Chemical composition of distillers grains, a review

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In recent years, increasing demand for ethanol as a fuel additive and decreasing dependency on fossil fuels have resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of grains used for ethanol production. Dry-grind is the major process, resulting in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as a major ...

Changes in Composition and Phosphorus Profile during Dry Grind Process of Corn into Ethanol and DDGS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Demand for alternatives to fossil fuels has resulted in a dramatic increase in ethanol production from corn. Dry grind method has been a major process, resulting in a large volume of dried distiller grains with solubles (DDGS) as a co-product. The process consists of grinding, cooking, liquefactio...

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

PubMed

Kobayashi, Makoto; Akiho, Hiroyuki

2017-12-01

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

Data quality objectives for the initial fuel conditioning examinations

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

Lawrence, L.A.

The Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) were established for the response of the first group of fuel samples shipped from the K West Basin to the Hanford 327 Building hot cells for examinations to the proposed Path Forward conditioning process. Controlled temperature and atmosphere furnace testing testing will establish performance parameters using the conditioning process (drying, sludge drying, hydride decomposition passivation) proposed by the Independent Technical Assessment (ITA) Team as the baseline.

Design and Operation of Equipment to Detect and Remove Water within Used Nuclear Fuel Storage Bottles

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

C.C. Baker; T.M. Pfeiffer; J.C. Price

2013-09-01

Inspection and drying equipment has been implemented in a hot cell to address the inadvertent ingress of water into used nuclear fuel storage bottles. Operated with telemanipulators, the system holds up to two fuel bottles and allows their threaded openings to be connected to pressure transducers and a vacuum pump. A prescribed pressure rebound test is used to diagnose the presence of moisture. Bottles found to contain moisture are dried by vaporization. The drying process is accelerated by the application of heat and vacuum. These techniques detect and remove virtually all free water (even water contained in a debris bed)more » while leaving behind most, if not all, particulates. The extracted water vapour passes through a thermoelectric cooler where it is condensed back to the liquid phase for collection. Fuel bottles are verified to be dry by passing the pressure rebound test.« less

High-conversion hydrolysates and corn sweetener production in dry-grind corn process.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most corn is processed to fuel ethanol and distillers’ grain animal feed using the dry grind process. However, wet milling is needed to refine corn starch. Corn starch is in turn processed to numerous products, including glucose and syrup. However, wet milling is a capital, labor, and energy intensi...

FACILITY LAYOUT OF FUEL STORAGE BUILDING (CPP603) SHOWING STORAGE BASINS, ...

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

FACILITY LAYOUT OF FUEL STORAGE BUILDING (CPP-603) SHOWING STORAGE BASINS, FUEL ELEMENT CUTTING FACILITY, AND DRY GRAPHITE STORAGE FACILITY. INL DRAWING NUMBER 200-0603-00-030-056329. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, Fuel Reprocessing Complex, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Development and Experimental Benchmark of Simulations to Predict Used Nuclear Fuel Cladding Temperatures during Drying and Transfer Operations

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

Greiner, Miles

Radial hydride formation in high-burnup used fuel cladding has the potential to radically reduce its ductility and suitability for long-term storage and eventual transport. To avoid this formation, the maximum post-reactor temperature must remain sufficiently low to limit the cladding hoop stress, and so that hydrogen from the existing circumferential hydrides will not dissolve and become available to re-precipitate into radial hydrides under the slow cooling conditions during drying, transfer and early dry-cask storage. The objective of this research is to develop and experimentallybenchmark computational fluid dynamics simulations of heat transfer in post-pool-storage drying operations, when high-burnup fuel cladding ismore » likely to experience its highest temperature. These benchmarked tools can play a key role in evaluating dry cask storage systems for extended storage of high-burnup fuels and post-storage transportation, including fuel retrievability. The benchmarked tools will be used to aid the design of efficient drying processes, as well as estimate variations of surface temperatures as a means of inferring helium integrity inside the canister or cask. This work will be conducted effectively because the principal investigator has experience developing these types of simulations, and has constructed a test facility that can be used to benchmark them.« less

Chemical composition of distillers grains, a review.

PubMed

Liu, KeShun

2011-03-09

In recent years, increasing demand for ethanol as a fuel additive and decreasing dependency on fossil fuels have resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of grains used for ethanol production. Dry-grind is the major process, resulting in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as a major coproduct. Like fuel ethanol, DDGS has quickly become a global commodity. However, high compositional variation has been the main problem hindering its use as a feed ingredient. This review provides updated information on the chemical composition of distillers grains in terms of nutrient levels, changes during dry-grind processing, and causes for large variation. The occurrence in grain feedstock and the fate of mycotoxins during processing are also covered. During processing, starch is converted to glucose and then to ethanol and carbon dioxide. Most other components are relatively unchanged but concentrated in DDGS about 3-fold over the original feedstock. Mycotoxins, if present in the original feedstock, are also concentrated. Higher fold of increases in S, Na, and Ca are mostly due to exogenous addition during processing, whereas unusual changes in inorganic phosphorus (P) and phytate P indicate phytate hydrolysis by yeast phytase. Fermentation causes major changes, but other processing steps are also responsible. The causes for varying DDGS composition are multiple, including differences in feedstock species and composition, process methods and parameters, the amount of condensed solubles added to distiller wet grains, the effect of fermentation yeast, and analytical methodology. Most of them can be attributed to the complexity of the dry-grind process itself. It is hoped that information provided in this review will improve the understanding of the dry-grind process and aid in the development of strategies to control the compositional variation in DDGS.

Study on the combined sewage sludge pyrolysis and gasification process: mass and energy balance.

PubMed

Wang, Zhonghui; Chen, Dezhen; Song, Xueding; Zhao, Lei

2012-12-01

A combined pyrolysis and gasification process for sewage sludge was studied in this paper for the purpose of its safe disposal with energy self-balance. Three sewage sludge samples with different dry basis lower heat values (LHV(db)) were used to evaluate the constraints on this combined process. Those samples were pre-dried and then pyrolysed within the temperature range of 400-550 degrees C. Afterwards, the char obtained from pyrolysis was gasified to produce fuel gas. The experimental results showed that the char yield ranged between 37.28 and 53.75 wt% of the dry sludge and it changed with ash content, pyrolysis temperature and LHV(db) of the sewage sludge. The gas from char gasification had a LHV around 5.31-5.65 MJ/Nm3, suggesting it can be utilized to supply energy in the sewage sludge drying and pyrolysis process. It was also found that energy balance in the combined process was affected by the LHV(db) of sewage sludge, moisture content and pyrolysis temperature. Higher LHV(db), lower moisture content and higher pyrolysis temperature benefit energy self-balance. For sewage sludge with a moisture content of 80 wt%, LHV(db) of sewage sludge should be higher than 18 MJ/kg and the pyrolysis temperature should be higher than 450 degrees C to maintain energy self-sufficiency when volatile from the pyrolysis process is the only energy supplier; when the LHV(db) was in the range of 14.65-18 MJ/kg, energy self-balance could be maintained in this combined process with fuel gas from char gasification as a supplementary fuel; auxiliary fuel was always needed if the LHV(db) was lower than 14.65 MJ/kg.

Combined different dehydration pretreatments and torrefaction to upgrade fuel properties of hybrid pennisetum (Pennisetum americanum ×P. purpureum).

PubMed

Yu, Yan; Wang, Guanghui; Bai, Xiaopeng; Liu, Jude; Wang, Decheng; Wang, Zhiqin

2018-05-16

Different dehydrating methods combined with torrefaction were investigated to find the underlying mechanism that how dehydration process influence the degree of hornification. Hybrid pennisetum was selected as the experiment material. Oven-dried sample (ODS), crushed dried sample (CDS), and sun-cured dried sample (SDS) were torrefied under the temperature of 275 °C and 300 °C with the duration time of 60 min. The results showed that, changes in elevated carbon content and higher heating value (HHV) and reduced oxygen content of SDS were the most obvious under identical torrefaction conditions. Fuel ratio of SDS was enhanced most under 300 °C. It also had the highest devolatilization index (D i ). The combination of sun-cured dried with torrefaction under 300 °C caused lowest degree of irreversible hornification happened during dehydrating process, and different hornification degrees caused by different dehydrating methods effect the enhancement of fuel properties of lignocellulosic biomass material. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alternative fuels for multiple-hearth furnaces

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

Bracken, B.D.; Lawson, T.U.

1980-04-01

A study of alternative procedures for reducing the consumption of No. 2 fuel oil at the Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre near Canberra, Aust., indicated that in comparison with the present system of incineration with heat supplied by burning fuel oil, the installation of a sludge drying operation, consisting of a rotary dryer heated by furnace exhaust gases with the dried sludge used to fuel the furnace, would become economically desirable by 1985 if afterburning is not required, and would be justified immediately if afterburning is required to meet air pollution control regulations. The substitution of any of fourmore » waste fuels (refuse-derived fuel, waste paper, wood waste, or waste oil) or of coal for the No. 2 fuel oil would not be cost-effective through 1989. The furnace system, including afterburning and fuel oil requirements, the envisioned alternative fuel use systems, sludge processing alternatives, heat balance results, and economics are discussed.« less

Processing of surrogate nuclear fuel pellets for better dimensional control with dry bag isostatic pressing

DOE PAGES

Hoggan, Rita E.; Zuck, Larry D.; Cannon, W. Roger; ...

2016-05-26

A study of improved methods of processing fuel pellets was undertaken using ceria and zirconia/yttria/alumina as surrogates. Through proper granulation and vertical vibration (tapping) of the parts bag prior to dry bag isostatic pressing (DBIP), reproducibility of diameter profiles among multiple pellets of ceria was improved by almost an order of magnitude. Reproducibility of sintered pellets was sufficiently good to possibly avoid grinding. Deviation from the mean diameter along the length of multiple pellets, as well as, deviation from roundness, decreased after sintering. This is not generally observed with dry pressed pellets. Thus it is possible to machine to tolerancemore » before sintering if grinding is necessary.« less

Processing waste fats into a fuel oil substitute

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

Pudel, F.; Lengenfeld, P.

1993-12-31

Waste fats have a high energy potential. They also contain impurities. For example, fats used for deep-frying contain high contents of solids, water, and chlorides. The process described in this paper removes the impurities by simple processing such as screening, washing, separating, drying, and filtering. The final quality of processed fat allows its use as a fuel oil substitute, and also as a raw material for chemical production.

Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production

DOE PAGES

Carrasco, Jose L.; Gunukula, Sampath; Boateng, Akwasi A.; ...

2017-04-01

Here, the techno-economics for producing liquid fuels from Maine forest residues were determined from a combination of: (1) laboratory experiments at USDA-ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center using hog fuel (a secondary woody residue produced from mill byproducts such as sawdust, bark and shavings) as a feedstock for pyrolysis to establish product yields and composition, and (2) Aspen Plus® process simulation for a feed rate of 2000 dry metric tons per day to estimate energy requirements and equipment sizes. The simulated plant includes feedstock sizing and drying, pyrolysis, hydrogen production and hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oils. The biomass is converted into bio-oilmore » (61% yield), char (24%) and gases (15%) in the pyrolysis reactor, with an energy demand of 17%. The bio-oil is then hydrotreated to remove oxygen, thereby producing hydrocarbon fuels. The final mass yield of gasoline/diesel hydrocarbons is 16% with a 40% energy yield based on the dry biomass fed, this yield represents a fuel production of 51.9 gallons per dry metric ton of feedstock. A unique aspect of the process simulated herein is that pyrolysis char and gases are used as sources for both thermal energy and hydrogen, greatly decreasing the need to input fossil energy. The total capital investment for a grass-roots plant was estimated to be US$427 million with an annual operational cost of US$154 million. With a 30 year project life, a minimum fuel selling price was determined to be US$6.25 per gallon. The economic concerns are related to high capital costs, high feedstock costs and short hydrotreating catalyst lifetimes.« less

Pyrolysis of forest residues: An approach to techno-economics for bio-fuel production

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

Carrasco, Jose L.; Gunukula, Sampath; Boateng, Akwasi A.

Here, the techno-economics for producing liquid fuels from Maine forest residues were determined from a combination of: (1) laboratory experiments at USDA-ARS’s Eastern Regional Research Center using hog fuel (a secondary woody residue produced from mill byproducts such as sawdust, bark and shavings) as a feedstock for pyrolysis to establish product yields and composition, and (2) Aspen Plus® process simulation for a feed rate of 2000 dry metric tons per day to estimate energy requirements and equipment sizes. The simulated plant includes feedstock sizing and drying, pyrolysis, hydrogen production and hydrotreatment of pyrolysis oils. The biomass is converted into bio-oilmore » (61% yield), char (24%) and gases (15%) in the pyrolysis reactor, with an energy demand of 17%. The bio-oil is then hydrotreated to remove oxygen, thereby producing hydrocarbon fuels. The final mass yield of gasoline/diesel hydrocarbons is 16% with a 40% energy yield based on the dry biomass fed, this yield represents a fuel production of 51.9 gallons per dry metric ton of feedstock. A unique aspect of the process simulated herein is that pyrolysis char and gases are used as sources for both thermal energy and hydrogen, greatly decreasing the need to input fossil energy. The total capital investment for a grass-roots plant was estimated to be US$427 million with an annual operational cost of US$154 million. With a 30 year project life, a minimum fuel selling price was determined to be US$6.25 per gallon. The economic concerns are related to high capital costs, high feedstock costs and short hydrotreating catalyst lifetimes.« less

Changes in oil content, fatty acid composition, and functional lipid profiles during dry grind ethanol production from corn.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Demand for alternatives to fossil fuels has resulted in a dramatic increase in ethanol production from corn. The dry grind method has been the major process, resulting in a large volume of dried distiller grains with solubles (DDGS) as a co-product. This presentation reports our study to monitor ...

Economic analysis of fuel ethanol production from winter hulled barley by the EDGE (Enhanced Dry Grind Enzymatic) process.

PubMed

Nghiem, Nhuan P; Ramírez, Edna C; McAloon, Andrew J; Yee, Winnie; Johnston, David B; Hicks, Kevin B

2011-06-01

A process and cost model was developed for fuel ethanol production from winter barley based on the EDGE (Enhanced Dry Grind Enzymatic) process. In this process, in addition to β-glucanases, which are added to reduce the viscosity of the mash, β-glucosidase is also added to completely hydrolyze the oligomers obtained during the hydrolysis of β-glucans to glucose. The model allows determination of capital costs, operating costs, and ethanol production cost for a plant producing 40 million gallons of denatured fuel ethanol annually. A sensitivity study was also performed to examine the effects of β-glucosidase and barley costs on the final ethanol production cost. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the economic benefit of adding β-glucosidase. Lower ethanol production cost was obtained compared to that obtained without β-glucosidase addition in all cases except one where highest β-glucosidase cost allowance and lowest barley cost were used. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Suggestion on the safety classification of spent fuel dry storage in China’s pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ting; Qu, Yunhuan; Meng, De; Zhang, Qiaoer; Lu, Xinhua

2018-01-01

China’s spent fuel storage in the pressurized water reactors(PWR) is stored with wet storage way. With the rapid development of nuclear power industry, China’s NPPs(NPPs) will not be able to meet the problem of the production of spent fuel. Currently the world’s major nuclear power countries use dry storage as a way of spent fuel storage, so in recent years, China study on additional spent fuel dry storage system mainly. Part of the PWR NPP is ready to apply for additional spent fuel dry storage system. It also need to safety classificate to spent fuel dry storage facilities in PWR, but there is no standard for safety classification of spent fuel dry storage facilities in China. Because the storage facilities of the spent fuel dry storage are not part of the NPP, the classification standard of China’s NPPs is not applicable. This paper proposes the safety classification suggestion of the spent fuel dry storage for China’s PWR NPP, through to the study on China’s safety classification principles of PWR NPP in “Classification for the items of pressurized water reactor nuclear power plants (GB/T 17569-2013)”, and safety classification about spent fuel dry storage system in NUREG/CR - 6407 in the United States.

Low NO/x/ heavy fuel combustor program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lister, E.; Niedzwiecki, R. W.; Nichols, L.

1980-01-01

The paper deals with the 'Low NO/x/ Heavy Fuel Combustor Program'. Main program objectives are to generate and demonstrate the technology required to develop durable gas turbine combustors for utility and industrial applications, which are capable of sustained, environmentally acceptable operation with minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. The program will focus on 'dry' reductions of oxides of nitrogen (NO/x/), improved combustor durability and satisfactory combustion of minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. Other technology advancements sought include: fuel flexibility for operation with petroleum distillates, blends of petroleum distillates and residual fuels, and synfuels (fuel oils derived from coal or shale); acceptable exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides and smoke; and retrofit capability to existing engines.

Low NO(x) heavy fuel combustor program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lister, E.; Niedzwiecki, R. W.; Nichols, L.

1979-01-01

The 'low nitrogen oxides heavy fuel combustor' program is described. Main program objectives are to generate and demonstrate the technology required to develop durable gas turbine combustors for utility and industrial applications, which are capable of sustained, environmentally acceptable operation with minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. The program will focus on 'dry' reductions of oxides of nitrogen, improved combustor durability, and satisfactory combustion of minimally processed petroleum residual fuels. Other technology advancements sought include: fuel flexibility for operation with petroleum distillates, blends of petroleum distillates and residual fuels, and synfuels (fuel oils derived from coal or shale); acceptable exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides and smoke; and retrofit capability to existing engines.

40 CFR Table 12 to Subpart Ddddd... - Alternative Emission Limits for New or Reconstructed Boilers and Process Heaters That Commenced...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

.../solid fossil fuels on an annual heat input basis a. Particulate Matter 0.008 lb per MMBtu of heat input... all subcategories designed to burn solid fuel that combust at least 10 percent coal/solid fossil fuels.../solid fossil fuel a. CO 90 ppm by volume on a dry basis corrected to 3 percent oxygen 1 hr minimum...

40 CFR Table 12 to Subpart Ddddd... - Alternative Emission Limits for New or Reconstructed Boilers and Process Heaters That Commenced...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

.../solid fossil fuels on an annual heat input basis a. Particulate Matter 0.008 lb per MMBtu of heat input... all subcategories designed to burn solid fuel that combust at least 10 percent coal/solid fossil fuels.../solid fossil fuel a. CO 90 ppm by volume on a dry basis corrected to 3 percent oxygen 1 hr minimum...

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

Montgomery, Rose; Scaglione, John M; Bevard, Bruce Balkcom

The High Burnup Spent Fuel Data project pulled 25 sister rods (9 from the project assemblies and 16 from similar HBU assemblies) for characterization. The 25 sister rods are all high burnup and cover the range of modern domestic cladding alloys. The 25 sister rods were shipped to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in early 2016 for detailed non-destructive and destructive examination. Examinations are intended to provide baseline data on the initial physical state of the cladding and fuel prior to the loading, drying, and long-term dry storage process. Further examinations are focused on determining the effects of temperatures encounteredmore » during and following drying. Similar tests will be performed on rods taken from the project assemblies at the end of their long-term storage in a TN-32 dry storage cask (the cask rods ) to identify any significant changes in the fuel rods that may have occurred during the dry storage period. Additionally, some of the sister rods will be used for separate effects testing to expand the applicability of the project data to the fleet, and to address some of the data-related gaps associated with extended storage and subsequent transportation of high burnup fuel. A draft test plan is being developed that describes the experimental work to be conducted on the sister rods. This paper summarizes the draft test plan and necessary coordination activities for the multi-year experimental program to supply data relevant to the assessment of the safety of long-term storage followed by transportation of high burnup spent fuel.« less

Experimental and numerical modeling of shrub crown fire initiation

Treesearch

Watcharapong Tachajapong; Jesse Lozano; Shakar Mahalingam; Xiangyang Zhou; David Weise

2009-01-01

The transition of fire from dry surface fuels to wet shrub crown fuels was studied using laboratory experiments and a simple physical model to gain a better understanding of the transition process. In the experiments, we investigated the effects of varying vertical distances between surface and crown fuels (crown base height), and of the wind speed on crown fire...

Dry compliant seal for phosphoric acid fuel cell

DOEpatents

Granata, Jr., Samuel J.; Woodle, Boyd M.

1990-01-01

A dry compliant overlapping seal for a phosphoric acid fuel cell preformed f non-compliant Teflon to make an anode seal frame that encircles an anode assembly, a cathode seal frame that encircles a cathode assembly and a compliant seal frame made of expanded Teflon, generally encircling a matrix assembly. Each frame has a thickness selected to accommodate various tolerances of the fuel cell elements and are either bonded to one of the other frames or to a bipolar or end plate. One of the non-compliant frames is wider than the other frames forming an overlap of the matrix over the wider seal frame, which cooperates with electrolyte permeating the matrix to form a wet seal within the fuel cell that prevents process gases from intermixing at the periphery of the fuel cell and a dry seal surrounding the cell to keep electrolyte from the periphery thereof. The frames may be made in one piece, in L-shaped portions or in strips and have an outer perimeter which registers with the outer perimeter of bipolar or end plates to form surfaces upon which flanges of pan shaped, gas manifolds can be sealed.

Treating thin stillage or condensed distillers solubles with phytase for production of low phytate co-products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fuel ethanol production from grains is mainly based on dry grind processing, during which phytate is concentrated about three fold in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a major co-product. For reducing phyate in DDGS, two industrial phytase preparations (Natuphos and Ronozyme) were used ...

Process to convert biomass and refuse derived fuel to ethers and/or alcohols

DOEpatents

Diebold, James P.; Scahill, John W.; Chum, Helena L.; Evans, Robert J.; Rejai, Bahman; Bain, Richard L.; Overend, Ralph P.

1996-01-01

A process for conversion of a feedstock selected from the group consisting of biomass and refuse derived fuel (RDF) to provide reformulated gasoline components comprising a substantial amount of materials selected from the group consisting of ethers, alcohols, or mixtures thereof, comprising: drying said feedstock; subjecting said dried feedstock to fast pyrolysis using a vortex reactor or other means; catalytically cracking vapors resulting from said pyrolysis using a zeolite catalyst; condensing any aromatic byproduct fraction; catalytically alkylating any benzene present in said vapors after condensation; catalytically oligomerizing any remaining ethylene and propylene to higher olefins; isomerizing said olefins to reactive iso-olefins; and catalytically reacting said iso-olefins with an alcohol to form ethers or with water to form alcohols.

Ultrafine polybenzimidazole (PBI) fibers. [separators for alkaline batteries and dfuel cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chenevey, E. C.

1979-01-01

Mats were made from ultrafine polybenzimidazole (PBI) fibers to provide an alternate to the use of asbestos as separators in fuel cells and alkaline batteries. To minimize distortion during mat drying, a process to provide a dry fibrid was developed. Two fibrid types were developed: one coarse, making mats for battery separators; the other fine, making low permeability matrices for fuel cells. Eventually, it was demonstrated that suitable mat fabrication techniques yielded fuel cell separators from the coarser alkaline battery fibrids. The stability of PBI mats to 45% KOH at 123 C can be increased by heat treatment at high temperatures. Weight loss data to 1000 hours exposure show the alkali resistance of the mats to be superior to that of asbestos.

Analysis of Ignition Testing on K-West Basin Fuel

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

J. Abrefah; F.H. Huang; W.M. Gerry

Approximately 2100 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) discharged from the N-Reactor have been stored underwater at the K-Basins in the 100 Area of the Hanford Site. The spent fuel has been stored in the K-East Basin since 1975 and in the K-West Basin since 1981. Some of the SNF elements in these basins have corroded because of various breaches in the Zircaloy cladding that occurred during fuel discharge operations and/or subsequent handling and storage in the basins. Consequently, radioactive material in the fuel has been released into the basin water, and water has leaked from the K-East Basinmore » into the soil below. To protect the Columbia River, which is only 380 m from the basins, the SNF is scheduled to be removed and transported for interim dry storage in the 200 East Area, in the central portion of the Site. However, before being shipped, the corroded fuel elements will be loaded into Multi-Canister OverPacks and conditioned. The conditioning process will be selected based on the Integrated Process Strategy (IPS) (WHC 1995), which was prepared on the basis of the dry storage concept developed by the Independent Technical Assessment (ITA) team (ITA 1994).« less

Making Fuel from Sewage

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

None

2017-10-18

What we flush can be converted into a biocrude oil with properties very similar to fossil fuels. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers have worked out a process that does not require that sewage be dried before transforming it under heat and pressure to biocrude. The Genifuel Corporation in Vancouver, Canada hopes to build a demonstration plant.

Uranium Pyrophoricity Phenomena and Prediction (FAI/00-39)

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

PLYS, M.G.

2000-10-10

The purpose of this report is to provide a topical reference on the phenomena and prediction of uranium pyrophoricity for the Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project with specific applications to SNF Project processes and situations. Spent metallic uranium nuclear fuel is currently stored underwater at the K basins in the Hanford 100 area, and planned processing steps include: (1) At the basins, cleaning and placing fuel elements and scrap into stainless steel multi-canister overpacks (MCOs) holding about 6 MT of fuel apiece; (2) At nearby cold vacuum drying (CVD) stations, draining, vacuum drying, and mechanically sealing the MCOs; (3)more » Shipping the MCOs to the Canister Storage Building (CSB) on the 200 Area plateau; and (4) Welding shut and placing the MCOs for interim (40 year) dry storage in closed CSB storage tubes cooled by natural air circulation through the surrounding vault. Damaged fuel elements have exposed and corroded fuel surfaces, which can exothermically react with water vapor and oxygen during normal process steps and in off-normal situations, A key process safety concern is the rate of reaction of damaged fuel and the potential for self-sustaining or runaway reactions, also known as uranium fires or fuel ignition. Uranium metal and one of its corrosion products, uranium hydride, are potentially pyrophoric materials. Dangers of pyrophoricity of uranium and its hydride have long been known in the U.S. Department of Energy (Atomic Energy Commission/DOE) complex and will be discussed more below; it is sufficient here to note that there are numerous documented instances of uranium fires during normal operations. The motivation for this work is to place the safety of the present process in proper perspective given past operational experience. Steps in development of such a perspective are: (1) Description of underlying physical causes for runaway reactions, (2) Modeling physical processes to explain runaway reactions, (3) Validation of the method against experimental data, (4) Application of the method to plausibly explain operational experience, and (5) Application of the method to present process steps to demonstrate process safety and margin. Essentially, the logic above is used to demonstrate that runaway reactions cannot occur during normal SNF Project process steps, and to illustrate the depth of the technical basis for such a conclusion. Some off-normal conditions are identified here that could potentially lead to runaway reactions. However, this document is not intended to provide an exhaustive analysis of such cases. In summary, this report provides a ''toolkit'' of models and approaches for analysis of pyrophoricity safety issues at Hanford, and the technical basis for the recommended approaches. A summary of recommended methods appears in Section 9.0.« less

Mapping Live Fuel Moisture and the relation to drought and post fire events for Southern California region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatzopoulos, N.; Kim, S. H.; Kafatos, M.; Nghiem, S. V.; Myoung, B.

2016-12-01

Live Fuel Moisture is a dryness measure used by the fire departments to determine how dry is the current situation of the fuels from the forest areas. In order to map Live Fuel Moisture we conducted an analysis with a standardized regressional approach from various vegetation indices derived from remote sensing data of MODIS. After analyzing the results we concluded mapping Live Fuel Moisture using a standardized NDVI product. From the mapped remote sensed product we observed the appearance of extremely high dry fuels to be highly correlated with very dry years based on the overall yearly precipitation. The appearances of the extremely dry mapped fuels tend to have a direct association with fire events and observed to be a post fire indicator. In addition we studied the appearance of extreme dry fuels during critical months when season changes from spring to summer as well as the relation to fire events.

Dry transfer system for spent fuel: Project report, A system designed to achieve the dry transfer of bare spent fuel between two casks. Final report

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

Dawson, D.M.; Guerra, G.; Neider, T.

1995-12-01

This report describes the system developed by EPRI/DOE for the dry transfer of spent fuel assemblies outside the reactor spent fuel pool. The system is designed to allow spent fuel assemblies to be removed from a spent fuel pool in a small cask, transported to the transfer facility, and transferred to a larger cask, either for off-site transportation or on-site storage. With design modifications, this design is capable of transferring single spent fuel assemblies from dry storage casks to transportation casks or visa versa. One incentive for the development of this design is that utilities with limited lifting capacity ormore » other physical or regulatory constraints are limited in their ability to utilize the current, more efficient transportation and storage cask designs. In addition, DOE, in planning to develop and implement the multi-purpose canister (MPC) system for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System, included the concept of an on-site dry transfer system to support the implementation of the MPC system at reactors with limitations that preclude the handling of the MPC system transfer casks. This Dry Transfer System can also be used at reactors wi decommissioned spent fuel pools and fuel in dry storage in non-MPC systems to transfer fuel into transportation casks. It can also be used at off-reactor site interim storage facilities for the same purpose.« less

Utilizing a Segmented Fuel Cell to Study the Effects of Electrode Coating Irregularities on PEM Fuel Cell Initial Performance

DOE PAGES

Phillips, Adam; Ulsh, Michael; Porter, Jason; ...

2017-04-27

An understanding of the impact of coating irregularities on beginning of life polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) performance is essential to develop and establish manufacturing tolerances for its components. Coating irregularities occurring in the fuel cell electrode can either possess acceptable process variations or potentially harmful defects. A segmented fuel cell (SFC) is employed to understand how 100% catalyst reduction irregularities ranging from 0.125 to 1 cm 2 in the cathode electrode of a 50 cm 2 sized cell impact spatial and total cell performance at dry and wet humidification conditions. Here, by analyzing the data in a differential formatmore » the local performance effects of irregularity sizes down to 0.25 cm 2 were detected in the current distribution of the cell. Slight total cell performance impacts, due to irregularity sizes of 0.5 and 1 cm 2, were observed under dry operation and high current densities.« less

Utilizing a Segmented Fuel Cell to Study the Effects of Electrode Coating Irregularities on PEM Fuel Cell Initial Performance

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

Phillips, Adam; Ulsh, Michael; Porter, Jason

An understanding of the impact of coating irregularities on beginning of life polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) performance is essential to develop and establish manufacturing tolerances for its components. Coating irregularities occurring in the fuel cell electrode can either possess acceptable process variations or potentially harmful defects. A segmented fuel cell (SFC) is employed to understand how 100% catalyst reduction irregularities ranging from 0.125 to 1 cm 2 in the cathode electrode of a 50 cm 2 sized cell impact spatial and total cell performance at dry and wet humidification conditions. Here, by analyzing the data in a differential formatmore » the local performance effects of irregularity sizes down to 0.25 cm 2 were detected in the current distribution of the cell. Slight total cell performance impacts, due to irregularity sizes of 0.5 and 1 cm 2, were observed under dry operation and high current densities.« less

40 CFR Table 2 to Subpart Ddddd of... - Emission Limits for Existing Boilers and Process Heaters

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... collect a minimum of 3 dscm. 2. Units design to burn coal/solid fossil fuel a. Filterable PM (or TSM) 4.0E... minimum of 2 dscm per run. 3. Pulverized coal boilers designed to burn coal/solid fossil fuel a. CO (or.../solid fossil fuel a. CO (or CEMS) 160 ppm by volume on a dry basis corrected to 3 percent oxygen, 3-run...

Method and system for controlling a gasification or partial oxidation process

DOEpatents

Rozelle, Peter L; Der, Victor K

2015-02-10

A method and system for controlling a fuel gasification system includes optimizing a conversion of solid components in the fuel to gaseous fuel components, controlling the flux of solids entrained in the product gas through equipment downstream of the gasifier, and maximizing the overall efficiencies of processes utilizing gasification. A combination of models, when utilized together, can be integrated with existing plant control systems and operating procedures and employed to develop new control systems and operating procedures. Such an approach is further applicable to gasification systems that utilize both dry feed and slurry feed.

Fine grain separation for the production of biomass fuel from mixed municipal solid waste.

PubMed

Giani, H; Borchers, B; Kaufeld, S; Feil, A; Pretz, T

2016-01-01

The main goal of the project MARSS (Material Advanced Sustainable Systems) is to build a demonstration plant in order to recover a renewable biomass fuel suitable for the use in biomass power plants out of mixed municipal solid waste (MMSW). The demonstration plant was constructed in Mertesdorf (Germany), working alongside an existing mechanical-biological treatment plant, where the MMSW is biological dried under aerobe conditions in rotting boxes. The focus of the presented sorting campaign was set on the processing of fine grain particles minor than 11.5mm which have the highest mass content and biogenic energy potential of the utilized grain size fractions. The objective was to produce a biomass fuel with a high calorific value and a low content of fossil (plastic, synthetic) materials while maximizing the mass recovery. Therefore, the biogenic components of the dried MMSW are separated from inert and fossil components through various classification and sifting processes. In three experimental process setups of different processing depths, the grain size fraction 4-11.5mm was sifted by the use of air sifters and air tables. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishment and assessment of a novel cleaner production process of corn grain fuel ethanol.

PubMed

Wang, Ke; Zhang, Jianhua; Tang, Lei; Zhang, Hongjian; Zhang, Guiying; Yang, Xizhao; Liu, Pei; Mao, Zhonggui

2013-11-01

An integrated corn ethanol-methane fermentation system was proposed to solve the problem of stillage handling, where thin stillage was treated by anaerobic digestion and then reused to make mash for the following ethanol fermentation. This system was evaluated at laboratory and pilot scale. Anaerobic digestion of thin stillage ran steadily with total chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency of 98% at laboratory scale and 97% at pilot scale. Ethanol production was not influenced by recycling anaerobic digestion effluent at laboratory and pilot scale. Compared with dried distillers' grains with solubles produced in conventional process, dried distillers' grains in the proposed system exhibited higher quality because of increased protein concentration and decreased salts concentration. Energetic assessment indicated that application of this novel process enhanced the net energy balance ratio from 1.26 (conventional process) to 1.76. In conclusion, the proposed system possessed technical advantage over the conventional process for corn fuel ethanol production. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Process to convert biomass and refuse derived fuel to ethers and/or alcohols

DOEpatents

Diebold, J.P.; Scahill, J.W.; Chum, H.L.; Evans, R.J.; Rejai, B.; Bain, R.L.; Overend, R.P.

1996-04-02

A process is described for conversion of a feedstock selected from the group consisting of biomass and refuse derived fuel (RDF) to provide reformulated gasoline components comprising a substantial amount of materials selected from the group consisting of ethers, alcohols, or mixtures thereof, comprising: drying said feedstock; subjecting said dried feedstock to fast pyrolysis using a vortex reactor or other means; catalytically cracking vapors resulting from said pyrolysis using a zeolite catalyst; condensing any aromatic byproduct fraction; catalytically alkylating any benzene present in said vapors after condensation; catalytically oligomerizing any remaining ethylene and propylene to higher olefins; isomerizing said olefins to reactive iso-olefins; and catalytically reacting said iso-olefins with an alcohol to form ethers or with water to form alcohols. 35 figs.

Comparison of three different wastewater sludge and their respective drying processes: Solar, thermal and reed beds - Impact on organic matter characteristics.

PubMed

Collard, Marie; Teychené, Benoit; Lemée, Laurent

2017-12-01

Drying process aims at minimising the volume of wastewater sludge (WWS) before disposal, however it can impact sludge characteristics. Due to its high content in organic matter (OM) and lipids, sludge are mainly valorised by land farming but can also be considered as a feedstock for biodiesel production. As sludge composition is a major parameter for the choice of disposal techniques, the objective of this study was to determine the influence of the drying process. To reach this goal, three sludges obtained from solar, reed beds and thermal drying processes were investigated at the global and molecular scales. Before the drying step the sludges presented similar physico-chemical (OM content, elemental analysis, pH, infrared spectra) characteristics and lipid contents. A strong influence of the drying process on lipids and humic-like substances contents was observed through OM fractionation. Thermochemolysis-GCMS of raw sludge and lipids revealed similar molecular content mainly constituted with steroids and fatty acids. Molecular changes were noticeable for thermal drying through differences in branched to linear fatty acids ratio. Finally the thermal drying induced a weakening of OM whereas the solar drying led to a complexification. These findings show that smooth drying processes such as solar or reed-beds are preferable for amendment production whereas thermal process leads to pellets with a high lipid content which could be considered for fuel production. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduction in energy usage during dry grind ethanol production by enhanced enzymatic dewatering of whole stillage: plant trial, process model and economic analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A plant trial was conducted at a 54 MGPY dry grind fuel ethanol facility to evaluate the use of enhanced water removal from whole stillage by enzyme addition during fermentation. Laboratory data had previously shown significant improvements in water removal that could potentially result in significa...

Techno-economic analysis for upgrading the biomass-derived ethanol-to-jet blendstocks

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

Tao, Ling; Markham, Jennifer N.; Haq, Zia

Here, this study summarizes the detailed techno-economic analysis of the ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) process based on two different feedstocks (corn grain and corn stover) at the plant scale of 2000 dry metric tons per day. Ethanol biologically derived from biomass is upgraded catalytically to jet blendstocks via alcohol dehydration, olefin oligomerization, and hydrotreating. In both pathways, corn-grain-derived ethanol to jet (corn mill ETJ) and corn-stover-derived ethanol to jet (corn stover ETJ), there are portions of gasoline and diesel produced as coproducts. Two cost bases are used in this study: the minimum jet fuel selling prices (MJSP) for jet-range blendstocks and themore » minimum fuel selling prices (MFSP) for all the hydrocarbons (gasoline, jet, and diesel) produced using a gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) basis. The n th-plant MJSPs for the two pathways are estimated to be 4.20 per gal for corn mill and 6.14 per gal for corn stover, while MFSPs are 3.91 per GGE for corn mill and 5.37 per GGE for corn stover. If all of the hydrocarbon products (gasoline, jet, and diesel ranges) can be considered as fuel blendstocks using a GGE basis, the total hydrocarbon yield for fuel blendstock is 49.6 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn stover and 71.0 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn grain. The outcome of this study shows that the renewable jet fuel could be cost competitive with fossil derived jet fuel if further improvements could be made to increase process yields (particularly yields of sugars, sugar to ethanol, and ethanol to hydrocarbons), research and development of sustainable feedstocks, and more effective catalytic reaction kinetics. Pioneer plant analysis, which considers the increased capital investment and the decreased plant performance over the nth-plant analysis, is also performed, showing a potential 31%–178% increase in cost compared to the n th-plant assumptions for the dry mill pathway, but with a much wider range of 69%–471% cost increase over the n th-plant assumptions for the corn stover pathway. While there are large differences between the estimated first of a kind plant cost and the targeted nth-plant case, reduction of costs is possible through improvement of the overall process efficiency, yields, reduction in overall capital, co-product revenues and strategically improve performance by process learnings.« less

Techno-economic analysis for upgrading the biomass-derived ethanol-to-jet blendstocks

DOE PAGES

Tao, Ling; Markham, Jennifer N.; Haq, Zia; ...

2016-12-30

Here, this study summarizes the detailed techno-economic analysis of the ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) process based on two different feedstocks (corn grain and corn stover) at the plant scale of 2000 dry metric tons per day. Ethanol biologically derived from biomass is upgraded catalytically to jet blendstocks via alcohol dehydration, olefin oligomerization, and hydrotreating. In both pathways, corn-grain-derived ethanol to jet (corn mill ETJ) and corn-stover-derived ethanol to jet (corn stover ETJ), there are portions of gasoline and diesel produced as coproducts. Two cost bases are used in this study: the minimum jet fuel selling prices (MJSP) for jet-range blendstocks and themore » minimum fuel selling prices (MFSP) for all the hydrocarbons (gasoline, jet, and diesel) produced using a gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) basis. The n th-plant MJSPs for the two pathways are estimated to be 4.20 per gal for corn mill and 6.14 per gal for corn stover, while MFSPs are 3.91 per GGE for corn mill and 5.37 per GGE for corn stover. If all of the hydrocarbon products (gasoline, jet, and diesel ranges) can be considered as fuel blendstocks using a GGE basis, the total hydrocarbon yield for fuel blendstock is 49.6 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn stover and 71.0 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn grain. The outcome of this study shows that the renewable jet fuel could be cost competitive with fossil derived jet fuel if further improvements could be made to increase process yields (particularly yields of sugars, sugar to ethanol, and ethanol to hydrocarbons), research and development of sustainable feedstocks, and more effective catalytic reaction kinetics. Pioneer plant analysis, which considers the increased capital investment and the decreased plant performance over the nth-plant analysis, is also performed, showing a potential 31%–178% increase in cost compared to the n th-plant assumptions for the dry mill pathway, but with a much wider range of 69%–471% cost increase over the n th-plant assumptions for the corn stover pathway. While there are large differences between the estimated first of a kind plant cost and the targeted nth-plant case, reduction of costs is possible through improvement of the overall process efficiency, yields, reduction in overall capital, co-product revenues and strategically improve performance by process learnings.« less

40 CFR Table 1 to Subpart Ddddd of... - Emission Limits for New or Reconstructed Boilers and Process Heaters

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... fossil fuel a. Filterable PM (or TSM) 1.1E-03 lb per MMBtu of heat input; or (2.3E-05 lb per MMBtu of... designed to burn coal/solid fossil fuel a. Carbon monoxide (CO) (or CEMS) 130 ppm by volume on a dry basis... minimum sampling time. 4. Stokers designed to burn coal/solid fossil fuel a. CO (or CEMS) 130 ppm by...

Spent nuclear fuel project cold vacuum drying facility operations manual

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

IRWIN, J.J.

This document provides the Operations Manual for the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility (CVDF). The Manual was developed in conjunction with HNF-SD-SNF-SAR-002, Safety Analysis Report for the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility, Phase 2, Supporting Installation of Processing Systems (Garvin 1998) and, the HNF-SD-SNF-DRD-002, 1997, Cold Vacuum Drying Facility Design Requirements, Rev. 3a. The Operations Manual contains general descriptions of all the process, safety and facility systems in the CVDF, a general CVD operations sequence, and has been developed for the SNFP Operations Organization and shall be updated, expanded, and revised in accordance with future design, construction and startup phases of themore » CVDF until the CVDF final ORR is approved.« less

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

Tan, Eric C. D.; Talmadge, Michael; Dutta, Abhijit

This paper describes in detail one potential conversion process for the production of high-octane gasoline blendstock via indirect liquefaction of biomass. The processing steps of this pathway include the conversion of biomass to synthesis gas via indirect gasification, gas clean-up via reforming of tars and other hydrocarbons, catalytic conversion of syngas to methanol, methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether (DME), and the homologation of DME over a zeolite catalyst to high-octane gasoline-range hydrocarbon products. The current process configuration has similarities to conventional methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) technologies, but there are key distinctions, specifically regarding the product slate, catalysts, and reactor conditions. A techno-economicmore » analysis is performed to investigate the production of high-octane gasoline blendstock. The design features a processing daily capacity of 2000 tonnes (2205 short tons) of dry biomass. The process yields 271 liters of liquid fuel per dry tonne of biomass (65 gal/dry ton), for an annual fuel production rate of 178 million liters (47 MM gal) at 90% on-stream time. The estimated total capital investment for an nth-plant is $438 million. The resulting minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) is $0.86 per liter or $3.25 per gallon in 2011 US dollars. A rigorous sensitivity analysis captures uncertainties in costs and plant performance. Sustainability metrics for the conversion process are quantified and assessed. The potential premium value of the high-octane gasoline blendstock is examined and found to be at least as competitive as fossil-derived blendstocks. A simple blending strategy is proposed to demonstrate the potential for blending the biomass-derived blendstock with petroleum-derived intermediates. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.« less

High gradient magnetic beneficiation of dry pulverized coal via upwardly directed recirculating fluidization

DOEpatents

Eissenberg, David M.; Liu, Yin-An

1980-01-01

This invention relates to an improved device and method for the high gradient magnetic beneficiation of dry pulverized coal, for the purpose of removing sulfur and ash from the coal whereby the product is a dry environmentally acceptable, low-sulfur fuel. The process involves upwardly directed recirculating air fluidization of selectively sized powdered coal in a separator having sections of increasing diameters in the direction of air flow, with magnetic field and flow rates chosen for optimum separations depending upon particulate size.

Utilisation of energy from digester gas and sludge incineration at Hamburg's Köhlbrandhöft WWTP.

PubMed

Thierbach, R D; Hanssen, H

2002-01-01

At Hamburg's Köhlbrandhöft WWTP the demand for external energy supply is minimised by state of the art sludge treatment. The sludge is subjected to thickening, anaerobic digestion, dewatering, drying and incineration. The digester gas is used in a combined gas and steam turbine process. The sludge incineration also produces steam, which is also used in the steam turbine that follows the gas turbine. The turbines produce electricity, partially expanded steam is used for the sludge drying process. Heat from the condensation of vapours from sludge drying is used to heat the anaerobic digesters. The overall process requires no external heat or fuel and produces 60% of the WWTP's electricity demand.

An Evaluation of the Functionality of Advanced Fuel Research Prototype Dry Pyrolyzer for Destruction of Solid Wastes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, John; Wignarajah, K.; Howard, Kevin; Serio, Mike; Kroo, Eric

2004-01-01

The prototype dry pyrolyser delivered to Ames Research Center is the end-product of a Phase I1 Small Business Initiative Research (SBIR) project. Some of the major advantages of pyrolysis for processing solid wastes are that it can process solid wastes, it permits elemental recycling while conserving oxygen use, and it can function as a pretreatment for combustion processes. One of the disadvantages of pyrolysis is the formation of tars. By controlling the rate of heating, tar formation can be minimized. This paper presents data on the pyrolysis of various space station wastes. The performance of the pyrolyser is also discussed and appropriate modifications suggested to improve the performance of the dry pyrolyzer.

Used fuel extended storage security and safeguards by design roadmap

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

Durbin, Samuel G.; Lindgren, Eric Richard; Jones, Robert

2016-05-01

In the United States, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is safely and securely stored in spent fuel pools and dry storage casks. The available capacity in spent fuel pools across the nuclear fleet has nearly reached a steady state value. The excess SNF continues to be loaded in dry storage casks. Fuel is expected to remain in dry storage for periods beyond the initial dry cask certification period of 20 years. Recent licensing renewals have approved an additional 40 years. This report identifies the current requirements and evaluation techniques associated with the safeguards and security of SNF dry cask storage. Amore » set of knowledge gaps is identified in the current approaches. Finally, this roadmap identifies known knowledge gaps and provides a research path to deliver the tools and models needed to close the gaps and allow the optimization of the security and safeguards approaches for an interim spent fuel facility over the lifetime of the storage site.« less

Poet Portland Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This update August 9, 2016 letter from EPA approves the petition, with modifications, from Poet Biorefining-Portland, LLC, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel

Poet Alexandria Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This update August 9, 2016 letter from EPA approves, with modifications, the petition from Poet Biorefining-Alexandria, LLC, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel

Polymer optical fiber grating as water activity sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Webb, David J.

2014-05-01

Controlling the water content within a product has long been required in the chemical processing, agriculture, food storage, paper manufacturing, semiconductor, pharmaceutical and fuel industries. The limitations of water content measurement as an indicator of safety and quality are attributed to differences in the strength with which water associates with other components in the product. Water activity indicates how tightly water is "bound," structurally or chemically, in products. Water absorption introduces changes in the volume and refractive index of poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA. Therefore for a grating made in PMMA based optical fiber, its wavelength is an indicator of water absorption and PMMA thus can be used as a water activity sensor. In this work we have investigated the performance of a PMMA based optical fiber grating as a water activity sensor in sugar solution, saline solution and Jet A-1 aviation fuel. Samples of sugar solution with sugar concentration from 0 to 8%, saline solution with concentration from 0 to 22%, and dried (10ppm), ambient (39ppm) and wet (68ppm) aviation fuels were used in experiments. The corresponding water activities are measured as 1.0 to 0.99 for sugar solution, 1.0 to 0.86 for saline solution, and 0.15, 0.57 and 1.0 for the aviation fuel samples. The water content in the measured samples ranges from 100% (pure water) to 10 ppm (dried aviation fuel). The PMMA based optical fiber grating exhibits good sensitivity and consistent response, and Bragg wavelength shifts as large as 3.4 nm when the sensor is transferred from dry fuel to wet fuel.

Evaluating industrial drying of cellulosic feedstock for bioenergy: A systems approach

DOE PAGES

Sokhansanj, Shahab; Webb, Erin

2016-01-21

Here, a large portion of herbaceous and woody biomass must be dried following harvest. Natural field drying is possible if the weather cooperates. Mechanical drying is a certain way of reducing the moisture content of biomass. This paper presents an engineering analysis applied to drying of 10 Mg h –1 (exit mass flow) of biomass with an initial moisture content ranging from 25% to 70% (wet mass basis) down to 10% exit moisture content. The requirement for hog fuel to supply heat to the dryer increases from 0.5 dry Mg to 3.8 dry Mg h –1 with the increased initialmore » moisture of biomass. The capital cost for the entire drying system including equipment for biomass size reduction, pollution control, dryer, and biomass combustor sums up to more than 4.7 million dollars. The operating cost (electricity, labor, repair, and maintenance) minus fuel cost for the dryer alone amount to 4.05 Mg –1 of dried biomass. For 50% moisture content biomass, the cost of fuel to heat the drying air is 7.41 dollars/ dry ton of biomass for a total 11.46 dollars per dry ton at 10% moisture content. The fuel cost ranges from a low of 2.21 dollars to a high of 18.54 dollars for a biomass at an initial moisture content of 25% to 75%, respectively. This wide range in fuel cost indicates the extreme sensitivity of the drying cost to initial moisture content of biomass and to ambient air humidity and temperature and highlights the significance of field drying for a cost effective drying operation.« less

Underground thermal generation of hydrocarbons from dry, southwestern coals

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

Vanderborgh, N.E.; Elliott, G.R.B.

1978-01-01

The LASL underground coal conversion concept produces intermediate-BTU fuel gas for nearby industries such as ''minemouth'' electric power plants, plus major byproducts in the form of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons for feedstocks to chemical plants e.g., substitute natural gas (SNG) producers. The concept involves controlling the water influx and drying the coal, generating hydrocarbons, by pyrolysis and finally gasifying the residual char with O/sub 2//CO/sub 2/ or air/CO/sub 2/ mixtures to produce industrial fuel gases. Underground conversion can be frustrated by uncontrolled water in the coal bed. Moisture can (a) prevent combustion, (b) preclude fuel gas formation by lowering reactionmore » zone temperatures and creating kinetic problems, (c) ruin product gas quality by dropping temperatures into a thermodynamically unsatisfactory regime, (d) degrade an initially satisfactory fuel gas by consuming carbon monoxide, (e) waste large amounts of heat, and (f) isolate reaction zones so that the processing will bypass blocks of coal.« less

Cosmic ray muons for spent nuclear fuel monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzidakis, Stylianos

There is a steady increase in the volume of spent nuclear fuel stored on-site (at reactor) as currently there is no permanent disposal option. No alternative disposal path is available and storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage containers is anticipated for the near future. In this dissertation, a capability to monitor spent nuclear fuel stored within dry casks using cosmic ray muons is developed. The motivation stems from the need to investigate whether the stored content agrees with facility declarations to allow proliferation detection and international treaty verification. Cosmic ray muons are charged particles generated naturally in the atmosphere from high energy cosmic rays. Using muons for proliferation detection and international treaty verification of spent nuclear fuel is a novel approach to nuclear security that presents significant advantages. Among others, muons have the ability to penetrate high density materials, are freely available, no radiological sources are required and consequently there is a total absence of any artificial radiological dose. A methodology is developed to demonstrate the applicability of muons for nuclear nonproliferation monitoring of spent nuclear fuel dry casks. Purpose is to use muons to differentiate between spent nuclear fuel dry casks with different amount of loading, not feasible with any other technique. Muon scattering and transmission are used to perform monitoring and imaging of the stored contents of dry casks loaded with spent nuclear fuel. It is shown that one missing fuel assembly can be distinguished from a fully loaded cask with a small overlapping between the scattering distributions with 300,000 muons or more. A Bayesian monitoring algorithm was derived to allow differentiation of a fully loaded dry cask from one with a fuel assembly missing in the order of minutes and negligible error rate. Muon scattering and transmission simulations are used to reconstruct the stored contents of sealed dry casks from muon measurements. A combination of muon scattering and muon transmission imaging can improve resolution and thus a missing fuel assembly can be identified for vertical and horizontal dry casks. The apparent separation of the images reveals that the muon scattering and transmission can be used for discrimination between casks, satisfying the diversion criteria set by IAEA.

An analysis of the drying process in forest fuel material

Treesearch

G.M. Byram; R.M. Nelson

2015-01-01

It is assumed that the flow of moisture in forest fuels and other woody materials is determined by the gradient of a quantity g which is a function of some property, or properties, of the moisture content. There appears to be no preferred choice for this function, hence moisture transfer equations can be based on a number of equally valid definitions of g. The physical...

Poet Fostoria Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This August 9, 2016 letter from EPA approves, with modifications, the petition from Poet Biorefining-Fostoria, LLC, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel (D-code 6)

Poet Leipsic Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This August 9, 2016 letter from EPA approves,wtih modifications, the petition from Poet Biorefining-Leipsic, LLC, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel (D-code 6) RINs

Kansas Ethanol Lyons Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This update August 9, 2016 letter from EPA approves, with modifications, the petition from Kansas Ethanol, LLC, Lyons facility, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel

Report on UQ and PCMM Analysis of Vacuum Drying for UFD S&T Gaps

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

M. Fluss

2015-08-31

This report discusses two phenomena that could affect the safety, licensing, transportation, storage, and disposition of the spent fuel storage casks and their contents (radial hydriding during drying and water retention after drying) associated with the drying of canisters for dry spent fuel storage. The report discusses modeling frameworks and evaluations that are, or have been, developed as a means to better understand these phenomena. Where applicable, the report also discusses data needs and procedures for monitoring or evaluating the condition of storage containers during and after drying. A recommendation for the manufacturing of a fully passivated fuel rod, resistantmore » to oxidation and hydriding is outlined.« less

Production of a solid fuel using sewage sludge and spent cooking oil by immersion frying.

PubMed

Wu, Zhonghua; Zhang, Jing; Li, Zhanyong; Xie, Jian; Mujumdar, Arun S

2012-12-01

Sewage sludge and spent cooking oil are two main waste sources of modern Chinese cities. In this paper, the immersion frying method using spent cooking oil as the heating medium was applied to dry and convert wet sewage sludge into a solid fuel. The drying and oil uptake curves were plotted to demonstrate the fry-drying characteristics of the sewage sludge. Parametric studies were carried out to identify the governing parameters in the frying drying operation. It was found that at frying oil temperatures of 140-160°C, the wet sewage sludge could be dried completely in 6-9 min and converted into a solid fuel with a high calorific value of 21.55-24.08 MJ/kg. The fuel structure, chemical components, pyrolysis and combustion characteristics were investigated and the experimental results showed the solid fuel had a porous internal structure and a low ignition temperature of 250°C due to presence of oil. The frying drying mechanism was also discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic analysis of seasonal changes in live fuel moisture content and leaf dry mass

Treesearch

Yi Qi; Philip E. Dennison; W. Matt Jolly; Rachael C. Kropp; Simon C. Brewer

2014-01-01

Live fuel moisture content (LFMC), the ratio of water mass to dry mass contained in live plant material, is an important fuel property for determining fire danger and for modeling fire behavior. Remote sensing estimation of LFMC often relies on an assumption of changing water and stable dry mass over time. Fundamental understanding of seasonal variation in plant water...

Pyrochemical and Dry Processing Methods Program. A selected bibliography

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

McDuffie, H.F.; Smith, D.H.; Owen, P.T.

1979-03-01

This selected bibliography with abstracts was compiled to provide information support to the Pyrochemical and Dry Processing Methods (PDPM) Program sponsored by DOE and administered by the Argonne National Laboratory. Objectives of the PDPM Program are to evaluate nonaqueous methods of reprocessing spent fuel as a route to the development of proliferation-resistant and diversion-resistant methods for widespread use in the nuclear industry. Emphasis was placed on the literature indexed in the ERDA--DOE Energy Data Base (EDB). The bibliography includes indexes to authors, subject descriptors, EDB subject categories, and titles.

Process and apparatus for indirect-fired heating and drying

DOEpatents

Abbasi, Hamid Ali; Chudnovsky, Yaroslav

2005-04-12

A method for heating flat or curved surfaces comprising injecting fuel and oxidant along the length, width or longitudinal side of a combustion space formed between two flat or curved plates, transferring heat from the combustion products via convection and radiation to the surface being heated on to the material being dried/heated, and recirculating at least 20% of the combustion products to the root of the flame.

The influence of fuel type to combustion characteristic in diffusion flame drying by computational fluid dynamics simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Septiani, Eka Lutfi; Widiyastuti, W.; Machmudah, Siti; Nurtono, Tantular; Winardi, Sugeng

2017-05-01

Diffusion flame spray drying has become promising method in nanoparticles synthesis giving several advantages and low operation cost. In order to scale up the process which needs high experimentation time and cost, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) by Ansys Fluent 15.0 software has been used. Combustion characteristic in diffusion flame reactor may affects particle size distribution. This study aims to observe influence of fuel type to combustion characteristic in the reactor. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) and non-premixed combustion model are selected for the turbulence and combustion model respectively. Methane, propane, and LPG in 0.5 L/min were used as type of fuel. While the oxidizer is air with 200% excess of O2. Simulation result shown that the maximum temperature was obtained from propane-air combustion in 2268 K. However, the stable temperature contour was achieved by methane-air combustion.

Solar hydrogen production: renewable hydrogen production by dry fuel reforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakos, Jamie; Miyamoto, Henry K.

2006-09-01

SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation constructed a pilot-plant to demonstrate a Dry Fuel Reforming (DFR) system that is heated primarily by sunlight focusing-mirrors. The pilot-plant consists of: 1) a solar mirror array and solar concentrator and shutter system; and 2) two thermo-catalytic reactors to convert Methane, Carbon Dioxide, and Water into Hydrogen. Results from the pilot study show that solar Hydrogen generation is feasible and cost-competitive with traditional Hydrogen production. More than 95% of Hydrogen commercially produced today is by the Steam Methane Reformation (SMR) of natural gas, a process that liberates Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere. The SMR process provides a net energy loss of 30 to 35% when converting from Methane to Hydrogen. Solar Hydrogen production provides a 14% net energy gain when converting Methane into Hydrogen since the energy used to drive the process is from the sun. The environmental benefits of generating Hydrogen using renewable energy include significant greenhouse gas and criteria air contaminant reductions.

