Sample records for enable hydrogen separation

  1. Photoelectrochemical water splitting in separate oxygen and hydrogen cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Landman, Avigail; Dotan, Hen; Shter, Gennady E.; Wullenkord, Michael; Houaijia, Anis; Maljusch, Artjom; Grader, Gideon S.; Rothschild, Avner

    2017-06-01

    Solar water splitting provides a promising path for sustainable hydrogen production and solar energy storage. One of the greatest challenges towards large-scale utilization of this technology is reducing the hydrogen production cost. The conventional electrolyser architecture, where hydrogen and oxygen are co-produced in the same cell, gives rise to critical challenges in photoelectrochemical water splitting cells that directly convert solar energy and water to hydrogen. Here we overcome these challenges by separating the hydrogen and oxygen cells. The ion exchange in our cells is mediated by auxiliary electrodes, and the cells are connected to each other only by metal wires, enabling centralized hydrogen production. We demonstrate hydrogen generation in separate cells with solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 7.5%, which can readily surpass 10% using standard commercial components. A basic cost comparison shows that our approach is competitive with conventional photoelectrochemical systems, enabling safe and potentially affordable solar hydrogen production.

  2. Water-Gas-Shift Membrane Reactor for High-Pressure Hydrogen Production. A comprehensive project report (FY2010 - FY2012)

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

    Klaehn, John; Peterson, Eric; Orme, Christopher

    2013-01-01

    Idaho National Laboratory (INL), GE Global Research (GEGR), and Western Research Institute (WRI) have successfully produced hydrogen-selective membranes for water-gas-shift (WGS) modules that enable high-pressure hydrogen product streams. Several high performance (HP) polymer membranes were investigated for their gas separation performance under simulated (mixed gas) and actual syngas conditions. To enable optimal module performance, membranes with high hydrogen (H 2) selectivity, permeance, and stability under WGS conditions are required. The team determined that the VTEC PI 80-051 and VTEC PI 1388 (polyimide from Richard Blaine International, Inc.) are prime candidates for the H 2 gas separations at operating temperatures (~200°C).more » VTEC PI 80-051 was thoroughly analyzed for its H 2 separations under syngas processing conditions using more-complex membrane configurations, such as tube modules and hollow fibers. These membrane formats have demonstrated that the selected VTEC membrane is capable of providing highly selective H 2/CO 2 separation (α = 7-9) and H 2/CO separation (α = 40-80) in humidified syngas streams. In addition, the VTEC polymer membranes are resilient within the syngas environment (WRI coal gasification) at 200°C for over 1000 hours. The information within this report conveys current developments of VTEC PI 80-051 as an effective H 2 gas separations membrane for high-temperature syngas streams.« less

  3. Two-stage coal liquefaction without gas-phase hydrogen

    DOEpatents

    Stephens, H.P.

    1986-06-05

    A process is provided for the production of a hydrogen-donor solvent useful in the liquefaction of coal, wherein the water-gas shift reaction is used to produce hydrogen while simultaneously hydrogenating a donor solvent. A process for the liquefaction of coal using said solvent is also provided. The process enables avoiding the use of a separate water-gas shift reactor as well as high pressure equipment for liquefaction. 3 tabs.

  4. Hydrogen Bond Induces Hierarchical Self-Assembly in Liquid-Crystalline Block Copolymers.

    PubMed

    Huang, Shuai; Pang, Linlin; Chen, Yuxuan; Zhou, Liming; Fang, Shaoming; Yu, Haifeng

    2018-03-01

    Microphase-separated structures of block copolymers (BCs) with a size of sub-10 nm are usually obtained by hydrogen-bond-induced self-assembly of BCs through doping with small molecules as functional additives. Here, fabrication of hierarchically self-assembled sub-10 nm structures upon microphase separation of amphiphilic liquid-crystalline BCs (LCBCs) at the existence of hydrogen bonds but without any dopants is reported. The newly introduced urethane groups in the side chain of the hydrophobic block of LCBCs interact with the ether groups of the hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block, leading to imperfect crystallization of the PEO blocks. Both crystalline and amorphous domains coexist in the separated PEO phase, enabling a lamellar structure to appear inside the PEO nanocylinders. This provides an elegant method to fabricate controllable sub-10 nm microstructures in well-defined polymer systems without the introduction of any dopants. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Palladium coated porous anodic alumina membranes for gas reforming processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Jeremy P.; Brown, Ian W. M.; Bowden, Mark E.; Kemmitt, Timothy

    2010-11-01

    Nanostructured ceramic membranes with ultrathin coatings of palladium metal have been demonstrated to separate hydrogen gas from a gas mixture containing nitrogen with 10% carbon dioxide and 10% hydrogen at temperatures up to 550 °C. The mechanically robust and thermally durable membranes were fabricated using a combination of conventional and high-efficiency anodisation processes on high purity aluminium foils. A pH-neutral plating solution has also been developed to enable electroless deposition of palladium metal on templates which were normally prone to chemical corrosion in strong acid or base environment. Activation and thus seeding of palladium nuclei on the surface of the template were essential to ensure uniform and fast deposition, and the thickness of the metal film was controlled by time of deposition. The palladium coated membranes showed improved hydrogen selectivity with increased temperature as well as after prolonged exposure to hydrogen, demonstrating excellent potential for gas separation technologies.

  6. An integrated MEMS infrastructure for fuel processing: hydrogen generation and separation for portable power generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varady, M. J.; McLeod, L.; Meacham, J. M.; Degertekin, F. L.; Fedorov, A. G.

    2007-09-01

    Portable fuel cells are an enabling technology for high efficiency and ultra-high density distributed power generation, which is essential for many terrestrial and aerospace applications. A key element of fuel cell power sources is the fuel processor, which should have the capability to efficiently reform liquid fuels and produce high purity hydrogen that is consumed by the fuel cells. To this end, we are reporting on the development of two novel MEMS hydrogen generators with improved functionality achieved through an innovative process organization and system integration approach that exploits the advantages of transport and catalysis on the micro/nano scale. One fuel processor design utilizes transient, reverse-flow operation of an autothermal MEMS microreactor with an intimately integrated, micromachined ultrasonic fuel atomizer and a Pd/Ag membrane for in situ hydrogen separation from the product stream. The other design features a simpler, more compact planar structure with the atomized fuel ejected directly onto the catalyst layer, which is coupled to an integrated hydrogen selective membrane.

  7. Direct thermal water splitting by concentrated solar radiation for hydrogen production. Phase O: Proof of concept experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Genequand, P.

    1980-01-01

    The direct production of hydrogen from water and solar energy concentrated into a high temperature aperture is described. A solar powered reactor able to dissociate water vapor and to separate the reaction product at high temperature was developed, and direct water splitting has been achieved in a laboratory reactor. Water vapor and radiative heating from a carbon dioxide laser are fed into the reactor, and water vapor enriched in hydrogen and water vapor enriched in oxygen are produced. The enriched water vapors are separated through a separation membrane, a small disc of zirconium dioxide heated to a range of 1800 k to 2800 k. To avoid water vapor condensation within the reactor, the total pressure within the reactor was limited to 0.15 torr. A few modifications would enable the reactor to be operated at an increased pressure of a few torrs. More substantial modifications would allow for a reaction pressure of 0.1 atmosphere.

  8. Double heterojunction nanowire photocatalysts for hydrogen generation.

    PubMed

    Tongying, P; Vietmeyer, F; Aleksiuk, D; Ferraudi, G J; Krylova, G; Kuno, M

    2014-04-21

    Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. In this study, we investigate the hydrogen generating capabilities and underlying photophysics of nanostructured photocatalysts based on CdSe nanowires (NWs). Systems studied include CdSe, CdSe/CdS core/shell nanowires and their Pt nanoparticle-decorated counterparts. Femtosecond transient differential absorption measurements reveal how semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions affect the charge separation and hydrogen generation efficiencies of these hybrid photocatalysts. In turn, we unravel the role of surface passivation, charge separation at semiconductor interfaces and charge transfer to metal co-catalysts in determining photocatalytic H2 generation efficiencies. This allows us to rationalize why Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs, a double heterojunction system, performs best with H2 generation rates of ∼434.29 ± 27.40 μmol h(-1) g(-1) under UV/Visible irradiation. In particular, we conclude that the CdS shell of this double heterojunction system serves two purposes. The first is to passivate CdSe NW surface defects, leading to long-lived charges at the CdSe/CdS interface capable of carrying out reduction chemistries. Upon photoexcitation, we also find that CdS selectively injects charges into Pt NPs, enabling simultaneous reduction chemistries at the Pt NP/solvent interface. Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs thus enable reduction chemistries at not one, but rather two interfaces, taking advantage of each junction's optimal catalytic activities.

  9. Durability of PEM Fuel Cell Membranes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Xinyu; Reifsnider, Ken

    Durability is still a critical limiting factor for the commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, a leading energy conversion technology for powering future hydrogen fueled automobiles, backup power systems (e.g., for base transceiver station of cellular networks), portable electronic devices, etc. Ionic conducting polymer (ionomer) electrolyte membranes are the critical enabling materials for the PEM fuel cells. They are also widely used as the central functional elements in hydrogen generation (e.g., electrolyzers), membrane cell for chlor-alkali production, etc. A perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymer with the trade name Nafion® developed by DuPont™ is the most widely used PEM in chlor-alkali cells and PEM fuel cells. Similar PFSA membranes have been developed by Dow Chemical, Asahi Glass, and lately Solvay Solexis. Frequently, such membranes serve the dual function of reactant separation and selective ionic conduction between two otherwise separate compartments. For some applications, the compromise of the "separation" function via the degradation and mechanical failure of the electrolyte membrane can be the life-limiting factor; this is particularly the case for PEM in hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells.

  10. Hybrid Composite Coatings for Durable and Efficient Solar Hydrogen Generation under Diverse Operating Conditions

    DOE PAGES

    Walczak, Karl A.; Segev, Gideon; Larson, David M.; ...

    2017-02-17

    Safe and practical solar-driven hydrogen generators must be capable of efficient and stable operation under diurnal cycling with full separation of gaseous H 2 and O 2 products. In this paper, a novel architecture that fulfills all of these requirements is presented. The approach is inherently scalable and provides versatility for operation under diverse electrolyte and lighting conditions. The concept is validated using a 1 cm 2 triple-junction photovoltaic cell with its illuminated photocathode protected by a composite coating comprising an organic encapsulant with an embedded catalytic support. The device is compatible with operation under conditions ranging from 1 Mmore » H 2SO 4 to 1 M KOH, enabling flexibility in selection of semiconductor, electrolyte, membrane, and catalyst. Stable operation at a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of >10% is demonstrated under continuous operation, as well as under diurnal light cycling for at least 4 d, with simulated sunlight. Operational characteristics are validated by extended time outdoor testing. A membrane ensures products are separated, with nonexplosive gas streams generated for both alkaline and acidic systems. Finally, analysis of operational characteristics under different lighting conditions is enabled by comparison of a device model to experimental data.« less

  11. Cross-cutting High Surface Area Graphene-based Frameworks with Controlled Pore Structure/Dopants

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

    Gaillard, J.

    The goal of this project is to enhance the performance of graphene-based materials by manufacturing specific 3D architectures. The materials have global applications regarding fuel cell catalysts, gas adsorbents, supercapacitor/battery electrodes, ion (e.g., actinide) capture, gas separation, oil adsorption, and catalysis. This research focuses on hydrogen storage for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles with a potential transformational impact on hydrogen adsorbents that exhibit high gravimetric and volumetric density, a clean energy application sought by the Department of Energy. The development of an adsorbent material would enable broad commercial opportunities in hydrogen-fueled vehicles, promote new advanced nanomanufacturing scale-up, and open other opportunitiesmore » at Savannah River National Laboratory to utilize a high surface area material that is robust, chemically stable, and radiation resistant.« less

  12. Dense, layered membranes for hydrogen separation

    DOEpatents

    Roark, Shane E.; MacKay, Richard; Mundschau, Michael V.

    2006-02-21

    This invention provides hydrogen-permeable membranes for separation of hydrogen from hydrogen-containing gases. The membranes are multi-layer having a central hydrogen-permeable layer with one or more catalyst layers, barrier layers, and/or protective layers. The invention also relates to membrane reactors employing the hydrogen-permeable membranes of the invention and to methods for separation of hydrogen from a hydrogen-containing gas using the membranes and reactors. The reactors of this invention can be combined with additional reactor systems for direct use of the separated hydrogen.

  13. Two-dimensional gas chromatography-online hydrogenation for improved characterization of petrochemical samples.

    PubMed

    Potgieter, H; Bekker, R; Govender, A; Rohwer, E

    2016-05-06

    The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process produces a variety of hydrocarbons over a wide carbon number range and during subsequent product workup a large variety of synthetic fuels and chemicals are produced. The complexity of the product slate obtained from this process is well documented and the high temperature FT (HT-FT) process products are spread over gas, oil and water phases. The characterization of these phases is very challenging even when using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). Despite the increase in separation power, peak co-elution still occurs when samples containing isomeric compounds are analysed by comprehensive two dimensional GC. The separation of isomeric compounds with the same double bond equivalents is especially difficult since these compounds elute in a similar position on the GC×GC chromatogram and have identical molecular masses and similar fragmentation patterns in their electron ionization (EI) mass spectra. On-line hydrogenation after GC×GC separation is a possible way to distinguish between these isomeric compounds since the number of rings and alkene double bonds can be determined from the mass spectra of the compounds before and after hydrogenation. This paper describes development of a GC×GC method with post column hydrogenation for the determination of the backbone of cyclic/olefinic structures enabling us to differentiate between classes like dienes and cyclic olefins in complex petrochemical streams. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Device for hydrogen separation and method

    DOEpatents

    Paglieri, Stephen N [White Rock, NM; Anderson, Iver E [Ames, IA; Terpstra, Robert L [Ames, IA

    2009-11-03

    A device for hydrogen separation has a porous support and hydrogen separation material on the support. The support is prepared by heat treatment of metal microparticles, preferably of iron-based or nickel-based alloys that also include aluminum and/or yttrium. The hydrogen separation material is then deposited on the support. Preferred hydrogen separation materials include metals such as palladium, alloys, platinum, refractory metals, and alloys.

  15. Low cost hydrogen/novel membrane technology for hydrogen separation from synthesis gas

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

    Not Available

    1986-02-01

    To make the coal-to-hydrogen route economically attractive, improvements are being sought in each step of the process: coal gasification, water-carbon monoxide shift reaction, and hydrogen separation. This report addresses the use of membranes in the hydrogen separation step. The separation of hydrogen from synthesis gas is a major cost element in the manufacture of hydrogen from coal. Separation by membranes is an attractive, new, and still largely unexplored approach to the problem. Membrane processes are inherently simple and efficient and often have lower capital and operating costs than conventional processes. In this report current ad future trends in hydrogen productionmore » and use are first summarized. Methods of producing hydrogen from coal are then discussed, with particular emphasis on the Texaco entrained flow gasifier and on current methods of separating hydrogen from this gas stream. The potential for membrane separations in the process is then examined. In particular, the use of membranes for H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}/CO, and H{sub 2}/N{sub 2} separations is discussed. 43 refs., 14 figs., 6 tabs.« less

  16. Hydrogen separation process

    DOEpatents

    Mundschau, Michael [Longmont, CO; Xie, Xiaobing [Foster City, CA; Evenson, IV, Carl; Grimmer, Paul [Longmont, CO; Wright, Harold [Longmont, CO

    2011-05-24

    A method for separating a hydrogen-rich product stream from a feed stream comprising hydrogen and at least one carbon-containing gas, comprising feeding the feed stream, at an inlet pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and a temperature greater than 200.degree. C., to a hydrogen separation membrane system comprising a membrane that is selectively permeable to hydrogen, and producing a hydrogen-rich permeate product stream on the permeate side of the membrane and a carbon dioxide-rich product raffinate stream on the raffinate side of the membrane. A method for separating a hydrogen-rich product stream from a feed stream comprising hydrogen and at least one carbon-containing gas, comprising feeding the feed stream, at an inlet pressure greater than atmospheric pressure and a temperature greater than 200.degree. C., to an integrated water gas shift/hydrogen separation membrane system wherein the hydrogen separation membrane system comprises a membrane that is selectively permeable to hydrogen, and producing a hydrogen-rich permeate product stream on the permeate side of the membrane and a carbon dioxide-rich product raffinate stream on the raffinate side of the membrane. A method for pretreating a membrane, comprising: heating the membrane to a desired operating temperature and desired feed pressure in a flow of inert gas for a sufficient time to cause the membrane to mechanically deform; decreasing the feed pressure to approximately ambient pressure; and optionally, flowing an oxidizing agent across the membrane before, during, or after deformation of the membrane. A method of supporting a hydrogen separation membrane system comprising selecting a hydrogen separation membrane system comprising one or more catalyst outer layers deposited on a hydrogen transport membrane layer and sealing the hydrogen separation membrane system to a porous support.

  17. Accelerated High-Resolution Differential Ion Mobility Separations Using Hydrogen

    PubMed Central

    Shvartsburg, Alexandre A.; Smith, Richard D.

    2011-01-01

    The resolving power of differential ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) was dramatically increased recently by carrier gases comprising up to 75% He or various vapors, enabling many new applications. However, the need for resolution of complex mixtures is virtually open-ended and many topical analyses demand yet finer separations. Also, the resolving power gains are often at the expense of speed, in particular making high-resolution FAIMS incompatible with online liquid-phase separations. Here, we report FAIMS employing hydrogen, specifically in mixtures with N2 containing up to 90% H2. Such compositions raise the mobilities of all ions and thus the resolving power beyond that previously feasible, while avoiding the electrical breakdown inevitable in He-rich mixtures. The increases in resolving power and ensuing peak resolution are especially significant at H2 fractions above ~50%. Higher resolution can be exchanged for acceleration of the analyses by up to ~4 times, at least. For more mobile species such as multiply-charged peptides, this exchange is presently forced by the constraints of existing FAIMS devices, but future designs optimized for H2 should consistently improve resolution for all analytes. PMID:22074292

  18. Low cost hydrogen/novel membrane technology for hydrogen separation from synthesis gas. Task 1, Literature survey

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

    Not Available

    1986-02-01

    To make the coal-to-hydrogen route economically attractive, improvements are being sought in each step of the process: coal gasification, water-carbon monoxide shift reaction, and hydrogen separation. This report addresses the use of membranes in the hydrogen separation step. The separation of hydrogen from synthesis gas is a major cost element in the manufacture of hydrogen from coal. Separation by membranes is an attractive, new, and still largely unexplored approach to the problem. Membrane processes are inherently simple and efficient and often have lower capital and operating costs than conventional processes. In this report current ad future trends in hydrogen productionmore » and use are first summarized. Methods of producing hydrogen from coal are then discussed, with particular emphasis on the Texaco entrained flow gasifier and on current methods of separating hydrogen from this gas stream. The potential for membrane separations in the process is then examined. In particular, the use of membranes for H{sub 2}/CO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}/CO, and H{sub 2}/N{sub 2} separations is discussed. 43 refs., 14 figs., 6 tabs.« less

  19. Apparatus and process for separating hydrogen isotopes

    DOEpatents

    Heung, Leung K; Sessions, Henry T; Xiao, Xin

    2013-06-25

    The apparatus and process for separating hydrogen isotopes is provided using dual columns, each column having an opposite hydrogen isotopic effect such that when a hydrogen isotope mixture feedstock is cycled between the two respective columns, two different hydrogen isotopes are separated from the feedstock.

  20. Evaluation of Mars CO2 Capture and Gas Separation Technologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muscatello, Anthony C.; Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Gibson, Tracy; Devor, Robert; Captain, James

    2011-01-01

    Recent national policy statements have established that the ultimate destination of NASA's human exploration program is Mars. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a key technology required to ,enable such missions and it is appropriate to review progress in this area and continue to advance the systems required to produce rocket propellant, oxygen, and other consumables on Mars using the carbon dioxide atmosphere and other potential resources. The Mars Atmospheric Capture and Gas separation project is selecting, developing, and demonstrating techniques to capture and purify Martian atmospheric gases for their utilization for the production of hydrocarbons, oxygen, and water in ISRU systems. Trace gases will be required to be separated from Martian atmospheric gases to provide pure CO2 to processing elements. In addition, other Martian gases, such as nitrogen and argon, occur in concentrations high enough to be useful as buffer gas and should be captured as well. To achieve these goals, highly efficient gas separation processes will be required. These gas separation techniques are also required across various areas within the ISRU project to support various consumable production processes. The development of innovative gas separation techniques will evaluate the current state-of-the-art for the gas separation required, with the objective to demonstrate and develop light-weight, low-power methods for gas separation. Gas separation requirements include, but are not limited to the selective separation of: (1) methane and water from unreacted carbon oxides (C02-CO) and hydrogen typical of a Sabatier-type process, (2) carbon oxides and water from unreacted hydrogen from a Reverse Water-Gas Shift process, (3)/carbon oxides from oxygen from a trash/waste processing reaction, and (4) helium from hydrogen or oxygen from a propellant scavenging process. Potential technologies for the separations include' freezers, selective membranes, selective solvents, polymeric sorbents, zeolites, and new technologies. This paper summarizes the results of an extensive literature review of candidate technologies for the capture and separation of CO2 and other relevant gases. This information will be used to prioritize the technologies to be developed further during this and other ISRU projects.

  1. Advancement of Systems Designs and Key Engineering Technologies for Materials Based Hydrogen Storage

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

    van Hassel, Bart A.

    UTRC lead the development of the Simulink Framework model that enables a comparison of different hydrogen storage systems on a common basis. The Simulink Framework model was disseminated on the www.HSECoE.org website that is hosted by NREL. UTRC contributed to a better understanding of the safety aspects of the proposed hydrogen storage systems. UTRC also participated in the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis of both the chemical- and the adsorbent-based hydrogen storage system during Phase 2 of the Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence. UTRC designed a hydrogen storage system with a reversible metal hydride material in a compacted formmore » for light-duty vehicles with a 5.6 kg H2 storage capacity, giving it a 300 miles range. It contains a heat exchanger that enables efficient cooling of the metal hydride material during hydrogen absorption in order to meet the 3.3 minute refueling time target. It has been shown through computation that the kinetics of hydrogen absorption of Ti-catalyzed NaAlH4 was ultimately limiting the rate of hydrogen absorption to 85% of the material capacity in 3.3 minutes. An inverse analysis was performed in order to determine the material property requirements in order for a metal hydride based hydrogen storage system to meet the DOE targets. Work on metal hydride storage systems was halted after the Phase 1 to Phase 2 review due to the lack of metal hydride materials with the required material properties. UTRC contributed to the design of a chemical hydrogen storage system by developing an adsorbent for removing the impurity ammonia from the hydrogen gas, by developing a system to meter the transport of Ammonia Borane (AB) powder to a thermolysis reactor, and by developing a gas-liquid-separator (GLS) for the separation of hydrogen gas from AB slurry in silicone oil. Stripping impurities from hydrogen gas is essential for a long life of the fuel cell system on board of a vehicle. Work on solid transport of AB was halted after the Phase 1 to Phase 2 review in favor of studying the slurry-form of AB as it appeared to be difficult to transport a solid form of AB through the thermolysis reactor. UTRC demonstrated the operation of a compact GLS in the laboratory at a scale that would be required for the actual automotive application. The GLS met the targets for weight and volume. UTRC also reported about the unresolved issue associated with the high vapor pressure of fluids that could be used for making a slurry-form of AB. Work on the GLS was halted after the Phase 2 to Phase 3 review as the off-board regeneration efficiency of the spent AB was below the DOE target of 60%. UTRC contributed to the design of an adsorbent-based hydrogen storage system through measurements of the thermal conductivity of a compacted form of Metal Organic Framework (MOF) number 5 and through the development and sizing of a particulate filter. Thermal conductivity is important for the design of the modular adsorbent tank insert (MATI), as developed by Oregon State University (OSU), in order to enable a rapid refueling process. Stringent hydrogen quality requirements can only be met with an efficient particulate filtration system. UTRC developed a method to size the particulate filter by taking into account the effect of the pressure drop on the hydrogen adsorption process in the tank. UTRC raised awareness about the potential use of materials-based H2 storage systems in applications outside the traditional light-duty vehicle market segment by presenting at several conferences about niche application opportunities in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), portable power and others.« less

  2. Mechanistic insights into the bleaching of melanin by alkaline hydrogen peroxide.

    PubMed

    Smith, R A W; Garrett, B; Naqvi, K R; Fülöp, A; Godfrey, S P; Marsh, J M; Chechik, V

    2017-07-01

    This work aims to determine the roles of reactive oxygen species HO∙ and HO 2 - in the bleaching of melanins by alkaline hydrogen peroxide. Experiments using melanosomes isolated from human hair indicated that the HO∙ radical generated in the outside solution does not contribute significantly to bleaching. However, studies using soluble Sepia melanin demonstrated that both HO 2 - and HO∙ will individually bleach melanin. Additionally, when both oxidants are present, bleaching is increased dramatically in both rate and extent. Careful experimental design enabled the separation of the roles and effects of these key reactive species, HO∙ and HO 2 - . Rationalisation of the results presented, and review of previous literature, allowed the postulation of a simplified general scheme whereby the strong oxidant HO∙ is able to pre-oxidise melanin units to o-quinones enabling more facile ring opening by the more nucleophilic HO 2 - . In this manner the efficiency of the roles of both species is maximised. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Reducing Electroosmotic Flow Enables DNA Separations in Ultrathin Channels.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-08-01

    Chemical structure of DNA bases 2 Figure 1-2: Schematic diagram of DNA base pairing 5 Figure 1-3: Schematic diagram of the capillary and the...hydrogen atoms near one of the Figure 1-1: A. Chemical structure of the DNA backbone. B. Chemical structure of DNA bases . The DNA backbone consists...of pentose sugar (deoxyribose) held together by phosphodiester bonds. The DNA bases that are derivatives of purine are adenine (A) and guanine (G

  4. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of a Heisenberg Vortex Tube

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bunge, Carl; Sitaraman, Hariswaran; Leachman, Jake

    2017-11-01

    A 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of a Heisenberg Vortex Tube (HVT) is performed to estimate cooling potential with cryogenic hydrogen. The main mechanism driving operation of the vortex tube is the use of fluid power for enthalpy streaming in a highly turbulent swirl in a dual-outlet tube. This enthalpy streaming creates a temperature separation between the outer and inner regions of the flow. Use of a catalyst on the peripheral wall of the centrifuge enables endothermic conversion of para-ortho hydrogen to aid primary cooling. A κ- ɛ turbulence model is used with a cryogenic, non-ideal equation of state, and para-orthohydrogen species evolution. The simulations are validated with experiments and strategies for parametric optimization of this device are presented.

  5. Process, including PSA and membrane separation, for separating hydrogen from hydrocarbons

    DOEpatents

    Baker, Richard W.; Lokhandwala, Kaaeid A.; He, Zhenjie; Pinnau, Ingo

    2001-01-01

    An improved process for separating hydrogen from hydrocarbons. The process includes a pressure swing adsorption step, a compression/cooling step and a membrane separation step. The membrane step relies on achieving a methane/hydrogen selectivity of at least about 2.5 under the conditions of the process.

  6. Surface preparation for high purity alumina ceramics enabling direct brazing in hydrogen atmospheres

    DOEpatents

    Cadden, Charles H.; Yang, Nancy Yuan Chi; Hosking, Floyd M.

    2001-01-01

    The present invention relates to a method for preparing the surface of a high purity alumina ceramic or sapphire specimen that enables direct brazing in a hydrogen atmosphere using an active braze alloy. The present invention also relates to a method for directly brazing a high purity alumina ceramic or sapphire specimen to a ceramic or metal member using this method of surface preparation, and to articles produced by this brazing method. The presence of silicon, in the form of a SiO.sub.2 -containing surface layer, can more than double the tensile bond strength in alumina ceramic joints brazed in a hydrogen atmosphere using an active Au-16Ni-0.75 Mo-1.75V filler metal. A thin silicon coating applied by PVD processing can, after air firing, produce a semi-continuous coverage of the alumina surface with a SiO.sub.2 film. Room temperature tensile strength was found to be proportional to the fraction of air fired surface covered by silicon-containing films. Similarly, the ratio of substrate fracture versus interface separation was also related to the amount of surface silicon present prior to brazing. This process can replace the need to perform a "moly-manganese" metallization step.

  7. Carbon Dioxide-Free Hydrogen Production with Integrated Hydrogen Separation and Storage.

    PubMed

    Dürr, Stefan; Müller, Michael; Jorschick, Holger; Helmin, Marta; Bösmann, Andreas; Palkovits, Regina; Wasserscheid, Peter

    2017-01-10

    An integration of CO 2 -free hydrogen generation through methane decomposition coupled with hydrogen/methane separation and chemical hydrogen storage through liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems is demonstrated. A potential, very interesting application is the upgrading of stranded gas, for example, gas from a remote gas field or associated gas from off-shore oil drilling. Stranded gas can be effectively converted in a catalytic process by methane decomposition into solid carbon and a hydrogen/methane mixture that can be directly fed to a hydrogenation unit to load a LOHC with hydrogen. This allows for a straight-forward separation of hydrogen from CH 4 and conversion of hydrogen to a hydrogen-rich LOHC material. Both, the hydrogen-rich LOHC material and the generated carbon on metal can easily be transported to destinations of further industrial use by established transport systems, like ships or trucks. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Hydrogen recovery process

    DOEpatents

    Baker, Richard W.; Lokhandwala, Kaaeid A.; He, Zhenjie; Pinnau, Ingo

    2000-01-01

    A treatment process for a hydrogen-containing off-gas stream from a refinery, petrochemical plant or the like. The process includes three separation steps: condensation, membrane separation and hydrocarbon fraction separation. The membrane separation step is characterized in that it is carried out under conditions at which the membrane exhibits a selectivity in favor of methane over hydrogen of at least about 2.5.

  9. Renewable hydrogen production via thermochemical/electrochemical coupling

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

    Ambrosini, Andrea; Babiniec, Sean Michael; Miller, James E.

    A coupled electrochemical/thermochemical cycle was investigated to produce hydrogen from renewable resources. Like a conventional thermochemical cycle, this cycle leverages chemical energy stored in a thermochemical working material that is reduced thermally by solar energy. However, in this concept, the stored chemical energy only needs to be partially, but not fully, capable of splitting steam to produce hydrogen. To complete the process, a proton-conducting membrane is driven to separate hydrogen as it is produced, thus shifting the thermodynamics toward further hydrogen production. This novel coupled-cycle concept provides several benefits. First, the required oxidation enthalpy of the reversible thermochemical material ismore » reduced, enabling the process to occur at lower temperatures. Second, removing the requirement for spontaneous steam-splitting widens the scope of materials compositions, allowing for less expensive/more abundant elements to be used. Lastly, thermodynamics calculations suggest that this concept can potentially reach higher efficiencies than photovoltaic-to-electrolysis hydrogen production methods. This Exploratory Express LDRD involved assessing the practical feasibility of the proposed coupled cycle. A test stand was designed and constructed and proton-conducting membranes were synthesized. While the full proof of concept was not achieved, the individual components of the experiment were validated and new capabilities that can be leveraged by a variety of programs were developed.« less

  10. Efficient Suppression of Electron–Hole Recombination in Oxygen-Deficient Hydrogen-Treated TiO2 Nanowires for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    There is an increasing level of interest in the use of black TiO2 prepared by thermal hydrogen treatments (H:TiO2) due to the potential to enhance both the photocatalytic and the light-harvesting properties of TiO2. Here, we examine oxygen-deficient H:TiO2 nanotube arrays that have previously achieved very high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies due to incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) values of >90% for photoelectrochemical water splitting at only 0.4 V vs RHE under UV illumination. Our transient absorption (TA) mechanistic study provides strong evidence that the improved electrical properties of oxygen-deficient TiO2 enables remarkably efficient spatial separation of electron–hole pairs on the submicrosecond time scale at moderate applied bias, and this coupled to effective suppression of microsecond to seconds charge carrier recombination is the primary factor behind the dramatically improved photoelectrochemical activity. PMID:24376902

  11. Recent advances in visible-light-responsive photocatalysts for hydrogen production and solar energy conversion--from semiconducting TiO2 to MOF/PCP photocatalysts.

    PubMed

    Horiuchi, Yu; Toyao, Takashi; Takeuchi, Masato; Matsuoka, Masaya; Anpo, Masakazu

    2013-08-28

    The present perspective describes recent advances in visible-light-responsive photocatalysts intended to develop novel and efficient solar energy conversion technologies, including water splitting and photofuel cells. Water splitting is recognized as one of the most promising techniques to convert solar energy as a clean and abundant energy resource into chemical energy in the form of hydrogen. In recent years, increasing concern is directed to not only the development of new photocatalytic materials but also the importance of technologies to produce hydrogen and oxygen separately. Photofuel cells can convert solar energy into electrical energy by decomposing bio-related compounds and livestock waste as fuels. The advances of photocatalysts enabling these solar energy conversion technologies have been going on since the discovery of semiconducting titanium dioxide materials and have extended to organic-inorganic hybrid materials, such as metal-organic frameworks and porous coordination polymers (MOF/PCP).

  12. Laser-induced separation of hydrogen isotopes in the liquid phase

    DOEpatents

    Freund, Samuel M.; Maier, II, William B.; Beattie, Willard H.; Holland, Redus F.

    1980-01-01

    Hydrogen isotope separation is achieved by either (a) dissolving a hydrogen-bearing feedstock compound in a liquid solvent, or (b) liquefying a hydrogen-bearing feedstock compound, the liquid phase thus resulting being kept at a temperature at which spectral features of the feedstock relating to a particular hydrogen isotope are resolved, i.e., a clear-cut isotope shift is delineated, irradiating the liquid phase with monochromatic radiation of a wavelength which at least preferentially excites those molecules of the feedstock containing a first hydrogen isotope, inducing photochemical reaction in the excited molecules, and separating the reaction product containing the first isotope from the liquid phase.

  13. Chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation

    DOEpatents

    Aldridge, Frederick T.

    1981-01-01

    Intermetallic compounds with the CaCu.sub.5 type of crystal structure, particularly LaNiCo.sub.4 and CaNi.sub.5, exhibit high separation factors and fast equilibrium times and therefore are useful for packing a chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation colum. The addition of an inert metal to dilute the hydride improves performance of the column. A large scale mutli-stage chromatographic separation process run as a secondary process off a hydrogen feedstream from an industrial plant which uses large volumes of hydrogen can produce large quantities of heavy water at an effective cost for use in heavy water reactors.

  14. Method and system for producing hydrogen using sodium ion separation membranes

    DOEpatents

    Bingham, Dennis N; Klingler, Kerry M; Turner, Terry D; Wilding, Bruce M; Frost, Lyman

    2013-05-21

    A method of producing hydrogen from sodium hydroxide and water is disclosed. The method comprises separating sodium from a first aqueous sodium hydroxide stream in a sodium ion separator, feeding the sodium produced in the sodium ion separator to a sodium reactor, reacting the sodium in the sodium reactor with water, and producing a second aqueous sodium hydroxide stream and hydrogen. The method may also comprise reusing the second aqueous sodium hydroxide stream by combining the second aqueous sodium hydroxide stream with the first aqueous sodium hydroxide stream. A system of producing hydrogen is also disclosed.

  15. Chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation

    DOEpatents

    Aldridge, F.T.

    Intermetallic compounds with the CaCu/sub 5/ type of crystal structure, particularly LaNiCo/sub 4/ and CaNi/sub 5/, exhibit high separation factors and fast equilibrium times and therefore are useful for packing a chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation column. The addition of an inert metal to dilute the hydride improves performance of the column. A large scale multi-stage chromatographic separation process run as a secondary process off a hydrogen feedstream from an industrial plant which uses large volumes of hydrogen cn produce large quantities of heavy water at an effective cost for use in heavy water reactors.

  16. Micellar electrokinetic chromatography with acid labile surfactant.

    PubMed

    Stanley, Bob; Lucy, Charles A

    2012-02-24

    We present a study of a degradable surfactant, sodium 4-[(2-methyl-2-undecyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methoxy]-1-propane sulfonate that is also known as an acid-labile surfactant (ALS). The performance of ALS as a pseudostationary phase is assessed and compared with established pseudostationary phases such as sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), volatile surfactants and polymeric micelles. ALS achieves separation efficiency of 100,000-145,000 theoretical plates and relative standard deviation (RSD) of electrophoretic mobility (n=5) of less than 3%. Retention factors with ALS are strongly correlated with those with SDS. This is shown by the R2=0.79 for all eleven analytes and an R2=0.992 for specifically the non-hydrogen bonding (NHB) analytes. However, ALS displays different selectivity than SDS for hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) solutes (R2 of 0.74 and 0.88, respectively). ALS is degraded to less surface active compounds in acidic solution. These less surface-active compounds are more compatible with the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). ALS has a half-life of 48 min at pH 4. ALS has the potential to couple micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) with the ESI-MS. ALS can be used as a pseudostationary phase for a high efficiency separation and later acid hydrolyzed to enable an ESI-MS analysis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Catalysis Meets Nonthermal Separation for the Production of (Alkyl)phenols and Hydrocarbons from Pyrolysis Oil.

    PubMed

    Cao, Zhengwen; Engelhardt, Jan; Dierks, Michael; Clough, Matthew T; Wang, Guang-Hui; Heracleous, Eleni; Lappas, Angelos; Rinaldi, Roberto; Schüth, Ferdi

    2017-02-20

    A simple and efficient hydrodeoxygenation strategy is described to selectively generate and separate high-value alkylphenols from pyrolysis bio-oil, produced directly from lignocellulosic biomass. The overall process is efficient and only requires low pressures of hydrogen gas (5 bar). Initially, an investigation using model compounds indicates that MoC x /C is a promising catalyst for targeted hydrodeoxygenation, enabling selective retention of the desired Ar-OH substituents. By applying this procedure to pyrolysis bio-oil, the primary products (phenol/4-alkylphenols and hydrocarbons) are easily separable from each other by short-path column chromatography, serving as potential valuable feedstocks for industry. The strategy requires no prior fractionation of the lignocellulosic biomass, no further synthetic steps, and no input of additional (e.g., petrochemical) platform molecules. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. 14 CFR 420.66 - Separation distance requirements for storage of hydrogen peroxide, hydrazine, and liquid hydrogen...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Separation distance requirements for storage of hydrogen peroxide, hydrazine, and liquid hydrogen and any incompatible energetic liquids stored within an intraline distance. 420.66 Section 420.66 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION...

  19. 14 CFR 420.66 - Separation distance requirements for storage of hydrogen peroxide, hydrazine, and liquid hydrogen...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Separation distance requirements for storage of hydrogen peroxide, hydrazine, and liquid hydrogen and any incompatible energetic liquids stored within an intraline distance. 420.66 Section 420.66 Aeronautics and Space COMMERCIAL SPACE TRANSPORTATION...

  20. Mesoporous Phosphorus-Doped g-C3N4 Nanostructured Flowers with Superior Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Performance.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Yun-Pei; Ren, Tie-Zhen; Yuan, Zhong-Yong

    2015-08-05

    Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has been deemed a promising heterogeneous metal-free catalyst for a wide range of applications, such as solar energy utilization toward water splitting, and its photocatalytic performance is reasonably adjustable through tailoring its texture and its electronic and optical properties. Here phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanostructured flowers of in-plane mesopores are synthesized by a co-condensation method in the absence of any templates. The interesting structures, together with the phosphorus doping, can promote light trapping, mass transfer, and charge separation, enabling it to perform as a more impressive catalyst than its pristine carbon nitride counterpart for catalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation. The catalyst has low cost, is environmentally friendly, and represents a potential candidate in photoelectrochemistry.

  1. Ru–protein–Co biohybrids designed for solar hydrogen production: understanding electron transfer pathways related to photocatalytic function† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Time traces of photocatalysis, additional EPR spectra and parameters, UV-visible spectroscopy data, and kinetic fits of TA traces. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc03121h Click here for additional data file.

