit voltage (OCV) and series resistance (R s). The measured OCV values were approximately 90% of the Nernst voltages, and electrolyte area specific resistances below 0.1 Ω cm 2 were obtained at 750 °C for electrolyte thicknesses below 20 μm. Least-squares fitting was used to estimate the contributions to R s of the YSZ bulk material, its microstructure, and the contact resistance between the current collectors and the cells. It was found that the 96% dense electrolyte layers produced from high plasma gas flow rate conditions had the lowest permeation rates, the highest OCV values, and the smallest electrolyte-related voltage losses. Optimal electrolyte thicknesses were determined for each electrolyte microstructure that would result in the lowest combination of OCV loss and voltage loss due to series resistance for operating voltages of 0.8 V and 0.7 V.

Feedback laws for fuel minimization for transport aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Price, D. B.; Gracey, C.

1984-01-01

The Theoretical Mechanics Branch has as one of its long-range goals to work toward solving real-time trajectory optimization problems on board an aircraft. This is a generic problem that has application to all aspects of aviation from general aviation through commercial to military. Overall interest is in the generic problem, but specific problems to achieve concrete results are examined. The problem is to develop control laws that generate approximately optimal trajectories with respect to some criteria such as minimum time, minimum fuel, or some combination of the two. These laws must be simple enough to be implemented on a computer that is flown on board an aircraft, which implies a major simplification from the two point boundary value problem generated by a standard trajectory optimization problem. In addition, the control laws allow for changes in end conditions during the flight, and changes in weather along a planned flight path. Therefore, a feedback control law that generates commands based on the current state rather than a precomputed open-loop control law is desired. This requirement, along with the need for order reduction, argues for the application of singular perturbation techniques.

Combined theoretical and experimental analysis of processes determining cathode performance in solid oxide fuel cells.

PubMed

Kuklja, M M; Kotomin, E A; Merkle, R; Mastrikov, Yu A; Maier, J

2013-04-21

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are under intensive investigation since the 1980's as these devices open the way for ecologically clean direct conversion of the chemical energy into electricity, avoiding the efficiency limitation by Carnot's cycle for thermochemical conversion. However, the practical development of SOFC faces a number of unresolved fundamental problems, in particular concerning the kinetics of the electrode reactions, especially oxygen reduction reaction. We review recent experimental and theoretical achievements in the current understanding of the cathode performance by exploring and comparing mostly three materials: (La,Sr)MnO3 (LSM), (La,Sr)(Co,Fe)O3 (LSCF) and (Ba,Sr)(Co,Fe)O3 (BSCF). Special attention is paid to a critical evaluation of advantages and disadvantages of BSCF, which shows the best cathode kinetics known so far for oxides. We demonstrate that it is the combined experimental and theoretical analysis of all major elementary steps of the oxygen reduction reaction which allows us to predict the rate determining steps for a given material under specific operational conditions and thus control and improve SOFC performance.

Discussion on ``The Second Law and Energy''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lloyd, Seth; Banerjee, Debjyoti; Bejan, Adrian; Beretta, Gian Paolo; Geskin, Ernest; Ghoniem, Ahmed; Gutowski, Timothy G.; Gyftopoulos, Elias P.; Keck, James C.; Lior, Noam; Miller, Sam; Nieuwenhuizen, Theodorus M.; Peterson, Richard; Salamon, Peter; Williamson, Lihong

2008-08-01

This article reports an open discussion that took place during the Keenan Symposium "Meeting the Entropy Challenge" (held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on October 5, 2007) following the short presentations—each reported as a separate article in the present volume—by Thomas Widmer, Ernest Geskin, James Keck, Noam Lior, Debjyoti Banerjee, Richard Peterson, Erik Ydstie, Ron Zevenhoven, Zhuomin Zhang, and Ahmed Ghoniem. All panelists and the audience were asked to address the following questions • Current state-of-the-art efficiency of combined-cycle energy conversion technology is about 60%. Based on the trend of historical data, some forecast that second-law efficiency of energy conversion will reach 80% by the end of the century. What technologies are at sight that might hold this promise? • Nanotechnologies and microtechnologies point towards the development of microscopic heat engines? How do second law limitations map down to these scales? • Combustion is the principal way of converting the chemical energy of fossil fuels to thermal energy, but it is highly irreversible. Are there promising ways to reduce combustion irreversibility? Are fuel cells the only alternative to combustion?

Economic study of future aircraft fuels (1970-2000)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, A. D., III

1972-01-01

Future aircraft fuels are evaluated in terms of fuel resource availability and pricing, processing methods, and economic projections over the period 1970-2000. Liquefied hydrogen, methane and propane are examined as potential turbine engine aircraft fuels relative to current JP fuel.

Report on annual utility oil buyers conference

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

Stambler, K.

1994-08-01

What was discussed at this year`s Utility Oil Buyers` Conference is summarized. This year`s conference was held in Boston and there were over 200 attendees representing over 130 different companies from the utility, oil trading, consulting and inspection industries. Attendees for this year`s came from as far away as Italy and Argentina. The mood at this year`s conference was somber, as each sector is feeling the effects of the decline in residual fuel oil demand--due to natural gas displacement, non-utility generation and an economy that is still lethargic. The topics that were covered ranged from {open_quotes}Life after Order 636{close_quotes} tomore » {open_quotes}Does Residual Fuel Oil Have a Future in a Utility Steam Boiler?{close_quotes} to {open_quotes}The Future of Shipping after OPA of 1990.{close_quotes} In addition, there were several topics that have been or will be covered at this conference.« less

Studies on exhaust emissions of mahua oil operated compression ignition engine.

PubMed

Kapilan, N; Reddy, R P

2009-07-01

The world is confronted with fossil fuel depletion and environmental degradation. The energy demand and pollution problems lead to research for an alternative renewable energy sources. Vegetable oils and biodiesel present a very promising alternative fuel to diesel. In this work, an experimental work was carried out to study the feasibility of using raw mahua oil (MO) as a substitute for diesel in dual fuel engine. A single cylinder diesel engine was modified to work in dual fuel mode and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was used as primary fuel and mahua oil was used as pilot fuel. The results show that the performance of the dual fuel engine at the injector opening pressure of 220 bar and the advanced injection timing of 30 degrees bTDC results in performance close to diesel base line (DBL) operation and lower smoke and oxides of nitrogen emission.

Fuel characteristics pertinent to the design of aircraft fuel systems, Supplement I : additional information on MIL-F-7914(AER) grade JP-5 fuel and several fuel oils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, Henry C; Hibbard, Robert R

1953-01-01

Since the release of the first NACA publication on fuel characteristics pertinent to the design of aircraft fuel systems (NACA-RM-E53A21), additional information has become available on MIL-F7914(AER) grade JP-5 fuel and several of the current grades of fuel oils. In order to make this information available to fuel-system designers as quickly as possible, the present report has been prepared as a supplement to NACA-RM-E53A21. Although JP-5 fuel is of greater interest in current fuel-system problems than the fuel oils, the available data are not as extensive. It is believed, however, that the limited data on JP-5 are sufficient to indicate the variations in stocks that the designer must consider under a given fuel specification. The methods used in the preparation and extrapolation of data presented in the tables and figures of this supplement are the same as those used in NACA-RM-E53A21.

Fuel sensor-less control of a liquid feed fuel cell under dynamic loading conditions for portable power sources (II)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, C. L.; Chen, C. Y.; Sung, C. C.; Liou, D. H.; Chang, C. Y.; Cha, H. C.

This work presents a new fuel sensor-less control scheme for liquid feed fuel cells that is able to control the supply to a fuel cell system for operation under dynamic loading conditions. The control scheme uses cell-operating characteristics, such as potential, current, and power, to regulate the fuel concentration of a liquid feed fuel cell without the need for a fuel concentration sensor. A current integral technique has been developed to calculate the quantity of fuel required at each monitoring cycle, which can be combined with the concentration regulating process to control the fuel supply for stable operation. As verified by systematic experiments, this scheme can effectively control the fuel supply of a liquid feed fuel cell with reduced response time, even under conditions where the membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA) deteriorates gradually. This advance will aid the commercialization of liquid feed fuel cells and make them more adaptable for use in portable and automotive power units such as laptops, e-bikes, and handicap cars.

EMISSIONS OF ORGANIC AIR TOXICS FROM OPEN ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A detailed literature search was performed to collect and collate available data reporting emissions of toxic organic substances into the air from open burning sources. Availability of data varied according to the source and the class of air toxics of interest. Volatile organic compound (VOC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) data were available for many of the sources. Data on semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) that are not PAHs were available for several sources. Carbonyl and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) data were available for only a few sources. There were several sources for which no emissions data were available at all. Several observations were made including: 1) Biomass open burning sources typically emitted less VOCs than open burning sources with anthropogenic fuels on a mass emitted per mass burned basis, particularly those where polymers were concerned; 2) Biomass open burning sources typically emitted less SVOCs and PAHs than anthropogenic sources on a mass emitted per mass burned basis. Burning pools of crude oil and diesel fuel produced significant amounts of PAHs relative to other types of open burning. PAH emissions were highest when combustion of polymers was taking place; and 3) Based on very limited data, biomass open burning sources typically produced higher levels of carbonyls than anthropogenic sources on a mass emitted per mass burned basis, probably due to oxygenated structures r

Panel estimation for renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, economic growth, CO2 emissions, the composite trade intensity, and financial openness of the commonwealth of independent states.

PubMed

Rasoulinezhad, Ehsan; Saboori, Behnaz

2018-04-13

This article investigates the long-run and causal linkages between economic growth, CO 2 emissions, renewable and non-renewable (fossil fuels) energy consumption, the Composite Trade Intensity (CTI) as a proxy for trade openness, and the Chinn-Ito index as a proxy for financial openness for a panel of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan over the period of 1992-2015. It is the first time that CTI and the Chinn-Ito indexes are used in an economic-pollution model. Employing three panel unit root tests, panel cointegration estimation methods (DOLS and FMOLS), and two panel causality tests, the main empirical results provided evidence for the bidirectional long-run relationship between all the variables in all 12 sampled countries except for economic growth-renewable energy use linkage. The findings of causality tests indicated that there is a unidirectional short-run panel causality running from economic growth, financial openness, and trade openness to CO 2 emissions and from fossil fuel energy consumption to renewable energy use.

Effect of Axially Staged Fuel Introduction on Performance of One-quarter Sector of Annular Turbojet Combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zettle, Eugene V; Mark, Herman

1953-01-01

The design principle of injecting liquid fuel at more than one axial station in an annual turbojet combustor was investigated. Fuel was injected into the combustor as much as 5 inches downstream of the primary fuel injectors. Many fuel-injection configurations were examined and the performance results are presented for 11 configurations that best demonstrate the trends in performance obtained. The performance investigations were made at a constant combustor-inlet pressure of 15 inches of mercury absolute and at air flows up to 70 percent higher than values typical of current design practice. At these higher air flows, staging the fuel introduction improved the combustion efficiency considerably over that obtained in the combustor when no fuel staging was employed. At air flows currently encountered in turbojet engines, fuel staging was of minor value. Radial temperature distribution seemed relatively unaffected by the location of fuel-injection stations.

Optimization of Environmental Conditions to Maximize Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Through Algal Growth

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

this would complete the fossil fuel cycle, as algae are understood to be the progenitors of our current oil based fossil fuel stocks. As primary... oil . However, considering the scope of the world’s energy uses, these sources cannot possibly replace the fossil fuels currently in use. Some...122 Jatropha 1892 140 77 Coconut 2689 99 54 Oil Palm 5950 45 24 * For meeting 50% of transport fuel requirements in the United States

Summary of the thermal evaluation of LWBR (LWBR Development Program)

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

Lerner, S.; McWilliams, K.D.; Stout, J.W.

1980-03-01

This report describes the thermal evaluation of the core for the Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor. This core contains unique thermal-hydraulic features such as (1) close rod-to-rod proximity, (2) an open-lattice array of fuel rods with two different diameters and rod-to-rod spacings in the same flow region, (3) triplate orifices located at both the entrance and exit of fuel modules and (4) a hydraulically-balanced movable-fuel system coupled with (5) axial-and-radial fuel zoning for reactivity control. Performance studies used reactor thermal principles such as the hot-and-nominal channel concept and related nuclear/engineering design allowances. These were applied to models of three-dimensional roddedmore » arrays comprising the core fuel regions.« less

Characterization of Emissions from Liquid Fuel and Propane Open Burns.

PubMed

Aurell, Johanna; Hubble, David; Gullett, Brian K; Holder, Amara; Washburn, Ephraim; Tabor, Dennis

2017-11-07

The effect of accidental fires are simulated to understand the response of items such as vehicles, fuel tanks, and military ordnance and to remediate the effects through re-design of the items or changes in operational procedures. The comparative combustion emissions of using jet propellant (JP-5) liquid fuel pools or a propane manifold grid to simulate the effects of accidental fires was investigated. A helium-filled tethered aerostat was used to maneuver an instrument package into the open fire plumes to measure CO, CO 2 , fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and elemental/organic/total carbon (EC/OC/TC). The results showed that all emissions except CO 2 were significantly higher from JP-5 burns than from propane. The major portion of the PM mass from fires of both fuels was less than 1 μm in diameter and differed in carbon content. The PM 2.5 emission factor from JP-5 burns (129 ± 23 g/kg Fuel c ) was approximately 150 times higher than the PM 2.5 emission factor from propane burns (0.89 ± 0.21 g/kg Fuel c ). The PAH emissions as well as some VOCs were more than one hundred times higher for the JP-5 burns than the propane burns. Using the propane test method to study flammability responses, the environmental impact of PM 2.5 , PAHs, and VOCs would be reduced by 2300, 700, and 100 times per test, respectively.