Didion Cambria Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This May 9, 2016 letter from EPA approves the petition from Didion Ethanol, LLC, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel (D-code 6) RINs under the RFS program.

Poet Lake Crystal Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This September 19, 2016 letter from EPA approves the petition from Poet Biorefining-Lake Crystal, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel (D-code 6) RINs under the RFS

PROCESS OF MAKING A NEUTRONIC REACTOR FUEL ELEMENT COMPOSITION

DOEpatents

Alter, H.W.; Davidson, J.K.; Miller, R.S.; Mewherter, J.L.

1959-01-13

A process is presented for making a ceramic-like material suitable for use as a nuclear fuel. The material consists of a solid solution of plutonium dioxide in uranium dioxide and is produced from a uranyl nitrate -plutonium nitrate solution containing uraniunm and plutonium in the desired ratio. The uranium and plutonium are first precipitated from the solution by addition of NH/ sub 4/OH and the dried precipitate is then calcined at 600 C in a hydrogen atmosphere to yield the desired solid solution of PuO/sub 2/ in UO/sub 2/.

Conceptual process design and economics for the production of high-octane gasoline blendstock via indirect liquefaction of biomass through methanol/dimethyl ether intermediates

DOE PAGES

Tan, Eric C. D.; Talmadge, Michael; Dutta, Abhijit; ...

2015-10-28

This paper describes in detail one potential conversion process for the production of high-octane gasoline blendstock via indirect liquefaction of biomass. The processing steps of this pathway include the conversion of biomass to synthesis gas via indirect gasification, gas clean-up via reforming of tars and other hydrocarbons, catalytic conversion of syngas to methanol, methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether (DME), and the homologation of DME over a zeolite catalyst to high-octane gasoline-range hydrocarbon products. The current process configuration has similarities to conventional methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) technologies, but there are key distinctions, specifically regarding the product slate, catalysts, and reactor conditions. A techno-economicmore » analysis is performed to investigate the production of high-octane gasoline blendstock. The design features a processing daily capacity of 2000 tonnes (2205 short tons) of dry biomass. The process yields 271 liters of liquid fuel per dry tonne of biomass (65 gal/dry ton), for an annual fuel production rate of 178 million liters (47 MM gal) at 90% on-stream time. The estimated total capital investment for an nth-plant is $438 million. The resulting minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) is $0.86 per liter or $3.25 per gallon in 2011 US dollars. A rigorous sensitivity analysis captures uncertainties in costs and plant performance. Sustainability metrics for the conversion process are quantified and assessed. The potential premium value of the high-octane gasoline blendstock is examined and found to be at least as competitive as fossil-derived blendstocks. A simple blending strategy is proposed to demonstrate the potential for blending the biomass-derived blendstock with petroleum-derived intermediates. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.« less

Impact of spatially correlated pore-scale heterogeneity on drying porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borgman, Oshri; Fantinel, Paolo; Lühder, Wieland; Goehring, Lucas; Holtzman, Ran

2017-07-01

We study the effect of spatially-correlated heterogeneity on isothermal drying of porous media. We combine a minimal pore-scale model with microfluidic experiments with the same pore geometry. Our simulated drying behavior compares favorably with experiments, considering the large sensitivity of the emergent behavior to the uncertainty associated with even small manufacturing errors. We show that increasing the correlation length in particle sizes promotes preferential drying of clusters of large pores, prolonging liquid connectivity and surface wetness and thus higher drying rates for longer periods. Our findings improve our quantitative understanding of how pore-scale heterogeneity impacts drying, which plays a role in a wide range of processes ranging from fuel cells to curing of paints and cements to global budgets of energy, water and solutes in soils.

CORN, LP Goldfield Approval

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This November 19, 2015 letter from EPA approves the petition from CORN, LP, Goldfield facility, regarding non-grandfathered ethanol produced through a dry mill process, qualifying under the Clean Air Act for renewable fuel (D-code 6) RINs under the RFS pro

Spectroscopic methods of process monitoring for safeguards of used nuclear fuel separations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warburton, Jamie Lee

To support the demonstration of a more proliferation-resistant nuclear fuel processing plant, techniques and instrumentation to allow the real-time, online determination of special nuclear material concentrations in-process must be developed. An ideal materials accountability technique for proliferation resistance should provide nondestructive, realtime, on-line information of metal and ligand concentrations in separations streams without perturbing the process. UV-Visible spectroscopy can be adapted for this precise purpose in solvent extraction-based separations. The primary goal of this project is to understand fundamental URanium EXtraction (UREX) and Plutonium-URanium EXtraction (PUREX) reprocessing chemistry and corresponding UV-Visible spectroscopy for application in process monitoring for safeguards. By evaluating the impact of process conditions, such as acid concentration, metal concentration and flow rate, on the sensitivity of the UV-Visible detection system, the process-monitoring concept is developed from an advanced application of fundamental spectroscopy. Systematic benchtop-scale studies investigated the system relevant to UREX or PUREX type reprocessing systems, encompassing 0.01-1.26 M U and 0.01-8 M HNO3. A laboratory-scale TRansUranic Extraction (TRUEX) demonstration was performed and used both to analyze for potential online monitoring opportunities in the TRUEX process, and to provide the foundation for building and demonstrating a laboratory-scale UREX demonstration. The secondary goal of the project is to simulate a diversion scenario in UREX and successfully detect changes in metal concentration and solution chemistry in a counter current contactor system with a UV-Visible spectroscopic process monitor. UREX uses the same basic solvent extraction flowsheet as PUREX, but has a lower acid concentration throughout and adds acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) as a complexant/reductant to the feed solution to prevent the extraction of Pu. By examining UV-Visible spectra gathered in real time, the objective is to detect the conversion from the UREX process, which does not separate Pu, to the PUREX process, which yields a purified Pu product. The change in process chemistry can be detected in the feed solution, aqueous product or in the raffinate stream by identifying the acid concentration, metal distribution and the presence or absence of AHA. A fiber optic dip probe for UV-Visible spectroscopy was integrated into a bank of three counter-current centrifugal contactors to demonstrate the online process monitoring concept. Nd, Fe and Zr were added to the uranyl nitrate system to explore spectroscopic interferences and identify additional species as candidates for online monitoring. This milestone is a demonstration of the potential of this technique, which lies in the ability to simultaneously and directly monitor the chemical process conditions in a reprocessing plant, providing inspectors with another tool to detect nuclear material diversion attempts. Lastly, dry processing of used nuclear fuel is often used as a head-end step before solvent extraction-based separations such as UREX or TRUEX. A non-aqueous process, used fuel treatment by dry processing generally includes chopping of used fuel rods followed by repeated oxidation-reduction cycles and physical separation of the used fuel from the cladding. Thus, dry processing techniques are investigated and opportunities for online monitoring are proposed for continuation of this work in future studies.

PAHs in corn grains submitted to drying with firewood.

PubMed

de Lima, Rafael Friedrich; Dionello, Rafael Gomes; Peralba, Maria do Carmo Ruaro; Barrionuevo, Simone; Radunz, Lauri Lourenço; Reichert Júnior, Francisco Wilson

2017-01-15

Grain drying using firewood as fuel for air heating, with direct fire, is still widely used in Brazil. The combustion of organic material, such as wood, can generate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are known to have carcinogenic potential. In the present work corn grain drying was carried out at three drying air temperatures: 60°C, 60/80°C and 80°C. Following the drying process, the presence and quantification of PAH in the corn grains was investigated. After extracting the PAHs of the matrix, the material was subjected to analysis by gas chromatography with mass detector. he results showed the presence of seven compounds: fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)anthracene and chrysene. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spent nuclear fuel integrity during dry storage - performance tests and demonstrations

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

McKinnon, M.A.; Doherty, A.L.

1997-06-01

This report summarizes the results of fuel integrity surveillance determined from gas sampling during and after performance tests and demonstrations conducted from 1983 through 1996 by or in cooperation with the US DOE Office of Commercial Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). The cask performance tests were conducted at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) between 1984 and 1991 and included visual observation and ultrasonic examination of the condition of the cladding, fuel rods, and fuel assembly hardware before dry storage and consolidation of fuel, and a qualitative determination of the effects of dry storage and fuel consolidation on fission gas release frommore » the spent fuel rods. The performance tests consisted of 6 to 14 runs involving one or two loading, usually three backfill environments (helium, nitrogen, and vacuum backfills), and one or two storage system orientations. The nitrogen and helium backfills were sampled and analyzed to detect leaking spent fuel rods. At the end of each performance test, periodic gas sampling was conducted on each cask. A spent fuel behavior project (i.e., enhanced surveillance, monitoring, and gas sampling activities) was initiated by DOE in 1994 for intact fuel in a CASTOR V/21 cask and for consolidated fuel in a VSC-17 cask. The results of the gas sampling activities are included in this report. Information on spent fuel integrity is of interest in evaluating the impact of long-term dry storage on the behavior of spent fuel rods. Spent fuel used during cask performance tests at INEL offers significant opportunities for confirmation of the benign nature of long-term dry storage. Supporting cask demonstration included licensing and operation of an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at the Virginia Power (VP) Surry reactor site. A CASTOR V/21, an MC-10, and a Nuclear Assurance NAC-I28 have been loaded and placed at the VP ISFSI as part of the demonstration program. 13 refs., 14 figs., 9 tabs.« less

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

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

NONE

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

Fuel treatment guidebook: illustrating treatment effects on fire hazard

Treesearch

Morris Johnson; David L. Peterson; Crystal Raymond

2009-01-01

The Guide to Fuel Treatments (Johnson and others 2007) analyzes potential fuel treatments and the potential effects of those treatments for dry forest lands in the Western United States. The guide examines low- to mid-elevation dry forest stands with high stem densities and heavy ladder fuels, which are currently common due to fire exclusion and various land management...

Fuel treatments reduce the severity of wildfire effects in dry mixed conifer forest, Washington, USA

Treesearch

Susan J. Prichard; David L. Peterson; Kyle Jacobson

2010-01-01

To address hazardous fuel accumulations, many fuel treatments are being implemented in dry forests, but there have been few opportunities to evaluate treatment efficacy in wildfires. We documented the effectiveness of thinning and prescribed burning in the 2006 Tripod Complex fires. Recent fuel treatments burned in the wildfires and offered an opportunity to evaluate...

Utilization of household food waste for the production of ethanol at high dry material content.

PubMed

Matsakas, Leonidas; Kekos, Dimitris; Loizidou, Maria; Christakopoulos, Paul

2014-01-08

Environmental issues and shortage of fossil fuels have turned the public interest to the utilization of renewable, environmentally friendly fuels, such as ethanol. In order to minimize the competition between fuels and food production, researchers are focusing their efforts to the utilization of wastes and by-products as raw materials for the production of ethanol. household food wastes are being produced in great quantities in European Union and their handling can be a challenge. Moreover, their disposal can cause severe environmental issues (for example emission of greenhouse gasses). On the other hand, they contain significant amounts of sugars (both soluble and insoluble) and they can be used as raw material for the production of ethanol. Household food wastes were utilized as raw material for the production of ethanol at high dry material consistencies. A distinct liquefaction/saccharification step has been included to the process, which rapidly reduced the viscosity of the high solid content substrate, resulting in better mixing of the fermenting microorganism. This step had a positive effect in both ethanol production and productivity, leading to a significant increase in both values, which was up to 40.81% and 4.46 fold, respectively. Remaining solids (residue) after fermentation at 45% w/v dry material (which contained also the unhydrolyzed fraction of cellulose), were subjected to a hydrothermal pretreatment in order to be utilized as raw material for a subsequent ethanol fermentation. This led to an increase of 13.16% in the ethanol production levels achieving a final ethanol yield of 107.58 g/kg dry material. In conclusion, the ability of utilizing household food waste for the production of ethanol at elevated dry material content has been demonstrated. A separate liquefaction/saccharification process can increase both ethanol production and productivity. Finally, subsequent fermentation of the remaining solids could lead to an increase of the overall ethanol production yield.

Utilization of household food waste for the production of ethanol at high dry material content

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Environmental issues and shortage of fossil fuels have turned the public interest to the utilization of renewable, environmentally friendly fuels, such as ethanol. In order to minimize the competition between fuels and food production, researchers are focusing their efforts to the utilization of wastes and by-products as raw materials for the production of ethanol. household food wastes are being produced in great quantities in European Union and their handling can be a challenge. Moreover, their disposal can cause severe environmental issues (for example emission of greenhouse gasses). On the other hand, they contain significant amounts of sugars (both soluble and insoluble) and they can be used as raw material for the production of ethanol. Results Household food wastes were utilized as raw material for the production of ethanol at high dry material consistencies. A distinct liquefaction/saccharification step has been included to the process, which rapidly reduced the viscosity of the high solid content substrate, resulting in better mixing of the fermenting microorganism. This step had a positive effect in both ethanol production and productivity, leading to a significant increase in both values, which was up to 40.81% and 4.46 fold, respectively. Remaining solids (residue) after fermentation at 45% w/v dry material (which contained also the unhydrolyzed fraction of cellulose), were subjected to a hydrothermal pretreatment in order to be utilized as raw material for a subsequent ethanol fermentation. This led to an increase of 13.16% in the ethanol production levels achieving a final ethanol yield of 107.58 g/kg dry material. Conclusions In conclusion, the ability of utilizing household food waste for the production of ethanol at elevated dry material content has been demonstrated. A separate liquefaction/saccharification process can increase both ethanol production and productivity. Finally, subsequent fermentation of the remaining solids could lead to an increase of the overall ethanol production yield. PMID:24401142

LEVERAGING AGING MATERIALS DATA TO SUPPORT EXTENSION OF TRANSPORTATION SHIPPING PACKAGES SERVICE LIFE

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

Dunn, K.; Bellamy, S.; Daugherty, W.

Nuclear material inventories are increasingly being transferred to interim storage locations where they may reside for extended periods of time. Use of a shipping package to store nuclear materials after the transfer has become more common for a variety of reasons. Shipping packages are robust and have a qualified pedigree for performance in normal operation and accident conditions but are only certified over an approved transportation window. The continued use of shipping packages to contain nuclear material during interim storage will result in reduced overall costs and reduced exposure to workers. However, the shipping package materials of construction must maintainmore » integrity as specified by the safety basis of the storage facility throughout the storage period, which is typically well beyond the certified transportation window. In many ways, the certification processes required for interim storage of nuclear materials in shipping packages is similar to life extension programs required for dry cask storage systems for commercial nuclear fuels. The storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry cask storage systems is federally-regulated, and over 1500 individual dry casks have been in successful service up to 20 years in the US. The uncertainty in final disposition will likely require extended storage of this fuel well beyond initial license periods and perhaps multiple re-licenses may be needed. Thus, both the shipping packages and the dry cask storage systems require materials integrity assessments and assurance of continued satisfactory materials performance over times not considered in the original evaluation processes. Test programs for the shipping packages have been established to obtain aging data on materials of construction to demonstrate continued system integrity. The collective data may be coupled with similar data for the dry cask storage systems and used to support extending the service life of shipping packages in both transportation and storage.« less

Immersion frying for the thermal drying of sewage sludge: an economic assessment.

PubMed

Peregrina, Carlos; Rudolph, Victor; Lecomte, Didier; Arlabosse, Patricia

2008-01-01

This paper presents an economic study of a novel thermal fry-drying technology which transforms sewage sludge and recycled cooking oil (RCO) into a solid fuel. The process is shown to have significant potential advantage in terms of capital costs (by factors of several times) and comparable operating costs. Three potential variants of the process have been simulated and costed in terms of both capital and operating requirements for a commercial scale of operation. The differences are in the energy recovery systems, which include a simple condensation of the evaporated water and two different heat pump configurations. Simple condensation provides the simplest process, but the energy efficiency gain of an open heat pump offset this, making it economically somewhat more attractive. In terms of operating costs, current sludge dryers are dominated by maintenance and energy requirements, while for fry-drying these are comparatively small. Fry-drying running costs are dominated by provision of makeup waste oil. Cost reduction could focus on cheaper waste oil, e.g. from grease trap waste.

Effect of air-flow on biodrying method of municipal solid waste in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristanto, Gabriel Andari; Hanany, Ismi

2017-11-01

The process of bio-drying could be an interesting solution for municipal solid waste management and energy demand in Indonesia. By using the heat from bio-degradation process consists in bio-drying, moisture content in a solid waste can be reduced. Solid wastes with a low moisture content, could be used as a fuel with a good energy content. In this study, 85% of garden wastes and 15% of food waste from Indonesia's municipal solid waste were bio-dried in aerobic condition using 3 variations of air flow-rates, which were 8 L/min.kg; 10 L/min.kg; and 12 L/min.kg. The experiment performs with three different reactors with known volume 75cm × 50cm × 40cm and using Styrofoam as an insulation. The process of bio-drying lasted 21 days. In the end, the experiment with 10 L/min.kg aeration, has the lowest moisture contents about 23% with high temperature and NHV about 3595.29 kcal/kg.

Spent nuclear fuel dry transfer system

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

Stewart, L.; Agace, S.

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently engaged in a cooperative program with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to design a spent nuclear fuel dry transfer system (DTS). The system will enable the transfer of individual spent nuclear fuel assemblies between a conventional top loading cask and multi-purpose canister in a shielded overpack, or accommodate spent nuclear fuel transfers between two conventional casks.

Science You Can Use Bulletin: Revisiting disturbance: A new guide for keeping dry mixed conifer forests healthy through fuel management

Treesearch

Sue Miller; Theresa Jain; Mike A. Battaglia; Han-Sup Han; Russell T. Graham; Christopher R. Keyes; Jeremy S. Fried; Jonathan E. Sandquist

2014-01-01

Planning for hazardous fuels reduction can be challenging, given that land managers must balance multiple resource objectives. To help managers with planning and implementing fuel treatments, the Rocky Mountain Research Station, with support from the Joint Fire Science Program, has published A Comprehensive Guide to Fuel Management Practices for Dry Mixed Conifer...

Process for forming integral edge seals in porous gas distribution plates utilizing a vibratory means

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feigenbaum, Haim (Inventor); Pudick, Sheldon (Inventor)

1988-01-01

A process for forming an integral edge seal in a gas distribution plate for use in a fuel cell. A seal layer is formed along an edge of a porous gas distribution plate by impregnating the pores in the layer with a material adapted to provide a seal which is operative dry or when wetted by an electrolyte of a fuel cell. Vibratory energy is supplied to the sealing material during the step of impregnating the pores to provide a more uniform seal throughout the cross section of the plate.

Fuel-Cell Structure Prevents Membrane Drying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcelroy, J.

1986-01-01

Embossed plates direct flows of reactants and coolant. Membrane-type fuel-cell battery has improved reactant flow and heat removal. Compact, lightweight battery produces high current and power without drying of membranes.

Improvement in fermentation characteristics of degermed ground corn by lipid supplementation.

PubMed

Murthy, Ganti S; Singh, Vijay; Johnston, David B; Rausch, Kent D; Tumbleson, M E

2006-08-01

With rapid growth of fuel ethanol industry, and concomitant increase in distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), new corn fractionation technologies that reduce DDGS volume and produce higher value coproducts in dry grind ethanol process have been developed. One of the technologies, a dry degerm, defiber (3D) process (similar to conventional corn dry milling) was used to separate germ and pericarp fiber prior to the endosperm fraction fermentation. Recovery of germ and pericarp fiber in the 3D process results in removal of lipids from the fermentation medium. Biosynthesis of lipids, which is important for cell growth and viability, cannot proceed in strictly anaerobic fermentations. The effects of ten different lipid supplements on improving fermentation rates and ethanol yields were studied and compared to the conventional dry grind process. Endosperm fraction (from the 3D process) was mixed with water and liquefied by enzymatic hydrolysis and was fermented using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. The highest ethanol concentration (13.7% v/v) was achieved with conventional dry grind process. Control treatment (endosperm fraction from 3D process without lipid supplementation) produced the lowest ethanol concentration (11.2% v/v). Three lipid treatments (fatty acid ester, alkylphenol, and ethoxylated sorbitan ester 1836) were most effective in improving final ethanol concentrations. Fatty acid ester treatment produced the highest final ethanol concentration (12.3% v/v) among all lipid supplementation treatments. Mean final ethanol concentrations of alkylphenol and ethoxylated sorbitan ester 1836 supplemented samples were 12.3 and 12.0% v/v, respectively.

Experimental investigation of wood combustion in a fixed bed with hot air

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

Markovic, Miladin, E-mail: m.markovic@utwente.nl; Bramer, Eddy A.; Brem, Gerrit

Highlights: • Upward combustion is a new combustion concept with ignition by hot primary air. • Upward combustion has three stages: short drying, rapid devolatilization and char combustion. • Variation of fuel moisture and inert content have little influence on the combustion. • Experimental comparison between conventional and upward combustion is presented. - Abstract: Waste combustion on a grate with energy recovery is an important pillar of municipal solid waste (MSW) management in the Netherlands. In MSW incinerators fresh waste stacked on a grate enters the combustion chamber, heats up by radiation from the flame above the layer and ignitionmore » occurs. Typically, the reaction zone starts at the top of the waste layer and propagates downwards, producing heat for drying and devolatilization of the fresh waste below it until the ignition front reaches the grate. The control of this process is mainly based on empiricism. MSW is a highly inhomogeneous fuel with continuous fluctuating moisture content, heating value and chemical composition. The resulting process fluctuations may cause process control difficulties, fouling and corrosion issues, extra maintenance, and unplanned stops. In the new concept the fuel layer is ignited by means of preheated air (T > 220 °C) from below without any external ignition source. As a result a combustion front will be formed close to the grate and will propagate upwards. That is why this approach is denoted by upward combustion. Experimental research has been carried out in a batch reactor with height of 4.55 m, an inner diameter of 200 mm and a fuel layer height up to 1 m. Due to a high quality two-layer insulation adiabatic conditions can be assumed. The primary air can be preheated up to 350 °C, and the secondary air is distributed via nozzles above the waste layer. During the experiments, temperatures along the height of the reactor, gas composition and total weight decrease are continuously monitored. The influence of the primary air speed, fuel moisture and inert content on the combustion characteristics (ignition rate, combustion rate, ignition front speed and temperature of the reaction zone) is evaluated. The upward combustion concept decouples the drying, devolatilization and burnout phase. In this way the moisture and inert content of the waste have almost no influence on the combustion process. In this paper an experimental comparison between conventional and reversed combustion is presented.« less

Guide to fuel treatments in dry forests of the Western United States: assessing forest structure and fire hazard.

Treesearch

Morris C. Johnson; David L. Peterson; Crystal L. Raymond

2007-01-01

Guide to Fuel Treatments analyzes a range of fuel treatments for representative dry forest stands in the Western United States with overstories dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and pinyon pine (Pinus edulis). Six silvicultural options (no thinning; thinning...

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

Sensitivity analysis for best-estimate thermal models of vertical dry cask storage systems

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

DeVoe, Remy R.; Robb, Kevin R.; Skutnik, Steven E.

Loading requirements for dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel are driven primarily by decay heat capacity limitations, which themselves are determined through recommended limits on peak cladding temperature within the cask. This study examines the relative sensitivity of peak material temperatures within the cask to parameters that influence both the stored fuel residual decay heat as well as heat removal mechanisms. Here, these parameters include the detailed reactor operating history parameters (e.g., soluble boron concentrations and the presence of burnable poisons) as well as factors that influence heat removal, including non-dominant processes (such as conduction from the fuel basketmore » to the canister and radiation within the canister) and ambient environmental conditions. By examining the factors that drive heat removal from the cask alongside well-understood factors that drive decay heat, it is therefore possible to make a contextual analysis of the most important parameters to evaluation of peak material temperatures within the cask.« less

Sensitivity analysis for best-estimate thermal models of vertical dry cask storage systems

DOE PAGES

DeVoe, Remy R.; Robb, Kevin R.; Skutnik, Steven E.

2017-07-08

Loading requirements for dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel are driven primarily by decay heat capacity limitations, which themselves are determined through recommended limits on peak cladding temperature within the cask. This study examines the relative sensitivity of peak material temperatures within the cask to parameters that influence both the stored fuel residual decay heat as well as heat removal mechanisms. Here, these parameters include the detailed reactor operating history parameters (e.g., soluble boron concentrations and the presence of burnable poisons) as well as factors that influence heat removal, including non-dominant processes (such as conduction from the fuel basketmore » to the canister and radiation within the canister) and ambient environmental conditions. By examining the factors that drive heat removal from the cask alongside well-understood factors that drive decay heat, it is therefore possible to make a contextual analysis of the most important parameters to evaluation of peak material temperatures within the cask.« less

Select Generic Dry-Storage Pilot Plant Design for Safeguards and Security by Design (SSBD) per Used Fuel Campaign

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

Demuth, Scott Francis; Sprinkle, James K.

As preparation to the year-end deliverable (Provide SSBD Best Practices for Generic Dry-Storage Pilot Scale Plant) for the Work Package (FT-15LA040501–Safeguards and Security by Design for Extended Dry Storage), the initial step was to select a generic dry-storage pilot plant design for SSBD. To be consistent with other DOE-NE Fuel Cycle Research and Development (FCR&D) activities, the Used Fuel Campaign was engaged for the selection of a design for this deliverable. For the work Package FT-15LA040501–“Safeguards and Security by Design for Extended Dry Storage”, SSBD will be initiated for the Generic Dry-Storage Pilot Scale Plant described by the layout ofmore » Reference 2. SSBD will consider aspects of the design that are impacted by domestic material control and accounting (MC&A), domestic security, and international safeguards.« less

The extraction and use of DDGS lipids for biodiesel production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The microbial fermentation process whereby fuel ethanol is produced does not destroy the acylglycerols resident in the fermentation feedstock. These lipids are contained in the thin stillage and Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) coproducts of fermentation. Recovery and conversion of the...

New sources for fuel and materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvin, M.

1983-01-01

An assessment is given of the prospects for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels and chemical feedstocks by agricultural means, using conventional plant breeding, genetic engineering and plant tissue culture. Most of the species which have undergone detailed examination are of the Euphorbiaeceae, to which the rubber tree belongs. Special attention is given to those strains which may be efficiently grown on land not suitable for food crop production, such as Euphorbia lathyris, which can be grown on semiarid land. The extraction of isoprenoid fuel compounds from E. lathyris is conducted by a hexane solvent extraction process which produces 8 tons of oil from 1000 tons of the dried plant material. Aqueous methanol is then used to extract sugar, yielding 200 tons of fermentable sugar. Part of the remaining bagasse can be used to fuel steam production for the extraction processes, leaving an additional 200 tons of bagasse for alternative use.

Wildlife and invertebrate response to fuel reduction treatments in dry coniferous forests of the Western United States: a synthesis

Treesearch

David S. Pilliod; Evelyn L. Bull; Jane L. Hayes; Barbara C. Wales

2006-01-01

This paper synthesizes available information on the effects of hazardous fuel reduction treatments on terrestrial wildlife and invertebrates in dry coniferous forest types in the West. We focused on thinning and/or prescribed fire studies in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and dry-type Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii),...

Investigating alternative solutions for adsorption-contact drying when burning vegetable wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golubkovich, A. V.

2007-06-01

Results are presented from investigation of three alternative solutions for adsorption-contact drying: combined (with cooling by means of outdoor air), with afterburning of combustible matters, and with limited adsorption of moisture using solid products of fuel combustion. Mathematical models and simplified expressions for calculating the time taken for the fuel drying to proceed are proposed.

High Burnup Dry Storage Cask Research and Development Project, Final Test Plan

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

None

2014-02-27

EPRI is leading a project team to develop and implement the first five years of a Test Plan to collect data from a SNF dry storage system containing high burnup fuel.12 The Test Plan defined in this document outlines the data to be collected, and the storage system design, procedures, and licensing necessary to implement the Test Plan.13 The main goals of the proposed test are to provide confirmatory data14 for models, future SNF dry storage cask design, and to support license renewals and new licenses for ISFSIs. To provide data that is most relevant to high burnup fuel inmore » dry storage, the design of the test storage system must mimic real conditions that high burnup SNF experiences during all stages of dry storage: loading, cask drying, inert gas backfilling, and transfer to the ISFSI for multi-year storage.15 Along with other optional modeling, SETs, and SSTs, the data collected in this Test Plan can be used to evaluate the integrity of dry storage systems and the high burnup fuel contained therein over many decades. It should be noted that the Test Plan described in this document discusses essential activities that go beyond the first five years of Test Plan implementation.16 The first five years of the Test Plan include activities up through loading the cask, initiating the data collection, and beginning the long-term storage period at the ISFSI. The Test Plan encompasses the overall project that includes activities that may not be completed until 15 or more years from now, including continued data collection, shipment of the Research Project Cask to a Fuel Examination Facility, opening the cask at the Fuel Examination Facility, and examining the high burnup fuel after the initial storage period.« less

77 FR 9591 - List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

... Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Revision 8 AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Proposed... spent fuel storage cask regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 dry cask storage... Amendment No. 8 to CoC No. 1014 and does not include other aspects of the HI-STORM 100 dry storage cask...

New co-products from grain-based fuel ethanol production and their drying performance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fuel ethanol production in the U.S. and elsewhere is an important and growing industry. In the U.S, about 40% of annual corn production is now converted into fuel ethanol. During co-product recovery, condensed distillers solubles (CDS) has to be mixed with distillers wet grains before drying due to ...

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; forest structure and fire hazard fact sheet 06: Guide to fuel treatments in dry forests of the Western United States: assessing forest structure and fire hazard

Treesearch

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2005-01-01

The Guide to Fuel Treatments analyzes a range of potential silvicultural thinnings and surface fuel treatments for 25 representative dry-forest stands in the Western United States. The guide provides quantitative guidelines and visualization for treatment based on scientific principles identified for reducing potential crown fires. This fact sheet identifies the...

Interaction of cosmic ray muons with spent nuclear fuel dry casks and determination of lower detection limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatzidakis, S.; Choi, C. K.; Tsoukalas, L. H.

2016-08-01

The potential non-proliferation monitoring of spent nuclear fuel sealed in dry casks interacting continuously with the naturally generated cosmic ray muons is investigated. Treatments on the muon RMS scattering angle by Moliere, Rossi-Greisen, Highland and, Lynch-Dahl were analyzed and compared with simplified Monte Carlo simulations. The Lynch-Dahl expression has the lowest error and appears to be appropriate when performing conceptual calculations for high-Z, thick targets such as dry casks. The GEANT4 Monte Carlo code was used to simulate dry casks with various fuel loadings and scattering variance estimates for each case were obtained. The scattering variance estimation was shown to be unbiased and using Chebyshev's inequality, it was found that 106 muons will provide estimates of the scattering variances that are within 1% of the true value at a 99% confidence level. These estimates were used as reference values to calculate scattering distributions and evaluate the asymptotic behavior for small variations on fuel loading. It is shown that the scattering distributions between a fully loaded dry cask and one with a fuel assembly missing initially overlap significantly but their distance eventually increases with increasing number of muons. One missing fuel assembly can be distinguished from a fully loaded cask with a small overlapping between the distributions which is the case of 100,000 muons. This indicates that the removal of a standard fuel assembly can be identified using muons providing that enough muons are collected. A Bayesian algorithm was developed to classify dry casks and provide a decision rule that minimizes the risk of making an incorrect decision. The algorithm performance was evaluated and the lower detection limit was determined.

Management self assessment plan

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

Debban, B.L.

Duke Engineering and Services Hanford Inc., Spent Nuclear Fuel Project is responsible for the operation of fuel storage facilities. The SNF project mission includes the safe removal, processing and transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel from 100 K Area fuel storage basins to a new Storage facility in the Hanford 200 East Area. Its mission is the modification of the 100 K area fuel storage facilities and the construction of two new facilities: the 100 K Area Cold Vacuum Drying Facility, and the 200 East Area Canister Storage Building. The management self assessment plan described in this document is scheduled tomore » begin in April of 1999 and be complete in May of 1999. The management self assessment plan describes line management preparations for declaring that line management is ready to commence operations.« less

Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project recommended path forward

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

Fulton, J.C.

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Project (the Project), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy-commissioned Independent Technical Assessment (ITA) team, has developed engineered alternatives for expedited removal of spent nuclear fuel, including sludge, from the K Basins at Hanford. These alternatives, along with a foreign processing alternative offered by British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL), were extensively reviewed and evaluated. Based on these evaluations, a Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) Recommended Path Forward for K Basins spent nuclear fuel has been developed and is presented in Volume I of this document. The recommendation constitutes an aggressive series of projects to construct andmore » operate systems and facilities to safely retrieve, package, transport, process, and store K Basins fuel and sludge. The overall processing and storage scheme is based on the ITA team`s proposed passivation and vault storage process. A dual purpose staging and vault storage facility provides an innovative feature which allows accelerated removal of fuel and sludge from the basins and minimizes programmatic risks beyond any of the originally proposed alternatives. The projects fit within a regulatory and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) overlay which mandates a two-phased approach to construction and operation of the needed facilities. The two-phase strategy packages and moves K Basins fuel and sludge to a newly constructed Staging and Storage Facility by the year 2000 where it is staged for processing. When an adjoining facility is constructed, the fuel is cycled through a stabilization process and returned to the Staging and Storage Facility for dry interim (40-year) storage. The estimated total expenditure for this Recommended Path Forward, including necessary new construction, operations, and deactivation of Project facilities through 2012, is approximately $1,150 million (unescalated).« less

Lump wood combustion process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubesa, Petr; Horák, Jiří; Branc, Michal; Krpec, Kamil; Hopan, František; Koloničný, Jan; Ochodek, Tadeáš; Drastichová, Vendula; Martiník, Lubomír; Malcho, Milan

2014-08-01

The article deals with the combustion process for lump wood in low-power fireplaces (units to dozens of kW). Such a combustion process is cyclical in its nature, and what combustion facility users are most interested in is the frequency, at which fuel needs to be stoked to the fireplace. The paper defines the basic terms such as burnout curve and burning rate curve, which are closely related to the stocking frequency. The fuel burning rate is directly dependent on the immediate thermal power of the fireplace. This is also related to the temperature achieved in the fireplace, magnitude of flue gas losses and the ability to generate conditions favouring the full burnout of the fuel's combustible component, which, at once ensures the minimum production of combustible pollutants. Another part of the paper describes experiments conducted in traditional fireplaces with a grate, at which well-dried lump wood was combusted.

40 CFR 63.1217 - What are the standards for liquid fuel boilers that burn hazardous waste?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ng TEQ/dscm, corrected to 7 percent oxygen, for liquid fuel boilers equipped with a dry air pollution... by paragraph (a)(5) of this section for sources not equipped with a dry air pollution control system; (iii) A source equipped with a wet air pollution control system followed by a dry air pollution control...

40 CFR 63.1217 - What are the standards for liquid fuel boilers that burn hazardous waste?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ng TEQ/dscm, corrected to 7 percent oxygen, for liquid fuel boilers equipped with a dry air pollution... by paragraph (a)(5) of this section for sources not equipped with a dry air pollution control system; (iii) A source equipped with a wet air pollution control system followed by a dry air pollution control...

A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Mechanical, chemical, and biological fuel treatment methods

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain; Mike A. Battaglia; Han-Sup Han; Russell T. Graham; Christopher R. Keyes; Jeremy S. Fried; Jonathan E. Sandquist

2014-01-01

Several mechanical approaches to managing vegetation fuels hold promise when applied to the dry mixed conifer forests in the western United States. These are most useful to treat surface, ladder, and crown fuels. There are a variety of techniques to remove or alter all kinds of plant biomass (live, dead, or decomposed) that affect forest resilience. It is important for...

Simulating fuel treatment effects in dry forests of the western United States: testing the principles of a fire-safe forest

Treesearch

Morris C. Johnson; Maureen C Kennedy; David L. Peterson

2011-01-01

We used the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE-FVS) to simulate fuel treatment effects on stands in low- to midelevation dry forests (e.g., ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. P. & C. Laws.) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) of the western United States. We...

Opportunities abound for affordable mechanical fuels treatment in dry mixed-conifer forests

Treesearch

Jeremy S. Fried; Theresa B. Jain

2013-01-01

The dry mixed-conifer forests that cover millions of acres in 12 western states experience low- to mixed-severity fire regimes; are typically heterogeneous in species composition, forest structure, and fuel dynamics; and grow quickly enough to generate concern about fuel treatment longevity. Yet compared to stands of pure ponderosa pine, there has been little research...

Horizontal modular dry irradiated fuel storage system

DOEpatents

Fischer, Larry E.; McInnes, Ian D.; Massey, John V.

1988-01-01

A horizontal, modular, dry, irradiated fuel storage system (10) includes a thin-walled canister (12) for containing irradiated fuel assemblies (20), which canister (12) can be positioned in a transfer cask (14) and transported in a horizontal manner from a fuel storage pool (18), to an intermediate-term storage facility. The storage system (10) includes a plurality of dry storage modules (26) which accept the canister (12) from the transfer cask (14) and provide for appropriate shielding about the canister (12). Each module (26) also provides for air cooling of the canister (12) to remove the decay heat of the irradiated fuel assemblies (20). The modules (26) can be interlocked so that each module (26) gains additional shielding from the next adjacent module (26). Hydraulic rams (30) are provided for inserting and removing the canisters (12) from the modules (26).

Understanding cathode flooding and dry-out for water management in air breathing PEM fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paquin, Mathieu; Fréchette, Luc G.

An analysis of water management in air breathing small polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is presented. Comprehensive understanding of flooding and dry-out limiting phenomena is presented through a combination of analytical modeling and experimental investigations using a small PEMFC prototype. Configurations of the fuel cell with different heat and mass transfer properties are experimentally evaluated to assess the impact of thermal resistance and mass transport resistance on water balance. Manifestation of dry-out and flooding problems, as limiting phenomena, are explained through a ratio between these two resistances. Main conclusions are that decreasing the ratio between thermal and mass transport resistance under a certain point leads to flooding problems in air breathing PEMFC. Increasing this ratio leads to dry-out of the polymer electrolyte membrane. However, too high thermal resistance or too low mass transport resistance reduces the limiting current by pushing forward the dry-out problem. This work provides a framework to achieve the proper balance between thermal rejection and mass transport to optimize the maximum current density of free convection fuel cells.

40 CFR 98.173 - Calculating GHG emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... associated requirements for Tier 4 in subpart C of this part (General Stationary Fuel Combustion Sources). (b..., dry basis (% CO2). Q = Hourly stack gas volumetric flow rate (scfh). %H2O = Hourly moisture percentage... reduction furnace are vented through the same stack as any combustion unit or process equipment that reports...

Cosmic Ray Muon Imaging of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Dry Storage Casks

DOE PAGES

Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena; Morris, Christopher L.; ...

2016-04-29

In this paper, cosmic ray muon radiography has been used to identify the absence of spent nuclear fuel bundles inside a sealed dry storage cask. The large amounts of shielding that dry storage casks use to contain radiation from the highly radioactive contents impedes typical imaging methods, but the penetrating nature of cosmic ray muons allows them to be used as an effective radiographic probe. This technique was able to successfully identify missing fuel bundles inside a sealed Westinghouse MC-10 cask. This method of fuel cask verification may prove useful for international nuclear safeguards inspectors. Finally, muon radiography may findmore » other safety and security or safeguards applications, such as arms control verification.« less

Maximizing cellulosic ethanol potentials by minimizing wastewater generation and energy consumption: Competing with corn ethanol.

PubMed

Liu, Gang; Bao, Jie

2017-12-01

Energy consumption and wastewater generation in cellulosic ethanol production are among the determinant factors on overall cost and technology penetration into fuel ethanol industry. This study analyzed the energy consumption and wastewater generation by the new biorefining process technology, dry acid pretreatment and biodetoxification (DryPB), as well as by the current mainstream technologies. DryPB minimizes the steam consumption to 8.63GJ and wastewater generation to 7.71tons in the core steps of biorefining process for production of one metric ton of ethanol, close to 7.83GJ and 8.33tons in corn ethanol production, respectively. The relatively higher electricity consumption is compensated by large electricity surplus from lignin residue combustion. The minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) by DryPB is below $2/gal and falls into the range of corn ethanol production cost. The work indicates that the technical and economical gap between cellulosic ethanol and corn ethanol has been almost filled up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Processing maize flour and corn meal food products

PubMed Central

Gwirtz, Jeffrey A; Garcia-Casal, Maria Nieves

2014-01-01

Corn is the cereal with the highest production worldwide and is used for human consumption, livestock feed, and fuel. Various food technologies are currently used for processing industrially produced maize flours and corn meals in different parts of the world to obtain precooked refined maize flour, dehydrated nixtamalized flour, fermented maize flours, and other maize products. These products have different intrinsic vitamin and mineral contents, and their processing follows different pathways from raw grain to the consumer final product, which entail changes in nutrient composition. Dry maize mechanical processing creates whole or fractionated products, separated by anatomical features such as bran, germ, and endosperm. Wet maize processing separates by chemical compound classification such as starch and protein. Various industrial processes, including whole grain, dry milling fractionation, and nixtamalization, are described. Vitamin and mineral losses during processing are identified and the nutritional impacts outlined. Also discussed are the vitamin and mineral contents of corn. PMID:24329576

Science information for informing forest fuel management in dry forests of the western United States

Treesearch

Sarah McCaffrey; Russell Graham

2007-01-01

Land managers need timely and straightforward access to the best scientific information available for informing decisions on how to treat forest fuels in the dry forests of the western United States. However, although there is a tremendous amount of information available for informing fuels management decisions, often, it is in a form that is difficult to use or of...

Fuel treatment effects on tree mortality following wildfire in dry mixed conifer forests, Washington State, USA

Treesearch

Susan J. Prichard; Maureen C. Kennedy

2012-01-01

Fuel reduction treatments are increasingly used to mitigate future wildfire severity in dry forests, but few opportunities exist to assess their effectiveness. We evaluated the influence of fuel treatment, tree size and species on tree mortality following a large wildfire event in recent thin-only, thin and prescribed burn (thin-Rx) units. Of the trees that died within...

Method for Making a Fuel Cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cable, Thomas L. (Inventor); Setlock, John A. (Inventor); Farmer, Serene C. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

The invention is a novel solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack comprising individual bi-electrode supported fuel cells in which an electrolyte layer is supported between porous electrodes. The porous electrodes may be made from graded pore ceramic tape that has been created by the freeze cast method followed by freeze-drying. Each piece of graded pore tape later becomes a graded pore electrode scaffold that, subsequent to sintering, is made into either an anode or a cathode. The electrode scaffold comprising the anode includes a layer of liquid metal. The pores of the electrode scaffolds gradually increase in diameter as the layer extends away from the electrolyte layer. As a result of this diameter increase, any forces that would tend to pull the liquid metal away from the electrolyte are reduced while maintaining a diffusion path for the fuel. Advantageously, the fuel cell of the invention may utilize a hydrocarbon fuel without pre-processing to remove sulfur.

Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks

DOE PAGES

Poulson, Daniel Cris; Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena; ...

2016-10-22

Radiography with cosmic ray muon scattering has proven to be a successful method of imaging nuclear material through heavy shielding. Of particular interest is monitoring dry storage casks for diversion of plutonium contained in spent reactor fuel. Using muon tracking detectors that surround a cylindrical cask, cosmic ray muon scattering can be simultaneously measured from all azimuthal angles, giving complete tomographic coverage of the cask interior. This article describes the first application of filtered back projection algorithms, typically used in medical imaging, to cosmic ray muon scattering imaging. The specific application to monitoring spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casksmore » is investigated via GEANT4 simulations. With a cylindrical muon tracking detector surrounding a typical spent fuel cask, simulations indicate that missing fuel bundles can be detected with a statistical significance of ~18σ in less than two days exposure and a sensitivity at 1σ to a 5% missing portion of a fuel bundle. Finally, we discuss potential detector technologies and geometries.« less

Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks

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

Poulson, Daniel Cris; Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena

Radiography with cosmic ray muon scattering has proven to be a successful method of imaging nuclear material through heavy shielding. Of particular interest is monitoring dry storage casks for diversion of plutonium contained in spent reactor fuel. Using muon tracking detectors that surround a cylindrical cask, cosmic ray muon scattering can be simultaneously measured from all azimuthal angles, giving complete tomographic coverage of the cask interior. This article describes the first application of filtered back projection algorithms, typically used in medical imaging, to cosmic ray muon scattering imaging. The specific application to monitoring spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casksmore » is investigated via GEANT4 simulations. With a cylindrical muon tracking detector surrounding a typical spent fuel cask, simulations indicate that missing fuel bundles can be detected with a statistical significance of ~18σ in less than two days exposure and a sensitivity at 1σ to a 5% missing portion of a fuel bundle. Finally, we discuss potential detector technologies and geometries.« less

Cosmic ray muon computed tomography of spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poulson, D.; Durham, J. M.; Guardincerri, E.; Morris, C. L.; Bacon, J. D.; Plaud-Ramos, K.; Morley, D.; Hecht, A. A.

2017-01-01

Radiography with cosmic ray muon scattering has proven to be a successful method of imaging nuclear material through heavy shielding. Of particular interest is monitoring dry storage casks for diversion of plutonium contained in spent reactor fuel. Using muon tracking detectors that surround a cylindrical cask, cosmic ray muon scattering can be simultaneously measured from all azimuthal angles, giving complete tomographic coverage of the cask interior. This paper describes the first application of filtered back projection algorithms, typically used in medical imaging, to cosmic ray muon scattering imaging. The specific application to monitoring spent nuclear fuel in dry storage casks is investigated via GEANT4 simulations. With a cylindrical muon tracking detector surrounding a typical spent fuel cask, simulations indicate that missing fuel bundles can be detected with a statistical significance of ∼ 18 σ in less than two days exposure and a sensitivity at 1σ to a 5% missing portion of a fuel bundle. Potential detector technologies and geometries are discussed.

Production of bio-jet fuel from microalgae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmoraghy, Marian

The increase in petroleum-based aviation fuel consumption, the decrease in petroleum resources, the fluctuation of the crude oil price, the increase in greenhouse gas emission and the need for energy security are motivating the development of an alternate jet fuel. Bio-jet fuel has to be a drop in fuel, technically and economically feasible, environmentally friendly, greener than jet fuel, produced locally and low gallon per Btu. Bic jet fuel has been produced by blending petro-based jet fuel with microalgae biodiesel (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, or simply FAME). Indoor microalgae growth, lipids extraction and transetrification to biodiesel are energy and fresh water intensive and time consuming. In addition, the quality of the biodiesel product and the physical properties of the bio-jet fuel blends are unknown. This work addressed these challenges. Minimizing the energy requirements and making microalgae growth process greener were accomplished by replacing fluorescent lights with light emitting diodes (LEDs). Reducing fresh water footprint in algae growth was accomplished by waste water use. Microalgae biodiesel production time was reduced using the one-step (in-situ transestrification) process. Yields up to 56.82 mg FAME/g dry algae were obtained. Predicted physical properties of in-situ FAME satisfied European and American standards confirming its quality. Lipid triggering by nitrogen deprivation was accomplished in order to increase the FAME production. Bio-jet fuel freezing points and heating values were measured for different jet fuel to biodiesel blend ratios.

Experimental Investigation and Aspen Plus Simulation of the MSW Pyrolysis Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansah, Emmanuel

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is a potential feedstock for producing transportation fuels because it is readily available using an existing collection/transportation infrastructure and fees are provided by the suppliers or government agencies to treat MSW. North Carolina with a population of 9.4 millions generates 3.629 million metric tons of MSW each year, which contains about 113,396,356 TJs of energy. The average moisture content of MSW samples is 44.3% on a wet basis. About 77% of the dry MSW mass is combustible components including paper, organics, textile and plastics. The average heating values of MSW were 9.7, 17.5, and 22.7 MJ/kg on a wet basis, dry basis and dry combustible basis, respectively. The MSW generated in North Carolina can produce 7.619 million barrels of crude bio-oil or around 4% of total petroleum consumption in North Carolina. MSW can be thermally pyrolyzed into bio-oil in the absence of oxygen or air at a temperature of 500°C or above. As bio-oil can be easily stored and transported, compared to bulky MSW, landfill gas and electricity, pyrolysis offers significant logistical and economic advantages over landfilling and other thermal conversion processes such as combustion and gasification. Crude bio-oils produced from the pyrolysis of MSW can be further refined to transportation fuels in existing petroleum refinery facilities. The objective of this research is to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of pyrolyzing MSW into liquid transportation fuels. A combined thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) instrument, which can serve as a micro-scale pyrolysis reactor, was used to simultaneously determine the degradation characteristics of MSW during pyrolysis. An ASPEN Plus-based mathematical model was further developed to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of pyrolysing of MSW into liquid transportation fuels in fixed bed reactors at varying operating conditions

Characterization of neutron sources from spent fuel casks. [Skyshine

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

Parks, C.V.; Pace, J.V. III

1987-01-01

In the interim period prior to the acceptance of spent fuel for disposal by the USDOE, utilities are beginning to choose dry cask storage as an alternative to pool re-racking, transshipments, or new pool construction. In addition, the current MRS proposal calls for interim dry storage of consolidated spent fuel in concrete casks. As part of the licensing requirements for these cask storage facilities, calculations are typically necessary to determine the yearly radiation dose received at the site boundary. Unlike wet facilities, neutron skyshine can be an important contribution to the total boundary dose from a dry storage facility. Calculationmore » of the neutron skyshine is in turn heavily dependent on the source characteristics and source model selected for the analysis. This paper presents the basic source characteristics of the spent fuel stored in dry casks and discusses factors that must be considered in evaluating and modeling the radiation sources for the subsequent skyshine calculation. 4 refs., 1 tab.« less

Proliferation resistance assessment of various methods of spent nuclear fuel storage and disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollar, Lenka

Many countries are planning to build or already are building new nuclear power plants to match their growing energy needs. Since all nuclear power plants handle nuclear materials that could potentially be converted and used for nuclear weapons, they each present a nuclear proliferation risk. Spent nuclear fuel presents the largest build-up of nuclear material at a power plant. This is a proliferation risk because spent fuel contains plutonium that can be chemically separated and used for a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards spent fuel in all non-nuclear weapons states that are party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Various safeguards methods are in use at nuclear power plants and research is underway to develop safeguards methods for spent fuel in centralized storage or underground storage and disposal. Each method of spent fuel storage presents different proliferation risks due to the nature of the storage method and the safeguards techniques that are utilized. Previous proliferation resistance and proliferation risk assessments have mainly compared nuclear material through the whole fuel cycle and not specifically focused on spent fuel storage. This project evaluates the proliferation resistance of the three main types of spent fuel storage: spent fuel pool, dry cask storage, and geological repository. The proliferation resistance assessment methodology that is used in this project is adopted from previous work and altered to be applicable to spent fuel storage. The assessment methodology utilizes various intrinsic and extrinsic proliferation-resistant attributes for each spent fuel storage type. These attributes are used to calculate a total proliferation resistant (PR) value. The maximum PR value is 1.00 and a greater number means that the facility is more proliferation resistant. Current data for spent fuel storage in the United States and around the world was collected. The PR values obtained from this data are 0.49 for the spent fuel pool, 0.42 for dry cask storage, 0.36 for the operating geological repository, and 0.28 for the closed geological repository. Therefore, the spent fuel pool is currently the most proliferation resistant method for storing spent fuel. The extrinsic attributes, mainly involving safeguards measures, affect the total PR value the most. As a result, several recommendations are made to improve the proliferation resistance of spent fuel. These recommendations include employing more advanced safeguards measures, such as verification techniques and remote monitoring, for dry cask storage and the geological repository. Dry cask storage facilities should also be located at the plant and in a secure building to minimize the proliferation risk. Finally, the cost-benefit analysis of increased safeguards needs to be considered. Taking these recommendations into account, the PR values of dry cask storage and the closed geological would be significantly increased, to 0.57 and 0.51, respectively. As a result, with increased safeguards to the safeguards level of the spent fuel pool, dry cask storage would be the most proliferation resistant method to store spent fuel. Therefore, the IAEA should continue to develop remote monitoring and cask storage verification techniques in order to improve the proliferation resistance of spent fuel.

Pipeline transportation of upgraded Yugoslavian lignite fuels

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

Ljubicic, B.; Anderson, C.; Bukurov, Z.

1993-12-31

Hydraulic transport and handling procedures for coal are not widely used, but when practiced, they result in a technically and economically successful operation. Potentially the most attractive way to utilize lignitic coals for power generation would be to combine hydraulic mining techniques with aqueous ash removal, hydrothermal processing, solids concentration, and coal-water fuel (CWF) combustion. Technical and economic assessment of this operation is being implemented within the Yugoslavian-American Scientific Technical Cooperation Agreement. The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), Grand Forks, North Dakota, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, has entered into a jointly sponsored research project withmore » Electric Power of Serbia (EPS), Belgrade, Yugoslavia, to investigate the application of the nonevaporative hydrothermal drying procedure, commonly called hot-water drying (HWD), developed at the EERC, to the lignite from the Kovin deposit. Advances in hydrothermal treatment of low-rank coals (LRCs) at the EERC have enabled cheaper, more reactive LRCs to be used in coal-water fuels (CWFs). HWD is a high-temperature, nonevaporative drying technique carried out at high pressure in water that permanently alters the structure of LRC. It solves the stability problems by producing a safe, easily transported, liquid fuel that can be handled and used like oil. For continued or increased success, it is necessary to evaluate carefully all aspects of slurry technology that permit further optimization. This paper discusses some aspects of low-rank coal hydraulic transport combined with hydrothermal treatment as an alternative energy solution toward less oil dependence in Yugoslavia.« less

Modeling of yield and environmental impact categories in tea processing units based on artificial neural networks.

PubMed

Khanali, Majid; Mobli, Hossein; Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, Homa

2017-12-01

In this study, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed for predicting the yield and life cycle environmental impacts based on energy inputs required in processing of black tea, green tea, and oolong tea in Guilan province of Iran. A life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was used to investigate the environmental impact categories of processed tea based on the cradle to gate approach, i.e., from production of input materials using raw materials to the gate of tea processing units, i.e., packaged tea. Thus, all the tea processing operations such as withering, rolling, fermentation, drying, and packaging were considered in the analysis. The initial data were obtained from tea processing units while the required data about the background system was extracted from the EcoInvent 2.2 database. LCA results indicated that diesel fuel and corrugated paper box used in drying and packaging operations, respectively, were the main hotspots. Black tea processing unit caused the highest pollution among the three processing units. Three feed-forward back-propagation ANN models based on Levenberg-Marquardt training algorithm with two hidden layers accompanied by sigmoid activation functions and a linear transfer function in output layer, were applied for three types of processed tea. The neural networks were developed based on energy equivalents of eight different input parameters (energy equivalents of fresh tea leaves, human labor, diesel fuel, electricity, adhesive, carton, corrugated paper box, and transportation) and 11 output parameters (yield, global warming, abiotic depletion, acidification, eutrophication, ozone layer depletion, human toxicity, freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity, marine aquatic ecotoxicity, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and photochemical oxidation). The results showed that the developed ANN models with R 2 values in the range of 0.878 to 0.990 had excellent performance in predicting all the output variables based on inputs. Energy consumption for processing of green tea, oolong tea, and black tea were calculated as 58,182, 60,947, and 66,301 MJ per ton of dry tea, respectively.

Sampling, characterisation and processing of solid recovered fuel production from municipal solid waste: An Italian plant case study.

PubMed

Ranieri, Ezio; Ionescu, Gabriela; Fedele, Arcangela; Palmieri, Eleonora; Ranieri, Ada Cristina; Campanaro, Vincenzo

2017-08-01

This article presents the classification of solid recovered fuel from the Massafra municipal solid waste treatment plant in Southern Italy in compliancy with the EN 15359 standard. In order to ensure the reproducibility of this study, the characterisation methods of waste input and output flow, the mechanical biological treatment line scheme and its main parameters for each stage of the processing chain are presented in details, together with the research results in terms of mass balance and derived fuel properties. Under this study, only 31% of refused municipal solid waste input stream from mechanical biological line was recovered as solid recovered fuel with a net heating value (NC=HV) average of 15.77 MJ kg -1 ; chlorine content average of 0.06% on a dry basis; median of mercury <0.0064 mg MJ -1 and 80th percentile <0.0068 mg MJ -1 . The solid recovered fuel produced meets the European Union standard requirements and can be classified with the class code: Net heating value (3); chlorine (1); mercury (1).

Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) – A Key to the Fuel Ethanol Industry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn-based ethanol in the U.S. has dramatically increased in recent years; so has the quantity of associated coproducts. Nonfermentable components are removed from the process as whole stillage, centrifuged to remove water – which is then evaporated to produce condensed distillers solubles (CDS), a...

Methods to recover value-added co-products from dry grind processing of grains into fuel ethanol

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Three methods were described to fractionate condensed distillers solubles (CDS) into several new co-products, including a protein-mineral fraction and a glycerol fraction by a chemical method; a protein fraction, an oil fraction and a glycerol-mineral fraction by a physical method; or a protein frac...

Hydration and dehydration cycles in polymer electrolyte fuel cells operated with wet anode and dry cathode feed: A neutron imaging and modeling study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Salaberri, P. A.; Sánchez, D. G.; Boillat, P.; Vera, M.; Friedrich, K. A.

2017-08-01

Proper water management plays an essential role in the performance and durability of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs), but it is challenged by the variety of water transport phenomena that take place in these devices. Previous experimental work has shown the existence of fluctuations between low and high current density levels in PEFCs operated with wet hydrogen and dry air feed. The alternation between both performance states is accompanied by strong changes in the high frequency resistance, suggesting a cyclic hydration and dehydration of the membrane. This peculiar scenario is examined here considering liquid water distributions from neutron imaging and predictions from a 3D two-phase non-isothermal model. The results show that the hydration-dehydration cycles are triggered by the periodic condensation and shedding of liquid water at the anode inlet. The input of liquid water humidifies the anode channel and offsets the membrane dry-out induced by the dry air stream, thus leading to the high-performance state. When liquid water is flushed out of the anode channel, the dehydration process takes over, and the cell comes back to the low-performance state. The predicted amplitude of the current oscillations grows with decreasing hydrogen and increasing air flow rates, in agreement with previous experimental data.

Sewage sludge drying process integration with a waste-to-energy power plant.