    PubMed Central

    Soltau, Sarah R.; Dahlberg, Peter D.; Niklas, Jens; Poluektov, Oleg G.; Mulfort, Karen L.

    2016-01-01

    A series of Ru–protein–Co biohybrids have been prepared using the electron transfer proteins ferredoxin (Fd) and flavodoxin (Fld) as scaffolds for photocatalytic hydrogen production. The light-generated charge separation within these hybrids has been monitored by transient optical and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies. Two distinct electron transfer pathways are observed. The Ru–Fd–Co biohybrid produces up to 650 turnovers of H2 utilizing an oxidative quenching mechanism for Ru(ii)* and a sequential electron transfer pathway via the native [2Fe–2S] cluster to generate a Ru(iii)–Fd–Co(i) charge separated state that lasts for ∼6 ms. In contrast, a direct electron transfer pathway occurs for the Ru–ApoFld–Co biohybrid, which lacks an internal electron relay, generating Ru(i)–ApoFld–Co(i) charge separated state that persists for ∼800 μs and produces 85 turnovers of H2 by a reductive quenching mechanism for Ru(ii)*. This work demonstrates the utility of protein architectures for linking donor and catalytic function via direct or sequential electron transfer pathways to enable stabilized charge separation which facilitates photocatalysis for solar fuel production. PMID:28451142

  2. Double heterojunction nanowire photocatalysts for hydrogen generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tongying, P.; Vietmeyer, F.; Aleksiuk, D.; Ferraudi, G. J.; Krylova, G.; Kuno, M.

    2014-03-01

    Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. In this study, we investigate the hydrogen generating capabilities and underlying photophysics of nanostructured photocatalysts based on CdSe nanowires (NWs). Systems studied include CdSe, CdSe/CdS core/shell nanowires and their Pt nanoparticle-decorated counterparts. Femtosecond transient differential absorption measurements reveal how semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions affect the charge separation and hydrogen generation efficiencies of these hybrid photocatalysts. In turn, we unravel the role of surface passivation, charge separation at semiconductor interfaces and charge transfer to metal co-catalysts in determining photocatalytic H2 generation efficiencies. This allows us to rationalize why Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs, a double heterojunction system, performs best with H2 generation rates of ~434.29 +/- 27.40 μmol h-1 g-1 under UV/Visible irradiation. In particular, we conclude that the CdS shell of this double heterojunction system serves two purposes. The first is to passivate CdSe NW surface defects, leading to long-lived charges at the CdSe/CdS interface capable of carrying out reduction chemistries. Upon photoexcitation, we also find that CdS selectively injects charges into Pt NPs, enabling simultaneous reduction chemistries at the Pt NP/solvent interface. Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs thus enable reduction chemistries at not one, but rather two interfaces, taking advantage of each junction's optimal catalytic activities.Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. In this study, we investigate the hydrogen generating capabilities and underlying photophysics of nanostructured photocatalysts based on CdSe nanowires (NWs). Systems studied include CdSe, CdSe/CdS core/shell nanowires and their Pt nanoparticle-decorated counterparts. Femtosecond transient differential absorption measurements reveal how semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions affect the charge separation and hydrogen generation efficiencies of these hybrid photocatalysts. In turn, we unravel the role of surface passivation, charge separation at semiconductor interfaces and charge transfer to metal co-catalysts in determining photocatalytic H2 generation efficiencies. This allows us to rationalize why Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs, a double heterojunction system, performs best with H2 generation rates of ~434.29 +/- 27.40 μmol h-1 g-1 under UV/Visible irradiation. In particular, we conclude that the CdS shell of this double heterojunction system serves two purposes. The first is to passivate CdSe NW surface defects, leading to long-lived charges at the CdSe/CdS interface capable of carrying out reduction chemistries. Upon photoexcitation, we also find that CdS selectively injects charges into Pt NPs, enabling simultaneous reduction chemistries at the Pt NP/solvent interface. Pt nanoparticle decorated CdSe/CdS NWs thus enable reduction chemistries at not one, but rather two interfaces, taking advantage of each junction's optimal catalytic activities. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of NW syntheses, processing and characterization. Additional TEM images of CdS, CdSe and CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs. NW concentration and cross section estimates. Details of the Pt NP decoration. Additional TEM images of Pt NP decorated CdS, CdSe and CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs. Size distribution of Pt NPs for CdSe/Pt NP and CdSe/CdS/Pt NP NWs. Xe arc lamp spectrum. Details of H2 generation experiments. Estimated photon absorption rate. Details of TDA measurements. TDA spectra and kinetics of CdS and CdS/Pt NP NWs. Plot illustrating CdSe NW band edge bleach kinetics. Comparison of CdSe band edge bleach kinetics in CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs when excited at λexc = 387 nm and λexc = 560 nm. Comparison of CdSe band edge bleach kinetics in CdSe/Pt NP NWs when excited at λexc = 387 nm and λexc = 560 nm. Bar graph showing H2 generation efficiencies of CdS and CdS/Pt NP NWs. Bleach kinetics of CdSe/CdS/Pt NP NWs at λexc = 387 nm and λexc = 560 nm. Comparison of CdS band edge bleach kinetics in CdS/Pt NP, and CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs when excited at λexc = 387 nm. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr00298a

  3. Confinement of hydrogen at high pressure in carbon nanotubes

    DOEpatents

    Lassila, David H [Aptos, CA; Bonner, Brian P [Livermore, CA

    2011-12-13

    A high pressure hydrogen confinement apparatus according to one embodiment includes carbon nanotubes capped at one or both ends thereof with a hydrogen-permeable membrane to enable the high pressure confinement of hydrogen and release of the hydrogen therethrough. A hydrogen confinement apparatus according to another embodiment includes an array of multi-walled carbon nanotubes each having first and second ends, the second ends being capped with palladium (Pd) to enable the high pressure confinement of hydrogen and release of the hydrogen therethrough as a function of palladium temperature, wherein the array of carbon nanotubes is capable of storing hydrogen gas at a pressure of at least 1 GPa for greater than 24 hours. Additional apparatuses and methods are also presented.

  4. Inverted Fuel Cell: Room-Temperature Hydrogen Separation from an Exhaust Gas by Using a Commercial Short-Circuited PEM Fuel Cell without Applying any Electrical Voltage.

    PubMed

    Friebe, Sebastian; Geppert, Benjamin; Caro, Jürgen

    2015-06-26

    A short-circuited PEM fuel cell with a Nafion membrane has been evaluated in the room-temperature separation of hydrogen from exhaust gas streams. The separated hydrogen can be recovered or consumed in an in situ olefin hydrogenation when the fuel cell is operated as catalytic membrane reactor. Without applying an outer electrical voltage, there is a continuous hydrogen flux from the higher to the lower hydrogen partial pressure side through the Nafion membrane. On the feed side of the Nafion membrane, hydrogen is catalytically split into protons and electrons by the Pt/C electrocatalyst. The protons diffuse through the Nafion membrane, the electrons follow the short-circuit between the two brass current collectors. On the cathode side, protons and electrons recombine, and hydrogen is released. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Solution-assisted ultrafast transfer of graphene-based thin films for solar cells and humidity sensors.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jiawei; Xie, Xiao; Bi, Hengchang; Jia, Haiyang; Zhu, Chongyang; Wan, Neng; Huang, Jianqiu; Nie, Meng; Li, Dan; Sun, Litao

    2017-03-01

    Vacuum filtration enables the fabrication of large-area graphene-based membranes (GBMs), possessing a smoother surface than that by spray, spin coating or drop casting. However, due to the strong interaction with substrates, the separation of thin GBMs from the filter is problematic. Conventional stamping separation/transfer of graphene oxide (GO) thin films requires another substrate and pressing for >10 h, which may damage the delicate structure of the transfer substrates. Other methods require GO to be reduced on filters before separation, thus limiting the reduction methods. Inspired by a coagulation bath that enables rapid formation of ultrastrong GO fibers, we present an ultrafast (<1 min) and solution-assisted strategy to fabricate smooth and freestanding GO films. The diverse interfacial energy of hydrogen bonds also demonstrates another reason for the successful separation. The film thickness ranges from 45 nm to several micrometers. When used as a composite of counter electrodes in dye sensitized solar cells, it showed higher (8.58%) power conversion efficiency than its spin-(7.71%) and spray-coated (8.07%) counterparts. It also showed promising performance in capacitive humidity sensors. The capacitance varied by three orders of magnitude in the range of the relative humidity of 15%-95%. Therefore the strategy realizes an ultrafast and high-quality film production which is suitable for various applications.

  6. Solution-assisted ultrafast transfer of graphene-based thin films for solar cells and humidity sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Jiawei; Xie, Xiao; Bi, Hengchang; Jia, Haiyang; Zhu, Chongyang; Wan, Neng; Huang, Jianqiu; Nie, Meng; Li, Dan; Sun, Litao

    2017-03-01

    Vacuum filtration enables the fabrication of large-area graphene-based membranes (GBMs), possessing a smoother surface than that by spray, spin coating or drop casting. However, due to the strong interaction with substrates, the separation of thin GBMs from the filter is problematic. Conventional stamping separation/transfer of graphene oxide (GO) thin films requires another substrate and pressing for >10 h, which may damage the delicate structure of the transfer substrates. Other methods require GO to be reduced on filters before separation, thus limiting the reduction methods. Inspired by a coagulation bath that enables rapid formation of ultrastrong GO fibers, we present an ultrafast (<1 min) and solution-assisted strategy to fabricate smooth and freestanding GO films. The diverse interfacial energy of hydrogen bonds also demonstrates another reason for the successful separation. The film thickness ranges from 45 nm to several micrometers. When used as a composite of counter electrodes in dye sensitized solar cells, it showed higher (8.58%) power conversion efficiency than its spin-(7.71%) and spray-coated (8.07%) counterparts. It also showed promising performance in capacitive humidity sensors. The capacitance varied by three orders of magnitude in the range of the relative humidity of 15%-95%. Therefore the strategy realizes an ultrafast and high-quality film production which is suitable for various applications.

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

    Tushar K Ghosh

    The objectives of this proposed research were: 91) Separation and storage of hydrogen on nanophase diamonds. It is expected that the produced hydrogen, which will be in a mixture, can be directed to a nanophase diamond system directly, which will not only store the hydrogen, but also separate it from the gas mixture, and (2) release of the stored hydrogen from the nanophase diamond.

  8. THERMAL PROPERTIES OF SOLID HYDROGEN UNDER PRESSURE (thesis)

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

    Orttung, W.H.

    1961-02-01

    A calorimeter was designed and constructed for use in the temperature interval 1 to 25 deg K with samples of solid hydrogen under pressures up to 12,000 kg/cm/sup 2/. Unusual features of the calorimeter include the use of two baths for liquid hydrogen or helium, a jaw-type thermal contact capable of high contact pressure, and a set of flanges at the cell level for ready access. The associated high-pressuregenerating apparatus was also designed and constructed. Pressures were generated with oil pumps and an intensifier. The oil was separated from the hydrogen by steel U-tubes half full of mercury, three ofmore » which were required for different pressure ranges. The highest-pressure U-tube was isolated from the rest of the system by mercury frozen in a steel capillary. The hydrogen entered the calorimeter through high-pressure capillary tubing, in which it was then frozen to isolate the sample in the cell. Catalyst chambers were constructed for the conversion of normal hydrogen to para hydrogen, and a three- stage system uti lizing alumina catalyst at liquid-hydrogen temperature was constructed for the separation of ortho hydrogen from para hydrogen. Because the calorimeter was of unconventional design, various modifications and procedures had to bo worked out. A dummy cell was used for these developments. The high- pressure apparatas was tested to 6000 kg/cm/sup 2/ with hydrogen at room temperature. Satisfactory highpressure seals for the low-temperatare cell were not developed soon enough to enable data to be taken. The theory of the anomalous heat capacity for low concentrations of ortho hydrogen or para deuterium Was extended by a calculation based on the angular potential energy between adjacent molecules. At 1 atm it was found that only electrostatic quadrupole-quadrupole interactions had to be considered, but at higher pressures, the valence forces became important. The case of three ortho molecules in a row was also treated in the quadrupole approximation. The heat capacity predicted by this model is somewhat different from that predicted for isolated ortho-ortho pairs. The theory was compared with the avnilable 1-atm data, taking into consideration the relation between the total ortho concentration and the relative amounts of isolated ortho molecules, isolated pairs of ortho molecules, and more complicated configurations. The suggestion of T. Nakamura that an additional term in the anomalous heat capacity proportional to the ortho concentration is needed to explain the data seems to be supported by the analysis, although comparison with a larger amount of data would be desirable. (auth)« less

  9. Separation membrane development

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

    Lee, M.W.

    1998-08-01

    A ceramic membrane has been developed to separate hydrogen from other gases. The method used is a sol-gel process. A thin layer of dense ceramic material is coated on a coarse ceramic filter substrate. The pore size distribution in the thin layer is controlled by a densification of the coating materials by heat treatment. The membrane has been tested by permeation measurement of the hydrogen and other gases. Selectivity of the membrane has been achieved to separate hydrogen from carbon monoxide. The permeation rate of hydrogen through the ceramic membrane was about 20 times larger than Pd-Ag membrane.

  10. Process, including membrane separation, for separating hydrogen from hydrocarbons

    DOEpatents

    Baker, Richard W.; Lokhandwala, Kaaeid A.; He, Zhenjie; Pinnau, Ingo

    2001-01-01

    Processes for providing improved methane removal and hydrogen reuse in reactors, particularly in refineries and petrochemical plants. The improved methane removal is achieved by selective purging, by passing gases in the reactor recycle loop across membranes selective in favor of methane over hydrogen, and capable of exhibiting a methane/hydrogen selectivity of at least about 2.5 under the process conditions.

  11. H-Coal process and plant design

    DOEpatents

    Kydd, Paul H.; Chervenak, Michael C.; DeVaux, George R.

    1983-01-01

    A process for converting coal and other hydrocarbonaceous materials into useful and more valuable liquid products. The process comprises: feeding coal and/or other hydrocarbonaceous materials with a hydrogen-containing gas into an ebullated catalyst bed reactor; passing the reaction products from the reactor to a hot separator where the vaporous and distillate products are separated from the residuals; introducing the vaporous and distillate products from the separator directly into a hydrotreater where they are further hydrogenated; passing the residuals from the separator successively through flash vessels at reduced pressures where distillates are flashed off and combined with the vaporous and distillate products to be hydrogenated; transferring the unseparated residuals to a solids concentrating and removal means to remove a substantial portion of solids therefrom and recycling the remaining residual oil to the reactor; and passing the hydrogenated vaporous and distillate products to an atmospheric fractionator where the combined products are fractionated into separate valuable liquid products. The hydrogen-containing gas is generated from sources within the process.

  12. Atmospheric Capture On Mars (and Processing)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muscatello, Tony

    2017-01-01

    The ultimate destination of NASA's human exploration program is Mars. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a key technology required to enable such missions, as first proposed by Prof. Robert Ash in 1976. This presentation will review progress in the systems required to produce rocket propellant, oxygen, and other consumables on Mars using the carbon dioxide atmosphere and other potential resources. For many years, NASA, commercial companies, and academia have been developing, and demonstrating techniques to capture and purify Martian atmospheric gases for their utilization for the production of hydrocarbons, oxygen, and water in ISRU systems. Other gases will be required to be separated from Martian atmospheric gases to provide pure CO2 for processing elements. Significant progress has been demonstrated in CO2 collection via adsorption by molecular sieves, freezing, and direct compression. Early stage work in adsorption in Ionic Liquids followed by electrolysis to oxygen is also underway. In addition, other Martian gases, such as nitrogen and argon, occur in concentrations high enough to be useful as buffer gas and could be captured as well. Gas separation requirements include, but are not limited to the selective separation of: (1) methane and water from unreacted carbon oxides (CO2-CO) and hydrogen typical of a Sabatier-type process, (2) carbon oxides and water from unreacted hydrogen from a Reverse Water-Gas Shift process, and (3) carbon oxides from oxygen from a trash/waste processing reaction.

  13. System for operating solid oxide fuel cell generator on diesel fuel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Prabhu (Inventor); George, Raymond A. (Inventor)

    1997-01-01

    A system is provided for operating a solid oxide fuel cell generator on diesel fuel. The system includes a hydrodesulfurizer which reduces the sulfur content of commercial and military grade diesel fuel to an acceptable level. Hydrogen which has been previously separated from the process stream is mixed with diesel fuel at low pressure. The diesel/hydrogen mixture is then pressurized and introduced into the hydrodesulfurizer. The hydrodesulfurizer comprises a metal oxide such as ZnO which reacts with hydrogen sulfide in the presence of a metal catalyst to form a metal sulfide and water. After desulfurization, the diesel fuel is reformed and delivered to a hydrogen separator which removes most of the hydrogen from the reformed fuel prior to introduction into a solid oxide fuel cell generator. The separated hydrogen is then selectively delivered to the diesel/hydrogen mixer or to a hydrogen storage unit. The hydrogen storage unit preferably comprises a metal hydride which stores hydrogen in solid form at low pressure. Hydrogen may be discharged from the metal hydride to the diesel/hydrogen mixture at low pressure upon demand, particularly during start-up and shut-down of the system.

  14. Improving material identification by combining x-ray and neutron tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaManna, Jacob M.; Hussey, Daniel S.; Baltic, Eli; Jacobson, David L.

    2017-09-01

    X-rays and neutrons provide complementary non-destructive probes for the analysis of structure and chemical composition of materials. Contrast differences between the modes arise due to the differences in interaction with matter. Due to the high sensitivity to hydrogen, neutrons excel at separating liquid water or hydrogenous phases from the underlying structure while X-rays resolve the solid structure. Many samples of interest, such as fluid flow in porous materials or curing concrete, are stochastic or slowly changing with time which makes analysis of sequential imaging with X-rays and neutrons difficult as the sample may change between scans. To alleviate this issue, NIST has developed a system for simultaneous X-ray and neutron tomography by orienting a 90 keVpeak micro-focus X-ray tube orthogonally to a thermal neutron beam. This system allows for non-destructive, multimodal tomography of dynamic or stochastic samples while penetrating through sample environment equipment such as pressure and flow vessels. Current efforts are underway to develop methods for 2D histogram based segmentation of reconstructed volumes. By leveraging the contrast differences between X-rays and neutrons, greater histogram peak separation can occur in 2D vs 1D enabling improved material identification.

  15. Efficient hydrogen isotopologues separation through a tunable potential barrier: The case of a C2N membrane.

    PubMed

    Qu, Yuanyuan; Li, Feng; Zhao, Mingwen

    2017-05-03

    Isotopes separation through quantum sieving effect of membranes is quite promising for industrial applications. For the light hydrogen isotopologues (eg. H 2 , D 2 ), the confinement of potential wells in porous membranes to isotopologues was commonly regarded to be crucial for highly efficient separation ability. Here, we demonstrate from first-principles that a potential barrier is also favorable for efficient hydrogen isotopologues separation. Taking an already-synthesized two-dimensional carbon nitride (C 2 N-h2D) as an example, we predict that the competition between quantum tunneling and zero-point-energy (ZPE) effects regulated by the tensile strain leads to high selectivity and permeance. Both kinetic quantum sieving and equilibrium quantum sieving effects are considered. The quantum effects revealed in this work offer a prospective strategy for highly efficient hydrogen isotopologues separation.

  16. Composite hydrogen separation element and module

    DOEpatents

    Edlund, D.J.

    1996-03-12

    There are disclosed improvements in multicomponent composite metal membranes useful for the separation of hydrogen, the improvements comprising the provision of a flexible porous intermediate layer between a support layer and a nonporous hydrogen-permeable coating metal layer, and the provision of a textured coating metal layer. 15 figs.

  17. SPE (tm) regenerative hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells for extraterrestrial surface and microgravity applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcelroy, J. F.

    1990-01-01

    Viewgraphs on SPE regenerative hydrogen/oxygen fuel cells for extraterrestrial surface and microgravity applications are presented. Topics covered include: hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel cell energy storage system; electrochemical cell reactions; SPE cell voltage stability; passive water removal SPE fuel cell; fuel cell performance; SPE water electrolyzers; hydrophobic oxygen phase separator; hydrophilic/electrochemical hydrogen phase separator; and unitized regenerative fuel cell.

  18. Method and apparatus for separation of heavy and tritiated water

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Myung W.

    2001-01-01

    The present invention is a bi-thermal membrane process for separating and recovering hydrogen isotopes from a fluid containing hydrogen isotopes, such as water and hydrogen gas. The process in accordance with the present invention provides counter-current cold and hot streams of the fluid separated with a thermally insulating and chemically transparent proton exchange membrane (PEM). The two streams exchange hydrogen isotopes through the membrane: the heavier isotopes migrate into the cold stream, while the lighter isotopes migrate into the hot stream. The heavy and light isotopes are continuously withdrawn from the cold and hot streams respectively.

  19. Reversible geminate recombination of hydrogen-bonded water molecule pair

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Markovitch, Omer; Agmon, Noam

    2008-08-01

    The (history independent) autocorrelation function for a hydrogen-bonded water molecule pair, calculated from classical molecular dynamics trajectories of liquid water, exhibits a t-3/2 asymptotic tail. Its whole time dependence agrees quantitatively with the solution for reversible diffusion-influenced geminate recombination derived by Agmon and Weiss [J. Chem. Phys. 91, 6937 (1989)]. Agreement with diffusion theory is independent of the precise definition of the bound state. Given the water self-diffusion constant, this theory enables us to determine the dissociation and bimolecular recombination rate parameters for a water dimer. (The theory is indispensable for obtaining the bimolecular rate coefficient.) Interestingly, the activation energies obtained from the temperature dependence of these rate coefficients are similar, rather than differing by the hydrogen-bond (HB) strength. This suggests that recombination requires displacing another water molecule, which meanwhile occupied the binding site. Because these activation energies are about twice the HB strength, cleavage of two HBs may be required to allow pair separation. The autocorrelation function without the HB angular restriction yields a recombination rate coefficient that is larger than that for rebinding to all four tetrahedral water sites (with angular restrictions), suggesting the additional participation of interstitial sites. Following dissociation, the probability of the pair to be unbound but within the reaction sphere rises more slowly than expected, possibly because binding to the interstitial sites delays pair separation. An extended diffusion model, which includes an additional binding site, can account for this behavior.

  20. Large Scale PEM Electrolysis to Enable Renewable Hydrogen Fuel Production

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-02-10

    PEM Fuel Cell Anode + -Cathode e- e- e- e- Electric load...BOP system. • Enables new product launch (C- Series) Proton PEM cell stack for UK Vanguard subs 18UNCLASSIFIED: Dist A. Approved for public release...UNCLASSIFIED: Dist A. Approved for public release “Large Scale PEM Electrolysis to Enable Renewable Hydrogen Fuel Production” Alternative Energy

  1. Hydrogen purifier module with membrane support

    DOEpatents

    A hydrogen purifier utilizing a hydrogen-permeable membrane to purify hydrogen from mixed gases containing hydrogen is disclosed. Improved mechanical support for the permeable membrane is described, enabling forward or reverse differential pressurization of the membrane, which further stabilizes the membrane from wrinkling upon hydrogen uptake.

    2012-07-24

    A hydrogen purifier utilizing a hydrogen-permeable membrane to purify hydrogen from mixed gases containing hydrogen is disclosed. Improved mechanical support for the permeable membrane is described, enabling forward or reverse differential pressurization of the membrane, which further stabilizes the membrane from wrinkling upon hydrogen uptake.

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

    Hitchcock, D.; Colon-Mercado, H.; Krentz, T.

    Hydrogen isotope separation is critical to the DOE’s mission in environmental remediation and nuclear nonproliferation. Isotope separation is also a critical technology for the NNSA, and the ability to perform the separations at room temperature with a relatively small amount of power and space would be a major advancement for their respective missions. Recent work has shown that 2-D materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride can act as an isotopic sieve at room temperature; efficiently separating hydrogen isotopes in water with reported separation ratios of 10:1 for hydrogen: deuterium separation for a single pass. The work performed heremore » suggests that this technique has merit, and furthermore, we are investigating optimization and scale up of the required 2-D material based membranes.« less

  3. Measurement of H2S in Crude Oil and Crude Oil Headspace Using Multidimensional Gas Chromatography, Deans Switching and Sulfur-selective Detection

    PubMed Central

    Heshka, Nicole E.; Hager, Darcy B.

    2015-01-01

    A method for the analysis of dissolved hydrogen sulfide in crude oil samples is demonstrated using gas chromatography. In order to effectively eliminate interferences, a two dimensional column configuration is used, with a Deans switch employed to transfer hydrogen sulfide from the first to the second column (heart-cutting). Liquid crude samples are first separated on a dimethylpolysiloxane column, and light gases are heart-cut and further separated on a bonded porous layer open tubular (PLOT) column that is able to separate hydrogen sulfide from other light sulfur species. Hydrogen sulfide is then detected with a sulfur chemiluminescence detector, adding an additional layer of selectivity. Following separation and detection of hydrogen sulfide, the system is backflushed to remove the high-boiling hydrocarbons present in the crude samples and to preserve chromatographic integrity. Dissolved hydrogen sulfide has been quantified in liquid samples from 1.1 to 500 ppm, demonstrating wide applicability to a range of samples. The method has also been successfully applied for the analysis of gas samples from crude oil headspace and process gas bags, with measurement from 0.7 to 9,700 ppm hydrogen sulfide. PMID:26709594

  4. ACES: An Enabling Technology for Next Generation Space Transportation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crocker, Andrew M.; Wuerl, Adam M.; Andrews, Jason E.; Andrews, Dana G.

    2004-02-01

    Andrews Space has developed the ``Alchemist'' Air Collection and Enrichment System (ACES), a dual-mode propulsion system that enables safe, economical launch systems that take off and land horizontally. Alchemist generates liquid oxygen through separation of atmospheric air using the refrigeration capacity of liquid hydrogen. The key benefit of Alchemist is that it minimizes vehicle takeoff weight. All internal and NASA-funded activities have shown that ACES, previously proposed for hypersonic combined cycle RLVs, is a higher payoff, lower-risk technology if LOX generation is performed while the vehicle cruises subsonically. Andrews Space has developed the Alchemist concept from a small system study to viable Next Generation launch system technology, conducting not only feasibility studies but also related hardware tests, and it has planned a detailed risk reduction program which employs an experienced, proven contractor team. Andrews also has participated in preliminary studies of an evolvable Next Generation vehicle architecture-enabled by Alchemist ACES-which could meet civil, military, and commercial space requirements within two decades.

  5. Hydrogen Storage in metal-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes

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

    Dr. Ahn

    2004-04-30

    It has been known for over thirty years that potassium-intercalated graphites can readily adsorb and desorb hydrogen at {approx}1 wt% at 77 K. These levels are much higher than can be attained in pure graphite, owing to a larger thermodynamic enthalpy of adsorption. This increased enthalpy may allow hydrogen sorption at higher temperatures. Potassium has other beneficial effects that enable the design of a new material: (a) Increased adsorption enthalpy in potassium-intercalated graphite compared to pure graphite reduces the pressure and increases the temperature required for a given fractional coverage of hydrogen adsorption. We expect the same effects in potassium-intercalatedmore » SWNTs. (b) As an intercalant, potassium separates c-axis planes in graphite. Potassium also separates the individual tubes of SWNTs ropes producing swelling and increased surface area. Increased surface area provides more adsorption sites, giving a proportionately higher capacity. The temperature of adsorption depends on the enthalpy of adsorption. The characteristic temperature is roughly the adsorption enthalpy divided by Boltzmann's constant, k{sub B}. For the high hydrogen storage capacity of SWNTs to be achieved at room temperature, it is necessary to increase the enthalpy of adsorption. Our goal for this project was to use metal modifications to the carbon surface of SWNTs in order to address both enhanced adsorption and surface area. For instance, the enthalpy of sorption of hydrogen on KC8 is 450 meV/H{sub 2}, whereas it is 38 meV/H{sub 2} for unmodified SWNTs. By adsorption thermodynamics we expect approximately that the same performance of SWNTs at 77 K will be achieved at a temperature of [450/38] 77 K = 900 K. This is a high temperature, so we expect that adsorption on nearly all the available sites for hydrogen will occur at room temperature under a much lower pressure. This pressure can be estimated conveniently, since the chemical potential of hydrogen is approximately proportional to the logarithm of the pressure. Using 300 K for room temperature, the 100 bar pressure requirement is reduced to exp(-900/300) 100 bar = 5 bar at room temperature. This is in the pressure range used for prior experimental work such as that of Colin and Herold in the late 1960's and early 1970's.« less

  6. Process for the production of ultrahigh purity silane with recycle from separation columns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coleman, Larry M. (Inventor)

    1982-01-01

    Tri- and dichlorosilanes formed by hydrogenation in the course of the reaction of metallurgical silicon, hydrogen and recycle silicon tetrachloride are employed as feed into a separation column arrangement of sequential separation columns and redistribution reactors which processes the feed into ultrahigh purity silane and recycle silicon tetrachloride. A slip stream is removed from the bottom of two sequential columns and added to the recycle silicon tetrachloride process stream causing impurities in the slip streams to be subjected to reactions in the hydrogenation step whereby waste materials can be formed and readily separated.

  7. Process for the production of ultrahigh purity silane with recycle from separation columns

    DOEpatents

    Coleman, Larry M.

    1982-07-20

    Tri- and dichlorosilanes formed by hydrogenation in the course of the reaction of metallurgical silicon, hydrogen and recycle silicon tetrachloride are employed as feed into a separation column arrangement of sequential separation columns and redistribution reactors which processes the feed into ultrahigh purity silane and recycle silicon tetrachloride. A slip stream is removed from the bottom of two sequential columns and added to the recycle silicon tetrachloride process stream causing impurities in the slip streams to be subjected to reactions in the hydrogenation step whereby waste materials can be formed and readily separated.

  8. Novel, Ceramic Membrane System For Hydrogen Separation

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

    Elangovan, S.

    2012-12-31

    Separation of hydrogen from coal gas represents one of the most promising ways to produce alternative sources of fuel. Ceramatec, teamed with CoorsTek and Sandia National Laboratories has developed materials technology for a pressure driven, high temperature proton-electron mixed conducting membrane system to remove hydrogen from the syngas. This system separates high purity hydrogen and isolates high pressure CO{sub 2} as the retentate, which is amenable to low cost capture and transport to storage sites. The team demonstrated a highly efficient, pressure-driven hydrogen separation membrane to generate high purity hydrogen from syngas using a novel ceramic-ceramic composite membrane. Recognizing themore » benefits and limitations of present membrane systems, the all-ceramic system has been developed to address the key technical challenges related to materials performance under actual operating conditions, while retaining the advantages of thermal and process compatibility offered by the ceramic membranes. The feasibility of the concept has already been demonstrated at Ceramatec. This project developed advanced materials composition for potential integration with water gas shift rectors to maximize the hydrogenproduction.« less

  9. Research on Liquid Management Technology in Water Tank and Reactor for Propulsion System with Hydrogen Production System Utilizing Aluminum and Water Reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Imai, Ryoji; Imamura, Takuya; Sugioka, Masatoshi; Higashino, Kazuyuki

    2017-12-01

    High pressure hydrogen produced by aluminum and water reaction is considered to be applied to space propulsion system. Water tank and hydrogen production reactor in this propulsion system require gas and liquid separation function under microgravity condition. We consider to install vane type liquid acquisition device (LAD) utilizing surface tension in the water tank, and install gas-liquid separation mechanism by centrifugal force which swirling flow creates in the hydrogen reactor. In water tank, hydrophilic coating was covered on both tank wall and vane surface to improve wettability. Function of LAD in water tank and gas-liquid separation in reaction vessel were evaluated by short duration microgravity experiments using drop tower facility. In the water tank, it was confirmed that liquid was driven and acquired on the outlet due to capillary force created by vanes. In addition of this, it was found that gas-liquid separation worked well by swirling flow in hydrogen production reactor. However, collection of hydrogen gas bubble was sometimes suppressed by aluminum alloy particles, which is open problem to be solved.

  10. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Delivery

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tank will be lifted and rotated for delivery to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

  11. Influence of TiN coating and hydrogen glow discharge treatments on the conditioning of a direct current separator made of aluminum alloys

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

    Momose, T.; Ishimaru, H.

    1986-03-01

    The effects of hydrogen glow discharges and TiN coatings on the condit ng of a dc separator for the TRISTAN electron-positron collider were studi ed. In order to determine if high-voltage operation is possible, we teste d whether the conditioning time could be shortened if the TiN coating was applied to the separator cathode or if the entire assembly were treated in a hydrogen glow discharge. (AIP)

  12. Motion-based, high-yielding, and fast separation of different charged organics in water.

    PubMed

    Xuan, Mingjun; Lin, Xiankun; Shao, Jingxin; Dai, Luru; He, Qiang

    2015-01-12

    We report a self-propelled Janus silica micromotor as a motion-based analytical method for achieving fast target separation of polyelectrolyte microcapsules, enriching different charged organics with low molecular weights in water. The self-propelled Janus silica micromotor catalytically decomposes a hydrogen peroxide fuel and moves along the direction of the catalyst face at a speed of 126.3 μm s(-1) . Biotin-functionalized Janus micromotors can specifically capture and rapidly transport streptavidin-modified polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules, which could effectively enrich and separate different charged organics in water. The interior of the polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules were filled with a strong charged polyelectrolyte, and thus a Donnan equilibrium is favorable between the inner solution within the capsules and the bulk solution to entrap oppositely charged organics in water. The integration of these self-propelled Janus silica micromotors and polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules into a lab-on-chip device that enables the separation and analysis of charged organics could be attractive for a diverse range of applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Fusion Ash Separation in the Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration Reactor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbate, Joseph; Yeh, Meagan; McGreivy, Nick; Cohen, Samuel

    2016-10-01

    The Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration (PFRC) concept relies on low-neutron production by D-3He fusion to enable small, safe nuclear-fusion reactors to be built, an approach requiring rapid and efficient extraction of fusion ash and energy produced by D-3He fusion reactions. The ash exhaust stream would contain energetic (0.1-1 MeV) protons, T, 3He, and 4He ions and nearly 1e5 cooler (ca. 100 eV) D ions. The T extracted from the reactor would be a valuable fusion product in that it decays into 3He, which could be used as fuel. If the T were not extracted it would be troublesome because of neutron production by the D-T reaction. This paper discusses methods to separate the various species in a PFRC reactor's exhaust stream. First, we discuss the use of curved magnetic fields to separate the energetic from the cool components. Then we discuss exploiting material properties, specifically reflection, sputtering threshold, and permeability, to allow separation of the hydrogen from the helium isotopes. DOE Contract Number DE-AC02-09CH11466.

  14. Hydrogen Infrastructure Testing and Research Facility | Hydrogen and Fuel

    Science.gov Websites

    stations, enabling NREL to validate current industry standards and methods for hydrogen fueling as well as the HITRF to: Develop, quantify performance of, and improve renewable hydrogen production methods

  15. Highly effective hydrogen isotope separation in nanoporous metal-organic frameworks with open metal sites: direct measurement and theoretical analysis.

    PubMed

    Oh, Hyunchul; Savchenko, Ievgeniia; Mavrandonakis, Andreas; Heine, Thomas; Hirscher, Michael

    2014-01-28

    Separating gaseous mixtures that consist of very similar size is one of the critical issues in modern separation technology. Especially, the separation of the isotopes hydrogen and deuterium requires special efforts, even though these isotopes show a very large mass ratio. Conventionally, H/D separation can be realized through cryogenic distillation of the molecular species or the Girdler-sulfide process, which are among the most energy-intensive separation techniques in the chemical industry. However, costs can be significantly reduced by using highly mass-selective nanoporous sorbents. Here, we describe a hydrogen isotope separation strategy exploiting the strongly attractive open metal sites present in nanoporous metal-organic frameworks of the CPO-27 family (also referred to as MOF-74). A theoretical analysis predicts an outstanding hydrogen isotopologue separation at open metal sites due to isotopal effects, which has been directly observed through cryogenic thermal desorption spectroscopy. For H2/D2 separation of an equimolar mixture at 60 K, the selectivity of 12 is the highest value ever measured, and this methodology shows extremely high separation efficiencies even above 77 K. Our theoretical results imply also a high selectivity for HD/H2 separation at similar temperatures, and together with catalytically active sites, we propose a mechanism to produce D2 from HD/H2 mixtures with natural or enriched deuterium content.

  16. Gold nanoparticles protected by mixed hydrogenated/fluorinated monolayers: controlling and exploring the surface features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Şologan, Maria; Gentilini, Cristina; Bidoggia, Silvia; Boccalon, Mariangela; Pace, Alice; Pengo, Paolo; Pasquato, Lucia

    2018-06-01

    Harnessing the reciprocal phobicity of hydrogenated and fluorinated thiolates proved to be a valuable strategy in preparing gold nanoparticles displaying mixed monolayers with a well-defined and pre-determined morphology. Our studies display that the organisation of the fluorinated ligands in phase-separated domains takes place even when these represent a small fraction of the ligands grafted on the gold surface. Using simple model ligands and by combining 19F NMR or ESR spectroscopies, and multiscale molecular simulations, we could demonstrate how the monolayer morphology responds in a predictable manner to structural differences between the thiolates. This enables a straightforward preparation of gold nanoparticles with monolayers displaying stripe-like, Janus, patchy, and random morphologies. Additionally, solubility properties may be tuned as function of the nature of the ligands and of the monolayer morphology obtaining gold nanoparticles soluble in organic solvents or in aqueous solutions. Most importantly, this rich diversity can be achieved not by resorting to ad hoc developed fabrication techniques, but rather relying on the spontaneous self-sorting of the ligands upon assembly on the nanoparticle surface. Besides enabling control over the monolayer morphology, fluorinated ligands endow the nanoparticles with several properties that can be exploited in the development of novel materials with applications, for instance in drug delivery and diagnostic imaging.

  17. A high stability Ni-La0.5Ce0.5O2-δ asymmetrical metal-ceramic membrane for hydrogen separation and generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Zhiwen; Sun, Wenping; Wang, Zhongtao; Cao, Jiafeng; Dong, Yingchao; Liu, Wei

    2015-05-01

    In this work, hydrogen permeation properties of Ni-La0.5Ce0.5O2-δ (LDC) asymmetrical cermet membrane are investigated, including hydrogen fluxes (JH2) under different hydrogen partial pressures, the influence of water vapor on JH2 and the long-term stability of the membrane operating under the containing-CO2 atmosphere. Ni-LDC asymmetrical membrane shows the best hydrogen permeability among LDC-based hydrogen separation membranes, inferior to Ni-BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3-δ asymmetrical membrane. The water vapor in feed gas is beneficial to hydrogen transport process, which promote an increase of JH2 from 5.64 × 10-8 to 6.83 × 10-8 mol cm-2 s-1 at 900 °C. Stability testing of hydrogen permeation suggests that Ni-LDC membrane remains stable against CO2. A dual function of combining hydrogen separation and generation can be realized by humidifying the sweep gas and enhance the hydrogen output by 1.0-1.5 times. Ni-LDC membrane exhibits desirable performance and durability in dual-function mode. Morphologies and phase structures of the membrane after tests are also characterized by SEM and XRD.

  18. Nickel-hydrogen battery with oxygen and electrolyte management features

    DOEpatents

    Sindorf, John F.

    1991-10-22

    A nickel-hydrogen battery or cell having one or more pressure vessels containing hydrogen gas and a plurality of cell-modules therein. Each cell-module includes a configuration of cooperatively associated oxygen and electrolyte mangement and component alignment features. A cell-module having electrolyte includes a negative electrode, a positive electrode adapted to facilitate oxygen diffusion, a separator disposed between the positive and negative electrodes for separating them and holding electrolyte for ionic conductivity, an absorber engaging the surface of the positive electrode facing away from the separator for providing electrolyte to the positive electrode, and a pair of surface-channeled diffusion screens for enclosing the positive and negative electrodes, absorber, and separator and for maintaining proper alignment of these components. The screens, formed in the shape of a pocket by intermittently sealing the edges together along as many as three sides, permit hydrogen gas to diffuse therethrough to the negative electrodes, and prevent the edges of the separator from swelling. Electrolyte is contained in the cell-module, absorbhed by the electrodes, the separator and the absorber.