In-plane structuring of proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathodes: Effect of ionomer equivalent weight structuring on performance and current density distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herden, Susanne; Riewald, Felix; Hirschfeld, Julian A.; Perchthaler, Markus

2017-07-01

Within the active area of a fuel cell inhomogeneous operating conditions occur, however, state of the art electrodes are homogenous over the complete active area. This study uses current density distribution measurements to analyze which ionomer equivalent weight (EW) shows locally the highest current densities. With this information a segmented cathode electrode is manufactured by decal transfer. The segmented electrode shows better performance especially at high current densities compared to homogenous electrodes. Furthermore this segmented catalyst coated membrane (CCM) performs optimal in wet as well as dry conditions, both operating conditions arise in automotive fuel cell applications. Thus, cathode electrodes with an optimized ionomer EW distribution might have a significant impact on future automotive fuel cell development.

Domestic solid fuel combustion in an adult population in Nigeria: A cross sectional analysis of association with respiratory symptoms, quality of life and lung function.

PubMed

Obaseki, Daniel O; Awopeju, Olayemi F; Awokola, Babatunde I; Adeniyi, Bamidele O; Adefuye, Bolanle O; Ozoh, Obianuju B; Isiguzo, Godsent C; Amusa, Ganiyu A; Adewole, Olufemi O; Erhabor, Gregory E

2017-09-01

We examined the association of respiratory symptoms, health status, and lung function with the use of solid fuel (wood, charcoal, coal or crop residue) for cooking or heating in a predominantly non-smoking population. Using the protocol of the Burden of Obstructive Lung Diseases (BOLD) initiative, we collected representative population data using questionnaires and spirometry tests. We categorized solid fuel use into 'never user', 'ex user' and 'current user' based on responses to the survey. We developed regression models to evaluate the relation between use of solid fuel and the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, quality of life and lung function adjusting for confounding variables. Out of 1147 respondents with complete information on domestic fuel type, 33% were 'never-users', 19% were 'ex-users' while 48% reported current use of solid fuel for domestic cooking and/or indoor heating. Compared with never-users, current solid fuel users were more likely to report cough (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.9), cough or phlegm (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.5) and the association was stronger among women (OR: 3.0, 95% CI: 1.3, 7.1 and OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.2, respectively). Current solid fuel users also had lower mental health status (coefficient: ?1.5, 95% CI: ?2.8, - 0.2) compared with the group of never-users. Current or previous domestic use of solid fuels for cooking or heating was not associated with higher prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction (FEV 1 /FVC < LLN). Using solid fuel for domestic cooking or heating was associated with a higher risk of cough or phlegm and a lower mental quality of life. However we found no significant effect in the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction in Ife, Nigeria. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Lean-rich axial stage combustion in a can-annular gas turbine engine

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

Laster, Walter R.; Szedlacsek, Peter

2016-06-14

An apparatus and method for lean/rich combustion in a gas turbine engine (10), which includes a combustor (12), a transition (14) and a combustor extender (16) that is positioned between the combustor (12) and the transition (14) to connect the combustor (12) to the transition (14). Openings (18) are formed along an outer surface (20) of the combustor extender (16). The gas turbine (10) also includes a fuel manifold (28) to extend along the outer surface (20) of the combustor extender (16), with fuel nozzles (30) to align with the respective openings (18). A method (200) for axial stage combustionmore » in the gas turbine engine (10) is also presented.« less

Manifold seal structure for fuel cell stack

DOEpatents

Collins, William P.

1988-01-01

The seal between the sides of a fuel cell stack and the gas manifolds is improved by adding a mechanical interlock between the adhesive sealing strip and the abutting surface of the manifolds. The adhesive is a material which can flow to some extent when under compression, and the mechanical interlock is formed providing small openings in the portion of the manifold which abuts the adhesive strip. When the manifolds are pressed against the adhesive strips, the latter will flow into and through the manifold openings to form buttons or ribs which mechanically interlock with the manifolds. These buttons or ribs increase the bond between the manifolds and adhesive, which previously relied solely on the adhesive nature of the adhesive.

Advanced Ultrafast Spectroscopy for Chemical Detection of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Materials

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

Villa-Aleman, E.; Houk, A.; Spencer, W.

The development of new signatures and observables from processes related to proliferation activities are often related to the development of technologies. In our physical world, the intensity of observables is linearly related to the input drivers (light, current, voltage, etc.). Ultrafast lasers with high peak energies, opens the door to a new regime where the intensity of the observables is not necessarily linear with the laser energy. Potential nonlinear spectroscopic applications include chemical detection via remote sensing through filament generation, material characterization and processing, chemical reaction specificity, surface phenomena modifications, X-ray production, nuclear fusion, etc. The National Security Directorate lasermore » laboratory is currently working to develop new tools for nonproliferation research with femtosecond and picosecond lasers. Prior to this project, we could only achieve laser energies in the 5 nano-Joule range, preventing the study of nonlinear phenomena. To advance our nonproliferation research into the nonlinear regime we require laser pulses in the milli-Joule (mJ) energy range. We have procured and installed a 35 fs-7 mJ laser, operating at one-kilohertz repetition rate, to investigate elemental and molecular detection of materials in the laboratory with potential applications in remote sensing. Advanced, nonlinear Raman techniques will be used to study materials of interest that are in a matrix of many materials and currently with these nonlinear techniques we can achieve greater than three orders of magnitude signal enhancement. This work studying nuclear fuel cycle materials with nonlinear spectroscopies will advance SRNL research capabilities and grow a core capability within the DOE complex.« less

Facile fabrication of network film electrodes with ultrathin Au nanowires for nonenzymatic glucose sensing and glucose/O2 fuel cell.

PubMed

Yang, Lu; Zhang, Yijia; Chu, Mi; Deng, Wenfang; Tan, Yueming; Ma, Ming; Su, Xiaoli; Xie, Qingji; Yao, Shuozhuo

2014-02-15

We report here on the facile fabrication of network film electrodes with ultrathin Au nanowires (AuNWs) and their electrochemical applications for high-performance nonenzymatic glucose sensing and glucose/O2 fuel cell under physiological conditions (pH 7.4, containing 0.15M Cl(-)). AuNWs with an average diameter of ~7 or 2 nm were prepared and can self-assemble into robust network films on common electrodes. The network film electrode fabricated with 2-nm AuNWs exhibits high sensitivity (56.0 μA cm(-2)mM(-1)), low detection limit (20 μM), short response time (within 10s), excellent selectivity, and good storage stability for nonenzymatic glucose sensing. Glucose/O2 fuel cells were constructed using network film electrodes as the anode and commercial Pt/C catalyst modified glassy carbon electrode as cathode. The glucose/O2 fuel cell using 2-nm AuNWs as anode catalyst output a maximum power density of is 126 μW cm(-2), an open-circuit cell voltage of 0.425 V, and a short-circuit current density of 1.34 mA cm(-2), respectively. Due to the higher specific electroactive surface area of 2-nm AuNWs, the network film electrode fabricated with 2-nm AuNWs exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation than the network film electrode fabricated with 7-nm AuNWs. The network film electrode exhibits high electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation under physiological conditions, which is helpful for constructing implantable electronic devices. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards timely Alzheimer diagnosis: A self-powered amperometric biosensor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

PubMed

Moreira, Felismina T C; Sale, M Goreti F; Di Lorenzo, Mirella

2017-01-15

Serious brain disorders, such as the Alzheimer's Disease (AD), are associated with a marked drop in the levels of important neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine (ACh). Real time monitoring of such biomarkers can therefore play a critical role in enhancing AD therapies by allowing timely diagnosis, verifications of treatment effectiveness, and developments of new medicines. In this study, we present the first acetylcholine/oxygen hybrid enzymatic fuel cell for the self-powered on site detection of ACh in plasma, which is based on the combination of an enzymatic anode with a Pt cathode. Firstly, an effective acetylcholinesterase immobilized electrode was developed and its electrochemical performance evaluated. Highly porous gold was used as the electrode material, and the enzyme was immobilized via a one step rapid and simple procedure that does not require the use of harsh chemicals or any electrode/enzyme pre-treatments. The resulting enzymatic electrode was subsequently used as the anode of a miniature flow-through membrane-less fuel cell and showed excellent response to varying concentrations of ACh. The peak power generated by the fuel cell was 4nW at a voltage of 260mV and with a current density of 9μAcm -2 . The limit of detection of the fuel cell sensor was 10μM, with an average response time as short as 3min. These exciting results open new horizons for point-of-care Alzheimer diagnosis and provide an attractive potential alternative to established methods that require laborious and time-consuming sample treatments and expensive instruments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Demand driven salt clean-up in a molten salt fast reactor - Defining a priority list.

PubMed

Merk, B; Litskevich, D; Gregg, R; Mount, A R

2018-01-01

The PUREX technology based on aqueous processes is currently the leading reprocessing technology in nuclear energy systems. It seems to be the most developed and established process for light water reactor fuel and the use of solid fuel. However, demand driven development of the nuclear system opens the way to liquid fuelled reactors, and disruptive technology development through the application of an integrated fuel cycle with a direct link to reactor operation. The possibilities of this new concept for innovative reprocessing technology development are analysed, the boundary conditions are discussed, and the economic as well as the neutron physical optimization parameters of the process are elucidated. Reactor physical knowledge of the influence of different elements on the neutron economy of the reactor is required. Using an innovative study approach, an element priority list for the salt clean-up is developed, which indicates that separation of Neodymium and Caesium is desirable, as they contribute almost 50% to the loss of criticality. Separating Zirconium and Samarium in addition from the fuel salt would remove nearly 80% of the loss of criticality due to fission products. The theoretical study is followed by a qualitative discussion of the different, demand driven optimization strategies which could satisfy the conflicting interests of sustainable reactor operation, efficient chemical processing for the salt clean-up, and the related economic as well as chemical engineering consequences. A new, innovative approach of balancing the throughput through salt processing based on a low number of separation process steps is developed. Next steps for the development of an economically viable salt clean-up process are identified.

Fuel cell generator energy dissipator

DOEpatents

Veyo, Stephen Emery; Dederer, Jeffrey Todd; Gordon, John Thomas; Shockling, Larry Anthony

2000-01-01

An apparatus and method are disclosed for eliminating the chemical energy of fuel remaining in a fuel cell generator when the electrical power output of the fuel cell generator is terminated. During a generator shut down condition, electrically resistive elements are automatically connected across the fuel cell generator terminals in order to draw current, thereby depleting the fuel

Fuel inspection and reconstitution experience at Surry Power Station

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

Brookmire, T.A.

Surry Power Station, located on the James River near Williamsburg, Virginia, has two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors. Unit 2 consistently sets a high standard of fuel performance (no indication of fuel failures in recent cycles), while unit 1, since cycle 6, has been plagued with numerous fuel failures. Both Surry units operate with Westinghouse standard 15 x 15 fuel. Virginia Power management set goals to reduce the coolant activity, thus reducing person-rem exposure and the associated costs of high coolant activity. To achieve this goal, extensive fuel examination campaigns were undertaken that included high-magnification video inspectionsa, debris cleaning, wet andmore » vacuum fuel sipping, fuel rod ultrasonic testing, and eddy current examination. In the summer of 1985, during cycle 8 operation, Kraftwerk Union reconstituted (repaired) the damage, once-burned assemblies from cycles 6 and 7 by replacing failed fuel rods with solid Zircaloy-4 rods. Currently, cycle 9 has operated for 5 months without any indication of fuel failure (the cycle 9 core has two reconstituted assemblies).« less

Effects of High Octane Ethanol Blends on Four Legacy Flex-Fuel Vehicles, and a Turbocharged GDI Vehicle

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

Thomas, John F; West, Brian H; Huff, Shean P

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting engine and vehicle research to investigate the potential of high-octane fuels to improve fuel economy. Ethanol has very high research octane number (RON) and heat of vaporization (HoV), properties that make it an excellent spark ignition engine fuel. The prospects of increasing both the ethanol content and the octane number of the gasoline pool has the potential to enable improved fuel economy in future vehicles with downsized, downsped engines. This report describes a small study to explore the potential performance benefits of high octane ethanol blends in the legacy fleet. There aremore » over 17 million flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) on the road today in the United States, vehicles capable of using any fuel from E0 to E85. If a future high-octane blend for dedicated vehicles is on the horizon, the nation is faced with the classic chicken-and-egg dilemma. If today’s FFVs can see a performance advantage with a high octane ethanol blend such as E25 or E30, then perhaps consumer demand for this fuel can serve as a bridge to future dedicated vehicles. Experiments were performed with four FFVs using a 10% ethanol fuel (E10) with 88 pump octane, and a market gasoline blended with ethanol to make a 30% by volume ethanol fuel (E30) with 94 pump octane. The research octane numbers were 92.4 for the E10 fuel and 100.7 for the E30 fuel. Two vehicles had gasoline direct injected (GDI) engines, and two featured port fuel injection (PFI). Significant wide open throttle (WOT) performance improvements were measured for three of the four FFVs, with one vehicle showing no change. Additionally, a conventional (non-FFV) vehicle with a small turbocharged direct-injected engine was tested with a regular grade of gasoline with no ethanol (E0) and a splash blend of this same fuel with 15% ethanol by volume (E15). RON was increased from 90.7 for the E0 to 97.8 for the E15 blend. Significant wide open throttle and thermal efficiency performance improvement was measured for this vehicle, which achieved near volumetric fuel economy parity on the aggressive US06 drive cycle, demonstrating the potential for improved fuel economy in forthcoming downsized, downsped engines with high-octane fuels.« less

Synthesis and Characterization of Perfluoro Quaternary Ammonium Ion Exchange Membranes for Fuel Cell Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

complex fuels (2, 4-6). Current research on alkali fuel cells is primarily focused on the development of a solid polymer anion exchange membrane ( AEM ...a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. a...research focus the last few decades due to their high power density and low emissions when operating with hydrogen fuel (1-3). Recently however

World wide IFC phosphoric acid fuel cell implementation

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

King, J.M. Jr

1996-04-01

International Fuel Cells, a subsidary of United technologies Corporation, is engaged in research and development of all types of fuel cell technologies and currently manufactures alkaline fuel cell power plants for the U.S. manned space flight program and natural gas fueled stationary power plants using phosphoric acid fuel cells. This paper describes the phosphoric acid fuel cell power plants.