PubMed

Bianchini, A; Bonfiglioli, L; Pellegrini, M; Saccani, C

2015-08-01

Dewatered sewage sludge from Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) is encountering increasing problems associated with its disposal. Several solutions have been proposed in the last years regarding energy and materials recovery from sewage sludge. Current technological solutions have relevant limits as dewatered sewage sludge is characterized by a high water content (70-75% by weight), even if mechanically treated. A Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) with good thermal characteristics in terms of Lower Heating Value (LHV) can be obtained if dewatered sludge is further processed, for example by a thermal drying stage. Sewage sludge thermal drying is not sustainable if the power is fed by primary energy sources, but can be appealing if waste heat, recovered from other processes, is used. A suitable integration can be realized between a WWTP and a waste-to-energy (WTE) power plant through the recovery of WTE waste heat as energy source for sewage sludge drying. In this paper, the properties of sewage sludge from three different WWTPs are studied. On the basis of the results obtained, a facility for the integration of sewage sludge drying within a WTE power plant is developed. Furthermore, energy and mass balances are set up in order to evaluate the benefits brought by the described integration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress corrosion cracking of Zircaloys in unirradiated and irradiated CsI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, B.; Surette, B. A.; Wood, J. C.

1986-03-01

Unirradiated split-ring specimens of Zircaloy fuel cladding, coated with CsI, cracked when stressed at elevated temperatures. The specimens have been reexamined fractographically and metallographically in order to confirm that the cause of cracking was stress corrosion (SCC) and not delayed hydride cracking (DHC). Further specimens have been cracked at 350°C by a solution of CsI in a fused mixture of nitrates of rubidium, cesium, strontium and barium, by a similar mechanism. CsI dissolved in a fused molybdate melt was not stable at 400°C, and rapidly evolved iodine, leaving a melt that was incapable of causing SCC. Irradiation of stressed split-ring specimens of Zircaloy fuel cladding in a γ-irradiator of 10 6 R/h and in the U-5 loop in the NRU reactor at an estimated 10 9 R/h caused SCC when the specimens were packed in dry CsI powder. Care had to be taken to dry the CsI, otherwise cracking occurred by a DHC mechanism from hydrogen absorbed from residual moisture in the CsI. Fractography showed that the crack surfaces obtained with dry CsI were typical of iodine-induced SCC rather than cesium-induced metal vapour embrittlement. Thus, if a transport process is provided for the iodide to obtain access to the zirconium surface, CsI is capable of causing SCC of Zircaloy. This transport process might be ionic diffusion in a fission product oxide melt in the fuel-clad gap, however, radiolysis of CsI to form a volatile iodine species in a radiation field is the more probable explanation of PCI failures.

Effects of combined traditional processing methods on the nutritional quality of beans.

PubMed

Nakitto, Aisha M; Muyonga, John H; Nakimbugwe, Dorothy

2015-05-01

Consumption of dry beans is limited by long cooking times thus high fuel requirement. The bioavailability of nutrients in beans is also limited due to presence of antinutrients such as phytates and tannins. Little research has been done on combined processing methods for production of nutritious fast cooking bean flour and the effect of combined treatments on nutritional quality of beans has not previously determined. The aim of this study was to reduce cooking time and enhance the nutritional value of dry beans. Specifically to: develop protocols for production of fast cooking bean flours and assess the effect of processing on the nutritional characteristics of the flours. Dry beans (K131 variety) were soaked for 12 h; sprouted for 48 h; dehulled and steamed for 25 and 15 min for whole and dehulled beans respectively or roasted at 170°C for 45 and 15 min for whole and dehulled beans respectively. Dehulling eliminated phytates and tannins and increased protein digestibility. In vitro protein digestibility and mineral (iron and zinc) extractability were negatively correlated with tannin and phytate content. Total available carbohydrates were highest in moist heat-treated bean flours. Overall, combined processing of beans improved the nutritional quality of dry beans and the resulting precooked flours need less cooking time compared to whole dry beans.

Effects of combined traditional processing methods on the nutritional quality of beans

PubMed Central

Nakitto, Aisha M; Muyonga, John H; Nakimbugwe, Dorothy

2015-01-01

Consumption of dry beans is limited by long cooking times thus high fuel requirement. The bioavailability of nutrients in beans is also limited due to presence of antinutrients such as phytates and tannins. Little research has been done on combined processing methods for production of nutritious fast cooking bean flour and the effect of combined treatments on nutritional quality of beans has not previously determined. The aim of this study was to reduce cooking time and enhance the nutritional value of dry beans. Specifically to: develop protocols for production of fast cooking bean flours and assess the effect of processing on the nutritional characteristics of the flours. Dry beans (K131 variety) were soaked for 12 h; sprouted for 48 h; dehulled and steamed for 25 and 15 min for whole and dehulled beans respectively or roasted at 170°C for 45 and 15 min for whole and dehulled beans respectively. Dehulling eliminated phytates and tannins and increased protein digestibility. In vitro protein digestibility and mineral (iron and zinc) extractability were negatively correlated with tannin and phytate content. Total available carbohydrates were highest in moist heat-treated bean flours. Overall, combined processing of beans improved the nutritional quality of dry beans and the resulting precooked flours need less cooking time compared to whole dry beans. PMID:25987998

Improvement of operational safety of dual-purpose transport packaging set for naval SNF in storage

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

Guskov, Vladimir; Korotkov, Gennady; Barnes, Ella

2007-07-01

Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: In recent ten years a new technology of management of irradiated nuclear fuel (SNF) at the final stage of fuel cycle has been intensely developing on a basis of a new type of casks used for interim storage of SNF and subsequent transportation therein to the place of processing, further storage or final disposal. This technology stems from the concept of a protective cask which provides preservation of its content (SNF) and fulfillment of all other safety requirements for storage and transportation of SNF. Radiation protection against emissions and non-distributionmore » of activity outside the cask is ensured by physical barriers, i.e. all-metal or composite body, shells, inner cavities for irradiated fuel assemblies (SFA), lids with sealing systems. Residual heat release of SFA is discharged to the environment by natural way: through emission and convection of surrounding air. By now more than 100 dual purpose packaging sets TUK-108/1 are in operation in the mode of interim storage and transportation of SNF from decommissioned nuclear powered submarines (NPS). In accordance with certificate, spent fuel is stored in TUK-108/1 on the premises of plants involved in NPS dismantlement for 2 years, whereupon it is transported for processing to PO Mayak. At one Far Eastern plant Zvezda involved in NPS dismantlement there arose a complicated situation due to necessity to extend period of storage of SNF in TUK- 108/1. To ensure safety over a longer period of storage of SNF in TUK-108/1 it is essential to modify conditions of storage by removing of residual water and filling the inner cavity of the cask with an inert gas. Within implementation of the international 1.1- 2 project Development of drying technology for the cask TUK-108/1 intended for naval SNF under the Program, there has been developed the technology of preparation of the cask for long-term storage of SNF in TUK-108/1, the design of a mobile TUK-108/1 drying facility; a pilot facility has been manufactured. This report describes key issues of cask drying technology, justification of terms of dry storage of naval SNF in no-108/1, design features of the mobile drying facility, results of tests of the pilot facility at the Far Eastern plant Zvezda. (authors)« less

Combustion Gas Properties I-ASTM Jet a Fuel and Dry Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, R. E.; Trout, A. M.; Wear, J. D.; Mcbride, B. J.

1984-01-01

A series of computations was made to produce the equilibrium temperature and gas composition for ASTM jet A fuel and dry air. The computed tables and figures provide combustion gas property data for pressures from 0.5 to 50 atmospheres and equivalence ratios from 0 to 2.0.

Predicting moisture and economic value of solid forest fuel piles for improving the profitability of bioenergy use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauren, Ari; Kinnunen, Jyrki-Pekko; Sikanen, Lauri

2016-04-01

Bioenergy contributes 26 % of the total energy use in Finland, and 60 % of this is provided by solid forest fuel consisting of small stems and logging residues such as tops, branches, roots and stumps. Typically the logging residues are stored as piles on site before transporting to regional combined heat and power plants for combustion. Profitability of forest fuel use depends on smart control of the feedstock. Fuel moisture, dry matter loss, and the rate of interest during the storing are the key variables affecting the economic value of the fuel. The value increases with drying, but decreases with wetting, dry matter loss and positive rate of interest. We compiled a simple simulation model computing the moisture change, dry matter loss, transportation costs and present value of feedstock piles. The model was used to predict the time of the maximum value of the stock, and to compose feedstock allocation strategies under the question: how should we choose the piles and the combustion time so that total energy yield and the economic value of the energy production is maximized? The question was assessed concerning the demand of the energy plant. The model parameterization was based on field scale studies. The initial moisture, and the rates of daily moisture change and dry matter loss in the feedstock piles depended on the day of the year according to empirical field measurements. Time step of the computation was one day. Effects of pile use timing on the total energy yield and profitability was studied using combinatorial optimization. Results show that the storing increases the pile maximum value if the natural drying onsets soon after the harvesting; otherwise dry matter loss and the capital cost of the storing overcome the benefits gained by drying. Optimized timing of the pile use can improve slightly the profitability, based on the increased total energy yield and because the energy unit based transportation costs decrease when water content in the biomass is decreased.

From municipal/industrial wastewater sludge and FOG to fertilizer: A proposal for economic sustainable sludge management.

PubMed

Bratina, Božidar; Šorgo, Andrej; Kramberger, Janez; Ajdnik, Urban; Zemljič, Lidija Fras; Ekart, Janez; Šafarič, Riko

2016-12-01

After a ban on the depositing of untreated sludge in landfills, the sludge from municipal and industrial water-treatment plants can be regarded as a problem. Waste products of the water treatment process can be a problem or an opportunity - a source for obtaining raw materials. In the European Union, raw sludge and fats, oil and grease (FOG) from municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) cannot be deposited in any natural or controlled environment. For this reason, it must be processed (stabilized, dried) to be used later as a fertilizer, building material, or alternative fuel source suitable for co-incineration in high temperature furnaces (power plants or concrete plants). The processes of drying sludge, where heat and electricity are used, are energy consuming and economically unattractive. Beside energy efficiency, the main problem of sludge drying is in its variability of quality as a raw material. In addition to this, sludge can be contaminated by a number of organic and inorganic pollutants and organisms. Due to the presence or absence of pollutants, different end products can be economically interesting. For example, if the dried sludge contains coliform bacteria, viruses, helminths eggs or smaller quantities of heavy metals, it cannot be used as a fertilizer but can still be used as a fuel. The objectives of the current article is to present a batch-processing pilot device of sludge or digestate that allows the following: (1) low pressure and low temperature energy effective drying of from 10 to 40% remaining water content, (2) disinfection of pathogen (micro)organisms, (3) heavy metal reduction, (4) production of products of predetermined quality (e.g. containing different quantities of water; it can be used as a fertilizer, or if the percentage of water in the dry sludge is decreased to 10%, then the dried sludge can be used as a fuel with a calorific value similar to coal). An important feature is also the utilization of low-pressure technology to prevent odorous gasses from spreading into the environment. There are presented two new technologies: a) Sewage sludge or digestate drying in the vacuum chamber consumes approx. 1 kWh/dm 3 of evaporated water and, therefore, reaches a price of 180-240 Euros/t Dry Matter (DM), and b) Heavy metals' reduction using adsorbing reaction with magnetite nanostructures can decrease the level of heavy metals in the sewage sludge or digestate up to 20% in one cycle, which can be repeated several times on the same sludge. The aim of the paper is to present a newly developed technology which can provide economic and safe use of moderate heavy metals polluted sewage sludge on agricultural lands as organic fertilizer and, therefore, returning the nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) back to the human food chain, instead of being incinerated or landfilled. The proposed drying technology is economically sustainable due to the low vacuum and temperature (35 °C-40 °C), that increases the efficiency of the heat pump (coefficient of performance 5-7,2) of the energy produced by the anaerobic digestion. Hence, the main emphasis is given to the development of: an efficient method for heavy metals' reduction in the sludge treatment chain by using chitosan covered magnetite nanoparticles, an efficient drying method in a vacuum with low temperature energy which can be exploited from sludge digestion to reduce organic matter, and an energy sustainable concept of sludge treatment, with the addition of fats, oil and grease (FOG) to produce enough biogas for sludge drying to produce fertilizer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

UFD Storage and Transportation - Transportation Working Group Report

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

Maheras, Steven J.; Ross, Steven B.

2011-08-01

The Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Transportation Task commenced in October 2010. As its first task, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) compiled a list of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) of transportation systems and their possible degradation mechanisms during extended storage. The list of SSCs and the associated degradation mechanisms [known as features, events, and processes (FEPs)] were based on the list of used nuclear fuel (UNF) storage system SSCs and degradation mechanisms developed by the UFD Storage Task (Hanson et al. 2011). Other sources of information surveyed to develop the list of SSCs and their degradation mechanisms included references suchmore » as Evaluation of the Technical Basis for Extended Dry Storage and Transportation of Used Nuclear Fuel (NWTRB 2010), Transportation, Aging and Disposal Canister System Performance Specification, Revision 1 (OCRWM 2008), Data Needs for Long-Term Storage of LWR Fuel (EPRI 1998), Technical Bases for Extended Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel (EPRI 2002), Used Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste Extended Storage Collaboration Program (EPRI 2010a), Industry Spent Fuel Storage Handbook (EPRI 2010b), and Transportation of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel, Issues Resolution (EPRI 2010c). SSCs include items such as the fuel, cladding, fuel baskets, neutron poisons, metal canisters, etc. Potential degradation mechanisms (FEPs) included mechanical, thermal, radiation and chemical stressors, such as fuel fragmentation, embrittlement of cladding by hydrogen, oxidation of cladding, metal fatigue, corrosion, etc. These degradation mechanisms are discussed in Section 2 of this report. The degradation mechanisms have been evaluated to determine if they would be influenced by extended storage or high burnup, the need for additional data, and their importance to transportation. These categories were used to identify the most significant transportation degradation mechanisms. As expected, for the most part, the transportation importance was mirrored by the importance assigned by the UFD Storage Task. A few of the more significant differences are described in Section 3 of this report« less

Effect of Al(OH)3 on the sintering of UO2-Gd2O3 fuel pellets with addition of U3O8 from recycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, Lauro Roberto; Durazzo, Michelangelo; Urano de Carvalho, Elita Fontenele; Riella, Humberto Gracher

2017-09-01

The incorporation of gadolinium as burnable poison directly into nuclear fuel is important for reactivity compensation, which enables longer fuel cycles. The function of the burnable poison fuel is to control the neutron population in the reactor core during its startup and the beginning of the fuel burning cycle to extend the use of the fuel. The implementation of UO2-Gd2O3 poisoned fuel in Brazil has been proposed according to the future requirements established for the Angra-2 nuclear power plant. The UO2 powder used is produced from the Ammonium Uranyl Carbonate (AUC). The incorporation of Gd2O3 powder directly into the AUC-derived UO2 powder by dry mechanical blending is the most attractive process, because of its simplicity. Nevertheless, processing by this method leads to difficulties while obtaining sintered pellets with the minimum required density. The cause of the low densities is the bad sintering behavior of the UO2-Gd2O3 mixed fuel, which shows a blockage in the sintering process that hinders the densification. This effect has been overcome by microdoping of the fuel with small quantities of aluminum. The process for manufacturing the fuel inevitably generates uranium-rich scraps from various sources. This residue is reincorporated into the production process in the form of U3O8 powder additions. The addition of U3O8 also hinders densification in sintering. This study was carried out to investigate the influence of both aluminum and U3O8 additives on the density of fuel pellets after sintering. As the effects of these additives are counterposed, this work studied the combined effect thereof, seeking to find an applicable composition for the production process. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of aluminum, in the form of Al(OH)3, as an additive to promote increase in the densification of the (U,Gd)O2 pellets during sintering, even with high additions of U3O8 recycled from the manufacturing process.

Diffusion-driven proton exchange membrane fuel cell for converting fermenting biomass to electricity.

PubMed

Malati, P; Mehrotra, P; Minoofar, P; Mackie, D M; Sumner, J J; Ganguli, R

2015-10-01

A membrane-integrated proton exchange membrane fuel cell that enables in situ fermentation of sugar to ethanol, diffusion-driven separation of ethanol, and its catalytic oxidation in a single continuous process is reported. The fuel cell consists of a fermentation chamber coupled to a direct ethanol fuel cell. The anode and fermentation chambers are separated by a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. Ethanol generated from fermented biomass in the fermentation chamber diffuses through the RO membrane into a glucose solution contained in the DEFC anode chamber. The glucose solution is osmotically neutral to the biomass solution in the fermentation chamber preventing the anode chamber from drying out. The fuel cell sustains >1.3 mW cm(-2) at 47°C with high discharge capacity. No separate purification or dilution is necessary, resulting in an efficient and portable system for direct conversion of fermenting biomass to electricity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emissions characterization of residential wood-fired hydronic heater technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinsey, John S.; Touati, Abderrahmane; Yelverton, Tiffany L. B.; Aurell, Johanna; Cho, Seung-Hyun; Linak, William P.; Gullett, Brian K.

2012-12-01

Residential wood-fired hydronic heaters (RWHHs) can negatively impact the local ambient air quality and thus are an environmental concern in wood burning areas of the U. S. Only a few studies have been conducted which characterize the emissions from RWHHs. To address the lack of emissions data, a study was conducted on four appliances of differing design using multiple fuel types to determine their thermal, boiler, and combustion efficiency as well as the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), total particulate matter (PM) mass, and particle number as well as particle size distribution (PSD). Three of these appliances were fired with split-log cordwood with the fourth unit using hardwood pellets. The measured thermal efficiencies for the appliances tested varied from 22 to 44% and the combustion efficiencies from 81 to 98%. Depending on appliance and fuel type, the emission factors ranged from about 1300 to 1800 g kg-1 dry fuel for CO2, 8-190 g kg-1 dry fuel for CO, <1-54 g kg-1 dry fuel for THC and 6-120 mg kg-1 for N2O. For the particle phase pollutants, the PM mass emission factors ranged from 0.31 to 47 g kg-1 dry fuel and the PM number emission factors from 8.5 × 1010 to 2.4 × 1014 particles kg-1 dry fuel, also depending on the appliance and fuel tested. The PSD for all four appliances indicated a well established accumulation mode with evidence of a nucleation mode present for Appliances A and B. The average median aerodynamic particle diameters observed for the four appliances ranged from 84 to 187 nm while burning red oak or pellets. In general, the pellet-burning appliance had the highest overall operating efficiency and lowest emissions of the four units tested.

Process Technology for Tunable Fischer Tropsch Synthesis Towards Middle Distillate Fuel Fractions

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-04

Catalyst Preparation (III) ● Incipient Wetness Used to impregnate Potassium Solution onto Iron (K / Fe atomic ratio = .02). Catalyst dried overnight at T...80oC then calcined for 1 hour at T = 350oC ● Incipient Wetness Used to impregnate Copper Solution onto Iron ( Cu / Fe atomic ratio = .01...Fischer Tropsch technologies that target the production of TP SBF through process, catalyst , and reactor improvements. Investigate Supercritical

Effects of Varying CDS Levels and Drying and Cooling Temperatures on Flowability Properties of DDGS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Demand for alternative fuels and the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, have triggered the growth of corn-based ethanol production, and this is expected to rise in future years. Transportation of the co-product distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from this industry occurs under vari...

Container materials in environments of corroded spent nuclear fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, F. H.

1996-07-01

Efforts to remove corroded uranium metal fuel from the K Basins wet storage to long-term dry storage are underway. The multi-canister overpack (MCO) is used to load spent nuclear fuel for vacuum drying, staging, and hot conditioning; it will be used for interim dry storage until final disposition options are developed. Drying and conditioning of the corroded fuel will minimize the possibility of gas pressurization and runaway oxidation. During all phases of operations the MCO is subjected to radiation, temperature and pressure excursions, hydrogen, potential pyrophoric hazard, and corrosive environments. Material selection for the MCO applications is clearly vital for safe and efficient long-term interim storage. Austenitic stainless steels (SS) such as 304L SS or 316L SS appear to be suitable for the MCO. Of the two, Type 304L SS is recommended because it possesses good resistance to chemical corrosion, hydrogen embrittlement, and radiation-induced corrosive species. In addition, the material has adequate strength and ductility to withstand pressure and impact loading so that the containment boundary of the container is maintained under accident conditions without releasing radioactive materials.

From the Toilet to the Tank – Biofuels from Sewage

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

None

2016-11-02

What we flush can be converted into a biocrude oil with properties very similar to fossil fuels. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers have worked out a process that does not require that sewage be dried before transforming it under heat and pressure to biocrude. Metro Vancouver in Canada hopes to build a demonstration plant.

Keynote address: the role of silviculture in restoring fire-adapted ecosystems

Treesearch

James K. Agee

2007-01-01

Across the drier forests of the western United States, historical fire was a natural silvicultural process--thinning stands from below, cleaning surface fuels, and maintaining fire-resilient conditions. The 20th century fire exclusion policy, although initiated with the best of intentions, has been a disaster in dry forests, converting them to high-severity fire...

Improved methods for the determination of drying conditions and fraction insoluble solids (FIS) in biomass pretreatment slurry

DOE PAGES

Sluiter, Amie; Sluiter, Justin; Wolfrum, Ed; ...

2016-05-20

Accurate and precise chemical characterization of biomass feedstocks and process intermediates is a requirement for successful technical and economic evaluation of biofuel conversion technologies. The uncertainty in primary measurements of the fraction insoluble solid (FIS) content of dilute acid pretreated corn stover slurry is the major contributor to uncertainty in yield calculations for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose. This uncertainty is propagated through process models and impacts modeled fuel costs. The challenge in measuring FIS is obtaining an accurate measurement of insoluble matter in the pretreated materials, while appropriately accounting for all biomass derived components. Three methods were testedmore » to improve this measurement. One used physical separation of liquid and solid phases, and two utilized direct determination of dry matter content in two fractions. We offer a comparison of drying methods. Lastly, our results show utilizing a microwave dryer to directly determine dry matter content is the optimal method for determining FIS, based on the low time requirements and the method optimization done using model slurries.« less

The guava tree as bioindicator during the process of fuel replacement of an oil refinery.

PubMed

Silva, Simone F; Meirelles, Sérgio T; Moraes, Regina M

2013-05-01

This study was performed to verify whether the exchange of the fuel used in the boilers of a crude oil refinery located in Cubatão (SE Brazil) would result in alterations on gas exchange, growth and leaf injuries in saplings of Psidium guajava 'Paluma'. The purpose of the refinery was to reduce the SO2 emission, but using natural gas as fuel could increase the concentrations of O3 precursors in the atmosphere. Thus a biomonitoring was performed with a native species sensitive to O3. The plants were exposed in five areas (CM1, CM5, CEPEMA, Centro, and RP) at different distances to the refinery, both before and after the fuel exchange. We performed six exposures under environmental conditions, with length of ca. 90 days each. With the utilization of natural gas, the saplings presented reductions in carbon assimilation rate under saturating light conditions (Asat, μmolCO2m(-2)s(-1)) and the stomatal conductance (gs, molH2Om(-2)s(-1)), and increase in height, number of leaves, and dry mass of leaves and shoots. There were also reductions in root dry mass and in the root/shoot ratio. The saplings also presented O3-induced leaf injuries. The responses of P. guajava 'Paluma' were altered after the fuel exchange as a result of a new combination of pollutants in the atmosphere. The fuel exchange has not resulted in environmental benefit to the surrounding forest; it has only altered the contamination profile of the region. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of Neutron Energy Spectral Signatures for Passive Monitoring of Spent Nuclear Fuels in Dry Cask Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harkness, Ira; Zhu, Ting; Liang, Yinong; Rauch, Eric; Enqvist, Andreas; Jordan, Kelly A.

2018-01-01

Demand for spent nuclear fuel dry casks as an interim storage solution has increased globally and the IAEA has expressed a need for robust safeguards and verification technologies for ensuring the continuity of knowledge and the integrity of radioactive materials inside spent fuel casks. Existing research has been focusing on "fingerprinting" casks based on count rate statistics to represent radiation emission signatures. The current research aims to expand to include neutron energy spectral information as part of the fuel characteristics. First, spent fuel composition data are taken from the Next Generation Safeguards Initiative Spent Fuel Libraries, representative for Westinghouse 17ˣ17 PWR assemblies. The ORIGEN-S code then calculates the spontaneous fission and (α,n) emissions for individual fuel rods, followed by detailed MCNP simulations of neutrons transported through the fuel assemblies. A comprehensive database of neutron energy spectral profiles is to be constructed, with different enrichment, burn-up, and cooling time conditions. The end goal is to utilize the computational spent fuel library, predictive algorithm, and a pressurized 4He scintillator to verify the spent fuel assemblies inside a cask. This work identifies neutron spectral signatures that correlate with the cooling time of spent fuel. Both the total and relative contributions from spontaneous fission and (α,n) change noticeably with respect to cooling time, due to the relatively short half-life (18 years) of the major neutron source 244Cm. Identification of this and other neutron spectral signatures allows the characterization of spent nuclear fuels in dry cask storage.

Life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of production of bioethanol from sorghum in the United States.

PubMed

Cai, Hao; Dunn, Jennifer B; Wang, Zhichao; Han, Jeongwoo; Wang, Michael Q

2013-10-02

The availability of feedstock options is a key to meeting the volumetric requirement of 136.3 billion liters of renewable fuels per year beginning in 2022, as required in the US 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. Life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of sorghum-based ethanol need to be assessed for sorghum to play a role in meeting that requirement. Multiple sorghum-based ethanol production pathways show diverse well-to-wheels (WTW) energy use and GHG emissions due to differences in energy use and fertilizer use intensity associated with sorghum growth and differences in the ethanol conversion processes. All sorghum-based ethanol pathways can achieve significant fossil energy savings. Relative to GHG emissions from conventional gasoline, grain sorghum-based ethanol can reduce WTW GHG emissions by 35% or 23%, respectively, when wet or dried distillers grains with solubles (DGS) is the co-product and fossil natural gas (FNG) is consumed as the process fuel. The reduction increased to 56% or 55%, respectively, for wet or dried DGS co-production when renewable natural gas (RNG) from anaerobic digestion of animal waste is used as the process fuel. These results do not include land-use change (LUC) GHG emissions, which we take as negligible. If LUC GHG emissions for grain sorghum ethanol as estimated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are included (26 g CO2e/MJ), these reductions when wet DGS is co-produced decrease to 7% or 29% when FNG or RNG is used as the process fuel. Sweet sorghum-based ethanol can reduce GHG emissions by 71% or 72% without or with use of co-produced vinasse as farm fertilizer, respectively, in ethanol plants using only sugar juice to produce ethanol. If both sugar and cellulosic bagasse were used in the future for ethanol production, an ethanol plant with a combined heat and power (CHP) system that supplies all process energy can achieve a GHG emission reduction of 70% or 72%, respectively, without or with vinasse fertigation. Forage sorghum-based ethanol can achieve a 49% WTW GHG emission reduction when ethanol plants meet process energy demands with CHP. In the case of forage sorghum and an integrated sweet sorghum pathway, the use of a portion of feedstock to fuel CHP systems significantly reduces fossil fuel consumption and GHG emissions. This study provides new insight into life-cycle energy use and GHG emissions of multiple sorghum-based ethanol production pathways in the US. Our results show that adding sorghum feedstocks to the existing options for ethanol production could help in meeting the requirements for volumes of renewable, advanced and cellulosic bioethanol production in the US required by the EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard program.

Life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of production of bioethanol from sorghum in the United States

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The availability of feedstock options is a key to meeting the volumetric requirement of 136.3 billion liters of renewable fuels per year beginning in 2022, as required in the US 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. Life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of sorghum-based ethanol need to be assessed for sorghum to play a role in meeting that requirement. Results Multiple sorghum-based ethanol production pathways show diverse well-to-wheels (WTW) energy use and GHG emissions due to differences in energy use and fertilizer use intensity associated with sorghum growth and differences in the ethanol conversion processes. All sorghum-based ethanol pathways can achieve significant fossil energy savings. Relative to GHG emissions from conventional gasoline, grain sorghum-based ethanol can reduce WTW GHG emissions by 35% or 23%, respectively, when wet or dried distillers grains with solubles (DGS) is the co-product and fossil natural gas (FNG) is consumed as the process fuel. The reduction increased to 56% or 55%, respectively, for wet or dried DGS co-production when renewable natural gas (RNG) from anaerobic digestion of animal waste is used as the process fuel. These results do not include land-use change (LUC) GHG emissions, which we take as negligible. If LUC GHG emissions for grain sorghum ethanol as estimated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are included (26 g CO2e/MJ), these reductions when wet DGS is co-produced decrease to 7% or 29% when FNG or RNG is used as the process fuel. Sweet sorghum-based ethanol can reduce GHG emissions by 71% or 72% without or with use of co-produced vinasse as farm fertilizer, respectively, in ethanol plants using only sugar juice to produce ethanol. If both sugar and cellulosic bagasse were used in the future for ethanol production, an ethanol plant with a combined heat and power (CHP) system that supplies all process energy can achieve a GHG emission reduction of 70% or 72%, respectively, without or with vinasse fertigation. Forage sorghum-based ethanol can achieve a 49% WTW GHG emission reduction when ethanol plants meet process energy demands with CHP. In the case of forage sorghum and an integrated sweet sorghum pathway, the use of a portion of feedstock to fuel CHP systems significantly reduces fossil fuel consumption and GHG emissions. Conclusions This study provides new insight into life-cycle energy use and GHG emissions of multiple sorghum-based ethanol production pathways in the US. Our results show that adding sorghum feedstocks to the existing options for ethanol production could help in meeting the requirements for volumes of renewable, advanced and cellulosic bioethanol production in the US required by the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard program. PMID:24088388

Managing aging effects on dry cask storage systems for extended long-term storage and transportation of used fuel - rev. 0

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

Chopra, O.K.; Diercks, D.; Fabian, R.

The cancellation of the Yucca Mountain repository program in the United States raises the prospect of extended long-term storage (i.e., >120 years) and deferred transportation of used fuel at operating and decommissioned nuclear power plant sites. Under U.S. federal regulations contained in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 72.42, the initial license term for an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) must not exceed 40 years from the date of issuance. Licenses may be renewed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at the expiration of the license term upon application by the licensee for a periodmore » not to exceed 40 years. Application for ISFSI license renewals must include the following: (1) Time-limited aging analyses (TLAAs) that demonstrate that structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important to safety will continue to perform their intended function for the requested period of extended operation; and (2) a description of the aging management program (AMP) for management of issues associated with aging that could adversely affect SSCs important to safety. In addition, the application must also include design bases information as documented in the most recent updated final safety analysis report as required by 10 CFR 72.70. Information contained in previous applications, statements, or reports filed with the Commission under the license may be incorporated by reference provided that those references are clear and specific. The NRC has recently issued the Standard Review Plan (SRP) for renewal of used-fuel dry cask storage system (DCSS) licenses and Certificates of Compliance (CoCs), NUREG-1927, under which NRC may renew a specific license or a CoC for a term not to exceed 40 years. Both the license and the CoC renewal applications must contain revised technical requirements and operating conditions (fuel storage, surveillance and maintenance, and other requirements) for the ISFSI and DCSS that address aging effects that could affect the safe storage of the used fuel. The information contained in the license and CoC renewal applications will require NRC review to verify that the aging effects on the SSCs in DCSSs/ ISFSIs are adequately managed for the period of extended operation. To date, all of the ISFSIs located across the United States with more than 1,500 dry casks loaded with used fuel have initial license terms of 20 years; three ISFSIs (Surry, H.B. Robinson and Oconee) have received their renewed licenses for 20 years, and two other ISFSIs (Calvert Cliffs and Prairie Island) have applied for license renewal for 40 years. This report examines issues related to managing aging effects on the SSCs in DCSSs/ISFSIs for extended long-term storage and transportation of used fuels, following an approach similar to that of the Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) report, NUREG-1801, for the aging management and license renewal of nuclear power plants. The report contains five chapters and an appendix on quality assurance for aging management programs for used-fuel dry storage systems. Chapter I of the report provides an overview of the ISFSI license renewal process based on 10 CFR 72 and the guidance provided in NUREG-1927. Chapter II contains definitions and terms for structures and components in DCSSs, materials, environments, aging effects, and aging mechanisms. Chapter III and Chapter IV contain generic TLAAs and AMPs, respectively, that have been developed for managing aging effects on the SSCs important to safety in the dry cask storage system designs described in Chapter V. The summary descriptions and tabulations of evaluations of AMPs and TLAAs for the SSCs that are important to safety in Chapter V include DCSS designs (i.e., NUHOMS{reg_sign}, HI-STORM 100, Transnuclear (TN) metal cask, NAC International S/T storage cask, ventilated storage cask (VSC-24), and the Westinghouse MC-10 metal dry storage cask) that have been and continue to be used by utilities across the country for dry storage of used fuel to date. The goal of this report is to help establish the technical basis for extended long-term storage and transportation of used fuel.« less

Technical/commercial feasibility study of the production of fuel-grade ethanol from corn: 100-million-gallon-per-year production facility in Myrtle Grove, Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1982-05-01

The technical and economic feasibility of producing motor fuel alcohol from corn in a 100 million gallon per year plant to be constructed in Myrtle Grove, Louisiana is evaluated. The evaluation includes a detailed process design using proven technology, a capital cost estimate for the plant, a detailed analysis of the annual operating cost, a market study, a socioeconomic, environmental, health and safety analysis, and a complete financial analysis. Several other considerations for production of ethanol were evaluated including: cogeneration and fuel to be used in firing the boilers; single by-products vs. multiple by-products; and use of boiler flue gas for by-product drying.

Hayman Fire Case Study

Treesearch

Russell T. Graham

2003-01-01

In 2002 much of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado was rich in dry vegetation as a result of fire exclusion and the droughty conditions that prevailed in recent years. These dry and heavy fuel loadings were continuous along the South Platte River corridor located between Denver and Colorado Springs on the Front Range. These topographic and fuel...

Safeguards-by-Design: Guidance for Independent Spent Fuel Dry Storage Installations (ISFSI)

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

Trond Bjornard; Philip C. Durst

2012-05-01

This document summarizes the requirements and best practices for implementing international nuclear safeguards at independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs), also known as Away-from- Reactor (AFR) storage facilities. These installations may provide wet or dry storage of spent fuel, although the safeguards guidance herein focuses on dry storage facilities. In principle, the safeguards guidance applies to both wet and dry storage. The reason for focusing on dry independent spent fuel storage installations is that this is one of the fastest growing nuclear installations worldwide. Independent spent fuel storage installations are typically outside of the safeguards nuclear material balance area (MBA)more » of the reactor. They may be located on the reactor site, but are generally considered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the State Regulator/SSAC to be a separate facility. The need for this guidance is becoming increasingly urgent as more and more nuclear power plants move their spent fuel from resident spent fuel ponds to independent spent fuel storage installations. The safeguards requirements and best practices described herein are also relevant to the design and construction of regional independent spent fuel storage installations that nuclear power plant operators are starting to consider in the absence of a national long-term geological spent fuel repository. The following document has been prepared in support of two of the three foundational pillars for implementing Safeguards-by-Design (SBD). These are: i) defining the relevant safeguards requirements, and ii) defining the best practices for meeting the requirements. This document was prepared with the design of the latest independent dry spent fuel storage installations in mind and was prepared specifically as an aid for designers of commercial nuclear facilities to help them understand the relevant international requirements that follow from a country’s safeguards agreement with the IAEA. If these requirements are understood at the earliest stages of facility design, it will help eliminate the costly retrofit of facilities that has occurred in the past to accommodate nuclear safeguards, and will help the IAEA implement nuclear safeguards worldwide, especially in countries building their first nuclear facilities. It is also hoped that this guidance document will promote discussion between the IAEA, State Regulator/SSAC, Project Design Team, and Facility Owner/Operator at an early stage to ensure that new ISFSIs will be effectively and efficiently safeguarded. This is intended to be a living document, since the international nuclear safeguards requirements may be subject to revision over time. More importantly, the practices by which the requirements are met are continuously modernized by the IAEA and facility operators for greater efficiency and cost effectiveness. As these improvements are made, it is recommended that the subject guidance document be updated and revised accordingly.« less

Analysis of gamma ray dose for dried up pond storing low enriched UO2 fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nauchi, Yasushi; Suzuki, Motomu

2017-09-01

Gamma ray dose is calculated for loss of coolant accident in spent fuel pond (SFP) storing irradiated fuels used in light water reactors. Influence of modelling of fuel assemblies, source distributions, and loading fraction of fuel assemblies in the fuel rack on the dose are investigated.

USE OF COAL DRYING TO REDUCE WATER CONSUMED IN PULVERIZED COAL POWER PLANTS

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

Edward K. Levy; Nenad Sarunac; Harun Bilirgen

2006-03-01

U.S. low rank coals contain relatively large amounts of moisture, with the moisture content of subbituminous coals typically ranging from 15 to 30 percent and that for lignites from 25 and 40 percent. High fuel moisture has several adverse impacts on the operation of a pulverized coal generating unit, for it can result in fuel handling problems and it affects heat rate, stack emissions and maintenance costs. Theoretical analyses and coal test burns performed at a lignite fired power plant show that by reducing the fuel moisture, it is possible to improve boiler performance and unit heat rate, reduce emissionsmore » and reduce water consumption by the evaporative cooling tower. The economic viability of the approach and the actual impact of the drying system on water consumption, unit heat rate and stack emissions will depend critically on the design and operating conditions of the drying system. The present project evaluated the low temperature drying of high moisture coals using power plant waste heat to provide the energy required for drying. Coal drying studies were performed in a laboratory scale fluidized bed dryer to gather data and develop models on drying kinetics. In addition, analyses were carried out to determine the relative costs and performance impacts (in terms of heat rate, cooling tower water consumption and emissions) of drying along with the development of optimized drying system designs and recommended operating conditions.« less

Comparison of standard moisture loss-on-drying methods for the determination of moisture content of corn distillers dried grains with solubles.

PubMed

Ileleji, Klein E; Garcia, Arnoldo A; Kingsly, Ambrose R P; Clementson, Clairmont L

2010-01-01

This study quantified the variability among 14 standard moisture loss-on-drying (gravimetric) methods for determination of the moisture content of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The methods were compared with the Karl Fischer (KF) titration method to determine their percent variation from the KF method. Additionally, the thermo-balance method using a halogen moisture analyzer that is routinely used in fuel ethanol plants was included in the methods investigated. Moisture contents by the loss-on-drying methods were significantly different for DDGS samples from three fuel ethanol plants. The percent deviation of the moisture loss-on-drying methods decreased with decrease in drying temperature and, to a lesser extent, drying time. This was attributed to an overestimation of moisture content in DDGS due to the release of volatiles at high temperatures. Our findings indicate that the various methods that have been used for moisture determination by moisture loss-on-drying will not give identical results and therefore, caution should be exercised when selecting a moisture loss-on-drying method for DDGS.

Pt-Ni and Pt-Co Catalyst Synthesis Route for Fuel Cell Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Firdosy, Samad A.; Ravi, Vilupanur A.; Valdez, Thomas I.; Kisor, Adam; Narayan, Sri R.

2013-01-01

Oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) at the cathode are the rate-limiting step in fuel cell performance. The ORR is 100 times slower than the corresponding hydrogen oxidation at the anode. Speeding up the reaction at the cathode will improve fuel cell efficiency. The cathode material is generally Pt powder painted onto a substrate (e.g., graphite paper). Recent efforts in the fuel cell area have focused on replacing Pt with Pt-X alloys (where X = Co, Ni, Zr, etc.) in order to (a) reduce cost, and (b) increase ORR rates. One of these strategies is to increase ORR rates by reducing the powder size, which would result in an increase in the surface area, thereby facilitating faster reaction rates. In this work, a process has been developed that creates Pt-Ni or Pt-Co alloys that are finely divided (on the nano scale) and provide equivalent performance at lower Pt loadings. Lower Pt loadings will translate to lower cost. Precursor salts of the metals are dissolved in water and mixed. Next, the salt mixtures are dried on a hot plate. Finally, the dried salt mixture is heattreated in a furnace under flowing reducing gas. The catalyst powder is then used to fabricate a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for electrochemical performance testing. The Pt- Co catalyst-based MEA showed comparable performance to an MEA fabri cated using a standard Pt black fuel cell catalyst. The main objective of this program has been to increase the overall efficiencies of fuel cell systems to support power for manned lunar bases. This work may also have an impact on terrestrial programs, possibly to support the effort to develop a carbon-free energy source. This catalyst can be used to fabricate high-efficiency fuel cell units that can be used in space as regenerative fuel cell systems, and terrestrially as primary fuel cells. Terrestrially, this technology will become increasingly important when transition to a hydrogen economy occurs.

Efficiency gain of solid oxide fuel cell systems by using anode offgas recycle - Results for a small scale propane driven unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dietrich, Ralph-Uwe; Oelze, Jana; Lindermeir, Andreas; Spitta, Christian; Steffen, Michael; Küster, Torben; Chen, Shaofei; Schlitzberger, Christian; Leithner, Reinhard

The transfer of high electrical efficiencies of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) into praxis requires appropriate system concepts. One option is the anode-offgas recycling (AOGR) approach, which is based on the integration of waste heat using the principle of a chemical heat pump. The AOGR concept allows a combined steam- and dry-reforming of hydrocarbon fuel using the fuel cell products steam and carbon dioxide. SOFC fuel gas of higher quantity and quality results. In combination with internal reuse of waste heat the system efficiency increases compared to the usual path of partial oxidation (POX). The demonstration of the AOGR concept with a 300 Wel-SOFC stack running on propane required: a combined reformer/burner-reactor operating in POX (start-up) and AOGR modus; a hotgas-injector for anode-offgas recycling to the reformer; a dynamic process model; a multi-variable process controller; full system operation for experimental proof of the efficiency gain. Experimental results proof an efficiency gain of 18 percentage points (η·POX = 23%, η·AOGR = 41%) under idealized lab conditions. Nevertheless, further improvements of injector performance, stack fuel utilization and additional reduction of reformer reformer O/C ratio and system pressure drop are required to bring this approach into self-sustaining operation.

Dry halide method for separating the components of spent nuclear fuels

DOEpatents

Christian, Jerry Dale; Thomas, Thomas Russell; Kessinger, Glen F.

1998-01-01

The invention is a nonaqueous, single method for processing multiple spent nuclear fuel types by separating the fission- and transuranic products from the nonradioactive and fissile uranium product. The invention has four major operations: exposing the spent fuels to chlorine gas at temperatures preferably greater than 1200.degree. C. to form volatile metal chlorides; removal of the fission product chlorides, transuranic product chlorides, and any nickel chloride and chromium chloride in a molten salt scrubber at approximately 400.degree. C.; fractional condensation of the remaining volatile chlorides at temperatures ranging from 164.degree. C. to 2.degree. C.; and regeneration and recovery of the transferred spent molten salt by vacuum distillation. The residual fission products, transuranic products, and nickel- and chromium chlorides are converted to fluorides or oxides for vitrification. The method offers the significant advantages of a single, compact process that is applicable to most of the diverse nuclear fuels, minimizes secondary wastes, segregates fissile uranium from the high level wastes to resolve potential criticality concerns, segregates nonradioactive wastes from the high level wastes for volume reduction, and produces a common waste form glass or glass-ceramic.

Dry halide method for separating the components of spent nuclear fuels

DOEpatents

Christian, J.D.; Thomas, T.R.; Kessinger, G.F.

1998-06-30

The invention is a nonaqueous, single method for processing multiple spent nuclear fuel types by separating the fission and transuranic products from the nonradioactive and fissile uranium product. The invention has four major operations: exposing the spent fuels to chlorine gas at temperatures preferably greater than 1200 C to form volatile metal chlorides; removal of the fission product chlorides, transuranic product chlorides, and any nickel chloride and chromium chloride in a molten salt scrubber at approximately 400 C; fractional condensation of the remaining volatile chlorides at temperatures ranging from 164 to 2 C; and regeneration and recovery of the transferred spent molten salt by vacuum distillation. The residual fission products, transuranic products, and nickel- and chromium chlorides are converted to fluorides or oxides for vitrification. The method offers the significant advantages of a single, compact process that is applicable to most of the diverse nuclear fuels, minimizes secondary wastes, segregates fissile uranium from the high level wastes to resolve potential criticality concerns, segregates nonradioactive wastes from the high level wastes for volume reduction, and produces a common waste form glass or glass-ceramic. 3 figs.

Survey of US fuel ethanol plants.

PubMed

Saunders, J A; Rosentrater, K A

2009-07-01

The ethanol industry is growing in response to increased consumer demands for fuel as well as the renewable fuel standard. Corn ethanol processing creates the following products: 1/3 ethanol, 1/3 distillers grains, and 1/3 carbon dioxide. As the production of ethanol increases so does the generation of its coproducts, and viable uses continually need to be developed. A survey was mailed to operational US ethanol plants to determine current practices. It inquired about processes, equipment used, end products, and desired future directions for coproducts. Results indicated that approximately one-third of plant managers surveyed expressed a willingness to alter current drying time and temperature if it could result in a higher quality coproduct. Other managers indicated hesitation, based on lack of economic incentives, potential cost and return, and capital required. Respondents also reported the desire to use their coproducts in some of the following products: fuels, extrusion, pellets, plastics, and human food applications. These results provide a snapshot of the industry, and indicate that operational changes to the current production of DDGS must be based upon the potential for positive economic returns.

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

O'Neil, D.J.; Colcord, A.R.; Bery, M.K.

The objective of this project is to design, fabricate, and operate a fermentation facility which will demonstrate on a pilot-scale level (3 oven-dry tons (ODT) per day of feedstock) the economic and technical feasibility of producing anhydrous ethyl alcohol from lignocellulosic biomass residues (wood, corn stover, and wheat straw principally). The resultant process development unit (PDU) will be flexibly designed so as to evaluate current and projected unit operations, materials of construction, chemical and enzymatic systems which offer the potential of significant technological and economic breakthroughs in alcohol production from biomass. The principal focus of the project is to generatemore » fuels from biomass. As such, in addition to alcohol which can be used as a transportation fuel, by-products are to be directed where possible to fuel applications. The project consists of two parts: (1) conceptual design, and (2) detailed engineering design. The first quarter's activities have focused on a critical review of several aspects of the conceptual design of the 3 ODT/day PDU, viz.: (1) biomass cost, availability, and characterization; (2) pretreatment processes for lignocellulosic residues; (3) hydrolytic processes (enzymatic and acidic); (4) fermentation processes; (5) alcohol recovery systems; (6) by-product streams utilization; and (7) process economics.« less

A study on the dewatering of industrial waste sludge by fry-drying technology.

PubMed

Ohm, Tae-In; Chae, Jong-Seong; Kim, Jeong-Eun; Kim, Hee-Kyum; Moon, Seung-Hyun

2009-08-30

In sludge treatment, drying sludge using typical technology with high water content to a water content of approximately 10% is always difficult because of adhesive characteristics of sludge. Many methods have been applied, including direct and indirect heat drying, but these approaches of reducing water content to below 40% after drying is very inefficient in energy utilization of drying sludge. In this study, fry-drying technology with a high heat transfer coefficient of approximately 500 W/m(2) degrees C was used to dry industrial wastewater sludge. Also waste oil was used in the fry-drying process, and because the oil's boiling point is between 240 and 340 degrees C and the specific heat is approximately 60% of that of water. In the fry-drying system, the sludge is input by molding it into a designated form after heating the waste oil at temperatures between 120 and 170 degrees C. At these temperatures, the heated oil rapidly evaporates the water contained in the sludge, leaving the oil itself. After approximately 10 min, the water content of the sludge was less than 10%, and its heating value surpassed 5300 kcal/kg. Indeed, this makes the organic sludge appropriate for use as a solid fuel. The wastewater sludge used in this study was the designated waste discharged from chemical, leather and plating plants. These samples varied in characteristics, especially with regard to heavy metal concentration. After drying the three kinds of wastewater sludge at oil temperatures 160 degrees C for 10 min, it was found that the water content in the sludge from the chemical, leather, and plating plants reduced from 80.0 to 5.5%, 81.6 to 1.0%, and 65.4 to 0.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the heat values of the sludge from the chemical, leather, and plating plants prior to fry-drying were 217, 264, and 428 kcal/kg, respectively. After drying, these values of sludge increased to 5317, 5983 and 6031 kcal/kg, respectively. The heavy metals detected in the sludge after drying were aluminum, lead, zinc, mercury, and cadmium. Most importantly, if the dried sludge is used as a solid fuel, these heavy metals can be collected from the dust collector after combustion.

A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain; Mike A. Battaglia; Han-Sup Han; Russell T. Graham; Christopher R. Keyes; Jeremy S. Fried; Jonathan E. Sandquist

2012-01-01

This guide describes the benefits, opportunities, and trade-offs concerning fuel treatments in the dry mixed conifer forests of northern California and the Klamath Mountains, Pacific Northwest Interior, northern and central Rocky Mountains, and Utah. Multiple interacting disturbances and diverse physical settings have created a forest mosaic with historically low- to...

Survey of mycotoxins in corn distillers’ dried grains with solubles from seventy-eight ethanol plants in twelve states the U.S. in 2011

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fuel ethanol co-products known as distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are a significant source of energy, protein, and phosphorous in animal feed. Fuel ethanol production may concentrate mycotoxins present in corn into DDGS. One hundred and forty one corn DDGS lots collected in 2011 from 7...

Feasibility Study For Use Of Commercial Cask Vendor Dry Transfer Systems To Unload Used Fuel Assemblies In L-Area

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

Krementz, Dan; Rose, David; Dunsmuir, Mike

2014-02-06

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a commercial dry transfer system (DTS) could be used for loading or unloading used nuclear fuel (UNF) in L-Basin and to determine if a DTS pool adapter could be made for L-Basin Transfer Pit #2 that could accommodate a variety of DTS casks and fuel baskets or canisters up to 24” diameter.[1, 2] This study outlines the technical feasibility of accommodating different vendor dry transfer systems in the L-Basin Transfer Bay with a general work scope. It identifies equipment needing development, facility modifications, and describes the needed analyses and calculations. Aftermore » reviewing the L-Basin Transfer Bay area layout and information on the only DTS system currently in use for the Nuclear Assurance Corporation Legal Weight Truck cask (NAC LWT), the authors conclude that use of a dry transfer cask is feasible. AREVA was contacted and acknowledged that they currently do not have a design for a dry transfer cask for their new Transnuclear Long Cask (TN-LC) cask. Nonetheless, this study accounted for a potential future DTS from AREVA to handle fuel baskets up to 18” in diameter. Due to the layout of the Transfer Bay, it was determined that a DTS cask pool adapter designed specifically for spanning Pit #2 and placed just north of the 70 Ton Cask lid lifting superstructure would be needed. The proposed pool adapter could be used to transition a fuel basket up to 24” in diameter and ~11 feet long from a dry transfer cask to the basin. The 18” and 24” applications of the pool adapter are pending vendor development of dry transfer casks that accommodate these diameters. Once a fuel basket has been lowered into Pit #2 through a pool adapter, a basket cart could be used to move the basket out from under the pool adapter for access by the 5 Ton Crane. The cost to install a dry transfer cask handling system in L-Area capable of handling multiple vendor provided transport and dry transfer casks and baskets with different diameters and lengths would likely be on the same order of magnitude as the Basin Modifications project. The cost of a DTS capability is affected by the number of design variations of different vendor transport and dry transfer casks to be considered for design input. Some costs would be incurred for each vendor DTS to be handled. For example, separate analyses would be needed for each dry transfer cask type such as criticality, shielding, dropping a dry transfer cask and basket, handling and auxiliary equipment, procedures, operator training, readiness assessments, and operational readiness reviews. A DTS handling capability in L-Area could serve as a backup to the Shielded Transfer System (STS) for unloading long casks and could support potential future missions such as the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Exchange or transferring UNF from wet to dry storage.« less

Greenhouse Gas emissions from California Geothermal Power Plants

DOE Data Explorer

Sullivan, John

2014-03-14

The information given in this file represents GHG emissions and corresponding emission rates for California flash and dry steam geothermal power plants. This stage of the life cycle is the fuel use component of the fuel cycle and arises during plant operation. Despite that no fossil fuels are being consumed during operation of these plants, GHG emissions nevertheless arise from GHGs present in the geofluids and dry steam that get released to the atmosphere upon passing through the system. Data for the years of 2008 to 2012 are analyzed.

Electricity generation from macroalgae Enteromorpha prolifera hydrolysates using an alkaline fuel cell.

PubMed

Liu, Susu; Liu, Xianhua; Wang, Ying; Zhang, Pingping

2016-12-01

The goal of this work was to develop a method for the direct power generation using macroalgae Enteromorpha prolifera. The process conditions for the saccharification of macroalgae were optimized and a type of alkaline fuel cell contained no precious metal catalysts was developed. Under optimum conditions (170°C and 2% hydrochloric acid for 45min), dilute acid hydrolysis of the homogenized plants yielded 272.25g reducing sugar/kg dry algal biomass. The maximum power density reached 3.81W/m 2 under the condition of 3M KOH and 18.15g/L reducing sugar in hydrolysate, higher than any other reported algae-fed fuel cells. This study represents the first report on direct electricity generation from macroalgae using alkaline fuel cells, suggesting that there is great potential for the production of renewable energy using marine biomass. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional fuel load modeled for two contrasting years in central and southern Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hely, C.; Dowty, P. R.; Alleaume, S.; Caylor, K. K.; Shugart, H. H.

2001-12-01

Fuel load has been modeled for southern hemisphere Africa for the 1991-92 and 1999-2000 growing seasons. The 1991-92 year was generally dry due to a strong El Nino event in contrast to the particularly wet year of 1999-2000. The method integrates site-level process modeling with 15 day AVHRR NDVI data. The site model was used to simulate landscape light-use efficiency (LUE) at a series of sites in the Kalahari region ranging from evergreen woodland to arid shrubland. This site-level LUE is extrapolated over the southern African region with gridded tree cover data and gridded rainfall. The predicted net primary production (NPP) is allocated into the different fuel types (grass, litter, twigs) using empirical based relationships. The model results are compared with field measurements of fuel load at a number of sites. The results will be used for modeling of biomass burning emissions.

Biogas utilization

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

Moser, M.A.

1996-01-01

Options for successfully using biogas depend on project scale. Almost all biogas from anaerobic digesters must first go through a gas handling system that pressurizes, meters, and filters the biogas. Additional treatment, including hydrogen sulfide-mercaptan scrubbing, gas drying, and carbon dioxide removal may be necessary for specialized uses, but these are complex and expensive processes. Thus, they can be justified only for large-scale projects that require high-quality biogas. Small-scale projects (less than 65 cfm) generally use biogas (as produced) as a boiler fuel or for fueling internal combustion engine-generators to produce electricity. If engines or boilers are selected properly, theremore » should be no need to remove hydrogen sulfide. Small-scale combustion turbines, steam turbines, and fuel cells are not used because of their technical complexity and high capital cost. Biogas cleanup to pipeline or transportation fuel specifications is very costly, and energy economics preclude this level of treatment.« less

BWR Spent Nuclear Fuel Integrity Research and Development Survey for UKABWR Spent Fuel Interim Storage

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

Bevard, Bruce Balkcom; Mertyurek, Ugur; Belles, Randy

The objective of this report is to identify issues and support documentation and identify and detail existing research on spent fuel dry storage; provide information to support potential R&D for the UKABWR (United Kingdom Advanced Boiling Water Reactor) Spent Fuel Interim Storage (SFIS) Pre-Construction Safety Report; and support development of answers to questions developed by the regulator. Where there are gaps or insufficient data, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has summarized the research planned to provide the necessary data along with the schedule for the research, if known. Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear power plants has historically been storedmore » on site (wet) in spent fuel pools pending ultimate disposition. Nuclear power users (countries, utilities, vendors) are developing a suite of options and set of supporting analyses that will enable future informed choices about how best to manage these materials. As part of that effort, they are beginning to lay the groundwork for implementing longer-term interim storage of the SNF and the Greater Than Class C (CTCC) waste (dry). Deploying dry storage will require a number of technical issues to be addressed. For the past 4-5 years, ORNL has been supporting the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in identifying these key technical issues, managing the collection of data to be used in issue resolution, and identifying gaps in the needed data. During this effort, ORNL subject matter experts (SMEs) have become expert in understanding what information is publicly available and what gaps in data remain. To ensure the safety of the spent fuel under normal and frequent conditions of wet and subsequent dry storage, intact fuel must be shown to: 1.Maintain fuel cladding integrity; 2.Maintain its geometry for cooling, shielding, and subcriticality; 3.Maintain retrievability, and damaged fuel with pinhole or hairline cracks must be shown not to degrade further. Where PWR (pressurized water reactor) information is utilized or referenced, justification has been provided as to why the data can be utilized for BWR fuel.« less

EPRI/DOE High-Burnup Fuel Sister Rod Test Plan Simplification and Visualization

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

Saltzstein, Sylvia J.; Sorenson, Ken B.; Hanson, B. D.

The EPRI/DOE High-Burnup Confirmatory Data Project (herein called the “Demo”) is a multi-year, multi-entity test with the purpose of providing quantitative and qualitative data to show if high-burnup fuel mechanical properties change in dry storage over a ten-year period. The Demo involves obtaining 32 assemblies of high-burnup PWR fuel of common cladding alloys from the North Anna Nuclear Power Plant, loading them in an NRC-licensed TN-32B cask, drying them according to standard plant procedures, and then storing them on the North Anna dry storage pad for ten years. After the ten-year storage time, the cask will be opened and themore » mechanical properties of the rods will be tested and analyzed.« less

Smoke emissions due to burning of green waste in the Mediterranean area: Influence of fuel moisture content and fuel mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tihay-Felicelli, V.; Santoni, P. A.; Gerandi, G.; Barboni, T.

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate emission characteristics in relation to differences in fuel moisture content (FMC) and initial dry mass. For this purpose, branches and twigs with leaves of Cistus monspeliensis were burned in a Large Scale Heat Release apparatus coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer. A smoke analysis was conducted and the results highlighted the presence of CO2, H2O, CO, CH4, NO, NO2, NH3, SO2, and non-methane organic compounds (NMOC). CO2, NO, and NO2 species are mainly released during flaming combustion, whereas CO, CH4, NH3, and NMOC are emitted during both flaming and smoldering combustion. The emission of these compounds during flaming combustion is due to a rich fuel to air mixture, leading to incomplete combustion. The fuel moisture content and initial dry mass influence the flame residence time, the duration of smoldering combustion, the combustion efficiency, and the emission factors. By increasing the initial dry mass, the emission factors of NO, NO2, and CO2 decrease, whereas those of CO and CH4 increase. The increase of FMC induces an increase of the emission factors of CO, CH4, NH3, NMOC, and aerosols, and a decrease of those of CO2, NO, and NO2. Increasing fuel moisture content reduces fuel consumption, duration of smoldering, and peak heat release rate, but simultaneously increases the duration of propagation within the packed bed, and the flame residence time. Increasing the initial dry mass, causes all the previous combustion parameters to increase. These findings have implications for modeling biomass burning emissions and impacts.