  19. Argon recovery from hydrogen depleted ammonia plant purge gas using a HARP Plant

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

    Krishnamurthy, R.; Lerner, S.L.; Maclean, D.L.

    1987-01-01

    A number of ammonia plants employ membranes or cryogenic hydrogen recovery units to separate hydrogen contained in the purge gas for recycle to the ammonia synthesis loop. The resulting hydrogen depleted purge gas, which is usually used for fuel, is an attractive source of argon. This paper presents the novel features of a process which employs a combination of pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and cryogenic technology to separate the argon from this hydrogen depleted purge gas stream. This new proprietary Hybrid Argon Recovery Progress (HARP) plant is an effective alternative to a conventional all-cryogenic plant.

  20. Determination of hydrogen abundance in selected lunar soils

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bustin, Roberta

    1987-01-01

    Hydrogen was implanted in lunar soil through solar wind activity. In order to determine the feasibility of utilizing this solar wind hydrogen, it is necessary to know not only hydrogen abundances in bulk soils from a variety of locations but also the distribution of hydrogen within a given soil. Hydrogen distribution in bulk soils, grain size separates, mineral types, and core samples was investigated. Hydrogen was found in all samples studied. The amount varied considerably, depending on soil maturity, mineral types present, grain size distribution, and depth. Hydrogen implantation is definitely a surface phenomenon. However, as constructional particles are formed, previously exposed surfaces become embedded within particles, causing an enrichment of hydrogen in these species. In view of possibly extracting the hydrogen for use on the lunar surface, it is encouraging to know that hydrogen is present to a considerable depth and not only in the upper few millimeters. Based on these preliminary studies, extraction of solar wind hydrogen from lunar soil appears feasible, particulary if some kind of grain size separation is possible.

  1. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Lift, Rotate, and Move to Trailer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A crane is used to lift and rotate the tank before delivery to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

  2. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Lift, Rotate, and Move to Trailer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A crane is used to lift the tank and rotate it before it is delivered to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

  3. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Delivery

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A crane will be used to lift and rotate the tank for delivery to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

  4. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Lift, Rotate, and Move to Trailer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A crane is used to lift and rotate the tank before it is delivered to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

  5. Process for liquefying carbonaceous materials of high molecular weight and for separating liquefaction products

    DOEpatents

    Malek, John M.

    1977-01-01

    Process characterized by comprising successively a dissolution zone fed with carbonaceous solids and with a solvent, a high pressure hydrogenation zone provided with a source of hydrogen, and a hydrogenation products separation zone, wherein the improvement consists mainly in chemical upgrading of the liquidform products derived from the separation zone, and recycling a part of the upgraded products to the dissolution zone, this recycled part being of either positively acidic or positively basic properties for enhancing the dissolution - decomposition of base-acid structures present in the carbonaceous solid feed.

  6. Electrochemical separation of hydrogen from reformate using PEM fuel cell technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardner, C. L.; Ternan, M.

    This article is an examination of the feasibility of electrochemically separating hydrogen obtained by steam reforming a hydrocarbon or alcohol source. A potential advantage of this process is that the carbon dioxide rich exhaust stream should be able to be captured and stored thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Results are presented for the performance of the anode of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrochemical cell for the separation of hydrogen from a H 2-CO 2 gas mixture and from a H 2-CO 2-CO gas mixture. Experiments were carried out using a single cell state-of-the-art PEM fuel cell. The anode was fed with either a H 2-CO 2 gas mixture or a H 2-CO 2-CO gas mixture and hydrogen was evolved at the cathode. All experiments were performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. With the H 2-CO 2 gas mixture the hydrogen extraction efficiency is quite high. When the gas mixture included CO, however, the hydrogen extraction efficiency is relatively poor. To improve the efficiency for the separation of the gas mixture containing CO, the effect of periodic pulsing on the anode potential was examined. Results show that pulsing can substantially reduce the anode potential thereby improving the overall efficiency of the separation process although the anode potential of the CO poisoned and pulsed cell still lies above that of an unpoisoned cell.

  7. Increased Oxygen Recovery from Sabatier Systems Using Plasma Pyrolysis Technology and Metal Hydride Separation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greenwood, Zachary W.; Abney, Morgan B.; Perry, Jay L.; Miller, Lee A.; Dahl, Roger W.; Hadley, Neal M.; Wambolt, Spencer R.; Wheeler, Richard R.

    2015-01-01

    State-of-the-art life support carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction technology is based on the Sabatier reaction where less than 50% of the oxygen required for the crew is recovered from metabolic CO2. The reaction produces water as the primary product and methane as a byproduct. Oxygen recovery is constrained by the limited availability of reactant hydrogen. This is further exacerbated when Sabatier methane (CH4) is vented as a waste product resulting in a continuous loss of reactant hydrogen. Post-processing methane with the Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) to recover hydrogen has the potential to dramatically increase oxygen recovery and thus drastically reduce the logistical challenges associated with oxygen resupply. The PPA decomposes methane into predominantly hydrogen and acetylene. Due to the highly unstable nature of acetylene, a separation system is necessary to purify hydrogen before it is recycled back to the Sabatier reactor. Testing and evaluation of a full-scale Third Generation PPA is reported and investigations into metal hydride hydrogen separation technology is discussed.

  8. Hydropyrolysis process

    DOEpatents

    Ullman, Alan Z.; Silverman, Jacob; Friedman, Joseph

    1986-01-01

    An improved process for producing a methane-enriched gas wherein a hydrogen-deficient carbonaceous material is treated with a hydrogen-containing pyrolysis gas at an elevated temperature and pressure to produce a product gas mixture including methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The improvement comprises passing the product gas mixture sequentially through a water-gas shift reaction zone and a gas separation zone to provide separate gas streams of methane and of a recycle gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane for recycle to the process. A controlled amount of steam also is provided which when combined with the recycle gas provides a pyrolysis gas for treatment of additional hydrogen-deficient carbonaceous material. The amount of steam used and the conditions within the water-gas shift reaction zone and gas separation zone are controlled to obtain a steady-state composition of pyrolysis gas which will comprise hydrogen as the principal constituent and a minor amount of carbon monoxide, steam and methane so that no external source of hydrogen is needed to supply the hydrogen requirements of the process. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment, conditions are controlled such that there also is produced a significant quantity of benzene as a valuable coproduct.

  9. Nickel-hydrogen separator development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.

    1986-01-01

    The separator technology is a critical element in the nickel-hydrogen (Ni-H2) systems. Previous research and development work carried out at NASA Lewis Research Center has determined that separators made from zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and potassium titanate (PKT) fibers will function satisfactorily in Ni-H2 cells without exhibiting the problems associated with the asbestos separators. These separators and their characteristics were previously discussed. A program was established to transfer the separator technology into a commercial production line. A detailed plan of this program will be presented and the preliminary results will be discussed.

  10. Nickel-hydrogen separator development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.

    1986-01-01

    The separator technology is a critical element in the nickel-hydrogen (Ni-H2) systems. Previous research and development work carried out at NASA Lewis Research Center has determined that separators made from zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and potassium titanate (PKT) fibers will function satisfactorily in Ni-H2 cells without exhibiting the problems associated with the asbestos separators. A program has been established to transfer the separator technology into a commercial production line. A detailed plan of this program will be presented and the preliminary results will be discussed.

  11. High Temperature Polybenzimidazole Hollow Fiber Membranes for Hydrogen Separation and Carbon Dioxide Capture from Synthesis Gas

    DOE PAGES

    Singh, Rajinder P.; Dahe, Ganpat J.; Dudeck, Kevin W.; ...

    2014-12-31

    Sustainable reliance on hydrocarbon feedstocks for energy generation requires CO₂ separation technology development for energy efficient carbon capture from industrial mixed gas streams. High temperature H₂ selective glassy polymer membranes are an attractive option for energy efficient H₂/CO₂ separations in advanced power production schemes with integrated carbon capture. They enable high overall process efficiencies by providing energy efficient CO₂ separations at process relevant operating conditions and correspondingly, minimized parasitic energy losses. Polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based materials have demonstrated commercially attractive H₂/CO₂ separation characteristics and exceptional tolerance to hydrocarbon fuel derived synthesis (syngas) gas operating conditions and chemical environments. To realize a commerciallymore » attractive carbon capture technology based on these PBI materials, development of high performance, robust PBI hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) is required. In this work, we discuss outcomes of our recent efforts to demonstrate and optimize the fabrication and performance of PBI HFMs for use in pre-combustion carbon capture schemes. These efforts have resulted in PBI HFMs with commercially attractive fabrication protocols, defect minimized structures, and commercially attractive permselectivity characteristics at IGCC syngas process relevant conditions. The H₂/CO₂ separation performance of these PBI HFMs presented in this document regarding realistic process conditions is greater than that of any other polymeric system reported to-date.« less

  12. Hydrogen-permeable composite metal membrane and uses thereof

    DOEpatents

    Edlund, D.J.; Friesen, D.T.

    1993-06-08

    Various hydrogen production and hydrogen sulfide decomposition processes are disclosed that utilize composite metal membranes that contain an intermetallic diffusion barrier separating a hydrogen-permeable base metal and a hydrogen-permeable coating metal. The barrier is a thermally stable inorganic proton conductor.

  13. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Lift, Rotate, and Move to Trailer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The tank has been lifted and rotated by crane and lowered back onto the flatbed truck for transport to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

  14. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Lift, Rotate, and Move to Trailer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Construction workers check lines as a crane is attached to the tank to lift and rotate it before it is delivered to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

  15. LH2 Liquid Separator Tank Lift, Rotate, and Move to Trailer

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-11-17

    A new liquid hydrogen separator tank arrives at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A crane has been attached to the tank to lift and rotate it before it is delivered to Launch Pad 39B. The new separator/storage tank will be added to the pad's existing hydrogen vent system to assure gaseous hydrogen is delivered downstream to the flare stack. The 60,000 gallon tank was built by INOXCVA, in Baytown, Texas, a subcontractor of Precision Mechanical Inc. in Cocoa Florida. The new tank will support all future launches from the pad.

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

    Wang, Siwei; Chen, Yan; Zhang, Lingling

    Ceramic-based proton conductors enable high-temperature hydrogen economy applications such as hydrogen separation membranes, fuel cells, and steam electrolyzers. BaZr 0.8Y 0.2O 3-δ(BZY) proton-conducting oxide possesses the highest level of proton conductivity reported to date, but poor sinterability hinders its widespread utilization. In this paper, we report a two-step reactive aid sintering (TRAS) method involving the introduction of BaCO 3 and B 2O 3-Li 2O for the preparation of dense BZY ceramics sintered at 1500°C. The resulting BZY samples showed a pure perovskite structure with a dramatic increase in the relative density to 91.5%. In addition, the shrinkage during sintering wasmore » improved to 19.3% by a TRAS method as compared to 2.6% by the conventional solid date reaction method. In conclusion, the bulk conductivity was improved due to enhanced densification, while the grain boundary conductivity decreased due to the blocking behavior of the sintering aid resulting in a decrease in the total conductivity of the samples.« less

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

    Wang, Siwei; Chen, Yan; Zhang, Lingling

    Ceramic-based proton conductors enable high-temperature hydrogen economy applications such as hydrogen separation membranes, fuel cells, and steam electrolyzers. BaZr 0.8Y 0.2O 3-δ (BZY) proton-conducting oxide possesses the highest level of proton conductivity reported to date, but poor sinterability hinders its widespread utilization. Here, we report a two-step reactive aid sintering (TRAS) method involving the introduction of BaCO 3 and B 2O 3-Li 2O for the preparation of dense BZY ceramics sintered at 1500°C. The resulting BZY samples showed a pure perovskite structure with a dramatic increase in the relative density to 91.5%. In addition, the shrinkage during sintering was improvedmore » to 19.3% by a TRAS method as compared to 2.6% by the conventional solid date reaction method. Moreover, the bulk conductivity was improved due to enhanced densification, while the grain boundary conductivity decreased due to the blocking behavior of the sintering aid resulting in a decrease in the total conductivity of the samples.« less

  18. Dark Photocatalysis: Storage of Solar Energy in Carbon Nitride for Time-Delayed Hydrogen Generation.

    PubMed

    Lau, Vincent Wing-Hei; Klose, Daniel; Kasap, Hatice; Podjaski, Filip; Pignié, Marie-Claire; Reisner, Erwin; Jeschke, Gunnar; Lotsch, Bettina V

    2017-01-09

    While natural photosynthesis serves as the model system for efficient charge separation and decoupling of redox reactions, bio-inspired artificial systems typically lack applicability owing to synthetic challenges and structural complexity. We present herein a simple and inexpensive system that, under solar irradiation, forms highly reductive radicals in the presence of an electron donor, with lifetimes exceeding the diurnal cycle. This radical species is formed within a cyanamide-functionalized polymeric network of heptazine units and can give off its trapped electrons in the dark to yield H 2 , triggered by a co-catalyst, thus enabling the temporal decoupling of the light and dark reactions of photocatalytic hydrogen production through the radical's longevity. The system introduced here thus demonstrates a new approach for storing sunlight as long-lived radicals, and provides the structural basis for designing photocatalysts with long-lived photo-induced states. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

  19. Synthesis and energy applications of mesoporous titania thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Islam, Syed Z.

    The optical and electronic properties of TiO2 thin films provide tremendous opportunities in several applications including photocatalysis, photovoltaics and photoconductors for energy production. Despite many attractive features of TiO2, critical challenges include the innate inability of TiO2 to absorb visible light and the fast recombination of photoexcited charge carriers. In this study, mesoporous TiO2 thin films are modified by doping using hydrogen and nitrogen, and sensitization using graphene quantum dot sensitization. For all of these modifiers, well-ordered mesoporous titania films were synthesized by surfactant templated sol-gel process. Two methods: hydrazine and plasma treatments have been developed for nitrogen and hydrogen doping in the mesoporous titania films for band gap reduction, visible light absorption and enhancement of photocatalytic activity. The hydrazine treatment in mesoporous titania thin films suggests that hydrazine induced doping is a promising approach to enable synergistic incorporation of N and Ti3+ into the lattice of surfactant-templated TiO2 films and enhanced visible light photoactivity, but that the benefits are limited by gradual mesostructure deterioration. The plasma treated nitrogen doped mesoporous titania showed about 240 times higher photoactivity compared to undoped film in hydrogen production from photoelectrochemical water splitting under visible light illumination. Plasma treated hydrogen doped mesoporous titania thin films has also been developed for enhancement of visible light absorption. Hydrogen treatment has been shown to turn titania (normally bright white) black, indicating vastly improved visible light absorption. The cause of the color change and its effectiveness for photocatalysis remain open questions. For the first time, we showed that a significant amount of hydrogen is incorporated in hydrogen plasma treated mesoporous titania films by neutron reflectometry measurements. In addition to the intrinsic modification of titania by doping, graphene quantum dot sensitization in mesoporous titania film was also investigated for visible light photocatalysis. Graphene quantum dot sensitization and nitrogen doping of ordered mesoporous titania films showed synergistic effect in water splitting due to high surface area, band gap reduction, enhanced visible light absorption, and efficient charge separation and transport. This study suggests that plasma based doping and graphene quantum dot sensitization are promising strategies to reduce band gap and enhance visible light absorption of high surface area surfactant templated mesoporous titania films, leading to superior visible-light driven photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. The results demonstrate the importance of designing and manipulating the energy band alignment in composite nanomaterials for fundamentally improving visible light absorption, charge separation and transport, and thereby photoelectrochemical properties.

  20. Hydrogen isotope separation

    DOEpatents

    Bartlit, John R.; Denton, William H.; Sherman, Robert H.

    1982-01-01

    A system of four cryogenic fractional distillation columns interlinked with two equilibrators for separating a DT and hydrogen feed stream into four product streams, consisting of a stream of high purity D.sub.2, DT, T.sub.2, and a tritium-free stream of HD for waste disposal.

  1. Sea water magnesium fuel cell power supply

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2015-08-01

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

  2. Ultrahigh-Resolution Differential Ion Mobility Separations of Conformers for Proteins above 10 kDa: Onset of Dipole Alignment?

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

    Shvartsburg, Alexandre A.

    2014-11-04

    Biomacromolecules tend to assume numerous structures in solution or the gas phase. It has been possible to resolve disparate conformational families but not unique geometries within each, and drastic peak broadening has been the bane of protein analyses by chromatography, electrophoresis, and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). The new differential IMS (FAIMS) approach using hydrogen-rich gases was recently found to separate conformers of a small protein ubiquitin with same peak width and resolving power up to ~400 as for peptides. Present work explores the reach of this approach for larger proteins, exemplified by cytochrome c and myoglobin. Resolution similar to thatmore » for ubiquitin was largely achieved with longer separations, while the onset of peak broadening and coalescence with shorter separations suggests the limitation of present technique to proteins under ~20 kDa. This capability may enable distinguishing whole proteins with differing residue sequences or localizations of posttranslational modifications. Small features at negative compensation voltages that markedly grow from cytochrome c to myoglobin indicate the dipole alignment of rare conformers in accord with theory, further supporting the concept of pendular macroions in FAIMS.« less

  3. Hydrogen isotope separation

    DOEpatents

    Bartlit, J.R.; Denton, W.H.; Sherman, R.H.

    Disclosed is a system of four cryogenic fractional distillation columns interlinked with two equilibrators for separating a DT and hydrogen feed stream into four product streams, consisting of a stream of high purity D/sub 2/, DT, T/sub 2/, and a tritium-free stream of HD for waste disposal.

  4. Separation of gaseous hydrogen from a water-hydrogen mixture in a fuel cell power system operating in a weightless environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Romanowski, William E. (Inventor); Suljak, George T. (Inventor)

    1989-01-01

    A fuel cell power system for use in a weightless environment, such as in space, includes a device for removing water from a water-hydrogen mixture condensed from the exhaust from the fuel cell power section of the system. Water is removed from the mixture in a centrifugal separator, and is fed into a holding, pressure operated water discharge valve via a Pitot tube. Entrained nondissolved hydrogen is removed from the Pitot tube by a bleed orifice in the Pitot tube before the water reaches the water discharge valve. Water discharged from the valve thus has a substantially reduced hydrogen content.

  5. The evaluation of layered separators for nickel-hydrogen cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gahn, Randall F.

    1991-01-01

    The concept of using layered separators to achieve the required electrolyte retention and bubble pressure fo nickel-hydrogen cells was evaluated in a boilerplate cell test. Zircar cloth, polyethylene paper and polypropylene felt were combined with a layer of radiation-grafted polyethylene film to achieve the required properties. Three cells of each layered separator were built and tested by characterization cycling and by low earth orbit cycling for 5000 cycles at 80 percent DOD. Three cells containing asbestos separators were used as the reference.

  6. Clean energy and the hydrogen economy.

    PubMed

    Brandon, N P; Kurban, Z

    2017-07-28

    In recent years, new-found interest in the hydrogen economy from both industry and academia has helped to shed light on its potential. Hydrogen can enable an energy revolution by providing much needed flexibility in renewable energy systems. As a clean energy carrier, hydrogen offers a range of benefits for simultaneously decarbonizing the transport, residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Hydrogen is shown here to have synergies with other low-carbon alternatives, and can enable a more cost-effective transition to de-carbonized and cleaner energy systems. This paper presents the opportunities for the use of hydrogen in key sectors of the economy and identifies the benefits and challenges within the hydrogen supply chain for power-to-gas, power-to-power and gas-to-gas supply pathways. While industry players have already started the market introduction of hydrogen fuel cell systems, including fuel cell electric vehicles and micro-combined heat and power devices, the use of hydrogen at grid scale requires the challenges of clean hydrogen production, bulk storage and distribution to be resolved. Ultimately, greater government support, in partnership with industry and academia, is still needed to realize hydrogen's potential across all economic sectors.This article is part of the themed issue 'The challenges of hydrogen and metals'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  7. Convergent beam electron-diffraction investigation of lattice mismatch and static disorder in GaAs/GaAs1-xNx intercalated GaAs/GaAs1-xNx:H heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frabboni, S.; Grillo, V.; Gazzadi, G. C.; Balboni, R.; Trotta, R.; Polimeni, A.; Capizzi, M.; Martelli, F.; Rubini, S.; Guzzinati, G.; Glas, F.

    2012-09-01

    Hydrogen incorporation in diluted nitride semiconductors dramatically modifies the electronic and structural properties of the crystal through the creation of nitrogen-hydrogen complexes. We report a convergent beam electron-diffraction characterization of diluted nitride semiconductor-heterostructures patterned at a sub-micron scale and selectively exposed to hydrogen. We present a method to determine separately perpendicular mismatch and static disorder in pristine and hydrogenated heterostructures. The roles of chemical composition and strain on static disorder have been separately assessed.

  8. High-rate/high-temperature capability of a single-layer zicar-separator nickel-hydrogen cell

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wheeler, James R.

    1995-01-01

    A 50 Ampere-hour nickel-hydrogen cell with a single-layer Zircar separator stack design was fully charged and then discharged at a 2C current rate to an end voltage of 1 volt. This extreme test resulted in high temperatures which were recorded at three locations on the cell, i.e., the cell wall, the boss (barrel of the compression seal), and a terminal. The results provide new information about the high-temperature and high-discharge-rate capabilities of nickel-hydrogen cells. This information also adds to the growing data base for single-layer zirconium-oxide-cloth (Zircar) separator cell designs.

  9. Use of a polystyrene-divinylbenzene-based weakly acidic cation-exchange resin column and propionic acid as an eluent in ion-exclusion/adsorption chromatography of aliphatic carboxylic acids and ethanol in food samples.

    PubMed

    Mori, Masanobu; Hironaga, Takahiro; Kajiwara, Hiroe; Nakatani, Nobutake; Kozaki, Daisuke; Itabashi, Hideyuki; Tanaka, Kazuhiko

    2011-01-01

    We developed an ion-exclusion/adsorption chromatography (IEAC) method employing a polystyrene-divinylbenzene-based weakly acidic cation-exchange resin (PS-WCX) column with propionic acid as the eluent for the simultaneous determination of multivalent aliphatic carboxylic acids and ethanol in food samples. The PS-WCX column well resolved mono-, di-, and trivalent carboxylic acids in the acidic eluent. Propionic acid as the eluent gave a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and enabled sensitive conductimetric detection of analyte acids. We found the optimal separation condition to be the combination of a PS-WCX column and 20-mM propionic acid. Practical applicability of the developed method was confirmed by using a short precolumn with a strongly acidic cation-exchange resin in the H(+)-form connected before the separation column; this was to remove cations from food samples by converting them to hydrogen ions. Consequently, common carboxylic acids and ethanol in beer, wine, and soy sauce were successfully separated by the developed method.

  10. Polar Aprotic Modifiers for Chromatographic Separation and Back-Exchange Reduction for Protein Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Monitored by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valeja, Santosh G.; Emmett, Mark R.; Marshall, Alan G.

    2012-04-01

    Hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by mass spectrometry is an important non-perturbing tool to study protein structure and protein-protein interactions. However, water in the reversed-phase liquid chromatography mobile phase leads to back-exchange of D for H during chromatographic separation of proteolytic peptides following H/D exchange, resulting in incorrect identification of fast-exchanging hydrogens as unexchanged hydrogens. Previously, fast high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography have been shown to decrease back-exchange. Here, we show that replacement of up to 40% of the water in the LC mobile phase by the modifiers, dimethylformamide (DMF) and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) (i.e., polar organic modifiers that lack rapid exchanging hydrogens), significantly reduces back-exchange. On-line LC micro-ESI FT-ICR MS resolves overlapped proteolytic peptide isotopic distributions, allowing for quantitative determination of the extent of back-exchange. The DMF modified solvent composition also improves chromatographic separation while reducing back-exchange relative to conventional solvent.

  11. METHOD OF SEPARATING HYDROGEN ISOTOPES

    DOEpatents

    Salmon, O.N.

    1958-12-01

    The process of separating a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and tritium by contacting finely dlvided palladium with the mixture in order to adsorb the gases, then gradually heating the palladium and collecting the evolved fractlons, is described. The fraction first given off is richer in trltium than later fractions.

  12. Using permeable membranes to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sanders, A. P.; Williams, R. J.; Downs, W. R.; Mcbryar, H.

    1975-01-01

    Concept may make it profitable to obtain hydrogen fuel from water. Laboratory tests have demonstrated that method enables decomposition of water several orders of magnitude beyond equilibrium state where only small amounts of free hydrogen are present.

  13. Apparatus for separating and recovering hydrogen isotopes

    DOEpatents

    Heung, Leung K.

    1994-01-01

    An apparatus for recovering hydrogen and separating its isotopes. The apparatus includes a housing bearing at least a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A baffle is disposed within the housing, attached thereto by a bracket. A hollow conduit is coiled about the baffle, in spaced relation to the baffle and the housing. The coiled conduit is at least partially filled with a hydride. The hydride can be heated to a high temperature and cooled to a low temperature quickly by circulating a heat transfer fluid in the housing. The spacing between the baffle and the housing maximizes the heat exchange rate between the fluid in the housing and the hydride in the conduit. The apparatus can be used to recover hydrogen isotopes (protium, deuterium and tritium) from gaseous mixtures, or to separate hydrogen isotopes from each other.

  14. Spectroscopic neutron radiography for a cargo scanning system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahon, Jill; Danagoulian, Areg; MacDonald, Thomas D.; Hartwig, Zachary S.; Lanza, Richard C.

    2016-06-01

    Detection of cross-border smuggling of illicit materials and contraband is a challenge that requires rapid, low-dose, and efficient radiographic technology. The work we describe here is derived from a technique which uses monoenergetic gamma rays from low energy nuclear reactions, such as 11B(d,nγ)12C, to perform radiographic analysis of shipping containers. Transmission ratios of multiple monoenergetic gamma lines resulting from several gamma producing nuclear reactions can be employed to detect materials of high atomic number (Z), the details of which will be described in a separate paper. Inherent in this particular nuclear reaction is the production of fast neutrons which could enable neutron radiography and further characterization of the effective-Z of the cargo, especially within the range of lower Z. Previous research efforts focused on the use of total neutron counts in combination with X-ray radiography to characterize the hydrogenous content of the cargo. We present a technique of performing transmitted neutron spectral analysis to reconstruct the effective Z and potentially the density of the cargo. This is made possible by the large differences in the energy dependence of neutron scattering cross-sections between hydrogenous materials and those of higher Z. These dependencies result in harder transmission spectra for hydrogenous cargoes than those of non-hydrogenous cargoes. Such observed differences can then be used to classify the cargo based on its hydrogenous content. The studies presented in this paper demonstrate that such techniques are feasible and can provide a contribution to cargo security, especially when used in concert with gamma radiography.

  15. Analysis of hydrogen isotope mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Villa-Aleman, Eliel

    1994-01-01

    An apparatus and method for determining the concentrations of hydrogen isotopes in a sample. Hydrogen in the sample is separated from other elements using a filter selectively permeable to hydrogen. Then the hydrogen is condensed onto a cold finger or cryopump. The cold finger is rotated as pulsed laser energy vaporizes a portion of the condensed hydrogen, forming a packet of molecular hydrogen. The desorbed hydrogen is ionized and admitted into a mass spectrometer for analysis.

  16. Integrated hybrid polystyrene-polydimethylsiloxane device for monitoring cellular release with microchip electrophoresis and electrochemical detection

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Alicia S.; Mehl, Benjamin T.; Martin, R. Scott

    2015-01-01

    In this work, a polystyrene (PS)-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) hybrid device was developed to enable the integration of cell culture with analysis by microchip electrophoresis and electrochemical detection. It is shown that this approach combines the fundamental advantages of PDMS devices (the ability to integrate pumps and valves) and PS devices (the ability to permanently embed fluidic tubing and electrodes). The embedded fused-silica capillary enables high temporal resolution measurements from off-chip cell culture dishes and the embedded electrodes provide close to real-time analysis of small molecule neurotransmitters. A novel surface treatment for improved (reversible) adhesion between PS and PDMS is described using a chlorotrimethylsilane stamping method. It is demonstrated that a Pd decoupler is efficient at handling the high current (and cathodic hydrogen production) resulting from use of high ionic strength buffers needed for cellular analysis; thus allowing an electrophoretic separation and in-channel detection. The separation of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) in highly conductive biological buffers was optimized using a mixed surfactant system. This PS-PDMS hybrid device integrates multiple processes including continuous sampling from a cell culture dish, on-chip pump and valving technologies, microchip electrophoresis, and electrochemical detection to monitor neurotransmitter release from PC 12 cells. PMID:25663849

  17. Density-based Energy Decomposition Analysis for Intermolecular Interactions with Variationally Determined Intermediate State Energies

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

    Wu, Q.; Ayers, P.W.; Zhang, Y.

    2009-10-28

    The first purely density-based energy decomposition analysis (EDA) for intermolecular binding is developed within the density functional theory. The most important feature of this scheme is to variationally determine the frozen density energy, based on a constrained search formalism and implemented with the Wu-Yang algorithm [Q. Wu and W. Yang, J. Chem. Phys. 118, 2498 (2003) ]. This variational process dispenses with the Heitler-London antisymmetrization of wave functions used in most previous methods and calculates the electrostatic and Pauli repulsion energies together without any distortion of the frozen density, an important fact that enables a clean separation of these twomore » terms from the relaxation (i.e., polarization and charge transfer) terms. The new EDA also employs the constrained density functional theory approach [Q. Wu and T. Van Voorhis, Phys. Rev. A 72, 24502 (2005)] to separate out charge transfer effects. Because the charge transfer energy is based on the density flow in real space, it has a small basis set dependence. Applications of this decomposition to hydrogen bonding in the water dimer and the formamide dimer show that the frozen density energy dominates the binding in these systems, consistent with the noncovalent nature of the interactions. A more detailed examination reveals how the interplay of electrostatics and the Pauli repulsion determines the distance and angular dependence of these hydrogen bonds.« less

  18. Hydrogen Separation by Natural Zeolite Composite Membranes: Single and Multicomponent Gas Transport.

    PubMed

    Farjoo, Afrooz; Kuznicki, Steve M; Sadrzadeh, Mohtada

    2017-10-06

    Single and multicomponent gas permeation tests were used to evaluate the performance of metal-supported clinoptilolite membranes. The efficiency of hydrogen separation from lower hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, and ethylene) was studied within the temperature and pressure ranges of 25-600 °C and 110-160 kPa, respectively. The hydrogen separation factor was found to reduce noticeably in the gas mixture compared with single gas experiments at 25 °C. The difference between the single and multicomponent gas results decreased as the temperature increased to higher than 300 °C, which is when the competitive adsorption-diffusion mechanism was replaced by Knudsen diffusion or activated diffusion mechanisms. To evaluate the effect of gas adsorption, the zeolite surface isotherms of each gas in the mixture were obtained from 25 °C to 600 °C. The results indicated negligible adsorption of individual gases at temperatures higher than 300 °C. Increasing the feed pressure resulted in a higher separation efficiency for the individual gases compared with the multicomponent mixture, due to the governing effect of the adsorptive mechanism. This study provides valuable insight into the application of natural zeolites for the separation of hydrogen from a mixture of hydrocarbons.

  19. Hydrogen Separation by Natural Zeolite Composite Membranes: Single and Multicomponent Gas Transport

    PubMed Central

    Farjoo, Afrooz; Kuznicki, Steve M.

    2017-01-01

    Single and multicomponent gas permeation tests were used to evaluate the performance of metal-supported clinoptilolite membranes. The efficiency of hydrogen separation from lower hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, and ethylene) was studied within the temperature and pressure ranges of 25–600 °C and 110–160 kPa, respectively. The hydrogen separation factor was found to reduce noticeably in the gas mixture compared with single gas experiments at 25 °C. The difference between the single and multicomponent gas results decreased as the temperature increased to higher than 300 °C, which is when the competitive adsorption–diffusion mechanism was replaced by Knudsen diffusion or activated diffusion mechanisms. To evaluate the effect of gas adsorption, the zeolite surface isotherms of each gas in the mixture were obtained from 25 °C to 600 °C. The results indicated negligible adsorption of individual gases at temperatures higher than 300 °C. Increasing the feed pressure resulted in a higher separation efficiency for the individual gases compared with the multicomponent mixture, due to the governing effect of the adsorptive mechanism. This study provides valuable insight into the application of natural zeolites for the separation of hydrogen from a mixture of hydrocarbons. PMID:28984833

  20. Process for recovering evolved hydrogen enriched with at least one heavy hydrogen isotope

    DOEpatents

    Tanaka, John; Reilly, Jr., James J.

    1978-01-01

    This invention relates to a separation means and method for enriching a hydrogen atmosphere with at least one heavy hydrogen isotope by using a solid titaniun alloy hydride. To this end, the titanium alloy hydride containing at least one metal selected from the group consisting of vanadium, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, iron, cobalt and nickel is contacted with a circulating gaseous flow of hydrogen containing at least one heavy hydrogen isotope at a temperature in the range of -20.degree. to +40.degree. C and at a pressure above the dissociation pressure of the hydrided alloy selectively to concentrate at least one of the isotopes of hydrogen in the hydrided metal alloy. The contacting is continued until equilibrium is reached, and then the gaseous flow is isolated while the temperature and pressure of the enriched hydride remain undisturbed selectively to isolate the hydride. Thereafter, the enriched hydrogen is selectively recovered in accordance with the separation factor (S.F.) of the alloy hydride employed.

  1. Use of once-through treat gas to remove the heat of reaction in solvent hydrogenation processes

    DOEpatents

    Nizamoff, Alan J.

    1980-01-01

    In a coal liquefaction process wherein feed coal is contacted with molecular hydrogen and a hydrogen-donor solvent in a liquefaction zone to form coal liquids and vapors and coal liquids in the solvent boiling range are thereafter hydrogenated to produce recycle solvent and liquid products, the improvement which comprises separating the effluent from the liquefaction zone into a hot vapor stream and a liquid stream; cooling the entire hot vapor stream sufficiently to condense vaporized liquid hydrocarbons; separating condensed liquid hydrocarbons from the cooled vapor; fractionating the liquid stream to produce coal liquids in the solvent boiling range; dividing the cooled vapor into at least two streams; passing the cooling vapors from one of the streams, the coal liquids in the solvent boiling range, and makeup hydrogen to a solvent hydrogenation zone, catalytically hydrogenating the coal liquids in the solvent boiling range and quenching the hydrogenation zone with cooled vapors from the other cooled vapor stream.

  2. Computer simulations of adsorption and diffusion for binary mixtures of methane and hydrogen in titanosilicates.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Martha C; Gallo, Marco; Nenoff, Tina M

    2004-07-22

    Equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of equimolar mixtures of hydrogen and methane were performed in three different titanosilicates: naturally occurring zorite and two synthetic titanosilicates, ETS-4 and ETS-10. In addition, single-component MD simulations and adsorption isotherms generated using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations were performed to support the mixture simulations. The goal of this study was to determine the best membrane material to carry out hydrogen/methane separations. ETS-10 has a three-dimensional pore network. ETS-4 and zorite have two-dimensional pore networks. The simulations carried out in this study show that the increased porosity of ETS-10 results in self-diffusion coefficients for both hydrogen and methane that are higher in ETS-10 than in either ETS-4 or zorite. Methane only showed appreciable displacement in ETS-10. The ability of the methane molecules to move in all three directions in ETS-10 was demonstrated by the high degree of isotropy shown in the values of the x, y, and z components of the self-diffusion coefficient for methane in ETS-10. From our simulations we conclude that ETS-10 would be better suited for fast industrial separations of hydrogen and methane. However, the separation would not result in a pure hydrogen stream. In contrast, ETS-4 and zorite would act as true molecular sieves for separations of hydrogen and methane, as the methane would not move through membranes made of these materials. This was indicated by the near-zero self-diffusion coefficient of methane in ETS-4 and zorite.

  3. Computer simulations of adsorption and diffusion for binary mixtures of methane and hydrogen in titanosilicates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, Martha C.; Gallo, Marco; Nenoff, Tina M.

    2004-07-01

    Equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of equimolar mixtures of hydrogen and methane were performed in three different titanosilicates: naturally occurring zorite and two synthetic titanosilicates, ETS-4 and ETS-10. In addition, single-component MD simulations and adsorption isotherms generated using grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations were performed to support the mixture simulations. The goal of this study was to determine the best membrane material to carry out hydrogen/methane separations. ETS-10 has a three-dimensional pore network. ETS-4 and zorite have two-dimensional pore networks. The simulations carried out in this study show that the increased porosity of ETS-10 results in self-diffusion coefficients for both hydrogen and methane that are higher in ETS-10 than in either ETS-4 or zorite. Methane only showed appreciable displacement in ETS-10. The ability of the methane molecules to move in all three directions in ETS-10 was demonstrated by the high degree of isotropy shown in the values of the x, y, and z components of the self-diffusion coefficient for methane in ETS-10. From our simulations we conclude that ETS-10 would be better suited for fast industrial separations of hydrogen and methane. However, the separation would not result in a pure hydrogen stream. In contrast, ETS-4 and zorite would act as true molecular sieves for separations of hydrogen and methane, as the methane would not move through membranes made of these materials. This was indicated by the near-zero self-diffusion coefficient of methane in ETS-4 and zorite.

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

    Mays, Jeff

    One-step hydrogen generation, using Sorption Enhanced Reforming (SER) technology, is an innovative means of providing critical energy and environmental improvements to US manufacturing processes. The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is developing a Compact Hydrogen Generator (CHG) process, based on SER technology, which successfully integrates previously independent process steps, achieves superior energy efficiency by lowering reaction temperatures, and provides pathways to doubling energy productivity with less environmental pollution. GTI’s prior CHG process development efforts have culminated in an operational pilot plant. During the initial pilot testing, GTI identified two operating risks- 1) catalyst coating with calcium aluminate compounds, 2) limited solidsmore » handling of the sorbent. Under this contract GTI evaluated alternative materials (one catalyst and two sorbents) to mitigate both risks. The alternate catalyst met performance targets and did not experience coating with calcium aluminate compounds of any kind. The alternate sorbent materials demonstrated viable operation, with one material enabling a three-fold increase in sorbent flow. The testing also demonstrated operation at 90% of its rated capacity. Lastly, a carbon dioxide co-production study was performed to assess the advantage of the solid phase separation of carbon dioxide- inherent in the CHG process. Approximately 70% lower capital cost is achievable compared to SMR-based hydrogen production with CO2 capture, as well as improved operating costs.« less

  5. Hydrogenation-assisted graphene origami and its application in programmable molecular mass uptake, storage, and release.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Shuze; Li, Teng

    2014-03-25

    The malleable nature of atomically thin graphene makes it a potential candidate material for nanoscale origami, a promising bottom-up nanomanufacturing approach to fabricating nanobuilding blocks of desirable shapes. The success of graphene origami hinges upon precise and facile control of graphene morphology, which still remains as a significant challenge. Inspired by recent progresses on functionalization and patterning of graphene, we demonstrate hydrogenation-assisted graphene origami (HAGO), a feasible and robust approach to enabling the formation of unconventional carbon nanostructures, through systematic molecular dynamics simulations. A unique and desirable feature of HAGO-enabled nanostructures is the programmable tunability of their morphology via an external electric field. In particular, we demonstrate reversible opening and closing of a HAGO-enabled graphene nanocage, a mechanism that is crucial to achieve molecular mass uptake, storage, and release. HAGO holds promise to enable an array of carbon nanostructures of desirable functionalities by design. As an example, we demonstrate HAGO-enabled high-density hydrogen storage with a weighted percentage exceeding the ultimate goal of US Department of Energy.