40 CFR 52.1020 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... you wish to obtain materials from a docket in the EPA Headquarters Library, please call the Office of... 102 Open Burning 03/17/2005 02/21/2008, 73 FR 9459 Chapter 103 Fuel Burning Equipment Particular... Applicability. State of Maine MAPA 1 form for Chapter 102 Open Burning Regulation Maine 01/03/2003 02/21/2008...

40 CFR 52.1020 - Identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... you wish to obtain materials from a docket in the EPA Headquarters Library, please call the Office of... 102 Open Burning 03/17/2005 02/21/2008, 73 FR 9459 Chapter 103 Fuel Burning Equipment Particular... Applicability. State of Maine MAPA 1 form for Chapter 102 Open Burning Regulation Maine 01/03/2003 02/21/2008...

Fuel Cell Activities at the NASA Glenn Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohout, Lisa L.; Lyons, Valerie (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Fuel cells have a long history in space applications and may have potential application in aeronautics as well. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that directly transforms the chemical energy of a fuel and oxidant into electrical energy. Alkaline fuel cells have been the mainstay of the U.S. space program, providing power for the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle. However, Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells offer potential benefits over alkaline systems and are currently under development for the next generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). Furthermore, primary and regenerative systems utilizing PEM technology are also being considered for future space applications such as surface power and planetary aircraft. In addition to these applications, the NASA Glenn Research Center is currently studying the feasibility of the use of both PEM and solid oxide fuel cells for low- or zero-emission electric aircraft propulsion. These types of systems have potential applications for high altitude environmental aircraft, general aviation and commercial aircraft, and high attitude airships. NASA Glenn has a unique set of capabilities and expertise essential to the successful development of advanced fuel cell power systems for space and aeronautics applications. NASA Glenn's role in past fuel cell development programs as well as current activities to meet these new challenges will be presented

Striving for balance: maintaining marten habitat while reducing fuels

Treesearch

John Kirkland; Katie Moriarty

2016-01-01

Martens are small forest carnivores associated with dense, mature forests. These important indicators of a forest’s biodiversity are vulnerable to management activities that open the forest canopy or remove downed debris. Many fuel reduction treatment do just that: dense stands of trees are thinned to minimize fire hazard and future fire severity. Until recently, the...

Alt-Energy Grand Prix Inspires an "I Can" Attitude

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tessmer, Al; Trzeciak, Mark

2010-01-01

This article describes how a team comprised largely of high school students builds and races an E85-fueled car and takes first place at the Bowling Green (Ohio) State University (BGSU) Grand Prix. Free and open to the public, the event features student drivers and crews, racing go-karts powered by renewable, ethanol-based E85 fuel. The track is a…

Monovalve with integrated fuel injector and port control valve, and engine using same

DOEpatents

Milam, David M.

2002-01-01

Each cylinder of an internal combustion engine includes a combined gas exchange valve and fuel injector with a port control valve. The port control valve operates to open either an intake passage or an exhaust passage. The operation of the combined device is controlled by a pair of electrical actuators. The device is hydraulically actuated.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Krug Energy Opens Natural Gas Fueling

Science.gov Websites

Cars Go Electric in Florida Feb. 15, 2014 Renzenberger Inc Saves Money With Propane Vans Feb. 1, 2014 Charging Stations Spread Through Philly March 3, 2012 Natural Gas School Buses Help Kansas City Save Money Shuttle Buses Offer Free Rides in Maryland June 18, 2010 Fisher Coachworks Develops Plug-In Electric Bus

40 CFR 52.2723 - EPA-approved Puerto Rico regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...—Agricultural Burning Authorized 9/28/95 ......do Rule 209—Modification of the Allowed Sulfur-in-Fuel Percentage...—Generic Prohibitions 9/28/95 ......do Rule 402—Open Burning 9/28/95 ......do Rule 403—Visible Emissions 9... Rule 406—Fuel Burning Equipment 9/28/95 ......do Rule 407—Process Sources 9/28/95 ......do Rule 408...

The Birth of Nuclear-Generated Electricity

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

1999-09-01

The Experimental Breeder Reactor-I (EBR-I), built in Idaho in 1949, generated the first usable electricity from nuclear power on December 20, 1951. More importantly, the reactor was used to prove that it was possible to create more nuclear fuel in the reactor than it consumed during operation -- fuel breeding. The EBR-I facility is now a National Historic Landmark open to the public.

DoD use of Domestically-Produced Alternative Fuels and Alternative Fuel Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-10

based fuels and biodiesel , in DoD vehicles; (2) current and projected actions by the DoD to increase the use of alternative fuels in vehicles; (3) a...fuels and vehicles. 15. SUBJECT TERMS alternative fuel infrastructure, electric vehicles, biofuels, ethanol, biodiesel , drop-in, synthetic fuel...of: (1) use and potential use of domestically-produced alternative fuels including but not limited to, natural gas based fuels and biodiesel , in DoD

Performance and long term degradation of 7 W micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells for portable applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrell, M.; Morata, A.; Kayser, P.; Kendall, M.; Kendall, K.; Tarancón, A.

2015-07-01

Micro-tubular SOFCs have shown an astonishing thermal shock resistance, many orders of magnitude larger than planar SOFCs, opening the possibility of being used in portable applications. However, only few studies have been devoted to study the degradation of large-area micro-tubular SOFCs. This work presents microstructural, electrochemical and long term degradation studies of single micro-tubular cells fabricated by high shear extrusion, operating in the intermediate range of temperatures (T∼700 °C). A maximum power of 7 W per cell has been measured in a wide range of fuel utilizations between 10% and 60% at 700 °C. A degradation rate of 360 mW/1000 h (8%) has been observed for cells operated over more than 1500 h under fuel utilizations of 40%. Higher fuel utilizations lead to strong degradations associated to nickel oxidation/reduction processes. Quick thermal cycling with heating ramp rates of 30 °C /min yielded degradation rates of 440 mW/100 cycles (9%). These reasonable values of degradation under continuous and thermal cycling operation approach the requirements for many portable applications including auxiliary power units or consumer electronics opening this typically forbidden market to the SOFC technology.

The Charcoal Trap: Miombo Woddlands and the Energy Demands of People

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutsch, W. L.; Merbold, L.; Mukelabai, M. M.

2012-04-01

Miombo woodlands cover the transition zone between dry open savannas and moist forests in Southern Africa. They cover about 2.7 million km2 in southern Africa and provide many ecosystem services that support rural life, including medical products, wild foods, construction timber and fuel. In Zambia, as in many of its neighbouring countries, miombo woodlands are currently experiencing accelerating degradation and clearing, mostly with charcoal production as the initial driver. Domestic energy needs in the growing urban areas are largely satisfied by charcoal, which is less energy-efficient fuel on a tree-to-table basis than the firewood that is used in rural areas, but has a higher energy density and is thus cheaper to transport. This study uses data from inventories and from eddy covariance measurements of carbon exchange to characterize the impact of charcoal production on miombo woodlands. We address the following questions: (i) how much carbon is lost at local as well as at national scale and (ii) does forest degradation result in the loss of a carbon sink? On the basis of our data we (iii) estimate the per capita emissions through deforestation and forest degradation in Zambia and relate it to fossil fuel emissions. Furthermore, (iv) a rough estimate of the energy that is provided by charcoal production to private households at a national level is calculated and (v) options for alternative energy supply to private households are discussed.

Will savannas survive outside the parks? A lesson from Zambia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutsch, W.; Merbold, L.; Scholes, B.; Mukelabai, M.

2012-04-01

Miombo woodlands cover the transition zone between dry open savannas and moist forests in Southern Africa. They cover about 2.7 million km2 in southern Africa and provide many ecosystem services that support rural life, including medical products, wild foods, construction timber and fuel. In Zambia, as in many of its neighbouring countries, miombo woodlands are currently experiencing accelerating degradation and clearing, mostly with charcoal production as the initial driver. Domestic energy needs in the growing urban areas are largely satisfied by charcoal, which is less energy-efficient fuel on a tree-to-table basis than the firewood that is used in rural areas, but has a higher energy density and is thus cheaper to transport. This study uses data from inventories and from eddy covariance measurements of carbon exchange to characterize the impact of charcoal production on miombo woodlands. We address the following questions: (i) how much carbon is lost at local as well as at national scale and (ii) does forest degradation result in the loss of a carbon sink? On the basis of our data we (iii) estimate the per capita emissions through deforestation and forest degradation in Zambia and relate it to fossil fuel emissions. Furthermore, (iv) a rough estimate of the energy that is provided by charcoal production to private households at a national level is calculated and (v) options for alternative energy supply to private households are discussed.

2014 Vehicle Technologies Market Report

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

Davis, Stacy Cagle; Diegel, Susan W; Boundy, Robert Gary

2015-03-01

This is the sixth edition of this report, which details the major trends in U.S. light-duty vehicle and medium/heavy truck markets as well as the underlying trends that caused them. This report is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO), and, in accord with its mission, pays special attention to the progress of high-efficiency and alternative-fuel technologies. After opening with a discussion of energy and economics, this report features a section each on the light-duty vehicle and heavy/medium truck markets, and concluding with a section each on technology and policy. The first section onmore » Energy and Economics discusses the role of transportation energy and vehicle markets on a national (and even international) scale. The following section examines Light-Duty Vehicle use, markets, manufacture, and supply chains. The discussion of Medium and Heavy Trucks offers information on truck sales and technologies specific to heavy trucks. The Technology section offers information on alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure, and the Policy section concludes with information on recent, current, and near-future Federal policies like the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. In total, the information contained in this report is intended to communicate a fairly complete understanding of U.S. highway transportation energy through a series of easily digestible tables and figures.« less

Three-dimensional carbon- and binder-free nickel nanowire arrays as a high-performance and low-cost anode for direct hydrogen peroxide fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Ke; Guo, Fen; Gao, Yinyi; Zhang, Dongming; Cheng, Kui; Zhang, Wenping; Wang, Guiling; Cao, Dianxue

2015-12-01

A novel three-dimensional carbon- and binder-free nickel nanowire arrays (Ni NAs) electrode is successfully fabricated by a facile galvanostatic electrodeposition method using polycarbonate membrane as the template. The Ni NAs electrode achieves a oxidation current density (divided by the electroactive surface areas of Ni) of 25.1 mA cm-2 in 4 mol L-1 KOH and 0.9 mol L-1 H2O2 at 0.2 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) accompanied with a desirable stability, which is significantly higher than the catalytic activity of H2O2 electro-oxidation achieved previously with precious metals as catalysts. The impressive electrocatalytic performance is largely attributed to the superior 3D open structure and high electronic conductivity, which ensures the high utilization of Ni surfaces and makes the electrode have higher electrochemical activity. The apparent activation energy of H2O2 electro-oxidation on the Ni NAs catalyst is 13.59 kJ mol-1. A direct peroxide-peroxide fuel cell using the Ni NAs as anode exhibits a peak power density of 48.7 mW cm-2 at 20 °C. The electrode displays a great promise as the anode of direct peroxide-peroxide fuel cell due to its low cost, high activity and stability.

Use of calophyllum inophyllum biofuel blended with diesel in DI diesel engine modified with nozzle holes and its size

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vairamuthu, G.; Sundarapandian, S.; Thangagiri, B.

2016-05-01

Improved thermal efficiency, reduction in fuel consumption and pollutant emissions from biodiesel fueled diesel engines are important issues in engine research. To achieve these, fast and perfect air-biodiesel mixing are the most important requirements. The mixing quality of biodiesel spray with air can be improved by better design of the injection system. The diesel engine tests were conducted on a 4-stroke tangentially vertical single cylinder (TV1) kirloskar 1500 rpm water cooled direct injection diesel engine with eddy current dynamometer. In this work, by varying different nozzles having spray holes of 3 (base, Ø = 0.280 mm), 4 (modified, Ø = 0.220 mm) and 5 (modified, Ø = 0.240 mm) holes, with standard static injection timing of 23° bTDC and nozzle opening pressure (NOP) of 250 bar maintained as constant throughout the experiment under steady state at full load condition of the engine. The effect of varying different nozzle configuration (number of holes), on the combustion, performance and exhaust emissions, using a blend of calophyllum inophyllum methyl ester by volume in diesel were evaluated. The test results showed that improvement in terms of brake thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption for 4 holes and 5 holes nozzle operated at NOP 250 bar. Substantial improvements in the reduction of emissions levels were also observed for 5 holes nozzle operated at NOP 250 bar.

Limitations of Commercializing Fuel Cell Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordin, Normayati

2010-06-01

Fuel cell is the technology that, nowadays, is deemed having a great potential to be used in supplying energy. Basically, fuel cells can be categorized particularly by the kind of employed electrolyte. Several fuel cells types which are currently identified having huge potential to be utilized, namely, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC), Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC), Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFC), Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFC), Polymer Electron Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC) and Regenerative Fuel Cells (RFC). In general, each of these fuel cells types has their own characteristics and specifications which assign the capability and suitability of them to be utilized for any particular applications. Stationary power generations and transport applications are the two most significant applications currently aimed for the fuel cell market. It is generally accepted that there are lots of advantages if fuel cells can be excessively commercialized primarily in context of environmental concerns and energy security. Nevertheless, this is a demanding task to be accomplished, as there is some gap in fuel cells technology itself which needs a major enhancement. It can be concluded, from the previous study, cost, durability and performance are identified as the main limitations to be firstly overcome in enabling fuel cells technology become viable for the market.

Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels. Part B. Safety and Health Requirements for the Construction and Equipment of Fishing Vessels.