Compton Dry-Cask Imaging System

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

The Compton-Dry Cask Imaging Scanner is a system that verifies and documents the presence of spent nuclear fuel rods in dry-cask storage and determines their isotopic composition without moving or opening the cask. For more information about this project, visit http://www.inl.gov/rd100/2011/compton-dry-cask-imaging-system/

Investigation into solar drying of potato: effect of sample geometry on drying kinetics and CO2 emissions mitigation.

PubMed

Tripathy, P P

2015-03-01

Drying experiments have been performed with potato cylinders and slices using a laboratory scale designed natural convection mixed-mode solar dryer. The drying data were fitted to eight different mathematical models to predict the drying kinetics, and the validity of these models were evaluated statistically through coefficient of determination (R(2)), root mean square error (RMSE) and reduced chi-square (χ (2)). The present investigation showed that amongst all the mathematical models studied, the Modified Page model was in good agreement with the experimental drying data for both potato cylinders and slices. A mathematical framework has been proposed to estimate the performance of the food dryer in terms of net CO2 emissions mitigation potential along with unit cost of CO2 mitigation arising because of replacement of different fossil fuels by renewable solar energy. For each fossil fuel replaced, the gross annual amount of CO2 as well as net amount of annual CO2 emissions mitigation potential considering CO2 emissions embodied in the manufacture of mixed-mode solar dryer has been estimated. The CO2 mitigation potential and amount of fossil fuels saved while drying potato samples were found to be the maximum for coal followed by light diesel oil and natural gas. It was inferred from the present study that by the year 2020, 23 % of CO2 emissions can be mitigated by the use of mixed-mode solar dryer for drying of agricultural products.

Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels Conversion Pathway: Fast Pyrolysis and Hydrotreating Bio-Oil Pathway "The 2017 Design Case"

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

Kevin L. Kenney; Kara G. Cafferty; Jacob J. Jacobson

The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of liquid fuels from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass sustainable supply, logistics, conversion, and overall system sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. Between 2000 and 2012, INL quantified and the economics and sustainability of moving biomass from the field or stand to the throat of the conversion process using conventional equipment and processes. All previous work to 2012 was designed to improve themore » efficiency and decrease costs under conventional supply systems. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a biomass logistics cost of $55/dry Ton for woody biomass delivered to fast pyrolysis conversion facility. The goal was achieved by applying field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL’s biomass logistics model.« less

Vitrification of radioactive high-level waste by spray calcination and in-can melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, M. S.; Bjorklund, W. J.

1980-07-01

After several nonradioactive test runs, radioactive waste from the processing of 1.5 t of spent, light water reactor fuel was successfully concentrated, dried and converted to a vitreous product. A total of 97 L of waste glass (in two stainless steel canisters) was produced. The spray calcination process coupled to the in-can melting process, as developed at Pacific Northwest Labortory, was used to vitrify the waste. An effluent system consisting of a variety of condensation of scrubbing steps more than adequately decontaminated the process off gas before it was released to the atmosphere.

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...

Multiple-Angle Muon Radiography of a Dry Storage Cask

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

Durham, J. Matthew; Guardincerri, Elena; Morris, Christopher

A partially loaded dry storage cask was imaged using cosmic ray muons. Since the cask is large relative to the size of the muon tracking detectors, the instruments were placed at nine different positions around the cask to record data covering the entire fuel basket. We show that this technique can detect the removal of a single fuel assembly from the center of the cask.

A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Prescribed fire

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain; Mike A. Battaglia; Han-Sup Han; Russell T. Graham; Christopher R. Keyes; Jeremy S. Fried; Jonathan E. Sandquist

2014-01-01

Fire has had a profound historical role in shaping dry mixed conifer forests in the western United States. However, the uncertainty and complexity of prescribed fires raises the question “Is fire always the best option for treating fuels?” The decision to use prescribed fire is dependent upon several factors.

Large-scale, dynamic transformations in fuel moisture drive wildfire activity across southeastern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolan, R. H.; Boer, M. M.; Resco de Dios, V.; Caccamo, G.; Bradstock, R. A.

2016-05-01

The occurrence of large, high-intensity wildfires requires plant biomass, or fuel, that is sufficiently dry to burn. This poses the question, what is "sufficiently dry"? Until recently, the ability to address this question has been constrained by the spatiotemporal scale of available methods to monitor the moisture contents of both dead and live fuels. Here we take advantage of recent developments in macroscale monitoring of fuel moisture through a combination of remote sensing and climatic modeling. We show there are clear thresholds of fuel moisture content associated with the occurrence of wildfires in forests and woodlands. Furthermore, we show that transformations in fuel moisture conditions across these thresholds can occur rapidly, within a month. Both the approach presented here, and our findings, can be immediately applied and may greatly improve fire risk assessments in forests and woodlands globally.

Method of preparing thin porous sheets of ceramic material

DOEpatents

Swarr, Thomas E.; Nickols, Richard C.; Krasij, Myron

1987-03-24

A method of forming thin porous sheets of ceramic material for use as electrodes or other components in a molten carbonate fuel cell is disclosed. The method involves spray drying a slurry of fine ceramic particles in liquid carrier to produce generally spherical agglomerates of high porosity and a rough surface texture. The ceramic particles may include the electrode catalyst and the agglomerates can be calcined to improve mechanical strength. After slurrying with suitable volatile material and binder tape casting is used to form sheets that are sufficiently strong for further processing and handling in the assembly of a high temperature fuel cell.

Method of preparing thin porous sheets of ceramic material

DOEpatents

Swarr, T.E.; Nickols, R.C.; Krasij, M.

1984-05-23

A method of forming thin porous sheets of ceramic material for use as electrodes or other components in a molten carbonate fuel cell is disclosed. The method involves spray drying a slurry of fine ceramic particles in liquid carrier to produce generally spherical agglomerates of high porosity and a rough surface texture. The ceramic particles may include the electrode catalyst and the agglomerates can be calcined to improve mechanical strength. After slurrying with suitable volatile material and binder tape casting is used to form sheets that are sufficiently strong for further processing and handling in the assembly of a high temperature fuel cell.

A feasibility study of hydrothermal treatment of rice straw for multi-production of solid fuel and liquid fertilizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samnang, S.; Prawisudha, P.; Pasek, A. D.

2017-05-01

Energy use has increased steadily over the last century due to population and industry increase. With the growing of GHG, biomass becomes an essential contributor to the world energy need. Indonesia is the third rice producer in the world. Rice straw has been converted to solid fuel by Hydrothermal Treatment (HT) for electricity generation. HT is a boiling solid organic or inorganic substance in water at high pressure and temperature within a holding time. HT converts high moisture content biomass into dried, uniform, pulverized, and higher energy density solid fuels. HT can effectively transport nutrient components in biomass into a liquid product known as fertilizer. This paper deals with an evaluation of hydrothermal treatment of rice straw for solid fuel and liquid fertilizer. An investigation of rice straw characteristics were completed for Bandung rice straw with various condition of temperature, biomass-water ratio, and holding time in the purpose to find the changes of calorific value for solid product and (N, P, K, and pH) for liquid product. The results showed that solid product at 225 °C and 90 min consists in a heating value 13.8 MJ/kg equal to lignite B. Liquid product at 225 °C and 90 min had the NPK content similar to that of micronutrients compound liquid fertilizer. The dried solid product should be useful for Coal Fire Power Plant, and the liquid product is suitable for plants. This research proves that hydrothermal process can be applied to rice straw to produce solid fuel and liquid fertilizer with adequate quality.

Development and testing of dry chemicals in advanced extinguishing systems for jet engine nacelle fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Altman, R. L.; Ling, A. C. (Editor); Mayer, L. A.; Myronik, D. J.

1979-01-01

The effectiveness of dry chemical in extinguishing and delaying reignition of fires resulting from hydrocarbon fuel leaking onto heated surfaces such as can occur in jet engine nacelles is studied. The commercial fire extinguishant dry chemical tried are sodium and potassium bicarbonate, carbonate, chloride, carbamate (Monnex), metal halogen, and metal hydroxycarbonate compounds. Synthetic and preparative procedures for new materials developed, a new concept of fire control by dry chemical agents, descriptions of experiment assemblages to test dry chemical fire extinguishant efficiencies in controlling fuel fires initiated by hot surfaces, comparative testing data for more than 25 chemical systems in a 'static' assemblage with no air flow across the heated surface, and similar comparative data for more than ten compounds in a dynamic system with air flows up to 350 ft/sec are presented.

Methods to recover value-added coproducts from dry grind processing of grains into fuel ethanol.

PubMed

Liu, Keshun; Barrows, Frederic T

2013-07-31

Three methods are described to fractionate condensed distillers solubles (CDS) into several new coproducts, including a protein-mineral fraction and a glycerol fraction by a chemical method; a protein fraction, an oil fraction and a glycerol-mineral fraction by a physical method; or a protein fraction, an oil fraction, a mineral fraction, and a glycerol fraction by a physicochemical method. Processing factors (ethanol concentration and centrifuge force) were also investigated. Results show that the three methods separated CDS into different fractions, with each fraction enriched with one or more of the five components (protein, oil, ash, glycerol and other carbohydrates) and thus having different targeted end uses. Furthermore, because glycerol, a hygroscopic substance, was mostly shifted to the glycerol or glycerol-mineral fraction, the other fractions had much faster moisture reduction rates than CDS upon drying in a forced air oven at 60 °C. Thus, these methods could effectively solve the dewatering problem of CDS, allowing elimination of the current industrial practice of blending distiller wet grains with CDS for drying together and production of distiller dried grains as a standalone coproduct in addition to a few new fractions.

Phosphoric and electric utility fuel cell technology development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breault, R. D.; Briggs, T. A.; Congdon, J. V.; Gelting, R. L.; Goller, G. J.; Luoma, W. L.; McCloskey, M. W.; Mientek, A. P.; Obrien, J. J.; Randall, S. A.

1985-01-01

A subscale cell containing GSB-18, dry mix catalyst has accumulated over 6500 hours with performance 10 mV above E-line at 120 psia and 400 F. Over 150 thick separator plates were molded for use in cooler assemblies. The full-size 10-ft, 460 cell structural work-up is completed. All repeat components for the next 10-ft short stack are formed and processed.

Mechanical thinning impacts on runoff, infiltration, and sediment yield following fuel reduction treatments in southwestern dry mixed conifer forest

Treesearch

D.S. Cram; T.T. Baker; A.G. Fernald; A. Madrid; B. Rummer

2007-01-01

Increasing densities of small diameter trees have changed ecological processes and negatively impacted conservation of soil and water resources in western forests. Thinning treatments are commonplace to reduce stem density and potential fire hazard. We evaluated the impacts of using a specialized heavy piece of equipment to reduce he1 loads on intermediate and steep...

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; economic uses fact sheet 03: economic impacts of fuel treatments

Treesearch

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2004-01-01

With increased interest in reducing hazardous fuels in dry inland forests of the American West, agencies and the public will want to know the economic impacts of fuel reduction treatments. This fact sheet discusses the economic impact tool, a component of My Fuel Treatment Planner, for evaluating economic impacts.

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; fact sheet: The Fuels Synthesis Project overview

Treesearch

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2004-01-01

The geographic focus of the "Fuels Planning: Science Synthesis and Integration" project #known as the Fuels Synthesis Project# is on the dry forests of the Western United States. Target audiences include fuels management specialists, resource specialists, National Environmental Policy Act #NEPA# planning team leaders, line officers in the USDA Forest Service...

Fuels from Recycling Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tillman, David A.

1975-01-01

Three systems, operating at sufficient scale, produce fuels that may be alternatives to oil and gas. These three recycling systems are: Black Clawson Fiberclaim, Franklin, Ohio; Union Carbide, South Charleston, West Virginia; and Union Electric, St. Louis, Missouri. These produce a wet fuel, a pyrolytic gas, and a dry fuel, respectively. (BT)

Development of composite membranes of PVA-TEOS doped KOH for alkaline membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haryadi, Sugianto, D.; Ristopan, E.

2015-12-01

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an important role in separating fuel and oxygen (or air) in the Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells. Preparation of hybrid organic inorganic materials of Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) - Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) composite membrane doped KOH for direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell application has been investigated. The sol-gel method has been used to prepare the composite membrane of PVA-TEOS through crosslinking step and catalyzed by concentrated of hydrochloric acid. The gel solution was cast on the membrane plastic plate to obtain membrane sheets. The dry membranes were then doped by immersing in various concentrations of KOH solutions for about 4 hours. Investigations of the cross-linking process and the presence of hydroxyl group were conducted by FTIR as shown for frequency at about 1600 cm-1 and 3300 cm-1 respectively. The degree of swelling in ethanol decreased as the KOH concentration for membrane soaking process increased. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was 0.25meq/g. This composite membranes display significant ionic conductivity of 3.23 x 10-2 S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. In addition, the morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the membrane indicates that soaking process of membrane in KOH increased thermal resistant.

Experimental investigation of wood combustion in a fixed bed with hot air.

PubMed

Markovic, Miladin; Bramer, Eddy A; Brem, Gerrit

2014-01-01

Waste combustion on a grate with energy recovery is an important pillar of municipal solid waste (MSW) management in the Netherlands. In MSW incinerators fresh waste stacked on a grate enters the combustion chamber, heats up by radiation from the flame above the layer and ignition occurs. Typically, the reaction zone starts at the top of the waste layer and propagates downwards, producing heat for drying and devolatilization of the fresh waste below it until the ignition front reaches the grate. The control of this process is mainly based on empiricism. MSW is a highly inhomogeneous fuel with continuous fluctuating moisture content, heating value and chemical composition. The resulting process fluctuations may cause process control difficulties, fouling and corrosion issues, extra maintenance, and unplanned stops. In the new concept the fuel layer is ignited by means of preheated air (T>220 °C) from below without any external ignition source. As a result a combustion front will be formed close to the grate and will propagate upwards. That is why this approach is denoted by upward combustion. Experimental research has been carried out in a batch reactor with height of 4.55 m, an inner diameter of 200 mm and a fuel layer height up to 1m. Due to a high quality two-layer insulation adiabatic conditions can be assumed. The primary air can be preheated up to 350 °C, and the secondary air is distributed via nozzles above the waste layer. During the experiments, temperatures along the height of the reactor, gas composition and total weight decrease are continuously monitored. The influence of the primary air speed, fuel moisture and inert content on the combustion characteristics (ignition rate, combustion rate, ignition front speed and temperature of the reaction zone) is evaluated. The upward combustion concept decouples the drying, devolatilization and burnout phase. In this way the moisture and inert content of the waste have almost no influence on the combustion process. In this paper an experimental comparison between conventional and reversed combustion is presented. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical analysis of single and multiple particles of Belchatow lignite dried in superheated steam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakrzewski, Marcin; Sciazko, Anna; Komatsu, Yosuke; Akiyama, Taro; Hashimoto, Akira; Kaneko, Shozo; Kimijima, Shinji; Szmyd, Janusz S.; Kobayashi, Yoshinori

2018-03-01

Low production costs have contributed to the important role of lignite in the energy mixes of numerous countries worldwide. High moisture content, though, diminishes the applicability of lignite in power generation. Superheated steam drying is a prospective method of raising the calorific value of this fuel. This study describes the numerical model of superheated steam drying of lignite from the Belchatow mine in Poland in two aspects: single and multi-particle. The experimental investigation preceded the numerical analysis and provided the necessary data for the preparation and verification of the model. Spheres of 2.5 to 30 mm in diameter were exposed to the drying medium at the temperature range of 110 to 170 °C. The drying kinetics were described in the form of moisture content, drying rate and temperature profile curves against time. Basic coal properties, such as density or specific heat, as well as the mechanisms of heat and mass transfer in the particular stages of the process laid the foundations for the model construction. The model illustrated the drying behavior of a single particle in the entire range of steam temperature as well as the sample diameter. Furthermore, the numerical analyses of coal batches containing particles of various sizes were conducted to reflect the operating conditions of the dryer. They were followed by deliberation on the calorific value improvement achieved by drying, in terms of coal ingredients, power plant efficiency and dryer input composition. The initial period of drying was found crucial for upgrading the quality of coal. The accuracy of the model is capable of further improvement regarding the process parameters.

Pyrolytic product characteristics of biosludge from the wastewater treatment plant of a petrochemical industry.

PubMed

Lin, Kuo-Hsiung; Hsu, Hui-Tsung; Ko, Ya-Wen; Shieh, Zhu-Xin; Chiang, Hung-Lung

2009-11-15

Biosludge was produced from the wastewater treatment plant of a petrochemical industry. The element compositions of pyrolytic residues, CO, CO(2), NOx, SOx, total hydrocarbons and detailed volatile organic compounds of pyrolytic gas, and C, H, N, S content and compositions in biofuel were determined in this study. Generally, 75-80% water content in sludge cakes and about 65-70% weight of water vapor and volatile compounds were volatilized during the drying process. Propene, propane, 1-butene, n-butane, isobutene, toluene and benzene were the major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of the pyrolytic gas, and the concentrations for most of the top 20 VOC species were greater than 5 ppm. C(5)-C(9) compounds contributed 60% by weight of biofuel; 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone was the highest species, accounting for 28-53% of biofuel at various pyrolytic temperatures. Based on the dried residues, there was 8.5-13% weight in pyrolytic residues, 62-82% weight in liquid products (water and crude oil) and 5.8-30% weight in the gas phase after pyrolytic processing at 500-800 degrees C. Finally, 1.5-2.5 wt% liquid fuel was produced after the distillation process. The pyrolytic residues could be reused, the pyrolytic liquid product could be used as a fuel after distillation, and the pyrolytic gas could be recycled in the pyrolytic process to achieve non-toxic discharge and reduce the cost of sludge disposal.

Dry, portable calorimeter for nondestructive measurement of the activity of nuclear fuel

DOEpatents

Beyer, Norman S.; Lewis, Robert N.; Perry, Ronald B.

1976-01-01

The activity of a quantity of heat-producing nuclear fuel is measured rapidly, accurately and nondestructively by a portable dry calorimeter comprising a preheater, an array of temperature-controlled structures comprising a thermally guarded temperature-controlled oven, and a calculation and control unit. The difference between the amounts of electric power required to maintain the oven temperature with and without nuclear fuel in the oven is measured to determine the power produced by radioactive disintegration and hence the activity of the fuel. A portion of the electronic control system is designed to terminate a continuing sequence of measurements when the standard deviation of the variations of the amount of electric power required to maintain oven temperature is within a predetermined value.

Post-fire surface fuel dynamics in California forests across three burn severity classes

Treesearch

Bianca N. I. Eskelson; Vicente J. Monleon

2018-01-01

Forest wildfires consume fuel and are followed by post-fire fuel accumulation. This study examines post-fire surface fuel dynamics over 9 years across a wide range of conditions characteristic of California fires in dry conifer and hardwood forests. We estimated post-fire surface fuel loadings (Mg ha _1) from 191 repeatedly measured United States...

Nuclear Energy Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-12

Nuclear Waste Storage Act of 2007. Requires commercial nuclear power plants to transfer spent fuel from pools to dry storage ...enrichment, spent fuel recycling (also called reprocessing), and other fuel cycle facilities that could be used to produce nuclear weapons materials...that had used the leased fuel , along with supplies of fresh nuclear fuel , according to the GNEP concept; see [http://www.gnep.energy.gov].

Field-to-Fuel Performance Testing of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks: An Integrated Study of the Fast Pyrolysis/Hydrotreating Pathway

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

Howe, Daniel T.; Westover, Tyler; Carpenter, Daniel

2015-05-21

Feedstock composition can affect final fuel yields and quality for the fast pyrolysis and hydrotreatment upgrading pathway. However, previous studies have focused on individual unit operations rather than the integrated system. In this study, a suite of six pure lignocellulosic feedstocks (clean pine, whole pine, tulip poplar, hybrid poplar, switchgrass, and corn stover) and two blends (equal weight percentages whole pine/tulip poplar/switchgrass and whole pine/clean pine/hybrid poplar) were prepared and characterized at Idaho National Laboratory. These blends then underwent fast pyrolysis at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and hydrotreatment at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Although some feedstocks showed a highmore » fast pyrolysis bio-oil yield such as tulip poplar at 57%, high yields in the hydrotreater were not always observed. Results showed overall fuel yields of 15% (switchgrass), 18% (corn stover), 23% (tulip poplar, Blend 1, Blend 2), 24% (whole pine, hybrid poplar) and 27% (clean pine). Simulated distillation of the upgraded oils indicated that the gasoline fraction varied from 39% (clean pine) to 51% (corn stover), while the diesel fraction ranged from 40% (corn stover) to 46% (tulip poplar). Little variation was seen in the jet fuel fraction at 11 to 12%. Hydrogen consumption during hydrotreating, a major factor in the economic feasibility of the integrated process, ranged from 0.051 g/g dry feed (tulip poplar) to 0.070 g/g dry feed (clean pine).« less

Research on coal-water fuel combustion in a circulating fluidized bed / Badanie spalania zawiesinowych paliw węglowo-wodnych w cyrkulacyjnej warstwie fluidalnej

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kijo-Kleczkowska, Agnieszka

2012-10-01

In the paper the problem of heavily-watered fuel combustion has been undertaken as the requirements of qualitative coals combusted in power stations have been growing. Coal mines that want to fulfill expectations of power engineers have been forced to extend and modernize the coal enrichment plants. This causes growing quantity of waste materials that arise during the process of wet coal enrichment containing smaller and smaller under-grains. In this situation the idea of combustion of transported waste materials, for example in a hydraulic way to the nearby power stations appears attractive because of a possible elimination of the necessary deep dehydration and drying as well as because of elimination of the finest coal fraction loss arising during discharging of silted water from coal wet cleaning plants. The paper presents experimental research results, analyzing the process of combustion of coal-water suspension depending on the process conditions. Combustion of coal-water suspensions in fluidized beds meets very well the difficult conditions, which should be obtained to use the examined fuel efficiently and ecologically. The suitable construction of the research stand enables recognition of the mechanism of coal-water suspension contact with the inert material, that affects the fluidized bed. The form of this contact determines conditions of heat and mass exchange, which influence the course of a combustion process. The specificity of coal-water fuel combustion in a fluidized bed changes mechanism and kinetics of the process.

Preparation and combustion of Yugoslavian lignite-water fuel, Task 7.35. Topical report, July 1991--December 1993

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

Anderson, C.M.; DeWall, R.A.; Ljubicic, B.R.

1994-03-01

Yugoslavia`s interest in lignite-water fuel (LWF) stems from its involvement in an unusual power project at Kovin in northern Serbia. In the early 1980s, Electric Power of Serbia (EPS) proposed constructing a 600-MW power plant that would be fueled by lignite found in deposits along and under the Danube River. Trial underwater mining at Kovin proved that the dredging operation is feasible. The dredging method produces a coal slurry containing 85% to 90% water. Plans included draining the water from the coal, drying it, and then burning it in the pulverized coal plant. In looking for alternative ways to utilizemore » the ``wet coal`` in a more efficient and economical way, a consortium of Yugoslavian companies agreed to assess the conversion of dredged lignite into a LWF using hot-water-drying (HWD) technology. HWD is a high-temperature, nonevaporative drying technique carried out under high pressure in water that permanently alters the structure of low-rank coals. Changes effected by the drying process include irreversible removal of moisture, micropore sealing by tar, and enhancement of heating value by removal of oxygen, thus, enhancement of the slurry ability of the coal with water. Physical cleaning results indicated a 51 wt % reduction in ash content with a 76 wt % yield for the lignite. In addition, physical cleaning produced a cleaned slurry that had a higher attainable solids loading than a raw uncleaned coal slurry. Combustion studies were then performed on the raw and physically cleaned samples with the resulting indicating that both samples were very reactive, making them excellent candidates for HWD. Bench-scale results showed that HWD increased energy densities of the two raw lignite samples by approximately 63% and 81%. An order-of-magnitude cost estimate was conducted to evaluate the HWD and pipeline transport of Kovin LWF to domestic and export European markets. Results are described.« less

An all-aromatic polypyridine: Monomer and polymer synthesis; Film formation and crosslinking; A candidate fuel cell membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikkema, Doetze J.; Versteegen, Ron M.; Pouderoijen, Maarten J.; Janssen, Henk M.; Boere, Ben; Brands, Ferry; Kemperman, GerJan; Rewinkel, Jos B. M.; Koeman, Menno

2018-03-01

2,6-di (3-pyridyl)phenol and the title polymer are synthesized at 1 kg scale. Polymer is processed and crosslinked without the introduction of non-aromatic moieties after shaping into membranes. Attractive proton conduction, at high temperature (140-180 °C: 300 mS cm-1) and at room temperature (60 mS cm-1) are recorded in the dry state (higher numbers at modest humidity) and excellent retention of properties after challenge by humidity (in contrast with state-of-the-art PBI membranes). Functional fuel cells are made and tested. In prolonged use the membrane is plasticized and this seems attributable to curing reversal at the hydrogen electrode. For high temperature fuel cell use, another curing scheme (again without the introduction of aliphatic character) must be found.

A Preliminary Study on Rock Bed Heat Storage from Biomass Combustion for Rice Drying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelwan, L. O.; Wulandani, D.; Subrata, I. D. M.

2018-05-01

One of the main constraints of biomass fuel utilization in a small scale rice drying system is the operating difficulties related to the adjustment of combustion/feeding rate. Use of thermal storage may reduce the problem since combustion operation can be accomplished in a much shorter time and then the use of heat can be regulated by simply adjusting the air flow. An integrated biomass furnace-rock bed thermal storage with a storage volume of 540 L was designed and tested. There were four experiments conducted in this study. Charging was performed within 1-2 hours with a combustion rate of 11.5-15.5 kg/h. In discharging process, the mixing of air passing through the rock bed and ambient air were regulated by valves. Without adjusting the valve during the discharging process, air temperature increased up to 80°C, which is not suitable for rice batch drying process. Charging with sufficiently high combustion rate (14 kg/h) within 1 hour continued by adjusting the valve during discharging process below 60°C increased the discharge-charge time ratio (DCTR) up to 5.33 at average air temperature of 49°C and ambient temperature of 33°C.The efficiency of heat discharging was ranged from 34.5 to 45.8%. From the simulation, as much as 156.8-268.8 kg of rice was able to be dried by the discharging conditions.

Fate of virginiamycin through the fuel ethanol production process.

PubMed

Bischoff, Kenneth M; Zhang, Yanhong; Rich, Joseph O

2016-05-01

Antibiotics are frequently used to prevent and treat bacterial contamination of commercial fuel ethanol fermentations, but there is concern that antibiotic residues may persist in the distillers grains coproducts. A study to evaluate the fate of virginiamycin during the ethanol production process was conducted in the pilot plant facilities at the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center, Edwardsville, IL. Three 15,000-liter fermentor runs were performed: one with no antibiotic (F1), one dosed with 2 parts per million (ppm) of a commercial virginiamycin product (F2), and one dosed at 20 ppm of virginiamycin product (F3). Fermentor samples, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), and process intermediates (whole stillage, thin stillage, syrup, and wet cake) were collected from each run and analyzed for virginiamycin M and virginiamycin S using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Virginiamycin M was detected in all process intermediates of the F3 run. On a dry-weight basis, virginiamycin M concentrations decreased approximately 97 %, from 41 μg/g in the fermentor to 1.4 μg/g in the DDGS. Using a disc plate bioassay, antibiotic activity was detected in DDGS from both the F2 and F3 runs, with values of 0.69 μg virginiamycin equivalent/g sample and 8.9 μg/g, respectively. No antibiotic activity (<0.6 μg/g) was detected in any of the F1 samples or in the fermentor and process intermediate samples from the F2 run. These results demonstrate that low concentrations of biologically active antibiotic may persist in distillers grains coproducts produced from fermentations treated with virginiamycin.

Numerical investigation of the staged gasification of wet wood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donskoi, I. G.; Kozlov, A. N.; Svishchev, D. A.; Shamanskii, V. A.

2017-04-01

Gasification of wooden biomass makes it possible to utilize forestry wastes and agricultural residues for generation of heat and power in isolated small-scale power systems. In spite of the availability of a huge amount of cheap biomass, the implementation of the gasification process is impeded by formation of tar products and poor thermal stability of the process. These factors reduce the competitiveness of gasification as compared with alternative technologies. The use of staged technologies enables certain disadvantages of conventional processes to be avoided. One of the previously proposed staged processes is investigated in this paper. For this purpose, mathematical models were developed for individual stages of the process, such as pyrolysis, pyrolysis gas combustion, and semicoke gasification. The effect of controlling parameters on the efficiency of fuel conversion into combustible gases is studied numerically using these models. For the controlling parameter are selected heat inputted into a pyrolysis reactor, the excess of oxidizer during gas combustion, and the wood moisture content. The process efficiency criterion is the gasification chemical efficiency accounting for the input of external heat (used for fuel drying and pyrolysis). The generated regime diagrams represent the gasification efficiency as a function of controlling parameters. Modeling results demonstrate that an increase in the fraction of heat supplied from an external source can result in an adequate efficiency of the wood gasification through the use of steam generated during drying. There are regions where it is feasible to perform incomplete combustion of the pyrolysis gas prior to the gasification. The calculated chemical efficiency of the staged gasification is as high as 80-85%, which is 10-20% higher that in conventional single-stage processes.

Well-to-wheels analysis of fast pyrolysis pathways with the GREET model.

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

Han, J.; Elgowainy, A.; Palou-Rivera, I.

The pyrolysis of biomass can help produce liquid transportation fuels with properties similar to those of petroleum gasoline and diesel fuel. Argonne National Laboratory conducted a life-cycle (i.e., well-to-wheels [WTW]) analysis of various pyrolysis pathways by expanding and employing the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The WTW energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the pyrolysis pathways were compared with those from the baseline petroleum gasoline and diesel pathways. Various pyrolysis pathway scenarios with a wide variety of possible hydrogen sources, liquid fuel yields, and co-product application and treatment methods were considered. Atmore » one extreme, when hydrogen is produced from natural gas and when bio-char is used for process energy needs, the pyrolysis-based liquid fuel yield is high (32% of the dry mass of biomass input). The reductions in WTW fossil energy use and GHG emissions relative to those that occur when baseline petroleum fuels are used, however, is modest, at 50% and 51%, respectively, on a per unit of fuel energy basis. At the other extreme, when hydrogen is produced internally via reforming of pyrolysis oil and when bio-char is sequestered in soil applications, the pyrolysis-based liquid fuel yield is low (15% of the dry mass of biomass input), but the reductions in WTW fossil energy use and GHG emissions are large, at 79% and 96%, respectively, relative to those that occur when baseline petroleum fuels are used. The petroleum energy use in all scenarios was restricted to biomass collection and transportation activities, which resulted in a reduction in WTW petroleum energy use of 92-95% relative to that found when baseline petroleum fuels are used. Internal hydrogen production (i.e., via reforming of pyrolysis oil) significantly reduces fossil fuel use and GHG emissions because the hydrogen from fuel gas or pyrolysis oil (renewable sources) displaces that from fossil fuel natural gas and the amount of fossil natural gas used for hydrogen production is reduced; however, internal hydrogen production also reduces the potential petroleum energy savings (per unit of biomass input basis) because the fuel yield declines dramatically. Typically, a process that has a greater liquid fuel yield results in larger petroleum savings per unit of biomass input but a smaller reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions. Sequestration of the large amount of bio-char co-product (e.g., in soil applications) provides a significant carbon dioxide credit, while electricity generation from bio-char combustion provides a large energy credit. The WTW energy and GHG emissions benefits observed when a pyrolysis oil refinery was integrated with a pyrolysis reactor were small when compared with those that occur when pyrolysis oil is distributed to a distant refinery, since the activities associated with transporting the oil between the pyrolysis reactors and refineries have a smaller energy and emissions footprint than do other activities in the pyrolysis pathway.« less

Textile drying using solarized can dryers to demonstrate the application of solar energy to industrial drying or dehydration processes, Phase II. Final report

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

Mitchell, P.D.; Beesing, M.E.; Bessler, G.L.

This program has resulted in the installation of a solar energy collection system for providing process heat to a textile drying process. The solar collection subsystem uses 700 square meters (7500 square feet) of parabolic trough, single-axis tracking, concentrating collectors to heat water in a high temperature water (HTW) loop. The solar collectors nominally generate 193/sup 0/C (380/sup 0/F) water with the HTW loop at 1.9 x 10/sup 6/ Pa (275 psi). A steam generator is fueled with the HTW and produces 450 kg/hour (1000 pounds per hour) of process steam at the nominal design point conditions. The solar-generated processmore » steam is at 0.5 x 10/sup 6/ Pa (75 psi) and 160/sup 0/C (321/sup 0/F). It is predicted that the solar energy system will provide 1.2 x 10/sup 6/ MJ/year (1.1 x 10/sup 9/ Btu/year) to the process. This is 46 percent of the direct isolation available to the collector field during the operational hours (300 days/year of the Fairfax mill. The process being solarized is textile drying using can dryers. The can dryers are part of a slashing operation in a WestPoint Pepperell mill in Fairfax, Alabama. Over 50 percent of all woven goods are processed through slashers and dried on can dryers. The collectors were fabricated by Honeywell at a pilot production facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota, under a 3000-square-meter (32,000-square-foot) production run. The collectors and other system components were installed at the site by the Bahnson Service Company and their subcontractors, acting as the project general contractor. System checkout and start-up was conducted. Preliminary system performance was determined from data collected during start-up. System design, fabrication and installation, data analysis, operation and maintenance procedures, and specifications and drawings are presented.« less

Paired Straight Hearth Furnace - Transformational Ironmaking Process

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

Lu, Wei-Kao; Debski, Paul

2014-11-19

The U. S. steel industry has reduced its energy intensity per ton of steel shipped by 33% since 1990. However, further significant gains in energy efficiency will require the development of new, transformational iron and steelmaking processes. The Paired Straight Hearth Furnace (PSH) process is an emerging alternative high productivity, direct reduced iron (DRI) technology that may achieve very low fuel rates and has the potential to replace blast furnace ironmaking. The PSH furnace can operate independently or may be coupled with other melting technologies to produce liquid hot metal that is both similar to blast furnace iron and suitablemore » as a feedstock for basic oxygen steelmaking furnaces. The PSH process uses non-metallurgical coal as a reductant to convert iron oxides such as iron ore and steelmaking by-product oxides to DRI pellets. In this process, a multi-layer, nominally 120mm tall bed of composite “green balls” made from oxide, coal and binder is built up and contained within a moving refractory hearth. The pellet bed absorbs radiant heat energy during exposure to the high temperature interior refractory surfaces of the PSH while generating a strongly reducing gas atmosphere in the bed that yields a highly metalized DRI product. The PSH concept has been well tested in static hearth experiments. A moving bed design is being developed. The process developers believe that if successful, the PSH process has the potential to replace blast furnaces and coke ovens at a fraction of the operating and capital cost while using about 30% less energy relative to current blast furnace technology. DRI output could also feed electric arc furnaces (EAFs) by displacing a portion of the scrap charge.« less

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

Rebecca E. Smith

Internationally, the nuclear industry is represented by both commercial utilities and research institutions. Over the past two decades many of these entities have had to relocate inventories of spent nuclear fuel from underwater storage to dry storage. These efforts were primarily prompted by two factors: insufficient storage capacity (potentially precipitated by an open-ended nuclear fuel cycle) or deteriorating quality of existing underwater facilities. The intent of developing this bibliography is to assess what issues associated with fuel drying have been identified, to consider where concerns have been satisfactorily addressed, and to recommend where additional research would offer the most valuemore » to the commercial industry and the U. S. Department of Energy.« less

Solar energy in food processing-a critical appraisal.

PubMed

Eswara, Amruta R; Ramakrishnarao, M

2013-04-01

Increasing population and high cost of fuels have created opportunities for using alternate energies for post-harvest processing of foods. Solar food processing is an emerging technology that provides good quality foods at low or no additional fuel costs. A number of solar dryers, collectors and concentrators are currently being used for various steps in food processing and value addition. Society for Energy, Environment and Development (SEED) developed Solar Cabinet Dryer with forced circulation which has been used for dehydration and development of value added products from locally grown fruits, vegetables, leafy greens and forest produce. Drying under simulated shade conditions using UV-reducing Blue filter helps retain nutrients better. Its simple design and ease of handling makes SEED Solar Dryer an ideal choice for application of food processing in rural settings, closer to where the harvest is produced, eliminating the need for expensive transportation or storage of fresh produce. It also creates employment opportunities among the rural population, especially women. Other gadgets based on solar collectors and concentrators currently being used at various steps of food processing are reviewed.

High energy neutron transmission analysis of dry cask storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greulich, Christopher; Hughes, Christopher; Gao, Yuan; Enqvist, Andreas; Baciak, James

2017-12-01

Since the U.S. currently only approves of storing used nuclear fuel in pools or dry casks, the demand for dry cask storage is on the rise due to the continuous operation of currently existing nuclear plants which are reaching or have reached the capacity of their used fuel pools. With the rising demand comes additional pressure to ensure the integrity of dry cask systems. Visual inspection is costly and man-power intensive, so alternative nondestructive testing techniques are desired to insure the continued safe and effective storage of fuel. One such approach being investigated by the University of Florida is neutron based computed tomography. Simulations in MCNP are preformed where D-T energy neutrons are transmitted through the dry cask and measured on the opposite side. If the transmitted signal is clear enough, the interior of the cask can be reconstructed from the measurement of the alterations of neutron signal intensity using standard mathematical techniques developed for medical imaging. Preliminary efforts show a correlation between energy and number of scatters (which is an indication of retention of position information). Work is ongoing to quantify if the correlation is strong enough that an energy discriminator may be used as a filter in future image reconstruction. The calculated transmission probability suggests that an image could be reconstructed with a week of scanning.

Two-stage earth-to-orbit vehicles with dual-fuel propulsion in the Orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, J. A.

1982-01-01

Earth-to-orbit vehicle studies of future replacements for the Space Shuttle are needed to guide technology development. Previous studies that have examined single-stage vehicles have shown advantages for dual-fuel propulsion. Previous two-stage system studies have assumed all-hydrogen fuel for the Orbiters. The present study examined dual-fuel Orbiters and found that the system dry mass could be reduced with this concept. The possibility of staging the booster at a staging velocity low enough to allow coast-back to the launch site is shown to be beneficial, particularly in combination with a dual-fuel Orbiter. An engine evaluation indicated the same ranking of engines as did a previous single-stage study. Propane and RP-1 fuels result in lower vehicle dry mass than methane, and staged-combustion engines are preferred over gas-generator engines. The sensitivity to the engine selection is less for two-stage systems than for single-stage systems.

FRAPCON analysis of cladding performance during dry storage operations

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

Richmond, David J.; Geelhood, Kenneth J.

There is an increasing need in the U.S. and around the world to move used nuclear fuel from wet storage in fuel pools to dry storage in casks stored at independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSI) or interim storage sites. The NRC limits cladding temperature to 400°C while maintaining cladding hoop stress below 90 MPa in an effort to avoid radial hydride reorientation. An analysis was conducted with FRAPCON-4.0 on three modern fuel designs with three representative used nuclear fuel storage temperature profiles that peaked at 400 °C. Results were representative of the majority of U.S. LWR fuel. They conservativelymore » showed that hoop stress remains below 90 MPa at the licensing temperature limit. Results also show that the limiting case for hoop stress may not be at the highest rod internal pressure in all cases but will be related to the axial temperature and oxidation profiles of the rods at the end of life and in storage.« less

Spatial patterning of fuels and fire hazard across a central U.S. deciduous forest region

Treesearch

Michael C. Stambaugh; Daniel C. Dey; Richard P. Guyette; Hong S. He; Joseph M. Marschall

2011-01-01

Information describing spatial and temporal variability of forest fuel conditions is essential to assessing overall fire hazard and risk. Limited information exists describing spatial characteristics of fuels in the eastern deciduous forest region, particularly in dry oak-dominated regions that historically burned relatively frequently. From an extensive fuels survey...

Using a prescribed fire to test custom and standard fuel models for fire behaviour prediction in a non-native, grass-invaded tropical dry shrubland

Treesearch

Andrew D. Pierce; Sierra McDaniel; Mark Wasser; Alison Ainsworth; Creighton M. Litton; Christian P. Giardina; Susan Cordell; Ralf Ohlemuller

2014-01-01

Questions: Do fuel models developed for North American fuel types accurately represent fuel beds found in grass-invaded tropical shrublands? Do standard or custom fuel models for firebehavior models with in situ or RAWS measured fuel moistures affect the accuracy of predicted fire behavior in grass-invaded tropical shrublands? Location: Hawai’i Volcanoes National...

Microbial development in distillers wet grains produced during fuel ethanol production from corn (Zea mays).

PubMed

Lehman, R Michael; Rosentrater, Kurt A

2007-09-01

Distillers grains are coproduced with ethanol and carbon dioxide during the production of fuel ethanol from the dry milling and fermentation of corn grain, yet there is little basic microbiological information on these materials. We undertook a replicated field study of the microbiology of distillers wet grains (DWG) over a 9 day period following their production at an industrial fuel ethanol plant. Freshly produced DWG had a pH of about 4.4, a moisture content of about 53.5% (wet mass basis), and 4 x 10(5) total yeast cells/g dry mass, of which about 0.1% were viable. Total bacterial cells were initially below detection limits (ca. 10(6) cells/g dry mass) and then were estimated to be approximately 5 x 10(7) cells/g dry mass during the first 4 days following production. Culturable aerobic heterotrophic organisms (fungi plus bacteria) ranged between 10(4) and 10(5) CFU/g dry mass during the initial 4 day period, and lactic acid bacteria increased from 36 to 10(3) CFU/g dry mass over this same period. At 9 days, total viable bacteria and yeasts and (or) molds topped 10(8) CFU/g dry mass and lactic acid bacteria approached 10(6) CFU/g dry mass. Community phospholipid fatty acid analysis indicated a stable microbial community over the first 4 days of storage. Thirteen morphologically distinct isolates were recovered, of which 10 were yeasts and molds from 6 different genera, 2 were strains of the lactic-acid-producing Pediococcus pentosaceus and only one was an aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, Micrococcus luteus. The microbiology of DWG is fundamental to the assessment of spoilage, deleterious effects (e.g., toxins), or beneficial effects (e.g., probiotics) in its use as feed or in alternative applications.

Electrode design for direct-methane micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SOFC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabuni, Mohamad Fairus; Li, Tao; Punmeechao, Puvich; Li, Kang

2018-04-01

Herein, a micro-structured electrode design has been developed via a modified phase-inversion method. A thin electrolyte integrated with a highly porous anode scaffold has been fabricated in a single-step process and developed into a complete fuel cell for direct methane (CH4) utilisation. A continuous and well-dispersed layer of copper-ceria (Cu-CeO2) was incorporated inside the micro-channels of the anode scaffold. A complete cell was investigated for direct CH4 utilisation. The well-organised micro-channels and nano-structured Cu-CeO2 anode contributed to an increase in electrochemical reaction sites that promoted charge-transfer as well as facilitating gaseous fuel distribution, resulting in outstanding performances. Excellent electrochemical performances have been achieved in both hydrogen (H2) and CH4 operation. The power density of 0.16 Wcm-2 at 750 °C with dry CH4 as fuel is one of the highest ever reported values for similar anode materials.

Development of Impregnated Agglomerate Pelletization (IAP) process for fabrication of (Th,U)O 2 mixed oxide pellets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khot, P. M.; Nehete, Y. G.; Fulzele, A. K.; Baghra, Chetan; Mishra, A. K.; Afzal, Mohd.; Panakkal, J. P.; Kamath, H. S.

2012-01-01

Impregnated Agglomerate Pelletization (IAP) technique has been developed at Advanced Fuel Fabrication Facility (AFFF), BARC, Tarapur, for manufacturing (Th, 233U)O 2 mixed oxide fuel pellets, which are remotely fabricated in hot cell or shielded glove box facilities to reduce man-rem problem associated with 232U daughter radionuclides. This technique is being investigated to fabricate the fuel for Indian Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR). In the IAP process, ThO 2 is converted to free flowing spheroids by powder extrusion route in an unshielded facility which are then coated with uranyl nitrate solution in a shielded facility. The dried coated agglomerate is finally compacted and then sintered in oxidizing/reducing atmosphere to obtain high density (Th,U)O 2 pellets. In this study, fabrication of (Th,U)O 2 mixed oxide pellets containing 3-5 wt.% UO 2 was carried out by IAP process. The pellets obtained were characterized using optical microscopy, XRD and alpha autoradiography. The results obtained were compared with the results for the pellets fabricated by other routes such as Coated Agglomerate Pelletization (CAP) and Powder Oxide Pelletization (POP) route.

Industrial symbiosis: corn ethanol fermentation, hydrothermal carbonization, and anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Wood, Brandon M; Jader, Lindsey R; Schendel, Frederick J; Hahn, Nicholas J; Valentas, Kenneth J; McNamara, Patrick J; Novak, Paige M; Heilmann, Steven M

2013-10-01

The production of dry-grind corn ethanol results in the generation of intermediate products, thin and whole stillage, which require energy-intensive downstream processing for conversion into commercial animal feed products. Hydrothermal carbonization of thin and whole stillage coupled with anaerobic digestion was investigated as alternative processing methods that could benefit the industry. By substantially eliminating evaporation of water, reductions in downstream energy consumption from 65% to 73% were achieved while generating hydrochar, fatty acids, treated process water, and biogas co-products providing new opportunities for the industry. Processing whole stillage in this manner produced the four co-products, eliminated centrifugation and evaporation, and substantially reduced drying. With thin stillage, all four co-products were again produced, as well as a high quality animal feed. Anaerobic digestion of the aqueous product stream from the hydrothermal carbonization of thin stillage reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) by more than 90% and converted 83% of the initial COD to methane. Internal use of this biogas could entirely fuel the HTC process and reduce overall natural gas usage. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Short- and long-term effects of fire on carbon in US dry temperate forest systems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hurteau, Matthew D.; Brooks, Matthew L.

2011-01-01

Forests sequester carbon from the atmosphere, and in so doing can mitigate the effects of climate change. Fire is a natural disturbance process in many forest systems that releases carbon back to the atmosphere. In dry temperate forests, fires historically burned with greater frequency and lower severity than they do today. Frequent fires consumed fuels on the forest floor and maintained open stand structures. Fire suppression has resulted in increased understory fuel loads and tree density; a change in structure that has caused a shift from low- to high-severity fires. More severe fires, resulting in greater tree mortality, have caused a decrease in forest carbon stability. Fire management actions can mitigate the risk of high-severity fires, but these actions often require a trade-off between maximizing carbon stocks and carbon stability. We discuss the effects of fire on forest carbon stocks and recommend that managing forests on the basis of their specific ecologies should be the foremost goal, with carbon sequestration being an ancillary benefit. ?? 2011 by American Institute of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved.

Protease digestion from wheat stillage within a dry grind ethanol facility.

PubMed

Bals, Bryan; Brehmer, Ben; Dale, Bruce; Sanders, Johan

2011-01-01

As the current starch based ethanol market increases at its rapid pace, finding new markets for the primary coproduct, distiller's grains, has gained considerable interest. One possibility is to isolate the protein-rich fraction for use as precursors to biochemicals and bioplastics, further decreasing fossil fuel consumption. This research focuses on enzymatic extraction of protein peptides from wheat heavy stillage using commercially available proteases. The energy saved due to this process ranged from ∼ 1.5 to 3.0 GJ/ton wheat stillage compared to fossil fuel-based chemicals. Using Protex 6L (Genencor), ∼ 57% of the protein in the stillage was soluble 24 h after protease addition at 0.1% w/w loading. Of these proteins, ∼ 32% were already soluble, indicating the importance of using wet heavy stillage as the feedstock rather than dried distiller's grains. Peptide size was less than 6 kDa. Further improvements in protein removal may be obtained through a fed batch addition of protease and improved protease cocktails. Copyright © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

Combustion gas properties. 2: Natural gas fuel and dry air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wear, J. D.; Jones, R. E.; Trout, A. M.; Mcbride, B. J.

1985-01-01

A series of computations has been made to produce the equilibrium temperature and gas composition for natural gas fuel and dry air. The computed tables and figures provide combustion gas property data for pressures from 0.5 to 50 atmospheres and equivalence ratios from 0 to 2.0. Only samples tables and figures are provided in this report. The complete set of tables and figures is provided on four microfiche films supplied with this report.

Low temperature circulating fluidized bed gasification and co-gasification of municipal sewage sludge. Part 1: Process performance and gas product characterization.

PubMed

Thomsen, Tobias Pape; Sárossy, Zsuzsa; Gøbel, Benny; Stoholm, Peder; Ahrenfeldt, Jesper; Frandsen, Flemming Jappe; Henriksen, Ulrik Birk

2017-08-01

Results from five experimental campaigns with Low Temperature Circulating Fluidized Bed (LT-CFB) gasification of straw and/or municipal sewage sludge (MSS) from three different Danish municipal waste water treatment plants in pilot and demonstration scale are analyzed and compared. The gasification process is characterized with respect to process stability, process performance and gas product characteristics. All experimental campaigns were conducted at maximum temperatures below 750°C, with air equivalence ratios around 0.12 and with pure silica sand as start-up bed material. A total of 8600kg of MSS dry matter was gasified during 133h of operation. The average thermal loads during the five experiments were 62-100% of nominal capacity. The short term stability of all campaigns was excellent, but gasification of dry MSS lead to substantial accumulation of coarse and rigid, but un-sintered, ash particles in the system. Co-gasification of MSS with sufficient amounts of cereal straw was found to be an effective way to mitigate these issues as well as eliminate thermal MSS drying requirements. Characterization of gas products and process performance showed that even though gas composition varied substantially, hot gas efficiencies of around 90% could be achieved for all MSS fuel types. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Papaya drying and waste conversion system. Final report

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

Not Available

1982-02-12

This project, performed under United States Department of Energy Small-scale Appropriate Energy Technology Grant, involves demonstration of an integrated system using solar energy to process off-grade or reject fruit into marketable food products. The integrated system consists of three phases: (1) solar dehydration of usable fruit; (2) solar vacuum distillation of fermented wastes (peelings, rinds, skins, and seeds) to produce an ethanol fuel to use as a backup source of heat for dehydration; and (3) land reclamation by mixing stillage and compost with volcanic cinder and ash to produce on marginal land a rich soil suitable for growing more cropsmore » to dry. Although the system is not 100% complete the investigators have demonstrated that a small business can efficiently use solar energies in an integrated fashion to process waste into food, improve the quality of the land, and provide meaningful jobs in a region of very high unemployment.« less

Preparation of Pt Nanocatalyst on Carbon Materials via a Reduction Reaction of a Pt Precursor in a Drying Process.

PubMed

Lee, Jae-Young; Lee, Woo-Kum; Rim, Hyung-Ryul; Joung, Gyu-Bum; Weidner, John W; Lee, Hong-Ki

2016-06-01

Platinum (Pt) nanocatalyst for a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was prepared on a carbon black particle or a graphite particle coated with a nafion polymer via a reduction of platinum(II) bis(acetylacetonate) denoted as Pt(acac)2 as a Pt precursor in a drying process. Sublimed Pt(acac)2 adsorbed on the nafion-coated carbon materials was reduced to Pt nanoparticles in a glass reactor at 180 degrees C of N2 atmosphere. The morphology of Pt nanoparticles on carbon materials was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the distribution of Pt nanoparticles was done by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The particle size was estimated by analyzing the TEM image using an image analyzer. It was found that nano-sized Pt particles were deposited on the surface of carbon materials, and the number density and the average particle size increased with increasing reduction time.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lan, Tian

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

78 FR 77736 - Sunshine Act Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-24

... a.m. Briefing on Spent Fuel Pool Safety and Consideration of Expedited Transfer of Spent Fuel to Dry... Disposition Fukushima Near-Term Task Force (NTTF) Recommendation 1 on Improving NRC's Regulatory Framework...

Looking Southwest to Dry and Wet Exterior Scrubbers at Rear ...

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

Looking Southwest to Dry and Wet Exterior Scrubbers at Rear of Oxide Building - Hematite Fuel Fabrication Facility, Oxide Building & Oxide Loading Dock, 3300 State Road P, Festus, Jefferson County, MO

Development of composite membranes of PVA-TEOS doped KOH for alkaline membrane fuel cell

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

Haryadi,, E-mail: haryadi@polban.ac.id; Sugianto, D.; Ristopan, E.

2015-12-29

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) play an important role in separating fuel and oxygen (or air) in the Alkaline Membrane Fuel Cells. Preparation of hybrid organic inorganic materials of Polyvinylalcohol (PVA) - Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) composite membrane doped KOH for direct alcohol alkaline fuel cell application has been investigated. The sol-gel method has been used to prepare the composite membrane of PVA-TEOS through crosslinking step and catalyzed by concentrated of hydrochloric acid. The gel solution was cast on the membrane plastic plate to obtain membrane sheets. The dry membranes were then doped by immersing in various concentrations of KOH solutions for aboutmore » 4 hours. Investigations of the cross-linking process and the presence of hydroxyl group were conducted by FTIR as shown for frequency at about 1600 cm{sup −1} and 3300 cm{sup −1} respectively. The degree of swelling in ethanol decreased as the KOH concentration for membrane soaking process increased. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) of the membrane was 0.25meq/g. This composite membranes display significant ionic conductivity of 3.23 x 10{sup −2} S/cm in deionized water at room temperature. In addition, the morphology observation by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of the membrane indicates that soaking process of membrane in KOH increased thermal resistant.« less

An allowable cladding peak temperature for spent nuclear fuels in interim dry storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cha, Hyun-Jin; Jang, Ki-Nam; Kim, Kyu-Tae

2018-01-01

Allowable cladding peak temperatures for spent fuel cladding integrity in interim dry storage were investigated, considering hydride reorientation and mechanical property degradation behaviors of unirradiated and neutron irradiated Zr-Nb cladding tubes. Cladding tube specimens were heated up to various temperatures and then cooled down under tensile hoop stresses. Cool-down specimens indicate that higher heat-up temperature and larger tensile hoop stress generated larger radial hydride precipitation and smaller tensile strength and plastic hoop strain. Unirradiated specimens generated relatively larger radial hydride precipitation and plastic strain than did neutron irradiated specimens. Assuming a minimum plastic strain requirement of 5% for cladding integrity maintenance in interim dry storage, it is proposed that a cladding peak temperature during the interim dry storage is to keep below 250 °C if cladding tubes are cooled down to room temperature.

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

Marschman, Steven C.; Warmann, Stephan A.; Rusch, Chris

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE), Office of Fuel Cycle Technology, has established the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) to conduct the research and development activities related to storage, transportation, and disposal of used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The mission of the UFDC is to identify alternatives and conduct scientific research and technology development to enable storage, transportation and disposal of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and wastes generated by existing and future nuclear fuel cycles. The UFDC Storage and Transportation staffs are responsible for addressing issues regarding the extended or long-term storage of UNFmore » and its subsequent transportation. The near-term objectives of the Storage and Transportation task are to use a science-based approach to develop the technical bases to support the continued safe and secure storage of UNF for extended periods, subsequent retrieval, and transportation. While low burnup fuel [that characterized as having a burnup of less than 45 gigawatt days per metric tonne uranium (GWD/MTU)] has been stored for nearly three decades, the storage of high burnup used fuels is more recent. The DOE has funded a demonstration project to confirm the behavior of used high burnup fuel under prototypic conditions. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is leading a project team to develop and implement the Test Plan to collect this data from a UNF dry storage system containing high burnup fuel. The Draft Test Plan for the demonstration outlines the data to be collected; the high burnup fuel to be included; the technical data gaps the data will address; and the storage system design, procedures, and licensing necessary to implement the Test Plan. To provide data that is most relevant to high burnup fuel in dry storage, the design of the test storage system must closely mimic real conditions high burnup SNF experiences during all stages of dry storage: loading, cask drying, inert gas backfilling, and transfer to an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) for multi-year storage. To document the initial condition of the used fuel prior to emplacement in a storage system, “sister ” fuel rods will be harvested and sent to a national laboratory for characterization and archival purposes. This report supports the demonstration by describing how sister rods will be shipped and received at a national laboratory, and recommending basic nondestructive and destructive analyses to assure the fuel rods are adequately characterized for UFDC work. For this report, a hub-and-spoke model is proposed, with one location serving as the hub for fuel rod receipt and characterization. In this model, fuel and/or clad would be sent to other locations when capabilities at the hub were inadequate or nonexistent. This model has been proposed to reduce DOE-NE’s obligation for waste cleanup and decontamination of equipment.« less

An Evaluation of Coal Water Slurry Fuel Burners and Technology

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-11-01

treatment) processes, such as froth flotation , which reduce ash and pyritic sulphur content (4). Unlike pulverized coal, there is no need for expensive drying...physical beneficiation (froth flotation ) to reduce pyrite , biotechnological and other methods to remove more sulfur (especially the organic portion...of limited effectiveness since only some of the pyritic sulfur (about 40 to 60 percent of the total sulfur) is removed for some coals, since 90 to 95

Interactions of fuel treatments, wildfire severity, and carbon dynamics in dry conifer forests

Treesearch

Larissa L. Yocom Kent; Kristen L. Shive; Barbara A. Strom; Carolyn H. Sieg; Molly E. Hunter; Camille S. Stevens-Rumann; Peter Z. Fule

2015-01-01

Wildfires have been increasing in size and severity over recent decades. Forest managers use fuel treatments, including tree thinning and prescribed burning, to reduce the risk of high-severity fire. The impact of fuel treatments on carbon dynamics is not fully understood; previous research indicates that because carbon is removed during fuel treatments, the net effect...

Fuels reduction in a western coniferous forest: effects on quantity and quality of forage for elk

Treesearch

Ryan A. Long; Janet L. Rachlow; John G. Kie; Martin Vavra

2008-01-01

Use of mechanical thinning and prescribed fire to reduce fuels in dry forest ecosystems has become increasingly common in western North America. Nevertheless, few studies have quantified effects of fuels reduction treatments on wildlife. We evaluated effects of fuels reduction on quantity and quality of forage available to elk (Cervus elaphus) in...