  6. Bridged transition-metal complexes and uses thereof for hydrogen separation, storage and hydrogenation

    DOEpatents

    Lilga, Michael A.; Hallen, Richard T.

    1990-01-01

    The present invention constitutes a class of organometallic complexes which reversibly react with hydrogen to form dihydrides and processes by which these compounds can be utilized. The class includes bimetallic complexes in which two cyclopentadienyl rings are bridged together and also separately .pi.-bonded to two transition metal atoms. The transition metals are believed to bond with the hydrogen in forming the dihydride. Transition metals such as Fe, Mn or Co may be employed in the complexes although Cr constitutes the preferred metal. A multiple number of ancilliary ligands such as CO are bonded to the metal atoms in the complexes. Alkyl groups and the like may be substituted on the cyclopentadienyl rings. These organometallic compounds may be used in absorption/desorption systems and in facilitated transport membrane systems for storing and separating out H.sub.2 from mixed gas streams such as the produce gas from coal gasification processes.

  7. Bridged transition-metal complexes and uses thereof for hydrogen separation, storage and hydrogenation

    DOEpatents

    Lilga, M.A.; Hallen, R.T.

    1991-10-15

    The present invention constitutes a class of organometallic complexes which reversibly react with hydrogen to form dihydrides and processes by which these compounds can be utilized. The class includes bimetallic complexes in which two cyclopentadienyl rings are bridged together and also separately [pi]-bonded to two transition metal atoms. The transition metals are believed to bond with the hydrogen in forming the dihydride. Transition metals such as Fe, Mn or Co may be employed in the complexes although Cr constitutes the preferred metal. A multiple number of ancillary ligands such as CO are bonded to the metal atoms in the complexes. Alkyl groups and the like may be substituted on the cyclopentadienyl rings. These organometallic compounds may be used in absorption/desorption systems and in facilitated transport membrane systems for storing and separating out H[sub 2] from mixed gas streams such as the product gas from coal gasification processes. 3 figures.

  8. Bridged transition-metal complexes and uses thereof for hydrogen separation, storage and hydrogenation

    DOEpatents

    Lilga, M.A.; Hallen, R.T.

    1990-08-28

    The present invention constitutes a class of organometallic complexes which reversibly react with hydrogen to form dihydrides and processes by which these compounds can be utilized. The class includes bimetallic complexes in which two cyclopentadienyl rings are bridged together and also separately [pi]-bonded to two transition metal atoms. The transition metals are believed to bond with the hydrogen in forming the dihydride. Transition metals such as Fe, Mn or Co may be employed in the complexes although Cr constitutes the preferred metal. A multiple number of ancillary ligands such as CO are bonded to the metal atoms in the complexes. Alkyl groups and the like may be substituted on the cyclopentadienyl rings. These organometallic compounds may be used in absorption/desorption systems and in facilitated transport membrane systems for storing and separating out H[sub 2] from mixed gas streams such as the producer gas from coal gasification processes. 3 figs.

  9. Bridged transition-metal complexes and uses thereof for hydrogen separation, storage and hydrogenation

    DOEpatents

    Lilga, Michael A.; Hallen, Richard T.

    1991-01-01

    The present invention constitutes a class of organometallic complexes which reversibly react with hydrogen to form dihydrides and processes by which these compounds can be utilized. The class includes bimetallic complexes in which two cyclopentadienyl rings are bridged together and also separately .pi.-bonded to two transition metal atoms. The transition metals are believed to bond with the hydrogen in forming the dihydride. Transition metals such as Fe, Mn or Co may be employed in the complexes although Cr constitutes the preferred metal. A multiple number of ancilliary ligands such as CO are bonded to the metal atoms in the complexes. Alkyl groups and the like may be substituted on the cyclopentadienyl rings. These organometallic compounds may be used in absorption/desorption systems and in facilitated transport membrane systems for storing and separating out H.sub.2 from mixed gas streams such as the product gas from coal gasification processes.

  10. Photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from water

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bottoms, W. R.; Miles, R. B.

    1976-01-01

    A concept designed to overcome the problems encountered when using photodissociation for the generation of hydrogen is discussed. The problems limiting the efficiency of photodissociation of water are the separation of the photolysis products and the high energy photons necessary for the reaction. It is shown that the dissociation energy of a large number of molecules is catalytically reduced when these molecules are in intimate contact with the surface of certain metals. It is proposed to develop a surface which will take advantage of this catalytic shift in dissociation energies to reduce the photon energy required to produce hydrogen. This same catalytic surface can be used to separate the reaction products if it is made so that one of the dissociations products is soluble in the metal and others are not. This condition is met by many metal systems such as platinum group metals which have been used commercially to separate hydrogen from other gases and liquids.

  11. SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION OF HYDROGEN FROM MIXED GAS STREAMS USING HOLLOW GLASS MICROSPHERES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Due to this study, HGMS have been shown to be a viable means of separating hydrogen from various mixed gases.5 Mass transport through the glass walls of the microspheres is determined through the use of Boyle’s Law:

     

  12. Coal liquefaction process

    DOEpatents

    Karr, Jr., Clarence

    1977-04-19

    An improved coal liquefaction process is provided which enables conversion of a coal-oil slurry to a synthetic crude refinable to produce larger yields of gasoline and diesel oil. The process is characterized by a two-step operation applied to the slurry prior to catalytic desulfurization and hydrogenation in which the slurry undergoes partial hydrogenation to crack and hydrogenate asphaltenes and the partially hydrogenated slurry is filtered to remove minerals prior to subsequent catalytic hydrogenation.

  13. Hydrogen and water reactor safety: proceedings

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

    Not Available

    1982-01-01

    Separate abstracts were prepared for papers presented in the following areas of interest: 1) hydrogen research programs; 2) hydrogen behavior during light water reactor accidents; 3) combustible gas generation; 4) hydrogen transport and mixing; 5) combustion modeling and experiments; 6) accelerated flames and detonations; 7) combustion mitigation and control; and 8) equipment survivability.

  14. Mixed ionic and electronic conducting membranes for hydrogen generation and separation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Hengdong

    Dense mixed ionic and electronic conducting (MIEC) membranes are receiving increasing attention due to their potential for application as gas separation membranes to separate oxygen from air. The objective of this work is to study a novel, chemically-assisted separation process that utilizes oxygen-ion and electron-conducting MIECs for generating and separating hydrogen from steam. This research aims at exploring new routes and materials for high-purity hydrogen production for use in fuel cells and hydrogen-based internal combustion (IC) engines. In this approach, hydrocarbon fuel such as methane is fed to one side of the membrane, while steam is fed to the other side. The MIEC membrane separation process involves steam dissociation and oxidation of the fuel. The oxygen ions formed as a result of steam dissociation are transported across the membrane in a coupled transport process with electrons being transported in the opposite direction. Upon reaching the fuel side of the membrane, the oxygen ions oxidize the hydrocarbon. This process results in hydrogen production on the steam side of the membrane. The oxygen partial pressure gradient across the membrane is the driving force for this process. In this work, a novel, dual-phase composite MIEC membrane system comprising of rare-earth doped ceria with high oxygen ion conductivity and donor-doped strontium titanate with high electronic conductivity were investigated. The chemical diffusion coefficient and surface exchange coefficient have been measured using the electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR) technique. These two parameters control the rate of oxygen permeation across the membrane. The permeation data have been fit with a kinetic model that incorporates oxygen surface exchange on two sides of the membrane and bulk transport of oxygen through the membrane. This material has higher bulk diffusion coefficient and surface exchange reaction rate compared to other known MIEC conductors under the process conditions of interest. Over 10 mumol·cm-2·s-1 (micromoles per square cm per second) of area specific hydrogen flux has been achieved employing a membrane of this material with thickness of 0.2 mm. This flux is several orders of magnitude higher than the hydrogen generation rates reported using other MIEC materials under similar operating conditions.

  15. Benzene selectivity in competitive arene hydrogenation: effects of single-site catalyst···acidic oxide surface binding geometry.

    PubMed

    Gu, Weixing; Stalzer, Madelyn Marie; Nicholas, Christopher P; Bhattacharyya, Alak; Motta, Alessandro; Gallagher, James R; Zhang, Guanghui; Miller, Jeffrey T; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Pruski, Marek; Delferro, Massimiliano; Marks, Tobin J

    2015-06-03

    Organozirconium complexes are chemisorbed on Brønsted acidic sulfated ZrO2 (ZrS), sulfated Al2O3 (AlS), and ZrO2-WO3 (ZrW). Under mild conditions (25 °C, 1 atm H2), the supported Cp*ZrMe3, Cp*ZrBz3, and Cp*ZrPh3 catalysts are very active for benzene hydrogenation with activities declining with decreasing acidity, ZrS ≫ AlS ≈ ZrW, arguing that more Brønsted acidic oxides (those having weaker corresponding conjugate bases) yield stronger surface organometallic electrophiles and for this reason have higher benzene hydrogenation activity. Benzene selective hydrogenation, a potential approach for carcinogenic benzene removal from gasoline, is probed using benzene/toluene mixtures, and selectivities for benzene hydrogenation vary with catalyst as ZrBz3(+)/ZrS(-), 83% > Cp*ZrMe2(+)/ZrS(-), 80% > Cp*ZrBz2(+)/ZrS(-), 67% > Cp*ZrPh2(+)/ZrS(-), 57%. For Cp*ZrBz2(+)/ZrS(-), which displays the highest benzene hydrogenation activity with moderate selectivity in benzene/toluene mixtures. Other benzene/arene mixtures are examined, and benzene selectivities vary with arene as mesitylene, 99%, > ethylbenzene, 86% > toluene, 67%. Structural and computational studies by solid-state NMR spectroscopy, XAS, and periodic DFT methods applied to supported Cp*ZrMe3 and Cp*ZrBz3 indicate that larger Zr···surface distances are present in more sterically encumbered Cp*ZrBz2(+)/AlS(-) vs Cp*ZrMe2(+)/AlS(-). The combined XAS, solid state NMR, and DFT data argue that the bulky catalyst benzyl groups expand the "cationic" metal center-anionic sulfated oxide surface distances, and this separation/weakened ion-pairing enables the activation/insertion of more sterically encumbered arenes and influences hydrogenation rates and selectivity patterns.

  16. Benzene selectivity in competitive arene hydrogenation: Effects of single-site catalyst···acidic oxide surface binding geometry

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

    Gu, Weixing; Stalzer, Madelyn Marie; Nicholas, Christopher P.

    Organozirconium complexes are chemisorbed on Brønsted acidic sulfated ZrO 2 (ZrS), sulfated Al 2O 3 (AlS), and ZrO 2–WO 3 (ZrW). Under mild conditions (25 °C, 1 atm H 2), the supported Cp*ZrMe 3, Cp*ZrBz 3, and Cp*ZrPh 3 catalysts are very active for benzene hydrogenation with activities declining with decreasing acidity, ZrS >> AlS ≈ ZrW, arguing that more Brønsted acidic oxides (those having weaker corresponding conjugate bases) yield stronger surface organometallic electrophiles and for this reason have higher benzene hydrogenation activity. Benzene selective hydrogenation, a potential approach for carcinogenic benzene removal from gasoline, is probed using benzene/toluene mixtures,more » and selectivities for benzene hydrogenation vary with catalyst as ZrBz 3 +/ZrS –, 83% > Cp*ZrMe 2 +/ZrS –, 80% > Cp*ZrBz 2 +/ZrS –, 67% > Cp*ZrPh 2 +/ZrS –, 57%. For Cp*ZrBz 2+/ZrS –, which displays the highest benzene hydrogenation activity with moderate selectivity in benzene/toluene mixtures. Other benzene/arene mixtures are examined, and benzene selectivities vary with arene as mesitylene, 99%, > ethylbenzene, 86% > toluene, 67%. Structural and computational studies by solid-state NMR spectroscopy, XAS, and periodic DFT methods applied to supported Cp*ZrMe 3 and Cp*ZrBz 3 indicate that larger Zr···surface distances are present in more sterically encumbered Cp*ZrBz 2 +/AlS – vs Cp*ZrMe 2 +/AlS –. Furthermore, the combined XAS, solid state NMR, and DFT data argue that the bulky catalyst benzyl groups expand the “cationic” metal center–anionic sulfated oxide surface distances, and this separation/weakened ion-pairing enables the activation/insertion of more sterically encumbered arenes and influences hydrogenation rates and selectivity patterns.« less

  17. Benzene selectivity in competitive arene hydrogenation: Effects of single-site catalyst···acidic oxide surface binding geometry

    DOE PAGES

    Gu, Weixing; Stalzer, Madelyn Marie; Nicholas, Christopher P.; ...

    2015-04-17

    Organozirconium complexes are chemisorbed on Brønsted acidic sulfated ZrO 2 (ZrS), sulfated Al 2O 3 (AlS), and ZrO 2–WO 3 (ZrW). Under mild conditions (25 °C, 1 atm H 2), the supported Cp*ZrMe 3, Cp*ZrBz 3, and Cp*ZrPh 3 catalysts are very active for benzene hydrogenation with activities declining with decreasing acidity, ZrS >> AlS ≈ ZrW, arguing that more Brønsted acidic oxides (those having weaker corresponding conjugate bases) yield stronger surface organometallic electrophiles and for this reason have higher benzene hydrogenation activity. Benzene selective hydrogenation, a potential approach for carcinogenic benzene removal from gasoline, is probed using benzene/toluene mixtures,more » and selectivities for benzene hydrogenation vary with catalyst as ZrBz 3 +/ZrS –, 83% > Cp*ZrMe 2 +/ZrS –, 80% > Cp*ZrBz 2 +/ZrS –, 67% > Cp*ZrPh 2 +/ZrS –, 57%. For Cp*ZrBz 2+/ZrS –, which displays the highest benzene hydrogenation activity with moderate selectivity in benzene/toluene mixtures. Other benzene/arene mixtures are examined, and benzene selectivities vary with arene as mesitylene, 99%, > ethylbenzene, 86% > toluene, 67%. Structural and computational studies by solid-state NMR spectroscopy, XAS, and periodic DFT methods applied to supported Cp*ZrMe 3 and Cp*ZrBz 3 indicate that larger Zr···surface distances are present in more sterically encumbered Cp*ZrBz 2 +/AlS – vs Cp*ZrMe 2 +/AlS –. Furthermore, the combined XAS, solid state NMR, and DFT data argue that the bulky catalyst benzyl groups expand the “cationic” metal center–anionic sulfated oxide surface distances, and this separation/weakened ion-pairing enables the activation/insertion of more sterically encumbered arenes and influences hydrogenation rates and selectivity patterns.« less

  18. Separation of polar gases from nonpolar gases

    DOEpatents

    Kulprathipanja, Santi; Kulkarni, Sudhir S.

    1986-01-01

    Polar gases such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and ammonia may be separated from nonpolar gases such as methane, nitrogen, hydrogen or carbon dioxide by passing a mixture of polar and nonpolar gases over the face of a multicomponent membrane at separation conditions. The multicomponent membrane which is used to effect the separation will comprise a mixture of a glycol plasticizer having a molecular weight of from about 200 to about 600 and an organic polymer cast on a porous support. The use of such membranes as exemplified by polyethylene glycol and silicon rubber composited on polysulfone will permit greater selectivity accompanied by a high flux rate in the separation process.

  19. Separation of polar gases from nonpolar gases

    DOEpatents

    Kulprathipanja, S.; Kulkarni, S.S.

    1986-08-26

    Polar gases such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and ammonia may be separated from nonpolar gases such as methane, nitrogen, hydrogen or carbon dioxide by passing a mixture of polar and nonpolar gases over the face of a multicomponent membrane at separation conditions. The multicomponent membrane which is used to effect the separation will comprise a mixture of a glycol plasticizer having a molecular weight of from about 200 to about 600 and an organic polymer cast on a porous support. The use of such membranes as exemplified by polyethylene glycol and silicon rubber composited on polysulfone will permit greater selectivity accompanied by a high flux rate in the separation process.

  20. GROMACS 4:  Algorithms for Highly Efficient, Load-Balanced, and Scalable Molecular Simulation.

    PubMed

    Hess, Berk; Kutzner, Carsten; van der Spoel, David; Lindahl, Erik

    2008-03-01

    Molecular simulation is an extremely useful, but computationally very expensive tool for studies of chemical and biomolecular systems. Here, we present a new implementation of our molecular simulation toolkit GROMACS which now both achieves extremely high performance on single processors from algorithmic optimizations and hand-coded routines and simultaneously scales very well on parallel machines. The code encompasses a minimal-communication domain decomposition algorithm, full dynamic load balancing, a state-of-the-art parallel constraint solver, and efficient virtual site algorithms that allow removal of hydrogen atom degrees of freedom to enable integration time steps up to 5 fs for atomistic simulations also in parallel. To improve the scaling properties of the common particle mesh Ewald electrostatics algorithms, we have in addition used a Multiple-Program, Multiple-Data approach, with separate node domains responsible for direct and reciprocal space interactions. Not only does this combination of algorithms enable extremely long simulations of large systems but also it provides that simulation performance on quite modest numbers of standard cluster nodes.

  1. Flight Control Laws for NASA's Hyper-X Research Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidson, J.; Lallman, F.; McMinn, J. D.; Martin, J.; Pahle, J.; Stephenson, M.; Selmon, J.; Bose, D.

    1999-01-01

    The goal of the Hyper-X program is to demonstrate and validate technology for design and performance predictions of hypersonic aircraft with an airframe-integrated supersonic-combustion ramjet propulsion system. Accomplishing this goal requires flight demonstration of a hydrogen-fueled scramjet powered hypersonic aircraft. A key enabling technology for this flight demonstration is flight controls. Closed-loop flight control is required to enable a successful stage separation, to achieve and maintain the design condition during the engine test, and to provide a controlled descent. Before the contract award, NASA developed preliminary flight control laws for the Hyper-X to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed scramjet test sequence and descent trajectory. After the contract award, a Boeing/NASA partnership worked to develop the current control laws. This paper presents a description of the Hyper-X Research Vehicle control law architectures with performance and robustness analyses. Assessments of simulated flight trajectories and stability margin analyses demonstrate that these control laws meet the flight test requirements.

  2. X-ray burst studies with the JENSA gas jet target

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmidt, Konrad; Chipps, Kelly A.; Ahn, Sunghoon; Allen, Jacob M.; Ayoub, Sara; Bardayan, Daniel W.; Blackmon, Jeffrey C.; Blankstein, Drew; Browne, Justin; Cha, Soomi; Chae, Kyung YUK; Cizewski, Jolie; Deibel, Catherine M.; Deleeuw, Eric; Gomez, Orlando; Greife, Uwe; Hager, Ulrike; Hall, Matthew R.; Jones, Katherine L.; Kontos, Antonios; Kozub, Raymond L.; Lee, Eunji; Lepailleur, Alex; Linhardt, Laura E.; Matos, Milan; Meisel, Zach; Montes, Fernando; O'Malley, Patrick D.; Ong, Wei Jia; Pain, Steven D.; Sachs, Alison; Schatz, Hendrik; Schmitt, Kyle T.; Smith, Karl; Smith, Michael S.; Soares de Bem, Natã F.; Thompson, Paul J.; Toomey, Rebecca; Walter, David

    2018-01-01

    When a neutron star accretes hydrogen and helium from the outer layers of its companion star, thermonuclear burning enables the αp-process as a break out mechanism from the hot CNO cycle. Model calculations predict (α, p) reaction rates significantly affect both the light curves and elemental abundances in the burst ashes. The Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics (JENSA) gas jet target enables the direct measurement of previously inaccessible (α,p) reactions with radioactive beams provided by the rare isotope re-accelerator ReA3 at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL), USA. JENSA is going to be the main target for the Recoil Separator for Capture Reactions (SECAR) at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB). Commissioning of JENSA and first experiments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) showed a highly localized, pure gas target with a density of ˜1019 atoms per square centimeter. Preliminary results are presented from the first direct cross section measurement of the 34Ar(α, p)37 K reaction at NSCL.

  3. Thermochemical water decomposition. [hydrogen separation for energy applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Funk, J. E.

    1977-01-01

    At present, nearly all of the hydrogen consumed in the world is produced by reacting hydrocarbons with water. As the supply of hydrocarbons diminishes, the problem of producing hydrogen from water alone will become increasingly important. Furthermore, producing hydrogen from water is a means of energy conversion by which thermal energy from a primary source, such as solar or nuclear fusion of fission, can be changed into an easily transportable and ecologically acceptable fuel. The attraction of thermochemical processes is that they offer the potential for converting thermal energy to hydrogen more efficiently than by water electrolysis. A thermochemical hydrogen-production process is one which requires only water as material input and mainly thermal energy, or heat, as an energy input. Attention is given to a definition of process thermal efficiency, the thermodynamics of the overall process, the single-stage process, the two-stage process, multistage processes, the work of separation and a process evaluation.

  4. [Mechanism of oxidation reaction of NADH models and phynylglyoxal with hydrogen peroxide. Hypothesis on separate transport of hydrogen and electron atom in certain enzymatic reactions with the participation of NADH and NADPH].

    PubMed

    Iasnikov, A A; Ponomarenko, S P

    1976-05-01

    Kinetics of co-oxidation of 1-benzen-3-carbamido-1,4-dihydropyridine (BDN) and phenylglyoxal (PG) with hydrogen peroxide is studied. Dimeric product (di-e11-benzen-5-carbamido-1,2-dihydropyridyl-2]) is found to be formed at pH 9, and quaternal pyridinium salt (BNA)--at pH 7. Molecular oxigen is determined to participate in the reaction at pH 7. Copper (II) ions catalyze this process. Significant catalytic effect of p-dinitrobenzen (p-DNB) is found. The reaction mechanism is postulated to form hydroperoxide from PG and hydrogen peroxide which are capable to split the hydrogen attom from dihydropyridine, molecular oxigen or p-DNB being an acceptor of the electrone. Hypothesis on separate transfer of hydrogen atom and electrone in biological systems are proposed.

  5. Material-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation

    DOEpatents

    Benson, D.K.; Potter, T.F.

    1996-10-08

    A compact vacuum insulation panel is described comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning ``on`` and ``off`` the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls. 25 figs.

  6. Variably insulating portable heater/cooler

    DOEpatents

    Potter, Thomas F.

    1998-01-01

    A compact vacuum insulation panel comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning "on" and "off" the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls.

  7. Material-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation

    DOEpatents

    Benson, David K.; Potter, Thomas F.

    1996-10-08

    A compact vacuum insulation panel comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning "on" and "off" the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls.

  8. Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation

    DOEpatents

    Benson, David K.; Potter, Thomas F.

    1995-01-01

    A compact vacuum insulation panel comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber that includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning "on" and "off" the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls.

  9. Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation

    DOEpatents

    Benson, D.K.; Potter, T.F.

    1995-07-18

    A compact vacuum insulation panel is described comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber that includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning ``on`` and ``off`` the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls. 25 figs.

  10. Variably insulating portable heater/cooler

    DOEpatents

    Potter, T.F.

    1998-09-29

    A compact vacuum insulation panel is described comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning ``on`` and ``off`` the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls. 25 figs.

  11. Fractography of the high temperature hydrogen attack of a medium carbon steel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Melson, H. G.; Moorhead, R. D.

    1975-01-01

    Microscopic fracture processes were studied which are associated with hydrogen attack of a medium carbon steel in a well-controlled, high-temperature, high-purity hydrogen environment. Exposure to a hydrogen pressure and temperature of 3.5 MN/m2 and 575 C was found to degrade room temperature tensile properties with increasing exposure time. After 408 hr, yield and ultimate strengths were reduced by more than 40 percent and elongation was reduced to less than 2 percent. Initial fissure formation was found to be associated with manganese rich particles, most probably manganese oxide, aligned in the microstructure during the rolling operation. Fissure growth was found to be associated with a reduction in carbide content of the microstructure and was inhibited by the depletion of carbon. The interior surfaces of sectioned fissures or bubbles exhibit both primary and secondary cracking by intergranular separation. The grain surfaces were rough and rounded, suggesting a diffusion-associated separation process. Specimens that failed at room temperature after exposure to hydrogen were found to exhibit mixed mode fracture having varying amounts of intergranular separation, dimple formation, and cleavage, depending on exposure time.

  12. Composition for absorbing hydrogen from gas mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Heung, Leung K.; Wicks, George G.; Lee, Myung W.

    1999-01-01

    A hydrogen storage composition is provided which defines a physical sol-gel matrix having an average pore size of less than 3.5 angstroms which effectively excludes gaseous metal hydride poisons while permitting hydrogen gas to enter. The composition is useful for separating hydrogen gas from diverse gas streams which may have contaminants that would otherwise render the hydrogen absorbing material inactive.

  13. Ultraviolet Source For Testing Hydrogen-Fire Detectors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, Gregory A.; Larson, William E.; Youngquist, Robert C.; Moerk, John S.; Haskell, William D.; Cox, Robert B.; Polk, Jimmy D.; Stout, Stephen J.; Strobel, James P.

    1995-01-01

    Hand-held portable unit emits ultraviolet light similar to that emitted by hydrogen burning in air. Developed for use in testing optoelectronic hydrogen-fire detectors, which respond to ultraviolet light at wavelengths from 180 to 240 nanometers. Wavelength range unique in that within it, hydrogen fires emit small but detectable amounts of radiation, light from incandescent lamps and Sun almost completely absent, and air sufficiently transmissive to enable detection of hydrogen fire from distance. Consequently, this spectral region favorable for detecting hydrogen fires while minimizing false alarms.

  14. Hydrogen Infrastructure Testing and Research Facility

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

    None

    2017-04-10

    Learn about the Hydrogen Infrastructure Testing and Research Facility (HITRF), where NREL researchers are working on vehicle and hydrogen infrastructure projects that aim to enable more rapid inclusion of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in the market to meet consumer and national goals for emissions reduction, performance, and energy security. As part of NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), the HITRF is designed for collaboration with a wide range of hydrogen, fuel cell, and transportation stakeholders.

  15. Enhanced Hydrogen Dipole Physisorption, Final Report

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

    Ahn, Channing

    2014-01-03

    The hydrogen gas adsorption effort at Caltech was designed to probe and apply our understanding of known interactions between molecular hydrogen and adsorbent surfaces as part of a materials development effort to enable room temperature storage of hydrogen at nominal pressure. The work we have performed over the past five years has been tailored to address the outstanding issues associated with weak hydrogen sorbent interactions in order to find an adequate solution for storage tank technology.

  16. Composite hydrogen separation element and module

    DOEpatents

    Edlund, D.J.; Newbold, D.D.; Frost, C.B.

    1997-07-08

    There are disclosed improvements in multicomponent composite metal membranes useful for the separation of hydrogen, the improvements comprising the provision of at least one common-axis hole through all components of the composite membrane and the provision of a gas-tight seal around the periphery of the hole or holes through a coating metal layer of the membrane. 11 figs.

  17. Composite hydrogen separation element and module

    DOEpatents

    Edlund, David J.; Newbold, David D.; Frost, Chester B.

    1997-01-01

    There are disclosed improvements in multicomponent composite metal membranes useful for the separation of hydrogen, the improvements comprising the provision of at least one common-axis hole through all components of the composite membrane and the provision of a gas-tight seal around the periphery of the hole or holes through a coating metal layer of the membrane.

  18. Thermal Analysis of Cryogenic Hydrogen Liquid Separator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Congiardo, Jared F.; Fortier, Craig R. (Editor)

    2014-01-01

    During launch for the new Space Launch System (SLS) liquid hydrogen is bleed through the engines during replenish, pre-press, and extended pre-press to condition the engines prior to launch. The predicted bleed flow rates are larger than for the shuttle program. A consequence of the increased flow rates is having liquif hydrogen in the vent system, which the facilities was never designed to handle. To remedy the problem a liquid separator is being designed in the system to accumulated the liquid propellant and protect the facility flare stack (which can only handle gas). The attached document is a presentation of the current thermalfluid analysis performed for the separator and will be presented at the Thermal and Fluid Analysis Workshop (NASA workshop) next week in Cleveland, Ohio.

  19. Stable catalyst layers for hydrogen permeable composite membranes

    DOEpatents

    Way, J. Douglas; Wolden, Colin A

    2014-01-07

    The present invention provides a hydrogen separation membrane based on nanoporous, composite metal carbide or metal sulfide coated membranes capable of high flux and permselectivity for hydrogen without platinum group metals. The present invention is capable of being operated over a broad temperature range, including at elevated temperatures, while maintaining hydrogen selectivity.

  20. First-principles study of the solid solution of hydrogen in lanthanum

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

    Schoellhammer, Gunther; Herzig, Peter; Wolf, Walter

    2011-09-01

    Results from first-principles investigations of the energetical, structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of model structures probing the metal-rich region of the lanthanum-hydrogen system, i.e., the region of the solid solution of hydrogen in lanthanum, are presented. We have studied the site preference and the ordering tendency of hydrogen atoms interstitially bonded in close-packed lanthanum. Spatially separated hydrogen atoms have turned out to exhibit an energetical preference for the occupation of octahedral interstitial sites at low temperature. Indications for a reversal of the site preference in favor of the occupation of tetrahedral interstitial sites at elevated temperature have been found. Linearmore » arrangements consisting of pairs of octahedrally and/or tetrahedrally coordinated hydrogen atoms collinearly bonded to a central lanthanum atom have turned out to be energetically favorable structure elements. Further stabilization is achieved if such hydrogen pairs are in turn linked together so that extended chains of La-H bonds are formed. Pair formation and chain linking counteract the energetical preference for octahedral coordination observed for separated hydrogen atoms.« less

  1. Enhanced stability of Zr-doped Ba(CeTb)O(3-δ)-Ni cermet membrane for hydrogen separation.

    PubMed

    Wei, Yanying; Xue, Jian; Fang, Wei; Chen, Yan; Wang, Haihui; Caro, Jürgen

    2015-07-25

    A mixed protonic and electronic conductor material BaCe(0.85)Tb(0.05)Zr(0.1)O(3-δ) (BCTZ) is prepared and a Ni-BCTZ cermet membrane is synthesized for hydrogen separation. Stable hydrogen permeation fluxes can be obtained for over 100 h through the Ni-BCTZ membrane in both dry and humid conditions, which exhibits an excellent stability compared with Ni-BaCe(0.95)Tb(0.05)O(3-δ) membrane due to the Zr doping.

  2. Bioinspired Mesoporous Chiral Nematic Graphitic Carbon Nitride Photocatalysts modulated by Polarized Light.

    PubMed

    Lin, Wensheng; Hong, Wei; Sun, Lu; Yu, Di; Yu, Dingshan; Chen, Xudong

    2018-01-10

    Endowing materials with chirality and exploring the responses of the material under circularly polarized light (CPL) can enable further insight into the physical and chemical properties of the semiconductors to be gained, thus expanding on optoelectronic applications. Herein a bioinspired mesoporous chiral nematic graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) for efficient hydrogen evolution with polarized light modulation based on chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal films prepared through silica templating is described. The mesoporous nematic chiral g-C 3 N 4 exhibits an ultrahigh hydrogen evolution rate of 219.9 μmol h -1 (for 20 mg catalyst), corresponding to a high enhancement factor of 55 when compared to the bulk g-C 3 N 4 under λ>420 nm irradiation. Furthermore, the chiral g-C 3 N 4 material exhibits unique photocatalytic activity modulated by CPL within the absorption region. This CPL-assisted photocatalytic regulation strategy holds great promise for a wide range of applications including optical devices, asymmetric photocatalysis, and chiral recognition/separation. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Two-dimensional ZnO ultrathin nanosheets decorated with Au nanoparticles for effective photocatalysis

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

    Hu, Jin; You, Ning; Yu, Zhe

    Two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially the inorganic 2D nanosheets (NSs), are of particular interest due to their unique structural and electronic properties, which are favorable for photoelectronic applications such as photocatalysis. Here, we design and fabricate the ultrathin 2D ZnO NSs decorated with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), though molecular modelling 2D hydrothermal growth and followed by surface modification are used as an effective photocatalyst for photocatalytic organic dye degradation and hydrogen production. The ultrathin 2D nature enables ultrahigh atom ratio near surface to proliferate the active sites, and the Au plasmon plays a promoting role in the visible-light absorption and photogenerated chargemore » separation, thus integrating the synergistic benefits to boost the redox reactions at catalyst/electrolyte interface. The AuNPs-decorated ZnO NSs yield the impressive photocatalytic activities such as the dye degradation rate constant of 7.69 × 10{sup −2} min{sup −1} and the hydrogen production rate of 350 μmol h{sup −1} g{sup −1}.« less

  4. A dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical tandem cell for light driven hydrogen production from water

    DOE PAGES

    Sherman, Benjamin D.; Sheridan, Matthew V.; Wee, Kyung -Ryang; ...

    2016-12-02

    Here, tandem junction photoelectrochemical water-splitting devices, whereby two light absorbing electrodes targeting separate portions of the solar spectrum generate the voltage required to convert water to oxygen and hydrogen, enable much higher possible efficiencies than single absorber systems. We report here on the development of a tandem system consisting of a dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cell (DSPEC) wired in series with a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC). The DSPEC photoanode incorporates a tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II)-type chromophore and molecular ruthenium based water oxidation catalyst. The DSPEC was tested with two more-red absorbing DSC variations, one utilizing N719 dye with an I 3 –/I – redox mediatormore » solution and the other D35 dye with a tris(bipyridine)cobalt ([Co(bpy) 3] 3+/2+) based mediator. The tandem configuration consisting of the DSPEC and D35/[Co(bpy) 3] 3+/2+ based DSC gave the best overall performance and demonstrated the production of H 2 from H 2O with the only energy input from simulated solar illumination.« less

  5. Two-Step Reactive Aid Sintering of BaZr0.8Y0.2O3- δ Proton-Conducting Ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Siwei; Chen, Yan; Zhang, Lingling; Ren, Cong; Chen, Fanglin; Brinkman, Kyle S.

    2015-12-01

    Ceramic-based proton conductors enable high-temperature hydrogen economy applications such as hydrogen separation membranes, fuel cells, and steam electrolyzers. BaZr0.8Y0.2O3- δ (BZY) proton-conducting oxide possesses the highest level of proton conductivity reported to date, but poor sinterability hinders its widespread utilization. In this paper, we report a two-step reactive aid sintering (TRAS) method involving the introduction of BaCO3 and B2O3-Li2O for the preparation of dense BZY ceramics sintered at 1500°C. The resulting BZY samples showed a pure perovskite structure with a dramatic increase in the relative density to 91.5%. In addition, the shrinkage during sintering was improved to 19.3% by a TRAS method as compared to 2.6% by the conventional solid date reaction method. The bulk conductivity was improved due to enhanced densification, while the grain boundary conductivity decreased due to the blocking behavior of the sintering aid resulting in a decrease in the total conductivity of the samples.

  6. Two-Step Reactive Aid Sintering of BaZr 0.8Y 0.2O 3-δ Proton-Conducting Ceramics

    DOE PAGES

    Wang, Siwei; Chen, Yan; Zhang, Lingling; ...

    2015-10-14

    Ceramic-based proton conductors enable high-temperature hydrogen economy applications such as hydrogen separation membranes, fuel cells, and steam electrolyzers. BaZr 0.8Y 0.2O 3-δ (BZY) proton-conducting oxide possesses the highest level of proton conductivity reported to date, but poor sinterability hinders its widespread utilization. Here, we report a two-step reactive aid sintering (TRAS) method involving the introduction of BaCO 3 and B 2O 3-Li 2O for the preparation of dense BZY ceramics sintered at 1500°C. The resulting BZY samples showed a pure perovskite structure with a dramatic increase in the relative density to 91.5%. In addition, the shrinkage during sintering was improvedmore » to 19.3% by a TRAS method as compared to 2.6% by the conventional solid date reaction method. Moreover, the bulk conductivity was improved due to enhanced densification, while the grain boundary conductivity decreased due to the blocking behavior of the sintering aid resulting in a decrease in the total conductivity of the samples.« less

  7. Deposition of diamond-like films by ECR microwave plasma

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shing, Yuh-Han (Inventor); Pool, Frederick S. (Inventor)

    1995-01-01

    Hard amorphous hydrogenated carbon, diamond-like films are deposited using an electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma with a separate radio frequency power bias applied to a substrate stage. The electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma yields low deposition pressure and creates ion species otherwise unavailable. A magnetic mirror configuration extracts special ion species from a plasma chamber. Different levels of the radio frequency power bias accelerate the ion species of the ECR plasma impinging on a substrate to form different diamond-like films. During the deposition process, a sample stage is maintained at an ambient temperature of less than 100.degree. C. No external heating is applied to the sample stage. The deposition process enables diamond-like films to be deposited on heat-sensitive substrates.

  8. Wind-to-Hydrogen Project | Hydrogen and Fuel Cells | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    . Research Focus NREL's research focuses on: Exploring system-level integration issues related to multiple to enable cost evaluations/reductions and efficiency improvements Exploring operational challenges

  9. Hydrogen-bonded side chain liquid crystalline block copolymer: Molecular design, synthesis, characterization and applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chao, Chi-Yang

    Block copolymers can self-assemble into highly regular, microphase-separated morphologies with dimensions at nanometer length scales. Potential applications such as optical wavelength photonic crystals, templates for nanolithographic patterning, or nanochannels for biomacromolecular separation take advantage of the well-ordered, controlled size microdomains of block copolymers. Side-chain liquid crystalline block copolymers (SCLCBCPs) are drawing increasing attention since the incorporation of liquid crystallinity turns their well-organized microstructures into dynamic functional materials. As a special type of block copolymer, hydrogen-bonded SCLCBCPs are unique, compositionally tunable materials with multiple dynamic functionalities that can readily respond to thermal, electrical and mechanical fields. Hydrogen-bonded SCLCBCPs were synthesized and assembled from host poly(styrene- b-acrylic acid) diblock copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions as proton donors and guest imidazole functionalized mesogenic moieties as proton acceptors. In these studies non-covalent hydrogen bonding is employed to connect mesogenic side groups to a block copolymer backbone, both for its dynamic character as well as for facile materials preparation. The homogeneity and configuration of the hydrogen-bonded complexes were determined by both the molecular architecture of imidazolyl side groups and the process conditions. A one-dimensional photonic crystal composed of high molecular weight hydrogen-bonded SCLCBCP, with temperature dependent optical wavelength stop bands was successfully produced. The microstructures of hydrogen-bonded complexes could be rapidly aligned in an AC electric field at temperatures below the order-disorder transition but above their glass transitions. Remarkable dipolar properties of the mesogenic groups and thermal dissociation of hydrogen bonds are key elements to fast orientation switching. Studies of a wide range of mesogen and polymer combinations were carried out to investigate the interplay between morphology, mesophase behavior and blend composition (molar ratios of proton acceptors to proton donors). A critical composition for mesophase formation was identified and the characteristics of the H-bonded complexes below the critical blend ratios were very different than those above. Hydrogen bonding was also used to direct microphase separation of miscible poly(hydroxystyrene-b-methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer by adopting imidazolyl additives able to hydrogen bond with poly(hydroxystyrene). The miscibility between PHS and PMMA segments was diminished significantly by introducing small quantities of H-binding additives. The critical blend ratio for microphase separation was determined more by the molecular structure of the additives than the number of hydrogen bonds formed between PHS and additives.

  10. Charge separation related to photocatalytic H 2 production from a Ru–apoflavodoxin–Ni biohybrid

    DOE PAGES

    Soltau, Sarah R.; Niklas, Jens; Dahlberg, Peter D.; ...