DTIC Science & Technology

1973-01-01

Committee of the Intergovernmental Maritime Con - sultative Organization (IMCO), an agency of the United Nations. In the course of these representations...han 1.8 m. In applying the fcrmula the actual GMo should be known to a sufficicnt degree of accuracy. If a rolling test, on inclining experiment...off oil fuel burners of boilers, fuel oil valves and air dampers should be so arranged that fuel oil inlet valves con bc opened only after air iulet

An assessment of the use of antimisting fuel in turbofan engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fiorentino, A.; Desaro, R.; Franz, T.

1980-01-01

The effects of antimisting kerosene on the performance of the components from the fuel system and the combustor of a JT8D aircraft engine were evaluated. The problems associated with antimisting kerosene were identified and the extent of shearing or degradation required to allow the engine components to achieve satisfactory operation were determined. The performance of the combustor was assessed in a high pressure facility and in an altitude relight/cold ignition facility. The performance of the fuel pump and control system was evaluated in an open loop simulation.

Fuel subassembly leak test chamber for a nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Divona, Charles J.

1978-04-04

A container with a valve at one end is inserted into a nuclear reactor coolant pool. Once in the pool, the valve is opened by a mechanical linkage. An individual fuel subassembly is lifted into the container by a gripper; the valve is then closed providing an isolated chamber for the subassembly. A vacuum is drawn on the chamber to encourage gaseous fission product leakage through any defects in the cladding of the fuel rods comprising the subassembly; this leakage may be detected by instrumentation, and the need for replacement of the assembly ascertained.

Direct ethanol solid oxide fuel cell operating in gradual internal reforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2012-09-01

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

Ignition-delay Characteristics in Modified Open-cup Apparatus of Several Fuels with Nitric Acid Oxidants Within Temperature Range 70 to 105 Degrees F

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Riley O

1951-01-01

Fluid properties and low-temperature ignition delays were obtained for approximately 90 fuel-oxidant combinations. A red fuming nitric acid containing approximately 3 percent water and 19 percent nitrogen tetroxide froze at approximately -87 degrees F and ignited several low-viscosity fuel blends of aromatic amines in triethylamine at -76 degrees F and lower. With this acid, the following average ignition delays were obtained with a blend of 30 percent o-toluidine in triethylamine: ...

Summary and evaluation of the Strategic Defense Initiative Space Power Architecture Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edenburn, M. (Editor); Smith, J. M. (Editor)

1989-01-01

The Space Power Architecture Study (SPAS) identified and evaluated power subsystem options for multimegawatt electric (MMWE) space based weapons and surveillance platforms for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) applications. Steady state requirements of less than 1 MMWE are adequately covered by the SP-100 nuclear space power program and hence were not addressed in the SPAS. Four steady state power systems less than 1 MMWE were investigated with little difference between them on a mass basis. The majority of the burst power systems utilized H(2) from the weapons and were either closed (no effluent), open (effluent release) or steady state with storage (no effluent). Closed systems used nuclear or combustion heat source with thermionic, Rankine, turboalternator, fuel cell and battery conversion devices. Open systems included nuclear or combustion heat sources using turboalternator, magnetohydrodynamic, fuel cell or battery power conversion devices. The steady state systems with storage used the SP-100 or Star-M reactors as energy sources and flywheels, fuel cells or batteries to store energy for burst applications. As with other studies the open systems are by far the lightest, most compact and simplist (most reliable) systems. However, unlike other studies the SPAS studied potential platform operational problems caused by effluents or vibration.

An open circuit voltage equation enabling separation of cathode and anode polarization resistances of ceria electrolyte based solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanxiang; Chen, Yu; Yan, Mufu

2017-07-01

The open circuit voltage (OCV) of solid oxide fuel cells is generally overestimated by the Nernst equation and the Wagner equation, due to the polarization losses at electrodes. Considering both the electronic conduction of electrolyte and the electrode polarization losses, we express the OCV as an implicit function of the characteristic oxygen pressure of electrolyte (p* [atm], at which the electronic and ionic conductivities are the same), and the relative polarization resistance of electrodes (rc = Rc/Ri and ra = Ra/Ri, where Ri/c/a [Ωcm2] denotes the ionic resistance of electrolyte, and the polarization resistances of cathode and anode, respectively). This equation approaches to the Wagner equation when the electrodes are highly active (rc and ra → 0), and approaches to the Nernst equation when the electrolyte is a purely ionic conductor (p* → 0). For the fuel cells whose OCV is well below the prediction of the Wagner equation, for example with thin doped ceria electrolyte, it is demonstrated that the combination of OCV and impedance spectroscopy measurements allows the determination of p*, Rc and Ra. This equation can serve as a simple yet powerful tool to study the internal losses in the cell under open circuit condition.

Developing custom fire behavior fuel models from ecologically complex fuel structures for upper Atlantic Coastal Plain forests

Treesearch

Bernard R. Parresol; Joe H. Scott; Anne Andreu; Susan Prichard; Laurie Kurth

2012-01-01

Currently geospatial fire behavior analyses are performed with an array of fire behavior modeling systems such as FARSITE, FlamMap, and the Large Fire Simulation System. These systems currently require standard or customized surface fire behavior fuel models as inputs that are often assigned through remote sensing information. The ability to handle hundreds or...

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

Kristine Barrett; Shannon Bragg-Sitton

The Advanced Light Water Reactor (LWR) Nuclear Fuel Development Research and Development (R&D) Pathway encompasses strategic research focused on improving reactor core economics and safety margins through the development of an advanced fuel cladding system. To achieve significant operating improvements while remaining within safety boundaries, significant steps beyond incremental improvements in the current generation of nuclear fuel are required. Fundamental improvements are required in the areas of nuclear fuel composition, cladding integrity, and the fuel/cladding interaction to allow power uprates and increased fuel burn-up allowance while potentially improving safety margin through the adoption of an “accident tolerant” fuel system thatmore » would offer improved coping time under accident scenarios. With a development time of about 20 – 25 years, advanced fuel designs must be started today and proven in current reactors if future reactor designs are to be able to use them with confidence.« less

Open-source FCPEM-Performance & Durability Model Consideration of Membrane Properties on Cathode Degradation

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

Knights, Shanna; Harvey, David

The durability of PEM fuel cells is a primary requirement for large scale commercialization of these power systems in transportation and stationary market applications which target operational lifetimes of 5,000 hours and 60,000 hours by 2020, respectively. Key degradation modes contributing to fuel cell lifetime limitations have been largely associated with the platinum-based cathode catalyst layer. Furthermore, as fuel cells are driven to low cost materials and lower catalyst loadings in order to meet the cost targets for commercialization, the catalyst durability has become even more important. While over the past few years significant progress has been made in identifyingmore » the underlying causes of fuel cell degradation and key parameters that greatly influence the degradation rates, many gaps with respect to knowledge of the driving mechanisms still exist; in particular, the acceleration of the mechanisms due to different membrane compositions remains an area not well understood. The focus of this project extension was to enhance the predictive capability of the PEM Fuel Cell Performance & Durability Model called FC-APOLLO (Application Package for Open-source Long Life Operation) by including interaction effects of membrane transport properties such as water transport, changes in proton conductivity, and overall water uptake/adsorption and the state of the catalyst layer local conditions to further understand the driving forces for platinum dissolution.« less

Aviation turbine fuels: An assessment of alternatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The general outlook for aviation turbine fuels, the effect that broadening permissible aviation turbine fuel properties could have on the overall availability of such fuels, the fuel properties most likely to be affected by use of lower grade petroleum crudes, and the research and technology required to ensure that aviation turbine fuels and engines can function satisfactorily with fuels having a range of fuel properties differing from those of current specification fuel are assessed. Views of industry representatives on alternative aviation turbine fuels are presented.

Modeling fuels and fire effects in 3D: Model description and applications

Treesearch

Francois Pimont; Russell Parsons; Eric Rigolot; Francois de Coligny; Jean-Luc Dupuy; Philippe Dreyfus; Rodman R. Linn

2016-01-01

Scientists and managers critically need ways to assess how fuel treatments alter fire behavior, yet few tools currently exist for this purpose.We present a spatially-explicit-fuel-modeling system, FuelManager, which models fuels, vegetation growth, fire behavior (using a physics-based model, FIRETEC), and fire effects. FuelManager's flexible approach facilitates...

Natural history collections: A scientific treasure trove

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2006-01-01

Natural history collections play an indispensable and often overlooked role in the conservation and management of our Nation’s flora and fauna. Scientific specimens housed in museum collections not only open an important window into the current and past diversity of life on Earth, but also play a vital role in fueling cutting-edge scientific research in many disciplines. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) curates a collection of vertebrates from the Intermountain and Southwestern United States that is used by researchers from around the globe. As one of the largest Federal natural history collections in the western United States, the USGS specimen holdings offer unique opportunities to study the fauna of this incredibly diverse and unique region.

Facile Hydrothermal Preparation of ZNO/CO3O4 Heterogeneous Nanostructures and its Photovoltaic Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Fanan; Jiang, Minlin; Liu, Lianqing

2015-07-01

Photovoltaic technology offers great potential in the replacement of fossil fuel resources, but still suffers from high device fabrication cost. Herein, we attempted to provide a solution to these issues with heterogeneous nanostructures. Firstly, Zinc oxide (ZnO)/cobalt oxide (Co3O4) heterojunction nanowires are prepared through facile fabrication methods. By assembling Co(OH)2 nanoplates on ZnO nanowire arrays, the ZnO/Co3O4 heterogeneous nanostructures are uniformly synthesized on ITO coated glass and wafer. Current (I)-voltage (V) measurement through conductive atomic force microscope shows excellent photovoltaic effect. And, the heterojunction nanostructures shows unprecedented high open circuit voltage. Therefore, the potential application of the heterogeneous nanostructures in solar cells is demonstrated.

Bioelectrochemical oxidation of water.

PubMed

Pita, Marcos; Mate, Diana M; Gonzalez-Perez, David; Shleev, Sergey; Fernandez, Victor M; Alcalde, Miguel; De Lacey, Antonio L

2014-04-23

The electrolysis of water provides a link between electrical energy and hydrogen, a high energy density fuel and a versatile energy carrier, but the process is very expensive. Indeed, the main challenge is to reduce energy consumption for large-scale applications using efficient renewable catalysts that can be produced at low cost. Here we present for the first time that laccase can catalyze electrooxidation of H2O to molecular oxygen. Native and laboratory-evolved laccases immobilized onto electrodes serve as bioelectrocatalytic systems with low overpotential and a high O2 evolution ratio against H2O2 production during H2O electrolysis. Our results open new research ground on H2O splitting, as they overcome serious practical limitations associated with artificial electrocatalysts currently used for O2 evolution.

ISTAR: Project Status and Ground Test Engine Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, Jason Eugene

2003-01-01

Review of the current technical and programmatic status of the Integrated System Test of an Airbreathing Rocket (ISTAR) project. November 2002 completed Phase 1 of this project: which worked the conceptual design of the X-43B demonstrator vehicle and Flight Test Engine (FTE) order to develop realistic requirements for the Ground Test Engine (GTE). The latest conceptual FTE and X-43B configuration is briefly reviewed. The project plan is to reduce risk to the GTE and FTE concepts through several tests: thruster, fuel endothermic characterization, engine structure/heat exchanger, injection characterization rig, and full scale direct connect combustion rig. Each of these will be discussed along with the project schedule. This discussion is limited due to ITAR restrictions on open literature papers.

Biogas upgrading and utilization: Current status and perspectives.

PubMed

Angelidaki, Irini; Treu, Laura; Tsapekos, Panagiotis; Luo, Gang; Campanaro, Stefano; Wenzel, Henrik; Kougias, Panagiotis G

Biogas production is an established sustainable process for simultaneous generation of renewable energy and treatment of organic wastes. The increasing interest of utilizing biogas as substitute to natural gas or its exploitation as transport fuel opened new avenues in the development of biogas upgrading techniques. The present work is a critical review that summarizes state-of-the-art technologies for biogas upgrading and enhancement with particular attention to the emerging biological methanation processes. The review includes comprehensive description of the main principles of various biogas upgrading methodologies, scientific and technical outcomes related to their biomethanation efficiency, challenges that have to be addressed for further development and incentives and feasibility of the upgrading concepts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of future fuel properties on aircraft engines and fuel systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudey, R. A.; Grobman, J. S.

1978-01-01

From current projections of the availability of high-quality petroleum crude oils, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the specifications for hydrocarbon jet fuels may have to be modified. The problems that are most likely to be encountered as a result of these modifications relate to engine performance, component durability and maintenance, and aircraft fuel-system performance. The effect on engine performance will be associated with changes in specific fuel consumption, ignition at relight limits, at exhaust emissions. Durability and maintenance will be affected by increases in combustor liner temperatures, carbon deposition, gum formation in fuel nozzles, and erosion and corrosion of turbine blades and vanes. Aircraft fuel-system performance will be affected by increased deposits in fuel-system heat exchangers and changes in the pumpability and flowability of the fuel. The severity of the potential problems is described in terms of the fuel characteristics most likely to change in the future. Recent data that evaluate the ability of current-technology aircraft to accept fuel specification changes are presented, and selected technological advances that can reduce the severity of the problems are described and discussed.

Energy resources - cornucopia or empty barrel?

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCabe, P.J.