Fuel loadings in southwestern ecosystems of the United States

Treesearch

Stephen S. Sackett; Sally M Haase

1996-01-01

Natural forest fuel loadings cause extreme fire behavior during dry, windy weather experienced during most fire seasons in the Southwest. Fire severity is also exacerbated from burning heavy fuels, including heavy humus layers on the forest floor. Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer stands possess more than 21.7 and 44.1 tons per acre of total forest floor fuel,...

Characterizing hand-piled fuels

Treesearch

Clinton S. Wright; Paige C. Eagle; Cameron S. Balog

2010-01-01

Land managers throughout the West pile and burn surface fuels to mitigate fire hazard in dry forests. Whereas piling was historically conducted with heavy machinery following commercial harvesting operations, land managers are increasingly prescribing the use of hand piling and burning to treat surface fuels created by thinning and brush cutting. An estimate of the...

78 FR 76331 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-17

... a.m. Briefing on Spent Fuel Pool Safety and Consideration of Expedited Transfer of Spent Fuel to Dry... Recommendations to Disposition Fukushima Near-Term Task Force (NTTF) Recommendation 1 on Improving NRC's...

Initial sustainability assessment of tapioca starch production system in Lake Toba area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Situmorang, Asido; Manik, Yosef

2018-04-01

This study aims to explore to what extent the principles of sustainability have been applied in a tapioca industry located in Lake Toba area and to explore the aspects that open the opportunities for system improvement. In conducting such assessment, we adopted the life-cycle approach using Mass Flow Analysis methods that covers all cassava starch production processes from fresh cassava root till dry cassava starch. The inventory data were collected from the company, in the form of both production record and interviews. From data analysis the authors were able to present a linked flow that describes the production process of tapioca starch that quantifies into the functional unit of one pack marketable tapioca starch weighs 50 kg. In order to produce 50 kg of tapioca, 200 kg cassava root and 800 kg of water are required. This production efficiency translates to 25% yield. This system generates 40 kg of cassava peel, 60 kg of pulp and 850 kg of waste water. For starch drying 208.8 MJ of thermal energy is required in the form of heating fuel. The material flow analysis is employed for impact assessment. Several options in improving the operation are proposed includes utilization of pulp into more valuable co-products, integration of waste treatment plant to enable the use of water recycled from the extraction operation for the washing process, and to application of a waste water treatment system that produces biogas as a renewable energy, which reduces the consumption of fuel in dryer unit.

Characteristics of the microwave pyrolysis and microwave CO2-assisted gasification of dewatered sewage sludge.

PubMed

Chun, Young Nam; Jeong, Byeo Ri

2017-07-28

Microwave drying-pyrolysis or drying-gasification characteristics were examined to convert sewage sludge into energy and resources. The gasification was carried out with carbon dioxide as a gasifying agent. The examination results were compared with those of the conventional heating-type electric furnace to compare both product characteristics. Through the pyrolysis or gasification, gas, tar, and char were generated as products. The produced gas was the largest component of each process, followed by the sludge char and the tar. During the pyrolysis process, the main components of the produced gas were hydrogen and carbon monoxide, with a small amount of hydrocarbons such as methane and ethylene. In the gasification process, however, the amount of carbon monoxide was greater than the amount of hydrogen. In microwave gasification, a large amount of heavy tar was produced. The largest amount of benzene in light tar was generated from the pyrolysis or gasification. Ammonia and hydrogen cyanide, which are precursors of NO x , were also generated. In the microwave heating method, the sludge char produced by pyrolysis and gasification had pores in the mesopore range. This could be explained that the gas obtained from the microwave pyrolysis or gasification of the wet sewage sludge can be used as an alternative fuel, but the tar and NO x precursors in the produced gas should be treated. Sludge char can be used as a biomass solid fuel or as a tar removal adsorbent if necessary.

Method of fabrication of electrodes and electrolytes

DOEpatents

Jankowski, Alan F.; Morse, Jeffrey D.

2004-01-06

Fuel cell stacks contain an electrolyte layer surrounded on top and bottom by an electrode layer. Porous electrodes are prepared which enable fuel and oxidant to easily flow to the respective electrode-electrolyte interface without the need for high temperatures or pressures to assist the flow. Rigid, inert microspheres in combination with thin-film metal deposition techniques are used to fabricate porous anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes. Microshperes contained in a liquid are randomly dispersed onto a host structure and dried such that the microsperes remain in position. A thin-film deposition technique is subsequently employed to deposit a metal layer onto the microsperes. After such metal layer deposition, the microspheres are removed leaving voids, i.e. pores, in the metal layer, thus forming a porous electrode. Successive repetitions of the fabrication process result in the formation of a continuous fuel cell stack. Such stacks may produce power outputs ranging from about 0.1 Watt to about 50 Watts.

Assessment of potential life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emission effects from using corn-based butanol as a transportation fuel.

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

Wu, M.; Wang, M.; Liu, J.

2008-01-01

Since advances in the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process in recent years have led to significant increases in its productivity and yields, the production of butanol and its use in motor vehicles have become an option worth evaluating. This study estimates the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. It employs a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis tool: the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The estimates of life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are based on an Aspen Plus(reg. sign) simulation for a corn-to-butanol production process, which describesmore » grain processing, fermentation, and product separation. Bio-butanol-related WTW activities include corn farming, corn transportation, butanol production, butanol transportation, and vehicle operation. In this study, we also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. Our study shows that driving vehicles fueled with corn-based butanol produced by the current ABE fermentation process could result in substantial fossil energy savings (39%-56%) and avoid large percentage of the GHG emission burden, yielding a 32%-48% reduction relative to using conventional gasoline. On energy basis, a bushel of corn produces less liquid fuel from the ABE process than that from the corn ethanol dry mill process. The coproduction of a significant portion of acetone from the current ABE fermentation presents a challenge. A market analysis of acetone, as well as research and development on robust alternative technologies and processes that minimize acetone while increase the butanol yield, should be conducted.« less

Assessment of potential life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emission effects from using corn-based butanol as a transportation fuel.

PubMed

Wu, May; Wang, Michael; Liu, Jiahong; Huo, Hong

2008-01-01

Since advances in the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process in recent years have led to significant increases in its productivity and yields, the production of butanol and its use in motor vehicles have become an option worth evaluating. This study estimates the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. It employs a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis tool: the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The estimates of life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are based on an Aspen Plus(R) simulation for a corn-to-butanol production process, which describes grain processing, fermentation, and product separation. Bio-butanol-related WTW activities include corn farming, corn transportation, butanol production, butanol transportation, and vehicle operation. In this study, we also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. Our study shows that driving vehicles fueled with corn-based butanol produced by the current ABE fermentation process could result in substantial fossil energy savings (39%-56%) and avoid large percentage of the GHG emission burden, yielding a 32%-48% reduction relative to using conventional gasoline. On energy basis, a bushel of corn produces less liquid fuel from the ABE process than that from the corn ethanol dry mill process. The coproduction of a significant portion of acetone from the current ABE fermentation presents a challenge. A market analysis of acetone, as well as research and development on robust alternative technologies and processes that minimize acetone while increase the butanol yield, should be conducted.

Refining technology for the recycling of stainless steel radioactive scrap metals, FY 94 bi-annual report

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

Mizia, R.E.; Atteridge, D.G.; Buckentin, J.

1994-08-01

The research addressed under this project is the recycling of metallic nuclear-related by-product materials under the direction of Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company (WINCO). The program addresses the recycling of radioactive scrap metals (RSM) for beneficial re-use within the DOE complex; in particular, this program addresses the recycling of stainless steel RSM. It is anticipated that various stainless steel components under WINCO control at the Idaho Falls Engineering Laboratory (INEL), such as fuel pool criticality barriers and fuel storage racks will begin to be recycled in FY94-95. The end product of this recycling effort is expected to be waste and overpackmore » canisters for densified high level waste for the Idaho Waste Immobilization Facility and/or the Universal Canister System for dry (interim) storage of spent fuel. The specific components of this problem area that are presently being, or have been, addressed by CAAMSEC are: (1) the melting/remelting of stainless steel RSM into billet form; (2) the melting/remelting initial research focus will be on the use of radioactive surrogates to study; (3) the cost effectiveness of RSM processing oriented towards privatization of RSM reuse and/or resale. Other components of this problem that may be addressed under program extension are: (4) the melting/remelting of carbon steel; (5) the processing of billet material into product form which shall meet all applicable ASTM requirements; and, (6) the fabrication of an actual prototypical product; the present concept of an end product is a low carbon Type 304/316 stainless steel cylindrical container for densified and/or vitrified high level radioactive waste and/or the Universal Canister System for dry (interim) storage of spent fuel. The specific work reported herein covers the melting/remelting of stainless steel {open_quotes}scrap{close_quotes} metal into billet form and the study of surrogate material removal effectiveness by various remelting techniques.« less

Feedstock Supply System Design and Economics for Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Hydrocarbon Fuels: Conversion Pathway: Biological Conversion of Sugars to Hydrocarbons The 2017 Design Case

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

Kevin Kenney; Kara G. Cafferty; Jacob J. Jacobson

The U.S. Department of Energy promotes the production of a range of liquid fuels and fuel blendstocks from lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks by funding fundamental and applied research that advances the state of technology in biomass collection, conversion, and sustainability. As part of its involvement in this program, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigates the feedstock logistics economics and sustainability of these fuels. Between 2000 and 2012, INL conducted a campaign to quantify the economics and sustainability of moving biomass from standing in the field or stand to the throat of the biomass conversion process. The goal of this program wasmore » to establish the current costs based on conventional equipment and processes, design improvements to the current system, and to mark annual improvements based on higher efficiencies or better designs. The 2012 programmatic target was to demonstrate a delivered biomass logistics cost of $35/dry ton. This goal was successfully achieved in 2012 by implementing field and process demonstration unit-scale data from harvest, collection, storage, preprocessing, handling, and transportation operations into INL’s biomass logistics model. Looking forward to 2017, the programmatic target is to supply biomass to the conversion facilities at a total cost of $80/dry ton and on specification with in-feed requirements. The goal of the 2017 Design Case is to enable expansion of biofuels production beyond highly productive resource areas by breaking the reliance of cost-competitive biofuel production on a single, abundant, low-cost feedstock. If this goal is not achieved, biofuel plants are destined to be small and/or clustered in select regions of the country that have a lock on low-cost feedstock. To put the 2017 cost target into perspective of past accomplishments of the cellulosic ethanol pathway, the $80 target encompasses total delivered feedstock cost, including both grower payment and logistics costs, while meeting all conversion in-feed quality targets. The 2012 $35 programmatic target included only logistics costs with a limited focus on biomass quality« less

Fuel Aging in Storage and Transportation (FAST): Accelerated Characterization and Performance Assessment of the Used Nuclear Fuel Storage System

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

McDeavitt, Sean

2016-08-02

This Integrated Research Project (IRP) was established to characterize key limiting phenomena related to the performance of used nuclear fuel (UNF) storage systems. This was an applied engineering project with a specific application in view (i.e., UNF dry storage). The completed tasks made use of a mixture of basic science and engineering methods. The overall objective was to create, or enable the creation of, predictive tools in the form of observation methods, phenomenological models, and databases that will enable the design, installation, and licensing of dry UNF storage systems that will be capable of containing UNF for extended period ofmore » time.« less

Effect of through-plane polytetrafluoroethylene distribution in gas diffusion layers on performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Hiroshi; Iwamura, Takuya; Someya, Satoshi; Munakata, Tetsuo; Nakano, Akihiro; Heo, Yun; Ishida, Masayoshi; Nakajima, Hironori; Kitahara, Tatsumi

2016-02-01

This experimental study identifies the effect of through-plane polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) distribution in gas diffusion backing (GDB) on the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). PTFE-drying under vacuum pressure created a relatively uniform PTFE distribution in GDB compared to drying under atmospheric pressure. Carbon paper samples with different PTFE distributions due to the difference in drying conditions were prepared and used for the cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) of PEMFCs. Also investigated is the effect of MPL application on the performance for those samples. The current density (i) - voltage (V) characteristics of these PEMFCs measured under high relative humidity conditions clearly showed that, with or without MPL, the cell using the GDL with PTFE dried under vacuum condition showed better performance than that dried under atmospheric condition. It is suggested that this improved performance is caused by the efficient transport of liquid water through the GDB due to the uniform distribution of PTFE.

Assessment of Tree Leaves Flakes Mixed with Crude Glycerol as a Bioenergy Source

PubMed Central

Hilal-AlNaqbi, Ali; Al-Omari, Salah B.; Selim, Mohamed Y. E.

2016-01-01

The gasification and combustion of dry tree leaves and the cogasification of dry tree leaves soaking crude glycerol were studied experimentally. An updraft fixed bed gasification and combustion system was built. The operation was conducted at different air to fuel ratios. Results show more stable combustion and more effective heat transfer to furnace walls for the cases when tree leaves flakes are mixed with 20 percent (on mass basis) of crude glycerol, as compared with the case when only dry tree leaves are used as fuel. TGA analysis was also conducted for the two fuels used under both air and nitrogen environments. For the crude glycerol, four phases of pyrolysis and gasification were noticed under either of the two surrounding gaseous media (air or nitrogen). For the dry tree leaves, the pyrolysis under nitrogen shows only a simple smooth pyrolysis and gasification curve without showing the different distinct phases that were otherwise identified when the pyrolysis is conducted under air environment. Moreover, the air TGA results lead to more gasification due to the char oxidation at high temperatures. DTG results are also presented and discussed. PMID:27413749

The removal of sulfur dioxide from flue gases

PubMed Central

Kettner, Helmut

1965-01-01

The growth of industrialization makes it imperative to reduce the amounts of sulfur dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. This article describes various processes for cleaning flue gases, and gives details of new methods being investigated. Wet scrubbing with water, though widely practised, has many disadvantages. Scrubbing with zinc oxide, feasible in zinc works, is more satisfactory. Dry methods use a solid absorbent; they have the advantage of a high emission temperature. Other methods are based on the addition to the fuel or the flue gases of substances such as activated metal oxides, which react with the sulfur to form compounds less harmful than sulfur dioxide. Also being investigated are a two-stage combustion system, in which the sulfur dioxide is removed in the first stage, and the injection of activated powdered dolomite into burning fuel; the resulting sulfates being removed by electrostatic precipitation. A wet catalysis process has recently been developed. Most of the cleaning processes are not yet technically mature, but first results show good efficiency and relatively low cost. PMID:14315714

Demonstration of a 1 MWe biomass power plant at USMC Base Camp Lejeune. Report for July 1994-May 1997

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

Cleland, J.; Purvis, C.R.

1998-06-01

The paper discusses a biomass energy conversion project being sponsored by EPA to demonstrate an enviromentally and economically sound electrical power option for government installations, industrial sites, rural cooperatives, small municipalities, and developing countries. Wood gasification combined with internal combustion engines was chosen because of (1) recent improvements in gas cleaning, (2) simple economical operation for units < 10 MW, and (3) the option of a clean cheap fuel for the many existing facilities generating expensive electricity from petroleum fuels with reciprocating engines. The plant incorporates a downdraft, moving-bed gasifier utilizing hogged waste wood from the Marine Corps Base atmore » Camp Lejeune, NC. A moving-bed bulk wood dryer and both spark ignition and diesel engines are included. Unique process design features are described briefly, relative to the gasifier, wood drying, tar separation, and process control. A test plan for process optimization and demonstration of reliability, economics, and environmental impact is outlined.« less

Catalytic partial oxidation reforming of hydrocarbon fuels.

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

Ahmed, S.

1998-09-21

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is the primary candidate as the power source for light-duty transportation systems. On-board conversion of fuels (reforming) to supply the required hydrogen has the potential to provide the driving range that is typical of today's automobiles. Petroleum-derived fuels, gasoline or some distillate similar to it, are attractive because of their existing production, distribution, and retailing infrastructure. The fuel may be either petroleum-derived or other alternative fuels such as methanol, ethanol, natural gas, etc. [1]. The ability to use a variety of fuels is also attractive for stationary distributed power generation [2], such as inmore » buildings, or for portable power in remote locations. Argonne National Laboratory has developed a catalytic reactor based on partial oxidation reforming that is suitable for use in light-duty vehicles powered by fuel cells. The reactor has shown the ability to convert a wide variety of fuels to a hydrogen-rich gas at less than 800 C, temperatures that are several hundreds of degrees lower than alternative noncatalytic processes. The fuel may be methanol, ethanol, natural gas, or petroleum-derived fuels that are blends of various hydrocarbons such as paraffins, olefins, aromatics, etc., as in gasoline. This paper will discuss the results obtained from a bench-scale (3-kWe) reactor., where the reforming of gasoline and natural gas generated a product gas that contained 38% and 42% hydrogen on a dry basis at the reformer exit, respectively.« less

Refuse-Derived Fuels in U.S. Air Force Heating and Power Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-01-01

pellet degradation . Postpellet - cooling may not prevent disintegration into more fines. The Argonne W National Laboratory is sponsoring a research...of fuel,% by using the fuel Orsat (volumetric) analysis and both the carbon and sulfur in the fuel. This is known as a carbon balance. 00 The test... sulfur in the fuel per pound of fuel C ’ = average specific heat of the dry flue gas PG T = flue gas temperature leaving the economizer (or leaving

Environmental & economic life cycle assessment of current & future sewage sludge to energy technologies.

PubMed

Mills, N; Pearce, P; Farrow, J; Thorpe, R B; Kirkby, N F

2014-01-01

The UK Water Industry currently generates approximately 800GWh pa of electrical energy from sewage sludge. Traditionally energy recovery from sewage sludge features Anaerobic Digestion (AD) with biogas utilisation in combined heat and power (CHP) systems. However, the industry is evolving and a number of developments that extract more energy from sludge are either being implemented or are nearing full scale demonstration. This study compared five technology configurations: 1 - conventional AD with CHP, 2 - Thermal Hydrolysis Process (THP) AD with CHP, 3 - THP AD with bio-methane grid injection, 4 - THP AD with CHP followed by drying of digested sludge for solid fuel production, 5 - THP AD followed by drying, pyrolysis of the digested sludge and use of the both the biogas and the pyrolysis gas in a CHP. The economic and environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) found that both the post AD drying options performed well but the option used to create a solid fuel to displace coal (configuration 4) was the most sustainable solution economically and environmentally, closely followed by the pyrolysis configuration (5). Application of THP improves the financial and environmental performance compared with conventional AD. Producing bio-methane for grid injection (configuration 3) is attractive financially but has the worst environmental impact of all the scenarios, suggesting that the current UK financial incentive policy for bio-methane is not driving best environmental practice. It is clear that new and improving processes and technologies are enabling significant opportunities for further energy recovery from sludge; LCA provides tools for determining the best overall options for particular situations and allows innovation resources and investment to be focused accordingly. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Dry-vault storage of spent fuel at the CASCAD facility

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

Baillif, L.; Guay, M.

A new modular dry storage vault concept using vertical metallic wells cooled by natural convection has been developed by the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique and Societe Generale pour les Techniques Nouvelles to accommodate special fuels for high-level wastes. Basic specifications and design criteria have been followed to guarantee a double containment system and cooling to maintain the fuel below an acceptable temperature. The double containment is provided by two static barriers: At the reactor, fuels are placed in containers playing the role of the first barrier; the storage wells constitute the second barrier. Spent fuel placed in wells is cooledmore » by natural convection: a boundary layer is created along the outer side of the well. The heated air rises along the well leading to a thermosiphon flow that extracts the heat released. For heat transfer, studies, computations, and experimental tests have been carried out to calculate and determine the temperature of the containers and the fuel rod temperatures in various situations. The CASCAD vault storage can be applied to light water reactor (LWR) fuels without any difficulties if two requirements are satisfied: (1) Spend fuels have to be inserted in tight canisters. (2) Spent fuels have to be received only after a minimum decay time of 5 yr.« less

Limits to the use of highly compacted bentonite as a deterrent for microbiologically influenced corrosion in a nuclear fuel waste repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroes-Gascoyne, Simcha; Hamon, Connie J.; Maak, Peter

Recent studies have suggested that microbial activity in highly compacted bentonite (⩾1600 kg/m 3) is severely suppressed. Therefore, it appears that the dry density of emplaced bentonite barriers in a geological repository for nuclear waste may be tailored such that a microbiologically unfavorable environment can be created adjacent to used fuel containers. This would ensure that microbiologically influenced corrosion is a negligible contributor to the overall corrosion process. However, this premise is valid only as long as the emplaced bentonite maintains a uniform high dry density (⩾1600 kg/m 3) because it has been shown that high dry density only suppresses microbial activity but not necessarily eliminates the viable microbial population in bentonite. In a repository, a reduction in the dry density of highly compacted bentonite may occur at a number of interface locations, such as placement gaps, contact regions with materials of different densities and contact points with water-carrying fractures in the rock. Experiments were carried out in our laboratory to examine the effects of a reduction in dry density (from 1600 kg/m 3 to about 1000 kg/m 3) on the recovery of microbial culturability in compacted bentonite. Results showed that upon expansion of compacted bentonite into a void, the resulting reduction in dry density stimulated or restored culturability of indigenous microbes. In a repository this would increase the possibility of in situ activity, which might be detrimental for the longevity of waste containers. Reductions in dry density, therefore, should be minimized or eliminated by adequate design and placement methods of compacted bentonite. Materials compliance models can be used to determine the required as-placed dry densities of bentonite buffer and gap fillings to achieve specific targets for long-term equilibrium dry densities for various container placement room designs. Locations where flowing fractures could be in contact with highly compacted bentonite should either be avoided or grouted adequately to limit contact between bentonite and flowing water. Even if localized enhanced microbial activity at interfaces remains of concern, despite adequate engineering and placement methods, the potential consequences can be assessed and quantified adequately by a combination of in situ activity measurements and modeling calculations.

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

Nuclear Energy Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-28

2007. Requires commercial nuclear power plants to transfer spent fuel from pools to dry storage casks and then convey title to the Secretary of Energy...far more economical options for reducing fossil fuel use .15 (For more on federal incentives and the economics of nuclear power, see CRS Report RL33442...uranium enrichment, spent fuel recycling (also called reprocessing), and other fuel cycle facilities that could be used to produce nuclear weapons

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

matching payments are $1 for each $1 per dry ton paid by a qualified advanced biofuel production facility , up to $20 per dry ton. This program is funded through fiscal year 2018 (verified December 2017), but

33 CFR 183.41 - Persons capacity: Outboard boats.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... § 183.35 for the boat minus the motor and control weight, battery weight (dry), and full portable fuel... control weight, battery weight, and full portable fuel tank weight, if any, shown in table 4 of subpart H of this part for the maximum horsepower capacity marked on the boat. Permanently installed fuel tanks...

78 FR 45575 - Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Oconee Nuclear Station Units 1, 2, and 3; Independent Spent Fuel...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-29

... will allow Oconee to effectively manage its spent fuel inventory to meet decay heat zoning requirements... thermal stresses, including potential elongation from decay heat and irradiation. In addition, the NRC...] system provides for the horizontal dry storage of canisterized spent fuel assemblies in a concrete...

Timely topics on spent fuel storage

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

Selin, I.

1994-12-31

The history of spent fuel management in this country has taken several turns, with a final resolution still out of reach. Several repository programs started, stalled ans stopped. The latest effort at Yucca Mountain is progressing but, at best, is years from the early phases of licensing, much less the actual underground disposal of spent fuel. A monitored retrieval storage [MRS] facility was expected to start accepting commercial spent fuel beginning in 1998, but no such facility is clearly on the horizon. All of these recent developments changed the circumstances that we face in spent fuel management. The obvious conclusionmore » is that an increasing number of plants, both operating and permanently shut-down reactors, will have to provide for additional spent fuel storage on-site for a longer period than originally planned, and even after plant decommissioning, prudence requires that provision be made for continual, stand-alone, on-site storage. After pool capacity is reached, most utilities opt for some sort of dry storage. But the dry storage option has triggered an unprecedented amount of local opposition at many sites, further taxing NRC and industry resources.« less

Characterization of potential fire regimes: applying landscape ecology to fire management in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jardel, E.; Alvarado, E.; Perez-Salicrup, D.; Morfín-Rios, J.

2013-05-01

Knowledge and understanding of fire regimes is fundamental to design sound fire management practices. The high ecosystem diversity of Mexico offers a great challenge to characterize the fire regime variation at the landscape level. A conceptual model was developed considering the main factors controlling fire regimes: climate and vegetation cover. We classified landscape units combining bioclimatic zones from the Holdridge life-zone system and actual vegetation cover. Since bioclimatic conditions control primary productivity and biomass accumulation (potential fuel), each landscape unit was considered as a fuel bed with a particular fire intensity and behavior potential. Climate is also a determinant factor of post-fire recovery rates of fuel beds, and climate seasonality (length of the dry and wet seasons) influences fire probability (available fuel and ignition efficiency). These two factors influence potential fire frequency. Potential fire severity can be inferred from fire frequency, fire intensity and behavior, and vegetation composition and structure. Based in the conceptual model, an exhaustive literature review and expert opinion, we developed rules to assign a potential fire regime (PFR) defined by frequency, intensity and severity (i.e. fire regime) to each bioclimatic-vegetation landscape unit. Three groups and eight types of potential fire regimes were identified. In Group A are fire-prone ecosystems with frequent low severity surface fires in grasslands (PFR type I) or forests with long dry season (II) and infrequent high-severity fires in chaparral (III), wet temperate forests (IV, fire restricted by humidity), and dry temperate forests (V, fire restricted by fuel recovery rate). Group B includes fire-reluctant ecosystems with very infrequent or occasional mixed severity surface fires limited by moisture in tropical rain forests (VI) or fuel availability in seasonally dry tropical forests (VII). Group C and PFR VIII include fire-free environments that correspond to deserts. Application of PFR model to fire management is discussed.

[Contamination by lead and cadmium during smoke drying of cereals].

PubMed

Woggon, H; Malkus, Z

1978-01-01

Direct drying of cereals with diesel oil as a fuel does not increase the lead and cadmium contents. From the viewpoint of food hygiene and in the interest of the consumer's protection, however, it is recommendable to abandon this kind of drying since previous studies have shown that it involves the risk of contamination by cancerogenic hydrocarbons.

Progress in the chemistry of shortleaf and loblolly pine bark flavonoids

Treesearch

R.W. Hemingway

1976-01-01

The forest products industries of the southern United States harvest approximately 7 million dry tons of pine bark each year. This resource receives little utilization other than recovery of fuel values. approximately 2 million dry tons (30-40% of bark dry weight) of potentially valuable polyflavonoids are burned annually. Conifer bark flavonoids have potential...

Air Drying of Chunkwood and Chips

Treesearch

Joseph B. Sturos; Lynne A. Coyer; Rodger A. Arola

1983-01-01

A new method of communicating wood has resulted in a new wood particle form called chunkwood, which is much larger than the common pulp-size chip. Chunkwood appears well suited for use as a fuel but nothing is yet known about its storage, drying, or combustion characteristics. This paper reports on two exploratory drying experiments we conducted to see whether chunks...

Conceptual Biorefinery Design and Research Targeted for 2022: Hydrothermal Liquefacation Processing of Wet Waste to Fuels

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

Snowden-Swan, Lesley J.; Zhu, Yunhua; Bearden, Mark D.

The Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) invests in research and development of new pathways for commercially viable conversion of biomass into drop-in ready transportation fuels, fuel blendstocks and products. The primary emphasis has been on terrestrial and algae feedstocks, but more recently BETO has begun to explore the potential of wet wastes for biofuel production, with focus on wastewater residuals, manure, food waste, and fats, oils and grease. A recent resource analysis estimates that 77 million dry tons per year of these wastes are generated annually, 65% of which are underutilized for any beneficial purpose. Approximately 14 millionmore » dry tons of the total resource is wastewater residuals (sludge and biosolids) generated at the nation’s wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Conversion of this resource into transportation fuels could significantly contribute to the creation of a new domestic bioenergy and bioproduct industry, while providing an economically and environmentally sustainable alternative for current waste disposal practices. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a process that uses hot, pressurized water in the condensed phase to convert biomass to a thermally stable oil product, also known as “biocrude”, which can then be thermo-catalytically upgraded to hydrocarbon fuel blendstocks. HTL is conceptually simple, has a high carbon efficiency, and can be applied to a wide range of wet feedstocks at similar processing conditions. The purpose of this report is to document the conceptual design, economics and supporting data for a sludge-to-fuel pathway via HTL and biocrude upgrading. The configuration includes a HTL plant that is co-located with a WWTP and a larger scale biocrude upgrading plant for production of hydrocarbon fuel blendstocks. Experimental data from bench scale testing of a 1:1 mixture of primary:secondary sludges are used to establish the economic and technical assumptions for the analysis. The design represents a goal case for the pathway, targeting performance that is anticipated to be achievable by 2022 with further research and development. The year 2022 is BETO’s target year for verification of hydrocarbon biofuel pathways. As this analysis represents a goal case, assumed values of several design parameters represent improvements in the technology relative to what has currently been demonstrated in the laboratory. While HTL is fairly well developed and may therefore be ready for commercialization prior to 2022, there are specific advancements addressed in this analysis that are necessary to enhance performance compared to what has been demonstrated to date. In addition, an important aspect to the pathway is the upgrading of biocrude to fuel blendstock, an area that has received much less attention and requires significant research to validate the goal case performance parameters. The estimated plant gate minimum fuel selling price for fuel blendstock from sludge HTL and upgrading is $3.46/gasoline gallon equivalent (gge). This price is within the tolerance (+$0.49/gge) of BETO’s $3/gge programmatic cost target and illustrates that fuel blendstocks generated from HTL of sludge and centralized biocrude upgrading have the potential to be competitive with fossil fuels. This analysis illustrates the feasibility of HTL for point-of-generation conversion of waste feedstock at a scale 1/20th that of the standard lignocellulosic biorefinery scale typically used in BETO design cases. The relevance of this work reaches beyond wastewater treatment sludge to lay the groundwork for application to other distributed wet wastes and blends that together represent a significant resource of underutilized biomass.« less

Evaluation of on-board hydrogen storage methods f or high-speed aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akyurtlu, Ates; Akyurtlu, Jale F.

1991-01-01

Hydrogen is the fuel of choice for hypersonic vehicles. Its main disadvantage is its low liquid and solid density. This increases the vehicle volume and hence the drag losses during atmospheric flight. In addition, the dry mass of the vehicle is larger due to larger vehicle structure and fuel tankage. Therefore it is very desirable to find a fuel system with smaller fuel storage requirements without deteriorating the vehicle performance substantially. To evaluate various candidate fuel systems, they were first screened thermodynamically with respect to their energy content and cooling capacities. To evaluate the vehicle performance with different fuel systems, a simple computer model is developed to compute the vehicle parameters such as the vehicle volume, dry mass, effective specific impulse, and payload capacity. The results indicate that if the payload capacity (or the gross lift-off mass) is the most important criterion, only slush hydrogen and liquid hydrogen - liquid methane gel shows better performance than the liquid hydrogen vehicle. If all the advantages of a smaller vehicle are considered and a more accurate mass analysis can be performed, other systems using endothermic fuels such as cyclohexane, and some boranes may prove to be worthy of further consideration.

Fabrication and characterization of solid oxide cells for energy conversion and storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chenghao

2011-12-01

There has been an increasing interest in clean and renewable energy generation for highlighted energy and environmental concerns. Solid oxide cells (SOCs) have been considered as one of the promising technologies, since they can be operated efficiently both in electrolysis mode by generating hydrogen through steam electrolysis and fuel cell mode by electrochemically combining fuel with oxidant. The present work is devoted to performing a fundamental study of SOC in both fuel cell mode for power generation and electrolysis mode for fuel production. The research work on SOCs that can be operated reversibly for power generation and fuel production has been conducted in the following six projects: (1) High performance solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) Fabrication of novel structured SOEC oxygen electrode with the conventional and commercial solid oxide fuel cell materials by screen-printing and infiltration fabrication methods. The microstructure, electrochemical properties and durability of SOECs has been investigated. It was found that the LSM infiltrated cell has an area specific resistance (ASR) of 0.20 Ω cm2 at 900°C at open circuit voltage with 50% absolute humidity (AH), which is relatively lower than that of the cell with LSM-YSZ oxygen electrode made by a conventional mixing method. Electrolysis cell with LSM infiltrated oxygen electrode has demonstrated stable performance under electrolysis operation with 0.33 A/cm2 and 50 vol.% AH at 800°C. (2) Advanced performance high temperature micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SOFC) Phase-inversion, dip-coating, high temperature co-sintering process and impregnation method were used to fabricate micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell. The micro-structure of the micro-tubular fuel cell will be investigated and the power output and thermal robustness has been evaluated. High performance and rapid start-up behavior have been achieved, indicates that the MT-SOFC developed in this work can be a promising technology for portable applications. (3) Promising intermediate temperature micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells for portable power supply applications Maximum power densities of 0.5, 0.38 and 0.27 W/cm2 have been obtained using H2-15% H2O as fuel at 550, 600 and 650°C, respectively. Quick thermal cycles performed on the intermediate temperature MT-SOFC stability demonstrate that the cell has robust performance stability for portable applications. (4) Micro-tubular solid oxide cell (MT-SOC) for steam electrolysis The electrochemical properties of MT-SOC will be investigated in detail in electrolysis mode. The mechanism of the novel hydrogen electrode structure benefiting the cell performance will be demonstrated systematically. The high electrochemical performance of the MT-SOC in electrolysis mode indicates that MT-SOC can provide an efficient hydrogen generation process. (5) Micro-tubular solid oxide cell (MT-SOC) for steam and CO2 co-electrolysis The MT-SOC will be operated in co-electrolysis mode for steam and CO 2, which will provide an efficient approach to generate syngas (H2+CO) without consuming fossil fuels. This can potentially provide an alternative superior approach for carbon sequestration which has been a critical issue facing the sustainability of our society. (6) Steam and CO2 co-electrolysis using solid oxide cells fabricated by freeze-drying tape-casting Tri-layer scaffolds have been prepared by freeze-drying tape casting process and the electrode catalysts are obtained by infiltrating the porous electrode substrates. Button cells will be tested for co-electrolysis of steam and CO2. The mechanism and efficiency of steam and CO2 co-electrolysis will be systemically investigated. In conclusion, SOCs have been fabricated with conventional materials and evaluated, but their performance has been found to be limited in either SOFC or SOEC mode. The cell performance has been significantly improved by employing an infiltrated LSM-YSZ electrode, due to dramatically decreased polarization resistance. However, mass transport limitation has been observed, particularly in electrolysis mode. By utilizing micro-tubular SOCs with novel hydrogen electrode produced via a phase inversion method, mass transport limitation has been mitigated. Finally, mass transport has been further improved by using cells with electrodes fabricated through a freeze-drying tape-casting method. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Modeling of molecular and particulate transport in dry spent nuclear fuel canisters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casella, Andrew M.

2007-09-01

The transportation and storage of spent nuclear fuel is one of the prominent issues facing the commercial nuclear industry today, as there is still no general consensus regarding the near- and long-term strategy for managing the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. The debate continues over whether the fuel cycle should remain open, in which case spent fuel will be stored at on-site reactor facilities, interim facilities, or a geologic repository; or if the fuel cycle should be closed, in which case spent fuel will be recycled. Currently, commercial spent nuclear fuel is stored at on-site reactor facilities either in pools or in dry storage containers. Increasingly, spent fuel is being moved to dry storage containers due to decreased costs relative to pools. As the number of dry spent fuel containers increases and the roles they play in the nuclear fuel cycle increase, more regulations will be enacted to ensure that they function properly. Accordingly, they will have to be carefully analyzed for normal conditions, as well as any off-normal conditions of concern. This thesis addresses the phenomena associated with one such concern; the formation of a microscopic through-wall breach in a dry storage container. Particular emphasis is placed on the depressurization of the canister, release of radioactivity, and plugging of the breach due to deposition of suspended particulates. The depressurization of a dry storage container upon the formation of a breach depends on the temperature and quantity of the fill gas, the pressure differential across the breach, and the size of the breach. The first model constructed in this thesis is capable of determining the depressurization time for a breached container as long as the associated parameters just identified allow for laminar flow through the breach. The parameters can be manipulated to quantitatively determine their effect on depressurization. This model is expanded to account for the presence of suspended particles. If these particles are transported with the fill gas into the breach, they may be deposited, leading to a restriction of flow and eventually to the plugging of the breach. This model uses an analytical solution to the problem of particle deposition in convective-diffusive fully-developed laminar flow through a straight cylindrical tube. Since the cylindrical flow geometry is a requirement for the use of this equation, it is assumed that all deposited particles are distributed uniformly both axially and circumferentially along the breach. The model is capable of monitoring the pressure, temperature, quantity of fill gas, breach radius, particle transmission fraction, and flow velocity through the breach as functions of time. The depressurization time can be significantly affected by the release of fission gases or helium generated from alpha decay if the cladding of a fuel rod within the canister is breached. To better quantify this phenomenon, a Monte Carlo model of molecular transport through nano-scale flow pathways in the spent fuel is developed in this thesis. This model is applied to cylindrical, conical, elliptical, and helical pathways. Finally, in order to remove some of the restrictions of the model of canister depressurization accounting for suspended particles, a Monte Carlo program was written to model the movement of particles through the breach. This program is capable of accounting for any transport mechanism specified but is focused in this work on laminar convective-diffusive flow. Each test particle is tracked as it is carried through the breach and if it impacts the breach wall, the three-dimensional location of the impact is recorded. In this way, the axial and circumferential deposition patterns can be recorded. This program can model any flow geometry as long as a velocity profile can be provided. In this thesis, the program is expanded to account for flow through straight and torroidal cylindrical tubes.

Chemical characterization of biomass fuel smoke particles of rural kitchens of South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deka, Pratibha; Hoque, Raza Rafiqul

2015-05-01

Biomass fuel smoke particles (BFSPs) of rural kitchens collected during dry and wet seasons were characterized for elements, anions and carbon. The BFSPs of kitchens using varied biomass fuel types viz. cow dung stick, mixed biomass, cow-dung stick-mixed biomass and sugarcane bagasse were chosen for the study. The BFSPs from cow dung fuel stick showed higher levels of elements, anions and particulate carbon than other BFSPs. Calcium, K, Fe and Mg were the major elements found in all BFSPs, which did not vary much between the seasons. Sulphate was found to be the dominant anion present in all BFSPs followed by Clˉ and PO43-. Seasonal variation was pronounced in the case of abundance of anions and particulate carbon. The ratio OC/EC, often used as source signature of biomass burning, was found to be within 1.89-7.41 and 1.72-6.19 during dry and wet seasons respectively.

Changing Weather Extremes Call for Early Warning of Potential for Catastrophic Fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boer, Matthias M.; Nolan, Rachael H.; Resco De Dios, Víctor; Clarke, Hamish; Price, Owen F.; Bradstock, Ross A.

2017-12-01

Changing frequencies of extreme weather events and shifting fire seasons call for enhanced capability to forecast where and when forested landscapes switch from a nonflammable (i.e., wet fuel) state to the highly flammable (i.e., dry fuel) state required for catastrophic forest fires. Current forest fire danger indices used in Europe, North America, and Australia rate potential fire behavior by combining numerical indices of fuel moisture content, potential rate of fire spread, and fire intensity. These numerical rating systems lack the physical basis required to reliably quantify forest flammability outside the environments of their development or under novel climate conditions. Here, we argue that exceedance of critical forest flammability thresholds is a prerequisite for major forest fires and therefore early warning systems should be based on a reliable prediction of fuel moisture content plus a regionally calibrated model of how forest fire activity responds to variation in fuel moisture content. We demonstrate the potential of this approach through a case study in Portugal. We use a physically based fuel moisture model with historical weather and fire records to identify critical fuel moisture thresholds for forest fire activity and then show that the catastrophic June 2017 forest fires in central Portugal erupted shortly after fuels in the region dried out to historically unprecedented levels.

Degradation analysis of anode-supported intermediate temperature-solid oxide fuel cells under various failure modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Tae-Hee; Park, Ka-Young; Kim, Ji-Tae; Seo, Yongho; Kim, Ki Buem; Song, Sun-Ju; Park, Byoungnam; Park, Jun-Young

2015-02-01

This study focuses on mechanisms and symptoms of several simulated failure modes, which may have significant influences on the long-term durability and operational stability of intermediate temperature-solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs), including fuel/oxidation starvation by breakdown of fuel/air supply components and wet and dry cycling atmospheres. Anode-supported IT-SOFCs consisting of a Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF)-Nd0.1Ce0.9O2-δ (NDC) composite cathode with an NDC electrolyte on a Ni-NDC anode substrate are fabricated via dry-pressings followed by the co-firing method. Comprehensive and systematic research based on the failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) of anode-supported IT-SOFCs is conducted using various electrochemical and physiochemical analysis techniques to extend our understanding of the major mechanisms of performance deterioration under SOFC operating conditions. The fuel-starvation condition in the fuel-pump failure mode causes irreversible mechanical degradation of the electrolyte and cathode interface by the dimensional expansion of the anode support due to the oxidation of Ni metal to NiO. In contrast, the BSCF cathode shows poor stability under wet and dry cycling modes of cathode air due to the strong electroactivity of SrO with H2O. On the other hand, the air-depletion phenomena under air-pump failure mode results in the recovery of cell performance during the long-term operation without the visible microstructural transformation through the reduction of anode overvoltage.

Effects of CDS and Drying Temperature Levels on the Flowability Behavior of DDGS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The fuel ethanol industry has been one of the fastest growing industries, with a growth rate of more than 300% since 2000. Due to demand for alternative fuels and the need to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, the growth of ethanol production is expected to rise in future years. One of the problems ...

78 FR 41703 - Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Additional Qualifying Renewable Fuel Pathways Under the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-11

... Refineries. Industry 325193 2869 Ethyl alcohol manufacturing. Industry 325199 2869 Other basic organic... as fertilizer).\\2\\ Therefore in the final rule EPA concluded that since biofuel made from the... showed an average yield of 15 dry tons per acre with no nitrogen fertilizer applied after the first year...

Beyond reducing fire hazard: fuel treatment impacts on overstory tree survival

Treesearch

Brandon M. Collins; Adrian J. Das; John J. Battles; Danny L. Fry; Kevin D. Krasnow; Scott L. Stephens

2014-01-01

Fuel treatment implementation in dry forest types throughout the western United States is likely to increase in pace and scale in response to increasing incidence of large wildfires. While it is clear that properly implemented fuel treatments are effective at reducing hazardous fire potential, there are ancillary ecological effects that can impact forest...

75 FR 53353 - Notice of Availability of Final Interim Staff Guidance Document No. 25 “Pressure and Helium...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-31

... Guidance Document No. 25 ``Pressure and Helium Leakage Testing of the Confinement Boundary of Spent Fuel...: The Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation (SFST) of the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety... Helium Leakage Testing of the Confinement Boundary of Spent Fuel Dry Storage Systems.'' This ISG...

Understanding and Mitigating Reservoir Compaction: an Experimental Study on Sand Aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schimmel, M.; Hangx, S.; Spiers, C. J.

2016-12-01

Fossil fuels continue to provide a source for energy, fuels for transport and chemicals for everyday items. However, adverse effects of decades of hydrocarbons production are increasingly impacting society and the environment. Production-driven reduction in reservoir pore pressure leads to a poro-elastic response of the reservoir, and in many occasions to time-dependent compaction (creep) of the reservoir. In turn, reservoir compaction may lead to surface subsidence and could potentially result in induced (micro)seismicity. To predict and mitigate the impact of fluid extraction, we need to understand production-driven reservoir compaction in highly porous siliciclastic rocks and explore potential mitigation strategies, for example, by using compaction-inhibiting injection fluids. As a first step, we investigate the effect of chemical environment on the compaction behaviour of sand aggregates, comparable to poorly consolidated, highly porous sandstones. The sand samples consist of loose aggregates of Beaujean quartz sand, sieved into a grainsize fraction of 180-212 µm. Uniaxial compaction experiments are performed at an axial stress of 35 MPa and temperature of 80°C, mimicking conditions of reservoirs buried at three kilometres depth. The chemical environment during creep is either vacuum-dry or CO2-dry, or fluid-saturated, with fluids consisting of distilled water, acid solution (CO2-saturated water), alkaline solution (pH 9), aluminium solution (pH 3) and solution with surfactants (i.e., AMP). Preliminary results show that compaction of quartz sand aggregates is promoted in a wet environment compared to a dry environment. It is inferred that deformation is controlled by subcritical crack growth when dry and stress corrosion cracking when wet, both resulting in grain failure and subsequent grain rearrangement. Fluids inhibiting these processes, have the potential to inhibit aggregate compaction.

Preparation and combustion of coal-water fuel from the Sin Pun coal deposit, southern Thailand

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

NONE

In response to an inquiry by the Department of Mineral Resources in Thailand, the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) prepared a program to assess the responsiveness of Sin Pun lignite to the temperature and pressure conditions of hot-water drying. The results indicate that drying made several improvements in the coal, notably increases in heating value and carbon content and reductions in equilibrium moisture and oxygen content. The equilibrium moisture content decreased from 27 wt% for the raw coal to about 15 wt% for the hot-water-dried (HWD) coals. The energy density for a pumpable coal-water fuel (CWF) indicates an increasemore » from 4500 to 6100 Btu/lb by hot-water drying. Approximately 650 lb of HWD Sin Pun CWF were fired in the EERC`s combustion test facility. The fuel burned extremely well, with no feed problems noted during the course of the test. Fouling and slagging deposits each indicated a very low rate of ash deposition, with only a dusty layer formed on the cooled metal surfaces. The combustor was operated at between 20% and 25% excess air, resulting in a flue gas SO{sub 2} concentration averaging approximately 6500 parts per million.« less

Molecular Characterization of Organosulfur Compounds in Biodiesel and Diesel Fuel Secondary Organic Aerosol

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

Blair, Sandra L.; MacMillan, Amanda C.; Drozd, Greg T.

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA), formed in a process of photooxidization of diesel fuel, biodiesel fuel, and 20% biodiesel fuel/80% diesel fuel mixture, are prepared under high-NOx conditions in the presence and absence of sulfur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), and relative humidity (RH). The composition of condensed-phase organic compounds in SOA is measured using several analytical techniques including aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS), high-resolution nanospray desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (nano-DESI/HRMS), and ultra high resolution and mass accuracy 21T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (21T FT-ICR MS). Results demonstrate that sulfuric acid and condensed organosulfur species formed in photooxidation experimentsmore » with SO2 are present in the SOA particles. Fewer organosulfur species are formed in the high humidity experiments, performed at RH 90%, in comparison with experiments done under dry conditions. There is a strong overlap of organosulfur species observed in this study with previous field and chamber studies of SOA. Many mass spectrometry peaks of organosulfates (R–OS(O)2OH) in field studies previously designated as biogenic or of unknown origin might have originated from anthropogenic sources, such as photooxidation of hydrocarbons present in diesel and biodiesel fuel.« less

Drying Shrinkage of Mortar Incorporating High Volume Oil Palm Biomass Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukor Lim, Nor Hasanah Abdul; Samadi, Mostafa; Rahman Mohd. Sam, Abdul; Khalid, Nur Hafizah Abd; Nabilah Sarbini, Noor; Farhayu Ariffin, Nur; Warid Hussin, Mohd; Ismail, Mohammed A.

2018-03-01

This paper studies the drying shrinkage of mortar incorporating oil palm biomass waste including Palm Oil Fuel Ash, Oil Palm Kernel Shell and Oil Palm Fibre. Nano size of palm oil fuel ash was used up to 80 % as cement replacement by weight. The ash has been treated to improve the physical and chemical properties of mortar. The mass ratio of sand to blended ashes was 3:1. The test was carried out using 25 × 25 × 160 mm prism for drying shrinkage tests and 70 × 70 ×70 mm for compressive strength test. The results show that the shrinkage value of biomass mortar is reduced by 31% compared with OPC mortar thus, showing better performance in restraining deformation of the mortar while the compressive strength increased by 24% compared with OPC mortar at later age. The study gives a better understanding of how the biomass waste affect on mortar compressive strength and drying shrinkage behaviour. Overall, the oil palm biomass waste can be used to produce a better performance mortar at later age in terms of compressive strength and drying shrinkage.

Research in biomass production and utilization: Systems simulation and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Albert Stewart

There is considerable public interest in developing a sustainable biobased economy that favors support of family farms and rural communities and also promotes the development of biorenewable energy resources. This study focuses on a number of questions related to the development and exploration of new pathways that can potentially move us toward a more sustainable biobased economy. These include issues related to biomass fuels for drying grain, economies-of-scale, new biomass harvest systems, sugar-to-ethanol crop alternatives for the Upper Midwest U.S., biomass transportation, post-harvest biomass processing and double cropping production scenarios designed to maximize biomass feedstock production. The first section of this study considers post-harvest drying of shelled corn grain both at farm-scale and at larger community-scaled installations. Currently, drying of shelled corn requires large amounts of fossil fuel energy. To address future energy concerns, this study evaluates the potential use of combined heat and power systems that use the combustion of corn stover to produce steam for drying and to generate electricity for fans, augers, and control components. Because of the large capital requirements for solid fuel boilers and steam turbines/engines, both farm-scale and larger grain elevator-scaled systems benefit by sharing boiler and power infrastructure with other processes. The second and third sections evaluate sweet sorghum as a possible "sugarcane-like" crop that can be grown in the Upper Midwest. Various harvest systems are considered including a prototype mobile juice harvester, a hypothetical one-pass unit that separates grain heads from chopped stalks and traditional forage/silage harvesters. Also evaluated were post-harvest transportation, storage and processing costs and their influence on the possible use of sweet sorghum as a supplemental feedstock for existing dry-grind ethanol plants located in the Upper Midwest. Results show that the concept of a mobile juice harvester is not economically viable due to low sugar recovery. The addition of front-end stalk processing/pressing equipment into existing ethanol facilities was found to be economically viable when combined with the plants' use of residuals as a natural gas fuel replacement. Because of high loss of fermentable carbohydrates during ensilage, storage of sweet sorghum in bunkers was not found to be economically viable. The fourth section looks at double cropping winter triticale with late-planted summer corn and compares these scenarios to traditional single cropped corn. Double cropping systems show particular promise for co-production of grain and biomass feedstocks and potentially can allow for greater utilization of grain crop residues. However, additional costs and risks associated with producing two crops instead of one could make biomass-double crops less attractive for producers despite productivity advantages. Detailed evaluation and comparisons show double cropped triticale-corn to be at a significant economic disadvantage relative to single crop corn. The cost benefits associated with using less equipment combined with availability of risk mitigating crop insurance and government subsidies will likely limit farmer interest and clearly indicate that traditional single-crop corn will provide greater financial returns to management. To evaluate the various sweet sorghum, single crop corn and double cropped triticale-corn production scenarios, a detailed but generic model was developed. The primary goal of this generic approach was to develop a modeling foundation that can be rapidly adapted, by an experienced user, to describe new and existing biomass and crop production scenarios that may be of interest to researchers. The foundation model allows input of management practices, crop production characteristics and utilizes standardized machinery performance and cost information, including farm-owned machinery and implements, and machinery and farm production operations provided by custom operators. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Faecal-wood biomass co-combustion and ash composition analysis.

PubMed

Somorin, Tosin Onabanjo; Kolios, Athanasios J; Parker, Alison; McAdam, Ewan; Williams, Leon; Tyrrel, Sean

2017-09-01

Fuel blending is a widely used approach in biomass combustion, particularly for feedstocks with low calorific value and high moisture content. In on-site sanitation technologies, fuel blending is proposed as a pre-treatment requirement to reduce moisture levels and improve the physiochemical properties of raw faeces prior to drying. This study investigates the co-combustion performance of wood dust: raw human faeces blends at varying air-to-fuel ratios in a bench-scale combustor test rig. It concludes with ash composition analyses and discusses their potential application and related problems. The study shows that a 50:50 wood dust (WD): raw human faeces (FC) can reduce moisture levels in raw human faeces by ∼40% prior to drying. The minimum acceptable blend for treating moist faeces without prior drying at a combustion air flow rate of 14-18 L/min is 30:70 WD: FC. For self-sustained ignition and flame propagation, the minimum combustion temperature required for conversion of the fuel to ash is ∼400 °C. The most abundant elements in faecal ash are potassium and calcium, while elements such as nickel, aluminium and iron are in trace quantities. This suggests the potential use of faecal ash as a soil conditioner, but increases the tendency for fly ash formation and sintering problems.

Mid-term fire danger index based on satellite imagery and ancillary geographic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanidou, A.; Dragozi, E.; Tompoulidou, M.; Stepanidou, L.; Grigoriadis, D.; Katagis, T.; Stavrakoudis, D.; Gitas, I.

2017-09-01

Fire danger forecast constitutes one of the most important components of integrated fire management since it provides crucial information for efficient pre-fire planning, alertness and timely response to a possible fire event. The aim of this work is to develop an index that has the capability of predicting accurately fire danger on a mid-term basis. The methodology that is currently under development is based on an innovative approach that employs dry fuel spatial connectivity as well as biophysical and topological variables for the reliable prediction of fire danger. More specifically, the estimation of the dry fuel connectivity is based on a previously proposed automated procedure implemented in R software that uses Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) time series data. Dry fuel connectivity estimates are then combined with other ancillary data such as fuel type and proximity to roads in order to result in the generation of the proposed mid-term fire danger index. The innovation of the proposed index—which will be evaluated by comparison to historical fire data—lies in the fact that its calculation is almost solely affected by the availability of satellite data. Finally, it should be noted that the index is developed within the framework of the National Observatory of Forest Fires (NOFFi) project.

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

A Survey of the Use of Ceramics in Battery and Fuel Cell Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-06-01

Company is looking at step IV, spray drying, to obtain powders with these desirable properties . At the University of (41) Utah the "zeta" process ...porous carbon matrix. As with other developments in high-temperature batteries a lithium alloy (Li- Al ) is used as the anode material, while the...with Li- Al alloys , where the activity of lithium is reduced, a longer life is obtained than with pure lithium anodes. Boron nitride felt or paper

Electro-Magnetic Actuated Valve for MEMS Fuel Metering System

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

This model is utilized material properties of Silicon (Si), Copper (Cu), Nickel Iron ( NiFe ), and air. C11 Air NiSe Figure 5. Design of a simplified a... NiFe are defined and shown table 4. It is assumed that the properties of materials are independent of orientation (i.e. isotropic materials). Relative...dry filn resist. This process enables an integrated NiFe armature with a hole-in-the-wall within the main flow channel. UC Berkeley, Pisano - 2007

Stabilized super-thermite colloids: A new generation of advanced highly energetic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elbasuney, Sherif; Gaber Zaky, M.; Radwan, Mostafa; Mostafa, Sherif F.

2017-10-01

One of the great impetus of nanotechnology on energetic materials is the achievement of nanothermites (metal-oxide/metal) which are characterized by massive heat output. Yet, full exploitation of super-thermites in highly energetic systems has not been achieved. This manuscript reports on the sustainable fabrication of colloidal Fe2O3 and CuO nanoparticles for thermite applications. TEM micrographs demonstrated mono-dispersed Fe2O3 and CuO with an average particle size of 3 and 15 nm respectively. XRD diffractograms demonstrated highly crystalline materials. SEM micrographs demonstrated a great tendency of the developed oxides to aggregate over drying process. The effective integration and dispersion of mono-dispersed colloidal thermite particles into energetic systems are vital for enhanced performance. Aluminum is of interest as highly energetic metal fuel. In this paper, synthesized Fe2O3 and CuO nanoparticles were re-dispersed in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) with aluminum nanoparticles using ultrasonic prope homogenizer. The colloidal thermite peraticles can be intgegrated into highly energetic system for subsequent nanocomposite development. Thanks to stabilization of colloidal CuO nanoparticles in IPA which could offer intimate mixing between oxidizer and metal fuel. The stabilization mechanism of CuO in IPA was correlated to steric stabilization with solvent molecules. This approach eliminated nanoparticle drying and the re-dispersion of dry aggregates into energetic materials. This manuscript shaded the light on the real development of colloidal thermite mixtures and their integration into highly energetic systems.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Upgrading of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge: A Preliminary Techno-Economic Analysis, Rev.1

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

Snowden-Swan, Lesley J.; Zhu, Yunhua; Jones, Susanne B.

A preliminary process model and techno-economic analysis (TEA) was completed for fuel produced from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sludge waste from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and subsequent biocrude upgrading. The model is adapted from previous work by Jones et al. (2014) for algae HTL, using experimental data generated in fiscal year 2015 (FY15) bench-scale HTL testing of sludge waste streams. Testing was performed on sludge samples received from Metro Vancouver’s Annacis Island WWTP (Vancouver, B.C.) as part of a collaborative project with the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation (WERF). The full set of sludge HTL testing data frommore » this effort will be documented in a separate report to be issued by WERF. This analysis is based on limited testing data and therefore should be considered preliminary. In addition, the testing was conducted with the goal of successful operation, and therefore does not represent an optimized process. Future refinements are necessary to improve the robustness of the model, including a cross-check of modeled biocrude components with the experimental GCMS data and investigation of equipment costs most appropriate at the relatively small scales used here. Environmental sustainability metrics analysis is also needed to understand the broader impact of this technology pathway. The base case scenario for the analysis consists of 10 HTL plants, each processing 100 dry U.S. ton/day (92.4 ton/day on a dry, ash-free basis) of sludge waste and producing 234 barrel per stream day (BPSD) biocrude, feeding into a centralized biocrude upgrading facility that produces 2,020 barrel per standard day of final fuel. This scale was chosen based upon initial wastewater treatment plant data collected by PNNL’s resource assessment team from the EPA’s Clean Watersheds Needs Survey database (EPA 2015a) and a rough estimate of what the potential sludge availability might be within a 100-mile radius. In addition, we received valuable feedback from the wastewater treatment industry as part of the WERF collaboration that helped form the basis for the selected HTL and upgrading plant scales and feedstock credit (current cost of disposal). It is assumed that the sludge is currently disposed of at $16.20/wet ton ($46/dry ton at 35% solids; $50/ton dry, ash-free basis) and this is included as a feedstock credit in the operating costs. The base case assumptions result in a minimum biocrude selling price of $3.8/gge and a minimum final upgraded fuel selling price of $4.9/gge. Several areas of process improvement and refinements to the analysis have the potential to significantly improve economics relative to the base case: •Optimization of HTL sludge feed solids content •Optimization of HTL biocrude yield •Optimization of HTL reactor liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) •Optimization of fuel yield from hydrotreating •Combined large and small HTL scales specific to regions (e.g., metropolitan and suburban plants) Combined improvements believed to be achievable in these areas can potentially reduce the minimum selling price of biocrude and final upgraded fuel by about 50%. Further improvements may be possible through recovery of higher value components from the HTL aqueous phase, as being investigated under separate PNNL projects. Upgrading the biocrude at an existing petroleum refinery could also reduce the MFSP, although this option requires further testing to ensure compatibility and mitigation of risks to a refinery. And finally, recycling the HTL aqueous phase product stream back to the headworks of the WWTP (with no catalytic hydrothermal gasification treatment) can significantly reduce cost. This option is uniquely appropriate for application at a water treatment facility but also requires further investigation to determine any technical and economic challenges related to the extra chemical oxygen demand (COD) associated with the recycled water.« less

Organic and inorganic speciation of particulate matter formed during different combustion phases in an improved cookstove.