    2016-12-27

    The direct creation of a fuel from sunlight and water via photochemical energy conversion provides a sustainable method for producing a clean source of energy. Here we report the preparation of a solar fuel biohybrid that embeds a nickel diphosphine hydrogen evolution catalyst into the cofactor binding pocket of the electron shuttle protein, flavodoxin (Fld). The system is made photocatalytic by linking a cysteine residue in Fld to a ruthenium photosensitizer. Importantly, the protein environment enables the otherwise insoluble Ni catalyst to perform photocatalysis in aqueous solution over a pH range of 3.5–12.0, with optimal turnover frequency 410 ± 30more » h –1 and turnover number 620 ± 80 mol H 2/mol hybrid observed at pH 6.2. For the first time, a reversible light-induced charge-separated state involving a Ni(I) intermediate was directly monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. As a result, transient optical measurements reflect two conformational states, with a Ni(I) state formed in ~1.6 or ~185 μs that persists for several milliseconds as a long-lived charge-separated state facilitated by the protein matrix.« less

  11. Electrophoretic analysis of biomarkers using capillary modification with gold nanoparticles embedded in a polycation and boron doped diamond electrode.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Lin; Glennon, Jeremy D; Luong, John H T

    2010-08-15

    Field-amplified sample stacking using a fused silica capillary coated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) embedded in poly(diallyl dimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA) has been investigated for the electrophoretic separation of indoxyl sulfate, homovanillic acid (HVA), and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA). AuNPs (27 nm) exhibit ionic and hydrophobic interactions, as well as hydrogen bonding with the PDDA network to form a stable layer on the internal wall of the capillary. This approach reverses electro-osmotic flow allowing for fast migration of the analytes while retarding other endogenous compounds including ascorbic acid, uric acid, catecholamines, and indoleamines. Notably, the two closely related biomarkers of clinical significance, HVA and VMA, displayed differential interaction with PDDA-AuNPs which enabled the separation of this pair. The detection limit of the three analytes obtained by using a boron doped diamond electrode was approximately 75 nM, which was significantly below their normal physiological levels in biological fluids. This combined separation and detection scheme was applied to the direct analysis of these analytes and other interfering chemicals including uric and ascorbic acids in urine samples without off-line sample treatment or preconcentration.

  12. Nano-hetero functional materials for photocatalytic hydrogen generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tongying, Pornthip

    This dissertation focuses on designing nanomaterials and investigating their photocatalytic response for H2 generation. Hydrogen has gained a lot of attention as a new source of sustainable energy. It can be used to directly generate power in fuel cells and to produce liquid fuels such as methanol. Water splitting is an ideal (clean) way of producing H2 because it uses water and sunlight, two renewable resources. To explore the use of nanostructures and particularly nanostructure heterojunctions for photocatalytic H2 generation, four different systems have been synthesized: (i) CdSe nanowires (NWs), (ii) CdSe/CdS core/shell NWs, (iii) CdSe NWs decorated with Au or Pt nanoparticles, and (iv) CdSe/CdS NWs decorated with Au or Pt nanoparticles. This is motivated by (a) the fact that CdSe NWs absorb light from the UV to the near infrared (b) the NW morphology simultaneously enables us to explore the role of nanoscale dimensionality in photocatalytic processes (c) a CdS coating can enhance photogenerated carrier lifetimes, and (d) metal nanoparticles are catalytically active and can also enhance charge separation efficiencies. Charge separation and charge transfer across interfaces are key aspects in the design of efficient photocatalysts for solar energy conversion. Femtosecond transient differential absorption (TDA) spectroscopy has been used as a tool to reveal how semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions affect the charge separation and hydrogen generation efficiencies of these hybrid photocatalysts. The use of this technique in concert with hydrogen evolution tests also reveal how CdS, CdSe and metal NP interact within metal NP decorated CdSe and CdSe/CdS NWs during photocatalytic hydrogen generation reactions. Electron transfer events across both semiconductor/semiconductor and metal/semiconductor heterojunctions are followed to identify where H 2 is evolved and the role each heterojunction plays in determining a system's overall efficiency. To extend my study beyond 1D CdSe NWs, 2D CdSe nanosheets (NSs) have been synthesized. The use of cation exchange allows synthesizing micrometer-sized crystalline thin CdSe nanosheets (NSs), otherwise difficult to produce directly through solution-based methods. Starting from cubic-phased Cu2-xSe NSs as a template, CdSe NSs are obtained by cation exchange of copper to cadmium. This exchange reaction preserves the 2D morphology of the starting NSs and also retains the cubic crystal structure. Resulting CdSe NSs have a lateral size up to 6 mum and an average of thickness approximately 6 nm. Such large lateral dimensions are advantageous for single sheet optical measurements and for applications in optical and electronic devices.

  13. Bulk-scaffolded hydrogen storage and releasing materials and methods for preparing and using same

    DOEpatents

    Autrey, S Thomas [West Richland, WA; Karkamkar, Abhijeet J [Richland, WA; Gutowska, Anna [Richland, WA; Li, Liyu [Richland, WA; Li, Xiaohong S [Richland, WA; Shin, Yongsoon [Richland, WA

    2011-06-21

    Compositions are disclosed for storing and releasing hydrogen and methods for preparing and using same. These hydrogen storage and releasing materials exhibit fast release rates at low release temperatures without unwanted side reactions, thus preserving desired levels of purity and enabling applications in combustion and fuel cell applications.

  14. Proceedings of the 1998 U.S. DOE Hydrogen Program Review: Volume 2

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

    NONE

    1998-08-01

    This document contains technical progress reports on 42 research projects funded by the DOE Hydrogen Program in Fiscal Year 1998, in support of its mission to make hydrogen a cost-effective energy carrier for utility, building, and transportation applications. Each year, the Program conducts a rigorous review of its portfolio of projects, utilizing teams of experts to provide vital feedback on the progress of research. These proceedings serve as an important technology reference for the DOE Hydrogen Program. The papers in Volume 2 are arranged under the following topical sections: Storage and separation systems; Thermal systems; and Transportation systems. Selected papersmore » have been indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.« less

  15. Local phase separation of co-solvents enhances pretreatment of biomass for bioenergy applications

    DOE PAGES

    Mostofian, Barmak; Cai, Charles M.; Smith, Micholas Dean; ...

    2016-08-02

    Pretreatment facilitates more complete deconstruction of plant biomass to enable more economic production of lignocellulosic biofuels and byproducts. Various co-solvent pretreatments have demonstrated advantages relative to aqueous-only methods by enhancing lignin removal to allow unfettered access to cellulose. However, there is a limited mechanistic understanding of the interactions between the co-solvents and cellulose that impedes further improvement of such pretreatment methods. Recently, tetrahydrofuran (THF) has been identified as a highly effective co-solvent for the pretreatment and fractionation of biomass. Here, to elucidate the mechanism of the THF water interactions with cellulose, we pair simulation and experimental data demonstrating that enhancedmore » solubilization of cellulose can be achieved by the THF water co-solvent system at equivolume mixtures and moderate temperatures (≤445 K). The simulations show that THF and water spontaneously phase separate on the local surface of a cellulose fiber, owing to hydrogen bonding of water molecules with the hydrophilic cellulose faces and stacking of THF molecules on the hydrophobic faces. Furthermore, a single fully solvated cellulose chain is shown to be preferentially bound by water molecules in the THF water mixture. In light of these findings, co-solvent reactions were performed on microcrystalline cellulose and maple wood to show that THF significantly enhanced cellulose deconstruction and lignocellulose solubilization at simulation conditions, enabling a highly versatile and efficient biomass pretreatment and fractionation method.« less

  16. Hydrogen bonding effects on the reorganization energy for photoinduced charge separation reaction between porphyrin and quinone studied by nanosecond laser flash photolysis.

    PubMed

    Yago, Tomoaki; Gohdo, Masao; Wakasa, Masanobu

    2010-02-25

    Alcohol concentration dependences of photoinduced charge separation (CS) reaction of zinc tetraphenyl-porphyrin (ZnTPP) and duroquinone (DQ) were investigated in benzonitrile by a nanosecond laser flash photolysis technique. The photoinduced CS reaction was accelerated by the addition of alcohols, whereas the addition of acetonitrile caused little effect on the CS reactions. The simple theory was developed to calculate an increase in reorganization energies induced by the hydrogen bonding interactions between DQ and alcohols using the chemical equilibrium constants for the hydrogen bonding complexes through the concerted pathway and the stepwise one. The experimental results were analyzed by using the Marcus equation where we took into account the hydrogen bonding effects on the reorganization energy and the reaction free energy for the CS reaction. The observed alcohol concentration dependence of the CS reaction rates was well explained by the formation of the hydrogen bonding complexes through the concerted pathway, demonstrating the increase in the reorganization energy by the hydrogen bonding interactions.

  17. Development of novel active transport membrande devices

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

    Laciak, D.V.

    1994-11-01

    Air Products has undertaken a research program to fabricate and evaluate gas separation membranes based upon promising ``active-transport`` (AT) materials recently developed in our laboratories. Active Transport materials are ionic polymers and molten salts which undergo reversible interaction or reaction with ammonia and carbon dioxide. The materials are useful for separating these gases from mixtures with hydrogen. Moreover, AT membranes have the unique property of possessing high permeability towards ammnonia and carbon dioxide but low permeability towards hydrogen and can thus be used to permeate these components from a gas stream while retaining hydrogen at high pressure.

  18. Ultracapacitor having residual water removed under vacuum

    DOEpatents

    Wei, Chang; Jerabek, Elihu Calvin; Day, James

    2002-10-15

    A multilayer cell is provided that comprises two solid, nonporous current collectors, two porous electrodes separating the current collectors, a porous separator between the electrodes and an electrolyte occupying pores in the electrodes and separator. The mutilayer cell is electrolyzed to disassociate water within the cell to oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. A vacuum is applied to the cell substantially at the same time as the electrolyzing step, to remove the oxygen gas and hydrogen gas. The cell is then sealed to form a ultracapacitor substantially free from water.

  19. Mars Atmospheric Capture and Gas Separation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muscatello, Anthony; Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Gibson, Tracy; Devor, Robert; Captain, James

    2011-01-01

    The Mars atmospheric capture and gas separation project is selecting, developing, and demonstrating techniques to capture and purify Martian atmospheric gases for their utilization for the production of hydrocarbons, oxygen, and water in ISRU systems. Trace gases will be required to be separated from Martian atmospheric gases to provide pure C02 to processing elements. In addition, other Martian gases, such as nitrogen and argon, occur in concentrations high enough to be useful as buffer gas and should be captured as welL To achieve these goals, highly efficient gas separation processes will be required. These gas separation techniques are also required across various areas within the ISRU project to support various consumable production processes. The development of innovative gas separation techniques will evaluate the current state-of-the-art for the gas separation required, with the objective to demonstrate and develop light-weight, low-power methods for gas separation. Gas separation requirements include, but are not limited to the selective separation of: (1) methane and water from un-reacted carbon oxides (C02- CO) and hydrogen typical of a Sabatier-type process, (2) carbon oxides and water from unreacted hydrogen from a Reverse Water-Gas Shift process, (3) carbon oxides from oxygen from a trash/waste processing reaction, and (4) helium from hydrogen or oxygen from a propellant scavenging process. Potential technologies for the separations include freezers, selective membranes, selective solvents, polymeric sorbents, zeolites, and new technologies. This paper and presentation will summarize the results of an extensive literature review and laboratory evaluations of candidate technologies for the capture and separation of C02 and other relevant gases.

  20. Magnetic Fe@g-C3N4: A Photoactive Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Alkynes

    EPA Science Inventory

    A photoactive catalyst, Fe@g-C3N4, has been developed for the hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes using hydrazine hydrate as a source of hydrogen. The magnetically separable Fe@g-C3N4 eliminates the use of high pressure hydrogenation and the reaction can be accomplished using vi...

  1. RECTIFIED ABSORPTION METHOD FOR THE SEPARATION OF HYDROGEN ISOTOPES

    DOEpatents

    Hunt, C.D.; Hanson, D.N.

    1961-10-17

    A method is described for separating and recovering heavy hydrogen isotopes from gaseous mixtures by multiple stage cyclic absorption and rectification from an approximate solvent. In particular, it is useful for recovering such isoteoes from ammonia feedstock streams containing nitrogen solvent. Modifications of the process ranging from isobaric to isothermal are provided. Certain impurities are tolerated, giving advantages over conventional fractional distillation processes. (AEC)

  2. Electrochemical Hydrogen Peroxide Generator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tennakoon, Charles L. K.; Singh, Waheguru; Anderson, Kelvin C.

    2010-01-01

    Two-electron reduction of oxygen to produce hydrogen peroxide is a much researched topic. Most of the work has been done in the production of hydrogen peroxide in basic media, in order to address the needs of the pulp and paper industry. However, peroxides under alkaline conditions show poor stabilities and are not useful in disinfection applications. There is a need to design electrocatalysts that are stable and provide good current and energy efficiencies to produce hydrogen peroxide under acidic conditions. The innovation focuses on the in situ generation of hydrogen peroxide using an electrochemical cell having a gas diffusion electrode as the cathode (electrode connected to the negative pole of the power supply) and a platinized titanium anode. The cathode and anode compartments are separated by a readily available cation-exchange membrane (Nafion 117). The anode compartment is fed with deionized water. Generation of oxygen is the anode reaction. Protons from the anode compartment are transferred across the cation-exchange membrane to the cathode compartment by electrostatic attraction towards the negatively charged electrode. The cathode compartment is fed with oxygen. Here, hydrogen peroxide is generated by the reduction of oxygen. Water may also be generated in the cathode. A small amount of water is also transported across the membrane along with hydrated protons transported across the membrane. Generally, each proton is hydrated with 3-5 molecules. The process is unique because hydrogen peroxide is formed as a high-purity aqueous solution. Since there are no hazardous chemicals or liquids used in the process, the disinfection product can be applied directly to water, before entering a water filtration unit to disinfect the incoming water and to prevent the build up of heterotrophic bacteria, for example, in carbon based filters. The competitive advantages of this process are: 1. No consumable chemicals are needed in the process. The only raw materials needed are water and oxygen or air. 2. The product is pure and can therefore be used in disinfection applications directly or after proper dilution with water. 3. Oxygen generated in the anode compartment is used in the electrochemical reduction process; in addition, external oxygen is used to establish a high flow rate in the cathode compartment to remove the desired product efficiently. Exiting oxygen can be recycled after separation of liquid hydrogen peroxide product, if so desired. 4. The process can be designed for peroxide generation under microgravity conditions. 5. High concentrations of the order of 6-7 wt% can be generated by this method. This method at the time of this reporting is superior to what other researchers have reported. 6. The cell design allows for stacking of cells to increase the hydrogen peroxide production. 7. The catalyst mix containing a diquaternary ammonium compound enabled not only higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide but also higher current efficiency, improved energy efficiency, and catalyst stability. 8. The activity of the catalyst is maintained even after repeated periods of system shutdown. 9. The catalyst system can be extended for fuel-cell cathodes with suitable modifications.

  3. Hydrogen-Assisted Crack Propagation in Austenitic Stainless Steel Fusion Welds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Somerday, B. P.; Dadfarnia, M.; Balch, D. K.; Nibur, K. A.; Cadden, C. H.; Sofronis, P.

    2009-10-01

    The objective of this study was to characterize hydrogen-assisted crack propagation in gas-tungsten arc (GTA) welds of the nitrogen-strengthened, austenitic stainless steel 21Cr-6Ni-9Mn (21-6-9), using fracture mechanics methods. The fracture initiation toughness and crack growth resistance curves were measured using fracture mechanics specimens that were thermally precharged with 230 wppm (1.3 at. pct) hydrogen. The fracture initiation toughness and slope of the crack growth resistance curve for the hydrogen-precharged weld were reduced by as much as 60 and 90 pct, respectively, relative to the noncharged weld. A physical model for hydrogen-assisted crack propagation in the welds was formulated from microscopy evidence and finite-element modeling. Hydrogen-assisted crack propagation proceeded by a sequence of microcrack formation at the weld ferrite, intense shear deformation in the ligaments separating microcracks, and then fracture of the ligaments. One salient role of hydrogen in the crack propagation process was promoting microcrack formation at austenite/ferrite interfaces and within the ferrite. In addition, hydrogen may have facilitated intense shear deformation in the ligaments separating microcracks. The intense shear deformation could be related to the development of a nonuniform distribution of hydrogen trapped at dislocations between microcracks, which in turn created a gradient in the local flow stress.

  4. Hydrogen isotope systematics of phase separation in submarine hydrothermal systems: Experimental calibration and theoretical models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Berndt, M.E.; Seal, R.R.; Shanks, Wayne C.; Seyfried, W.E.

    1996-01-01

    Hydrogen isotope fractionation factors were measured for coexisting brines and vapors formed by phase separation of NaCl/H2O fluids at temperatures ranging from 399-450??C and pressures from 277-397 bars. It was found that brines are depleted in D compared to coexisting vapors at all conditions studied. The magnitude of hydrogen isotope fractionation is dependent on the relative amounts of Cl in the two phases and can be empirically correlated to pressure using the following relationship: 1000 ln ??(vap-brine) = 2.54(??0.83) + 2.87(??0.69) x log (??P), where ??(vap-brine) is the fractionation factor and ??P is a pressure term representing distance from the critical curve in the NaCl/H2O system. The effect of phase separation on hydrogen isotope distribution in subseafloor hydrothermal systems depends on a number of factors, including whether phase separation is induced by heating at depth or by decompression of hydrothermal fluids ascending to the seafloor. Phase separation in most subseafloor systems appears to be a simple process driven by heating of seawater to conditions within the two-phase region, followed by segregation and entrainment of brine or vapor into a seawater dominated system. Resulting vent fluids exhibit large ranges in Cl concentration with no measurable effect on ??D. Possible exceptions to this include hydrothermal fluids venting at Axial and 9??N on the East Pacific Rise. High ??D values of low Cl fluids venting at Axial are consistent with phase separation taking place at relatively shallow levels in the oceanic crust while negative ??D values in some low Cl fluids venting at 9??N suggest involvement of a magmatic fluid component or phase separation of D-depleted brines derived during previous hydrothermal activity.

  5. Utilization of deep eutectic solvents as novel mobile phase additives for improving the separation of bioactive quaternary alkaloids.

    PubMed

    Tan, Ting; Zhang, Mingliang; Wan, Yiqun; Qiu, Hongdeng

    2016-01-01

    Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were used as novel mobile phase additives to improve chromatographic separation of four quaternary alkaloids including coptisine chloride, sanguinarine, berberine chloride and chelerythrine on a C18 column. DESs as a new class of ionic liquids are renewably sourced, environmentally benign, low cost and easy to prepare. Seven DESs were obtained by mixing different hydrogen acceptors and hydrogen-bond donors. The effects of organic solvents, the concentration of DESs, the types of DESs and the pH values of the buffer solution on the separation of the analytes were investigated. The composition of acetonitrile and 1.0% deep eutectic solvents aqueous solution (pH 3.3, adjusted with hydrochloric acid) in a 32:68 (v/v) ratio was used as optimized mobile phase, with which four quaternary alkaloids were well separated. When a small amount of DESs was added in the mobile phase for the separation of alkaloids on the C18 column, noticeable improvements were distinctly observed such as decreasing peak tailing and improving resolution. The separation mechanism mediated by DESs as mobile phase additives can be attributed to combined effect of both hydrogen acceptors and hydrogen-bond donors. For example, choline chloride can effectively cover the residual silanols on silica surface and ethylene glycol can reduce the retention time of analytes. The proposed method has been applied to determine BerbC in Lanqin Chinese herbal oral solution and BerbC tablet. Utilization of DESs in mobile phase can efficiently improve separation and selectivity of analytes from complex samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Simultaneous determination of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in macrophage RAW 264.7 cell extracts by microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection.

    PubMed

    Li, Hongmin; Li, Qingling; Wang, Xu; Xu, Kehua; Chen, Zhenzhen; Gong, Xiaocong; Liu, Xin; Tong, Lili; Tang, Bo

    2009-03-15

    A method for the first time to simultaneously determine superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in macrophage RAW 264.7 cell extracts by microchip electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (MCE-LIF) was developed. 2-Chloro-1,3-dibenzothiazolinecyclohexene (DBZTC) and bis(p-methylbenzenesulfonyl) dichlorofluorescein (FS), two probes that can be specifically derivatized by superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, respectively, were synthesized and used. Parameters influencing the derivatization and on-chip separation were optimized. With the use of a HEPES (20 mM, pH 7.4) running buffer, a 50 mm long separation channel, and a separation voltage of 1800 V, baseline separation was achieved within 48 s for the two derivatization products, DBZTC-oxide (DBO) and 2,7-dichlorofluorescein (DCF). The linearity ranges of the method were 0.08-5.0 and 0.02-5.0 microM with detection limits (signal-to-noise ratio = 3) of 10 nM (1.36 amol) and 5.6 nM (0.76 amol) for superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of migration time and peak area were less than 2.0% and 5.0%, respectively. The recoveries of the cell extract samples spiked with 1.0 microM standard solutions were 96.1% and 93.0% for superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. With the use of this method, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated macrophage RAW 264.7 cell extracts were found to be 0.78 and 1.14 microM, respectively. The method has paved a way for simultaneously determining two or more reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a biological system with high resolution.

  7. Solar Water Splitting and Nitrogen Fixation with Layered Bismuth Oxyhalides.

    PubMed

    Li, Jie; Li, Hao; Zhan, Guangming; Zhang, Lizhi

    2017-01-17

    Hydrogen and ammonia are the chemical molecules that are vital to Earth's energy, environmental, and biological processes. Hydrogen with renewable, carbon-free, and high combustion-enthalpy hallmarks lays the foundation of next-generation energy source, while ammonia furnishes the building blocks of fertilizers and proteins to sustain the lives of plants and organisms. Such merits fascinate worldwide scientists in developing viable strategies to produce hydrogen and ammonia. Currently, at the forefronts of hydrogen and ammonia syntheses are solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation, because they go beyond the high temperature and pressure requirements of methane stream reforming and Haber-Bosch reaction, respectively, as the commercialized hydrogen and ammonia production routes, and inherit the natural photosynthesis virtues that are green and sustainable and operate at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The key to propelling such photochemical reactions lies in searching photocatalysts that enable water splitting into hydrogen and nitrogen fixation to make ammonia efficiently. Although the past 40 years have witnessed significant breakthroughs using the most widely studied TiO 2 , SrTiO 3 , (Ga 1-x Zn x )(N 1-x O x ), CdS, and g-C 3 N 4 for solar chemical synthesis, two crucial yet still unsolved issues challenge their further progress toward robust solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation, including the inefficient steering of electron transportation from the bulk to the surface and the difficulty of activating the N≡N triple bond of N 2 . This Account details our endeavors that leverage layered bismuth oxyhalides as photocatalysts for efficient solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation, with a focus on addressing the above two problems. We first demonstrate that the layered structures of bismuth oxyhalides can stimulate an internal electric field (IEF) that is capable of efficiently separating electrons and holes after their formation and of precisely channeling their migration from the bulk to the surface along the different directions, thus enabling more electrons to reach the surface for water splitting and nitrogen fixation. Simultaneously, their oxygen termination feature and the strain differences between interlayers and intralayers render the easy generation of surface oxygen vacancies (OVs) that afford Lewis-base and unsaturated-unsaturated sites for nitrogen activation. With these rationales as the guideline, we can obtain striking visible-light hydrogen- and ammonia-evolving rates without using any noble-metal cocatalysts. Then we show how to utilize IEF and OV based strategies to improve the solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation performances of bismuth oxyhalide photocatalysts. Finally, we highlight the challenges remaining in using bismuth oxyhalides for solar hydrogen and ammonia syntheses, and the prospect of further development of this research field. We believe that our mechanistic insights could serve as a blueprint for the design of more efficient solar water splitting and nitrogen fixation systems, and layered bismuth oxyhalides might open up new photocatalyst paradigm for such two solar chemical syntheses.

  8. Hydrogen production by reforming of liquid hydrocarbons in a membrane reactor for portable power generation-Experimental studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Damle, Ashok S.

    One of the most promising technologies for lightweight, compact, portable power generation is proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. PEM fuel cells, however, require a source of pure hydrogen. Steam reforming of hydrocarbons in an integrated membrane reactor has potential to provide pure hydrogen in a compact system. Continuous separation of product hydrogen from the reforming gas mixture is expected to increase the yield of hydrogen significantly as predicted by model simulations. In the laboratory-scale experimental studies reported here steam reforming of liquid hydrocarbon fuels, butane, methanol and Clearlite ® was conducted to produce pure hydrogen in a single step membrane reformer using commercially available Pd-Ag foil membranes and reforming/WGS catalysts. All of the experimental results demonstrated increase in hydrocarbon conversion due to hydrogen separation when compared with the hydrocarbon conversion without any hydrogen separation. Increase in hydrogen recovery was also shown to result in corresponding increase in hydrocarbon conversion in these studies demonstrating the basic concept. The experiments also provided insight into the effect of individual variables such as pressure, temperature, gas space velocity, and steam to carbon ratio. Steam reforming of butane was found to be limited by reaction kinetics for the experimental conditions used: catalysts used, average gas space velocity, and the reactor characteristics of surface area to volume ratio. Steam reforming of methanol in the presence of only WGS catalyst on the other hand indicated that the membrane reactor performance was limited by membrane permeation, especially at lower temperatures and lower feed pressures due to slower reconstitution of CO and H 2 into methane thus maintaining high hydrogen partial pressures in the reacting gas mixture. The limited amount of data collected with steam reforming of Clearlite ® indicated very good match between theoretical predictions and experimental results indicating that the underlying assumption of the simple model of conversion of hydrocarbons to CO and H 2 followed by equilibrium reconstitution to methane appears to be reasonable one.

  9. Low cost hydrogen/novel membrane technology for hydrogen separation from synthesis gas, Phase 1. [Polyetherimide, cellulose acetate and ethylcellulose

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

    Not Available

    1986-01-01

    The goal of this program is to develop polymer membranes useful in the preparation of hydrogen from coal-derived synthesis gas. During this quarter the first experiment were aimed at developing high performance composite membranes for the separation of hydrogen from nitrogen and carbon monoxide. Three polymers have been selected as materials for these membranes: polyetherimide cellulose acetate and ethylcellulose. This quarter the investigators worked on polyetherimide and cellulose acetate membranes. The overall structure of these membranes is shown schematically in Figure 1. As shown, a microporous support membrane is first coated with a high flux intermediate layer then with anmore » ultrathin permselective layer and finally, if necessary, a thin protective high flux layer. 1 fig., 4 tabs.« less

  10. Polyethylene/Potassium Titanate Separators For Ni/H2 Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott, William E.

    1995-01-01

    Experimental separators fabricated on paper-making machine. Two-layer, paperlike composite of polyethylene fibers and potassium titanate pigment shows promise for replacing asbestos as separator material in nickel/hydrogen electrochemical cells.

  11. Pore size engineering applied to the design of separators for nickel-hydrogen cells and batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abbey, K. M.; Britton, D. L.

    1983-01-01

    Pore size engineering in starved alkaline multiplate cells involves adopting techniques to widen the volume tolerance of individual cells. Separators with appropriate pore size distributions and wettability characteristics (capillary pressure considerations) to have wider volume tolerances and an ability to resist dimensional changes in the electrodes were designed. The separators studied for potential use in nickel-hydrogen cells consist of polymeric membranes as well as inorganic microporous mats. In addition to standard measurements, the resistance and distribution of electrolyte as a function of total cell electrolyte content were determined. New composite separators consisting of fibers, particles and/or binders deposited on Zircar cloth were developed in order to engineer the proper capillary pressure characteristics in the separator. These asymmetric separators were prepared from a variety of fibers, particles and binders.

  12. Technology and Manufacturing Readiness of Early Market Motive and Non-Motive Hydrogen Storage Technologies for Fuel Cell Applications

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

    Ronnebro, Ewa

    PNNL’s objective in this report is to provide DOE with a technology and manufacturing readiness assessment to identify hydrogen storage technologies’ maturity levels for early market motive and non-motive applications and to provide a path forward toward commercialization. PNNL’s Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) is based on a combination of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) designations that enable evaluation of hydrogen storage technologies in varying levels of development. This approach provides a logical methodology and roadmap to enable the identification of hydrogen storage technologies, their advantages/disadvantages, gaps and R&D needs on an unbiased and transparent scale thatmore » is easily communicated to interagency partners. The TRA report documents the process used to conduct the TRA, reports the TRL and MRL for each assessed technology and provides recommendations based on the findings.« less

  13. Rapid Catalyst Capture Enables Metal-Free para-Hydrogen-Based Hyperpolarized Contrast Agents.

    PubMed

    Barskiy, Danila A; Ke, Lucia A; Li, Xingyang; Stevenson, Vincent; Widarman, Nevin; Zhang, Hao; Truxal, Ashley; Pines, Alexander

    2018-05-10

    Hyperpolarization techniques based on the use of para-hydrogen provide orders of magnitude signal enhancement for magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging. The main drawback limiting widespread applicability of para-hydrogen-based techniques in biomedicine is the presence of organometallic compounds (the polarization transfer catalysts) in solution with hyperpolarized contrast agents. These catalysts are typically complexes of platinum-group metals, and their administration in vivo should be avoided. Herein, we show how extraction of a hyperpolarized compound from an organic phase to an aqueous phase combined with a rapid (less than 10 s) Ir-based catalyst capture by metal scavenging agents can produce pure para-hydrogen-based hyperpolarized contrast agents, as demonstrated by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The presented methodology enables fast and efficient means of producing pure hyperpolarized aqueous solutions for biomedical and other uses.

  14. ASU nitrogen sweep gas in hydrogen separation membrane for production of HRSG duct burner fuel

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

    Panuccio, Gregory J.; Raybold, Troy M.; Jamal, Agil

    2013-04-02

    The present invention relates to the use of low pressure N2 from an air separation unit (ASU) for use as a sweep gas in a hydrogen transport membrane (HTM) to increase syngas H2 recovery and make a near-atmospheric pressure (less than or equal to about 25 psia) fuel for supplemental firing in the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) duct burner.

  15. H2 at Scale: Benefitting our Future Energy System - Update for the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Committee

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

    Ruth, Mark

    2016-12-06

    Hydrogen is a flexible, clean energy carrying intermediate that enables aggressive market penetration of renewables while deeply decarbonizing our energy system. H2 at Scale is a concept that supports the electricity grid by utilizing energy without other demands at any given time and also supports transportation and industry by providing low-priced hydrogen to them. This presentation is an update to the Hydrogen Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC).

  16. Hydrogen isotope separation using molecular sieve of synthetic zeolite 3A

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

    Kotoh, K.; Kimura, K.; Nakamura, Y.

    2008-07-15

    It is known that hydrogen isotope molecules can be adsorbed easily onto synthetic zeolite 4A, 5A, and 13X at the liquid-nitrogen temperature of 77.4 K. We show here that hydrogen and deuterium are not adsorptive onto zeolite 3A at the same temperature. This phenomenon is explained by assuming the molecular sieve function in zeolite-3A-crystalline lattice structure. From a series of pseudo-isobaric experiments, it is also shown that the sieving phenomenon appears in a range above 77.4 K. This behavior is interpreted as resulting on the dependence of sieve's mesh size on temperature, where the sieving effect is considered to appearmore » at a certain temperature. In this interpretation, an isotopic difference between hydrogen and deuterium is suggested to exist in the sieving effect appearance temperatures. This is endorsed in the result of pseudo-isobaric experiments. This temperature deference is very significant because that indicates the possibility of an effective method of hydrogen isotope separation. This possibility is verified through an experimental series of adsorption-desorption with a mixture of H{sub 2} and D{sub 2}, where the gas samples adsorbed through the sieve operated at intentionally selected temperatures are isolated and then analyzed. The result demonstrates remarkable values of isotope separation factor. (authors)« less

  17. Comment on "Hydrogen Balmer beta: The separation between line peaks for plasma electron density diagnostics and self-absorption test"

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gautam, Ghaneshwar; Surmick, David M.; Parigger, Christian G.

    2015-07-01

    In this letter, we present a brief comment regarding the recently published paper by Ivković et al., J Quant Spectrosc Radiat Transf 2015;154:1-8. Reference is made to previous experimental results to indicate that self absorption must have occurred; however, when carefully considering error propagation, both widths and peak-separation predict electron densities within the error margins. Yet the diagnosis method and the presented details on the use of the hydrogen beta peak separation are viewed as a welcomed contribution in studies of laser-induced plasma.

  18. Exploiting Diffusion Barrier and Chemical Affinity of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Efficient Hydrogen Isotope Separation.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jin Yeong; Balderas-Xicohténcatl, Rafael; Zhang, Linda; Kang, Sung Gu; Hirscher, Michael; Oh, Hyunchul; Moon, Hoi Ri

    2017-10-25

    Deuterium plays a pivotal role in industrial and scientific research, and is irreplaceable for various applications such as isotope tracing, neutron moderation, and neutron scattering. In addition, deuterium is a key energy source for fusion reactions. Thus, the isolation of deuterium from a physico-chemically almost identical isotopic mixture is a seminal challenge in modern separation technology. However, current commercial approaches suffer from extremely low separation efficiency (i.e., cryogenic distillation, selectivity of 1.5 at 24 K), requiring a cost-effective and large-scale separation technique. Herein, we report a highly effective hydrogen isotope separation system based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) having the highest reported separation factor as high as ∼26 at 77 K by maximizing synergistic effects of the chemical affinity quantum sieving (CAQS) and kinetic quantum sieving (KQS). For this purpose, the MOF-74 system having high hydrogen adsorption enthalpies due to strong open metal sites is chosen for CAQS functionality, and imidazole molecules (IM) are employed to the system for enhancing the KQS effect. To the best of our knowledge, this work is not only the first attempt to implement two quantum sieving effects, KQS and CAQS, in one system, but also provides experimental validation of the utility of this system for practical industrial usage by isolating high-purity D 2 through direct selective separation studies using 1:1 D 2 /H 2 mixtures.

  19. MISCIBILITY CALCULATIONS FOR WATER AND HYDROGEN IN GIANT PLANETS

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

    Soubiran, François; Militzer, Burkhard

    2015-06-20

    We present results from ab initio simulations of liquid water–hydrogen mixtures in the range from 2 to 70 GPa and from 1000 to 6000 K, covering conditions in the interiors of ice giant planets and parts of the outer envelope of gas giant planets. In addition to computing the pressure and the internal energy, we derive the Gibbs free energy by performing a thermodynamic integration. For all conditions under consideration, our simulations predict hydrogen and water to mix in all proportions. The thermodynamic behavior of the mixture can be well described with an ideal mixing approximation. We suggest that amore » substantial fraction of water and hydrogen in giant planets may occur in homogeneously mixed form rather than in separate layers. The extent of mixing depends on the planet’s interior dynamics and its conditions of formation, in particular on how much hydrogen was present when icy planetesimals were delivered. Based on our results, we do not predict water–hydrogen mixtures to phase separate during any stage of the evolution of giant planets. We also show that the hydrogen content of an exoplanet is much higher if the mixed interior is assumed.« less

  20. Theoretical and Experimental Flow Cell Studies of a Hydrogen-Bromine Fuel Cell, Part 1. M.S. Thesis. Final Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Savinell, R. F.; Fritts, S. D.

    1986-01-01

    There is increasing interest in hydrogen-bromine fuel cells as both primary and regenerative energy storage systems. One promising design for a hydrogen-bromine fuel cell is a negative half cell having only a gas phase, which is separated by a cationic exchange membrane from a positive half cell having an aqueous electrolyte. The hydrogen gas and the aqueous bromide solution are stored external to the cell. In order to calculate the energy storage capacity and to predict and assess the performance of a single cell, the open circuit potential (OCV) must be estimated for different states of change, under various conditions. Theoretical expressions were derived to estimate the OCV of a hydrogen-bromine fuel cell. In these expressions temperature, hydrogen pressure, and bromine and hydrobromic acid concentrations were taken into consideration. Also included are the effects of the Nafion membrance separator and the various bromide complex species. Activity coefficients were taken into account in one of the expressions. The sensitivity of these parameters on the calculated OCV was studied.

  1. Dehydrogenation of liquid fuel in microchannel catalytic reactor

    DOEpatents

    Toseland, Bernard Allen; Pez, Guido Peter; Puri, Pushpinder Singh

    2010-08-03

    The present invention is an improved process for the storage and delivery of hydrogen by the reversible hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of an organic compound wherein the organic compound is initially in its hydrogenated state. The improvement in the route to generating hydrogen is in the dehydrogenation step and recovery of the dehydrogenated organic compound resides in the following steps: introducing a hydrogenated organic compound to a microchannel reactor incorporating a dehydrogenation catalyst; effecting dehydrogenation of said hydrogenated organic compound under conditions whereby said hydrogenated organic compound is present as a liquid phase; generating a reaction product comprised of a liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound and gaseous hydrogen; separating the liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound from gaseous hydrogen; and, recovering the hydrogen and liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound.

  2. Dehydrogenation of liquid fuel in microchannel catalytic reactor

    DOEpatents

    Toseland, Bernard Allen [Allentown, PA; Pez, Guido Peter [Allentown, PA; Puri, Pushpinder Singh [Emmaus, PA

    2009-02-03

    The present invention is an improved process for the storage and delivery of hydrogen by the reversible hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of an organic compound wherein the organic compound is initially in its hydrogenated state. The improvement in the route to generating hydrogen is in the dehydrogenation step and recovery of the dehydrogenated organic compound resides in the following steps: introducing a hydrogenated organic compound to a microchannel reactor incorporating a dehydrogenation catalyst; effecting dehydrogenation of said hydrogenated organic compound under conditions whereby said hydrogenated organic compound is present as a liquid phase; generating a reaction product comprised of a liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound and gaseous hydrogen; separating the liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound from gaseous hydrogen; and, recovering the hydrogen and liquid phase dehydrogenated organic compound.

  3. SEPARATION OF METAL VALUES FROM NUCLEAR REACTOR

    DOEpatents

    Campbell, D.O.; Cathers, G.I.

    1962-06-19

    A method is given for separating beryllium fluoride and an alkali metal fluoride from a mixture containing same and rare earth fluorides. The method comprises contacting said mixture with a liquid hydrogen fluoride solvent containing no more than about 30 per cent water by weight and saturated with a fluoride salt characterized by its solubility in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride for a period of time sufficient to dissolve said beryllium fluoride in said solvent. (AEC)

  4. Pore size engineering applied to starved electrochemical cells and batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abbey, K. M.; Thaller, L. H.

    1982-01-01

    To maximize performance in starved, multiplate cells, the cell design should rely on techniques which widen the volume tolerance characteristics. These involve engineering capillary pressure differences between the components of an electrochemical cell and using these forces to promote redistribution of electrolyte to the desired optimum values. This can be implemented in practice by prescribing pore size distributions for porous back-up plates, reservoirs, and electrodes. In addition, electrolyte volume management can be controlled by incorporating different pore size distributions into the separator. In a nickel/hydrogen cell, the separator must contain pores similar in size to the small pores of both the nickel and hydrogen electrodes in order to maintain an optimum conductive path for the electrolyte. The pore size distributions of all components should overlap in such a way as to prevent drying of the separator and/or flooding of the hydrogen electrode.

  5. Pore size engineering applied to the design of separators for nickel-hydrogen cells and batteries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abbey, K. M.; Britton, D. L.