1998-01-01

Over the last 25 yr, considerable debate has continued about the future supply of fossil fuel. On one side are those who believe we are rapidly depleting resources and that the resulting shortages will have a profound impact on society. On the other side are those who see no impending crisis because long-term trends are for cheaper prices despite rising production. The concepts of resources and reserves have historically created considerable misunderstanding in the minds of many nongeologists. Hubbert-type predictions of energy production assume that there is a finite supply of energy that is measurable; however, estimates of resources and reserves are inventories of the amounts of a fossil fuel perceived to be available over some future period of time. As those resources/reserves are depleted over time, additional amounts of fossil fuels are inventoried. Throughout most of this century, for example, crude oil reserves in the United States have represented a 10-14-yr supply. For the last 50 yr, resource crude oil estimates have represented about a 60-70-yr supply for the United States. Division of reserve or resource estimates by current or projected annual consumption therefore is circular in reasoning and can lead to highly erroneous conclusions. Production histories of fossil fuels are driven more by demand than by the geologic abundance of the resource. Examination of some energy resources with well-documented histories leads to two conceptual models that relate production to price. The closed-market model assumes that there is only one source of energy available. Although the price initially may fall because of economies of scale long term, prices rise as the energy source is depleted and it becomes progressively more expensive to extract. By contrast, the open-market model assumes that there is a variety of available energy sources and that competition among them leads to long-term stable or falling prices. At the moment, the United States and the world approximate the open-market model, but in the long run the supply of fossil fuel is finite, and prices inevitably will rise unless alternate energy sources substitute for fossil energy supplies; however, there appears little reason to suspect that long-term price trends will rise significantly over the next few decades.Over the last 25 years, considerable debate has continued about the future supply of fossil fuel. On one side are those who believe that resources are rapidly depleting and that the resulting shortages will have a profound impact on society. On the other side are those who see no impending crisis because longterm trends are for cheaper prices despite rising production. This paper examines historic trends and clarify the foundations on which one may build one's predictions.

System level modeling and component level control of fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Xingjian

This dissertation investigates the fuel cell systems and the related technologies in three aspects: (1) system-level dynamic modeling of both PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); (2) condition monitoring scheme development of PEM fuel cell system using model-based statistical method; and (3) strategy and algorithm development of precision control with potential application in energy systems. The dissertation first presents a system level dynamic modeling strategy for PEM fuel cells. It is well known that water plays a critical role in PEM fuel cell operations. It makes the membrane function appropriately and improves the durability. The low temperature operating conditions, however, impose modeling difficulties in characterizing the liquid-vapor two phase change phenomenon, which becomes even more complex under dynamic operating conditions. This dissertation proposes an innovative method to characterize this phenomenon, and builds a comprehensive model for PEM fuel cell at the system level. The model features the complete characterization of multi-physics dynamic coupling effects with the inclusion of dynamic phase change. The model is validated using Ballard stack experimental result from open literature. The system behavior and the internal coupling effects are also investigated using this model under various operating conditions. Anode-supported tubular SOFC is also investigated in the dissertation. While the Nernst potential plays a central role in characterizing the electrochemical performance, the traditional Nernst equation may lead to incorrect analysis results under dynamic operating conditions due to the current reverse flow phenomenon. This dissertation presents a systematic study in this regard to incorporate a modified Nernst potential expression and the heat/mass transfer into the analysis. The model is used to investigate the limitations and optimal results of various operating conditions; it can also be utilized to perform the optimal design of tubular SOFC. With the system-level dynamic model as a basis, a framework for the robust, online monitoring of PEM fuel cell is developed in the dissertation. The monitoring scheme employs the Hotelling T2 based statistical scheme to handle the measurement noise and system uncertainties and identifies the fault conditions through a series of self-checking and conformal testing. A statistical sampling strategy is also utilized to improve the computation efficiency. Fuel/gas flow control is the fundamental operation for fuel cell energy systems. In the final part of the dissertation, a high-precision and robust tracking control scheme using piezoelectric actuator circuit with direct hysteresis compensation is developed. The key characteristic of the developed control algorithm includes the nonlinear continuous control action with the adaptive boundary layer strategy.

78 FR 17383 - Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Draft Finding of No Significant Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-21

... standard Jet A aviation fuel in most aircraft could significantly reduce fuel transport distances and... Mobility Fuel Purchasing Programs AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency Energy (DLA Energy), DoD. ACTION... fuel purchase programs. DLA Energy currently operates two programs for mobility fuel contracts, Direct...

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

Braase, Lori

Develop advanced nuclear fuel cycle separation and waste management technologies that improve current fuel cycle performance and enable a sustainable fuel cycle, with minimal processing, waste generation, and potential for material diversion.

Computer analysis of effects of altering jet fuel properties on refinery costs and yields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breton, T.; Dunbar, D.

1984-01-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate the adequacy of future U.S. jet fuel supplies, the potential for large increases in the cost of jet fuel, and to what extent a relaxation in jet fuel properties would remedy these potential problems. The results of the study indicate that refiners should be able to meet jet fuel output requirements in all regions of the country within the current Jet A specifications during the 1990-2010 period. The results also indicate that it will be more difficult to meet Jet A specifications on the West Coast, because the feedstock quality is worse and the required jet fuel yield (jet fuel/crude refined) is higher than in the East. The results show that jet fuel production costs could be reduced by relaxing fuel properties. Potential cost savings in the East (PADDs I-IV) through property relaxation were found to be about 1.3 cents/liter (5 cents/gallon) in January 1, 1981 dollars between 1990 and 2010. However, the savings from property relaxation were all obtained within the range of current Jet A specifications, so there is no financial incentive to relax Jet A fuel specifications in the East. In the West (PADD V) the potential cost savings from lowering fuel quality were considerably greater than in the East. Cost savings from 2.7 to 3.7 cents/liter (10-14 cents/gallon) were found. In contrast to the East, on the West Coast a significant part of the savings was obtained through relaxation of the current Jet A fuel specifications.

Feasibility study and preliminary design for fishing (TUNA) vessel fuel storage and distribution. Final report. Export trade information

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

NONE

1995-07-01

The report is divided into the following sections: (1) Introduction; (2) Conclusions and Recommendations; (3) Existing Conditions and Facilities for a Fuel Distribution Center; (4) Pacific Ocean Regional Tuna Fisheries and Resources; (5) Fishing Effort in the FSMEEZ 1992-1994; (6) Current Transshipping Operations in the Western Pacific Ocean; (7) Current and Probale Bunkering Practices of United States, Japanese, Koren, and Taiwanese Offshore-Based Vessels Operating in FSM and Adjacent Waters; (8) Shore-Based Fish-Handling/Processing; (9) Fuels Forecast; (10) Fuel Supply, Storage and Distribution; (11) Cost Estimates; (12) Economic Evaluation of Fuel Supply, Storage and Distribution.

Ethanol Blend Effects On Direct Injection Spark-Ignition Gasoline Vehicle Particulate Matter Emissions

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

Storey, John Morse; Lewis Sr, Samuel Arthur; Barone, Teresa L

2010-01-01

Direct injection spark-ignition (DISI) gasoline engines can offer better fuel economy and higher performance over their port fuel-injected counterparts, and are now appearing increasingly in more U.S. vehicles. Small displacement, turbocharged DISI engines are likely to be used in lieu of large displacement engines, particularly in light-duty trucks and sport utility vehicles, to meet fuel economy standards for 2016. In addition to changes in gasoline engine technology, fuel composition may increase in ethanol content beyond the 10% allowed by current law due to the Renewable Fuels Standard passed as part of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA). Inmore » this study, we present the results of an emissions analysis of a U.S.-legal stoichiometric, turbocharged DISI vehicle, operating on ethanol blends, with an emphasis on detailed particulate matter (PM) characterization. Gaseous species, particle mass, and particle number concentration emissions were measured for the Federal Test Procedure urban driving cycle (FTP 75) and the more aggressive US06 cycle. Particle number-size distributions and organic to elemental carbon ratios (OC/EC) were measured for 30 MPH and 80 MPH steady-state operation. In addition, particle number concentration was measured during wide open throttle accelerations (WOTs) and gradual accelerations representative of the FTP 75. For the gaseous species and particle mass measurements, dilution was carried out using a full flow constant volume sampling system (CVS). For the particle number concentration and size distribution measurements, a micro-tunnel dilution system was employed. The vehicles were fueled by a standard test gasoline and 10% (E10) and 20% (E20) ethanol blends from the same supplier. The particle mass emissions were approximately 3 and 7 mg/mile for the FTP75 and US06, respectively, with lower emissions for the ethanol blends. During steady-state operation, the geometric mean diameter of the particle-number size distribution remained approximately the same (50 nm) but the particle number concentration decreased with increasing ethanol content in the fuel. In addition, increasing ethanol content significantly reduced the number concentration of 50 and 100 nm particles during gradual and WOT accelerations.« less

Design of a high voltage input - output ratio dc-dc converter dedicated to small power fuel cell systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Béthoux, O.; Cathelin, J.

2010-12-01

Consuming chemical energy, fuel cells produce simultaneously heat, water and useful electrical power [J.M. Andújar, F. Segura, Renew. Sust. Energy Rev. 13, 2309 (2009)], [J. Larminie, A. Dicks, Fuel Cell Systems Explained, 2nd edn. (John Wiley & Sons, 2003)]. As a matter of fact, the voltage generated by a fuel cell strongly depends on both the load power demand and the operating conditions. Besides, as a result of many design aspects, fuel cells are low voltage and high current electric generators. On the contrary, electric loads are commonly designed for small voltage swing and a high V/I ratio in order to minimize Joule losses. Therefore, electric loads supplied by fuel cells are typically fed by means of an intermediate power voltage regulator. The specifications of such a power converter are to be able to step up the input voltage with a high ratio (a ratio of 10 is a classic situation) and also to work with an excellent efficiency (in order to minimize its size, its weight and its losses) [A. Shahin, B. Huang, J.P. Martin, S. Pierfederici, B. Davat, Energy Conv. Manag. 51, 56 (2010)]. This paper deals with the design of this essential ancillary device. It intends to bring out the best structure for fulfilling this function. Several dc-dc converters with large voltage step-up ratios are introduced. A topology based on a coupled inductor or tapped inductor is closely studied. A detailed modelling is performed with the purpose of providing designing rules. This model is validated with both simulation and implementation. The experimental prototype is based on the following specifications: the fuel cell output voltage ranges from a 50 V open-voltage to a 25 V rated voltage while the load requires a constant 250 V voltage. The studied coupled inductor converter is compared with a classic boost converter commonly used in this voltage elevating application. Even though the voltage regulator faces severe FC specifications, the measured efficiency reaches 96% at the rated power whereas conventional boost efficiency barely achieves 91.5% in the same operating conditions.

Highly efficient conversion of terpenoid biomass to jet-fuel range cycloalkanes in a biphasic tandem catalytic process

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

Yang, Xiaokun; Li, Teng; Tang, Kan

2017-06-12

The demand for bio-jet fuels to reduce carbon emissions is increasing substantially in the aviation sector, while the scarcity of high-density jet fuel components limits the use of bio-jet fuels in high-performance aircrafts compared with conventional jet fuels. In this paper, we report a novel biphasic tandem catalytic process (biTCP) for synthesizing cycloalkanes from renewable terpenoid biomass, such as 1,8-cineole. Multistep tandem reactions, including C–O ring opening by hydrolysis, dehydration, and hydrogenation, were carried out in the “one-pot” biTCP. 1,8-Cineole was efficiently converted to p-menthane at high yields (>99%) in the biTCP under mild reaction conditions. Finally, the catalytic reactionmore » mechanism is discussed.« less

Alkaline direct alcohol fuel cells using an anion exchange membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, Koji; Iriyama, Yasutoshi; Abe, Takeshi; Matsuoka, Masao; Ogumi, Zempachi

Alkaline direct alcohol fuel cells using an OH-form anion exchange membrane and polyhydric alcohols were studied. A high open circuit voltage of ca. 800 mV was obtained for a cell using Pt-Ru/C (anode) and Pt/C (cathode) at 323 K, which was about 100-200 mV higher than that for a DMFC using Nafion ®. The maximum power densities were in the order of ethylene glycol > glycerol > methanol > erythritol > xylitol. Silver catalysts were used as a cathode catalyst to fabricate alkaline fuel cells, since silver catalyst is almost inactive in the oxidation of polyhydric alcohols. Alkaline direct ethylene glycol fuel cells using silver as a cathode catalyst gave excellent performance because higher concentrations of fuel could be supplied to the anode.

ADVANCED NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE EFFECTS ON THE TREATMENT OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE LONG-TERM ASSESSMENT OF GEOLOGIC DISPOSAL SYSTEMS - EBS INPUT

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

Sutton, M; Blink, J A; Greenberg, H R

2012-04-25

The Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Campaign within the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Fuel Cycle Technology (FCT) program has been tasked with investigating the disposal of the nation's spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW) for a range of potential waste forms and geologic environments. The planning, construction, and operation of a nuclear disposal facility is a long-term process that involves engineered barriers that are tailored to both the geologic environment and the waste forms being emplaced. The UFD Campaign is considering a range of fuel cycles that in turn produce a range of wastemore » forms. The UFD Campaign is also considering a range of geologic media. These ranges could be thought of as adding uncertainty to what the disposal facility design will ultimately be; however, it may be preferable to thinking about the ranges as adding flexibility to design of a disposal facility. For example, as the overall DOE-NE program and industrial actions result in the fuel cycles that will produce waste to be disposed, and the characteristics of those wastes become clear, the disposal program retains flexibility in both the choice of geologic environment and the specific repository design. Of course, other factors also play a major role, including local and State-level acceptance of the specific site that provides the geologic environment. In contrast, the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) repository license application (LA) is based on waste forms from an open fuel cycle (PWR and BWR assemblies from an open fuel cycle). These waste forms were about 90% of the total waste, and they were the determining waste form in developing the engineered barrier system (EBS) design for the Yucca Mountain Repository design. About 10% of the repository capacity was reserved for waste from a full recycle fuel cycle in which some actinides were extracted for weapons use, and the remaining fission products and some minor actinides were encapsulated in borosilicate glass. Because the heat load of the glass was much less than the PWR and BWR assemblies, the glass waste form was able to be co-disposed with the open cycle waste, by interspersing glass waste packages among the spent fuel assembly waste packages. In addition, the Yucca Mountain repository was designed to include some research reactor spent fuel and naval reactor spent fuel, within the envelope that was set using the commercial reactor assemblies as the design basis waste form. This milestone report supports Sandia National Laboratory milestone M2FT-12SN0814052, and is intended to be a chapter in that milestone report. The independent technical review of this LLNL milestone was performed at LLNL and is documented in the electronic Information Management (IM) system at LLNL. The objective of this work is to investigate what aspects of quantifying, characterizing, and representing the uncertainty associated with the engineered barrier are affected by implementing different advanced nuclear fuel cycles (e.g., partitioning and transmutation scenarios) together with corresponding designs and thermal constraints.« less

The effect of applied control strategy on the current-voltage correlation of a solid oxide fuel cell stack during dynamic operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szmyd, Janusz S.; Komatsu, Yosuke; Brus, Grzegorz; Ghigliazza, Francesco; Kimijima, Shinji; Ściążko, Anna

2014-09-01

This paper discusses the transient characteristics of the planar type SOFC cell stack, of which the standard output is 300 W. The transient response of the voltage to the manipulation of an electric current was investigated. The effects of the response and of the operating condition determined by the operating temperature of the stack were studied by mapping a current-voltage (I-V) correlation. The current-based fuel control (CBFC) was adopted for keeping the fuel utilization factor at constant while the value of the electric current was ramped at the constant rate. The present experimental study shows that the transient characteristics of the cell voltage are determined by primarily the operating temperature caused by the manipulation of the current. Particularly, the slope of the I-V curve and the overshoot found on the voltage was remarkably influenced by the operating temperature. The different values of the fuel utilization factor influence the height of the settled voltages. The CBFC has significance in determining the slope of the I-V characteristic, but the different values ofthe fuel utilization factor does not affect the slope as the operating temperature does. The CBFC essentially does not alter the amplitude of the overshoot on the voltage response, since this is dominated by the operating temperature and its change is caused by manipulating the current.