PubMed

Leavey, Anna; Patel, Sameer; Martinez, Raul; Mitroo, Dhruv; Fortenberry, Claire; Walker, Michael; Williams, Brent; Biswas, Pratim

2017-10-01

Residential solid fuel combustion in cookstoves has established health impacts including bladder and lung cancers, cataracts, low birth weight, and pneumonia. The chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) from 4 commonly-used solid fuels (coal, dung, ambient/dry applewood, and oakwood pellets), emitted from a gasifier cookstove, as well as propane, were examined. Temporal changes between the different cookstove burn-phases were also explored. Normalized concentrations of non-refractory PM 1 , total organics, chloride, ammonium, nitrate, sulfate, and 41 particle-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured using a High-Resolution Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) and a Thermal desorption Aerosol Gas chromatograph (TAG), respectively. Coal demonstrated the highest fraction of organic matter in its particulate emission composition (98%), followed by dung (94%). Coal and dung also demonstrated the highest numbers and concentrations of PAHs. While dry applewood emitted ten times lower organic matter compared to ambient applewood, a higher fraction of these organics was composed of PAHs, especially the more toxic ones such as benzo(a)pyrene (9.63ng/L versus 0.04ng/L), and benzo(b)fluoranthene (31.32ng/L versus 0.19ng/L). Data from the AMS demonstrated no clear trends for any of the combustion fuels over the different combustion phases unlike the previously reported trends observed for the physical characteristics. Of the solid fuels, pellets demonstrated the lowest emissions. Emissions from propane were below the quantification limit of the instruments. This work highlights the benefits of incorporating additional metrics into the cookstove evaluation process, thus enriching the existing PM data inventory. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Utilization of corn residues for production of the polysaccharide schizophyllan

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Abundant corn residues include fiber from wet milling operations and distillers' dried grains from dry grind ethanol plants. Biorefineries of the future will utilize such residues for the production of valuable bioproducts, particularly those traditionally produced from fossil fuels. Schizophyllan...

Natural rubber, a potential alternative source for the synthesis of renewable fuels via Hydrous Pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, N.; Dayana, S. A. S.; Abnisa, F.; Mohd, W. A. W. D.

2018-03-01

Natural rubber is a humid agricultural harvest, which mostly contains hydrocarbon cis-1, 4-Poly isoprene. Through depolymerisation technology, the natural rubber can be changed into liquid product, and then it can be subsequently utilized as a fuel or chemical feedstock. This article aims to provide an outlook on the natural rubber and its sources, which are available globally. Numerous depolymerisation processes, which include pyrolysis, gasification, chemical degradation, catalytic cracking and hydrogenation, were introduced in this paper, while the focus of discussion was emphasized on the hydrous pyrolysis process. Many studies have shown that the use of hydrous pyrolysis able to improve the depolymerisation process, e.g. the raw material can be feed without drying, the process can be carried out at lower temperature, only the water is used as the reaction medium, and it is easy to separate the water from oil product. The effect of operating parameters such as temperature, water to rubber mass ratio, reaction time and type of gases on the product yield and composition were reviewed in this paper. In addition, this paper also highlighted the eco-friendly and economic viability of the hydrous pyrolysis process.

National fire-danger rating system fine-fuel moisture content tables—an Alaskan adaptation.

Treesearch

Richard J. Barney

1969-01-01

Fine-fuel moisture content tables, using dry bulb and dewpoint temperatures as entry data, have been developed for use with the National Fire-Danger Rating System in Alaska. Comparisons have been made which illustrate differences resulting from danger-rating calculations based on these new fine-fuel moisture content tables for the cured, transition, and green...

Dry low NOx combustion system with pre-mixed direct-injection secondary fuel nozzle

DOEpatents

Zuo, Baifang; Johnson, Thomas; Ziminsky, Willy; Khan, Abdul

2013-12-17

A combustion system includes a first combustion chamber and a second combustion chamber. The second combustion chamber is positioned downstream of the first combustion chamber. The combustion system also includes a pre-mixed, direct-injection secondary fuel nozzle. The pre-mixed, direct-injection secondary fuel nozzle extends through the first combustion chamber into the second combustion chamber.

Water injected fuel cell system compressor

DOEpatents

Siepierski, James S.; Moore, Barbara S.; Hoch, Martin Monroe

2001-01-01

A fuel cell system including a dry compressor for pressurizing air supplied to the cathode side of the fuel cell. An injector sprays a controlled amount of water on to the compressor's rotor(s) to improve the energy efficiency of the compressor. The amount of water sprayed out the rotor(s) is controlled relative to the mass flow rate of air inputted to the compressor.

Bryoid layer response to soil disturbance by fuel reduction treatments in a dry conifer forest

Treesearch

Amanda Hardman; Bruce McCune

2010-01-01

We investigated the response of the bryoid layer, bryophyte and lichen communities on the soil surface three years after fuel reduction treatment (logging and burning) in the central Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Both treatment and control areas had been decimated by spruce budworm and drought before the fuel reduction treatments. Treatments reduced overstory and...

Spread of common native and invasive grasses and ruderal trees following anthropogenic disturbances in a tropical dry forest

Treesearch

Xavier A. Jaime; Skip J. Van Bloem; Frank H. Koch; Stacy A. C. Nelson

2017-01-01

Introduction: A fundamental challenge to the integrity of tropical dry forest ecosystems is the invasion of nonnative grass species. These grasses compete for resources and fuel anthropogenic wildfires. In 2012, a bulldozer from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority cleared a 570-m trail from a state road into a mature dry forest section...

FUEL CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH NATIVE AND EXOTIC GRASSES IN A SUBTROPICAL DRY FOREST IN PUERTO RICO

Treesearch

Jarrod M. Thaxton; Skip J. Van Bloem; Stefanie Whitmire

2012-01-01

Exotic grasses capable of increasing frequency and intensity of anthropogenic fire have invaded subtropical and tropical dry forests worldwide. Since many dry forest trees are susceptible to fire, this can result in decline of native species and loss of forest cover. While the contribution of exotic grasses to altered fire regimes has been well documented, the role of...

Dry forests and wildland fires of the inland Northwest USA: contrasting the landscape ecology of the pre-settlement and modern eras.

Treesearch

Paul F. Hessburg; James K. Agee; Jerry F. Franklin

2005-01-01

Prior to Euro-American settlement, dry ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests (hereafter, the "dry forests") of the Inland Northwest were burned by frequent low- or mixed-severity fires. These mostly surface fires maintained low and variable tree densities, light and patchy ground fuels, simplified forest structure, and favored fire-tolerant trees, such as...

Moisture changes in oak and hickory fuel chips on roofed and unroofed Louisiana air-drying grounds as affected by pile depth and turning of chips

Treesearch

Peter Koch

1983-01-01

Freshly cut whole-tree hickory chips had lower moisture content (MC) initially and dried more rapidly than those of southern red oak. Such chips spread during April 1981 in roofed trays did not dry to 20 percent MC, ovendry-weight basis, faster than those spread in October 1980. In roofed trays, unturned chips spread 4 inches deep generally dried more rapidly than if...

Site dose calculations for the INEEL/TMI-2 storage facility

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

Jones, K.B.

1997-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is licensing an independent spent-fuel storage installation (ISFSI) for the Three Mile Island unit 2 (TMI-2) core debris to be constructed at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) site at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) using the NUHOMS spent-fuel storage system. This paper describes the site dose calculations, performed in support of the license application, that estimate exposures both on the site and for members of the public. These calculations are unusual for dry-storage facilities in that they must account for effluents from the system in addition to skyshine from themore » ISFSI. The purpose of the analysis was to demonstrate compliance with the 10 CFR 20 and 10 CFR 72.104 exposure limits.« less

Testing for tumor promoters in Euphorbia lathyris: Analysis of possible health hazards

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

Bissell, M.J.; Nemethy, E.K.; Riddle, L.

1981-12-01

A sensitive test system for the detection of unknown tumor promoters is reported. A description is given of the use of the system in detecting promoter activity in Euphorbia lathyris extracts before and after treatment with organic solvents in the preparation of synthetic fuels. Using both normal and ts-virus infected cells, tumor promoter-like activities were detected and identified as ingenol esters in the active fraction of the latex of E. lathyris. These activities were shown to be inactive after extraction of potential sources of fuel. Results indicate that there should be no toxicological dangers after mechanical harvesting and drying. Thismore » finding has much potential significance, both for the further processing of E. lathyris and for other possible sources of energy. (JMT)« less

77 FR 61539 - Airworthiness Directives; DASSAULT AVIATION Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-10

... the area of the wheel well. We are proposing this AD to prevent fuel spillage in the event of a MLG... modification of the wing fuel tanks in the area of the wheel well which introduces a dry bay by adding a sealed...

Novel renewable products for biorefineries

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A biorefinery integrates unit operations to convert biomass into a variety of biobased products, including fuels, chemicals, energy, and feed. Government policy initiatives over the last 1-2 decades have emphasized the production of biobased fuels, and consequently the number of dry-grind ethanol bi...

Geochemical controls on vanadium accumulation in fossil fuels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breit, G.N.; Wanty, R.B.

1989-01-01

High vanadium contents in petroleum and other fossil fuels have been attributed to organic-matter type, organisms, volcanic emanations, diffusion of sea water, and epigenetic enrichment. However, these factors are inadequate to account for the high abundance of vanadium in some fossil fuels and the paucity in others. By examining vanadium deposits in sedimentary rocks with sparse organic matter, constraints are placed on processes controlling vanadium accumulation in organic-rich sediments. Vanadium, as vanadate (V(V)), entered some depositional basins in oxidizing waters from dry, subaerial environments. Upon contact with organic matter in anoxic waters, V(V) is reduced to vanadyl (V(IV)), which can be removed from the water column by adsorption. H2S reduces V(IV) to V(III), which hydrolyzes and precipitates. The lack of V(III) in petroleum suggests that reduction of V(IV) to V(III) is inhibited by organic complexes. In the absence of strong complexing agents, V(III) forms and is incorporated in clay minerals.

Geochemical controls of vanadium accumulation in fossil fuels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breit, G.N.; Wanty, R.B.

1989-01-01

High vanadium contents in petroleum and other fossil fuels have been attributed to organic-matter type, organisms, volcanic emanations, diffusion of sea water, and epigenetic enrichment. However, these factors are inadequate to account for the high abundance of vanadium in some fossil fuels and the paucity in others. By examining vanadium deposits in sedimentary rocks with sparse organic matter, constraints are placed on processes controlling vanadium accumulation in organic-rich sediments. Vanadium, as vanadate (V(V)), entered some depositional basins in oxidizing waters from dry, subaerial environments. Upon contact with organic matter in anoxic waters, V(V) is reduced to vanadyl (V(IV)), which can be removed from the water column by adsorption. H2S reduces V(IV) to V(III), which hydrolyzes and precipitates. The lack of V(III) in petroleum suggests that reduction of V(IV) to V(III) is inhibited by organic complexes. In the absence of strong complexing agents, V(III) forms and is incorporated in clay minerals.

Criticality Safety Evaluation Report CSER-96-019 for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Processing and Storage Facilities Multi Canister Overpack (MCO)

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

KESSLER, S.F.

This criticality evaluation is for Spent N Reactor fuel unloaded from the existing canisters in both KE and KW Basins, and loaded into multiple canister overpack (MCO) containers with specially built baskets containing a maximum of either 54 Mark IV or 48 Mark IA fuel assemblies. The criticality evaluations include loading baskets into the cask-MCO, operation at the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility,a nd storage in the Canister Storage Building. Many conservatisms have been built into this analysis, the primary one being the selection of the K{sub eff} = 0.95 criticality safety limit. This revision incorporates the analyses for the sampling/weldmore » station in the Canister Storage Building and additional analysis of the MCO during the draining at CVDF. Additional discussion of the scrap basket model was added to show why the addition of copper divider plates was not included in the models.« less

Fires in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest: Testing the Varying Constraints Hypothesis across a Regional Rainfall Gradient.

PubMed

Mondal, Nandita; Sukumar, Raman

2016-01-01

The "varying constraints hypothesis" of fire in natural ecosystems postulates that the extent of fire in an ecosystem would differ according to the relative contribution of fuel load and fuel moisture available, factors that vary globally along a spatial gradient of climatic conditions. We examined if the globally widespread seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) can be placed as a single entity in this framework by analyzing environmental influences on fire extent in a structurally diverse SDTF landscape in the Western Ghats of southern India, representative of similar forests in monsoonal south and southeast Asia. We used logistic regression to model fire extent with factors that represent fuel load and fuel moisture at two levels-the overall landscape and within four defined moisture regimes (between 700 and1700 mm yr-1)-using a dataset of area burnt and seasonal rainfall from 1990 to 2010. The landscape scale model showed that the extent of fire in a given year within this SDTF is dependent on the combined interaction of seasonal rainfall and extent burnt the previous year. Within individual moisture regimes the relative contribution of these factors to the annual extent burnt varied-early dry season rainfall (i.e., fuel moisture) was the predominant factor in the wettest regime, while wet season rainfall (i.e., fuel load) had a large influence on fire extent in the driest regime. Thus, the diverse structural vegetation types associated with SDTFs across a wide range of rainfall regimes would have to be examined at finer regional or local scales to understand the specific environmental drivers of fire. Our results could be extended to investigating fire-climate relationships in STDFs of monsoonal Asia.

Fires in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest: Testing the Varying Constraints Hypothesis across a Regional Rainfall Gradient

PubMed Central

Mondal, Nandita; Sukumar, Raman

2016-01-01

The “varying constraints hypothesis” of fire in natural ecosystems postulates that the extent of fire in an ecosystem would differ according to the relative contribution of fuel load and fuel moisture available, factors that vary globally along a spatial gradient of climatic conditions. We examined if the globally widespread seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) can be placed as a single entity in this framework by analyzing environmental influences on fire extent in a structurally diverse SDTF landscape in the Western Ghats of southern India, representative of similar forests in monsoonal south and southeast Asia. We used logistic regression to model fire extent with factors that represent fuel load and fuel moisture at two levels—the overall landscape and within four defined moisture regimes (between 700 and1700 mm yr-1)—using a dataset of area burnt and seasonal rainfall from 1990 to 2010. The landscape scale model showed that the extent of fire in a given year within this SDTF is dependent on the combined interaction of seasonal rainfall and extent burnt the previous year. Within individual moisture regimes the relative contribution of these factors to the annual extent burnt varied—early dry season rainfall (i.e., fuel moisture) was the predominant factor in the wettest regime, while wet season rainfall (i.e., fuel load) had a large influence on fire extent in the driest regime. Thus, the diverse structural vegetation types associated with SDTFs across a wide range of rainfall regimes would have to be examined at finer regional or local scales to understand the specific environmental drivers of fire. Our results could be extended to investigating fire-climate relationships in STDFs of monsoonal Asia. PMID:27441689

Identifying improvement potentials in cement production with life cycle assessment.

PubMed

Boesch, Michael Elias; Hellweg, Stefanie

2010-12-01

Cement production is an environmentally relevant process responsible for 5% of total anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and 7% of industrial fuel use. In this study, life cycle assessment is used to evaluate improvement potentials in the cement production process in Europe and the USA. With a current fuel substitution rate of 18% in Europe and 11% in the USA, both regions have a substantial potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save virgin resources by further increasing the coprocessing of waste fuels. Upgrading production technology would be particularly effective in the USA where many kiln systems with very low energy efficiency are still in operation. Using best available technology and a thermal substitution rate of 50% for fuels, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 9% for Europe and 18% for the USA per tonne of cement. Since clinker production is the dominant pollution producing step in cement production, the substitution of clinker with mineral components such as ground granulated blast furnace slag or fly ash is an efficient measure to reduce the environmental impact. Blended cements exhibit substantially lower environmental footprints than Portland cement, even if the substitutes feature lower grindability and require additional drying and large transport distances. The highest savings in CO(2) emissions and resource consumption are achieved with a combination of measures in clinker production and cement blending.

Granular starch hydrolysis for fuel ethanol production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ping

Granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes (GSHE) convert starch into fermentable sugars at low temperatures (≤48°C). Use of GSHE in dry grind process can eliminate high temperature requirements during cooking and liquefaction (≥90°C). In this study, GSHE was compared with two combinations of commercial alpha-amylase and glucoamylase (DG1 and DG2, respectively). All three enzyme treatments resulted in comparable ethanol concentrations (between 14.1 to 14.2% v/v at 72 hr), ethanol conversion efficiencies and ethanol and DDGS yields. Sugar profiles for the GSHE treatment were different from DG1 and DG2 treatments, especially for glucose. During simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF), the highest glucose concentration for the GSHE treatment was 7% (w/v); for DG1 and DG2 treatments, maximum glucose concentration was 19% (w/v). GSHE was used in one of the fractionation technologies (enzymatic dry grind) to improve recovery of germ and pericarp fiber prior to fermentation. The enzymatic dry grind process with GSHE was compared with the conventional dry grind process using GSHE with the same process parameters of dry solids content, pH, temperature, time, enzyme and yeast usages. Ethanol concentration (at 72 hr) of the enzymatic process was 15.5% (v/v), which was 9.2% higher than the conventional process (14.2% v/v). Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) generated from the enzymatic process (9.8% db) was 66% less than conventional process (28.3% db). Three additional coproducts, germ 8.0% (db), pericarp fiber 7.7% (db) and endosperm fiber 5.2% (db) were produced. Costs and amounts of GSHE used is an important factor affecting dry grind process economics. Proteases can weaken protein matrix to aid starch release and may reduce GSHE doses. Proteases also can hydrolyze protein into free amino nitrogen (FAN), which can be used as a yeast nutrient during fermentation. Two types of proteases, exoprotease and endoprotease, were studied; protease and urea addition were evaluated in the dry grind process using GSHE (GSH process). Addition of proteases resulted in higher ethanol concentrations (15.2 to 18.0% v/v) and lower (DDGS) yields (32.9 to 45.8% db) compared to the control (no protease addition). As level of proteases and GSHE increased, ethanol concentrations increased and DDGS yields decreased. Proteases addition reduced required GSHE dose. Ethanol concentrations with protease addition alone were higher than with urea or with addition of both protease and urea. Corn endosperm consists of soft and hard endosperm. More exposed starch granules and rough surfaces produced from soft endosperm compared to hard endosperm will create more surface area which will benefit the solid phase hydrolysis as used in GSH process. In this study, the effects of protease, urea, endosperm hardness and GSHE levels on the GSH process were evaluated. Soft and hard endosperm materials were obtained by grinding and sifting flaking grits from dry milling pilot plant. Soft endosperm resulted in higher ethanol concentrations (at 72 hr) compared to ground corn or hard endosperm. Addition of urea increased ethanol concentrations (at 72 hr) for soft and hard endosperm. The effect of protease addition on increasing ethanol concentrations and fermentation rates was more predominant for soft endosperm, less for hard endosperm and least for ground corn. The GSH process with protease resulted in higher ethanol concentration than that with urea. For fermentation of soft endosperm, GSHE dose can be reduced. Ground corn fermented faster at the beginning than hard and soft endosperm due to the presence of inherent nutrients which enhanced yeast growth.

Computational modeling of transport and electrochemical reactions in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Um, Sukkee

A comprehensive, multi-physics computational fuel cell dynamics (CFCD) model integrating electrochemical kinetics, charge transport, mass transport (particularly water transport), and flow dynamics is developed in this thesis. The numerical model is validated against published experimental data and utilized to generate results that reveal the internal operation of a PEM fuel cell. A number of model applications are demonstrated in the present work. First, the CFCD model is applied to explore hydrogen dilution effects in the anode feed. Detailed two-dimensional electrochemical and flow/transport simulations are provided to examine substantial anode concentration polarization due to hydrogen depletion at the reaction sites. A transient simulation of the cell current response to a step change in cell voltage is also attempted to elucidate characteristics of the dynamic response of a fuel cell for the first time. After the two-dimensional computational study, the CFCD model is applied to illustrate three-dimensional interactions between mass transfer and electrochemical kinetics. Emphasis is placed on obtaining a fundamental understanding of fully three-dimensional flow in the air cathode with interdigitated flowfield design and how it impacts the transport and electrochemical reaction processes. The innovative design concept for enhanced oxygen transport to, and effective water removal from the cathode, is explored numerically. Next, an analytical study of water transport is performed to investigate various water transport regimes of practical interest. The axial locations characteristic of anode water loss and cathode flooding are predicted theoretically and compared with numerical results. A continuous stirred fuel cell reactor (CSFCR) model is also proposed for the limiting situation where the anode and cathode sides reach equilibrium in water concentration with a thin ionomer membrane in between. In addition to the analytical solutions, a detailed water transport model extending the CFCD framework is developed in which a unified water equation is arrived at using the equilibrium water uptake curve between the gas and membrane phases. Various modes of water transport, i.e. diffusion, convection, and electro-osmotic drag, are incorporated in the unified water transport equation. This water transport model is then applied to elucidate water management in three-dimensional fuel cells with dry to low humidified inlet gases after its validation against available experimental data with dry oxidant and fuel streams. An internal circulation of water with the aid of counter-flow design is found to be essential for low-humidity operation, for example, in portable application of a PEM fuel cell without external humidifier. Finally, to handle the most important issue associated with PEM fuel cells using reformate gas, namely the CO poisoning anode Pt catalysts, a major modification of the present CFCD model is made to include CO oxidation processes. A four-step CO poisoning mechanism is implemented here and anode species equation for CO is added to model the electro- and chemical-oxidation processes on the anode. Numerical results of CO poisoning effects using a commercial package, STAR-CD, are presented. Basic features of CO poisoning are delineated and discussed. Future research areas of the fuel cell modeling are also indicated. As an example, preliminary results of extending the CFCD model to include heat transfer using a commercial package, FLUENTRTM, are given to demonstrate the need for careful thermal management in a multi-cell stack design.

The potential for LiDAR technology to map fire fuel hazard over large areas of Australian forest.

PubMed

Price, Owen F; Gordon, Christopher E

2016-10-01

Fuel load is a primary determinant of fire spread in Australian forests. In east Australian forests, litter and canopy fuel loads and hence fire hazard are thought to be highest at and beyond steady-state fuel loads 15-20 years post-fire. Current methods used to predict fuel loads often rely on course-scale vegetation maps and simple time-since-fire relationships which mask fine-scale processes influencing fuel loads. Here we use Light Detecting and Remote Sensing technology (LiDAR) and field surveys to quantify post-fire mid-story and crown canopy fuel accumulation and fire hazard in Dry Sclerophyll Forests of the Sydney Basin (Australia) at fine spatial-scales (20 × 20 m cell resolution). Fuel cover was quantified in three strata important for crown fire propagation (0.5-4 m, 4-15 m, >15 m) over a 144 km(2) area subject to varying fire fuel ages. Our results show that 1) LiDAR provided a precise measurement of fuel cover in each strata and a less precise but still useful predictor of surface fuels, 2) cover varied greatly within a mapped vegetation class of the same fuel age, particularly for elevated fuel, 3) time-since-fire was a poor predictor of fuel cover and crown fire hazard because fuel loads important for crown fire propagation were variable over a range of fire fuel ages between 2 and 38 years post-fire, and 4) fuel loads and fire hazard can be high in the years immediately following fire. Our results show the benefits of spatially and temporally specific in situ fuel sampling methods such as LiDAR, and are widely applicable for fire management actions which aim to decrease human and environmental losses due to wildfire. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electric energy production from food waste: Microbial fuel cells versus anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Xin, Xiaodong; Ma, Yingqun; Liu, Yu

2018-05-01

A food waste resourceful process was developed by integrating the ultra-fast hydrolysis and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) for energy and resource recovery. Food waste was first ultra-fast hydrolyzed by fungal mash rich in hydrolytic enzymes in-situ produced from food waste. After which, the separated solids were readily converted to biofertilizer, while the liquid was fed to MFCs for direct electricity generation with a conversion efficiency of 0.245 kWh/kg food waste. It was estimated that about 192.5 million kWh of electricity could be produced from the food waste annually generated in Singapore, together with 74,390 tonnes of dry biofertilizer. Compared to anaerobic digestion, the proposed approach was more environmentally friendly and economically viable in terms of both electricity conversion and process cost. It is expected that this study may lead to the paradigm shift in food waste management towards ultra-fast concurrent recovery of resource and electricity with zero-solid discharge. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Super-dry reforming of methane intensifies CO2 utilization via Le Chatelier's principle.

PubMed

Buelens, Lukas C; Galvita, Vladimir V; Poelman, Hilde; Detavernier, Christophe; Marin, Guy B

2016-10-28

Efficient CO 2 transformation from a waste product to a carbon source for chemicals and fuels will require reaction conditions that effect its reduction. We developed a "super-dry" CH 4 reforming reaction for enhanced CO production from CH 4 and CO 2 We used Ni/MgAl 2 O 4 as a CH 4 -reforming catalyst, Fe 2 O 3 /MgAl 2 O 4 as a solid oxygen carrier, and CaO/Al 2 O 3 as a CO 2 sorbent. The isothermal coupling of these three different processes resulted in higher CO production as compared with that of conventional dry reforming, by avoiding back reactions with water. The reduction of iron oxide was intensified through CH 4 conversion to syngas over Ni and CO 2 extraction and storage as CaCO 3 CO 2 is then used for iron reoxidation and CO production, exploiting equilibrium shifts effected with inert gas sweeping (Le Chatelier's principle). Super-dry reforming uses up to three CO 2 molecules per CH 4 and offers a high CO space-time yield of 7.5 millimole CO per second per kilogram of iron at 1023 kelvin. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dry Reforming of Ethane and Butane with CO 2 over PtNi/CeO 2 Bimetallic Catalysts

DOE PAGES

Yan, Binhang; Yang, Xiaofang; Yao, Siyu; ...

2016-09-21

Dry reforming is a potential process to convert CO 2 and light alkanes into syngas (H 2 and CO), which can be subsequently transformed to chemicals and fuels. Here in this work, PtNi bimetallic catalysts have been investigated for dry reforming of ethane and butane using both model surfaces and supported powder catalysts. The PtNi bimetallic catalyst shows an improvement in both activity and stability as compared to the corresponding monometallic catalysts. The formation of PtNi alloy and the partial reduction of Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ under reaction conditions are demonstrated by in-situ Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (AP-XPS),more » X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) measurements. A Pt-rich bimetallic surface is revealed by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) following CO adsorption. Combined in-situ experimental results and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the Pt-rich PtNi bimetallic surface structure would weaken the binding of surface oxygenates/carbon species and reduce the activation energy for C-C bond scission, leading to an enhanced dry reforming activity.« less

Dry Reforming of Ethane and Butane with CO 2 over PtNi/CeO 2 Bimetallic Catalysts

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

Yan, Binhang; Yang, Xiaofang; Yao, Siyu

Dry reforming is a potential process to convert CO 2 and light alkanes into syngas (H 2 and CO), which can be subsequently transformed to chemicals and fuels. Here in this work, PtNi bimetallic catalysts have been investigated for dry reforming of ethane and butane using both model surfaces and supported powder catalysts. The PtNi bimetallic catalyst shows an improvement in both activity and stability as compared to the corresponding monometallic catalysts. The formation of PtNi alloy and the partial reduction of Ce 4+ to Ce 3+ under reaction conditions are demonstrated by in-situ Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (AP-XPS),more » X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) measurements. A Pt-rich bimetallic surface is revealed by Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) following CO adsorption. Combined in-situ experimental results and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the Pt-rich PtNi bimetallic surface structure would weaken the binding of surface oxygenates/carbon species and reduce the activation energy for C-C bond scission, leading to an enhanced dry reforming activity.« less

Life cycle assessment of fuel ethanol derived from corn grain via dry milling.

PubMed

Kim, Seungdo; Dale, Bruce E

2008-08-01

Life cycle analysis enables to investigate environmental performance of fuel ethanol used in an E10 fueled compact passenger vehicle. Ethanol is derived from corn grain via dry milling. This type of analysis is an important component for identifying practices that will help to ensure that a renewable fuel, such as ethanol, may be produced in a sustainable manner. Based on data from eight counties in seven Corn Belt states as corn farming sites, we show ethanol derived from corn grain as E10 fuel would reduce nonrenewable energy and greenhouse gas emissions, but would increase acidification, eutrophication and photochemical smog, compared to using gasoline as liquid fuel. The ethanol fuel systems considered in this study offer economic benefits, namely more money returned to society than the investment for producing ethanol. The environmental performance of ethanol fuel system varies significantly with corn farming sites because of different crop management practices, soil properties, and climatic conditions. The dominant factor determining most environmental impacts considered here (i.e., greenhouse gas emissions, acidification, eutrophication, and photochemical smog formation) is soil related nitrogen losses (e.g., N2O, NOx, and NO3-). The sources of soil nitrogen include nitrogen fertilizer, crop residues, and air deposition. Nitrogen fertilizer is probably the primary source. Simulations using an agro-ecosystem model predict that planting winter cover crops would reduce soil nitrogen losses and increase soil organic carbon levels, thereby greatly improving the environmental performance of the ethanol fuel system.

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

Biddy, Mary J.; Davis, Ryan; Humbird, David

Biorefinery process development relies on techno-economic analysis (TEA) to identify primary cost drivers, prioritize research directions, and mitigate technical risk for scale-up through development of detailed process designs. Here, we conduct TEA of a model 2000 dry metric ton-per-day lignocellulosic biorefinery that employs a two-step pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis to produce biomass-derived sugars, followed by biological lipid production, lipid recovery, and catalytic hydrotreating to produce renewable diesel blendstock (RDB). On the basis of projected near-term technical feasibility of these steps, we predict that RDB could be produced at a minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of USD $9.55/gasoline-gallon-equivalent (GGE), predicated onmore » the need for improvements in the lipid productivity and yield beyond current benchmark performance. This cost is significant given the limitations in scale and high costs for aerobic cultivation of oleaginous microbes and subsequent lipid extraction/recovery. In light of this predicted cost, we developed an alternative pathway which demonstrates that RDB costs could be substantially reduced in the near term if upgradeable fractions of biomass, in this case hemicellulose-derived sugars, are diverted to coproducts of sufficient value and market size; here, we use succinic acid as an example coproduct. The coproduction model predicts an MFSP of USD $5.28/GGE when leaving conversion and yield parameters unchanged for the fuel production pathway, leading to a change in biorefinery RDB capacity from 24 to 15 MM GGE/year and 0.13 MM tons of succinic acid per year. Additional analysis demonstrates that beyond the near-term projections assumed in the models here, further reductions in the MFSP toward $2-3/GGE (which would be competitive with fossil-based hydrocarbon fuels) are possible with additional transformational improvements in the fuel and coproduct trains, especially in terms of carbon efficiency to both fuels and coproducts, recovery and purification of fuels and coproducts, and coproduct selection and price. Overall, this analysis documents potential economics for both a hydrocarbon fuel and bioproduct process pathway and highlights prioritized research directions beyond the current benchmark to enable hydrocarbon fuel production via an oleaginous microbial platform with simultaneous coproduct manufacturing from lignocellulosic biomass.« less

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...

Changes in fuelbed characteristics and resulting fire potentials after fuel reduction treatments in dry forests of the Blue Mountains, northeastern Oregon

Treesearch

Andrew Youngblood; Clinton S. Wright; Roger D. Ottmar; James D. McIver

2007-01-01

In many fire-prone forests in the United States, changes occurring in the last century have resulted in overstory structures, conifer densities, down woody structure, and fuel loads that deviate from those described historically. With these changes, forests are presumed to be unsustainable. Broad-scale treatments are proposed to reduce fuels and promote stand...

Nuclear Nonproliferation: Concerns With U.S. Delays in Accepting Foreign Research Reactors’ Spent Fuel

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-01

transport or storage plans. The return of some of the spent fuel will also depend on the readiness of dry storage . One expert told us that...enriched uranium fuel (HEU), a material that can be used to make nuclear bombs, in civilian nuclear programs worldwide. Research reactors are of...address the environmental impact of transporting the fuel and storing it in both existing and new storage units, possibly by June 1995. Under the

Analysis of sludge from Hanford K East Basin canisters

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

Makenas, B.J.; Welsh, T.L.; Baker, R.B.

1997-09-12

Sludge samples from the canisters in the Hanford K East Basin fuel storage pool have been retrieved and analyzed. Both chemical and physical properties have been determined. The results are to be used to determine the disposition of the bulk of the sludge and to assess the impact of residual sludge on dry storage of the associated intact metallic uranium fuel elements. This report is a summary and review of the data provided by various laboratories. Although raw chemistry data were originally reported on various bases (compositions for as-settled, centrifuged, or dry sludge) this report places all of the datamore » on a common comparable basis. Data were evaluated for internal consistency and consistency with respect to the governing sample analysis plan. Conclusions applicable to sludge disposition and spent fuel storage are drawn where possible.« less

Food, forest wastes = low Btu fuel

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

Goss, J.R.

1978-01-01

Development of an experimental gasifier at the Univ. of California at Davis is reviewed. The unit produces 6 to 8 million Btu/h by converting mulled walnut shells into a combustible gas. Experience gained in the project can be applied to other gasification projects. Three additional tests are planned for the pilot plant using densified rice hulls to supply heat for rice drying; using screened, densified gin trash to supply heat for a cotton gin; and using sawmill residues, primarily bark, to replace the natural gas fuel used in a dry kiln. After completion of these trials, further trials may includemore » burning cereal straw to power a diesel-electric generator for an irrigation project; burning timber harvesting residues to run a small municipal power plant; and supplying energy to operate a fuel cell pilot plant.« less

Analysis and fabrication of tungsten CERMET materials for ultra-high temperature reactor applications via pulsed electric current sintering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, Jonathan A.

The optimized development path for the fabrication of ultra-high temperature W-UO2 CERMET fuel elements were explored within this dissertation. A robust literature search was conducted, which concluded that a W-UO 2 fuel element must contain a fine tungsten microstructure and spherical UO2 kernels throughout the entire consolidation process. Combined Monte Carlo and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis were used to determine the effects of rhenium and gadolinia additions on the performance of W-UO 2 fuel elements at refractory temperatures and in dry and water submerged environments. The computational analysis also led to the design of quasi-optimized fuel elements that can meet thermal-hydraulic and neutronic requirements A rigorous set of experiments were conducted to determine if Pulsed Electric Current Sintering (PECS) can fabricate tungsten and W-Ce02 specimens to the required geometries, densities and microstructures required for high temperature fuel elements as well as determine the mechanisms involved within the PECS consolidation process. The CeO2 acts as a surrogate for UO 2 fuel kernels in these experiments. The experiments seemed to confirm that PECS consolidation takes place via diffusional mass transfer methods; however, the densification process is rapidly accelerated due to the effects of current densities within the consolidating specimen. Fortunately the grain growth proceeds at a traditional rate and the PECS process can yield near fully dense W and W-Ce02 specimens with a finer microstructure than other sintering techniques. PECS consolidation techniques were also shown to be capable of producing W-UO2 segments at near-prototypic geometries; however, great care must be taken to coat the fuel particles with tungsten prior to sintering. Also, great care must be taken to ensure that the particles remain spherical in geometry under the influence of a uniaxial stress as applied during PECS, which involves mixing different fuel kernel sizes in order to reduce the porosity in the initial green compact. Particle mixing techniques were also shown to be capable of producing consolidated CERMETs, but with a less than desirable microstructure. The work presented herin will help in the development of very high temperature reactors for terrestrial and space missions in the future.

Techno-economic assessment of the Mobil Two-Stage Slurry Fischer-Tropsch/ZSM-5 process

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

El Sawy, A.; Gray, D.; Neuworth, M.

1984-11-01

A techno-economic assessment of the Mobil Two-Stage Slurry Fischer-Tropsch reactor system was carried out. Mobil bench-scale data were evaluated and scaled to a commercial plant design that produced specification high-octane gasoline and high-cetane diesel fuel. Comparisons were made with three reference plants - a SASOL (US) plant using dry ash Lurgi gasifiers and Synthol synthesis units, a modified SASOL plant with a British Gas Corporation slagging Lurgi gasifier (BGC/Synthol) and a BGC/slurry-phase process based on scaled data from the Koelbel Rheinpreussen-Koppers plant. A conceptual commercial version of the Mobil two-stage process shows a higher process efficiency than a SASOL (US)more » and a BGC/Synthol plant. The Mobil plant gave lower gasoline costs than obtained from the SASOL (US) and BGC/Synthol versions. Comparison with published data from a slurry-phase Fischer-Tropsch (Koelbel) unit indicated that product costs from the Mobil process were within 6% of the Koelbel values. A high-wax version of the Mobil process combined with wax hydrocracking could produce gasoline and diesel fuel at comparable cost to the lowest values achieved from prior published slurry-phase results. 27 references, 18 figures, 49 tables.« less

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.

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

Carmack, William Jonathan; Braase, Lori Ann

Fuel recovery from severe accidents requires careful planning and execution. The Idaho National Laboratory played a key role in the Three Mile Island (TMI) fuel and core recovery. This involved technology development to locate and handle the damaged fuel; characterization of fuel and debris; analysis of fuel interaction with structural components and materials; development of fuel drying technology for long-term storage. However, one of the critical activities from the TMI project was the extensive effort document all the activities and archive the reports and photos. A historical review of the TMI project at the INL leads to the identification ofmore » current applications and considerations for facility designs, fuel handling, robotic applications, material characterization, etc.« less

Waterborne Commerce of the United States, Calendar Year 1980. Part 5. National Summaries.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

elsewhere classified 2915 Residual fuel oil 2021 Dairy products, except dried silk and cream 2916 Lubricating olis and greae 2022 Dried milk and cres...136,29 63994 ..3 4 1 6 4--------------------- 2022 DRIED MILK miD CREAM .---------- 184.069 2 01 ...4 390 1.132--------------------- 2631 RIlM ANo S...2021 DAIRY PRODUCTS, NEC ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1,49 136.24 14.300 2022 DM11) MILK AND0 CREAM

Carbon dioxide-selective membranes and their applications in hydrogen processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Jian

Fuel cells, which are regarded as a promising energy conversion approach in the 21st century, are now receiving increasing attention worldwide. In most cases, hydrogen is the preferred fuel for fuel cells, especially for proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). One key issue in the development of PEMFC is how to generate hydrogen from the available hydrocarbon fuels. Most feasible strategies consist of a reforming step followed by the water gas shift (WGS) reaction. The resulting synthesis gas (syngas) still consists of 0.5--1.0% CO, which needs to be reduced to less than 10 ppm to meet the requirement of PEMFCs. Therefore, a further CO clean-up step is usually used to decrease CO concentration. In the present work, new CO2-selective membranes were synthesized and their applications for fuel cell fuel processing and synthesis gas purification were investigated. In order to enhance CO2 transport across membranes, the synthesized membranes contained both mobile and fixed site carriers in crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol). The effects of crosslinking, membrane composition, feed pressure, water content, and temperature on transport properties were investigated. The membranes have shown a high permeability and a good CO 2/H2 selectivity and maintained their separation performance up to 170°C. One type of these membranes showed a permeability of 8000 Barrers (1 Barrer = 10-10 cm3 (STP).cm/(cm 2.s.cm.Hg)) and a CO2/H2 selectivity of 290 at 110°C. This membrane had a permeability of 1200 Barrers and a CO 2/H2 selectivity of 33 even at 170°C. The applications of the synthesized membranes were demonstrated in a CO2-removal experiment, in which the CO2 concentration in retentate was decreased from 17% to less than 10 ppm. With such membranes, there are several options to reduce the CO concentration of syngas. One option is to develop a WGS membrane reactor, in which both the low temperature WGS reaction and the CO2-removal take place. Another option is to use a proposed process consisting of a CO2-removal membrane module followed by a conventional low-temperature WGS reactor. A third option is to use methanation after the CO2-removal, one of the most widely used processes for the CO clean-up step. Experimental results showed that CO concentration was reduced to below 10 ppm with all three approaches. In the membrane reactor, a CO concentration of less than 10 ppm and a H 2 concentration of greater than 50% (on the dry basis) were achieved at various flow rates of a simulated autothermal reformate. In the proposed CO2-removal/WGS process, with more than 99.5 % CO2 removed from the synthesis gas, the reversible WGS was shifted forward so that the CO concentration was decreased from 1.2% to less than 10 ppm (dry), which is the requirement for PEMFC. The WGS reactor had a gas hourly space velocity of 7650 h-1 at 150°C and the H2 concentration in the outlet was more than 54.7% (dry). The applications of the synthesized CO2-selective membranes for high-pressure synthesis gas purification were also studied. Synthesis gas is the primary source for hydrogen as well as an intermediate for a broad range of chemicals. The separation of CO2 from synthesis gas is a critical step to obtain high purity hydrogen in many industrial plants, especially refinery plants. We studied the synthesized polymeric CO2 -selective membranes for synthesis gas purification at feed pressures higher than 200 psia and temperatures ranging from 100 to 150°C. The effects of feed pressure, microporous support, temperature, and permeate pressure were investigated using a simulated synthesis gas containing 20% carbon dioxide and 80% hydrogen. The membranes synthesized showed best CO2 permeability and CO2/H2 selectivity at 110°C. At a feed pressure of 220 psia, the CO2 permeability and CO2/H2 selectivity reached 756 Barrers and 42, respectively, whereas at a feed pressure of 440 psia, the CO2 permeability was 391 Barrers and the CO 2/H2 selectivity was about 25.

Mortarboard Psychrometer

Treesearch

Dee F. Taylor

1963-01-01

Research has demonstrated that a high correlation exists between the moisture content of fine fuels and the moisture content of the ambient air. The mortarboard psychrometer was developed by the Southern Forest Fire Laboratory to provide a simple, accurate, yet inexpensive means of obtaining wet - and dry-bulb temperature readings to be used in estimating fine fuel...

Composition and Behavior of Fuel Ethanol

EPA Science Inventory

Ethanol usage in the United States has increased due in part to the elimination of methyl tert-butyl ether from the fuel supply and to the mandates of Congress. Two samples, one each from a wet mill and a dry mill ethanol plant, were obtained before denaturing. Each of these ...

Subtask 3.9 - Direct Coal Liquefaction Process Development

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

Aulich, Ted; Sharma, Ramesh

The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Accelergy Corporation, an advanced fuels developer with technologies exclusively licensed from ExxonMobil, undertook Subtask 3.9 to design, build, and preliminarily operate a bench-scale direct coal liquefaction (DCL) system capable of converting 45 pounds/hour of pulverized, dried coal to a liquid suitable for upgrading to fuels and/or chemicals. Fabrication and installation of the DCL system and an accompanying distillation system for off-line fractionation of raw coal liquids into 1) a naphtha middle distillate stream for upgrading and 2) a recycle stream was completed inmore » May 2012. Shakedown of the system was initiated in July 2012. In addition to completing fabrication of the DCL system, the project also produced a 500-milliliter sample of jet fuel derived in part from direct liquefaction of Illinois No. 6 coal, and submitted the sample to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, for evaluation. The sample was confirmed by AFRL to be in compliance with all U.S. Air Force-prescribed alternative aviation fuel initial screening criteria.« less

Creation of a Geant4 Muon Tomography Package for Imaging of Nuclear Fuel in Dry Cask Storage

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

Tsoukalas, Lefteri H.

2016-03-01

This is the final report of the NEUP project “Creation of a Geant4 Muon Tomography Package for Imaging of Nuclear Fuel in Dry Cask Storage”, DE-NE0000695. The project started on December 1, 2013 and this report covers the period December 1, 2013 through November 30, 2015. The project was successfully completed and this report provides an overview of the main achievements, results and findings throughout the duration of the project. Additional details can be found in the main body of this report and on the individual Quarterly Reports and associated Deliverables of the project, uploaded in PICS-NE.

Status of a standard for neutron skyshine calculation and measurement

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

Westfall, R.M.; Wright, R.Q.; Greenborg, J.

1990-01-01

An effort has been under way for several years to prepare a draft standard, ANS-6.6.2, Calculation and Measurement of Direct and Scattered Neutron Radiation from Contained Sources Due to Nuclear Power Operations. At the outset, the work group adopted a three-phase study involving one-dimensional analyses, a measurements program, and multi-dimensional analyses. Of particular interest are the neutron radiation levels associated with dry-fuel storage at reactor sites. The need for dry storage has been investigated for various scenarios of repository and monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facilities availability with the waste stream analysis model. The concern is with long-term integrated, low-level dosesmore » at long distances from a multiplicity of sources. To evaluate the conservatism associated with one-dimensional analyses, the work group has specified a series of simple problems. Sources as a function of fuel exposure were determined for a Westinghouse 17 x 17 pressurized water reactor assembly with the ORIGEN-S module of the SCALE system. The energy degradation of the 35 GWd/ton U sources was determined for two generic designs of dry-fuel storage casks.« less

Renewable Energy Production from DoD Installation Solid Wastes By Anaerobic Digestion

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-06

favorable environmental conditions including a mesophilic (37 oC) or thermophilic (55 oC) temperature , the absence of oxygen , and a pH between 6.5...a high temperature process that uses oxygen -starved combustion to convert dry organic matter to a syngas. Syngas is a low BTU fuel that can be used...production rates are at the 36.7 °C digester temperature . Parameter Units 7gCOD/L-d 12gCOD/L-d Effective SRT days 18.5 10.8 COD Conversion Efficiency % 67

Renewable Energy Production from DoD Installation Solid Wastes by Anaerobic Digestion

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

favorable environmental conditions including a mesophilic (37 oC) or thermophilic (55 oC) temperature , the absence of oxygen , and a pH between 6.5...a high temperature process that uses oxygen -starved combustion to convert dry organic matter to a syngas. Syngas is a low BTU fuel that can be used...production rates are at the 36.7 °C digester temperature . Parameter Units 7gCOD/L-d 12gCOD/L-d Effective SRT days 18.5 10.8 COD Conversion Efficiency % 67

Lubricity of well-characterized jet and broad-cut fuels by ball-on-cylinder machine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prok, G. M.; Kim, W. S.

1984-01-01

A ball-on-cylinder machine (BOCM) was used to measure the lubricity of fuels. The fuels tested were well-characterized fuels available from other programs at the NASA Lewis Research Center plus some in-house mildly hydroprocessed shale fuels from other programs included Jet-A, ERBS fuel, ERBS blends, and blend stock. The BOCM tests were made before and after clay treatment of some of these fuels with both humidified air and dry nitrogen as the preconditioning and cover gas. As expected, clay treatment always reduced fuel lubricity. Using nitrogen preconditioning and cover gas always resulted in a smaller wear scar diameter than when humidified air was used. Also observed was an indication of lower lubricity with lower boiling range fuels and lower aromatic fuels. Gas chromatographic analysis indicted changes in BOCM-stressed fuels.

Utilization of biocatalysts in cellulose waste minimization

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

Woodward, J.; Evans, B.R.

1996-09-01

Cellulose, a polymer of glucose, is the principal component of biomass and, therefore, a major source of waste that is either buried or burned. Examples of biomass waste include agricultural crop residues, forestry products, and municipal wastes. Recycling of this waste is important for energy conservation as well as waste minimization and there is some probability that in the future biomass could become a major energy source and replace fossil fuels that are currently used for fuels and chemicals production. It has been estimated that in the United States, between 100-450 million dry tons of agricultural waste are produced annually,more » approximately 6 million dry tons of animal waste, and of the 190 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated annually, approximately two-thirds is cellulosic in nature and over one-third is paper waste. Interestingly, more than 70% of MSW is landfilled or burned, however landfill space is becoming increasingly scarce. On a smaller scale, important cellulosic products such as cellulose acetate also present waste problems; an estimated 43 thousand tons of cellulose ester waste are generated annually in the United States. Biocatalysts could be used in cellulose waste minimization and this chapter describes their characteristics and potential in bioconversion and bioremediation processes.« less

Life cycle assessment of corn-based ethanol production in Argentina.

PubMed

Pieragostini, Carla; Aguirre, Pío; Mussati, Miguel C

2014-02-15

The promotion of biofuels as energy for transportation in the world is mainly driven by the perspective of oil depletion, the concerns about energy security and global warming. In Argentina, the legislation has imposed the use of biofuels in blend with fossil fuels (5 to 10%) in the transport sector. The aim of this paper is to assess the environmental impact of corn-based ethanol production in the province of Santa Fe in Argentina based on the life cycle assessment methodology. The studied system includes from raw materials production to anhydrous ethanol production using dry milling technology. The system is divided into two subsystems: agricultural system and refinery system. The treatment of stillage is considered as well as the use of co-products (distiller's dried grains with solubles), but the use and/or application of the produced biofuel is not analyzed: a cradle-to-gate analysis is presented. As functional unit, 1MJ of anhydrous ethanol at biorefinery is chosen. Two life cycle impact assessment methods are selected to perform the study: Eco-indicator 99 and ReCiPe. SimaPro is the life cycle assessment software used. The influence of the perspectives on the model is analyzed by sensitivity analysis for both methods. The two selected methods identify the same relevant processes. The use of fertilizers and resources, seeds production, harvesting process, corn drying, and phosphorus fertilizers and acetamide-anillide-compounds production are the most relevant processes in agricultural system. For refinery system, corn production, supplied heat and burned natural gas result in the higher contributions. The use of distiller's dried grains with solubles has an important positive environmental impact. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction and Upgrading of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge: A Preliminary Techno-Economic Analysis

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

Snowden-Swan, Lesley J.; Zhu, Yunhua; Jones, Susanne B.

A preliminary process model and techno-economic analysis (TEA) was completed for fuel produced from hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of sludge waste from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and subsequent biocrude upgrading. The model is adapted from previous work by Jones et al. (2014) for algae HTL, using experimental data generated in fiscal year 2015 (FY15) bench-scale HTL testing of sludge waste streams. Testing was performed on sludge samples received from MetroVancouver’s Annacis Island WWTP (Vancouver, B.C.) as part of a collaborative project with the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation (WERF). The full set of sludge HTL testing data from thismore » effort will be documented in a separate report to be issued by WERF. This analysis is based on limited testing data and therefore should be considered preliminary. Future refinements are necessary to improve the robustness of the model, including a cross-check of modeled biocrude components with the experimental GCMS data and investigation of equipment costs most appropriate at the smaller scales used here. Environmental sustainability metrics analysis is also needed to understand the broader impact of this technology pathway. The base case scenario for the analysis consists of 10 HTL plants, each processing 100 dry U.S. ton/day (92.4 ton/day on a dry, ash-free basis) of sludge waste and producing 234 barrel per stream day (BPSD) biocrude, feeding into a centralized biocrude upgrading facility that produces 2,020 barrel per standard day of final fuel. This scale was chosen based upon initial wastewater treatment plant data collected by the resource assessment team from the EPA’s Clean Watersheds Needs Survey database (EPA 2015a) and a rough estimate of what the potential sludge availability might be within a 100-mile radius. In addition, we received valuable feedback from the wastewater treatment industry as part of the WERF collaboration that helped form the basis for the selected HTL and upgrading plant scales and feedstock credit (current cost of disposal). It is assumed that the sludge is currently disposed of at $16.20/wet ton ($46/dry ton at 35% solids; $50/ton dry, ash-free basis) and this is included as a feedstock credit in the operating costs. The base case assumptions result in a minimum biocrude selling price of $3.8/gge and a minimum final upgraded fuel selling price of $4.9/gge. Several areas of process improvement and refinements to the analysis have the potential to significantly improve economics relative to the base case: • Optimization of HTL sludge feed solids content • Optimization of HTL biocrude yield • Optimization of HTL reactor liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) • Optimization of fuel yield from hydrotreating • Combined large and small HTL scales specific to regions (e.g., metropolitan and suburban plants) Combined improvements believed to be achievable in these areas can potentially reduce the minimum selling price of biocrude and final upgraded fuel by about 50%. Further improvements may be possible through recovery of higher value components from the HTL aqueous phase, as being investigated under separate PNNL projects. Upgrading the biocrude at an existing petroleum refinery could also reduce the MFSP, although this option requires further testing to ensure compatibility and mitigate risks to a refinery. And finally, recycling the HTL aqueous phase product stream back to the headworks of the WWTP (with no catalytic hydrothermal gasification treatment) can significantly reduce cost. This option is uniquely appropriate for application at a water treatment facility but also requires further investigation to determine any technical and economic challenges related to the extra chemical oxygen demand (COD) associated with the recycled water.« less

Variation in seasonal moisture content

Treesearch

John E. Phelps

1992-01-01

Several properties of wood are affected by moisture content-weight, fuel value, electrical conductivity, strength, and shrinkage. Differences in these properties are commonly observed in wood in service. For example, a green 2 X 4 weighs more than a kiln-dried 2 X 4, dried wood burns more easily and hotter than green wood, etc.

Production of schizophyllan from distiller's dried grains with solubles by diverse strains of Schizophyllan commune

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Eleven diverse strains of Schizophyllan commune, to our knowledge never before examined for production of the biopolymer schizophyllan, were grown in malt extract (ME) basal medium containing 1.0% (w/v) distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS, an abundant coproduct of fuel ethanol production by...

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

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

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

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

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.

Potential synergies and challenges in refining cellulosic biomass to fuels, chemicals, and power.

PubMed

Wyman, Charles E

2003-01-01

Lignocellulosic biomass such as agricultural and forestry residues and dedicated crops provides a low-cost and uniquely sustainable resource for production of many organic fuels and chemicals that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy security, improve the economy, dispose of problematic solid wastes, and improve air quality. A technoeconomic analysis of biologically processing lignocellulosics to ethanol is adapted to project the cost of making sugar intermediates for producing a range of such products, and sugar costs are predicted to drop with plant size as a result of economies of scale that outweigh increased biomass transport costs for facilities processing less than about 10,000 dry tons per day. Criteria are then reviewed for identifying promising chemicals in addition to fuel ethanol to make from these low cost cellulosic sugars. It is found that the large market for ethanol makes it possible to achieve economies of scale that reduce sugar costs, and coproducing chemicals promises greater profit margins or lower production costs for a given return on investment. Additionally, power can be sold at low prices without a significant impact on the selling price of sugars. However, manufacture of multiple products introduces additional technical, marketing, risk, scale-up, and other challenges that must be considered in refining of lignocellulosics.

Feasible variants for intermediate storage of the spent fuel obtained at NPP Cernavoda, Romania

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

Radu, M.; Popescu, G.

1993-12-31

The 5 CANDU-PHW Reactors of 600 Standard type of Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant are under construction and the first unit is expected to be commissioned in 1995, group 2 following after 2 years, and then groups 3, 4 and 5 one each year. In this study there are presented feasible variants for intermediate storage of spent fuel, obtained during 30 years of operation from the stations at Cernavoda. From the solutions applied worldwide, both dry and wet storage have been taken into account. In any of the two variants, a unique intermediate storage will be provided and the storage buildingmore » was proposed to be built in 4 different stages. As a first estimation, considering the fact that, by now Romania has only one nuclear plant of CANDU fuel type the dry variant seems to be the best.« less

Combustion quality analysis of briquettes from variety of agricultural waste as source of alternative fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryaningsih, S.; Nurhilal, O.; Yuliah, Y.; Mulyana, C.

2017-05-01

The increasing in world population and the industrial sector led to increased demand for energy sources. To do this by utilizing the agricultural waste as a fuel source of alternative energy in the form of bio briquette. The aim at this study was to obtain data onto the characteristics of a wide variety of biomass briquettes from waste agricultural industry. The basic ingredients used are biomass waste from coconut husks, sawdust, rice husks and coffee husks. Each of these biomass residues are dried, crushed, then mixed with starch adhesives. This mixture is molded and dried using sunlight. Each type of briquettes was characterized and analyzed the physical-chemical properties, including calorific value, water content, fixed carbon content and the results were compared with charcoal and coal that was used as fuel in public. The results showed that bio briquettes from coconut husks get the highest calorific value of 4,451 cal/g.

A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Monitoring

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain; Mike A. Battaglia; Han-Sup Han; Russell T. Graham; Christopher R. Keyes; Jeremy S. Fried; Jonathan E. Sandquist

2014-01-01

Short- and medium-term evaluation of how fuel treatments are working is the only way to know if the hundreds of activities on the ground are adding up to the goals of more resilient landscapes and increased safety of people and property. Monitoring is a critical resource for decision makers who design fuels management programs, however it is an often neglected part of...

Desert Shield Leader’s Safety Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

banana oil) vapor is toxic and flammable. Checking the seal of the protective mask should be done in a well-ventilated area away from heat and flames...protective clothing to keep fuel off the skin. (Skin is highly susceptible to drying, cracking, and peeling if it comes in contact with fuel in desert

Powder Extinguishants for Jet-Fuel Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Altman, R. L.; Mayer, L. A.; Ling, A. C.

1986-01-01

Mixtures of alkali metal dawsonite and metal halide show superior performance. In tests of new dry powder fire extinguishants, mixtures of potassium dawsonite with either stannous iodide or potassium iodide found effective for extinguishing jet-fuel fires on hot metal surfaces (up to 900 degrees C). Mixtures performed more effectively than either compound alone.

40 CFR 60.41Da - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., means a 24-hour period during which fossil fuel is combusted in a steam-generating unit for the entire... another form. Alkaline slurries or solutions used in dry FGD technology include, but are not limited to... CFR 52.21 or under 40 CFR 51.18 and 51.24. Fossil fuel means natural gas, petroleum, coal, and any...