    1983-01-01

    Pore size engineering in starved alkaline multiplate cells involves adopting techniques to widen the volume tolerance of individual cells. Separators with appropriate pore size distributions and wettability characteristics (capillary pressure considerations) to have wider volume tolerances and an ability to resist dimensional changes in the electrodes were designed. The separators studied for potential use in nickel-hydrogen cells consist of polymeric membranes as well as inorganic microporous mats. In addition to standard measurements, the resistance and distribution of electrolyte as a function of total cell electrolyte content were determined. New composite separators consisting of fibers, particles and/or binders deposited on Zircar cloth were developed in order to engineer the proper capillary pressure characteristics in the separator. These asymmetric separators were prepared from a variety of fibers, particles and binders. Previously announced in STAR as N83-24571

  6. Low cost hydrogen/novel membrane technology for hydrogen separation from synthesis gas, Phase 1. Quarterly technical progress report for the period ending March 31, 1986

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

    Not Available

    1986-12-31

    The goal of this program is to develop polymer membranes useful in the preparation of hydrogen from coal-derived synthesis gas. During this quarter the first experiment were aimed at developing high performance composite membranes for the separation of hydrogen from nitrogen and carbon monoxide. Three polymers have been selected as materials for these membranes: polyetherimide cellulose acetate and ethylcellulose. This quarter the investigators worked on polyetherimide and cellulose acetate membranes. The overall structure of these membranes is shown schematically in Figure 1. As shown, a microporous support membrane is first coated with a high flux intermediate layer then with anmore » ultrathin permselective layer and finally, if necessary, a thin protective high flux layer. 1 fig., 4 tabs.« less

  7. An Approach for Hydrogen Recycling in a Closed-loop Life Support Architecture to Increase Oxygen Recovery Beyond State-of-the-Art

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abney, Morgan B.; Miller, Lee; Greenwood, Zachary; Alvarez, Giraldo

    2014-01-01

    State-of-the-art atmosphere revitalization life support technology on the International Space Station is theoretically capable of recovering 50% of the oxygen from metabolic carbon dioxide via the Carbon Dioxide Reduction Assembly (CRA). When coupled with a Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA), oxygen recovery increases dramatically, thus drastically reducing the logistical challenges associated with oxygen resupply. The PPA decomposes methane to predominantly form hydrogen and acetylene. Because of the unstable nature of acetylene, a down-stream separation system is required to remove acetylene from the hydrogen stream before it is recycled to the CRA. A new closed-loop architecture that includes a PPA and downstream Hydrogen Purification Assembly (HyPA) is proposed and discussed. Additionally, initial results of separation material testing are reported.

  8. High-Temperature Proton-Conducting Ceramics Developed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sayir, Ali; Dynys, Frederick W.; Berger, M. H.

    2005-01-01

    High-temperature protonic conductors (HTPC) are needed for hydrogen separation, hydrogen sensors, fuel cells, and hydrogen production from fossil fuels. The HTPC materials for hydrogen separation at high temperatures are foreseen to be metal oxides with the perovskite structure A(sup 2+)B(sup 4+)C(sup 2-, sub 3) and with the trivalent cation (M(sup 3+)) substitution at the B(sup 4+)-site to introduce oxygen vacancies. The high affinity for hydrogen ions (H(sup +)) is advantageous for protonic transport, but it increases the reactivity toward water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2), which can lead to premature membrane failure. In addition, there are considerable technological challenges related to the processing of HTPC materials. The high melting point and multi-cation chemistry of HTPC materials creates difficulties in in achieving high-density, single-phase membranes by solid-state sintering. The presence of secondary phases and grain-boundary interfaces are detrimental to the protonic conduction and environmental stability of polycrystalline HTPC materials.

  9. Integrating Semiconducting Catalyst of ReS2 Nanosheets into P-silicon Photocathode toward Enhanced Solar Water Reduction.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Heng; Dai, Zhengyi; Xu, Xiaoyong; Pan, Jing; Hu, Jingguo

    2018-06-22

    Loading the electro-catalysts at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface is one of promising strategies to develop photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting cells. However, the assembly of compatible and synergistic heterojunction between the semiconductor and the selected catalyst remains challenging. Here, we report a hierarchical p-Si/ReS2 heterojunction photocathode fabricated through uniform growth vertically standing ReS2 nanosheets (NSs) on planar p-Si substrate for solar-driven hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The laden ReS2 NSs not only serve as a high-activity HER catalyst but also render a suitable electronic band coupled with p-Si into a Ⅱ-type heterojunction, which facilitates the photo-induced charge production, separation and utilization. As a result, the assembled p-Si/ReS2 photocathode exhibits a 23-fold-increased photocurrent density at 0 VRHE and a 35-fold-enhanced photoconversion efficiency compared to pure p-Si counterpart. The bifunctional ReS2 as catalyst and semiconductor enables multi effects in improving light harvesting, charge separation and catalytic kinetics, highlighting the potential of semiconducting catalysts integrated into solar water splitting devices.

  10. Kinetics of hydrogen release from lunar soil

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bustin, Roberta

    1990-01-01

    With increasing interest in a lunar base, there is a need for extensive examination of possible lunar resources. Hydrogen will be needed on a lunar base for many activities including providing fuel, making water, and serving as a reducing agent in the extraction of oxygen from its ores. Previous studies have shown the solar wind has implanted hydrogen in the lunar regolith and that hydrogen is present not only in the outer layer of soil but to considerable depths, depending on the sampling site. If this hydrogen is to be mined and used on the lunar surface, a number of questions need to be answered. How much energy must be expended in order to release the hydrogen from the soil. What temperatures must be attained, and how long must the soil be heated. This study was undertaken to provide answers to practical questions such as these. Hydrogen was determined using a Pyrolysis/GC technique in which hydrogen was released by heating the soil sample contained in a quartz tube in a resistance wire furnace, followed by separation and quantitative determination using a gas chromatograph with a helium ionization detector. Heating times and temperatures were varied, and particle separates were studied in addition to bulk soils. The typical sample size was 10 mg of lunar soil. All of the soils used were mature soils with similar hydrogen abundances. Pre-treatments with air and steam were used in an effort to find a more efficient way of releasing hydrogen.

  11. Hydrogen diffusion in liquid aluminum from ab initio molecular dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jakse, N.; Pasturel, A.

    2014-05-01

    Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations are used to describe the diffusion of hydrogen in liquid aluminum at different temperatures. Quasi-instantaneous jumps separating periods of localized vibrations around a mean position are found to characterize the hydrogen motion at the microscopic scale. The hydrogen motion is furthermore analyzed using the van Hove function. We highlight a non-Fickian behavior for the hydrogen diffusion due to a large spatial distribution of hydrogen jumps. We show that a generalized continuous time random walk (CTRW) model describes the experimental diffusion coefficients in a satisfactory manner. Finally, the impact of impurities and alloying elements on hydrogen diffusion in aluminum is discussed.

  12. Process for the thermochemical production of hydrogen

    DOEpatents

    Norman, John H.; Russell, Jr., John L.; Porter, II, John T.; McCorkle, Kenneth H.; Roemer, Thomas S.; Sharp, Robert

    1978-01-01

    Hydrogen is thermochemically produced from water in a cycle wherein a first reaction produces hydrogen iodide and H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 by the reaction of iodine, sulfur dioxide and water under conditions which cause two distinct aqueous phases to be formed, i.e., a lighter sulfuric acid-bearing phase and a heavier hydrogen iodide-bearing phase. After separation of the two phases, the heavier phase containing most of the hydrogen iodide is treated, e.g., at a high temperature, to decompose the hydrogen iodide and recover hydrogen and iodine. The H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 is pyrolyzed to recover sulfur dioxide and produce oxygen.

  13. Reactor Experiments at the University of Minnesota.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-07-15

    metallurgy; zinc, zinc oxide; solar thermal,’ solar Pi% thermoelectrochemical’ water splitting, separation devices; reactors e, ? 20. AeSiRACT (Continue oe...reported. Water splitting, recovery of hydrogen 4. and sulfur from hydrogen sulfide, electrolysis of zinc oxide in vapor and liquid phases, oil...CH4-CO2 reforming process. 2. Hydrogen production from water and the production of hydrogen and sulfur (or ammonia and sulfuric acid) from H2S. 3

  14. Selective detection of hyperpolarized NMR signals derived from para-hydrogen using the Only Para-hydrogen SpectroscopY (OPSY) approach.

    PubMed

    Aguilar, Juan A; Adams, Ralph W; Duckett, Simon B; Green, Gary G R; Kandiah, Rathika

    2011-01-01

    A new family of NMR pulse sequences is reported for the recording of para-hydrogen enhanced NMR spectra. This Only Para-hydrogen SpectroscopY (OPSY) approach uses coherence selection to separate hyperpolarized signals from those of fully relaxed and thermally equilibrated protons. Sequence design, performance, practical aspects and applicability to other hyperpolarization techniques are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Carbon Dioxide Separation Using Thermally Optimized Membranes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, J. S.; Jorgensen, B. S.; Espinoza, B. F.; Weimer, M. W.; Jarvinen, G. D.; Greenberg, A.; Khare, V.; Orme, C. J.; Wertsching, A. K.; Peterson, E. S.; Hopkins, S. D.; Acquaviva, J.

    2002-05-01

    The purpose of this project is to develop polymeric-metallic membranes for carbon dioxide separations that operate under a broad range of industrially relevant conditions not accessible with present membrane units. The last decade has witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of polymer membranes as an effective, economic and flexible tool for many commercial gas separations including air separation, the recovery of hydrogen from nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane mixtures, and the removal of carbon dioxide from natural gas. In each of these applications, high fluxes and excellent selectivities have relied on glassy polymer membranes which separate gases based on both size and solubility differences. To date, however, this technology has focused on optimizing materials for near ambient conditions. The development of polymeric materials that achieve the important combination of high selectivity, high permeability, and mechanical stability at temperatures significantly above 25oC and pressures above 10 bar, respectively, has been largely ignored. Consequently, there is a compelling rationale for the exploration of a new realm of polymer membrane separations. Indeed, the development of high temperature polymeric-metallic composite membranes for carbon dioxide separation at temperatures of 100-450 oC and pressures of 10-150 bar would provide a pivotal contribution with both economic and environmental benefits. Progress to date includes the first ever fabrication of a polymeric-metallic membrane that is selective from room temperature to 370oC. This achievement represents the highest demonstrated operating temperature at which a polymeric based membrane has successfully functioned. Additionally, we have generated the first polybenzamidizole silicate molecular composites. Finally, we have developed a technique that has enabled the first-ever simultaneous measurements of gas permeation and membrane compaction at elevated temperatures. This technique provides a unique approach to the optimization of long-term membrane performance under challenging operating conditions.

  16. Long-Term Demonstration of Hydrogen Production from Coal at Elevated Temperatures Year 6 - Activity 1.12 - Development of a National Center for Hydrogen Technology

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

    Stanislowski, Joshua; Tolbert, Scott; Curran, Tyler

    2012-04-30

    The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has continued the work of the National Center for Hydrogen Technology® (NCHT®) Program Year 6 Task 1.12 project to expose hydrogen separation membranes to coal-derived syngas. In this follow-on project, the EERC has exposed two membranes to coal-derived syngas produced in the pilot-scale transport reactor development unit (TRDU). Western Research Institute (WRI), with funding from the State of Wyoming Clean Coal Technology Program and the North Dakota Industrial Commission, contracted with the EERC to conduct testing of WRI’s coal-upgrading/gasification technology for subbituminous and lignite coals in the EERC’s TRDU. This gasifier fires nominallymore » 200–500 lb/hour of fuel and is the pilot-scale version of the full-scale gasifier currently being constructed in Kemper County, Mississippi. A slipstream of the syngas was used to demonstrate warm-gas cleanup and hydrogen separation using membrane technology. Two membranes were exposed to coal-derived syngas, and the impact of coal-derived impurities was evaluated. This report summarizes the performance of WRI’s patent-pending coalupgrading/ gasification technology in the EERC’s TRDU and presents the results of the warm-gas cleanup and hydrogen separation tests. Overall, the WRI coal-upgrading/gasification technology was shown to produce a syngas significantly lower in CO2 content and significantly higher in CO content than syngas produced from the raw fuels. Warm-gas cleanup technologies were shown to be capable of reducing sulfur in the syngas to 1 ppm. Each of the membranes tested was able to produce at least 2 lb/day of hydrogen from coal-derived syngas.« less

  17. Hydrogen production by high-temperature water splitting using electron-conducting membranes

    DOEpatents

    Lee, Tae H.; Wang, Shuangyan; Dorris, Stephen E.; Balachandran, Uthamalingam

    2004-04-27

    A device and method for separating water into hydrogen and oxygen is disclosed. A first substantially gas impervious solid electron-conducting membrane for selectively passing hydrogen is provided and spaced from a second substantially gas impervious solid electron-conducting membrane for selectively passing oxygen. When steam is passed between the two membranes at disassociation temperatures the hydrogen from the disassociation of steam selectively and continuously passes through the first membrane and oxygen selectively and continuously passes through the second membrane, thereby continuously driving the disassociation of steam producing hydrogen and oxygen.

  18. Coal hydrogenation and deashing in ebullated bed catalytic reactor

    DOEpatents

    Huibers, Derk T. A.; Johanson, Edwin S.

    1983-01-01

    An improved process for hydrogenation of coal containing ash with agglomeration and removal of ash from an ebullated bed catalytic reactor to produce deashed hydrocarbon liquid and gas products. In the process, a flowable coal-oil slurry is reacted with hydrogen in an ebullated catalyst bed reaction zone at elevated temperature and pressure conditions. The upward velocity and viscosity of the reactor liquid are controlled so that a substantial portion of the ash released from the coal is agglomerated to form larger particles in the upper portion of the reactor above the catalyst bed, from which the agglomerated ash is separately withdrawn along with adhering reaction zone liquid. The resulting hydrogenated hydrocarbon effluent material product is phase separated to remove vapor fractions, after which any ash remaining in the liquid fraction can be removed to produce substantially ash-free coal-derived liquid products.

  19. Liquid-liquid equilibria for hydrogen fluoride + 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane + 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane at {minus}20 and 20 C

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

    Kang, Y.W.; Lee, Y.Y.

    1995-03-01

    1,1-Dichloro-1-fluoroethane is presently under consideration as a replacement for trichlorofluoromethane, which is widely used as a foam blowing agent. 1-Chloro-1,1-difluoroethane is the major raw material for the production of poly(vinylidene fluoride). These two materials are normally manufactured by the fluorination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane or vinylidene chloride with hydrogen fluoride. A phase separator is normally used to retrieve hydrogen fluoride from the product stream. To design the phase separator, liquid-liquid equilibrium data are required. Liquid-liquid equilibria for the ternary system (hydrogen fluoride + 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane + 1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane) have been measured at {minus}20 and 20 C. The results are correlated with the NRTL model,more » and the relevant parameters are presented.« less

  20. Possible origin and roles of nano-porosity in ZrO2 scales for hydrogen pick-up in Zr alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lindgren, Mikaela; Geers, Christine; Panas, Itai

    2017-08-01

    A mechanistic understanding of Wagnerian build-up and subsequent non-Wagnerian break-down of barrier oxide upon oxidation of zirconium alloys by water is reiterated. Hydrogen assisted build-up of nano-porosity is addressed. Growth of sub-nanometer wide stalactitic pores owing to increasing aggregation of neutral oxygen vacancies offering a means to permeate hydrogen into the alloy is explored by density functional theory. The Wagnerian channel utilizes charge separation allowing charged oxygen vacancies and electrons to move separately from nominal anode to nominal cathode. This process becomes increasingly controlled by the charging of the barrier oxide resulting in sub-parabolic rate law for oxide growth. The break-down of the barrier oxide is understood to be preceded by avalanching hydrogen pick-up in the alloy. Pore mediated diffusion allows water to effectively short circuit the barrier oxide.

  1. Method for removing acid gases from a gaseous stream

    DOEpatents

    Gorin, Everett; Zielke, Clyde W.

    1981-01-01

    In a process for hydrocracking a heavy aromatic polynuclear carbonaceous feedstock containing reactive alkaline constituents to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels boiling below about 475.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure by contacting the feedstock with hydrogen in the presence of a molten metal halide catalyst, thereafter separating a gaseous stream containing hydrogen, at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fuels and acid gases from the molten metal halide and regenerating the molten metal halide, thereby producing a purified molten metal halide stream for recycle to the hydrocracking zone, an improvement comprising; contacting the gaseous acid gas, hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels-containing stream with the feedstock containing reactive alkaline constituents to remove acid gases from the acid gas containing stream. Optionally at least a portion of the hydrocarbon fuels are separated from gaseous stream containing hydrogen, hydrocarbon fuels and acid gases prior to contacting the gaseous stream with the feedstock.

  2. Repeatable hydrogen generation of 3D microporous nickel membrane using chemical milling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, Keumyoung; Lim, Taekyung; Ju, Sanghyun

    2018-05-01

    In this study, we investigated a novel method of hydrogen generation through a chemical milling process. In the process of generating hydrogen with a thermochemical water-splitting method using a 3D microporous nickel membrane, the nickel surface is oxidized, leading to a decreased generation of hydrogen gas with time. To regenerate hydrogen from the oxidized catalysts, the oxidized metal surface was easily removed at room temperature, re-exposing a metal surface with abundant oxygen vacancies for continuous hydrogen generation. With this method, ~110 µmol · g‑1 of hydrogen gas was continuously produced per cycle. Since this method enabled us to create a fit state for hydrogen generation without extra heat, light, or electrical energy, it can solve the biggest commercialization challenge: inefficiency because the energy required for hydrogen generation is higher than the energy of the generated hydrogen.

  3. Hydrogen as an atomic beam standard

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Peters, H. E.

    1972-01-01

    After a preliminary discussion of feasibility, new experimental work with a hydrogen beam is described. A space focused magnetic resonance technique with separated oscillatory fields is used with a monochromatic beam of cold hydrogen atoms which are selected from a higher temperature source. The first resonance curves and other experimental results are presented. These results are interpreted from the point of view of accuracy potential and frequency stability, and are compared with hydrogen maser and cesium beam capabilities.

  4. Optimization and comprehensive characterization of metal hydride based hydrogen storage systems using in-situ Neutron Radiography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Börries, S.; Metz, O.; Pranzas, P. K.; Bellosta von Colbe, J. M.; Bücherl, T.; Dornheim, M.; Klassen, T.; Schreyer, A.

    2016-10-01

    For the storage of hydrogen, complex metal hydrides are considered as highly promising with respect to capacity, reversibility and safety. The optimization of corresponding storage tanks demands a precise and time-resolved investigation of the hydrogen distribution in scaled-up metal hydride beds. In this study it is shown that in situ fission Neutron Radiography provides unique insights into the spatial distribution of hydrogen even for scaled-up compacts and therewith enables a direct study of hydrogen storage tanks. A technique is introduced for the precise quantification of both time-resolved data and a priori material distribution, allowing inter alia for an optimization of compacts manufacturing process. For the first time, several macroscopic fields are combined which elucidates the great potential of Neutron Imaging for investigations of metal hydrides by going further than solely 'imaging' the system: A combination of in-situ Neutron Radiography, IR-Thermography and thermodynamic quantities can reveal the interdependency of different driving forces for a scaled-up sodium alanate pellet by means of a multi-correlation analysis. A decisive and time-resolved, complex influence of material packing density is derived. The results of this study enable a variety of new investigation possibilities that provide essential information on the optimization of future hydrogen storage tanks.

  5. Composite mixed oxide ionic and electronic conductors for hydrogen separation

    DOEpatents

    Gopalan, Srikanth [Westborough, MA; Pal, Uday B [Dover, MA; Karthikeyan, Annamalai [Quincy, MA; Hengdong, Cui [Allston, MA

    2009-09-15

    A mixed ionic and electronic conducting membrane includes a two-phase solid state ceramic composite, wherein the first phase comprises an oxygen ion conductor and the second phase comprises an n-type electronically conductive oxide, wherein the electronically conductive oxide is stable at an oxygen partial pressure as low as 10.sup.-20 atm and has an electronic conductivity of at least 1 S/cm. A hydrogen separation system and related methods using the mixed ionic and electronic conducting membrane are described.

  6. Hydrogen Generator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1978-01-01

    Another spinoff from spacecraft fuel cell technology is the portable hydrogen generator shown. Developed by General Electric Company, it is an aid to safer operation of systems that use hydrogen-for example, gas chromatographs, used in laboratory analysis of gases. or flame ionization detectors used as $ollution monitors. The generator eliminates the need for high-pressure hydrogen storage bottles, which can be a safety hazard, in laboratories, hospitals and industrial plants. The unit supplies high-purity hydrogen by means of an electrochemical process which separates the hydrogen and oxygen in distilled water. The oxygen is vented away and the hydrogen gas is stored within the unit for use as needed. GE's Aircraft Equipment Division is producing about 1,000 of the generators annually.

  7. Continuous catalytic decomposition of methane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clifford, J. E.; Hillenbrand, L. J.; Kim, B. C.; Kolic, E. S.; Zupan, J.

    1973-01-01

    Water is conserved by employing sequence of reactions whereby 75 percent of methane from Sabatier reaction is decomposed to solid carbon and hydrogen; hydrogen is then separated from residual methane and utilized in usual Sabatier reaction to reduce remaining metabolic carbon dioxide.

  8. Water and hydrogen are immiscible in Earth's mantle.

    PubMed

    Bali, Enikő; Audétat, Andreas; Keppler, Hans

    2013-03-14

    In the deep, chemically reducing parts of Earth's mantle, hydrous fluids contain significant amounts of molecular hydrogen (H2). Thermodynamic models of fluids in Earth's mantle so far have always assumed that molecular hydrogen and water are completely miscible. Here we show experimental evidence that water and hydrogen can coexist as two separate, immiscible phases. Immiscibility between water and hydrogen may be the cause of the formation of enigmatic, ultra-reducing domains in the mantle that contain moissanite (SiC) and other phases indicative of extremely reducing conditions. Moreover, the immiscibility between water and hydrogen may provide a mechanism for the rapid oxidation of Earth's upper mantle immediately following core formation.

  9. Ethanol production from bamboo using mild alkaline pre-extraction followed by alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Zhaoyang; Wen, Yangbing; Kapu, Nuwan Sella

    2018-01-01

    A sequential two-stage pretreatment process comprising alkaline pre-extraction and alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHP) was investigated to convert bamboo carbohydrates into bioethanol. The results showed that mild alkaline pre-extraction using 8% (w/w) sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at 100°C for 180min followed by AHP pretreatment with 4% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was sufficient to generate a substrate that could be efficiently digested with low enzyme loadings. Moreover, alkali pre-extraction enabled the use of lower H 2 O 2 charges in AHP treatment. Two-stage pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with only 9FPU/g cellulose led to the recovery of 87% of the original sugars in the raw feedstock. The use of the pentose-hexose fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae SR8u strain enabled the utilization of 95.7% sugars in the hydrolysate to reach 4.6%w/v ethanol titer. The overall process also enabled the recovery of 62.9% lignin and 93.8% silica at high levels of purity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Selective Precipitation of Thorium lodate from a Tartaric Acid-Hydrogen Peroxide Medium Application to Rapid Spectrophotometric Determination of Thorium in Silicate Rocks and in Ores

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Grimaldi, F.S.

    1957-01-01

    This paper presents a selective iodate separation of thorium from nitric acid medium containing d-tartaric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is prevented by the use of 8quinolinol. A few micrograms of thorium are separated sufficiently clean from 30 mg. of such oxides as cerium, zirconium, titanium, niobium, tantalum, scandium, or iron with one iodate precipitation to allow an accurate determination of thorium with the thoronmesotartaric acid spectrophotometric method. The method is successful for the determination of 0.001% or more of thorium dioxide in silicate rocks and for 0.01% or more in black sand, monazite, thorite, thorianite, eschynite, euxenite, and zircon.

  11. Spent coffee-based activated carbon: specific surface features and their importance for H2S separation process.

    PubMed

    Kante, Karifala; Nieto-Delgado, Cesar; Rangel-Mendez, J Rene; Bandosz, Teresa J

    2012-01-30

    Activated carbons were prepared from spent ground coffee. Zinc chloride was used as an activation agent. The obtained materials were used as a media for separation of hydrogen sulfide from air at ambient conditions. The materials were characterized using adsorption of nitrogen, elemental analysis, SEM, FTIR, and thermal analysis. Surface features of the carbons depend on the amount of an activation agent used. Even though the residual inorganic matter takes part in the H(2)S retention via salt formation, the porous surface of carbons governs the separation process. The chemical activation method chosen resulted in formation of large volume of pores with sizes between 10 and 30Å, optimal for water and hydrogen sulfide adsorption. Even though the activation process can be optimized/changed, the presence of nitrogen in the precursor (caffeine) is a significant asset of that specific organic waste. Nitrogen functional groups play a catalytic role in hydrogen sulfide oxidation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Biogas desulfurization and biogas upgrading using a hybrid membrane system--modeling study.

    PubMed

    Makaruk, A; Miltner, M; Harasek, M

    2013-01-01

    Membrane gas permeation using glassy membranes proved to be a suitable method for biogas upgrading and natural gas substitute production on account of low energy consumption and high compactness. Glassy membranes are very effective in the separation of bulk carbon dioxide and water from a methane-containing stream. However, the content of hydrogen sulfide can be lowered only partially. This work employs process modeling based upon the finite difference method to evaluate a hybrid membrane system built of a combination of rubbery and glassy membranes. The former are responsible for the separation of hydrogen sulfide and the latter separate carbon dioxide to produce standard-conform natural gas substitute. The evaluation focuses on the most critical upgrading parameters like achievable gas purity, methane recovery and specific energy consumption. The obtained results indicate that the evaluated hybrid membrane configuration is a potentially efficient system for the biogas processing tasks that do not require high methane recoveries, and allows effective desulfurization for medium and high hydrogen sulfide concentrations without additional process steps.

  13. Method and apparatus for the selective separation of gaseous coal gasification products by pressure swing adsorption

    DOEpatents

    Ghate, Madhav R.; Yang, Ralph T.

    1987-01-01

    Bulk separation of the gaseous components of multi-component gases provided by the gasification of coal including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and acid gases (carbon dioxide plus hydrogen sulfide) are selectively adsorbed by a pressure swing adsorption technique using activated carbon, zeolite or a combination thereof as the adsorbent. By charging a column containing the adsorbent with a gas mixture and pressurizing the column to a pressure sufficient to cause the adsorption of the gases and then reducing the partial pressure of the contents of the column, the gases are selectively and sequentially desorbed. Hydrogen, the least absorbable gas of the gaseous mixture, is the first gas to be desorbed and is removed from the column in a co-current direction followed by the carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane. With the pressure in the column reduced to about atmospheric pressure the column is evacuated in a countercurrent direction to remove the acid gases from the column. The present invention is particularly advantageous as a producer of high parity hydrogen from gaseous products of coal gasification and as an acid gas scrubber.

  14. Meet Jen Kurtz | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    Denver. But truthfully, the group manager in NREL's hydrogen and fuel cells systems engineering group --are successful." Jen says that one of the biggest things in the mission space is that research around hydrogen infrastructure will help enable more than one advancement. "We want to increase

  15. Hydrogen-enabled microstructure and fatigue strength engineering of titanium alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paramore, James D.; Fang, Zhigang Zak; Dunstan, Matthew; Sun, Pei; Butler, Brady G.

    2017-02-01

    Traditionally, titanium alloys with satisfactory mechanical properties can only be produced via energy-intensive and costly wrought processes, while titanium alloys produced using low-cost powder metallurgy methods consistently result in inferior mechanical properties, especially low fatigue strength. Herein, we demonstrate a new microstructural engineering approach for producing low-cost titanium alloys with exceptional fatigue strength via the hydrogen sintering and phase transformation (HSPT) process. The high fatigue strength presented in this work is achieved by creating wrought-like microstructures without resorting to wrought processing. This is accomplished by generating an ultrafine-grained as-sintered microstructure through hydrogen-enabled phase transformations, facilitating the subsequent creation of fatigue-resistant microstructures via simple heat treatments. The exceptional strength, ductility, and fatigue performance reported in this paper are a breakthrough in the field of low-cost titanium processing.

  16. Hydrogen-enabled microstructure and fatigue strength engineering of titanium alloys

    DOE PAGES

    Paramore, James D.; Fang, Zhigang Zak; Dunstan, Matthew; ...

    2017-02-01

    Traditionally, titanium alloys with satisfactory mechanical properties can only be produced via energy-intensive and costly wrought processes, while titanium alloys produced using low-cost powder metallurgy methods consistently result in inferior mechanical properties, especially low fatigue strength. Herein, we demonstrate a new microstructural engineering approach for producing low-cost titanium alloys with exceptional fatigue strength via the hydrogen sintering and phase transformation (HSPT) process. The high fatigue strength presented in this work is achieved by creating wroughtlike microstructures without resorting to wrought processing. This is accomplished by generating an ultrafine-grained as-sintered microstructure through hydrogen-enabled phase transformations, facilitating the subsequent creation of fatigue-resistantmore » microstructures via simple heat treatments. Finally, the exceptional strength, ductility, and fatigue performance reported in this paper are a breakthrough in the field of low-cost titanium processing.« less

  17. Hydrogen-enabled microstructure and fatigue strength engineering of titanium alloys

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

    Paramore, James D.; Fang, Zhigang Zak; Dunstan, Matthew

    Traditionally, titanium alloys with satisfactory mechanical properties can only be produced via energy-intensive and costly wrought processes, while titanium alloys produced using low-cost powder metallurgy methods consistently result in inferior mechanical properties, especially low fatigue strength. Herein, we demonstrate a new microstructural engineering approach for producing low-cost titanium alloys with exceptional fatigue strength via the hydrogen sintering and phase transformation (HSPT) process. The high fatigue strength presented in this work is achieved by creating wroughtlike microstructures without resorting to wrought processing. This is accomplished by generating an ultrafine-grained as-sintered microstructure through hydrogen-enabled phase transformations, facilitating the subsequent creation of fatigue-resistantmore » microstructures via simple heat treatments. Finally, the exceptional strength, ductility, and fatigue performance reported in this paper are a breakthrough in the field of low-cost titanium processing.« less

  18. Hydrogen-enabled microstructure and fatigue strength engineering of titanium alloys

    PubMed Central

    Paramore, James D.; Fang, Zhigang Zak; Dunstan, Matthew; Sun, Pei; Butler, Brady G.

    2017-01-01

    Traditionally, titanium alloys with satisfactory mechanical properties can only be produced via energy-intensive and costly wrought processes, while titanium alloys produced using low-cost powder metallurgy methods consistently result in inferior mechanical properties, especially low fatigue strength. Herein, we demonstrate a new microstructural engineering approach for producing low-cost titanium alloys with exceptional fatigue strength via the hydrogen sintering and phase transformation (HSPT) process. The high fatigue strength presented in this work is achieved by creating wrought-like microstructures without resorting to wrought processing. This is accomplished by generating an ultrafine-grained as-sintered microstructure through hydrogen-enabled phase transformations, facilitating the subsequent creation of fatigue-resistant microstructures via simple heat treatments. The exceptional strength, ductility, and fatigue performance reported in this paper are a breakthrough in the field of low-cost titanium processing. PMID:28145527

  19. Formation of diamonds in laser-compressed hydrocarbons at planetary interior conditions

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

    Kraus, D.; Vorberger, J.; Pak, A.

    The effects of hydrocarbon reactions and diamond precipitation on the internal structure and evolution of icy giant planets such as Neptune and Uranus have been discussed for more than three decades. Inside these celestial bodies, simple hydrocarbons such as methane, which are highly abundant in the atmospheres, are believed to undergo structural transitions that release hydrogen from deeper layers and may lead to compact stratified cores. Indeed, from the surface towards the core, the isentropes of Uranus and Neptune intersect a temperature–pressure regime in which methane first transforms into a mixture of hydrocarbon polymers, whereas, in deeper layers, a phasemore » separation into diamond and hydrogen may be possible. Here in this paper, we show experimental evidence for this phase separation process obtained by in situ X-ray diffraction from polystyrene (C 8H 8) n samples dynamically compressed to conditions around 150 GPa and 5,000 K; these conditions resemble the environment around 10,000 km below the surfaces of Neptune and Uranus. Our findings demonstrate the necessity of high pressures for initiating carbon–hydrogen separation and imply that diamond precipitation may require pressures about ten times as high as previously indicated by static compression experiments. In conclusion, our results will inform mass–radius relationships of carbon-bearing exoplanets, provide constraints for their internal layer structure and improve evolutionary models of Uranus and Neptune, in which carbon–hydrogen separation could influence the convective heat transport.« less

  20. Formation of diamonds in laser-compressed hydrocarbons at planetary interior conditions

    DOE PAGES

    Kraus, D.; Vorberger, J.; Pak, A.; ...

    2017-08-21

    The effects of hydrocarbon reactions and diamond precipitation on the internal structure and evolution of icy giant planets such as Neptune and Uranus have been discussed for more than three decades. Inside these celestial bodies, simple hydrocarbons such as methane, which are highly abundant in the atmospheres, are believed to undergo structural transitions that release hydrogen from deeper layers and may lead to compact stratified cores. Indeed, from the surface towards the core, the isentropes of Uranus and Neptune intersect a temperature–pressure regime in which methane first transforms into a mixture of hydrocarbon polymers, whereas, in deeper layers, a phasemore » separation into diamond and hydrogen may be possible. Here in this paper, we show experimental evidence for this phase separation process obtained by in situ X-ray diffraction from polystyrene (C 8H 8) n samples dynamically compressed to conditions around 150 GPa and 5,000 K; these conditions resemble the environment around 10,000 km below the surfaces of Neptune and Uranus. Our findings demonstrate the necessity of high pressures for initiating carbon–hydrogen separation and imply that diamond precipitation may require pressures about ten times as high as previously indicated by static compression experiments. In conclusion, our results will inform mass–radius relationships of carbon-bearing exoplanets, provide constraints for their internal layer structure and improve evolutionary models of Uranus and Neptune, in which carbon–hydrogen separation could influence the convective heat transport.« less

  1. [Russian oxygen generation system "Elektron-VM": hydrogen content in electrolytically produced oxygen for breathing by International Space Station crews].

    PubMed

    Proshkin, V Yu; Kurmazenko, E A

    2014-01-01

    The article presents the particulars of hydrogen content in electrolysis oxygen produced aboard the ISS Russian segment by oxygen generator "Elektron-VM" (SGK) for crew breathing. Hydrogen content was estimated as in the course of SGK operation in the ISS RS, so during the ground life tests. According to the investigation of hydrogen sources, the primary path of H2 appearance in oxygen is its diffusion through the porous diaphragm separating the electrolytic-cell cathode and anode chambers. Effectiveness of hydrogen oxidation in the SGK reheating unit was evaluated.

  2. a Theoretical Investigation on 10-12 Potential of Hydrogen-Hydrogen Covalent Bond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taneri, Sencer

    2013-05-01

    This is an analytical investigation of well-known 10-12 potential of hydrogen-hydrogen covalent bond. In this research, we will make an elaboration of the well-known 6-12 Lennard-Jones potential in case of this type of bond. Though the results are illustrated in many text books and literature, an analytical analysis for these potentials is missing almost everywhere. The power laws are valid for small radial distances, which are calculated to some extent. The internuclear separation as well as the binding energy of the hydrogen molecule are evaluated with success.

  3. Hydrogen separation membrane on a porous substrate

    DOEpatents

    Song, Sun-Ju [Orland Park, IL; Lee, Tae H [Naperville, IL; Chen, Ling [Woodridge, IL; Dorris, Stephen E [LaGrange Park, IL; Balachandran, Uthamalingam [Hinsdale, IL

    2011-06-14

    A hydrogen permeable membrane is disclosed. The membrane is prepared by forming a mixture of metal oxide powder and ceramic oxide powder and a pore former into an article. The article is dried at elevated temperatures and then sintered in a reducing atmosphere to provide a dense hydrogen permeable portion near the surface of the sintered mixture. The dense hydrogen permeable portion has a higher initial concentration of metal than the remainder of the sintered mixture and is present in the range of from about 20 to about 80 percent by volume of the dense hydrogen permeable portion.

  4. Estimating Background and Lunar Contribution to Neutrons Detected by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) Instrument

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Livengood, T. A.; Mitrofanov, I. G.; Chin, G.; Boynton, W. V.; Evans, L. G.; Litvak, M. L.; McClanahan, T. P.; Sagdeev, R.; Sanin, A. B.; Starr, R. D.; Su, J. J.

    2014-12-01

    The fraction of hydrogen-bearing species embedded in planetary regolith can be determined from the ratio between measured epithermal neutron leakage flux and the flux measured from similar dry regolith. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft is equipped with the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) instrument to measure embedded hydrogen in the Moon's polar regions and elsewhere. We have investigated the relative contribution of lunar and non-lunar (spacecraft-sourced) neutrons by modeling maps of the measured count rate from three of the LEND detector systems using linear combinations of maps compiled from the Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer (LPNS) and the LEND detectors, demonstrating that the two systems are compatible and enabling reference signal to be inferred to enable detecting hydrogen and hydrogen-bearing volatiles. The pole-to-equator contrast ratio in epithermal neutrons indicates that the average concentration of hydrogen in the Moon's polar regolith above 80° north or south latitude is ~110 ppmw, or 0.10±0.01 wt% water-equivalent hydrogen. Above 88° north or south, the concentration increases to ~140 ppmw, or 0.13±0.02 wt% water-equivalent hydrogen. Nearly identical suppression of neutron flux at both the north and south poles, despite differences in topography and distribution of permanently-shadowed regions, supports the contention that hydrogen is broadly distributed in the polar regions and increasingly concentrated approaching the poles. Similarity in the degree of neutron suppression in low-energy and high-energy epithermal neutrons suggests that the hydrogen fraction is relatively uniform with depth down to ~1 m; the neutron leakage flux is insensitive to greater depth.

  5. METHOD OF SEPARATING URANIUM SUSPENSIONS

    DOEpatents

    Wigner, E.P.; McAdams, W.A.

    1958-08-26

    A process is presented for separating colloidally dissed uranium oxides from the heavy water medium in upwhich they are contained. The method consists in treating such dispersions with hydrogen peroxide, thereby converting the uranium to non-colloidal UO/sub 4/, and separating the UO/sub 4/ sfter its rapid settling.

  6. Using ceramic membranes for the separation of hydrogen produced by dehydrogenation of perhydro- m-terphenyl

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalenchuk, A. N.; Bogdan, V. I.; Kustov, L. M.

    2015-01-01

    The efficiency of a variety of ceramic membranes for the purification of hydrogen obtained by dehydrogenation of perhydro- m-terphenyl in a catalytic flow reactor from vapors of initial hydrocarbons and dehydrogenation products is investigated.

  7. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

    DOEpatents

    Knize, R.J.; Cecchi, J.L.

    1991-08-20

    Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen. 4 figures.

  8. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

    DOEpatents

    Knize, Randall J.; Cecchi, Joseph L.

    1991-01-01

    Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen.

  9. Hydrogen isotope separation utilizing bulk getters

    DOEpatents

    Knize, Randall J.; Cecchi, Joseph L.

    1990-01-01

    Tritium and deuterium are separated from a gaseous mixture thereof, derived from a nuclear fusion reactor or some other source, by providing a casing with a bulk getter therein for absorbing the gaseous mixture to produce an initial loading of the getter, partially desorbing the getter to produce a desorbed mixture which is tritium-enriched, pumping the desorbed mixture into a separate container, the remaining gaseous loading in the getter being deuterium-enriched, desorbing the getter to a substantially greater extent to produce a deuterium-enriched gaseous mixture, and removing the deuterium-enriched mixture into another container. The bulk getter may comprise a zirconium-aluminum alloy, or a zirconium-vanadium-iron alloy. The partial desorption may reduce the loading by approximately fifty percent. The basic procedure may be extended to produce a multistage isotope separator, including at least one additional bulk getter into which the tritium-enriched mixture is absorbed. The second getter is then partially desorbed to produce a desorbed mixture which is further tritium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed from the container for the second getter, which is then desorbed to a substantially greater extent to produce a desorbed mixture which is deuterium-enriched. The last-mentioned mixture is then removed so that the cycle can be continued and repeated. The method of isotope separation is also applicable to other hydrogen isotopes, in that the method can be employed for separating either deuterium or tritium from normal hydrogen.

  10. Performance of a Dual Anode Nickel-Hydrogen Cell

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gahn, Randall F.