Nuclear Reactors and Technology

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

Cason, D.L.; Hicks, S.C.

1992-01-01

This publication Nuclear Reactors and Technology (NRT) announces on a monthly basis the current worldwide information available from the open literature on nuclear reactors and technology, including all aspects of power reactors, components and accessories, fuel elements, control systems, and materials. This publication contains the abstracts of DOE reports, journal articles, conference papers, patents, theses, and monographs added to the Energy Science and Technology Database during the past month. Also included are US information obtained through acquisition programs or interagency agreements and international information obtained through the International Energy Agency`s Energy Technology Data Exchange or government-to-government agreements. The digests inmore » NRT and other citations to information on nuclear reactors back to 1948 are available for online searching and retrieval on the Energy Science and Technology Database and Nuclear Science Abstracts (NSA) database. Current information, added daily to the Energy Science and Technology Database, is available to DOE and its contractors through the DOE Integrated Technical Information System. Customized profiles can be developed to provide current information to meet each user`s needs.« less

CERDEC Fuel Cell Team: Military Transitions for Soldier Fuel Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-27

Fuel Cell (DMFC) (PEO Soldier) Samsung: 20W DMFC (CRADA) General Atomics & Jadoo: 50W Ammonia Borane Fueled PEMFC Current Fuel Cell Team Efforts...Continued Ardica: 20W Wearable PEMFC operating on Chemical Hydrides Spectrum Brands w/ Rayovac: Hydrogen Generators and Alkaline Fuel Cells for AA...100W Ammonia Borane fueled PEMFC Ultralife: 150W sodium borohydride fueled PEMFC Protonex: 250W RMFC and Power Manager (ARO) NanoDynamics: 250W SOFC

Generator module architecture for a large solid oxide fuel cell power plant

DOEpatents

Gillett, James E.; Zafred, Paolo R.; Riggle, Matthew W.; Litzinger, Kevin P.

2013-06-11

A solid oxide fuel cell module contains a plurality of integral bundle assemblies, the module containing a top portion with an inlet fuel plenum and a bottom portion receiving air inlet feed and containing a base support, the base supports dense, ceramic exhaust manifolds which are below and connect to air feed tubes located in a recuperator zone, the air feed tubes passing into the center of inverted, tubular, elongated, hollow electrically connected solid oxide fuel cells having an open end above a combustion zone into which the air feed tubes pass and a closed end near the inlet fuel plenum, where the fuel cells comprise a fuel cell stack bundle all surrounded within an outer module enclosure having top power leads to provide electrical output from the stack bundle, where the fuel cells operate in the fuel cell mode and where the base support and bottom ceramic air exhaust manifolds carry from 85% to all 100% of the weight of the stack, and each bundle assembly has its own control for vertical and horizontal thermal expansion control.

Evaluation of Cathode Air Flow Transients in a SOFC/GT Hybrid System Using Hardware in the Loop Simulation.

PubMed

Zhou, Nana; Yang, Chen; Tucker, David

2015-02-01

Thermal management in the fuel cell component of a direct fired solid oxide fuel cell gas turbine (SOFC/GT) hybrid power system can be improved by effective management and control of the cathode airflow. The disturbances of the cathode airflow were accomplished by diverting air around the fuel cell system through the manipulation of a hot-air bypass valve in open loop experiments, using a hardware-based simulation facility designed and built by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The dynamic responses of the fuel cell component and hardware component of the hybrid system were studied in this paper.

Fuel injection of coal slurry using vortex nozzles and valves

DOEpatents

Holmes, Allen B.

1989-01-01

Injection of atomized coal slurry fuel into an engine combustion chamber is achieved at relatively low pressures by means of a vortex swirl nozzle. The outlet opening of the vortex nozzle is considerably larger than conventional nozzle outlets, thereby eliminating major sources of failure due to clogging by contaminants in the fuel. Control fluid, such as air, may be used to impart vorticity to the slurry and/or purge the nozzle of contaminants during the times between measured slurry charges. The measured slurry charges may be produced by a diaphragm pump or by vortex valves controlled by a separate control fluid. Fluidic circuitry, employing vortex valves to alternatively block and pass cool slurry fuel flow, is disclosed.

Some Characteristics of Fuel Sprays at Low-injection Pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothrock, A M; Waldron, C D

1931-01-01

This report presents the results of tests conducted at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, Langley Field, Va., to determine some of the characteristics of the fuel sprays obtained from an 0.008-inch and a 0.020-inch open nozzle when injection pressures from 100 to 500 pounds per square inch were used. Fuel oil and gasoline were injected into air at densities of atmospheric land 0.325 pound per cubic foot. It was found that the penetration rate at these low pressures was about the same as the rate obtained with higher pressures. Spray cone-angles were small and individual oil drops were visible in all the sprays. Gasoline and fuel oil sprays had similar characteristics.

An investigation of air solubility in Jet A fuel at high pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faeth, G. M.

1981-01-01

Problems concerned with the supercritical injection concept are discussed. Supercritical injection involves dissolving air into a fuel prior to injection. A similar effect is obtained by preheating the fuel so that a portion of the fuel flashes when its pressure is reduced. Flashing improves atomization properties and the presence of air in the primary zone of a spray flame reduces the formation of pollutants. The investigation is divided into three phases: (1) measure the solubility and density properties of fuel/gas mixtures, including Jet A/air, at pressures and correlate these results using theory; (2) investigate the atomization properties of flashing liquids, including fuel/dissolved gas systems. Determine and correlate the effect of inlet properties and injector geometry on mass flow rates, Sauter mean diameter and spray angles; (3) examine the combustion properties of flashing injection in an open burner flame, considering flame shape and soot production.

Engineering model system study for a regenerative fuel cell: Study report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, B. J.; Schubert, F. H.; Kovach, A. J.; Wynveen, R. A.

1984-01-01

Key design issues of the regenerative fuel cell system concept were studied and a design definition of an alkaline electrolyte based engineering model system or low Earth orbit missions was completed. Definition of key design issues for a regenerative fuel cell system include gaseous reactant storage, shared heat exchangers and high pressure pumps. A power flow diagram for the 75 kW initial space station and the impact of different regenerative fuel cell modular sizes on the total 5 year to orbit weight and volume are determined. System characteristics, an isometric drawing, component sizes and mass and energy balances are determined for the 10 kW engineering model system. An open loop regenerative fuel cell concept is considered for integration of the energy storage system with the life support system of the space station. Technical problems and their solutions, pacing technologies and required developments and demonstrations for the regenerative fuel cell system are defined.

Porous silicon-based direct hydrogen sulphide fuel cells.

PubMed

Dzhafarov, T D; Yuksel, S Aydin

2011-10-01

In this paper, the use of Au/porous silicon/Silicon Schottky type structure, as a direct hydrogen sulphide fuel cell is demonstrated. The porous silicon filled with hydrochlorid acid was developed as a proton conduction membrane. The Au/Porous Silicon/Silicon cells were fabricated by first creating the porous silicon layer in single-crystalline Si using the anodic etching under illumination and then deposition Au catalyst layer onto the porous silicon. Using 80 mM H2S solution as fuel the open circuit voltage of 0.4 V was obtained and maximum power density of 30 W/m2 at room temperature was achieved. These results demonstrate that the Au/Porous Silicon/Silicon direct hydrogen sulphide fuel cell which uses H2S:dH2O solution as fuel and operates at room temperature can be considered as the most promising type of low cost fuel cell for small power-supply units.

Current conducting end plate of fuel cell assembly

DOEpatents

Walsh, Michael M.

1999-01-01

A fuel cell assembly has a current conducting end plate with a conductive body formed integrally with isolating material. The conductive body has a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and an electrical connector. The first surface has an exposed portion for conducting current between a working section of the fuel cell assembly and the electrical connector. The isolating material is positioned on at least a portion of the second surface. The conductive body can have support passage(s) extending therethrough for receiving structural member(s) of the fuel cell assembly. Isolating material can electrically isolate the conductive body from the structural member(s). The conductive body can have service passage(s) extending therethrough for servicing one or more fluids for the fuel cell assembly. Isolating material can chemically isolate the one or more fluids from the conductive body. The isolating material can also electrically isolate the conductive body from the one or more fluids.

Evaluation Metrics Applied to Accident Tolerant Fuels

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

Shannon M. Bragg-Sitton; Jon Carmack; Frank Goldner

2014-10-01

The safe, reliable, and economic operation of the nation’s nuclear power reactor fleet has always been a top priority for the United States’ nuclear industry. Continual improvement of technology, including advanced materials and nuclear fuels, remains central to the industry’s success. Decades of research combined with continual operation have produced steady advancements in technology and have yielded an extensive base of data, experience, and knowledge on light water reactor (LWR) fuel performance under both normal and accident conditions. One of the current missions of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) is to develop nuclear fuelsmore » and claddings with enhanced accident tolerance for use in the current fleet of commercial LWRs or in reactor concepts with design certifications (GEN-III+). Accident tolerance became a focus within advanced LWR research upon direction from Congress following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, resulting tsunami, and subsequent damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant complex. The overall goal of ATF development is to identify alternative fuel system technologies to further enhance the safety, competitiveness and economics of commercial nuclear power. Enhanced accident tolerant fuels would endure loss of active cooling in the reactor core for a considerably longer period of time than the current fuel system while maintaining or improving performance during normal operations. The U.S. DOE is supporting multiple teams to investigate a number of technologies that may improve fuel system response and behavior in accident conditions, with team leadership provided by DOE national laboratories, universities, and the nuclear industry. Concepts under consideration offer both evolutionary and revolutionary changes to the current nuclear fuel system. Mature concepts will be tested in the Advanced Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory beginning in Summer 2014 with additional concepts being readied for insertion in fiscal year 2015. This paper provides a brief summary of the proposed evaluation process that would be used to evaluate and prioritize the candidate accident tolerant fuel concepts currently under development.« less

Fuel Cell Buses in U.S. Transit Fleets: Current Status 2013

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

Eudy, Leslie; Gikakis, Christina

2013-12-01

This report is the seventh in an annual series of reports that summarize the progress of fuel cell electric bus (FCEB) development in the United States and discuss the achievements and challenges of introducing fuel cell propulsion in transit. The report also provides a snapshot of current FCEB performance results from August 2012 through July 2013 for five FCEB demonstrations at four transit agencies.

Fuel rod assembly to manifold attachment

DOEpatents

Donck, Harry A.; Veca, Anthony R.; Snyder, Jr., Harold J.

1980-01-01

A fuel element is formed with a plurality of fuel rod assemblies detachably connected to an overhead support with each of the fuel rod assemblies having a gas tight seal with the support to allow internal fission gaseous products to flow without leakage from the fuel rod assemblies into a vent manifold passageway system on the support. The upper ends of the fuel rod assemblies are located at vertically extending openings in the support and upper threaded members are threaded to the fuel rod assemblies to connect the latter to the support. The preferred threaded members are cap nuts having a dome wall encircling an upper threaded end on the fuel rod assembly and having an upper sealing surface for sealing contact with the support. Another and lower seal is achieved by abutting a sealing surface on each fuel rod assembly with the support. A deformable portion on the cap nut locks the latter against inadvertent turning off the fuel rod assembly. Orienting means on the fuel rod and support primarily locates the fuel rods azimuthally for reception of a deforming tool for the cap nut. A cross port in the fuel rod end plug discharges into a sealed annulus within the support, which serves as a circumferential chamber, connecting the manifold gas passageways in the support.

Forest restoration and fuels reduction in ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer in the Southwest

Treesearch

Marlin Johnson

2008-01-01

(Please note, this is an abstract only) Most people agree that ponderosa pine and dry mixed conifer stands need to be thinned and burned to move the stands to within a normal range of variability. Unfortunately, people are in disagreement beyond that point. To some, restoration and fuels reduction means restoring stands to more open, pre-European (pre-1880) conditions...

Air breathing direct methanol fuel cell

DOEpatents

Ren, Xiaoming; Gottesfeld, Shimshon

2002-01-01

An air breathing direct methanol fuel cell is provided with a membrane electrode assembly, a conductive anode assembly that is permeable to air and directly open to atmospheric air, and a conductive cathode assembly that is permeable to methanol and directly contacting a liquid methanol source. Water loss from the cell is minimized by making the conductive cathode assembly hydrophobic and the conductive anode assembly hydrophilic.