40 CFR 60.41Da - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., means a 24-hour period during which fossil fuel is combusted in a steam-generating unit for the entire... another form. Alkaline slurries or solutions used in dry FGD technology include, but are not limited to... CFR 52.21 or under 40 CFR 51.18 and 51.24. Fossil fuel means natural gas, petroleum, coal, and any...

40 CFR 60.105 - Monitoring of emissions and operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... liquid or solid fossil-fuels and the hours of operation during which liquid or solid fossil-fuels are... the atmosphere. The instrument shall be spanned at 60, 70, or 80 percent opacity. (2) For fluid... monitoring and recording the concentration by volume (dry basis) of CO emissions into the atmosphere, except...

40 CFR 60.105 - Monitoring of emissions and operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... liquid or solid fossil-fuels and the hours of operation during which liquid or solid fossil-fuels are... the atmosphere. The instrument shall be spanned at 60, 70, or 80 percent opacity. (2) For fluid... monitoring and recording the concentration by volume (dry basis) of CO emissions into the atmosphere, except...

40 CFR 60.105 - Monitoring of emissions and operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... liquid or solid fossil-fuels and the hours of operation during which liquid or solid fossil-fuels are... the atmosphere. The instrument shall be spanned at 60, 70, or 80 percent opacity. (2) For fluid... monitoring and recording the concentration by volume (dry basis) of CO emissions into the atmosphere, except...

40 CFR 60.105 - Monitoring of emissions and operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... liquid or solid fossil-fuels and the hours of operation during which liquid or solid fossil-fuels are... the atmosphere. The instrument shall be spanned at 60, 70, or 80 percent opacity. (2) For fluid... monitoring and recording the concentration by volume (dry basis) of CO emissions into the atmosphere, except...

40 CFR 60.105 - Monitoring of emissions and operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... liquid or solid fossil-fuels and the hours of operation during which liquid or solid fossil-fuels are... the atmosphere. The instrument shall be spanned at 60, 70, or 80 percent opacity. (2) For fluid... monitoring and recording the concentration by volume (dry basis) of CO emissions into the atmosphere, except...

Effects of forest fuel-reduction treatments in the United States

Treesearch

Scott L. Stephens; James D. McIver; Ralph E.J. Boerner; Christopher J. Fettig; Joseph B. Fontaine; Bruce R. Hartsough; Patricia L. Kennedy; Dylan W. Schwilk

2012-01-01

The current conditions of many seasonally dry forests in the western and southern United States, especially those that once experienced low- to moderate-intensity fire regimes, leave them uncharacteristically susceptible to high-severity wildfire. Both prescribed fire and its mechanical surrogates are generally successful in meeting short-term fuel-reduction objectives...

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 15: The Wildlife Habitat Response Model

Treesearch

David Pilliod

2005-01-01

The Wildlife Habitat Response Model (WHRM) is a Web-based computer tool for evaluating the potential effects of fuel-reduction projects on terrestrial wildlife habitats. It uses species-habitat associations in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), dry-type Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), lodgepole pine (Pinus...

A natural-gas fuel processor for a residential fuel cell system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adachi, H.; Ahmed, S.; Lee, S. H. D.; Papadias, D.; Ahluwalia, R. K.; Bendert, J. C.; Kanner, S. A.; Yamazaki, Y.

A system model was used to develop an autothermal reforming fuel processor to meet the targets of 80% efficiency (higher heating value) and start-up energy consumption of less than 500 kJ when operated as part of a 1-kWe natural-gas fueled fuel cell system for cogeneration of heat and power. The key catalytic reactors of the fuel processor - namely the autothermal reformer, a two-stage water gas shift reactor and a preferential oxidation reactor - were configured and tested in a breadboard apparatus. Experimental results demonstrated a reformate containing ∼48% hydrogen (on a dry basis and with pure methane as fuel) and less than 5 ppm CO. The effects of steam-to-carbon and part load operations were explored.

Alcohol: an alternate energy resource for community use. Final performance report. [Small-scale - 250 gal per year

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

Not Available

1985-01-29

The original purpose of the grant was to construct an alcohol producing facility for community use thereby demonstrating that small land owners could, through their initiative, produce fuel from a vegetable grown on small plots of land. The rationale for the program was predicated on increasing fuel costs, decreasing fuel supplies, and on information supplied by Tuskegee Institute about a high dry matter sweet potato (Rojo Blanco, reportedly 42% dry matter and an average yield of 750 bushels/acre) which theoretically would produce at least 1.42 gallons of ethyl alcohol/bushel. Two approaches were undertaken: the production of sweet potatoes and themore » production of alcohol. In the first year, Rojo Blanco did yield 700 bushels/acre, but in subsequent years, due to drought and inadequate knowledge of proper fertilizer and moisture regimes, that yield was never reached. In alcohol production, a long period of time with laboratory stills was devoted to testing sweet potato varieties to determine the alcohol/bushel ratios. The hypothetical 1.4 gallons/bushel was never attained - because the dry matter never approached 42%. In spite of the low alcohol per bushel results, a 250 gallon batch still was built (cost of over $3000). With cost of fuel for the digester and for the fermentation coupled with the market value of sweet potatoes, we determined that community operated stills using home-grown vegetable sources for alcohol production is not economically feasible at this time.« less

Algal Energy Conversion and Capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazendonk, P.

2015-12-01

We address the potential for energy conversions and capture for: energy generation; reduction in energy use; reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; remediation of water and air pollution; protection and enhancement of soil fertility. These processes have the potential to sequester carbon at scales that may have global impact. Energy conversion and capture strategies evaluate energy use and production from agriculture, urban areas and industries, and apply existing and emerging technologies to reduce and recapture energy embedded in waste products. The basis of biocrude production from Micro-algal feedstocks: 1) The nutrients from the liquid fraction of waste streams are concentrated and fed into photo bioreactors (essentially large vessels in which microalgae are grown) along with CO2 from flue gasses from down stream processes. 2) The algae are processed to remove high value products such as proteins and beta-carotenes. The advantage of algae feedstocks is the high biomass productivity is 30-50 times that of land based crops and the remaining biomass contains minimal components that are difficult to convert to biocrude. 3) The remaining biomass undergoes hydrothermal liquefaction to produces biocrude and biochar. The flue gasses of this process can be used to produce electricity (fuel cell) and subsequently fed back into the photobioreactor. The thermal energy required for this process is small, hence readily obtained from solar-thermal sources, and furthermore no drying or preprocessing is required keeping the energy overhead extremely small. 4) The biocrude can be upgraded and refined as conventional crude oil, creating a range of liquid fuels. In principle this process can be applied on the farm scale to the municipal scale. Overall, our primary food production is too dependent on fossil fuels. Energy conversion and capture can make food production sustainable.

Optimization of temperature and time for drying and carbonization to increase calorific value of coconut shell using Taguchi method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musabbikhah, Saptoadi, H.; Subarmono, Wibisono, M. A.

2016-03-01

Fossil fuel still dominates the needs of energy in Indonesia for the past few years. The increasing scarcity of oil and gas from non-renewable materials results in an energy crisis. This condition turns to be a serious problem for society which demands immediate solution. One effort which can be taken to overcome this problem is the utilization and processing of biomass as renewable energy by means of carbonization. Thus, it can be used as qualified raw material for production of briquette. In this research, coconut shell is used as carbonized waste. The research aims at improving the quality of coconut shell as the material for making briquettes as cheap and eco-friendly renewable energy. At the end, it is expected to decrease dependence on oil and gas. The research variables are drying temperature and time, carbonization time and temperature. The dependent variable is calorific value of the coconut shell. The method used in this research is Taguchi Method. The result of the research shows thus variables, have a significant contribution on the increase of coconut shell's calorific value. It is proven that the higher thus variables are higher calorific value. Before carbonization, the average calorific value of coconut shell reaches 4,667 call/g, and a significant increase is notable after the carbonization. The optimization is parameter setting of A2B3C3D3, which means that the drying temperature is 105 °C, the drying time is 24 hours, the carbonization temperature is 650 °C and carbonization time is 120 minutes. The average calorific value is approximately 7,744 cal/g. Therefore, the increase of the coconut shell's calorific value after the carbonization is 3,077 cal/g or approximately 60 %. The charcoal of carbonized coconut shell has met the requirement of SNI, thus it can be used as raw material in making briquette which can eventually be used as cheap and environmental friendly fuel.

Asynchronous Amazon forest canopy phenology indicates adaptation to both water and light availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Matthew O.; Kimball, John S.; Nemani, Ramakrishna R.

2014-12-01

Amazon forests represent nearly half of all tropical vegetation biomass and, through photosynthesis and respiration, annually process more than twice the amount of estimated carbon (CO2) from fossil fuel emissions. Yet the seasonality of Amazon canopy cover, and the extent to which seasonal fluctuations in water availability and photosynthetically available radiation influence these processes, is still poorly understood. Implementing six remotely sensed data sets spanning nine years (2003-2011), with reported field and flux tower data, we show that southern equatorial Amazon forests exhibit a distinctive seasonal signal. Seasonal timing of water availability, canopy biomass growth and net leaf flush are asynchronous in regions with short dry seasons and become more synchronous across a west-to-east longitudinal moisture gradient of increasing dry season. Forest cover is responsive to seasonal disparities in both water and solar radiation availability, temporally adjusting net leaf flush to maximize use of these generally abundant resources, while reducing drought susceptibility. An accurate characterization of this asynchronous behavior allows for improved understanding of canopy phenology across contiguous tropical forests and their sensitivity to climate variability and drought.

The shutdown reactor: Optimizing spent fuel storage cost

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

Pennington, C.W.

1995-12-31

Several studies have indicated that the most prudent way to store fuel at a shutdown reactor site safely and economically is through the use of a dry storage facility licensed under 10CFR72. While such storage is certainly safe, is it true that the dry ISFSI represents the safest and most economical approach for the utility? While no one is really able to answer that question definitely, as yet, Holtec has studied this issue for some time and believes that both an economic and safety case can be made for an optimization strategy that calls for the use of both wetmore » and dry ISFSI storage of spent fuel at some plants. For the sake of brevity, this paper summarizes some of Holtec`s findings with respect to the economics of maintaining some fuel in wet storage at a shutdown reactor. The safety issue, or more importantly the perception of safety of spent fuel in wet storage, still varies too much with the eye of the beholder, and until a more rigorous presentation of safety analyses can be made in a regulatory setting, it is not practically useful to argue about how many angels can sit on the head of a safety-related pin. Holtec is prepared to present such analyses, but this does not appear to be the proper venue. Thus, this paper simply looks at certain economic elements of a wet ISFSI at a shutdown reactor to make a prima facie case that wet storage has some attractiveness at a shutdown reactor and should not be rejected out of hand. Indeed, an optimization study at certain plants may well show the economic vitality of keeping some fuel in the pool and converting the NRC licensing coverage from 10CFR50 to 10CFR72. If the economics look attractive, then the safety issue may be confronted with a compelling interest.« less

Refining the cheatgrass-fire cycle in the Great Basin: Precipitation timing and fine fuel composition predict wildfire trends.

PubMed

Pilliod, David S; Welty, Justin L; Arkle, Robert S

2017-10-01

Larger, more frequent wildfires in arid and semi-arid ecosystems have been associated with invasion by non-native annual grasses, yet a complete understanding of fine fuel development and subsequent wildfire trends is lacking. We investigated the complex relationships among weather, fine fuels, and fire in the Great Basin, USA. We first modeled the annual and time-lagged effects of precipitation and temperature on herbaceous vegetation cover and litter accumulation over a 26-year period in the northern Great Basin. We then modeled how these fine fuels and weather patterns influence subsequent wildfires. We found that cheatgrass cover increased in years with higher precipitation and especially when one of the previous 3 years also was particularly wet. Cover of non-native forbs and native herbs also increased in wet years, but only after several dry years. The area burned by wildfire in a given year was mostly associated with native herb and non-native forb cover, whereas cheatgrass mainly influenced area burned in the form of litter derived from previous years' growth. Consequently, multiyear weather patterns, including precipitation in the previous 1-3 years, was a strong predictor of wildfire in a given year because of the time needed to develop these fine fuel loads. The strong relationship between precipitation and wildfire allowed us to expand our inference to 10,162 wildfires across the entire Great Basin over a 35-year period from 1980 to 2014. Our results suggest that the region's precipitation pattern of consecutive wet years followed by consecutive dry years results in a cycle of fuel accumulation followed by weather conditions that increase the probability of wildfire events in the year when the cycle transitions from wet to dry. These patterns varied regionally but were strong enough to allow us to model annual wildfire risk across the Great Basin based on precipitation alone.

Refining the cheatgrass–fire cycle in the Great Basin: Precipitation timing and fine fuel composition predict wildfire trends

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pilliod, David S.; Welty, Justin; Arkle, Robert

2017-01-01

Larger, more frequent wildfires in arid and semi-arid ecosystems have been associated with invasion by non-native annual grasses, yet a complete understanding of fine fuel development and subsequent wildfire trends is lacking. We investigated the complex relationships among weather, fine fuels, and fire in the Great Basin, USA. We first modeled the annual and time-lagged effects of precipitation and temperature on herbaceous vegetation cover and litter accumulation over a 26-year period in the northern Great Basin. We then modeled how these fine fuels and weather patterns influence subsequent wildfires. We found that cheatgrass cover increased in years with higher precipitation and especially when one of the previous 3 years also was particularly wet. Cover of non-native forbs and native herbs also increased in wet years, but only after several dry years. The area burned by wildfire in a given year was mostly associated with native herb and non-native forb cover, whereas cheatgrass mainly influenced area burned in the form of litter derived from previous years’ growth. Consequently, multiyear weather patterns, including precipitation in the previous 1–3 years, was a strong predictor of wildfire in a given year because of the time needed to develop these fine fuel loads. The strong relationship between precipitation and wildfire allowed us to expand our inference to 10,162 wildfires across the entire Great Basin over a 35-year period from 1980 to 2014. Our results suggest that the region's precipitation pattern of consecutive wet years followed by consecutive dry years results in a cycle of fuel accumulation followed by weather conditions that increase the probability of wildfire events in the year when the cycle transitions from wet to dry. These patterns varied regionally but were strong enough to allow us to model annual wildfire risk across the Great Basin based on precipitation alone.

Characterisation of agroindustrial solid residues as biofuels and potential application in thermochemical processes.

PubMed

Virmond, Elaine; De Sena, Rennio F; Albrecht, Waldir; Althoff, Christine A; Moreira, Regina F P M; José, Humberto J

2012-10-01

In the present work, selected agroindustrial solid residues from Brazil - biosolids from meat processing wastewater treatment and mixture of sawdust with these biosolids; residues from apple and orange juice industries; sugarcane bagasse; açaí kernels (Euterpe oleracea) and rice husk - were characterised as solid fuels and an evaluation of their properties, including proximate and ultimate composition, energy content, thermal behaviour, composition and fusibility of the ashes was performed. The lower heating value of the biomasses ranged from 14.31 MJkg(-1) to 29.14 MJkg(-1), on a dry and ash free basis (daf), all presenting high volatile matter content, varying between 70.57 wt.% and 85.36 wt.% (daf) what improves the thermochemical conversion of the solids. The fouling and slagging tendency of the ashes was predicted based on the fuel ash composition and on the ash fusibility correlations proposed in the literature, which is important to the project and operation of biomass conversion systems. The potential for application of the Brazilian agroindustrial solid residues studied as alternative energy sources in thermochemical processes has been identified, especially concerning direct combustion for steam generation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Varying CDS, Drying and Cooling Temperatures on Glass Transition Temperature of DDGS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), a co product of the corn-based fuel ethanol industry, is used widely as an animal feed. Due to increased demand for DDGS in livestock markets it has become essential to transport DDGS over long distances. Flowability problems in DDGS, due to particle cak...

Transpirational drying and costs for transporting woody biomass - a preliminary review

Treesearch

Bryce J. Stokes; Bryce J. McDonaStokes; Timothy P. McDonald; Tyrone Kelley

1993-01-01

High transport costs arc a factor to consider in the use of forest residues for fuel. Costs can be reduced by increasing haul capacities, reducing high moisture contents, and improving trucking efficiency. The literature for transpirational drying and the economics of hauling woody biomass is summarized here. Some additional, unpublished roundwood and chipdrying test...

Propagation of dry tropical forest trees in Mexico

Treesearch

Martha A. Cervantes Sanchez

2002-01-01

There is a distinct lack of technical information on the propagation of native tree species from the dry tropical forest ecosystem in Mexico. This ecosystem has come under heavy human pressures to obtain several products such as specialty woods for fuel, posts for fences and construction, forage, edible fruits, stakes for horticulture crops, and medicinal products. The...

Drying Milk With Boiler Exhaust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broussard, M. R.

1984-01-01

Considerable energy saved in powdered-milk industry. Only special requirement boiler fired with natural gas or other clean fuel. Boiler flue gas fed to spray drier where it directly contacts product to be dried. Additional heat supplied by auxillary combustor when boiler output is low. Approach adaptable to existing plants with minimal investment because most already equipped with natural-gas-fired boilers.

A novel integrated biorefinery process for diesel fuel blendstock production using lipids from the methanotroph, Methylomicrobium buryatense

DOE PAGES

Dong, Tao; Fei, Qiang; Genelot, Marie; ...

2017-03-08

In light of the availability of low-cost methane (CH 4) derived from natural gas and biogas along with increasing concerns of the greenhouse gas emissions, the production of alternative liquid biofuels directly from CH 4 is a promising approach to capturing wasted energy. A novel biorefinery concept integrating biological conversion of CH 4 to microbial lipids together with lipid extraction and generation of hydrocarbon fuels is demonstrated in this study for the first time. An aerobic methanotrophic bacterium, Methylomicrobium buryatense capable of using CH 4 as the sole carbon source was selected on the basis of genetic tractability, cultivation robustness,more » and ability to accumulate phospholipids in membranes. A maximum fatty acid content of 10% of dry cell weight was obtained in batch cultures grown in a continuous gas sparging fermentation system. Although phospholipids are not typically considered as a good feedstock for upgrading to hydrocarbon fuels, we set out to demonstrate that using a combination of novel lipid extraction methodology with advanced catalyst design, we could prove the feasibility of this approach. Up to 95% of the total fatty acids from membrane-bound phospholipids were recovered by a two-stage pretreatment method followed by hexane extraction of the aqueous hydrolysate. The upgrading of extracted lipids was then demonstrated in a hydrodeoxygeation process using palladium on silica as a catalyst. Lipid conversion in excess of 99% was achieved, with a full selectivity to hydrocarbons. Lastly, the final hydrocarbon mixture is dominated by 88% pentadecane (C 15H 32) based on decarbonylation/decarboxylation and hydrogenation of C16 fatty acids, indicating that a biological gas-to-liquid fuel (Bio-GTL) process is technically feasible.« less

Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell With La and Cr Co-doped SrTiO3 as Anode.

PubMed

Yi, Fenyun; Chen, Hongyu; Li, He

2014-06-01

The La 0.3 Sr 0.55 Ti 0.9 Cr 0.1 O 3-δ (LSTC10) anode material was synthesized by citric acid-nitrate process. The yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte-supported cell was fabricated by screen printing method using LSTC10 as anode and (La 0.75 Sr 0.25 ) 0.95 MnO 3-δ (LSM) as cathode. The electrochemical performance of cell was tested by using dry hydrogen as fuel and air as oxidant in the temperature range of 800-900 °C. At 900 °C, the open circuit voltage (OCV) and the maximum power density of cell are 1.08 V and 13.0 mW·cm -2 , respectively. The microstructures of cell after performance testing were investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the anode and cathode films are porous and closely attached to the YSZ electrolyte. LSTC10 is believed to be a kind of potential solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode material.

Preparation of UC0.07-0.10N0.90-0.93 spheres for TRISO coated fuel particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, R. D.; Silva, C. M.; Lindemer, T. B.; Johnson, J. A.; Collins, J. L.

2014-05-01

The US Department of Energy is considering a new nuclear fuel that would be less susceptible to ruptures during a loss-of-coolant accident. The fuel would consist of tristructural isotropic coated particles with dense uranium nitride (UN) kernels with diameters of 650 or 800 μm. The objectives of this effort are to make uranium oxide microspheres with adequately dispersed carbon nanoparticles and to convert these microspheres into UN spheres, which could be then sintered into kernels. Recent improvements to the internal gelation process were successfully applied to the production of uranium gel spheres with different concentrations of carbon black. After the spheres were washed and dried, a simple two-step heat profile was used to produce porous microspheres with a chemical composition of UC0.07-0.10N0.90-0.93. The first step involved heating the microspheres to 2023 K in a vacuum, and in the second step, the microspheres were held at 1873 K for 6 h in flowing nitrogen.

A comprehensive guide to fuel management practices for dry mixed conifer forests in the northwestern United States: Inventory and model-based economic analysis of mechanical fuel treatments

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain; Mike A. Battaglia; Han-Sup Han; Russell T. Graham; Christopher R. Keyes; Jeremy S. Fried; Jonathan E. Sandquist

2014-01-01

Implementing fuel treatments in every place where it could be beneficial to do so is impractical and not cost effective under any plausible specification of objectives. Only some of the many possible kinds of treatments will be effective in any particular stand and there are some stands that seem to defy effective treatment. In many more, effective treatment costs far...

Pilot-scale conversion of lime-treated wheat straw into bioethanol: quality assessment of bioethanol and valorization of side streams by anaerobic digestion and combustion

PubMed Central

Maas, Ronald HW; Bakker, Robert R; Boersma, Arjen R; Bisschops, Iemke; Pels, Jan R; de Jong, Ed; Weusthuis, Ruud A; Reith, Hans

2008-01-01

Introduction The limited availability of fossil fuel sources, worldwide rising energy demands and anticipated climate changes attributed to an increase of greenhouse gasses are important driving forces for finding alternative energy sources. One approach to meeting the increasing energy demands and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is by large-scale substitution of petrochemically derived transport fuels by the use of carbon dioxide-neutral biofuels, such as ethanol derived from lignocellulosic material. Results This paper describes an integrated pilot-scale process where lime-treated wheat straw with a high dry-matter content (around 35% by weight) is converted to ethanol via simultaneous saccharification and fermentation by commercial hydrolytic enzymes and bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). After 53 hours of incubation, an ethanol concentration of 21.4 g/liter was detected, corresponding to a 48% glucan-to-ethanol conversion of the theoretical maximum. The xylan fraction remained mostly in the soluble oligomeric form (52%) in the fermentation broth, probably due to the inability of this yeast to convert pentoses. A preliminary assessment of the distilled ethanol quality showed that it meets transportation ethanol fuel specifications. The distillation residue, which contained non-hydrolysable and non-fermentable (in)organic compounds, was divided into a liquid and solid fraction. The liquid fraction served as substrate for the production of biogas (methane), whereas the solid fraction functioned as fuel for thermal conversion (combustion), yielding thermal energy, which can be used for heat and power generation. Conclusion Based on the achieved experimental values, 16.7 kg of pretreated wheat straw could be converted to 1.7 kg of ethanol, 1.1 kg of methane, 4.1 kg of carbon dioxide, around 3.4 kg of compost and 6.6 kg of lignin-rich residue. The higher heating value of the lignin-rich residue was 13.4 MJ thermal energy per kilogram (dry basis). PMID:18699996

Varieties of sweet sorghum Super-1 and Super-2 and its equipment for bioethanol in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pabendon, M. B.; Efendi, R.; Santoso, S. B.; Prastowo, B.

2017-05-01

The demands for alternative sources of energy are currently growing because people now are more aware of the many negative impacts fossil fuel gives to the environment. Plant based renewable energy provides potential sources of energy with advantages of cleaner fuel effect and capability of integration with food crop production. Sorghum have been considered to be a highly potential source of food, feed and fuel, especially sweet stalk sorghum that posses both functions as source of food from its grain and fuel made from its stalk juice. Sorghum varieties are well known to have excellent adaptability in marginal areas, especially drought prone areas where other food crops are unable to thrive. The current paper aimed to share ongoing research on many functional uses of sweet stalk sorghum varieties released at Indonesian Cereals Research Institute (ICERI). Among many varieties that had been released were two sweet stalk sorghum varieties SUPER-1 and SUPER-2 released in 2013 that stands out in biomass yield and bioethanol production. Based on various researches conducted at different location and planting season, yield potential of biomass ranged at 30 - 40 t/ha with higher yield occurred during dry season. Stalk juice sugar content in brix were found to be higher in dry season ranged at 13.6 % to 18.4 %, and the amount of juice stalk was obtained at about 30-50 % from total biomass yield. Furthermore, bioethanol production from stalk juice after fermentation was at the range of 8 to 10 % from total stalk juice volume. Modification of processing equipment of bioethanol have also been carried out and was able to increased the concentration of ethanol being distilled from 85% -92% to 90% -95%. Another result obtained was able to decreased fermentation time from 14-21 days to 6-10 days. Furthermore, the yield of ethanol from juice was also from an average of 4.95% to 6.75%.

Towards an integrated system for bio-energy: hydrogen production by Escherichia coli and use of palladium-coated waste cells for electricity generation in a fuel cell.

PubMed

Orozco, R L; Redwood, M D; Yong, P; Caldelari, I; Sargent, F; Macaskie, L E

2010-12-01

Escherichia coli strains MC4100 (parent) and a mutant strain derived from this (IC007) were evaluated for their ability to produce H(2) and organic acids (OAs) via fermentation. Following growth, each strain was coated with Pd(0) via bioreduction of Pd(II). Dried, sintered Pd-biomaterials ('Bio-Pd') were tested as anodes in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell for their ability to generate electricity from H(2). Both strains produced hydrogen and OAs but 'palladised' cells of strain IC007 (Bio-Pd(IC007)) produced ~threefold more power as compared to Bio-Pd(MC4100) (56 and 18 mW respectively). The power output used, for comparison, commercial Pd(0) powder and Bio-Pd made from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, was ~100 mW. The implications of these findings for an integrated energy generating process are discussed.

Cryogenic reactant storage for lunar base regenerative fuel cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kohout, Lisa L.

1989-01-01

There are major advantages to be gained by integrating a cryogenic reactant storage system with a hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell (RFC) to provide on-site electrical power during the lunar night. Although applicable to any power system using hydrogen-oxygen RFC's for energy storage, cryogenic reactant storage offers a significant benefit whenever the sun/shade cycle and energy storage period approach hundreds of hours. For solar power installations on the moon, cryogenic reactant storage reduces overall specific mass and meteoroid vulnerability of the system. In addition, it offers synergistic benefits to on-site users, such as availability of primary fuel cell reactants for surface rover vehicles and cryogenic propellants for OTV's. The integration involves processing and storing the RFC reactant streams as cryogenic liquids rather than pressurized gases, so that reactant containment (tankage per unit mass of reactants) can be greatly reduced. Hydrogen-oxygen alkaline RFC's, GaAs photovoltaic (PV) arrays, and space cryogenic processing/refrigeration technologies are assumed to be available for the conceptual system design. Advantages are demonstrated by comparing the characteristics of two power system concepts: a conventional lunar surface PV/RFC power system using pressurized gas storage in SOA filament wound pressure vessels and, that same system with gas liquefaction and storage replacing the pressurized storage. Comparisons are made at 20 and 250 kWe. Although cryogenic storage adds a processing plant (drying and liquefaction) to the system plus 30 percent more solar array to provide processing power, the approximate order of magnitude reduction in tankage mass, confirmed by this analysis, results in a reduction in overall total system mass of approximately 50 percent.

Biomass Gasification Research and Development Project

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

Ahring, Birgitte K.

2014-07-22

The overall objective of the BioChemCat project was to demonstrate the feasibility of using Advanced Wet Oxidation Steam-Explosion (AWEx) process to open and solubilize lignocellulosic biomass (LBM) coupled to an innovative mixed culture fermentation technology capable of producing a wide range of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from all sugars present in LBM. The VFAs will then be separated and converted to hydrocarbon biofuel through catalytic upgrading. By continuously removing VFAs as they are produced (extractive fermentation), we were able to recover the VFAs while both eliminating the need for pH adjustment and increasing the fermentation productivity. The recovered VFAs weremore » then esterified and upgraded to hydrocarbon fuels through a parallel series of hydrogenolysis/decarboxylation and dehydration reactions. We also demonstrated that a portion of the residual lignin fraction was solubilized and converted into VFAs, also improving the yields of VFAs. The remaining lignin fraction was then shown to be available (after dewatering and drying) for use as a lignin-enriched fuel pellet or as a feedstock for further processing.« less

Hydrogen Fuel System Design Trades for High-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely- Operated Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millis, Marc G.; Tornabene, Robert T.; Jurns, John M.; Guynn, Mark D.; Tomsik, Thomas M.; VanOverbeke, Thomas J.

2009-01-01

Preliminary design trades are presented for liquid hydrogen fuel systems for remotely-operated, high-altitude aircraft that accommodate three different propulsion options: internal combustion engines, and electric motors powered by either polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells or solid oxide fuel cells. Mission goal is sustained cruise at 60,000 ft altitude, with duration-aloft a key parameter. The subject aircraft specifies an engine power of 143 to 148 hp, gross liftoff weight of 9270 to 9450 lb, payload of 440 lb, and a hydrogen fuel capacity of 2650 to 2755 lb stored in two spherical tanks (8.5 ft inside diameter), each with a dry mass goal of 316 lb. Hydrogen schematics for all three propulsion options are provided. Each employs vacuum-jacketed tanks with multilayer insulation, augmented with a helium pressurant system, and using electric motor driven hydrogen pumps. The most significant schematic differences involve the heat exchangers and hydrogen reclamation equipment. Heat balances indicate that mission durations of 10 to 16 days appear achievable. The dry mass for the hydrogen system is estimated to be 1900 lb, including 645 lb for each tank. This tank mass is roughly twice that of the advanced tanks assumed in the initial conceptual vehicle. Control strategies are not addressed, nor are procedures for filling and draining the tanks.

[Experimental study on particle size distributions of an engine fueled with blends of biodiesel].

PubMed

Lu, Xiao-Ming; Ge, Yun-Shan; Han, Xiu-Kun; Wu, Si-Jin; Zhu, Rong-Fu; He, Chao

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study is to obtain the particle size distributions of an engine fueled biodiesel and its blends. A turbocharged DI diesel engine was tested on a dynamometer. A pump of 80 L/min and fiber glass filters with diameter of 90 mm were used to sample engine particles in exhaust pipe. Sampling duration was 10 minutes. Particle size distributions were measured by a laser diffraction particle size analyzer. Results indicated that higher engine speed resulted in smaller particle sizes and narrower distributions. The modes on distribution curves and mode variation were larger with dry samples than with wet samples (dry: around 10 - 12 microm vs. wet: around 4 - 10 microm). At low speed, Sauter mean diameter d32 of dry samples was the biggest with B100, the smallest with diesel fuel, and among them with B20, while at high speed, d32 the biggest with B20, the smallest with B100, and in middle with diesel. Median diameter d(0.5) also reflected the results. Except for 2 000 r/min, d32 of wet with B20 is the biggest, the smallest with diesel, and in middle with B100. The large mode variation resulted in increase of d32.

Quantification of process variables for carbothermic synthesis of UC 1-xN x fuel microspheres

DOE PAGES

Lindemer, Terrance B.; Silva, Chinthaka M.; Henry, Jr, John James; ...

2016-11-05

This report details the continued investigation of process variables involved in converting sol-gel-derived, urania-carbon microspheres to ~820-μm-dia. UC 1-xN x fuel kernels in flow-through, vertical Mo and W crucibles at temperatures up to 2123 K. Experiments included calcining of air-dried UO 3-H 2O-C microspheres in Ar and H 2-containing gases, conversion of the resulting UO 2-C kernels to dense UO2:2UC in the same gases and vacuum, and its conversion in N 2 to UC 1-xN x (x = ~0.85). The thermodynamics of the relevant reactions were applied extensively to interpret and control the process variables. Producing the precursor UO 2:2UCmore » kernel of ~96% theoretical density was required, but its subsequent conversion to UC 1-xN x at 2123 K was not accompanied by sintering and resulted in ~83-86% of theoretical density. Increasing the UC 1-xN x kernel nitride component to ~0.98 in flowing N 2-H 2 mixtures to evolve HCN was shown to be quantitatively consistent with present and past experiments and the only useful application of H 2 in the entire process.« less

Quantification of process variables for carbothermic synthesis of UC1-xNx fuel microspheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindemer, T. B.; Silva, C. M.; Henry, J. J.; McMurray, J. W.; Voit, S. L.; Collins, J. L.; Hunt, R. D.

2017-01-01

This report details the continued investigation of process variables involved in converting sol-gel-derived, urania-carbon microspheres to ∼820-μm-dia. UC1-xNx fuel kernels in flow-through, vertical Mo and W crucibles at temperatures up to 2123 K. Experiments included calcining of air-dried UO3-H2O-C microspheres in Ar and H2-containing gases, conversion of the resulting UO2-C kernels to dense UO2:2UC in the same gases and vacuum, and its conversion in N2 to UC1-xNx (x = ∼0.85). The thermodynamics of the relevant reactions were applied extensively to interpret and control the process variables. Producing the precursor UO2:2UC kernel of ∼96% theoretical density was required, but its subsequent conversion to UC1-xNx at 2123 K was not accompanied by sintering and resulted in ∼83-86% of theoretical density. Increasing the UC1-xNx kernel nitride component to ∼0.98 in flowing N2-H2 mixtures to evolve HCN was shown to be quantitatively consistent with present and past experiments and the only useful application of H2 in the entire process.

Modeled forest inventory data suggest climate benefits from fuels management

Treesearch

Jeremy S. Fried; Theresa B. Jain; Jonathan. Sandquist

2013-01-01

As part of a recent synthesis addressing fuel management in dry, mixed-conifer forests we analyzed more than 5,000 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots, a probability sample that represents 33 million acres of these forests throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and extreme northern California. We relied on the BioSum analysis framework that...

40 CFR 60.84 - Emission monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... velocities or production rate. Continuous emission monitoring systems for measuring SO2, O2, and CO2 (if... of H2SO4 produced. Cs = concentration of SO2, kg/dscm (lb/dscf). S = acid production rate factor, 368... dry basis. A = auxiliary fuel factor, = 0.00 for no fuel. = 0.0226 for methane. = 0.0217 for natural...

Searing the rhizosphere: belowground impacts of prescribed fires.

Treesearch

Jonathan Thompson

2006-01-01

A century of fire suppression has resulted in dense fuel loads within the dry pine forests of eastern Oregon . To alleviate the risk of stand-replacing wildfire, forest managers are using prescribed fire and thinning treatments. Until recently, the impact of these fuel treatments on soil productivity has been largely unknown. Such information is essential for making...

Energy and precious fuels requirements of fuel alcohol production. Volume 2, appendices A and B: Ethanol from grain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinblatt, H.; Reddy, T. S.; Turhollow, A., Jr.

1982-01-01

Energy currently used in grain production, the effect of ethanol production on agricultural energy consumption, energy credits for ethanol by-products, and land availability and the potential for obtaining ethanol from grain are discussed. Dry milling, wet milling, sensitivity analysis, potential for reduced energy consumption are also discussed.

BIOMASS-FUELED, SMALL-SCALE, INTEGRATED-GASIFIER, GAS-TURBINE POWER PLANT: PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PHASE 2 DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The paper reports the latest efforts to complete development of Phase 2 of a three-phase effort to develop a family of small-scale (1 to 20 MWe) biomass-fueled power plants. The concept envisioned is an air-blown pressurized fluidized-bed gasifier followed by a dry hot gas clean...

Thermal conductivity of some common forest fuels

Treesearch

G.M. Byram; W.L. Fons

1952-01-01

This study was designed to obtain thermal conductivity of som common forest fuels which hitherto had defied such efforts because of their shape, size, or structure. Dry leaves and decayed. wood (punk) were modified so that conductivity measurements could be made by a thin plate uni-directional heat flow calibration stand, Resultss of these measurements are compatible...

77 FR 27448 - Amended Notice of Intent To Revise the Scope of an Environmental Impact Statement for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-10

... availability of the infrastructure needed to support the transfer, handling, examination, and packaging of... nuclear fuel is transferred into dry storage containers and placed into temporary storage at NRF, prior to... Container System for Management of Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel (DOE/EIS-0251). Ongoing efforts to sustain the...

Method of making molten carbonate fuel cell ceramic matrix tape

DOEpatents

Maricle, Donald L.; Putnam, Gary C.; Stewart, Jr., Robert C.

1984-10-23

A method of making a thin, flexible, pliable matrix material for a molten carbonate fuel cell is described. The method comprises admixing particles inert in the molten carbonate environment with an organic polymer binder and ceramic particle. The composition is applied to a mold surface and dried, and the formed compliant matrix material removed.

Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment of Switchgrass Fuel Pellets Manufactured in the Southeastern United States

Treesearch

R. D. Bergman; D. L. Reed; A. M. Taylor; D. P. Harper; D. G. Hodges

2015-01-01

Developing renewable energy sources with low environmental impacts is becoming increasingly important as concerns about consuming fossil fuel sources grow. Cultivating, harvesting, drying, and densifying raw biomass feedstocks into pellets for easy handling and transport is one step forward in this endeavor. However, the corresponding environmental performances must be...

The production of butanol fuel from renewable systems using a membrane assisted fermentation system, MBTC DOT-3018.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-10

The U.S. presently imports over 60% of the crude oil that is used to generate most of the 180 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel that are annually consumed in this country. It is estimated that in the U.S., there are at least 500 million dry...

Multifuel evaluation of rich/quench/lean combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Notardonato, J. J.; Novick, A. S.; Troth, D. L.

1982-01-01

The fuel flexible combustor technology was developed for application to the Model 570-K industrial gas turbine engine. The technology, to achieve emission goals, emphasizes dry NOx reduction methods. Due to the high levels of fuel-bound nitrogen (FBN), control of NOx can be effected through a staged combustor with a rich initial combustion zone. A rich/quench/lean variable geometry combustor utilizes the technology presented to achieve low NOx from alternate fuels containing FBN. The results focus on emissions and durability for multifuel operation.

Credit BG. View looks south southeast toward tank farm, Rogers ...

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

Credit BG. View looks south southeast toward tank farm, Rogers Dry Lake is in the background. Each cylindrical tank is labeled for jet fuel grade JP5. Two 2,000 gallon capacity rectangular tanks in midground are fabricated of concrete for storing hydrocarbons; they were constructed in 1993. Structure at extreme right of view is Building 4515, Jet Fuel Testing Laboratory - Edwards Air Force Base, North Base, Aircraft Fuel Tank Farm, Northeast of A Street, Boron, Kern County, CA

Apparatus for control of mercury

DOEpatents

Downs, William; Bailey, Ralph T.

2001-01-01

A method and apparatus for reducing mercury in industrial gases such as the flue gas produced by the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal adds hydrogen sulfide to the flue gas in or just before a scrubber of the industrial process which contains the wet scrubber. The method and apparatus of the present invention is applicable to installations employing either wet or dry scrubber flue gas desulfurization systems. The present invention uses kraft green liquor as a source for hydrogen sulfide and/or the injection of mineral acids into the green liquor to release vaporous hydrogen sulfide in order to form mercury sulfide solids.

Managed wildfire effects on forest resilience and water in the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Gabrielle Boisramé; Sally Thompson; Brandon Collins; Scott Stephens

2017-01-01

Fire suppression in many dry forest types has left a legacy of dense, homogeneous forests. Such landscapes have high water demands and fuel loads, and when burned can result in catastrophically large fires. These characteristics are undesirable in the face of projected warming and drying in the western US. Alternative forest and fire treatments based on managed...

Dry coniferous forest restoration and understory plant diversity: The importance of community heterogeneity and the scale of observation

Treesearch

Erich Kyle Dodson; David W. Peterson

2010-01-01

Maintaining understory plant species diversity is an important management goal as forest restoration and fuel reduction treatments are applied extensively to dry coniferous forests of western North America. However, understory diversity is a function of both local species richness (number of species in a sample unit) and community heterogeneity (beta diversity) at...

Should whole-tree chips for fuel be dried before storage?

Treesearch

E. L. Springer

1979-01-01

Whole-tree chips deteriorate more rapidly than do clean, debarked chips and present a greater hazard for spontaneous ignition when stored in outdoor piles. To prevent ignition, the chips can be stored for only short periods of time and the frequent rotation of the storage piles results in high handling costs. Drying the chips prior to storage will prevent deterioration...

Biorefining of precious metals from wastes: an answer to manufacturing of cheap nanocatalysts for fuel cells and power generation via an integrated biorefinery?

PubMed

Yong, Ping; Mikheenko, Iryna P; Deplanche, Kevin; Redwood, Mark D; Macaskie, Lynne E

2010-12-01

Bio-manufacturing of nano-scale palladium was achieved via enzymatically-mediated deposition of Pd from solution using Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Escherichia coli and Cupriavidus metallidurans. Dried 'Bio-Pd' materials were sintered, applied onto carbon papers and tested as anodes in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell for power production. At a Pd(0) loading of 25% by mass the fuel cell power using Bio-Pd( D. desulfuricans ) (positive control) and Bio-Pd( E. coli ) (negative control) was ~140 and ~30 mW respectively. Bio-Pd( C. metallidurans ) was intermediate between these with a power output of ~60 mW. An engineered strain of E. coli (IC007) was previously reported to give a Bio-Pd that was >3-fold more active than Bio-Pd of the parent E. coli MC4100 (i.e. a power output of >110 mW). Using this strain, a mixed metallic catalyst was manufactured from an industrial processing waste. This 'Bio-precious metal' ('Bio-PM') gave ~68% of the power output as commercial Pd(0) and ~50% of that of Bio-Pd( D. desulfuricans ) when used as fuel cell anodic material. The results are discussed in relation to integrated bioprocessing for clean energy.

Molecular composition of particulate matter emissions from dung and brushwood burning household cookstoves in Haryana, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleming, Lauren T.; Lin, Peng; Laskin, Alexander; Laskin, Julia; Weltman, Robert; Edwards, Rufus D.; Arora, Narendra K.; Yadav, Ankit; Meinardi, Simone; Blake, Donald R.; Pillarisetti, Ajay; Smith, Kirk R.; Nizkorodov, Sergey A.

2018-02-01

Emissions of airborne particles from biomass burning are a significant source of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) in rural areas of developing countries where biomass is the predominant energy source for cooking and heating. This study explores the molecular composition of organic aerosols from household cooking emissions with a focus on identifying fuel-specific compounds and BrC chromophores. Traditional meals were prepared by a local cook with dung and brushwood-fueled cookstoves in a village in Palwal district, Haryana, India. Cooking was done in a village kitchen while controlling for variables including stove type, fuel moisture, and meal. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions were collected on filters, and then analyzed via nanospray desorption electrospray ionization-high-resolution mass spectrometry (nano-DESI-HRMS) and high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-HRMS) techniques. The nano-DESI-HRMS analysis provided an inventory of numerous compounds present in the particle phase. Although several compounds observed in this study have been previously characterized using gas chromatography methods a majority of the species in the nano-DESI spectra were newly observed biomass burning compounds. Both the stove (chulha or angithi) and the fuel (brushwood or dung) affected the composition of organic aerosols. The geometric mean of the PM2.5 emission factor and the observed molecular complexity increased in the following order: brushwood-chulha (7.3 ± 1.8 g kg-1 dry fuel, 93 compounds), dung-chulha (21.1 ± 4.2 g kg-1 dry fuel, 212 compounds), and dung-angithi (29.8 ± 11.5 g kg-1 dry fuel, 262 compounds). The mass-normalized absorption coefficient (MACbulk) for the organic-solvent extractable material for brushwood PM2.5 was 3.7 ± 1.5 and 1.9 ± 0.8 m2 g-1 at 360 and 405 nm, respectively, which was approximately a factor of two higher than that for dung PM2.5. The HPLC-PDA-HRMS analysis showed that, regardless of fuel type, the main chromophores were CxHyOz lignin fragments. The main chromophores accounting for the higher MACbulk values of brushwood PM2.5 were C8H10O3 (tentatively assigned to syringol), nitrophenols C8H9NO4, and C10H10O3 (tentatively assigned to methoxycinnamic acid).

Method of making MEA for PEM/SPE fuel cell

DOEpatents

Hulett, Jay S.

2000-01-01

A method of making a membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) for a PEM/SPE fuel cell comprising applying a slurry of electrode-forming material directly onto a membrane-electrolyte film. The slurry comprises a liquid vehicle carrying catalyst particles and a binder for the catalyst particles. The membrane-electrolyte is preswollen by contact with the vehicle before the electrode-forming slurry is applied to the membrane-electrolyte. The swollen membrane-electrolyte is constrained against shrinking in the "x" and "y" directions during drying. Following assembly of the fuel cell, the MEA is rehydrated inside the fuel cell such that it swells in the "z" direction for enhanced electrical contact with contiguous electrically conductive components of the fuel cell.

From bio-mineralisation to fuel cells: biomanufacture of Pt and Pd nanocrystals for fuel cell electrode catalyst.

PubMed

Yong, P; Paterson-Beedle, M; Mikheenko, I P; Macaskie, L E

2007-04-01

Biosynthesis of nano-scale platinum and palladium was achieved via enzymatically-mediated deposition of metal ions from solution. The bio-accumulated Pt(0) and Pd(0) crystals were dried, applied onto carbon paper and tested as anodes in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell for power production. Up to 100% and 81% of the maximum power generation was achieved by the bio-Pt and bio-Pd catalysts, respectively, compared to commercial fuel cell grade Pt catalyst. Hence, biomineralisation could pave the way for economical production of fuel cell catalysts since previous studies have shown that precious metals can be biorecovered from wastes into catalytically active bionanomaterials.

Fabrication of magnetically responsive HKUST-1/Fe3O4 composites by dry gel conversion for deep desulfurization and denitrogenation.

PubMed

Tan, Peng; Xie, Xiao-Yan; Liu, Xiao-Qin; Pan, Ting; Gu, Chen; Chen, Peng-Fei; Zhou, Jia-Yu; Pan, Yichang; Sun, Lin-Bing

2017-01-05

Selective adsorption by use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is an effective method for purification of hydrocarbon fuels. In consideration that the adsorption processes proceed in liquid phases, separation and recycling of adsorbents should be greatly facilitated if MOFs were endowed with magnetism. In the present study, we reported for the first time a dry gel conversion (DGC) strategy to fabricate magnetically responsive MOFs as adsorbents for deep desulfurization and denitrogenation. The solvent is separated from the solid materials in the DGC strategy, and vapor is generated at elevated temperatures to induce the growth of MOFs around magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. This strategy can greatly simplify the complicated procedures of the well-known layer-by-layer method and avoid the blockage of pores confronted by introducing magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles to the pores of MOFs. Our results show that the adsorbents are capable of efficiently removing aromatic sulfur and nitrogen compounds from model fuels, for example removing 0.62mmolg -1 S and 0.89mmolg -1 N of thiophene and indole, respectively. In addition, the adsorbents are facile to separate from liquid phases by use of an external field. After 6 cycles, the adsorbents still show a good adsorption capacity that is comparable to the fresh one. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of open air drying, LPG based drier and pretreatments on the quality of Indian gooseberry (aonla).

PubMed

Gudapaty, Pratibha; Indavarapu, Srinivas; Korwar, Girish R; Shankar, Arun Kumar; Adake, Ravi Kant V; Bandi, Venkateshwarlu; Kanchu, Srinivas Rao

2010-10-01

The aonla fruits (whole fruit, pricking, splits, segments) were subjected to pretreatments like blanching, osmotic dehydration with salt (2%) and sugar (40%) in different experiments before drying to obtain a product with better keeping quality. An LPG based drier (CRIDA drier) with capacity to dry 50 kg of fresh Indian gooseberry (aonla) was used. Nutritional quality and rehydration characteristics of CRIDA drier dried products were higher and free from contamination. Drying time was shortest for blanched and osmotically dehydrated segments dried in CRIDA drier and the product had better vitamin C retention, rehydration characteristics and sensory acceptability compared to sun or cabinet drier dried product. The additional expenditure spent on gas in CRIDA drier is compensated by reduced labour cost and higher price for the better quality product. Alternate energy sources like biogas and biomass can be used as fuel in the CRIDA drier.

Subtask 3.11 - Production of CBTL-Based Jet Fuels from Biomass-Based Feedstocks and Montana Coal

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

Sharma, Ramesh

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Accelergy Corporation, an advanced fuels developer with technologies exclusively licensed from Exxon Mobil, undertook Subtask 3.11 to use a recently installed bench-scale direct coal liquefaction (DCL) system capable of converting 45 pounds/hour of pulverized, dried coal to a liquid suitable for upgrading to fuels and/or chemicals. The process involves liquefaction of Rosebud mine coal (Montana coal) coupled with an upgrading scheme to produce a naphthenic fuel. The upgrading comprises catalytic hydrotreating and saturation to produce naphthenic fuel. A synthetic jet fuel was preparedmore » by blending equal volumes of naphthenic fuel with similar aliphatic fuel derived from biomass and 11 volume % of aromatic hydrocarbons. The synthetic fuel was tested using standard ASTM International techniques to determine compliance with JP-8 fuel. The composite fuel thus produced not only meets but exceeds the military aviation fuel-screening criteria. A 500-milliliter synthetic jet fuel sample which met internal screening criteria was submitted to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright–Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, for evaluation. The sample was confirmed by AFRL to be in compliance with U.S. Air Force-prescribed alternative aviation fuel initial screening criteria. The results show that this fuel meets or exceeds the key specification parameters for JP-8, a petroleum-based jet fuel widely used by the U.S. military. JP-8 specifications include parameters such as freeze point, density, flash point, and others; all of which were met by the EERC fuel sample. The fuel also exceeds the thermal stability specification of JP-8 fuel as determined by the quartz crystalline microbalance (QCM) test also performed at an independent laboratory as well as AFRL. This means that the EERC fuel looks and acts identically to petroleum-derived jet fuel and can be used interchangeably without any special requirements and thus provides a pathway to energy security to the U.S. military and the entire nation. This subtask was funded through the EERC–DOE Joint Program on Research and Development for Fossil Energy-Related Resources Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26- 08NT43291. Nonfederal funding was provided by Accelergy Corporation.« less

Conversion of a wet waste feedstock to biocrude by hydrothermal processing in a continuous-flow reactor: grape pomace

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

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

Wet waste feedstocks present an apt opportunity for biomass conversion to fuels by hydrothermal processing. In this study, grape pomace slurries from two varieties, Montepulciano and cabernet sauvignon, have been converted into a biocrude by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) in a bench-scale, continuous-flow reactor system. Carbon conversion to gravity-separable biocrude product up to 56 % was accomplished at relatively low temperature (350 C) in a pressurized (sub-critical liquid water) environment (20 MPa) when using grape pomace feedstock slurry with a 16.8 wt% concentration of dry solids processed at a liquid hourly space velocity of 2.1 h-1. Direct oil recovery was achievedmore » without the use of a solvent and biomass trace mineral components were removed by processing steps so that they did not cause processing difficulties. In addition, catalytic hydrothermal gasification (CHG) was effectively applied for HTL byproduct water cleanup using a Ru on C catalyst in a fixed bed producing a gas composed of methane and carbon dioxide from water soluble organics. Conversion of 99.8% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) left in the aqueous phase was demonstrated. As a result, high conversion of grape pomace to liquid and gas fuel products was found with residual organic contamination in byproduct water reduced to <150 mg/kg COD.« less

Ecological effects of alternative fuel-reduction treatments: highlights of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS)

Treesearch

James D. McIver; Scott L. Stephens; James K. Agee; Jamie Barbour; Ralph E. J. Boerner; Carl B. Edminster; Karen L. Erickson; Kerry L. Farris; Christopher J. Fettig; Carl E. Fiedler; Sally Haase; Stephen C. Hart; Jon E. Keeley; Eric E. Knapp; John F. Lehmkuhl; Jason J. Moghaddas; William Otrosina; Kenneth W. Outcalt; Dylan W. Schwilk; Carl N. Skinner; Thomas A. Waldrop; C. Phillip Weatherspoon; Daniel A. Yaussy; Andrew Youngblood; Steve Zack

2012-01-01

The 12-site National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS) was a multivariate experiment that evaluated ecological consequences of alternative fuel-reduction treatments in seasonally dry forests of the US. Each site was a replicated experiment with a common design that compared an un-manipulated control, prescribed fire, mechanical and mechanical + fire treatments....

Evaluation of Radiation Impacts of Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage (SNFS-2) of Chernobyl NPP - 13495

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

Paskevych, Sergiy; Batiy, Valiriy; Sizov, Andriy

2013-07-01

Radiation effects are estimated for the operation of a new dry storage facility for spent nuclear fuel (SNFS-2) of Chernobyl NPP RBMK reactors. It is shown that radiation exposure during normal operation, design and beyond design basis accidents are minor and meet the criteria for safe use of radiation and nuclear facilities in Ukraine. (authors)

The influence of fuelbed properties on moisture drying rates and timelags of longleaf pine litter

Treesearch

Ralph M. Nelson; J. Kevin Hiers

2008-01-01

Fire managers often model pine needles as 1 h timelag fuels, but fuelbed properties may significantly change the rate at which needles exchange moisture with the atmosphere. The problem of determining whether moisture loss from fine fuels is being controlled by individual particles or by the fuelbed remains unresolved. Results from this laboratory experiment indicate...

Understory vegetation response to thinning and burning restoration treatments in dry conifer forests of the eastern Cascades, USA

Treesearch

Erich Kyle Dodson; David W. Peterson; Richy J. Harrod

2008-01-01

Restoration/fuel reduction treatments are being widely used in fire-prone forests to modify stand structure, reduce risks of severe wildfire, and increase ecosystem resilience to natural disturbances. These treatments are designed to manipulate stand structure and fuels, but may also affect understory vegetation and biodiversity. In this study, we describe prescribed...

Fuels consumption and nitrogen loss following prescribed fire: a comparison of prescription types in the Southern appalachians

Treesearch

Barton D. Clinton; James M. Vose

2007-01-01

Prescribed burning is frequently used as a tool for restoration of plant communities, wildlife habitat improvement, and site preparation. We compared and contrasted the effects of four burning prescriptions on forest floor and fine fuels consumption, and nitrogen loss. The burning treatments included dry (DU) and mesic (MU) understory burns, stand replacement (SR)...

A comparison of two methods for estimating conifer live foliar moisture content

Treesearch

W. Matt Jolly; Ann M. Hadlow

2012-01-01

Foliar moisture content is an important factor regulating how wildland fires ignite in and spread through live fuels but moisture content determination methods are rarely standardised between studies. One such difference lies between the uses of rapid moisture analysers or drying ovens. Both of these methods are commonly used in live fuel research but they have never...

Landscape heterogeneity compensates for fuel reduction treatment effects on Northern flying squirrel populations

Treesearch

R. Sollmann; Angela White; Gina Tarbill; Patricia Manley; Eric E. Knapp

2016-01-01

In the dry forests of the western United States frequent fires historically maintained a diversity of habitats in multiple seral stages. Over the past century, fire suppression and preferential harvest of large trees has led to a densification and homogenization of forests, making them more prone to larger and more severe wildfires. In response, fuel reduction...

A review of satellite-based methods of estimating live fuel moisture content for fire danger assessment: moving towards operational products

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

One of the primary variables affecting ignition and spread of wildfire is fuel moisture content (FMC), which is the ratio of water mass to dry mass in living and dead plant material. Because dead FMC may be estimated from available weather data, remote sensing is needed to monitor the spatial distr...

Bromine and Chlorine in Aerosols and Fly Ash when Co-Firing Solid Recovered Fuel, Spruce Bark and Paper Mill Sludge in a 80MWth BFB Boiler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vainikka, P.; Silvennoinen, J.; Yrjas, P.; Frantsi, A.; Hietanen, L.; Hupa, M.; Taipale, R.

Aerosol and fly ash sampling was carried out at a 80MWth bubbling fluidised bed (BFB) boiler plant co-firing solid recovered fuel (SRF), spruce bark and paper mill wastewater sludge in two experimental conditions. The SRF-Bark ratio in the fuel mix was kept constant at 50%-50% on dry mass basis in both experiments but two sludge proportions were used: 15% and 4% on dry mass basis. Aerosol samples were collected from the superheater region of the boiler furnace and fly ash from the electrostatic precipitator (ESP). Na, K, Cl and S were found to be in mainly water soluble compounds in the aerosols sampled by means of a Dekati type Low Pressure Impactor (DLPI). Bromine was found in several weight percentages in aerosols and it was amongst the main elements in some of the samples collected. Bromine is assumed to mainly originate from flame retarded plastics and textiles in the SRF. According to the measurements, the fate of Br seems to be analogous to the other main halogen, Cl, and its conversion from fuel to aerosols was high, indicating a strong tendency to form bromine salts.

Effects of Lower Drying-Storage Temperature on the Ductility of High-Burnup PWR Cladding

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

Billone, M. C.; Burtseva, T. A.

2016-08-30

The purpose of this research effort is to determine the effects of canister and/or cask drying and storage on radial hydride precipitation in, and potential embrittlement of, high-burnup (HBU) pressurized water reactor (PWR) cladding alloys during cooling for a range of peak drying-storage temperatures (PCT) and hoop stresses. Extensive precipitation of radial hydrides could lower the failure hoop stresses and strains, relative to limits established for as-irradiated cladding from discharged fuel rods stored in pools, at temperatures below the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT).

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

Marschman, Steven Craig

While low burn-up fuel [that characterized as having a burn-up of less than 45 gigawatt days per metric ton uranium (GWD/MTU)] has been stored for nearly three decades, the storage of high burn-up used fuels is more recent. The DOE has funded a High Burn-Up (HBU) Confirmatory Data Project to confirm the behavior of used high burn-up fuel under prototypic conditions. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is leading a project team to develop and implement the Test Plan to collect this data from a UNF dry storage system containing high burn-up fuel. As part of that project, 25 “sister”more » fuel rods have been selected, removed from assemblies, and placed in a fuel container ready for shipment to a national laboratory. This report documents that status of readiness to receive the fuel if that fuel were to be sent to Idaho National Laboratory (INL).« less

The potential pyrophoricity of BMI-SPEC and aluminum plate spent fuels retrieved from underwater storage

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

Ebner, M.A.