    1991-01-01

    Nickel-hydrogen batteries are presently being used for energy storage on satellites in low Earth orbit and in geosynchronous orbit, and have also been selected for use on the proposed Space Station Freedom. Development continues on the cell technology in order to improve the specific energy and lengthen the cycle life. An experimental study was conducted to compare the voltage performance of a nickel-hydrogen cell containing a dual anode with the standard cell design which uses a single hydrogen electrode. Since the principle voltage loss in a nickel-hydrogen cell is attributed to the mass transport and resistive polarization parameters of the nickel electrode, addition of a hydrogen electrode on the other side of the nickel electrode should reduce the electrochemical polarizations by a factor of two. A 3.5 in. diameter boilerplate cell with a single 30 mils thick nickel electrode was cycled under various current conditions to evaluate its performance with a single anode and then with a double anode. A layered separator consisting of one Zircar cloth separator and one radiation-grafted polyethylene separator were used between the electrodes. The electrolyte was 26% KOH, and the tests were done at room temperature. The discharge voltage characteristics were determined as a function of current and depth-of-discharge. At the 4C discharge rate and 50% DOD, the voltage of the dual anode cell was 100 mV higher than the single anode cell. At 75% DOD the dual anode cell voltage was about 130 mV higher than the standard cell design. Resistances of the two c ell designs obtained from the slope of the mid-discharge voltages plotted against various currents indicated that the dual anode cell resistance was one-half of the state-of-the-art cell.

  11. Hydrogen Gas-Mediated Deoxydehydration/Hydrogenation of Sugar Acids: Catalytic Conversion of Glucarates to Adipates.

    PubMed

    Larson, Reed T; Samant, Andrew; Chen, Jianbin; Lee, Woojin; Bohn, Martin A; Ohlmann, Dominik M; Zuend, Stephan J; Toste, F Dean

    2017-10-11

    The development of a system for the operationally simple, scalable conversion of polyhydroxylated biomass into industrially relevant feedstock chemicals is described. This system includes a bimetallic Pd/Re catalyst in combination with hydrogen gas as a terminal reductant and enables the high-yielding reduction of sugar acids. This procedure has been applied to the synthesis of adipate esters, precursors for the production of Nylon-6,6, in excellent yield from biomass-derived sources.

  12. Electrokinetic gated injection-based microfluidic system for quantitative analysis of hydrogen peroxide in individual HepG2 cells.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xinyuan; Li, Qingling; Chen, Zhenzhen; Li, Hongmin; Xu, Kehua; Zhang, Lisheng; Tang, Bo

    2011-03-21

    A microfluidic system to determine hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in individual HepG2 cells based on the electrokinetic gated injection was developed for the first time. A home-synthesized fluorescent probe, bis(p-methylbenzenesulfonate)dichlorofluorescein (FS), was employed to label intracellular H(2)O(2) in the intact cells. On a simple cross microchip, multiple single-cell operations, including single cell injection, cytolysis, electrophoresis separation and detection of H(2)O(2), were automatically carried out within 60 s using the electrokinetic gated injection and laser-induced fluorescence detection (LIFD). The performance of the method was evaluated under the optimal conditions. The linear calibration curve was over a range of 4.39-610 amol (R(2)=0.9994). The detection limit was 0.55 amol or 9.0×10(-10) M (S/N=3). The relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=6) of migration time and peak area were 1.4% and 4.8%, respectively. With the use of this method, the average content of H(2)O(2) in single HepG2 cells was found to be 16.09±9.84 amol (n=15). Separation efficiencies in excess of 17,000 theoretical plates for the cells were achieved. These results demonstrated that the efficient integration and automation of these single-cell operations enabled the sensitive, reproducible, and quantitative examination of intracellular H(2)O(2) at single-cell level. Owing to the advantages of simple microchip structure, controllable single-cell manipulation and ease in building, this platform provides a universal way to automatically determine other intracellular constituents within single cells. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

  13. Video System Highlights Hydrogen Fires

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Youngquist, Robert C.; Gleman, Stuart M.; Moerk, John S.

    1992-01-01

    Video system combines images from visible spectrum and from three bands in infrared spectrum to produce color-coded display in which hydrogen fires distinguished from other sources of heat. Includes linear array of 64 discrete lead selenide mid-infrared detectors operating at room temperature. Images overlaid on black and white image of same scene from standard commercial video camera. In final image, hydrogen fires appear red; carbon-based fires, blue; and other hot objects, mainly green and combinations of green and red. Where no thermal source present, image remains in black and white. System enables high degree of discrimination between hydrogen flames and other thermal emitters.

  14. Extended atmospheres of outer planet satellites and comets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smyth, W. H.; Combi, M. R.

    1985-01-01

    Collisions between neutral hydrogen atoms in the interstellar medium and those in the so-called Titan hydrogen torus may provide an additional lifetime sink for atoms in the Saturn environment. Progress toward re-sorting the Voyager UVS scans of neutral hydrogen in the Saturn system to enable both a factor of two increase in the amount of data to be analyzed as well as to help identify near-Titan hydrogen is discussed. Progress toward development of the cometary carbon and oxygen models is also discussed and a preliminary model run for the H2O source of cometary oxygen is presented.

  15. Catalytic Carbonyl Allylation, Propargylation and Vinylation from the Alcohol or Aldehyde Oxidation Level via C-C Bond Forming Hydrogenation and Transfer Hydrogenation: A Departure from Preformed Organometallic Reagents**

    PubMed Central

    Bower, John F.; Kim, In Su; Patman, Ryan L.; Krische, Michael J.

    2009-01-01

    Classical protocols for carbonyl allylation, propargylation and vinylation typically rely upon the use of preformed allyl metal, allenyl metal and vinyl metal reagents, respectively, mandating stoichiometric generation of metallic byproducts. Through transfer hydrogenative C-C coupling, carbonyl addition may be achieved from the aldehyde or alcohol oxidation level in the absence of stoichiometric organometallic reagents or metallic reductants. Here, we review transfer hydrogenative methods for carbonyl addition, which encompass the first cataltyic protocols enabling direct C–H functionalization of alcohols. PMID:19040235

  16. Photo-fermentative bacteria aggregation triggered by L-cysteine during hydrogen production

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Hydrogen recovered from organic wastes and solar energy by photo-fermentative bacteria (PFB) has been suggested as a promising bioenergy strategy. However, the use of PFB for hydrogen production generally suffers from a serious biomass washout from photobioreactor, due to poor flocculation of PFB. In the continuous operation, PFB cells cannot be efficiently separated from supernatant and rush out with effluent from reactor continuously, which increased the effluent turbidity, meanwhile led to increases in pollutants. Moreover, to replenish the biomass washout, substrate was continuously utilized for cell growth rather than hydrogen production. Consequently, the poor flocculability not only deteriorated the effluent quality, but also decreased the potential yield of hydrogen from substrate. Therefore, enhancing the flocculability of PFB is urgent necessary to further develop photo-fermentative process. Results Here, we demonstrated that L-cysteine could improve hydrogen production of Rhodopseudomonas faecalis RLD-53, and more importantly, simultaneously trigger remarkable aggregation of PFB. Experiments showed that L-cysteine greatly promoted the production of extracellular polymeric substances, especially secretion of protein containing more disulfide bonds, and help for enhancement stability of floc of PFB. Through formation of disulfide bonds, L-cysteine not only promoted production of EPS, in particular the secretion of protein, but also stabilized the final confirmation of protein in EPS. In addition, the cell surface elements and functional groups, especially surface charged groups, have also been changed by L-cysteine. Consequently, absolute zeta potential reached a minimum value at 1.0 g/l of L-cysteine, which obviously decreased electrostatic repulsion interaction energy based on DLVO theory. Total interaction energy barrier decreased from 389.77 KT at 0.0 g/l of L-cysteine to 127.21 kT at 1.0 g/l. Conclusions Thus, the strain RLD-53 overcame the total energy barrier and flocculated effectively. After a short settlement, the biomass rush out will be significantly reduced and the effluent quality will be greatly improved in the continuous operation. Furthermore, aggregation of PFB could enable high biomass hold-up of photobioreactor, which allows the photobioreactor to operate at low hydraulic retention time and high organic loading rate. Therefore, the described flocculation behaviour during photo-hydrogen production is potentially suitable for practicable application. PMID:23639008

  17. Concerted hydrogen atom exchange between three HF molecules

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Komornicki, Andrew; Dixon, David A.; Taylor, Peter R.

    1992-01-01

    We have investigated the termolecular reaction involving concerted hydrogen exchange between three HF molecules, with particular emphasis on the effects of correlation at the various stationary points along the reaction. Using an extended basis, we have located the geometries of the stable hydrogen-bonded trimer, which is of C(sub 3h) symmetry, and the transition state for hydrogen exchange, which is of D(sub 3h) symmetry. The energies of the exchange reation were then evaluated at the correlated level, using a large atomic natural orbital basis and correlating all valence electrons. Several correlation treatments were used, namely, configration interaction with single and double excitations, coupled-pair functional, and coupled-cluster methods. We are thus able to measure the effect of accounting for size-extensivity. Zero-point corrections to the correlated level energetics were determined using analytic second derivative techniques at the SCF level. Our best calculations, which include the effects of connected triple excitations in the coupled-cluster procedure, indicate that the trimer is bound by 9 +/- 1 kcal/mol relative to three separate monomers, in excellent agreement with previous estimates. The barrier to concerted hydrogen exchange is 15 kcal/mol above the trimer, or only 4.7 kcal/mol above three separated monomers. Thus the barrier to hydrogen exchange between HF molecules via this termolecular process is very low.

  18. University coal research/historically black colleges and universities and other minority institutions contractors review meeting

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

    NONE

    2006-07-01

    A variety of papers/posters were presented on topics concerning power generation, including solid oxide fuel cells, hydrogen production, mercury as a combustion product, carbon dioxide separation from flue gas. A total of 31 presentations in slide/overview/viewgraph form and with a separate abstract are available online (one in abstract form only) and 24 poster papers (text). In addition 41 abstracts only are available. Papers of particular interest include: Hydrogen production from hydrogen sulfide in IGCC power plants; Oxidation of mercury in products of coal combustion; Computer aided design of advanced turbine aerofoil alloys for industrial gas turbines in coal fired environments;more » Developing engineered fuel using flyash and biomass; Conversion of hydrogen sulfide in coal gases to elemental sulfur with monolithic catalysts; Intelligent control via wireless sensor networks for advanced coal combustion systems; and Investment of fly ash and activated carbon obtained from pulverized coal boilers (poster).« less

  19. Atlas Centaur Rocket With Reusable Booster Engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martin, James A.

    1993-01-01

    Proposed modification of Atlas Centaur enables reuse of booster engines. Includes replacement of current booster engines with engine of new design in which hydrogen used for both cooling and generation of power. Use of hydrogen in new engine eliminates coking and clogging and improves performance significantly. Primary advantages: reduction of cost; increased reliability; and increased payload.

  20. Self-Assembling Block Copolymer Resist Mixtures towards Lithographic Resists for Sub-10 nm Features

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandler, Curran; Daga, Vikram; Watkins, James

    2009-03-01

    Significant improvements in 193 nm photolithography have enabled the extension of device feature sizes beyond the 45 nm and 32 nm nodes, yet uncertainty lies beyond 22 nm features as no single replacement has emerged. Here we show that low molecular weight, nonionic block copolymer surfactant blends are capable of self-assembling into highly ordered domains with feature sizes on the order of 5 nm. These surfactants, most of which lack the required χN for microphase separation on their own, exhibit strong segregation and long-range order upon addition of a component capable of multi-point hydrogen bonding that is specific for one of the blocks in the copolymer. This has been demonstrated by our SAXS data for several Pluronic (PEO-b-PPO-b-PEO) and Brij (PEO-b-[CH2]nCH3) surfactants of various molecular weights and PEO volume fractions. Furthermore, we employ these highly-ordered systems as thin film, nanolithographic etch masks for the transfer of sub-10 nm patterns into silicon-based substrates. Small molecule, hydrogen bonding additives containing aromatic or silsesquioxane structure are also used to tune etch contrast between the blocks which is important for reducing line edge roughness (LER) of such small features.

  1. Polymeric carbon nitride for solar hydrogen production.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaobo; Masters, Anthony F; Maschmeyer, Thomas

    2017-07-04

    If solar hydrogen production from water is to be a realistic candidate for industrial hydrogen production, the development of photocatalysts, which avoid the use of expensive and/or toxic elements is highly desirable from a scalability, cost and environmental perspective. Metal-free polymeric carbon nitride is an attractive material that can absorb visible light and produce hydrogen from water. This article reviews recent developments in polymeric carbon nitride as used in photocatalysis and then develops the discussion focusing on the three primary processes of a photocatalytic reaction: light-harvesting, carrier generation/separation/transportation and surface reactions.

  2. Wafer-level manufacturing technology of glass microlenses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gossner, U.; Hoeftmann, T.; Wieland, R.; Hansch, W.

    2014-08-01

    In high-tech products, there is an increasing demand to integrate glass lenses into complex micro systems. Especially in the lighting industry LEDs and laser diodes used for automotive applications require encapsulated micro lenses. To enable low-cost production, manufacturing of micro lenses on wafer level base using a replication technology is a key technology. This requires accurate forming of thousands of lenses with a diameter of 1-2 mm on a 200 mm wafer compliant with mass production. The article will discuss the technical aspects of a lens manufacturing replication process and the challenges, which need to be solved: choice of an appropriate master for replication, thermally robust interlayer coating, choice of replica glass, bonding and separation procedure. A promising approach for the master substrate material is based on a lens structured high-quality glass wafer with high melting point covered by a coating layer of amorphous silicon or germanium. This layer serves as an interlayer for the glass bonding process. Low pressure chemical vapor deposition and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition processes allow a deposition of layer coatings with different hydrogen and doping content influencing their chemical and physical behavior. A time reduced molding process using a float glass enables the formation of high quality lenses while preserving the recyclability of the mother substrate. The challenge is the separation of the replica from the master mold. An overview of chemical methods based on optimized etching of coating layer through small channels will be given and the impact of glass etching on surface roughness is discussed.

  3. Construction and Resource Utilization Explorer (CRUX): Implementing Instrument Suite Data Fusion to Characterize Regolith Hydrogen Resources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haldemann, Albert F. C.; Johnson, Jerome B.; Elphic, Richard C.; Boynton, William V.; Wetzel, John

    2006-01-01

    CRUX is a modular suite of geophysical and borehole instruments combined with display and decision support system (MapperDSS) tools to characterize regolith resources, surface conditions, and geotechnical properties. CRUX is a NASA-funded Technology Maturation Program effort to provide enabling technology for Lunar and Planetary Surface Operations (LPSO). The MapperDSS uses data fusion methods with CRUX instruments, and other available data and models, to provide regolith properties information needed for LPSO that cannot be determined otherwise. We demonstrate the data fusion method by showing how it might be applied to characterize the distribution and form of hydrogen using a selection of CRUX instruments: Borehole Neutron Probe and Thermal Evolved Gas Analyzer data as a function of depth help interpret Surface Neutron Probe data to generate 3D information. Secondary information from other instruments along with physical models improves the hydrogen distribution characterization, enabling information products for operational decision-making.

  4. Cassini finds molecular hydrogen in the Enceladus plume: Evidence for hydrothermal processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waite, J. Hunter; Glein, Christopher R.; Perryman, Rebecca S.; Teolis, Ben D.; Magee, Brian A.; Miller, Greg; Grimes, Jacob; Perry, Mark E.; Miller, Kelly E.; Bouquet, Alexis; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Brockwell, Tim; Bolton, Scott J.

    2017-04-01

    Saturn’s moon Enceladus has an ice-covered ocean; a plume of material erupts from cracks in the ice. The plume contains chemical signatures of water-rock interaction between the ocean and a rocky core. We used the Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft to detect molecular hydrogen in the plume. By using the instrument’s open-source mode, background processes of hydrogen production in the instrument were minimized and quantified, enabling the identification of a statistically significant signal of hydrogen native to Enceladus. We find that the most plausible source of this hydrogen is ongoing hydrothermal reactions of rock containing reduced minerals and organic materials. The relatively high hydrogen abundance in the plume signals thermodynamic disequilibrium that favors the formation of methane from CO2 in Enceladus’ ocean.

  5. Thermal method for fabricating a hydrogen separation membrane on a porous substrate

    DOEpatents

    Song, Sun-Ju [Orland Park, IL; Lee, Tae H [Naperville, IL; Chen, Ling [Woodridge, IL; Dorris, Stephen E [LaGrange Park, IL; Balachandran, Uthamalingam [Hinsdale, IL

    2009-10-20

    A thermal method of making a hydrogen permeable composition is disclosed. A mixture of metal oxide powder and ceramic oxide powder and optionally a pore former is formed and pressed to form an article. The article is dried at elevated temperatures and then sintered in a reducing atmosphere to provide a dense hydrogen permeable portion near the surface of the sintered mixture. The dense hydrogen permeable portion has a higher initial concentration of metal than the remainder of the sintered mixture and is present in the range of from about 20 to about 80 percent by volume of the dense hydrogen permeable portion.

  6. Activation product analysis in a mixed sample containing both fission and neutron activation products

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

    Morrison, Samuel S.; Clark, Sue B.; Eggemeyer, Tere A.

    Activation analysis of gold (Au) is used to estimate neutron fluence resulting from a criticality event; however, such analyses are complicated by simultaneous production of other gamma-emitting fission products. Confidence in neutron fluence estimates can be increased by quantifying additional activation products such as platinum (Pt), tantalum (Ta), and tungsten (W). This work describes a radiochemical separation procedure for the determination of these activation products. Anion exchange chromatography is used to separate anionic forms of these metals in a nitric acid matrix; thiourea is used to isolate the Au and Pt fraction, followed by removal of the Ta fraction usingmore » hydrogen peroxide. W, which is not retained on the first anion exchange column, is transposed to an HCl/HF matrix to enhance retention on a second anion exchange column and finally eluted using HNO3/HF. Chemical separations result in a reduction in the minimum detectable activity by a factor of 287, 207, 141, and 471 for 182Ta, 187W, 197Pt, and 198Au respectively, with greater than 90% recovery for all elements. These results represent the highest recoveries and lowest minimum detectable activities for 182Ta, 187W, 197Pt, and 198Au from mixed fission-activation product samples to date, enabling considerable refinement in the measurement uncertainties for neutron fluences in highly complex sample matrices.« less

  7. Evaluation of in-channel amperometric detection using a dual-channel microchip electrophoresis device and a two-electrode potentiostat for reverse polarity separations

    PubMed Central

    Meneses, Diogenes; Gunasekara, Dulan B.; Pichetsurnthorn, Pann; da Silva, José A. F.; de Abreu, Fabiane C.; Lunte, Susan M.

    2015-01-01

    In-channel amperometric detection combined with dual-channel microchip electrophoresis is evaluated using a two-electrode isolated potentiostat for reverse polarity separations. The device consists of two separate channels with the working and reference electrodes placed at identical positions relative to the end of the channel, enabling noise subtraction. In previous reports of this configuration, normal polarity and a three-electrode detection system were used. In the two-electrode detection system described here, the electrode in the reference channel acts as both the counter and reference. The effect of electrode placement in the channels on noise and detector response was investigated using nitrite, tyrosine, and hydrogen peroxide as model compounds. The effects of electrode material and size and type of reference electrode on noise and the potential shift of hydrodynamic voltammograms for the model compounds were determined. In addition, the performance of two- and three-electrode configurations using Pt and Ag/AgCl reference electrodes was compared. Although the signal was attenuated with the Pt reference, the noise was also significantly reduced. It was found that lower LOD were obtained for all three compounds with the dual-channel configuration compared to single-channel, in-channel detection. The dual-channel method was then used for the detection of nitrite in a dermal microdialysis sample obtained from a sheep following nitroglycerin administration. PMID:25256669

  8. Developing Enzyme and Biomimetic Catalysts for Upgrading Heavy Crudes via Biological Hydrogenation and Hydrodesulfurization

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

    Borole, A P

    The recovery and conversion of heavy oils is limited due to the high viscosity of these crudes and their high heteroatom content. Conventional technology relies on thermochemical hydrogenation and hydrodesulfurization to address these problems and is energy intensive due to the high operating temperature and pressure. This project was initiated to explore biological catalysts for adding hydrogen to the heavy oil molecules. Biological enzymes are efficient at hydrogen splitting at very mild conditions such as room temperature and pressure, however, they are very specific in terms of the substrates they hydrogenate. The goal of the project was to investigate howmore » the specificity of these enzymes can be altered to develop catalysts for oil upgrading. Three approaches were used. First was to perform chemical modification of the enzyme surface to improve binding of other non-natural substrates. Second approach was to expose the deeply buried catalytic active site of the enzyme by removal of protein scaffolding to enable better interaction with other substrates. The third approach was based on molecular biology to develop genetically engineered systems for enabling targeted structural changes in the enzyme. The first approach was found to be limited in success due to the non-specificity of the chemical modification and inability to target the region near the active site or the site of substrate binding. The second approach produced a smaller catalyst capable of catalyzing hydrogen splitting, however, further experimentation is needed to address reproducibility and stability issues. The third approach which targeted cloning of hydrogenase in alternate hosts demonstrated progress, although further work is necessary to complete the cloning process. The complex nature of the hydrogenase enzyme structure-function relationship and role of various ligands in the protein require significant more research to better understand the enzyme and to enable success in strategies in developing catalysts with broader specificity as that required for crude upgrading.« less

  9. Metal/ceramic composites with high hydrogen permeability

    DOEpatents

    Dorris, Stephen E.; Lee, Tae H.; Balachandran, Uthamalingam

    2003-05-27

    A membrane for separating hydrogen from fluids is provided comprising a sintered homogenous mixture of a ceramic composition and a metal. The metal may be palladium, niobium, tantalum, vanadium, or zirconium or a binary mixture of palladium with another metal such as niobium, silver, tantalum, vanadium, or zirconium.

  10. Surfactant-assisted coal liquefaction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hsu, G. C.

    1977-01-01

    Improved process of coal liquefaction utilizing nonaqueous surfactant has increased oil yield from 50 to about 80%. Asphaltene molecule formation of colloid particles is prevented by surfactant. Separated molecules present more surface area for hydrogenation reaction. Lower requirements for temperature, pressure, and hydrogen lead to reduction in capital and operation costs.

  11. Characterization of an Atomic Hydrogen Source for Charge Exchange Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Leutenegger, M. A.; Beierdorfer, P.; Betancourt-Martinez, G. L.; Brown, G. V.; Hell, N; Kelley, R. L.; Kilbourne, C. A.; Magee, E. W.; Porter, F. S.

    2016-01-01

    We characterized the dissociation fraction of a thermal dissociation atomic hydrogen source byinjecting the mixed atomic and molecular output of the source into an electron beam ion trapcontaining highly charged ions and recording the x-ray spectrum generated by charge exchangeusing a high-resolution x-ray calorimeter spectrometer. We exploit the fact that the charge exchangestate-selective capture cross sections are very different for atomic and molecular hydrogen incidenton the same ions, enabling a clear spectroscopic diagnostic of the neutral species.

  12. Efficient and Adaptive Methods for Computing Accurate Potential Surfaces for Quantum Nuclear Effects: Applications to Hydrogen-Transfer Reactions.

    PubMed

    DeGregorio, Nicole; Iyengar, Srinivasan S

    2018-01-09

    We present two sampling measures to gauge critical regions of potential energy surfaces. These sampling measures employ (a) the instantaneous quantum wavepacket density, an approximation to the (b) potential surface, its (c) gradients, and (d) a Shannon information theory based expression that estimates the local entropy associated with the quantum wavepacket. These four criteria together enable a directed sampling of potential surfaces that appears to correctly describe the local oscillation frequencies, or the local Nyquist frequency, of a potential surface. The sampling functions are then utilized to derive a tessellation scheme that discretizes the multidimensional space to enable efficient sampling of potential surfaces. The sampled potential surface is then combined with four different interpolation procedures, namely, (a) local Hermite curve interpolation, (b) low-pass filtered Lagrange interpolation, (c) the monomial symmetrization approximation (MSA) developed by Bowman and co-workers, and (d) a modified Shepard algorithm. The sampling procedure and the fitting schemes are used to compute (a) potential surfaces in highly anharmonic hydrogen-bonded systems and (b) study hydrogen-transfer reactions in biogenic volatile organic compounds (isoprene) where the transferring hydrogen atom is found to demonstrate critical quantum nuclear effects. In the case of isoprene, the algorithm discussed here is used to derive multidimensional potential surfaces along a hydrogen-transfer reaction path to gauge the effect of quantum-nuclear degrees of freedom on the hydrogen-transfer process. Based on the decreased computational effort, facilitated by the optimal sampling of the potential surfaces through the use of sampling functions discussed here, and the accuracy of the associated potential surfaces, we believe the method will find great utility in the study of quantum nuclear dynamics problems, of which application to hydrogen-transfer reactions and hydrogen-bonded systems is demonstrated here.

  13. Mercury Underpotential Deposition to Determine Iridium and Iridium Oxide Electrochemical Surface Areas

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

    Alia, Shaun M.; Hurst, Katherine E.; Kocha, Shyam S.

    Determining the surface areas of electrocatalysts is critical for separating the key properties of area-specific activity and electrochemical surface area from mass activity. Hydrogen underpotential deposition and carbon monoxide oxidation are typically used to evaluate iridium (Ir) surface areas, but are ineffective on oxides and can be sensitive to surface oxides formed on Ir metals. Mercury underpotential deposition is presented in this study as an alternative, able to produce reasonable surface areas on Ir and Ir oxide nanoparticles, and able to produce similar surface areas prior to and following characterization in oxygen evolution. Reliable electrochemical surface areas allow for comparativemore » studies of different catalyst types and the characterization of advanced oxygen evolution catalysts. Lastly, they also enable the study of catalyst degradation in durability testing, both areas of increasing importance within electrolysis and electrocatalysis.« less

  14. Supramolecular guests in solvent driven block copolymer assembly: From internally structured nanoparticles to micelles

    PubMed Central

    Klinger, Daniel; Robb, Maxwell J.; Spruell, Jason M.; Lynd, Nathaniel A.; Hawker, Craig J.

    2014-01-01

    Supramolecular interactions between different hydrogen-bonding guests and poly(2-vinyl pyridine)-block-poly (styrene) can be exploited to prepare remarkably diverse self-assembled nanostructures in dispersion from a single block copolymer (BCP). The characteristics of the BCP can be efficiently controlled by tailoring the properties of a guest which preferentially binds to the P2VP block. For example, the incorporation of a hydrophobic guest creates a hydrophobic BCP complex that forms phase separated nanoparticles upon self-assembly. Conversely, the incorporation of a hydrophilic guest results in an amphiphilic BCP complex that forms spherical micelles in water. The ability to tune the self-assembly behavior and access dramatically different nanostructures from a single BCP substrate demonstrates the exceptional versatility of the self-assembly of BCPs driven by supramolecular interactions. This approach represents a new methodology that will enable the further design of complex, responsive self-assembled nanostructures. PMID:25525473

  15. Method of making gold thiolate and photochemically functionalized microcantilevers

    DOEpatents

    Boiadjiev, Vassil I [Knoxville, TN; Brown, Gilbert M [Knoxville, TN; Pinnaduwage, Lal A [Knoxville, TN; Thundat, Thomas G [Knoxville, TN; Bonnesen, Peter V [Knoxville, TN; Goretzki, Gudrun [Nottingham, GB

    2009-08-25

    Highly sensitive sensor platforms for the detection of specific reagents, such as chromate, gasoline and biological species, using microcantilevers and other microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) whose surfaces have been modified with photochemically attached organic monolayers, such as self-assembled monolayers (SAM), or gold-thiol surface linkage are taught. The microcantilever sensors use photochemical hydrosilylation to modify silicon surfaces and gold-thiol chemistry to modify metallic surfaces thereby enabling individual microcantilevers in multicantilever array chips to be modified separately. Terminal vinyl substituted hydrocarbons with a variety of molecular recognition sites can be attached to the surface of silicon via the photochemical hydrosilylation process. By focusing the activating UV light sequentially on selected silicon or silicon nitride hydrogen terminated surfaces and soaking or spotting selected metallic surfaces with organic thiols, sulfides, or disulfides, the microcantilevers are functionalized. The device and photochemical method are intended to be integrated into systems for detecting specific agents including chromate groundwater contamination, gasoline, and biological species.

  16. Main-group compounds selectively oxidize mixtures of methane, ethane, and propane to alcohol esters.

    PubMed

    Hashiguchi, Brian G; Konnick, Michael M; Bischof, Steven M; Gustafson, Samantha J; Devarajan, Deepa; Gunsalus, Niles; Ess, Daniel H; Periana, Roy A

    2014-03-14

    Much of the recent research on homogeneous alkane oxidation has focused on the use of transition metal catalysts. Here, we report that the electrophilic main-group cations thallium(III) and lead(IV) stoichiometrically oxidize methane, ethane, and propane, separately or as a one-pot mixture, to corresponding alcohol esters in trifluoroacetic acid solvent. Esters of methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol, isopropanol, and propylene glycol are obtained with greater than 95% selectivity in concentrations up to 1.48 molar within 3 hours at 180°C. Experiment and theory support a mechanism involving electrophilic carbon-hydrogen bond activation to generate metal alkyl intermediates. We posit that the comparatively high reactivity of these d(10) main-group cations relative to transition metals stems from facile alkane coordination at vacant sites, enabled by the overall lability of the ligand sphere and the absence of ligand field stabilization energies in systems with filled d-orbitals.

  17. SKYLAB II - Making a Deep Space Habitat from a Space Launch System Propellant Tank

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Griffin, Brand N.; Smitherman, David; Kennedy, Kriss J.; Toups, Larry; Gill, Tracy; Howe, A. Scott

    2012-01-01

    Called a "House in Space," Skylab was an innovative program that used a converted Saturn V launch vehicle propellant tank as a space station habitat. It was launched in 1973 fully equipped with provisions for three separate missions of three astronauts each. The size and lift capability of the Saturn V enabled a large diameter habitat, solar telescope, multiple docking adaptor, and airlock to be placed on-orbit with a single launch. Today, the envisioned Space Launch System (SLS) offers similar size and lift capabilities that are ideally suited for a Skylab type mission. An envisioned Skylab II mission would employ the same propellant tank concept; however serve a different mission. In this case, the SLS upper stage hydrogen tank is used as a Deep Space Habitat (DSH) for NASA s planned missions to asteroids, Earth-Moon Lagrangian point and Mars.

  18. Mercury Underpotential Deposition to Determine Iridium and Iridium Oxide Electrochemical Surface Areas

    DOE PAGES

    Alia, Shaun M.; Hurst, Katherine E.; Kocha, Shyam S.; ...

    2016-06-02

    Determining the surface areas of electrocatalysts is critical for separating the key properties of area-specific activity and electrochemical surface area from mass activity. Hydrogen underpotential deposition and carbon monoxide oxidation are typically used to evaluate iridium (Ir) surface areas, but are ineffective on oxides and can be sensitive to surface oxides formed on Ir metals. Mercury underpotential deposition is presented in this study as an alternative, able to produce reasonable surface areas on Ir and Ir oxide nanoparticles, and able to produce similar surface areas prior to and following characterization in oxygen evolution. Reliable electrochemical surface areas allow for comparativemore » studies of different catalyst types and the characterization of advanced oxygen evolution catalysts. Lastly, they also enable the study of catalyst degradation in durability testing, both areas of increasing importance within electrolysis and electrocatalysis.« less

  19. Jeffrey Blackburn | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    -dimensional carbon and includes the synthesis, purification, separation, and characterization of single-walled conversion Synthesis, purification, separation, and characterization of single-walled carbon nanotubes Synthesis, characterization, and device integration of graphen Hydrogen storage Photovoltaic materials and

  20. Selective sp3 C-H alkylation via polarity-match-based cross-coupling.

    PubMed

    Le, Chip; Liang, Yufan; Evans, Ryan W; Li, Ximing; MacMillan, David W C

    2017-07-06

    The functionalization of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds is one of the most attractive strategies for molecular construction in organic chemistry. The hydrogen atom is considered to be an ideal coupling handle, owing to its relative abundance in organic molecules and its availability for functionalization at almost any stage in a synthetic sequence. Although many C-H functionalization reactions involve C(sp 3 )-C(sp 2 ) coupling, there is a growing demand for C-H alkylation reactions, wherein sp 3 C-H bonds are replaced with sp 3 C-alkyl groups. Here we describe a polarity-match-based selective sp 3 C-H alkylation via the combination of photoredox, nickel and hydrogen-atom transfer catalysis. This methodology simultaneously uses three catalytic cycles to achieve hydridic C-H bond abstraction (enabled by polarity matching), alkyl halide oxidative addition, and reductive elimination to enable alkyl-alkyl fragment coupling. The sp 3 C-H alkylation is highly selective for the α-C-H of amines, ethers and sulphides, which are commonly found in pharmaceutically relevant architectures. This cross-coupling protocol should enable broad synthetic applications in de novo synthesis and late-stage functionalization chemistry.

  1. Selective sp3 C–H alkylation via polarity-match-based cross-coupling

    PubMed Central

    Le, Chip; Liang, Yufan; Evans, Ryan W.; Li, Ximing; MacMillan, David W. C.

    2017-01-01

    The functionalization of carbon–hydrogen (C–H) bonds is one of the most attractive strategies for molecular construction in organic chemistry. The hydrogen atom is considered to be an ideal coupling handle, owing to its relative abundance in organic molecules and its availability for functionalization at almost any stage in a synthetic sequence1. Although many C–H functionalization reactions involve C(sp3)–C(sp2) coupling, there is a growing demand for C–H alkylation reactions, wherein sp3 C–H bonds are replaced with sp3 C–alkyl groups. Here we describe a polarity-match-based selective sp3 C–H alkylation via the combination of photoredox, nickel and hydrogen-atom transfer catalysis. This methodology simultaneously uses three catalytic cycles to achieve hydridic C–H bond abstraction (enabled by polarity matching), alkyl halide oxidative addition, and reductive elimination to enable alkyl–alkyl fragment coupling. The sp3 C–H alkylation is highly selective for the α-C–H of amines, ethers and sulphides, which are commonly found in pharmaceutically relevant architectures. This cross-coupling protocol should enable broad synthetic applications in de novo synthesis and late-stage functionalization chemistry. PMID:28636596

  2. Selective sp3 C-H alkylation via polarity-match-based cross-coupling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Le, Chip; Liang, Yufan; Evans, Ryan W.; Li, Ximing; MacMillan, David W. C.

    2017-07-01

    The functionalization of carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds is one of the most attractive strategies for molecular construction in organic chemistry. The hydrogen atom is considered to be an ideal coupling handle, owing to its relative abundance in organic molecules and its availability for functionalization at almost any stage in a synthetic sequence. Although many C-H functionalization reactions involve C(sp3)-C(sp2) coupling, there is a growing demand for C-H alkylation reactions, wherein sp3 C-H bonds are replaced with sp3 C-alkyl groups. Here we describe a polarity-match-based selective sp3 C-H alkylation via the combination of photoredox, nickel and hydrogen-atom transfer catalysis. This methodology simultaneously uses three catalytic cycles to achieve hydridic C-H bond abstraction (enabled by polarity matching), alkyl halide oxidative addition, and reductive elimination to enable alkyl-alkyl fragment coupling. The sp3 C-H alkylation is highly selective for the α-C-H of amines, ethers and sulphides, which are commonly found in pharmaceutically relevant architectures. This cross-coupling protocol should enable broad synthetic applications in de novo synthesis and late-stage functionalization chemistry.

  3. Quantum tunneling of thermal protons through pristine graphene.

    PubMed

    Poltavsky, Igor; Zheng, Limin; Mortazavi, Majid; Tkatchenko, Alexandre

    2018-05-28

    Engineering of atomically thin membranes for hydrogen isotope separation is an actual challenge which has a broad range of applications. Recent experiments [M. Lozada-Hidalgo et al., Science 351, 68 (2016)] unambiguously demonstrate an order-of-magnitude difference in permeabilities of graphene-based membranes to protons and deuterons at ambient conditions, making such materials promising for novel separation technologies. Here we demonstrate that the permeability mechanism in such systems changes from quantum tunneling for protons to quasi-classical transport for heavier isotopes. Quantum nuclear effects exhibit large temperature and mass dependence, modifying the Arrhenius activation energy and Arrhenius prefactor for protons by more than 0.5 eV and by seven orders of magnitude correspondingly. Our findings not only shed light on the separation process for hydrogen isotope ions passing through pristine graphene but also offer new insights for controlling ion transport mechanisms in nanostructured separation membranes by manipulating the shape of the barrier and transport process conditions.

  4. Separation of sulfur isotopes

    DOEpatents

    DeWitt, Robert; Jepson, Bernhart E.; Schwind, Roger A.

    1976-06-22

    Sulfur isotopes are continuously separated and enriched using a closed loop reflux system wherein sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) is reacted with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or the like to form sodium hydrogen sulfite (NaHSO.sub.3). Heavier sulfur isotopes are preferentially attracted to the NaHSO.sub.3, and subsequently reacted with sulfuric acid (H.sub.2 SO.sub.4) forming sodium hydrogen sulfate (NaHSO.sub.4) and SO.sub.2 gas which contains increased concentrations of the heavier sulfur isotopes. This heavy isotope enriched SO.sub.2 gas is subsequently separated and the NaHSO.sub.4 is reacted with NaOH to form sodium sulfate (Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4) which is subsequently decomposed in an electrodialysis unit to form the NaOH and H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 components which are used in the aforesaid reactions thereby effecting sulfur isotope separation and enrichment without objectionable loss of feed materials.

  5. Method and apparatus for the selective separation of gaseous coal gasification products by pressure swing adsorption

    DOEpatents

    Ghate, M.R.; Yang, R.T.

    1985-10-03

    Bulk separation of the gaseous components of multi-component gases provided by the gasification of coal including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and acid gases (carbon dioxide plus hydrogen sulfide) are selectively adsorbed by a pressure swing adsorption technique using activated carbon zeolite or a combination thereof as the adsorbent. By charging a column containing the adsorbent with a gas mixture and pressurizing the column to a pressure sufficient to cause the adsorption of the gases and then reducing the partial pressure of the contents of the column, the gases are selectively and sequentially desorbed. Hydrogen, the least absorbable gas of the gaseous mixture, is the first gas to be desorbed and is removed from the column in a co-current direction followed by the carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane. With the pressure in the column reduced to about atmospheric pressure the column is evacuated in a countercurrent direction to remove the acid gases from the column. The present invention is particularly advantageous as a producer of high purity hydrogen from gaseous products of coal gasification and as an acid gas scrubber. 2 figs., 2 tabs.

  6. The Use of Cryogenically Cooled 5A Molecular Sieves for Large Volume Reduction of Tritiated Hydrogen Gas

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

    Antoniazzi, A.B.; Bartoszek, F.E.; Sherlock, A.M.

    2006-07-01

    A commercial hydrogen isotope separation system based on gas chromatography (AGC-ISS) has been built. The system operates in two modes: stripping and volume reduction. The purpose of the stripping mode is to reduce a large volume of tritiated hydrogen gas to a small volume of tritium rich hydrogen gas. The results here illustrate the effectiveness of the AGC-ISS in the stripping and volume reduction phases. Column readiness for hydrogen isotope separation is confirmed by room temperature air separation tests. Production runs were initially carried out using natural levels of deuterium (110-160 ppm) in high purity hydrogen. After completion of themore » deuterium/hydrogen runs the system began operations with tritiated hydrogen. The paper presents details of the AGC-ISS design and results of tritium tests. The heart of the AGC-ISS consists of two packed columns (9 m long, 3.8 cm OD) containing 5A molecular sieve material of 40/60 mesh size. Each column has 5 individually controlled heaters along the length of the column and is coiled around an inverted inner dewar. The coiled column and inner dewar are both contained within an outer dewar. In this arrangement liquid nitrogen, used to cryogenically cool the columns, flows into and out off the annular space defined by the two dewars, allowing for alternate heating and cooling cycles. Tritiated hydrogen feed is injected in batch quantities. The batch size is variable with the maximum quantity restricted by the tritium concentration in the exhausted hydrogen. The stripping operations can be carried out in full automated mode or in full manual mode. The average cycle time between injections is about 75 minutes. To date, the maximum throughput achieved is 10.5 m{sup 3}/day. A total of 37.8 m{sup 3} of tritiated hydrogen has been processed during commissioning. The system has demonstrated that venting of >99.95% of the feed gas is possible while retaining 99.98% of the tritium. At a maximum tritium concentration of {approx}7 GBq/m{sup 3} (190 mCi/m{sup 3}), processing tritiated hydrogen gas at a rate of 8.1 m{sup 3} (NTP)/day results in an average tritium concentration in the process effluent line of 1.4 MBq/m{sup 3} (37 {mu}Ci/m{sup 3}). The average process exhaust flow, split between helium and hydrogen, is 10.6 litre/min. Product from the stripping phase is stored on a 5 kg depleted uranium bed. A 250 g depleted uranium bed is available for storage of enriched product. Several, ionization type, tritium sensors are located throughout the process to control emissions, control valve switching, and monitor evolution of tritiated species from the columns. (authors)« less

  7. Recovery of purified helium or hydrogen from gas mixtures

    DOEpatents

    Merriman, J.R.; Pashley, J.H.; Stephenson, M.J.; Dunthorn, D.I.