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; social issues fact sheet 14: Landscape preference in forested ecosystems

Treesearch

Christine Esposito

2006-01-01

It is important to understand what types of landscape settings most people prefer to be able to plan fuels treatment and other forest management activities that will be acceptable to the general public. This fact sheet considers the four common elements of visually preferred forest settings: large trees; herbacious, smooth groundcover; open midstory canopy; and vistas...

Providing the Fuel (and Passing the Flame)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pagano, Todd

2013-01-01

At the risk of opening with a cliché statement- at the heart of the most effective mentor is a burning passion. The fuel for this passion is a desire to convince, not just try to, but actually convince your mentee that you care about their success (be it in the classroom, career, or personal life). I am guilty of believing in, and living by, this…

Fuels and predicted fire behavior in the southern Appalachian Mountains and fire and fire surrogate treatments

Treesearch

Thomas Waldrop; Ross J. Phillips; Dean A. Simon

2010-01-01

This study tested the success of fuel reduction treatments for mitigating wildfire behavior in an area that has had little previous research on fire, the southern Appalachian Mountains. A secondary objective of treatments was to restore the community to an open woodland condition. Three blocks of four treatments were installed in a mature hardwood forest in western...

MDCA (Multi-user Drop Combustion Apparatus) operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-12

ISS019-E-015912 (12 May 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 19/20 flight engineer, works on the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) Multi-user Drop Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Wakata removed and replaced one fuel reservoir, which required temporary opening the front end cap and removing the fuel supply bypass Quick Disconnect (QD).

MDCA (Multi-user Drop Combustion Apparatus) operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-12

ISS019-E-015906 (12 May 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 19/20 flight engineer, works on the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) Multi-user Drop Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Wakata removed and replaced one fuel reservoir, which required temporary opening the front end cap and removing the fuel supply bypass Quick Disconnect (QD).

MDCA (Multi-user Drop Combustion Apparatus) operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-05-12

ISS019-E-015910(12 May 2009) --- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, Expedition 19/20 flight engineer, works on the Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) Multi-user Drop Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. Wakata removed and replaced one fuel reservoir, which required temporary opening the front end cap and removing the fuel supply bypass Quick Disconnect (QD).

Automated brush plating process for solid oxide fuel cells

DOEpatents

Long, Jeffrey William

2003-01-01

A method of depositing a metal coating (28) on the interconnect (26) of a tubular, hollow fuel cell (10) contains the steps of providing the fuel cell (10) having an exposed interconnect surface (26); contacting the inside of the fuel cell (10) with a cathode (45) without use of any liquid materials; passing electrical current through a contacting applicator (46) which contains a metal electrolyte solution; passing the current from the applicator (46) to the cathode (45) and contacting the interconnect (26) with the applicator (46) and coating all of the exposed interconnect surface.

Prolonging fuel cell stack lifetime based on Pontryagin's Minimum Principle in fuel cell hybrid vehicles and its economic influence evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, C. H.; Xu, G. Q.; Park, Y. I.; Lim, W. S.; Cha, S. W.

2014-02-01

The lifetime of fuel cell stacks is a major issue currently, especially for automotive applications. In order to take into account the lifetime of fuel cell stacks while considering the fuel consumption minimization in fuel cell hybrid vehicles (FCHVs), a Pontryagin's Minimum Principle (PMP)-based power management strategy is proposed in this research. This strategy has the effect of prolonging the lifetime of fuel cell stacks. However, there is a tradeoff between the fuel cell stack lifetime and the fuel consumption when this strategy is applied to an FCHV. Verifying the positive economic influence of this strategy is necessary in order to demonstrate its superiority. In this research, the economic influence of the proposed strategy is assessed according to an evaluating cost which is dependent on the fuel cell stack cost, the hydrogen cost, the fuel cell stack lifetime, and the lifetime prolonging impact on the fuel cell stack. Simulation results derived from the proposed power management strategy are also used to evaluate the economic influence. As a result, the positive economic influence of the proposed PMP-based power management strategy is proved for both current and future FCHVs.

7 CFR 2903.13 - Evaluation criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Application Review and Evaluation § 2903.13... for the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program: (1) Relevance of proposed project to current and future issues related to the production, use, distribution, fuel quality, and fuel properties of biodiesel...

7 CFR 2903.13 - Evaluation criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Application Review and Evaluation § 2903.13... for the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program: (1) Relevance of proposed project to current and future issues related to the production, use, distribution, fuel quality, and fuel properties of biodiesel...

7 CFR 2903.13 - Evaluation criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Application Review and Evaluation § 2903.13... for the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program: (1) Relevance of proposed project to current and future issues related to the production, use, distribution, fuel quality, and fuel properties of biodiesel...

7 CFR 2903.13 - Evaluation criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Application Review and Evaluation § 2903.13... for the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program: (1) Relevance of proposed project to current and future issues related to the production, use, distribution, fuel quality, and fuel properties of biodiesel...

7 CFR 2903.13 - Evaluation criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE BIODIESEL FUEL EDUCATION PROGRAM Application Review and Evaluation § 2903.13... for the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program: (1) Relevance of proposed project to current and future issues related to the production, use, distribution, fuel quality, and fuel properties of biodiesel...

Open-air sprays for capturing and controlling airborne float coal dust on longwall faces

PubMed Central

Beck, T.W.; Seaman, C.E.; Shahan, M.R.; Mischler, S.E.

2018-01-01

Float dust deposits in coal mine return airways pose a risk in the event of a methane ignition. Controlling airborne dust prior to deposition in the return would make current rock dusting practices more effective and reduce the risk of coal-dust-fueled explosions. The goal of this U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study is to determine the potential of open-air water sprays to reduce concentrations of airborne float coal dust, smaller than 75 µm in diameter, in longwall face airstreams. This study evaluated unconfined water sprays in a featureless tunnel ventilated at a typical longwall face velocity of 3.6 m/s (700 fpm). Experiments were conducted for two nozzle orientations and two water pressures for hollow cone, full cone, flat fan, air atomizing and hydraulic atomizing spray nozzles. Gravimetric samples show that airborne float dust removal efficiencies averaged 19.6 percent for all sprays under all conditions. The results indicate that the preferred spray nozzle should be operated at high fluid pressures to produce smaller droplets and move more air. These findings agree with past respirable dust control research, providing guidance on spray selection and spray array design in ongoing efforts to control airborne float dust over the entire longwall ventilated opening. PMID:29348700

An Overview of Spray Modeling With OpenNCC and its Application to Emissions Predictions of a LDI Combustor at High Pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, M. S.

2016-01-01

The open national combustion code (Open- NCC) is developed with the aim of advancing the current multi-dimensional computational tools used in the design of advanced technology combustors. In this paper we provide an overview of the spray module, LSPRAY-V, developed as a part of this effort. The spray solver is mainly designed to predict the flow, thermal, and transport properties of a rapidly evaporating multi-component liquid spray. The modeling approach is applicable over a wide-range of evaporating conditions (normal, superheat, and supercritical). The modeling approach is based on several well-established atomization, vaporization, and wall/droplet impingement models. It facilitates large-scale combustor computations through the use of massively parallel computers with the ability to perform the computations on either structured & unstructured grids. The spray module has a multi-liquid and multi-injector capability, and can be used in the calculation of both steady and unsteady computations. We conclude the paper by providing the results for a reacting spray generated by a single injector element with 600 axially swept swirler vanes. It is a configuration based on the next-generation lean-direct injection (LDI) combustor concept. The results include comparisons for both combustor exit temperature and EINOX at three different fuel/air ratios.

Open-air sprays for capturing and controlling airborne float coal dust on longwall faces.

PubMed

Beck, T W; Seaman, C E; Shahan, M R; Mischler, S E

2018-01-01

Float dust deposits in coal mine return airways pose a risk in the event of a methane ignition. Controlling airborne dust prior to deposition in the return would make current rock dusting practices more effective and reduce the risk of coal-dust-fueled explosions. The goal of this U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health study is to determine the potential of open-air water sprays to reduce concentrations of airborne float coal dust, smaller than 75 µm in diameter, in longwall face airstreams. This study evaluated unconfined water sprays in a featureless tunnel ventilated at a typical longwall face velocity of 3.6 m/s (700 fpm). Experiments were conducted for two nozzle orientations and two water pressures for hollow cone, full cone, flat fan, air atomizing and hydraulic atomizing spray nozzles. Gravimetric samples show that airborne float dust removal efficiencies averaged 19.6 percent for all sprays under all conditions. The results indicate that the preferred spray nozzle should be operated at high fluid pressures to produce smaller droplets and move more air. These findings agree with past respirable dust control research, providing guidance on spray selection and spray array design in ongoing efforts to control airborne float dust over the entire longwall ventilated opening.

Inhalation of Hydrocarbon Jet Fuel Suppress Central Auditory Nervous System Function.

PubMed

Guthrie, O'neil W; Wong, Brian A; McInturf, Shawn M; Reboulet, James E; Ortiz, Pedro A; Mattie, David R

2015-01-01

More than 800 million L/d of hydrocarbon fuels is used to power cars, boats, and jet airplanes. The weekly consumption of these fuels necessarily puts the public at risk for repeated inhalation exposure. Recent studies showed that exposure to hydrocarbon jet fuel produces lethality in presynaptic sensory cells, leading to hearing loss, especially in the presence of noise. However, the effects of hydrocarbon jet fuel on the central auditory nervous system (CANS) have not received much attention. It is important to investigate the effects of hydrocarbons on the CANS in order to complete current knowledge regarding the ototoxic profile of such exposures. The objective of the current study was to determine whether inhalation exposure to hydrocarbon jet fuel might affect the functions of the CANS. Male Fischer 344 rats were randomly divided into four groups (control, noise, fuel, and fuel + noise). The structural and functional integrity of presynaptic sensory cells was determined in each group. Neurotransmission in both peripheral and central auditory pathways was simultaneously evaluated in order to identify and differentiate between peripheral and central dysfunctions. There were no detectable effects on pre- and postsynaptic peripheral functions. However, the responsiveness of the brain was significantly depressed and neural transmission time was markedly delayed. The development of CANS dysfunctions in the general public and the military due to cumulative exposure to hydrocarbon fuels may represent a significant but currently unrecognized public health issue.

Mechanistic materials modeling for nuclear fuel performance

DOE PAGES

Tonks, Michael R.; Andersson, David; Phillpot, Simon R.; ...

2017-03-15

Fuel performance codes are critical tools for the design, certification, and safety analysis of nuclear reactors. However, their ability to predict fuel behavior under abnormal conditions is severely limited by their considerable reliance on empirical materials models correlated to burn-up (a measure of the number of fission events that have occurred, but not a unique measure of the history of the material). In this paper, we propose a different paradigm for fuel performance codes to employ mechanistic materials models that are based on the current state of the evolving microstructure rather than burn-up. In this approach, a series of statemore » variables are stored at material points and define the current state of the microstructure. The evolution of these state variables is defined by mechanistic models that are functions of fuel conditions and other state variables. The material properties of the fuel and cladding are determined from microstructure/property relationships that are functions of the state variables and the current fuel conditions. Multiscale modeling and simulation is being used in conjunction with experimental data to inform the development of these models. Finally, this mechanistic, microstructure-based approach has the potential to provide a more predictive fuel performance capability, but will require a team of researchers to complete the required development and to validate the approach.« less

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration

Treesearch

Rachel White; Sarah McCaffrey

2007-01-01

A century of fire suppression has created heavy fuel loads in many U.S. forests, leading to increasingly intense wildfires. Addressing this problem will require widespread fuels treatments, yet fuels treatment planners do not always have access to the current scientific information that can help guide their planning process. The Fuels Planning: Science Synthesis and...

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Evaluations | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Electric Vehicle Evaluations Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Evaluations NREL's technology validation include commercial FCEVs for the first time. Current fuel cell electric vehicle evaluations build on the seven-year FCEV Learning Demonstration and focus on fuel cell stack durability and efficiency, vehicle

Fuel breaks affect nonnative species abundance in Californian plant communities

Treesearch

Kyle E Merriam; Jon E. Keeley; Jan L. Beyers

2006-01-01

We evaluated the abundance of nonnative plants on fuel breaks and in adjacent untreated areas to determine if fuel treatments promote the invasion of nonnative plant species. Understanding the relationship between fuel treatments and nonnative plants is becoming increasingly important as federal and state agencies are currently implementing large fuel treatment...

Aeroassisted orbital maneuvering using Lyapunov optimal feedback control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grantham, Walter J.; Lee, Byoung-Soo

1987-01-01

A Liapunov optimal feedback controller incorporating a preferred direction of motion at each state of the system which is opposite to the gradient of a specified descent function is developed for aeroassisted orbital transfer from high-earth orbit to LEO. The performances of the Liapunov controller and a calculus-of-variations open-loop minimum-fuel controller, both of which are based on the 1962 U.S. Standard Atmosphere, are simulated using both the 1962 U.S. Standard Atmosphere and an atmosphere corresponding to the STS-6 Space Shuttle flight. In the STS-6 atmosphere, the calculus-of-variations open-loop controller fails to exit the atmosphere, while the Liapunov controller achieves the optimal minimum-fuel conditions, despite the + or - 40 percent fluctuations in the STS-6 atmosphere.

Mixed mode fuel injector with individually moveable needle valve members

DOEpatents

Stewart, Chris; Chockley, Scott A.; Ibrahim, Daniel R.; Lawrence, Keith; Tomaseki, Jay; Azam, Junru H.; Tian, Steven Ye; Shafer, Scott F.

2004-08-03

A fuel injector includes a homogenous charge nozzle outlet set and a conventional nozzle outlet set controlled respectively, by first and second needle valve members. One of the needle valve members moves to an open position while the other needle valve member remains stationary for a homogeneous charge injection event. The former needle valve member stays stationary while the other needle valve member moves to an open position for a conventional injection event. One of the needle valve members is at least partially positioned in the other needle valve member. Thus, the injector can perform homogeneous charge injection events, conventional injection events, or even a mixed mode having both types of injection events in a single engine cycle.