1996-08-01

Physical/chemical factors in U metal and hydride combustion, particularly pyrophoricity in ambient environment, were evaluated for BMI-SPEC and UAl{sub x} plate fuels. Some metal fuels may be highly reactive (spontaneously igniting in air) due to high specific surface area, high decay heat, or a high U hydride content from corrosion during underwater storage. However, for the BMI-SPEC and the aluminum plate fuels, this reactivity is too low to present a realistic threat of uncontrolled spontaneous combustion at ambient conditions. While residual U hydride is expected in these corroded fuels, the hydride levels are expected to be too low and themore » configuration too unfavorable to ignite the fuel meat when the fuels are retrieved from the basin and dried. Furthermore the composition and microstructure of the UAl{sub x} fuels further mitigate that risk.« less

PROCESSING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE

DOEpatents

Allemann, R.T.; Johnson, B.M. Jr.

1961-10-31

A process for concentrating fission-product-containing waste solutions from fuel element processing is described. The process comprises the addition of sugar to the solution, preferably after it is made alkaline; spraying the solution into a heated space whereby a dry powder is formed; heating the powder to at least 220 deg C in the presence of oxygen whereby the powder ignites, the sugar is converted to carbon, and the salts are decomposed by the carbon; melting the powder at between 800 and 900 deg C; and cooling the melt. (AEC) antidiuretic hormone from the blood by the liver. Data are summarized from the following: tracer studies on cardiovascular functions; the determination of serum protein-bound iodine; urinary estrogen excretion in patients with arvanced metastatic mammary carcinoma; the relationship between alheroclerosis aad lipoproteins; the physical chemistry of lipoproteins; and factors that modify the effects of densely ionizing radia

An integrated process for the extraction of fuel and chemicals from marine macroalgal biomass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trivedi, Nitin; Baghel, Ravi S.; Bothwell, John; Gupta, Vishal; Reddy, C. R. K.; Lali, Arvind M.; Jha, Bhavanath

2016-07-01

We describe an integrated process that can be applied to biomass of the green seaweed, Ulva fasciata, to allow the sequential recovery of four economically important fractions; mineral rich liquid extract (MRLE), lipid, ulvan, and cellulose. The main benefits of our process are: a) its simplicity and b) the consistent yields obtained from the residual biomass after each successive extraction step. For example, dry Ulva biomass yields ~26% of its starting mass as MRLE, ~3% as lipid, ~25% as ulvan, and ~11% as cellulose, with the enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of the final cellulose fraction under optimized conditions producing ethanol at a competitive 0.45 g/g reducing sugar. These yields are comparable to those obtained by direct processing of the individual components from primary biomass. We propose that this integration of ethanol production and chemical feedstock recovery from macroalgal biomass could substantially enhance the sustainability of marine biomass use.

In-Field Performance Testing of the Fork Detector for Quantitative Spent Fuel Verification

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

Gauld, Ian C.; Hu, Jianwei; De Baere, P.

Expanding spent fuel dry storage activities worldwide are increasing demands on safeguards authorities that perform inspections. The European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) require measurements to verify declarations when spent fuel is transferred to difficult-to-access locations, such as dry storage casks and the repositories planned in Finland and Sweden. EURATOM makes routine use of the Fork detector to obtain gross gamma and total neutron measurements during spent fuel inspections. Data analysis is performed by modules in the integrated Review and Analysis Program (iRAP) software, developed jointly by EURATOM and the IAEA. Under the frameworkmore » of the US Department of Energy–EURATOM cooperation agreement, a module for automated Fork detector data analysis has been developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) using the ORIGEN code from the SCALE code system and implemented in iRAP. EURATOM and ORNL recently performed measurements on 30 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel (Clab), operated by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). The measured assemblies represent a broad range of fuel characteristics. Neutron count rates for 15 measured pressurized water reactor assemblies are predicted with an average relative standard deviation of 4.6%, and gamma signals are predicted on average within 2.6% of the measurement. The 15 measured boiling water reactor assemblies exhibit slightly larger deviations of 5.2% for the gamma signals and 5.7% for the neutron count rates, compared to measurements. These findings suggest that with improved analysis of the measurement data, existing instruments can provide increased verification of operator declarations of the spent fuel and thereby also provide greater ability to confirm integrity of an assembly. These results support the application of the Fork detector as a fully quantitative spent fuel verification technique.« less

Plant hydrocarbon recovery process

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

Dzadzic, P.M.; Price, M.C.; Shih, C.J.

1982-01-26

A process for production and recovery of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbon-containing whole plants in a form suitable for use as chemical feedstocks or as hydrocarbon energy sources which process comprises: (A) pulverizing by grinding or chopping hydrocarbon-containing whole plants selected from the group consisting of euphorbiaceae, apocynaceae, asclepiadaceae, compositae, cactaceae and pinaceae families to a suitable particle size, (B) drying and preheating said particles in a reducing atmosphere under positive pressure (C) passing said particles through a thermal conversion zone containing a reducing atmosphere and with a residence time of 1 second to about 30 minutes at a temperature within themore » range of from about 200* C. To about 1000* C., (D) separately recovering the condensable vapors as liquids and the noncondensable gases in a condition suitable for use as chemical feedstocks or as hydrocarbon fuels.« less

Ecological consequences of alternative fuel reduction treatments in seasonally dry forests: the national fire and fire surrogate study

Treesearch

J.D. McIver; C.J. Fettig

2010-01-01

This special issue of Forest Science features the national Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS), a niultisite, multivariate research project that evaluates the ecological consequences of prescribed fire and its mechanical surrogates in seasonally dry forests of the United States. The need for a comprehensive national FFS study stemmed from concern that information on...

Evaluation of grain distillers dried yeast as a fish meal substitute in practical-type diets of juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Grain distillers dried yeast (GDDY) is a single-cell protein obtained as a co-product during the production of fuel ethanol that may have potential as a protein replacement for rainbow trout. The goal of this study was to examine the suitability of GDDY as a replacement for fishmeal on a digestible ...

Potential for a mycotoxin deactivator to improve growth and performance of rainbow trout fed high levels of an ethanol industry co-Product, grain distiller’s dried yeast

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Co-products from the production of fuel ethanol may have the potential to be used as protein sources for Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss if dietary supplementation strategies that can maintain fish performance can be identified. A random sample of one such co-product, grain distiller’s dried yeast...

Use of traditional cooking fuels and the risk of young adult cataract in rural Bangladesh: a hospital-based case-control study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background This study aimed to investigate the independent relationship between the use of various traditional biomass cooking fuels and the occurrence of cataract in young adults in rural Bangladesh. Methods A hospital-based age- and sex-matched case-control study incorporating two control groups was conducted. Cases were cataract patients aged 18 and 49 years diagnosed on the basis of any opacity of the crystalline lens or its capsule and visual acuity poorer than 6/18 on the Log Mar Visual Acuity Chart in either eye, or who had a pseudophakic lens as a result of cataract surgery within the previous 5 years. Non-eye-disease (NE) controls were selected from patients from ENT or Orthopaedics departments and non-cataract eye-disease (NC) controls from the Ophthalmology department. Data pertaining to history of exposure to various cooking fuels and to established risk factors for cataract were obtained by face-to-face interview and analyzed using conditional logistic regression. Results Clean fuels were used by only 4% of subjects. A majority of males (64-80% depending on group) had never cooked, while the rest had used biomass cooking fuels, mainly wood/dry leaves, with only 6 having used rice straw and/or cow dung. All females of each group had used wood/dry leaves for cooking. Close to half had also used rice straw and/or cow dung. Among females, after controlling for family history of cataract and education and combining the two control groups, case status was shown to be significantly related to lifetime exposure to rice straw, fitted as a trend variable coded as never, ≤ median of all exposed, > median of all exposed (OR = 1.52, 95%CI 1.04-2.22), but not to lifetime exposure to wood/dry leaves. Case status among females showed an inverse association with ever use of cow dung as a cooking fuel (OR 0.43, 95%CI 0.22-0.81). Conclusions In this population, where cooking is almost exclusively done using biomass fuels, cases of young adult cataract among females were more likely to have had an increased lifetime exposure to cooking with rice straw fuel and not to have cooked using cow dung fuel. There is a possibility that these apparent associations could have been the result of uncontrolled founding, for instance by wealth. The nature of the associations, therefore, needs to be further investigated. PMID:21679452

The application of SRF vs. RDF classification and specifications to the material flows of two mechanical-biological treatment plants of Rome: Comparison and implications.

PubMed

Di Lonardo, Maria Chiara; Franzese, Maurizio; Costa, Giulia; Gavasci, Renato; Lombardi, Francesco

2016-01-01

This work assessed the quality in terms of solid recovered fuel (SRF) definitions of the dry light flow (until now indicated as refuse derived fuel, RDF), heavy rejects and stabilisation rejects, produced by two mechanical biological treatment plants of Rome (Italy). SRF classification and specifications were evaluated first on the basis of RDF historical characterisation methods and data and then applying the sampling and analytical methods laid down by the recently issued SRF standards. The results showed that the dry light flow presented a worst SRF class in terms of net calorific value applying the new methods compared to that obtained from RDF historical data (4 instead of 3). This lead to incompliance with end of waste criteria established by Italian legislation for SRF use as co-fuel in cement kilns and power plants. Furthermore, the metal contents of the dry light flow obtained applying SRF current methods proved to be considerably higher (although still meeting SRF specifications) compared to those resulting from historical data retrieved with RDF standard methods. These differences were not related to a decrease in the quality of the dry light flow produced in the mechanical-biological treatment plants but rather to the different sampling procedures set by the former RDF and current SRF standards. In particular, the shredding of the sample before quartering established by the latter methods ensures that also the finest waste fractions, characterised by higher moisture and metal contents, are included in the sample to be analysed, therefore affecting the composition and net calorific value of the waste. As for the reject flows, on the basis of their SRF classification and specification parameters, it was found that combined with the dry light flow they may present similar if not the same class codes as the latter alone, thus indicating that these material flows could be also treated in combustion plants instead of landfilled. In conclusion, the introduction of SRF definitions, classification and specification procedures, while not necessarily leading to an upgrade of the waste as co-fuel in cement kilns and power plants, may anyhow provide new possibilities for energy recovery from waste by increasing the types of mechanically treated waste flows that may be thermally treated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Conversion of Dimethyl Ether to Branched Hydrocarbons Over Cu/BEA: the Roles of Lewis Acidic and Metallic Sites in H2 Incorporation

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

Hensley, Jesse E.; Schaidle, Joshua A.; Ruddy, Daniel A.

2017-04-26

Conversion of biomass to fuels remains as one of the most promising approach to support our energy needs. It has been previously shown that the gasification of non-edible cellulosic biomass can be used to derive fuels like methanol and dimethyl ether (DME). However, the use of methanol and DME is limited due to the fact that they have low energy densities, poor lubricity and lower viscosity when compared to long-chain hydrocarbons. Increasing the blending percentage can also lead to undesired amounts of oxygenated molecules in the transportation fuel infrastructure, which restrict their applicability as jet or diesel fuels. Consequently, themore » petroleum-derived hydrocarbons remain as the main constituent of the middle-distillate based fuels. One way to increase the share of biofuels in middle-distillates is to use methanol/DME as building blocks for producing renewable, energy-dense hydrocarbons. One way to achieve this is by catalytically converting the DME and methanol to light olefins, followed by oligomerization to higher molecular weight premium alkanes, which can directly be used as kerosene/diesel fuels. Here, we report the catalytic dimerization of biomass-derived deoxygenated olefins into transportation fuel-range hydrocarbons under liquid-phase stirred-batch conditions. Specifically, the effect of operating conditions, such as reaction temperature, solvent-type, reaction duration and olefin-structure, on the conversion, selectivity and kinetics of dimerization of triptene (2,3,3-trimethyl-1-butene) were investigated. Triptene, as previously reported, is one of the major products of DME-homologation reaction over a BEA zeolite4. We show that triptene can be converted to high quality middle-distillates using a commercially available ion-exchange acid resin, Amberlyst-35 (dry) by the process of catalytic dimerization.« less

Effect of Lanthanum-Natural Zeolite, La/NZA catalyst on biodiesel production from crude palm oil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setianingsih, A.; Wisrayetti; Khairat; Bahri, S.

2018-04-01

Biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oils through the trans-esterification process. In this study, potential vegetable oil of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) was used as sample. The purposes of this research were to produce biodiesel from CPO as an alternative fuel, having study the ratio of impregnation of Lanthanum on NZA, and its catalyst weight to the biodiesel yield. The La/NZA catalyst is made as followed, first the natural zeolite size was reduced using grinding, then activated using HCl 6 N and NH4Cl 1 N, followed with the drying process. La is impregnated into NZA as solution having variations of 1 and 3% (w/w) of NZA, then it was followed with dried in an oven, calcination, oxidation and reduction. Production of biodiesel is carried out through two stages of esterification and transesterification processes. In the trans-esterification process conducted with the various variation of catalyst weight i.e. 1, 2 and 3% of La/NZA (w/w) for a total weight of 80 grams of CPO sample, having the ratio of oil : methanol 1 : 9. Reaction was lasted for 60 minutes at 60°C having 400 rpm stirring speed. From the result, the conversion of 85.37% is given by the run on using 3% La/NZA catalyst having catalyst weight 1%.

Multilayer ceramic oxide solid electrolyte for fuel cells and electrolysis cells and method for fabrication thereof

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroeder, James E. (Inventor); Anderson, Harlan U. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

An unitary layered ceramic structure is disclosed which comprises co-sintered layers. The co-sintered structure comprises a sintered central layer of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) which is about 8 mole percent yttria and having a density of at least about 95% of theoretical, and sintered outer layers of strontium lanthanum manganite (LSM) having the approximate molecular composition La.sub.0.8 Sr.sub.0.2 MnO.sub.3, having a density from about 50 to about 60% of theoretical, and having interconnected porosity from about 40 to 50% with an interconnected pore diameter from about one micron to about five microns. The sintered central layer is sandwiched by and bonded and sintered to the outer layers and is essentially free of significant amounts of manganese. A process for making the unitary composition-of-matter is also disclosed which involves tape casting a LSM tape and then on top thereof casting a YSZ tape. The process comprises presintering LSM powder at 1250.degree. F., crushing the presintered commercially available LSM powder, forming a slurry with the crushed LSM, a binder and solvent, tape casting the slurry and allowing the slurry to air dry. A mixture of commercially available submicron size particle YSZ powder is milled with a dispersant and solvent to disperse the YSZ particles thereby forming a dispersed YSZ slurry. The YSZ slurry is then tape cast on the dried LSM tape. If desired, a third layer of LSM can be cast on top of the dried YSZ layer. After drying the composite LSM/YSZ and LSM/YSZ/LSM tapes are fired at 1300.degree. C. No migration of manganese into the YSZ layer was observed with scanning electron microscope/edax in the sintered multilayer tape.

Multilayer ceramic oxide solid electrolyte for fuel cells and electrolysis cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schroeder, James E. (Inventor); Anderson, Harlan U. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A unitary layered ceramic structure is disclosed which comprises co-sintered layers. The co-sintered structure comprises a sintered central layer of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) which is about 8 mole percent yttria and having a density of at least about 95% of theoretical, and sintered outer layers of strontium lanthanum manganite (LSM) having the approximate molecular composition La.sub.0.8 Sr.sub.0.2 MnO.sub.3, having a density from about 50 to about 60% of theoretical, and having interconnected porosity from about 40 to 50% with an interconnected pore diameter from about one micron to about five microns. The sintered central layer is sandwiched by and bonded and sintered to the outer layers and is essentially free of significant amounts of manganese. A process for making the unitary composition-of-matter is also disclosed which involves tape casting a LSM tape and then on top thereof casting a YSZ tape. The process comprises presintering LSM powder at 1250.degree. F., crushing the presintered commercially available LSM powder, forming a slurry with the crushed LSM, a binder and solvent, tape casting the slurry and allowing the slurry to air dry. A mixture of commercially available submicron size particle YSZ powder is milled with a dispersant and solvent to disperse the YSZ particles thereby forming a dispersed YSZ slurry. The YSZ slurry is then tape cast on the dried LSM tape. If desired, a third layer of LSM can be cast on top of the dried YSZ layer. After drying the composite LSM/YSZ and LSM/YSZ/LSM tapes are fired at 1300.degree. C. No migration of manganese into the YSZ layer was observed with scanning electron microscope/edax in the sintered multilayer tape.

Low-nitrogen oxides combustion of dried sludge using a pilot-scale cyclone combustor with recirculation.

PubMed

Shim, Sung Hoon; Jeong, Sang Hyun; Lee, Sang-Sup

2015-04-01

Recently, numerical and experimental studies have been conducted to develop a moderate or intense low-oxygen dilution (MILD) combustion technology for solid fuels. The study results demonstrated that intense recirculation inside the furnace by high-momentum air is a key parameter to achieve the MILD combustion of solid fuels. However, the high-velocity air requires a significant amount of electricity consumption. A cyclone-type MILD combustor was therefore designed and constructed in the authors' laboratory to improve the recirculation inside the combustor. The laboratory-scale tests yielded promising results for the MILD combustion of dried sewage sludge. To achieve pilot-scale MILD combustion of dried sludge in this study, the effects of geometric parameters such as the venturi tube configuration, the air injection location, and the air nozzle diameter were investigated. With the optimized geometric and operational conditions, the pilot-scale cyclone combustor demonstrated successful MILD combustion of dried sludge at a rate of 75 kg/hr with an excess air ratio of 1.05. A horizontal cyclone combustor with recirculation demonstrated moderate or intense low-oxygen dilution (MILD) combustion of dried sewage sludge at a rate of 75 kg/hr. Optimizing only geometric and operational conditions of the combustor reduced nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to less than 75 ppm. Because the operating cost of the MILD combustor is much lower than that of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) applied to the conventional combustor, MILD combustion technology with the cyclone type furnace is an eligible option for reducing NOx emissions from the combustion of dried sewage sludge.

Analysis of biomass and waste gasification lean syngases combustion for power generation using spark ignition engines.

PubMed

Marculescu, Cosmin; Cenuşă, Victor; Alexe, Florin

2016-01-01

The paper presents a study for food processing industry waste to energy conversion using gasification and internal combustion engine for power generation. The biomass we used consisted in bones and meat residues sampled directly from the industrial line, characterised by high water content, about 42% in mass, and potential health risks. Using the feedstock properties, experimentally determined, two air-gasification process configurations were assessed and numerically modelled to quantify the effects on produced syngas properties. The study also focused on drying stage integration within the conversion chain: either external or integrated into the gasifier. To comply with environmental regulations on feedstock to syngas conversion both solutions were developed in a closed system using a modified down-draft gasifier that integrates the pyrolysis, gasification and partial oxidation stages. Good quality syngas with up to 19.1% - CO; 17% - H2; and 1.6% - CH4 can be produced. The syngas lower heating value may vary from 4.0 MJ/Nm(3) to 6.7 MJ/Nm(3) depending on process configuration. The influence of syngas fuel properties on spark ignition engines performances was studied in comparison to the natural gas (methane) and digestion biogas. In order to keep H2 molar quota below the detonation value of ⩽4% for the engines using syngas, characterised by higher hydrogen fraction, the air excess ratio in the combustion process must be increased to [2.2-2.8]. The results in this paper represent valuable data required by the design of waste to energy conversion chains with intermediate gas fuel production. The data is suitable for Otto engines characterised by power output below 1 MW, designed for natural gas consumption and fuelled with low calorific value gas fuels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Army Experience and Requirements for Stability and Cleanliness of Diesel Fuels.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-01

following: Iron Oxide 30 g/1000 gal Quartz Dust 4 g/1 0 0 0 gal Arizona Road Dust = 8 g/1000 gal Cotton Liners 0.1 g/1 0 0 0 gal Naphthenic Acid = 0.03...are then removed , dried, and weighed on a 9 torsion balance. Sediment content is determined by comparing the increase in weight of the test membrane...and thermal instability on the particular diesel fuels would Corrosion in Vehicle create (I) acidic impurities leading to corrosion and water Fuel Tanks

Chemical Mechanisms of Toxic Solute Interactions with Soil Constituents

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-04-01

been widely reported (References 125-127). However, in days such as montmorillonite and kaolinite , whose cations have been (partially) exchanged with...matrix-isolation methods were used to characterize the sorption of water and fuel compounds on a model soil consisting of montmorillonite clay. The...only under very dry conditions. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Montmorillonite clay, fuels, infrared 15 NUMBER Of PAGES spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible

An investigation of the influence of heating modes on ignition and pyrolysis of woody wildland fuel

Treesearch

B.L. Yashwanth; B. Shotorban; S. Mahalingam; D.R. Weise

2015-01-01

The ignition of woody wildland fuel modeled as a one-dimensional slab subject to various modes of heating was investigated using a general pyrolysis code, Gpyro. The heating mode was varied by applying different convective and/or radiative, time-dependent heat flux boundary conditions on one end of the slab while keeping the other end insulated. Dry wood properties...

Restoration of northern Rocky Mountain moist forests: Integrating fuel treatments from the site to the landscape

Treesearch

Theresa B. Jain; Russell T. Graham; Jonathan Sandquist; Matthew Butler; Karen Brockus; Daniel Frigard; David Cobb; Han Sup-Han; Jeff Halbrook; Robert Denner; Jeffrey S. Evans

2008-01-01

Restoration and fuel treatments in the moist forests of the northern Rocky Mountains are complex and far different from those applicable to the dry ponderosa pine forests. In the moist forests, clearcuts are the favored method to use for growing early-seral western white pine and western larch. Nevertheless, clearcuts and their associated roads often affect wildlife...

40 CFR Appendix A-7 to Part 60 - Test Methods 19 through 25E

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... %O include the unavailable hydrogen and oxygen in the form of H2O.) 12.3.2.2 Use applicable sampling... are used during the averaging period. 12.5.2.1 Solid Fossil (Including Waste) Fuel/Sampling and... of the standards) on a dry basis for each gross sample. 12.5.2.2 Liquid Fossil Fuel-Sampling and...

A Drought Index for Forest Fire Control

Treesearch

John J. Keetch; George M. Byram

1968-01-01

The moisture content of the upper soil, as well as that of the covering layer of duff, has an important effect on the fire suppression effort in forest and wildland areas. In certain forested areas of the United States, fires in deep duff fuels are of particular concern to the fire control manager. When these fuels are dry, fires burn deeply, dam-age is excessive, and...

Smoke from wildfires and prescribed burning in Australia: effects on human health and ecosystems

Treesearch

Tina Bell; Mark Adams

2009-01-01

Much of Australia is seasonally hot and dry, and fuel beds can become very flammable. Biomass burning ranges from annual savanna fires in the north to sporadic but extensive forest fires in the south. In addition, prescribed burning (the controlled application of fire) is being used more frequently as a means of reducing fuel loads, for maintenance of plant and animal...

77 FR 21815 - South Carolina Electric And Gas Company (Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station Units 2 and 3); Order...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-11

... (Effective Immediately) I The Licensee identified in this Order holds licenses issued by the U.S. Nuclear... fuel pool. This caused concerns that the pool may have boiled dry, resulting in fuel damage.\\1... shall be whether this Order should be sustained. Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), the Licensee, or any...

Tools Developed to Prepare and Stabilize Reactor Spent Fuel for Retrieval from Tile Holes - 12251

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

Horne, Michael; Clough, Malcolm

Spent fuel from the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) nuclear reactors is stored in the waste management areas on site. This fuel is contained within carbon steel spent fuel cans that are stored inside vertical carbon steel lined concrete pipes in the ground known as tile holes. The fuel cans have been stored in the tile holes for greater than 30 years. Some of the fuel cans have experienced corrosion which may have affected their structural integrity as well as the potential to form hydrogen gas. In addition to these potential hazards, there was a need to clean contaminated surfaces insidemore » of and around the exposed upper surface of the tile holes. As part of the site waste management remediation plan spent fuel will be retrieved from degraded tile holes, dried, and relocated to a new purpose built above ground storage facility. There have been a number of tools that are required to be developed to ensure spent fuel cans are in a safe condition prior to retrieval and re-location. A series of special purpose tools have been designed and constructed to stabilize the contents of the tile holes, to determine the integrity of the fuel containers and to decontaminate inside and around the tile holes. Described herein are the methods and types of tools used. Tools that have been presented here have been used, or will be used in the near future, in the waste management areas of the CRL Site in preparation for storage of spent fuel in a new above ground facility. The stabilization tools have been demonstrated on mock-up facilities prior to successful use in the field to remove hydrogen gas and uranium hydrides from the fuel cans. A lifting tool has been developed and used successfully in the field to confirm the integrity of the fuel cans for future relocation. A tool using a commercial dry ice blaster has been developed and is ready to start mock-up trials and is scheduled to be used in the field during the summer of 2012. (authors)« less

Gras Dowr joins world`s FPSO fleet

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

NONE

1997-05-05

The Gras Dowr, a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSD) for Amerada Hess Ltd.`s North Sea Durward and Dauntless fields, is one of the latest additions to the world`s growing FPSO fleet. The Gras Dowr, anchored in about 90 m of water, lies between the Durward (U.K. Block 21/16) and Dauntless (U.K. Block 21/11) fields, about 3.5 km from the subsea wellhead locations. The Gras Dowr`s main functions, according to Bluewater Offshore Production Systems Ltd., are to: receive fluids from well risers; process incoming fluids to separate the fluid into crude, water, and gas; store dry crude oil andmore » maintain the required temperature; treat effluent to allow for water discharge to the sea; compress gas for gas lift as a future option; provide chemical injection skid for process chemical injection; use a part of the produced gas for fuel gas, and flare excess gas; inject treated seawater into the injection wells; house power generation for process and offloading operation and utilities; offload to a tandem moored shuttle tanker including receiving liquid fuel from the same tanker; provide accommodations for operating and maintenance crews; allow helicopters landings and takeoffs; allow handling and storage of goods transported by supply vessels; moor a shuttle tanker; and control the subsea wells.« less

Hydraulic redistribution affects modeled carbon cycling via soil microbial activity and suppressed fire.

PubMed

Fu, Congsheng; Wang, Guiling; Bible, Kenneth; Goulden, Michael L; Saleska, Scott R; Scott, Russell L; Cardon, Zoe G

2018-04-13

Hydraulic redistribution (HR) of water from moist to drier soils, through plant roots, occurs world-wide in seasonally dry ecosystems. Although the influence of HR on landscape hydrology and plant water use has been amply demonstrated, HR's effects on microbe-controlled processes sensitive to soil moisture, including carbon and nutrient cycling at ecosystem scales, remain difficult to observe in the field and have not been integrated into a predictive framework. We incorporated a representation of HR into the Community Land Model (CLM4.5) and found the new model improved predictions of water, energy, and system-scale carbon fluxes observed by eddy covariance at four seasonally dry yet ecologically diverse temperate and tropical AmeriFlux sites. Modeled plant productivity and microbial activities were differentially stimulated by upward HR, resulting at times in increased plant demand outstripping increased nutrient supply. Modeled plant productivity and microbial activities were diminished by downward HR. Overall, inclusion of HR tended to increase modeled annual ecosystem uptake of CO 2 (or reduce annual CO 2 release to the atmosphere). Moreover, engagement of CLM4.5's ground-truthed fire module indicated that though HR increased modeled fuel load at all four sites, upward HR also moistened surface soil and hydrated vegetation sufficiently to limit the modeled spread of dry season fire and concomitant very large CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. Historically, fire has been a dominant ecological force in many seasonally dry ecosystems, and intensification of soil drought and altered precipitation regimes are expected for seasonally dry ecosystems in the future. HR may play an increasingly important role mitigating development of extreme soil water potential gradients and associated limitations on plant and soil microbial activities, and may inhibit the spread of fire in seasonally dry ecosystems. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Biogas utilization for drying sweet potato chips by using infrared dryer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sriharti, Rahayuningtyas, Ari; Susanti, Novita Dwi; Sitompul, Rislima Febriani

2017-11-01

This study aims to utilize biogas, that produced from organic waste, as fuel for infrared dryers. The digester was dome type, which made from fiberglass, 5.5 m3 capacities, gas container made from soft PVC, 5.6 m3 capacities. The infrared dryer was household scale which have dimension 2000 mm x 2000 mm x 2000 mm, it is consist of 2 racks, which have size 1500 mm x 500 mm x 1400 mm, and consist of 44 baking pans (600 mm X 400 mm x 30 mm), the dryer has 36 kg of capacity. The parameters observed include ambient temperature, temperature inside the digester, pH value, biogas production, drying room temperature, moisture content of sweet potato and biogas consumption for drying. Infrared dryer is used to dry the sweet potato slices thickness of 2 mm with total amount 12 kg, at room temperature dryer ± 60 °C. The results showed that the average biogas production was 1.335 m3 per day, at a temperature of 26 - 35 °C and the neutral pH value was 6.99 - 7.7. 12 kg of sweet potato sliced dried for 4 hours, the initial moisture content of 79.68 % decreased to 8.98 %, the consumption of biogas used 4,952 m3. The final result of drying process of sweet potato slices of 3.5 kg, there was a shrinkage of 70.83 %. Characterization of sweet potato slices is 3 % protein, 0,6 % fat, 94 % carbohydrate and 2 % ash. These sweet potato can be used as flour for cookies and cake raw materials, the use of sweet potato flour can reach 50 - 100 %.

A hydroclimatic model of global fire patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boer, Matthias

2015-04-01

Satellite-based earth observation is providing an increasingly accurate picture of global fire patterns. The highest fire activity is observed in seasonally dry (sub-)tropical environments of South America, Africa and Australia, but fires occur with varying frequency, intensity and seasonality in almost all biomes on Earth. The particular combination of these fire characteristics, or fire regime, is known to emerge from the combined influences of climate, vegetation, terrain and land use, but has so far proven difficult to reproduce by global models. Uncertainty about the biophysical drivers and constraints that underlie current global fire patterns is propagated in model predictions of how ecosystems, fire regimes and biogeochemical cycles may respond to projected future climates. Here, I present a hydroclimatic model of global fire patterns that predicts the mean annual burned area fraction (F) of 0.25° x 0.25° grid cells as a function of the climatic water balance. Following Bradstock's four-switch model, long-term fire activity levels were assumed to be controlled by fuel productivity rates and the likelihood that the extant fuel is dry enough to burn. The frequency of ignitions and favourable fire weather were assumed to be non-limiting at long time scales. Fundamentally, fuel productivity and fuel dryness are a function of the local water and energy budgets available for the production and desiccation of plant biomass. The climatic water balance summarizes the simultaneous availability of biologically usable energy and water at a site, and may therefore be expected to explain a significant proportion of global variation in F. To capture the effect of the climatic water balance on fire activity I focused on the upper quantiles of F, i.e. the maximum level of fire activity for a given climatic water balance. Analysing GFED4 data for annual burned area together with gridded climate data, I found that nearly 80% of the global variation in the 0.99 quantile of F (i.e. F_0.99 ) was explained by two terms of the climatic water balance: i) mean annual actual evapotranspiration (AET), which is a proxy for fuel productivity, and ii) mean annual water deficit (D=PET-AET, where PET is mean annual potential evapotranspiration), which is a measure of fuel drying potential. As expected, F_0.99 was close to zero in environments of low AET (e.g. deserts) or low D (e.g. wet forests), due to strong fuel productivity or fuel dryness constraints, and maximum for environments of intermediate AET and D (e.g. tropical savannas). The topography of the F_0.99 response surface was analysed to explore how the relative importance of fuel productivity and fuel dryness constraints varied with the climatic water balance, and geographically across the continents. Consistent with current understanding of global pyrogeography, the hydroclimatic fire model predicted that fire activity is mostly constrained by fuel productivity in arid environments with grassy fuels and by fuel dryness in humid environments with litter fuels derived from woody shrubs and trees. The model provides a simple, yet biophysically-based, approach to evaluating potential for incremental change in fire activity or transformational change in fire types under future climate conditions.

Probing the Evaporation Dynamics of Ethanol/Gasoline Biofuel Blends Using Single Droplet Manipulation Techniques.

PubMed

Corsetti, Stella; Miles, Rachael E H; McDonald, Craig; Belotti, Yuri; Reid, Jonathan P; Kiefer, Johannes; McGloin, David

2015-12-24

Using blends of bioethanol and gasoline as automotive fuel leads to a net decrease in the production of harmful emission compared to the use of pure fossil fuel. However, fuel droplet evaporation dynamics change depending on the mixing ratio. Here we use single particle manipulation techniques to study the evaporation dynamics of ethanol/gasoline blend microdroplets. The use of an electrodynamic balance enables measurements of the evaporation of individual droplets in a controlled environment, while optical tweezers facilitate studies of the behavior of droplets inside a spray. Hence, the combination of both methods is perfectly suited to obtain a complete picture of the evaporation process. The influence of adding varied amounts of ethanol to gasoline is investigated, and we observe that droplets with a greater fraction of ethanol take longer to evaporate. Furthermore, we find that our methods are sensitive enough to observe the presence of trace amounts of water in the droplets. A theoretical model, predicting the evaporation of ethanol and gasoline droplets in dry nitrogen gas, is used to explain the experimental results. Also a theoretical estimation of the saturation of the environment, with other aerosols, in the tweezers is carried out.

An experimental investigation of the combustion performance of human faeces.

PubMed

Onabanjo, Tosin; Kolios, Athanasios J; Patchigolla, Kumar; Wagland, Stuart T; Fidalgo, Beatriz; Jurado, Nelia; Hanak, Dawid P; Manovic, Vasilije; Parker, Alison; McAdam, Ewan; Williams, Leon; Tyrrel, Sean; Cartmell, Elise

2016-11-15

Poor sanitation is one of the major hindrances to the global sustainable development goals. The Reinvent the Toilet Challenge of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is set to develop affordable, next-generation sanitary systems that can ensure safe treatment and wide accessibility without compromise on sustainable use of natural resources and the environment. Energy recovery from human excreta is likely to be a cornerstone of future sustainable sanitary systems. Faeces combustion was investigated using a bench-scale downdraft combustor test rig, alongside with wood biomass and simulant faeces. Parameters such as air flow rate, fuel pellet size, bed height, and fuel ignition mode were varied to establish the combustion operating range of the test rig and the optimum conditions for converting the faecal biomass to energy. The experimental results show that the dry human faeces had a higher energy content (∼25 MJ/kg) than wood biomass. At equivalence ratio between 0.86 and 1.12, the combustion temperature and fuel burn rate ranged from 431 to 558 °C and 1.53 to 2.30 g/min respectively. Preliminary results for the simulant faeces show that a minimum combustion bed temperature of 600 ± 10 °C can handle faeces up to 60 wt.% moisture at optimum air-to-fuel ratio. Further investigation is required to establish the appropriate trade-off limits for drying and energy recovery, considering different stool types, moisture content and drying characteristics. This is important for the design and further development of a self-sustained energy conversion and recovery systems for the NMT and similar sanitary solutions.

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

Gug, JeongIn, E-mail: Jeongin_gug@student.uml.edu; Cacciola, David, E-mail: david_cacciola@student.uml.edu; Sobkowicz, Margaret J., E-mail: Margaret_sobkowiczkline@uml.edu

Highlights: • Briquetting was used to produce solid fuels from municipal solid waste and recycled plastics. • Optimal drying, processing temperature and pressure were found to produce stable briquettes. • Addition of waste plastics yielded heating values comparable with typical coal feedstocks. • This processing method improves utilization of paper and plastic diverted from landfills. - Abstract: Diversion of waste streams such as plastics, woods, papers and other solid trash from municipal landfills and extraction of useful materials from landfills is an area of increasing interest especially in densely populated areas. One promising technology for recycling municipal solid waste (MSW)more » is to burn the high-energy-content components in standard coal power plant. This research aims to reform wastes into briquettes that are compatible with typical coal combustion processes. In order to comply with the standards of coal-fired power plants, the feedstock must be mechanically robust, free of hazardous contaminants, and moisture resistant, while retaining high fuel value. This study aims to investigate the effects of processing conditions and added recyclable plastics on the properties of MSW solid fuels. A well-sorted waste stream high in paper and fiber content was combined with controlled levels of recyclable plastics PE, PP, PET and PS and formed into briquettes using a compression molding technique. The effect of added plastics and moisture content on binding attraction and energy efficiency were investigated. The stability of the briquettes to moisture exposure, the fuel composition by proximate analysis, briquette mechanical strength, and burning efficiency were evaluated. It was found that high processing temperature ensures better properties of the product addition of milled mixed plastic waste leads to better encapsulation as well as to greater calorific value. Also some moisture removal (but not complete) improves the compacting process and results in higher heating value. Analysis of the post-processing water uptake and compressive strength showed a correlation between density and stability to both mechanical stress and humid environment. Proximate analysis indicated heating values comparable to coal. The results showed that mechanical and moisture uptake stability were improved when the moisture and air contents were optimized. Moreover, the briquette sample composition was similar to biomass fuels but had significant advantages due to addition of waste plastics that have high energy content compared to other waste types. Addition of PP and HDPE presented better benefits than addition of PET due to lower softening temperature and lower oxygen content. It should be noted that while harmful emissions such as dioxins, furans and mercury can result from burning plastics, WTE facilities have been able to control these emissions to meet US EPA standards. This research provides a drop-in coal replacement that reduces demand on landfill space and replaces a significant fraction of fossil-derived fuel with a renewable alternative.« less

Combined Grinding and Drying of Biomass in One Operation Phase I

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

Sokhansanj, S

2008-06-26

First American Scientific Corporation (FASC) has developed a unique and innovative grinder/dryer called KDS Micronex. The KS (Kinetic Disintegration System) combines two operations of grinding and drying into a single operation which reduces dependence on external heat input. The machine captures the heat of comminution and combines it will centrifugal forces to expedite moisture extraction from wet biomass. Because it uses mechanical forces rather than providing direct heat to perform the drying operation, it is a simpler machine and uses less energy than conventional grinding and drying operations which occur as two separate steps. The entire compact unit can bemore » transported on a flatbed trailer to the site where biomass is available. Hence, the KDS Micronex is a technology that enables inexpensive pretreatment of waste materials and biomass. A well prepared biomass can be used as feed, fuel or fertilizer instead of being discarded. Electricity and chemical feedstock produced from such biomass would displace the use of fossil fuels and no net greenhouse gas emissions would result from such bio-based operations. Organic fertilizers resulting from the KS Micronex grinding/drying process will be pathogen-free unlike raw animal manures. The feasibility tests on KS during Phase I showed that a prototype machine can be developed, field tested and the technology demonstrated for commercial applications. The present KDS machine can remove up to 400 kg/h of water from a wet feed material. Since biomass processors demand a finished product that is only 10% moist and most raw materials like corn stover, bagasse, layer manure, cow dung, and waste wood have moisture contents of the order of 50%, this water removal rate translates to a production rate of roughly half a ton per hour. this is too small for most processors who are unwilling to acquire multiple machines because of the added complexity to the feed and product removal systems. The economics suffer due to small production rates, because the labor costs are a much larger fraction of the production cost. The goal for further research and development work is to scale up the KDS technology incorporating findings from Phase I into a machine that has superior performance characteristics.« less

CO-FIRING COAL: FEEDLOT AND LITTER BIOMASS (CFB AND CLB) FUELS IN PULVERIZED FUEL AND FIXED BED BURNERS

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

Kalyan Annamalai; John Sweeten; Saqib Mukhtar

2003-08-28

Intensive animal feeding operations create large amounts of animal waste that must be safely disposed of in order to avoid environmental degradation. Cattle feedlots and chicken houses are two examples. In feedlots, cattle are confined to small pens and fed a high calorie grain-diet diet in preparation for slaughter. In chicken houses, thousands of chickens are kept in close proximity. In both of these operations, millions of tons of manure are produced every year. The manure could be used as a fuel by mixing it with coal in a 90:10 blend and firing it in an existing coal suspension firedmore » combustion systems. This technique is known as co-firing, and the high temperatures produced by the coal will allow the biomass to be completely combusted. Reburn is a process where a small percentage of fuel called reburn fuel is injected above the NO{sub x} producing, conventional coal fired burners in order to reduce NO{sub x}. The manure could also be used as reburn fuel for reducing NO{sub x} in coal fired plants. An alternate approach of using animal waste is to adopt the gasification process using a fixed bed gasifier and then use the gases for firing in gas turbine combustors. In this report, the cattle manure is referred to as feedlot biomass (FB) and chicken manure as litter biomass (LB). The report generates data on FB and LB fuel characteristics. Co-firing, reburn, and gasification tests of coal, FB, LB, coal: FB blends, and coal: LB blends and modeling on cofiring, reburn systems and economics of use of FB and LB have also been conducted. The biomass fuels are higher in ash, lower in heat content, higher in moisture, and higher in nitrogen and sulfur (which can cause air pollution) compared to coal. Small-scale cofiring experiments revealed that the biomass blends can be successfully fired, and NO{sub x} emissions will be similar to or lower than pollutant emissions when firing coal. Further experiments showed that biomass is twice or more effective than coal when used in a reburning process. Computer simulations for coal: LB blends were performed by modifying an existing computer code to include the drying and phosphorus (P) oxidation models. The gasification studies revealed that there is bed agglomeration in the case of chicken litter biomass due to its higher alkaline oxide content in the ash. Finally, the results of the economic analysis show that considerable fuel cost savings can be achieved with the use of biomass. In the case of higher ash and moisture biomass, the fuel cost savings is reduced.« less

Dry forests of the Northeastern Cascades Fire and Fire Surrogate project site, Mission Creek, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Treesearch

James K. Agee; John F. (comps.) Lehmkuhl

2009-01-01

The Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) project is a large long-term metastudy established to assess the effectiveness and ecological impacts of burning and fire "surrogates" such as cuttings and mechanical fuel treatments that are used instead of fire, or in combination with fire, to restore dry forests. One of the 13 national FFS sites is the Northeastern...

Advancing the Fork detector for quantitative spent nuclear fuel verification

DOE PAGES

Vaccaro, S.; Gauld, I. C.; Hu, J.; ...

2018-01-31

The Fork detector is widely used by the safeguards inspectorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify spent nuclear fuel. Fork measurements are routinely performed for safeguards prior to dry storage cask loading. Additionally, spent fuel verification will be required at the facilities where encapsulation is performed for acceptance in the final repositories planned in Sweden and Finland. The use of the Fork detector as a quantitative instrument has not been prevalent due to the complexity of correlating the measured neutron and gamma ray signals with fuel inventories and operator declarations.more » A spent fuel data analysis module based on the ORIGEN burnup code was recently implemented to provide automated real-time analysis of Fork detector data. This module allows quantitative predictions of expected neutron count rates and gamma units as measured by the Fork detectors using safeguards declarations and available reactor operating data. This study describes field testing of the Fork data analysis module using data acquired from 339 assemblies measured during routine dry cask loading inspection campaigns in Europe. Assemblies include both uranium oxide and mixed-oxide fuel assemblies. More recent measurements of 50 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel are also analyzed. An evaluation of uncertainties in the Fork measurement data is performed to quantify the ability of the data analysis module to verify operator declarations and to develop quantitative go/no-go criteria for safeguards verification measurements during cask loading or encapsulation operations. The goal of this approach is to provide safeguards inspectors with reliable real-time data analysis tools to rapidly identify discrepancies in operator declarations and to detect potential partial defects in spent fuel assemblies with improved reliability and minimal false positive alarms. Finally, the results are summarized, and sources and magnitudes of uncertainties are identified, and the impact of analysis uncertainties on the ability to confirm operator declarations is quantified.« less

Advancing the Fork detector for quantitative spent nuclear fuel verification

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

Vaccaro, S.; Gauld, I. C.; Hu, J.

The Fork detector is widely used by the safeguards inspectorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify spent nuclear fuel. Fork measurements are routinely performed for safeguards prior to dry storage cask loading. Additionally, spent fuel verification will be required at the facilities where encapsulation is performed for acceptance in the final repositories planned in Sweden and Finland. The use of the Fork detector as a quantitative instrument has not been prevalent due to the complexity of correlating the measured neutron and gamma ray signals with fuel inventories and operator declarations.more » A spent fuel data analysis module based on the ORIGEN burnup code was recently implemented to provide automated real-time analysis of Fork detector data. This module allows quantitative predictions of expected neutron count rates and gamma units as measured by the Fork detectors using safeguards declarations and available reactor operating data. This study describes field testing of the Fork data analysis module using data acquired from 339 assemblies measured during routine dry cask loading inspection campaigns in Europe. Assemblies include both uranium oxide and mixed-oxide fuel assemblies. More recent measurements of 50 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel are also analyzed. An evaluation of uncertainties in the Fork measurement data is performed to quantify the ability of the data analysis module to verify operator declarations and to develop quantitative go/no-go criteria for safeguards verification measurements during cask loading or encapsulation operations. The goal of this approach is to provide safeguards inspectors with reliable real-time data analysis tools to rapidly identify discrepancies in operator declarations and to detect potential partial defects in spent fuel assemblies with improved reliability and minimal false positive alarms. Finally, the results are summarized, and sources and magnitudes of uncertainties are identified, and the impact of analysis uncertainties on the ability to confirm operator declarations is quantified.« less

Advancing the Fork detector for quantitative spent nuclear fuel verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaccaro, S.; Gauld, I. C.; Hu, J.; De Baere, P.; Peterson, J.; Schwalbach, P.; Smejkal, A.; Tomanin, A.; Sjöland, A.; Tobin, S.; Wiarda, D.

2018-04-01

The Fork detector is widely used by the safeguards inspectorate of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to verify spent nuclear fuel. Fork measurements are routinely performed for safeguards prior to dry storage cask loading. Additionally, spent fuel verification will be required at the facilities where encapsulation is performed for acceptance in the final repositories planned in Sweden and Finland. The use of the Fork detector as a quantitative instrument has not been prevalent due to the complexity of correlating the measured neutron and gamma ray signals with fuel inventories and operator declarations. A spent fuel data analysis module based on the ORIGEN burnup code was recently implemented to provide automated real-time analysis of Fork detector data. This module allows quantitative predictions of expected neutron count rates and gamma units as measured by the Fork detectors using safeguards declarations and available reactor operating data. This paper describes field testing of the Fork data analysis module using data acquired from 339 assemblies measured during routine dry cask loading inspection campaigns in Europe. Assemblies include both uranium oxide and mixed-oxide fuel assemblies. More recent measurements of 50 spent fuel assemblies at the Swedish Central Interim Storage Facility for Spent Nuclear Fuel are also analyzed. An evaluation of uncertainties in the Fork measurement data is performed to quantify the ability of the data analysis module to verify operator declarations and to develop quantitative go/no-go criteria for safeguards verification measurements during cask loading or encapsulation operations. The goal of this approach is to provide safeguards inspectors with reliable real-time data analysis tools to rapidly identify discrepancies in operator declarations and to detect potential partial defects in spent fuel assemblies with improved reliability and minimal false positive alarms. The results are summarized, and sources and magnitudes of uncertainties are identified, and the impact of analysis uncertainties on the ability to confirm operator declarations is quantified.

Near-ambient solid polymer fuel cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holleck, G. L.

1993-01-01

Fuel cells are extremely attractive for extraterrestrial and terrestrial applications because of their high energy conversion efficiency without noise or environmental pollution. Among the various fuel cell systems the advanced polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells based on sulfonated fluoropolymers (e.g., Nafion) are particularly attractive because they are fairly rugged, solid state, quite conductive, of good chemical and thermal stability and show good oxygen reduction kinetics due to the low specific adsorption of the electrolyte on the platinum catalyst. The objective of this program is to develop a solid polymer fuel cell which can efficiently operate at near ambient temperatures without ancillary components for humidification and/or pressurization of the fuel or oxidant gases. During the Phase 1 effort we fabricated novel integral electrode-membrane structures where the dispersed platinum catalyst is precipitated within the Nafion ionomer. This resulted in electrode-membrane units without interfacial barriers permitting unhindered water diffusion from cathode to anode. The integral electrode-membrane structures were tested as fuel cells operating on H2 and O2 or air at 1 to 2 atm and 10 to 50 C without gas humidification. We demonstrated that cells with completely dry membranes could be self started at room temperature and subsequently operated on dry gas for extended time. Typical room temperature low pressure operation with unoptimized electrodes yielded 100 mA/cm(exp 2) at 0.5V and maximum currents over 300 mA/cm(exp 2) with low platinum loadings. Our results clearly demonstrate that operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells at ambient conditions is feasible. Optimization of the electrode-membrane structure is necessary to assess the full performance potential but we expect significant gains in weight and volume power density for the system. The reduced complexity will make fuel cells also attractive for smaller and portable power supplies and as replacement for batteries.

Nitrous oxide emissions control by reburning

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

Rutar, T.; Kramlich, J.C.; Malte, P.C.

1996-12-01

Fluidized bed coal combustors emit much higher concentrations of nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O) than do most other combustion systems. This is of concern because N{sub 2}O is highly stable in the atmosphere, and may contribute to both the greenhouse effect and to stratospheric ozone depletion. In this article laboratory results are presented on N{sub 2}O removal by the reburning (i.e., afterburning) method. The destruction of N{sub 2}O is observed during contact between hot flue gases containing N{sub 2}O and various reburning fuels. A laboratory combustion reactor is used to sequentially generate the hot combustion gas, and to put this gasmore » in contact with N{sub 2}O and reburning fuel under well-characterized conditions. The initial N{sub 2}O in the primary combustion products is between 200 and 350 ppmv (dry). The temperature of the primary combustion products is varied between 1,080 and 1,370 K, and the oxygen level of these gases is varied between 3.3 and 4.8% (dry). Five reburning fuels are tested. The rank order of reburning effectiveness (based on equal heat input by the reburning fuels) is H{sub 2} > CH{sub 4} > C{sub 2}H{sub 4} and C{sub 2}H{sub 6} > CO. Experiments are also performed with the primary combustor operated fuel rich. Without any reburning fuel added, removal of large amounts of N{sub 2}O are obtained when the fuel-air equivalence ratio of the primary combustion is about 1.1. The experimental results are presented, discussed, and compared to chemical kinetic modeling. Also, some discussions of the practical implications is presented.« less

Conditions for energy generation as an alternative approach to compost utilization.

PubMed

Raclavska, H; Juchelkova, D; Skrobankova, H; Wiltowski, T; Campen, A

2011-01-01

Very strict limits constrain the current possibilities for compost utilization in agriculture and for land reclamation, thus creating a need for other compost utilization practices. A favourable alternative can be compost utilization as a renewable heat source - alternative fuel. The changes of the basic physical-chemical parameters during the composting process are evaluated. During the composting process, energy losses of 920 kJ/kg occur, caused by carbohydrate decomposition (loss of 12.64% TOC). The net calorific value for mature compost was 11.169 kJ/kg dry matter. The grain size of compost below 0.045 mm has the highest ash content. The energetic utilization of compost depended on moisture, which can be influenced by paper addition or by prolonging the time of maturation to six months.

Mining and beneficiation: A review of possible lunar applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamberlain, Peter G.

1991-01-01

Successful exploration of Mars and outer space may require base stations strategically located on the Moon. Such bases must develop a certain self-sufficiency, particularly in the critical life support materials, fuel components, and construction materials. Technology is reviewed for the first steps in lunar resource recovery-mining and beneficiation. The topic is covered in three main categories: site selection; mining; and beneficiation. It will also include (in less detail) in-situ processes. The text described mining technology ranging from simple diggings and hauling vehicles (the strawman) to more specialized technology including underground excavation methods. The section of beneficiation emphasizes dry separation techniques and methods of sorting the ore by particle size. In-situ processes, chemical and thermal, are identified to stimulate further thinking by future researchers.

Impacts of pollution derived from ship wrecks on the marine environment on the basis of s/s "Stuttgart" (Polish coast, Europe).

PubMed

Rogowska, Justyna; Wolska, Lidia; Namieśnik, Jacek

2010-11-01

In 1943 the German hospital ship s/s Stuttgart (Lazaretschiff "C") was sunk close to the port of Gdynia (Gulf of Gdańsk - Polish coast). This and other actions (undertaken after the war to remove the wreck) led to pollution of the sea bottom with oil derivatives. During our studies (2009) 11 surface sediment and water samples were collected as well as sediment core samples at 4 locations in order to determine the concentration levels of priority pollutants belonging to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The concentrations of 16 PAH and 7 PCB were analysed with GC-MS. ΣPAH varied between 11.54 ± 0.39 and 206.7 ± 6.5mg/kg dry weight in the surface sediments, and from 0.686 ± 0.026 to 1291 ± 53 mg/kg dry weight in the core samples. Contamination in the core samples collected may reach a depth of at least 230-240 cm (deepest sample studied). The PAH-group profiles in all surface sediment samples suggest a pyrolytic source of PAH, while the results obtained for core samples indicate a mixed pattern of pyrolytic and petrogenic inputs of PAH. Results obtained may suggest also that fuel residues being present at sea bottom is not crude oil derived but results from coal processing (synthetic fuel). The sum of PCB in surface sediments ranged from 0.761 ± 0.068 to 6.82 ± 0.28 μg/kg dry weight (except for sampling point W2, where ΣPCB was 108.8 ± 4.4 μg/kg dry weight). The strong correlation between PAH and PCB levels, and the fact that PCB are present only in the surface sediments, suggest that the compounds in these sediments got there as a result of emission from urban areas, entering the aquatic environment via atmospheric deposition. PCB levels in the sediment core samples were generally very low and in most cases did not exceed the method quantification limit. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aerial sampling of emissions from biomass pile burns in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Emissions from burning piles of post-harvest timber slash in Grande Ronde, Oregon were sampled using an instrument platform lofted into the plume using a tether-controlled aerostat or balloon. Emissions of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, particulate matter (PM2.5 µm), black carbon, ultraviolet absorbing PM, elemental/organic carbon, semi-volatile organics (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/dibenzofurans), filter-based metals, and volatile organics were sampled for determination of emission factors. The effect on emissions from covering or not covering piles with polyethylene sheets to prevent fuel wetting was determined. Results showed that the uncovered (“wet”) piles burned with lower combustion efficiency and higher emissions of volatile organic compounds. Results for other pollutants will also be discussed. This work determined the emissions from open burning of forest slash wood, with and without plastic sheeting. The foresters advocate the use of plastic to keep the slash wood dry and aid in the controlled combustion of the slash to reduce fuel loading. Concerns about the emissions from the burning plastic prompted this work which conducted an extensive characterization of dry, wet, and dry with plastic slash pile emissions.

A strategic assessment of forest biomass and fuel reduction treatments in western states

Treesearch

Bob Rummer; Jeff Prestemon; Dennis May; Pat Miles; John Vissage; Ron McRoberts; Greg Liknes; Wayne D. Shepperd; Dennis Ferguson; William Elliot; Sue Miller; Steve Reutebuch; Jamie Barbour; Jeremy Fried; Bryce Stokes; Edward Bilek; Ken Skog

2003-01-01

In the 15 western states there are at least 28 million acres of forest that could benefit from some type of mechanical treatment to reduce hazardous fuel loading. It is estimated that about 60 percent of this area could be operationally accessible for treatment with a total biomass treatment volume of 345 million bone dry tons (bdt). Two-thirds of this forest area is...

Thinning and prescribed fire effects on snag abundance and spatial pattern in an eastern Cascade Range dry forest, Washington, USA

Treesearch

Paul F. Hessburg; Nicholas A. Povak; R. Brion. Salter

2010-01-01

Mechanical thinning and prescribed burning practices are commonly used to address tree stocking, spacing, composition, and canopy and surface fuel conditions in western US mixed conifer forests. We examined the effects of these fuel treatments alone and combined on snag abundance and spatial pattern across 12 10-ha treatment units in central Washington State. A snag...

Role of burning season on initial understory vegetation response to prescribed fire in a mixed conifer forest

Treesearch

Eric E. Knapp; Dylan W. Schwilk; Jeffrey M. Kane; Jon E. Keeley

2007-01-01

Although the majority of fires in the western United States historically occurred during the late summer or early fall when fuels were dry and plants were dormant or nearly so, early-season prescribed burns are often ignited when fuels are still moist and plants are actively growing. The purpose of this study was to determine if burn season influences postfire...

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.

Effect of metallic additives on in situ combustion of Huntington Beach crude experiments

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

Baena, C.J.; Castanier, L.M.; Brigham, W.E.

1990-08-01

The economics and applicability of an in-situ combustion process for the recovery of crude oil are dictated to a large extent by the nature and the amount of fuel formed during the process. The aim of this work is to use combustion tube studies to determine on a quantitative basis, how the nature and the amount of fuel formed could be changed by the presence of metallic additives. These experiments follow from the qualitative observations on the effect of metallic additives on the in-situ combustion of Huntington Beach crude oil made by De los Rios (1987) at SUPRI. He performedmore » kinetic studies on the oxidation of Huntington Beach crude in porous media and showed that the nature of the fuel formed changed when metallic additives were present. Combustion tube runs were performed using the metallic additives: ferrous chloride (FeCl{sub 2{center dot}}4H{sub 2}O), zinc chloride (ZnCl{sub 2}) and stannic chloride (SnCl{sub 4{center dot}}5H{sub 2}O). Unconsolidated cores were prepared by mixing predetermined amounts of an aqueous solution of the metal salt, Huntington Beach crude oil, Ottawa sand and clay in order to achieve the desired fluid saturations. The mixture was then tamped into the combustion tube. Dry air combustion tube runs were performed keeping the conditions of saturation, air flux and injection pressure approximately the same during each run. The nature of the fuel formed and its impact on the combustion parameters were determined and compared with a control run -- an experiment performed with no metallic additive. 30 refs., 33 figs., 6 tabs.« less

Effect of the co-spun anode functional layer on the performance of the direct-methane microtubular solid oxide fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Xiuxia; Gong, Xun; Yin, Yimei; Yang, Naitao; Tan, Xiaoyao; Ma, Zi-Feng

2014-02-01

NiO-YSZ/porous YSZ (NiO-YSZ/p-YSZ) dual-layer hollow fibers have been fabricated by a co-spinning-sintering method, on which a dense YSZ films has been formed by a dip-coating and sintering process. A LSM-YSZ ink has been dip-coated on the dense YSZ films as cathode, while the Cu-CeO2 carbon-resistant catalyst has been impregnated in the p-YSZ layer to form double-anode supported micro tubular fuel cells (MT-SOFCs). The thickness of the Ni-YSZ layer, so called anode functional layer (AFL), is controlled from 74 μm to 13 μm by varying the spinning rates of the NiO-YSZ dopes. The maximum power density of an MT-SOFC, which is fabricated based on a thin co-spun AFL, reaches 566 mW cm-2 operated at 850 °C fed with dry methane, and is stably operated for 85 h without power declination.