Fuel-Mediated Transient Clustering of Colloidal Building Blocks.

PubMed

van Ravensteijn, Bas G P; Hendriksen, Wouter E; Eelkema, Rienk; van Esch, Jan H; Kegel, Willem K

2017-07-26

Fuel-driven assembly operates under the continuous influx of energy and results in superstructures that exist out of equilibrium. Such dissipative processes provide a route toward structures and transient behavior unreachable by conventional equilibrium self-assembly. Although perfected in biological systems like microtubules, this class of assembly is only sparsely used in synthetic or colloidal analogues. Here, we present a novel colloidal system that shows transient clustering driven by a chemical fuel. Addition of fuel causes an increase in hydrophobicity of the building blocks by actively removing surface charges, thereby driving their aggregation. Depletion of fuel causes reappearance of the charged moieties and leads to disassembly of the formed clusters. This reassures that the system returns to its initial, equilibrium state. By taking advantage of the cyclic nature of our system, we show that clustering can be induced several times by simple injection of new fuel. The fuel-mediated assembly of colloidal building blocks presented here opens new avenues to the complex landscape of nonequilibrium colloidal structures, guided by biological design principles.

Reactor Physics Scoping and Characterization Study on Implementation of TRIGA Fuel in the Advanced Test Reactor

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

Jennifer Lyons; Wade R. Marcum; Mark D. DeHart

2014-01-01

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), under the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program and the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), is conducting feasibility studies for the conversion of its fuel from a highly enriched uranium (HEU) composition to a low enriched uranium (LEU) composition. These studies have considered a wide variety of LEU plate-type fuels to replace the current HEU fuel. Continuing to investigate potential alternatives to the present HEU fuel form, this study presents a preliminary analysis of TRIGA® fuel within the current ATR fuel envelopes and compares it to the functional requirements delineated by themore » Naval Reactors Program, which includes: greater than 4.8E+14 fissions/s/g of 235U, a fast to thermal neutron flux ratio that is less than 5% deviation of its current value, a constant cycle power within the corner lobes, and an operational cycle length of 56 days at 120 MW. Other parameters outside those put forth by the Naval Reactors Program which are investigated herein include axial and radial power profiles, effective delayed neutron fraction, and mean neutron generation time.« less

PLATINUM, FUEL CELLS, AND FUTURE ROAD TRANSPORT

EPA Science Inventory

A vehicle powered by a fuel cell will emit virtually no air polution and, depending on fuel choice, can substantially improve fuel economy above that of current technology. Those attributes are complementary to issues of increasing national importance including the effects of tra...

Some Notes on Sparks and Ignition of Fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Franklin A.

2000-01-01

This report compliments a concurrent analysis of the electromagnetic field threat to the fuel system of a transport aircraft. The accompanying effort assessed currents, voltages and power levels that may be induced upon fuel tank wiring from radio transmitters (inside and outside the aircraft). In addition to this, it was also essential to determine how much voltage, current, or power is required to create a fuel-vapor ignition hazard. The widely accepted minimum guideline for aircraft fuel-vapor ignition is the application of a 0.2 millijoule energy level. However, when considering radio frequency (RF) sources, this guideline is seriously inadequate. This report endeavors to bridge the gap between a traditional understanding of electrical breakdown, heating and combustion; and supplement the knowledge with available information regarding aircraft fuel-vapor ignition by RF sources

Indoor respirable particulate matter concentrations from an open fire, improved cookstove, and LPG/open fire combination in a rural Guatemalan community.

PubMed

Albalak, R; Bruce, N; McCracken, J P; Smith, K R; De Gallardo, T

2001-07-01

Improved biomass cookstoves have the potential to reduce pollutant emissions and thereby reduce pollution exposure among populations in developing countries who cook daily with biomass fuels. However, evaluation of such interventions has been very limited. This article presents results from a study carried out in 30 households in rural Guatemala. Twenty-four hour PM3.5 concentrations were compared over 8 months for three fuel/cookstove conditions (n = 10 households for each condition): a traditional open fire cookstove, an improved cookstove called the plancha mejorada, and a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove/open fire combination. Twenty-four hour geometric mean PM3.5 concentrations were 1560 micrograms/m3 (n = 58; 95% C.I. 1310, 1850), 280 micrograms/m3 (n = 59; 95% C.I. 240-320), and 850 micrograms/m3 (n = 60; 95% C.I. 680-1050) for the open fire, plancha, and LPG/open fire combination, respectively. A generalized estimating equation model showed a 45% reduction in PM3.5 concentrations for the LPG/open fire combination as compared to the open fire alone. The difference approached significance (p < 0.0737). The plancha showed an 85% reduction in PM3.5 concentrations as compared to the open fire (p < 0.0001). An analysis of the interaction of time with stove type showed that the temporal trend in pollution did not significantly differ among the three stove types. The reduced PM3.5 concentrations were maintained over time. Season did not affect pollutant concentrations. Of the two interventions, the plancha appears to offer the best prospects for achieving substantial reductions in indoor air pollution levels, although issues of cost and stove maintenance remain to be addressed.

The effect of azeotropism on combustion characteristics of blended fuel pool fire.

PubMed

Ding, Yanming; Wang, Changjian; Lu, Shouxiang

2014-04-30

The effect of azeotropism on combustion characteristics of blended fuel pool fire was experimentally studied in an open fire test space of State Key Laboratory of Fire Science. A 30 cm × 30 cm square pool filled with n-heptane and ethanol blended fuel was employed. Flame images, burning rate and temperature distribution were collected and recorded in the whole combustion process. Results show that azeotropism obviously dominates the combustion behavior of n-heptane/ethanol blended fuel pool fire. The combustion process after ignition exhibits four typical stages: initial development, azeotropic burning, single-component burning and decay stage. Azeotropism appears when temperature of fuel surface reaches azeotropic point and blended fuel burns at azeotropic ratio. Compared with individual pure fuel, the effect of azeotropism on main fire parameters, such as flame height, burning rate, flame puffing frequency and centerline temperature were analyzed. Burning rate and centerline temperature of blended fuel are higher than that of individual pure fuel respectively at azeotropic burning stage, and flame puffing frequency follows the empirical formula between Strouhal and Froude number for pure fuel. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrient and suspended solids removal from petrochemical wastewater via microalgal biofilm cultivation.

PubMed

Hodges, Alan; Fica, Zachary; Wanlass, Jordan; VanDarlin, Jessica; Sims, Ronald

2017-05-01

Wastewater derived from petroleum refining currently accounts for 33.6 million barrels per day globally. Few wastewater treatment strategies exist to produce value-added products from petroleum refining wastewater. In this study, mixed culture microalgal biofilm-based treatment of petroleum refining wastewater using rotating algae biofilm reactors (RABRs) was compared with suspended-growth open pond lagoon reactors for removal of nutrients and suspended solids. Triplicate reactors were operated for 12 weeks and were continuously fed with petroleum refining wastewater. Effluent wastewater was monitored for nitrogen, phosphorus, total suspended solids (TSS), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). RABR treatment demonstrated a statistically significant increase in removal of nutrients and suspended solids, and increase in biomass productivity, compared to the open pond lagoon treatment. These trends translate to a greater potential for the production of biomass-based fuels, feed, and fertilizer as value-added products. This study is the first demonstration of the cultivation of mixed culture biofilm microalgae on petroleum refining wastewater for the dual purposes of treatment and biomass production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conversion from film to image plates for transfer method neutron radiography of nuclear fuel

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

Craft, Aaron E.; Papaioannou, Glen C.; Chichester, David L.

This paper summarizes efforts to characterize and qualify a computed radiography (CR) system for neutron radiography of irradiated nuclear fuel at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). INL has multiple programs that are actively developing, testing, and evaluating new nuclear fuels. Irradiated fuel experiments are subjected to a number of sequential post-irradiation examination techniques that provide insight into the overall behavior and performance of the fuel. One of the first and most important of these exams is neutron radiography, which provides more comprehensive information about the internal condition of irradiated nuclear fuel than any other non-destructive technique to date. Results from neutronmore » radiography are often the driver for subsequent examinations of the PIE program. Features of interest that can be evaluated using neutron radiography include irradiation-induced swelling, isotopic and fuel-fragment redistribution, plate deformations, and fuel fracturing. The NRAD currently uses the foil-film transfer technique with film for imaging fuel. INL is pursuing multiple efforts to advance its neutron imaging capabilities for evaluating irradiated fuel and other applications, including conversion from film to CR image plates. Neutron CR is the current state-of-the-art for neutron imaging of highly-radioactive objects. Initial neutron radiographs of various types of nuclear fuel indicate that radiographs can be obtained of comparable image quality currently obtained using film. This paper provides neutron radiographs of representative irradiated fuel pins along with neutron radiographs of standards that informed the qualification of the neutron CR system for routine use. Additionally, this paper includes evaluations of some of the CR scanner parameters and their effects on image quality.« less

Simplified jet fuel reaction mechanism for lean burn combustion application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Chi-Ming; Kundu, Krishna; Ghorashi, Bahman

1993-01-01

Successful modeling of combustion and emissions in gas turbine engine combustors requires an adequate description of the reaction mechanism. Detailed mechanisms contain a large number of chemical species participating simultaneously in many elementary kinetic steps. Current computational fluid dynamic models must include fuel vaporization, fuel-air mixing, chemical reactions, and complicated boundary geometries. A five-step Jet-A fuel mechanism which involves pyrolysis and subsequent oxidation of paraffin and aromatic compounds is presented. This mechanism is verified by comparing with Jet-A fuel ignition delay time experimental data, and species concentrations obtained from flametube experiments. This five-step mechanism appears to be better than the current one- and two-step mechanisms.

Passive Fuel Tank Inerting Systems for Ground Combat Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

elastomers and sealants used in currently fielded equipment and redesign of selected hydraulic and gun recoil systems would be necessary to...constraint~s or access problems. "* Fuel Lines.- Fuel lines are routed to use the least amount of line possible. Fuel lines are high-pressure braided ...steel and rubber hose or steel tube construction. "* Fuel Pumps. Fuel pumps are usually mounted internal to the fuel tanks, are of heavy-duty commercial

Fundamentals of fuel cell system integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krumpelt, Michael; Kumar, Romesh; Myles, Kevin M.

1994-04-01

Fuel cells are theoretically very efficient energy conversion devices that have the potential of becoming a commercial product for numerous uses in the civilian economy. We have analyzed several fuel cell system designs with regard to thermal and chemical integration of the fuel cell stack into the rest of the system. Thermal integration permits the use of the stack waste heat for the endothermic steps of fuel reforming. Chemical integration provides the steam needed for fuel reforming from the water produced by the electrochemical cell reaction. High-temperature fuel cells, such as the molten carbonate and the solid oxide fuel cells, permit this system integration in a relatively simple manner. Lower temperature fuel cells, such as the polymer electrolyte and phosphoric acid systems, require added system complexity to achieve such integration. The system economics are affected by capital and fuel costs and technical parameters, such as electrochemical fuel utilization, current density, and system complexity. At today's low fuel prices and the high fuel cell costs (in part, because of the low rates of production of the early prototypes), fuel cell systems are not cost competitive with conventional power generation. With the manufacture and sale of larger numbers of fuel cell systems, the total costs will decrease from the current several thousand dollars per kW, to perhaps less than $100 per kW as production volumes approa ch a million units per year.

Fuel cell tubes and method of making same

DOEpatents

Borglum, Brian P.

1999-11-30

A method of manufacturing porous ceramic tubes for fuel cells with improved properties and higher manufacturing yield is disclosed. The method involves extruding a closed end fuel cell tube, such as an air electrode of a solid oxide fuel cell, in which the closed end also functions as the sintering support. The resultant fuel cell tube has a superior porosity distribution which allows improved diffusion of oxygen at the closed end of the tube during operation of the fuel cell. Because this region has the highest current density, performance enhancement and improved reliability of the fuel cell tube result. Furthermore, the higher manufacturing yield associated with the present method decreases the overall fuel cell cost. A method of manufacturing porous ceramic tubes for fuel cells with improved properties and higher manufacturing yield is disclosed. The method involves extruding a closed end fuel cell tube, such as an air electrode of a solid oxide fuel cell, in which the closed end also functions as the sintering support. The resultant fuel cell tube has a superior porosity distribution which allows improved diffusion of oxygen at the closed end of the tube during operation of the fuel cell. Because this region has the highest current density, performance enhancement and improved reliability of the fuel cell tube result. Furthermore, the higher manufacturing yield associated with the present method decreases the overall fuel cell cost.

Tanker Fuel Efficiency: Saving Through Receiver Fuel Planning

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-13

engage your weapon.” General James Mattis , 2003 Conclusions The current planning and execution of air refueling missions are costing the DOD...fuel cells, and bio fuels are being explored by scientists and engineers working to reduce the United States’ dependency on foreign oil (Harmon

MEMS-based thin-film fuel cells

DOEpatents

Jankowksi, Alan F.; Morse, Jeffrey D.

2003-10-28

A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) based thin-film fuel cells for electrical power applications. The MEMS-based fuel cell may be of a solid oxide type (SOFC), a solid polymer type (SPFC), or a proton exchange membrane type (PEMFC), and each fuel cell basically consists of an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte layer. Additionally catalyst layers can also separate the electrodes (cathode and anode) from the electrolyte. Gas manifolds are utilized to transport the fuel and oxidant to each cell and provide a path for exhaust gases. The electrical current generated from each cell is drawn away with an interconnect and support structure integrated with the gas manifold. The fuel cells utilize integrated resistive heaters for efficient heating of the materials. By combining MEMS technology with thin-film deposition technology, thin-film fuel cells having microflow channels and full-integrated circuitry can be produced that will lower the operating temperature an will yield an order of magnitude greater power density than the currently known fuel cells.