    1974-01-15

    A process is described for the removal of helium or hydrogen from gaseous mixtures also containing contaminants. The gaseous mixture is contacted with a liquid fluorocarbon in an absorption zone maintained at superatomspheric pressure to preferentially absorb the contaminants in the fluorocarbon. Unabsorbed gas enriched in hydrogen or helium is withdrawn from the absorption zone as product. Liquid fluorocarbon enriched in contaminants is withdrawn separately from the absorption zone. (10 claims)

  8. Traction–separation relationships for hydrogen induced grain boundary embrittlement in nickel via molecular dynamics simulations

    DOE PAGES

    Barrows, Wesley; Dingreville, Rémi; Spearot, Douglas

    2015-10-19

    A statistical approach combined with molecular dynamics simulations is used to study the influence of hydrogen on intergranular decohesion. This methodology is applied to a Ni Σ3(112)[11¯0] symmetric tilt grain boundary. Hydrogenated grain boundaries with different H concentrations are constructed using an energy minimization technique with initial H atom positions guided by Monte Carlo simulation results. Decohesion behavior is assessed through extraction of a traction–separation relationship during steady-state crack propagation in a statistically meaningful approach, building upon prior work employing atomistic cohesive zone volume elements (CZVEs). A sensitivity analysis is performed on the numerical approach used to extract the traction–separationmore » relationships, clarifying the role of CZVE size, threshold parameters necessary to differentiate elastic and decohesion responses, and the numerical averaging technique. Results show that increasing H coverage at the Ni Σ3(112)[11¯0] grain boundary asymmetrically influences the crack tip velocity during propagation, leads to a general decrease in the work of separation required for crack propagation, and provides a reduction in the peak stress in the extracted traction–separation relationship. Furthermore the present framework offers a meaningful vehicle to pass atomistically derived interfacial behavior to higher length scale formulations for intergranular fracture.« less

  9. Advanced Hydrogen Liquefaction Process

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

    Schwartz, Joseph; Kromer, Brian; Neu, Ben

    2011-09-28

    The project identified and quantified ways to reduce the cost of hydrogen liquefaction, and reduce the cost of hydrogen distribution. The goal was to reduce the power consumption by 20% and then to reduce the capital cost. Optimizing the process, improving process equipment, and improving ortho-para conversion significantly reduced the power consumption of liquefaction, but by less than 20%. Because the efficiency improvement was less than the target, the program was stopped before the capital cost was addressed. These efficiency improvements could provide a benefit to the public to improve the design of future hydrogen liquefiers. The project increased themore » understanding of hydrogen liquefaction by modeling different processes and thoroughly examining ortho-para separation and conversion. The process modeling provided a benefit to the public because the project incorporated para hydrogen into the process modeling software, so liquefaction processes can be modeled more accurately than using only normal hydrogen. Adding catalyst to the first heat exchanger, a simple method to reduce liquefaction power, was identified, analyzed, and quantified. The demonstrated performance of ortho-para separation is sufficient for at least one identified process concept to show reduced power cost when compared to hydrogen liquefaction processes using conventional ortho-para conversion. The impact of improved ortho-para conversion can be significant because ortho para conversion uses about 20-25% of the total liquefaction power, but performance improvement is necessary to realize a substantial benefit. Most of the energy used in liquefaction is for gas compression. Improvements in hydrogen compression will have a significant impact on overall liquefier efficiency. Improvements to turbines, heat exchangers, and other process equipment will have less impact.« less

  10. Hydrogen enhances strength and ductility of an equiatomic high-entropy alloy.

    PubMed

    Luo, Hong; Li, Zhiming; Raabe, Dierk

    2017-08-29

    Metals are key materials for modern manufacturing and infrastructures as well as transpot and energy solutions owing to their strength and formability. These properties can severely deteriorate when they contain hydrogen, leading to unpredictable failure, an effect called hydrogen embrittlement. Here we report that hydrogen in an equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) leads not to catastrophic weakening, but instead increases both, its strength and ductility. While HEAs originally aimed at entropy-driven phase stabilization, hydrogen blending acts opposite as it reduces phase stability. This effect, quantified by the alloy's stacking fault energy, enables nanotwinning which increases the material's work-hardening. These results turn a bane into a boon: hydrogen does not generally act as a harmful impurity, but can be utilized for tuning beneficial hardening mechanisms. This opens new pathways for the design of strong, ductile, and hydrogen tolerant materials.

  11. Isotope separation by photochromatography

    DOEpatents

    Suslick, Kenneth S.

    1977-01-01

    An isotope separation method which comprises physically adsorbing an isotopically mixed molecular species on an adsorptive surface and irradiating the adsorbed molecules with radiation of a predetermined wavelength which will selectively excite a desired isotopic species. Sufficient energy is transferred to the excited molecules to desorb them from the surface and thereby separate them from the unexcited undesired isotopic species. The method is particularly applicable to the separation of hydrogen isotopes.

  12. CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF PRODUCTS FROM THE REACTION OF DIMETHYLARSINIC ACID WITH HYDROGEN SULFIDE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The reaction of dimethylarsinic acid (DMAV) with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is of biological significance and may be implicated in the overall toxicity and carcinogenicity of arsenic. The course of the reaction in aqueous phase was monitored and an initial product, dimethylthioarsin...

  13. ECO LOGIC INTERNATIONAL GAS-PHASE CHEMICAL REDUCTION PROCESS - THE REACTOR SYSTEM - APPLICATIONS ANALYSIS REPORT

    EPA Science Inventory

    The ELI Eco Logic International Inc. (Eco Logic) process thermally separates organics, then chemically reduces them in a hydrogen atmosphere, converting them to a reformed gas that consists of light hydrocarbons and water. A scrubber treats the reformed gas to remove hydrogen chl...

  14. Process of forming a sol-gel/metal hydride composite

    DOEpatents

    Congdon, James W [Aiken, SC

    2009-03-17

    An external gelation process is described which produces granules of metal hydride particles contained within a sol-gel matrix. The resulting granules are dimensionally stable and are useful for applications such as hydrogen separation and hydrogen purification. An additional coating technique for strengthening the granules is also provided.

  15. 21 CFR 172.814 - Hydroxylated lecithin.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... whereby the separated fatty acid fraction of the resultant product has an acetyl value of 30 to 38: (1) With hydrogen peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, lactic acid, and sodium hydroxide. (2) With hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid, and sodium hydroxide. (b) It is used or intended for use, in accordance with good...

  16. Designer proton-channel transgenic algae for photobiological hydrogen production

    DOEpatents

    Lee, James Weifu [Knoxville, TN

    2011-04-26

    A designer proton-channel transgenic alga for photobiological hydrogen production that is specifically designed for production of molecular hydrogen (H.sub.2) through photosynthetic water splitting. The designer transgenic alga includes proton-conductive channels that are expressed to produce such uncoupler proteins in an amount sufficient to increase the algal H.sub.2 productivity. In one embodiment the designer proton-channel transgene is a nucleic acid construct (300) including a PCR forward primer (302), an externally inducible promoter (304), a transit targeting sequence (306), a designer proton-channel encoding sequence (308), a transcription and translation terminator (310), and a PCR reverse primer (312). In various embodiments, the designer proton-channel transgenic algae are used with a gas-separation system (500) and a gas-products-separation and utilization system (600) for photobiological H.sub.2 production.

  17. Hydrogen peroxide concentration by pervaporation of a ternary liquid solution in microfluidics.

    PubMed

    Ziemecka, Iwona; Haut, Benoît; Scheid, Benoit

    2015-01-21

    Pervaporation in a microfluidic device is performed on liquid ternary solutions of hydrogen peroxide-water-methanol in order to concentrate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by removing methanol. The quantitative analysis of the pervaporation of solutions with different initial compositions is performed, varying the operating temperature of the microfluidic device. Experimental results together with a mathematical model of the separation process are used to understand the effect of the operating conditions on the microfluidic device efficiency. The parameters influencing significantly the performance of pervaporation in the microfluidic device are determined and the limitations of the process are discussed. For the analysed system, the operating temperature of the chip has to be below the temperature at which H2O2 decomposes. Therefore, the choice of an adequate reduced operating pressure is required, depending on the expected separation efficiency.

  18. Investigation of Novel Membrane Technologies for Hydrogen Separation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Cleave, William M., III

    The production of hydrogen gas via its separation from multicomponent syngas derived from biomass is an important process in the burgeoning carbon-neutral hydrogen economy. Current methods utilize membranes made from expensive materials such as palladium or bulky pressure vessels that use adsorption properties. Holey graphene and doped perovskite ceramics are alternative membrane materials that are relatively inexpensive and easily produced. A range of holey graphene membranes was produced using dry pressing and other techniques, including high temperature reduction, to examine the efficiency of this material. Experimental results using these holey graphene membranes are presented from a lab-scale facility designed to test various membrane types. These results showed decreasing flux and increasing selectivity as membrane thickness increased. Comparison with results from literature indicate these membranes exhibit higher overall flux but lower selectivity when compared to palladium-based membrane technologies.

  19. Imaging nanobubble nucleation and hydrogen spillover during electrocatalytic water splitting.

    PubMed

    Hao, Rui; Fan, Yunshan; Howard, Marco D; Vaughan, Joshua C; Zhang, Bo

    2018-06-05

    Nucleation and growth of hydrogen nanobubbles are key initial steps in electrochemical water splitting. These processes remain largely unexplored due to a lack of proper tools to probe the nanobubble's interfacial structure with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution. We report the use of superresolution microscopy to image transient formation and growth of single hydrogen nanobubbles at the electrode/solution interface during electrocatalytic water splitting. We found hydrogen nanobubbles can be generated even at very early stages in water electrolysis, i.e., ∼500 mV before reaching its thermodynamic reduction potential. The ability to image single nanobubbles on an electrode enabled us to observe in real time the process of hydrogen spillover from ultrathin gold nanocatalysts supported on indium-tin oxide.

  20. A prolific catalyst for dehydrogenation of neat formic acid

    PubMed Central

    Celaje, Jeff Joseph A.; Lu, Zhiyao; Kedzie, Elyse A.; Terrile, Nicholas J.; Lo, Jonathan N.; Williams, Travis J.

    2016-01-01

    Formic acid is a promising energy carrier for on-demand hydrogen generation. Because the reverse reaction is also feasible, formic acid is a form of stored hydrogen. Here we present a robust, reusable iridium catalyst that enables hydrogen gas release from neat formic acid. This catalysis works under mild conditions in the presence of air, is highly selective and affords millions of turnovers. While many catalysts exist for both formic acid dehydrogenation and carbon dioxide reduction, solutions to date on hydrogen gas release rely on volatile components that reduce the weight content of stored hydrogen and/or introduce fuel cell poisons. These are avoided here. The catalyst utilizes an interesting chemical mechanism, which is described on the basis of kinetic and synthetic experiments. PMID:27076111

  1. Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Phenol over Platinum and Rhodium: Unexpected Temperature Effects Resolved

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

    Singh, Nirala; Song, Yang; Gutiérrez, Oliver Y.

    2016-11-04

    Both electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) and thermal hydrogenation (TH) of phenol by Pt and Rh show a roll-over in rate with increasing temperature without changing the principal reaction pathways. The negative effect of temperature for aqueous-phase phenol H2 and electrocatalytic hydrogenation on Pt and Rh is deduced to be due to the unexpected buildup of dehydrogenated phenol adsorbates, which block active sites. Rates of ECH and TH increase similarly with increasing hydrogen chemical potential whether induced by applied potential or H2 pressure, both via increasing H coverage, and indirectly by removing site blockers, a very strong effect at high temperature. Thismore » enables unprecedented rates in the TH of phenol at these temperatures.« less

  2. Catalytic homogeneous hydrogenation of compounds containing X --> O semipolar bonds (X = N, S, P) with para-hydrogen as a promising route for preparation of para-water.

    PubMed

    Ustynyuk, Yuri A; Gavrikov, Alexei V; Sergeyev, Nikolay M

    2006-11-28

    The quantum-chemical simulation (DFT, PBE, TZ2p basis set) of the mechanism of catalytic hydrogenation of compounds containing R(n)X --> O semipolar bonds (R(n)X = N(2), Me(2)S, C(5)H(5)N, Ph(3)P) on the Wilkinson catalyst (Ph(3)P)(3)RhCl with para-hydrogen showed that this process proceeds with retention of proton nuclear spin correlation, which enables a principal possibility to synthesize para-H(2)O, i.e. the nuclear spin isomer of water with antiparallel proton spins, using this route.

  3. High temperature methods for forming oxidizer fuel

    DOEpatents

    Bravo, Jose Luis [Houston, TX

    2011-01-11

    A method of treating a formation fluid includes providing formation fluid from a subsurface in situ heat treatment process. The formation fluid is separated to produce a liquid stream and a first gas stream. The first gas stream includes carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrocarbons, hydrogen or mixtures thereof. Molecular oxygen is separated from air to form a molecular oxygen stream comprising molecular oxygen. The first gas stream is combined with the molecular oxygen stream to form a combined stream comprising molecular oxygen and the first gas stream. The combined stream is provided to one or more downhole burners.

  4. Semipermeable thin-film membranes comprising siloxane, alkoxysilyl and aryloxysilyl oligomers and copolymers

    DOEpatents

    Babcock, W.C.; Friesen, D.T.

    1988-11-01

    Novel semipermeable membranes and thin film composite (TFC) gas separation membranes useful in the separation of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, lower hydrocarbons, and other gases are disclosed. The novel semipermeable membranes comprise the polycondensation reaction product of two complementary polyfunctional compounds, each having at least two functional groups that are mutually reactive in a condensation polymerization reaction, and at least one of which is selected from siloxanes, alkoxsilyls and aryloxysilyls. The TFC membrane comprises a microporous polymeric support, the surface of which has the novel semipermeable film formed thereon, preferably by interfacial polymerization.

  5. Semipermeable thin-film membranes comprising siloxane, alkoxysilyl and aryloxysilyl oligomers and copolymers

    DOEpatents

    Babcock, Walter C.; Friesen, Dwayne T.

    1988-01-01

    Novel semiperimeable membranes and thin film composite (TFC) gas separation membranes useful in the separation of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, lower hydrocarbons, and other gases are disclosed. The novel semipermeable membranes comprise the polycondensation reaction product of two complementary polyfunctional compounds, each having at least two functional groups that are mutually reactive in a condensation polymerization reaction, and at least one of which is selected from siloxanes, alkoxsilyls and aryloxysilyls. The TFC membrane comprises a microporous polymeric support, the surface of which has the novel semipermeable film formed thereon, preferably by interfacial polymerization.

  6. Cassini finds molecular hydrogen in the Enceladus plume: Evidence for hydrothermal processes.

    PubMed

    Waite, J Hunter; Glein, Christopher R; Perryman, Rebecca S; Teolis, Ben D; Magee, Brian A; Miller, Greg; Grimes, Jacob; Perry, Mark E; Miller, Kelly E; Bouquet, Alexis; Lunine, Jonathan I; Brockwell, Tim; Bolton, Scott J

    2017-04-14

    Saturn's moon Enceladus has an ice-covered ocean; a plume of material erupts from cracks in the ice. The plume contains chemical signatures of water-rock interaction between the ocean and a rocky core. We used the Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft to detect molecular hydrogen in the plume. By using the instrument's open-source mode, background processes of hydrogen production in the instrument were minimized and quantified, enabling the identification of a statistically significant signal of hydrogen native to Enceladus. We find that the most plausible source of this hydrogen is ongoing hydrothermal reactions of rock containing reduced minerals and organic materials. The relatively high hydrogen abundance in the plume signals thermodynamic disequilibrium that favors the formation of methane from CO 2 in Enceladus' ocean. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  7. Adsorption process to recover hydrogen from feed gas mixtures having low hydrogen concentration

    DOEpatents

    Golden, Timothy Christopher; Weist, Jr., Edward Landis; Hufton, Jeffrey Raymond; Novosat, Paul Anthony

    2010-04-13

    A process for selectively separating hydrogen from at least one more strongly adsorbable component in a plurality of adsorption beds to produce a hydrogen-rich product gas from a low hydrogen concentration feed with a high recovery rate. Each of the plurality of adsorption beds subjected to a repetitive cycle. The process comprises an adsorption step for producing the hydrogen-rich product from a feed gas mixture comprising 5% to 50% hydrogen, at least two pressure equalization by void space gas withdrawal steps, a provide purge step resulting in a first pressure decrease, a blowdown step resulting in a second pressure decrease, a purge step, at least two pressure equalization by void space gas introduction steps, and a repressurization step. The second pressure decrease is at least 2 times greater than the first pressure decrease.

  8. Hydrogenation of coal liquid utilizing a metal carbonyl catalyst

    DOEpatents

    Feder, Harold M.; Rathke, Jerome W.

    1979-01-01

    Coal liquid having a dissolved transition metal, catalyst as a carbonyl complex such as Co.sub.2 (CO.sub.8) is hydrogenated with hydrogen gas or a hydrogen donor. A dissociating solvent contacts the coal liquid during hydrogenation to form an immiscible liquid mixture at a high carbon monoxide pressure. The dissociating solvent, e.g. ethylene glycol, is of moderate coordinating ability, while sufficiently polar to solvate the transition metal as a complex cation along with a transition metal, carbonyl anion in solution at a decreased carbon monoxide pressure. The carbon monoxide pressure is reduced and the liquids are separated to recover the hydrogenated coal liquid as product. The dissociating solvent with the catalyst in ionized form is recycled to the hydrogenation step at the elevated carbon monoxide pressure for reforming the catalyst complex within fresh coal liquid.

  9. Hydrogenation of carbonaceous materials

    DOEpatents

    Friedman, Joseph; Oberg, Carl L.; Russell, Larry H.

    1980-01-01

    A method for reacting pulverized coal with heated hydrogen-rich gas to form hydrocarbon liquids suitable for conversion to fuels wherein the reaction involves injection of pulverized coal entrained in a minimum amount of gas and mixing the entrained coal at ambient temperature with a separate source of heated hydrogen. In accordance with the present invention, the hydrogen is heated by reacting a small portion of the hydrogen-rich gas with oxygen in a first reaction zone to form a gas stream having a temperature in excess of about 1000.degree. C. and comprising a major amount of hydrogen and a minor amount of water vapor. The coal particles then are reacted with the hydrogen in a second reaction zone downstream of the first reaction zone. The products of reaction may be rapidly quenched as they exit the second reaction zone and are subsequently collected.

  10. Preparation of Chemicals and Bulk Drug Substances for the U.S. Army Drug Development Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1997-12-01

    alkylation method. Reduction of the 8-nitro group in compound 3 was accomplished readily by hydrogenation over Raney nickel catalyst . Pure 8...1 with fuming nitric acid in concentrated sulfuric acid gave the 4- nitropyridine 2. The reduction of compound 2 by hydrogenation over Raney nickel catalyst as...The isomers were separated by fractional crystallization and the pure 3-nitropyridine 5 was hydrogenated over Raney nickel catalyst to give

  11. Safe Replacement For Asbestos In Nickel/Hydrogen Cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott, William E.

    1993-01-01

    Polyethylene fibers and potassium titanate particles perform as well as asbestos. New material for separators of nickel-hydrogen electrochemical cells offers performance similar to that of asbestos separator material without adverse health effects. In one version, separator contains pure polyethylene fibers, and may or may not contain supplementary latices as bonding agents. In standard wet-laying papermaking process, fibers pressed into mat, then dried. Mat used as is or pressed further in hot calender stack to soften and fuse fibers at crossing points. Treatment reduces porosity and increases resistance of mat to passage of air bubbles under pressure. In alternative version, matrix of 20 to 40 percent polyethylene fibers and 60 to 80 percent potassium titanate particles formed on paper machine, then dried. It, too, can be treated by hot calendering.

  12. Flotation process for removal of precipitates from electrochemical chromate reduction unit

    DOEpatents

    DeMonbrun, James R.; Schmitt, Charles R.; Williams, Everett H.

    1976-01-01

    This invention is an improved form of a conventional electrochemical process for removing hexavalent chromium or other metal-ion contaminants from cooling-tower blowdown water. In the conventional process, the contaminant is reduced and precipitated at an iron anode, thus forming a mixed precipitate of iron and chromium hydroxides, while hydrogen being evolved copiously at a cathode is vented from the electrochemical cell. In the conventional process, subsequent separation of the fine precipitate has proved to be difficult and inefficient. In accordance with this invention, the electrochemical operation is conducted in a novel manner permitting a much more efficient and less expensive precipitate-recovery operation. That is, the electrochemical operation is conducted under an evolved-hydrogen partial pressure exceeding atmospheric pressure. As a result, most of the evolved hydrogen is entrained as bubbles in the blowdown in the cell. The resulting hydrogen-rich blowdown is introduced to a vented chamber, where the entrained hydrogen combines with the precipitate to form a froth which can be separated by conventional techniques. In addition to the hydrogen, two materials present in most blowdown act as flotation promoters for the precipitate. These are (1) air, with which the blowdown water becomes saturated in the course of normal cooling-tower operation, and (2) surfactants which commonly are added to cooling-tower recirculating-water systems to inhibit the growth of certain organisms or prevent the deposition of insoluble particulates.

  13. Magnetic Fe@g??C3N4: A Photoactive Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Alkynes

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    A photoactive catalyst, Fe@g-C3N4, has been developed for the hydrogenation of alkenes and alkynes using hydrazine hydrate as a source of hydrogen. The magnetically separable Fe@g-C3N4 eliminates the use of high pressure hydrogenation, and the reaction can be accomplished using visible light without the need for external sources of energy.This dataset is associated with the following publication:Baig, N., S. Verma, R. Varma , and M. Nadagouda. Magnetic Fe@g-C3N4: A Photoactive Catalyst for the Hydrogenation of Alkenes and Alkynes. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, USA, 4(3): 1661-1664, (2016).

  14. Liquid-hydrogen rocket engine development at Aerojet, 1944 - 1950

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Osborn, G. H.; Gordon, R.; Coplen, H. L.; James, G. S.

    1977-01-01

    This program demonstrated the feasibility of virtually all the components in present-day, high-energy, liquid-rocket engines. Transpiration and film-cooled thrust chambers were successfully operated. The first liquid-hydrogen tests of the coaxial injector was conducted and the first pump to successfully produce high pressures in pumping liquid hydrogen was tested. A 1,000-lb-thrust gaseous propellant and a 3,000-lb-thrust liquid-propellant thrust chamber were operated satisfactorily. Also, the first tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of jet overexpansion and separation on performance of rocket thrust chambers with hydrogen-oxygen propellants.

  15. Isotope separation by photochromatography

    DOEpatents

    Suslick, K.S.

    1975-10-03

    A photochromatographic method for isotope separation is described. An isotopically mixed molecular species is adsorbed on an adsorptive surface, and the adsorbed molecules are irradiated with radiation of a predetermined wavelength which will selectively excite desired isotopic species. Sufficient energy is transferred to the excited molecules to desorb them from the surface and thus separate them from the undesired isotopic species. The method is particularly applicable to the separation of hydrogen isotopes. (BLM)

  16. SELECTIVE SEPARATION OF URANIUM FROM THORIUM, PROTACTINIUM AND FISSION PRODUCTS BY PEROXIDE DISSOLUTION METHOD

    DOEpatents

    Seaborg, G.T.; Gofman, J.W.; Stoughton, R.W.

    1959-08-18

    A method is described for separating U/sup 233/ from thorium and fission products. The separation is effected by forming a thorium-nitric acid solution of about 3 pH, adding hydrogen peroxide to precipitate uranium and thorium peroxide, treating the peroxides with sodium hydroxide to selectively precipitate the uranium peroxide, and reacting the separated solution with nitric acid to re- precipitate the uranium peroxide.

  17. Hydrogen purification: MOF membranes put to the test

    DOE PAGES

    Nenoff, Tina M.

    2015-03-30

    Membranes are essential components for the removal of greenhouse gases during fuel generation processes, such as hydrogen production, but simultaneous permeability and selectivity is difficult to obtain. This has now been achieved in ultrathin membranes that use the size-selective porosity of metal–organic frameworks to separate CO 2 from H 2.

  18. SAIDE: A Semi-Automated Interface for Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Villar, Maria T; Miller, Danny E; Fenton, Aron W; Artigues, Antonio

    2010-01-01

    Deuterium/hydrogen exchange in combination with mass spectrometry (DH MS) is a sensitive technique for detection of changes in protein conformation and dynamics. Since temperature, pH and timing control are the key elements for reliable and efficient measurement of hydrogen/deuterium content in proteins and peptides, we have developed a small, semiautomatic interface for deuterium exchange that interfaces the HPLC pumps with a mass spectrometer. This interface is relatively inexpensive to build, and provides efficient temperature and timing control in all stages of enzyme digestion, HPLC separation and mass analysis of the resulting peptides. We have tested this system with a series of standard tryptic peptides reconstituted in a solvent containing increasing concentration of deuterium. Our results demonstrate the use of this interface results in minimal loss of deuterium due to back exchange during HPLC desalting and separation. For peptides reconstituted in a buffer containing 100% deuterium, and assuming that all amide linkages have exchanged hydrogen with deuterium, the maximum loss of deuterium content is only 17% of the label, indicating the loss of only one deuterium molecule per peptide.

  19. SAIDE: A Semi-Automated Interface for Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Villar, Maria T.; Miller, Danny E.; Fenton, Aron W.; Artigues, Antonio

    2011-01-01

    Deuterium/hydrogen exchange in combination with mass spectrometry (DH MS) is a sensitive technique for detection of changes in protein conformation and dynamics. Since temperature, pH and timing control are the key elements for reliable and efficient measurement of hydrogen/deuterium content in proteins and peptides, we have developed a small, semiautomatic interface for deuterium exchange that interfaces the HPLC pumps with a mass spectrometer. This interface is relatively inexpensive to build, and provides efficient temperature and timing control in all stages of enzyme digestion, HPLC separation and mass analysis of the resulting peptides. We have tested this system with a series of standard tryptic peptides reconstituted in a solvent containing increasing concentration of deuterium. Our results demonstrate the use of this interface results in minimal loss of deuterium due to back exchange during HPLC desalting and separation. For peptides reconstituted in a buffer containing 100% deuterium, and assuming that all amide linkages have exchanged hydrogen with deuterium, the maximum loss of deuterium content is only 17% of the label, indicating the loss of only one deuterium molecule per peptide. PMID:25309638

  20. Modeling the Removal of Xenon from Lithium Hydrate with Aspen HYSYS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Efthimion, Phillip; Gentile, Charles

    2011-10-01

    The Laser Inertial Fusion Engine (LIFE) project mission is to provide a long-term, carbon-free source of sustainable energy, in the form of electricity. A conceptual xenon removal system has been modeled with the aid of Aspen HYSYS, a chemical process simulator. Aspen HYSYS provides excellent capability to model chemical flow processes, which generates outputs which includes specific variables such as temperature, pressure, and molar flow. The system is designed to strip out hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium. The base design bubbles plasma exhaust laden with x filled with liquid helium. The system separates the xenon from the hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium with a lithium hydrate and a lithium bubbler. After the removal of the hydrogen and its isotopes, the xenon is then purified by way of the process of cryogenic distillation. The pure hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium are then sent to the isotope separation system (ISS). The removal of xenon is an integral part of the laser inertial fusion engine and Aspen HYSYS is an excellent tool to calculate how to create pure xenon.

  1. Estimation of descriptors for hydrogen-bonding compounds from chromatographic and liquid-liquid partition measurements.

    PubMed

    Lenca, Nicole; Atapattu, Sanka N; Poole, Colin F

    2017-12-01

    Retention factors obtained by gas chromatography and reversed-phase liquid chromatography on varied columns and partition constants in different liquid-liquid partition systems are used to estimate WSU descriptor values for 36 anilines and N-heterocyclic compounds, 13 amides and related compounds, and 45 phenols and alcohols. These compounds are suitable for use as calibration compounds to characterize separation systems covering the descriptor space E=0.2-3, S=0.4-2.1, A=0-1.5, B=0.1-1.5, L=2.5-10.0 and V=0.5-2.2. Hydrogen-bonding properties are discussed in terms of structure, the possibility of induction effects, intramolecular hydrogen bonding and steric factors for anilines, amides, phenols and alcohols. The relationship between these parameters and observed descriptor values are difficult to predict from structure but facilitate improving the general occupancy of the descriptor space by creating incremental changes in hydrogen-bonding properties. It is verified that the compounds included in this study can be merged with an existing database of compounds recommended for characterizing separation systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Investigation of H2 Diaphragm Compressors to Enable Low-Cost Long-Life Operation

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

    Rohatgi, Aashish; Johnson, Kenneth I.

    2013-12-01

    This is a “short” annual report to DOE Fuel Cell Technology Office describing the research on modeling and materials analysis of diaphragms in a diaphragm-type hydrogen compressor. The compressor design details and diaphragm materials were provided by PDC Machines, Inc., a commercial manufacturer of diaphragm-type hydrogen compressors that PNNL is partnering with in this project

  3. Sulfur-Tolerant Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts Enabling Low-Temperature Stabilization of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil

    DOE PAGES

    Li, Zhenglong; Choi, Jae-Soon; Wang, Huamin; ...

    2017-08-18

    Low-temperature hydrogenation of carbonyl fractions can greatly improve the thermal stability of fast pyrolysis bio-oil which is crucial to achieve long-term operation of high-temperature upgrading reactors. The current state of the art, precious metals such as ruthenium, although highly effective in carbonyl hydrogenation, rapidly loses performance due to sulfur sensitivity. The present work showed that molybdenum carbides were active and sulfur-tolerant in low-temperature conversion carbonyl compounds. Furthermore, due to surface bifunctionality (presence of both metallic and acid sites), carbides catalyzed both C=O bond hydrogenation and C-C coupling reactions retaining most of carbon atoms in liquid products as more stable andmore » higher molecular weight oligomeric compounds while consuming less hydrogen than ruthenium. The carbides proved to be resistant to other deactivation mechanisms including hydrothermal aging, oxidation, coking and leaching. These properties enabled carbides to achieve and maintain good catalytic performance in both aqueous-phase furfural conversion and real bio-oil stabilization with sulfur present. This finding strongly suggests that molybdenum carbides can provide a catalyst solution necessary for the development of commercially viable bio-oil stabilization technology.« less

  4. Influence of the formation- and passivation rate of boron-oxygen defects for mitigating carrier-induced degradation in silicon within a hydrogen-based model

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

    Hallam, Brett, E-mail: brett.hallam@unsw.edu.au; Abbott, Malcolm; Nampalli, Nitin

    2016-02-14

    A three-state model is used to explore the influence of defect formation- and passivation rates of carrier-induced degradation related to boron-oxygen complexes in boron-doped p-type silicon solar cells within a hydrogen-based model. The model highlights that the inability to effectively mitigate carrier-induced degradation at elevated temperatures in previous studies is due to the limited availability of defects for hydrogen passivation, rather than being limited by the defect passivation rate. An acceleration of the defect formation rate is also observed to increase both the effectiveness and speed of carrier-induced degradation mitigation, whereas increases in the passivation rate do not lead tomore » a substantial acceleration of the hydrogen passivation process. For high-throughput mitigation of such carrier-induced degradation on finished solar cell devices, two key factors were found to be required, high-injection conditions (such as by using high intensity illumination) to enable an acceleration of defect formation whilst simultaneously enabling a rapid passivation of the formed defects, and a high temperature to accelerate both defect formation and defect passivation whilst still ensuring an effective mitigation of carrier-induced degradation.« less

  5. Sulfur-Tolerant Molybdenum Carbide Catalysts Enabling Low-Temperature Stabilization of Fast Pyrolysis Bio-oil

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

    Li, Zhenglong; Choi, Jae-Soon; Wang, Huamin

    Low-temperature hydrogenation of carbonyl fractions can greatly improve the thermal stability of fast pyrolysis bio-oil which is crucial to achieve long-term operation of high-temperature upgrading reactors. The current state of the art, precious metals such as ruthenium, although highly effective in carbonyl hydrogenation, rapidly loses performance due to sulfur sensitivity. The present work showed that molybdenum carbides were active and sulfur-tolerant in low-temperature conversion carbonyl compounds. Furthermore, due to surface bifunctionality (presence of both metallic and acid sites), carbides catalyzed both C=O bond hydrogenation and C-C coupling reactions retaining most of carbon atoms in liquid products as more stable andmore » higher molecular weight oligomeric compounds while consuming less hydrogen than ruthenium. The carbides proved to be resistant to other deactivation mechanisms including hydrothermal aging, oxidation, coking and leaching. These properties enabled carbides to achieve and maintain good catalytic performance in both aqueous-phase furfural conversion and real bio-oil stabilization with sulfur present. This finding strongly suggests that molybdenum carbides can provide a catalyst solution necessary for the development of commercially viable bio-oil stabilization technology.« less

  6. 2016 Annual Progress Report: DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program

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

    Satyapal, Sunita

    In the past year, the DOE Hydrogen Program (the Program) made substantial progress toward its goals and objectives. The Program has conducted comprehensive and focused efforts to enable the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in diverse sectors of the economy. With emphasis on applications that will effectively strengthen our nation's energy security and improve our stewardship of the environment, the Program engages in research, development, and demonstration of critical improvements in the technologies. Highlights of the Program's accomplishments can be found in the sub-program chapters of this report.

  7. Characterization of an atomic hydrogen source for charge exchange experiments

    DOE PAGES

    Leutenegger, M. A.; Beiersdorfer, P.; Betancourt-Martinez, G. L.; ...

    2016-07-02

    Here, we characterized the dissociation fraction of a thermal dissociation atomic hydrogen source by injecting the mixed atomic and molecular output of the source into an electron beam ion trap containing highly charged ions and recording the x-ray spectrum generated by charge exchange using a high-resolution x-ray calorimeter spectrometer. We exploit the fact that the charge exchange state-selective capture cross sections are very different for atomic and molecular hydrogen incident on the same ions, enabling a clear spectroscopic diagnostic of the neutral species.

  8. 2010 Annual Progress Report: DOE Hydrogen Program

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

    Not Available

    In the past year, the DOE Hydrogen Program (the Program) made substantial progress toward its goals and objectives. The Program has conducted comprehensive and focused efforts to enable the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in diverse sectors of the economy. With emphasis on applications that will effectively strengthen our nation's energy security and improve our stewardship of the environment, the Program engages in research, development, and demonstration of critical improvements in the technologies. Highlights of the Program's accomplishments can be found in the sub-program chapters of this report.

  9. 2015 Annual Progress Report: DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program

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

    Popovich, Neil

    In the past year, the DOE Hydrogen Program (the Program) made substantial progress toward its goals and objectives. The Program has conducted comprehensive and focused efforts to enable the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in diverse sectors of the economy. With emphasis on applications that will effectively strengthen our nation's energy security and improve our stewardship of the environment, the Program engages in research, development, and demonstration of critical improvements in the technologies. Highlights of the Program's accomplishments can be found in the sub-program chapters of this report.

  10. 2012 Annual Progress Report: DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program

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

    Not Available

    In the past year, the DOE Hydrogen Program (the Program) made substantial progress toward its goals and objectives. The Program has conducted comprehensive and focused efforts to enable the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in diverse sectors of the economy. With emphasis on applications that will effectively strengthen our nation's energy security and improve our stewardship of the environment, the Program engages in research, development, and demonstration of critical improvements in the technologies. Highlights of the Program's accomplishments can be found in the sub-program chapters of this report.

  11. Quantitative analysis of hydrogen in SiO{sub 2}/SiN/SiO{sub 2} stacks using atom probe tomography

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

    Kunimune, Yorinobu, E-mail: yorinobu.kunimune.vz@renesas.com; Shimada, Yasuhiro; Sakurai, Yusuke

    2016-04-15

    We have demonstrated that it is possible to reproducibly quantify hydrogen concentration in the SiN layer of a SiO{sub 2}/SiN/SiO{sub 2} (ONO) stack structure using ultraviolet laser-assisted atom probe tomography (APT). The concentration of hydrogen atoms detected using APT increased gradually during the analysis, which could be explained by the effect of hydrogen adsorption from residual gas in the vacuum chamber onto the specimen surface. The amount of adsorbed hydrogen in the SiN layer was estimated by analyzing another SiN layer with an extremely low hydrogen concentration (<0.2 at. %). Thus, by subtracting the concentration of adsorbed hydrogen, the actualmore » hydrogen concentration in the SiN layer was quantified as approximately 1.0 at. %. This result was consistent with that obtained by elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA), which confirmed the accuracy of the APT quantification. The present results indicate that APT enables the imaging of the three-dimensional distribution of hydrogen atoms in actual devices at a sub-nanometer scale.« less

  12. Isotopy of the hydrosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferronskii, V. I.; Poliakov, V. A.

    This book is concerned with the natural relations regarding the distribution of the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in the hydrosphere, taking into account the most important problems with respect to the dynamics and the origin of waters. The solution of these problems on an isotopic basis is considered. The physicochemical principles of isotope separation are discussed along with the isotopic composition of atmospheric moisture, the isotopic composition of surface continental waters, the hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of minerals of magmatic and metamorphic rocks and fluid inclusions, the isotopic composition of groundwaters of modern volcanic regions, and the origin of the earth's hydrosphere in the light of isotopic, cosmochemical, and theoretical studies. Attention is also given to the separation of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of waters in the underground cycle, the isotopic composition of the deep-formation waters of sedimentary basins, the relationship between surface and ground waters, and the groundwater residence time in an aquifer.

  13. Fabrication and testing of silver-hydrogen cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klein, M. G.

    1978-01-01

    The development and life testing of single electrode and multi electrode stacks to optimize the individual components and characterize the performance of a silver hydrogen battery system are described. A NASA-developed inorganic separator material was used as the main separator within the cells. Single electrode test cells were cycled at 75% of nominal capacity out through approximately 1,000 cycles in a number of cases where deterioration in performance was observed. This deterioration appears to be a decay in usable capacity of the silver electrode; but the exact mechanism is still unidentified. Twenty ampere-hour boilerplate test cells consisting of a stack of ten silver electrodes and twenty hydrogen electrodes were cycled also at 75% depth of discharge. The oldest stack achieved 522 stable cycles to the end of the program. Weight analysis of light-weight cells showed that 50 ampere-hour cells with improved components could be capable of as much as 40 watt hours per pound.

  14. Methane and Hydrogen Production from Anaerobic Fermentation of Municipal Solid Wastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kobayashi, Takuro; Lee, Dong-Yeol; Xu, Kaiqin; Li, Yu-You; Inamori, Yuhei

    Methane and hydrogen production was investigated in batch experiments of thermophilic methane and hydrogen fermentation, using domestic garbage and food processing waste classified by fat/carbohydrate balance as a base material. Methane production per unit of VS added was significantly positively correlated with fat content and negatively correlated with carbohydrate content in the substrate, and the average value of the methane production per unit of VS added from fat-rich materials was twice as large as that from carbohydrate-rich materials. By contrast, hydrogen production per unit of VS added was significantly positively correlated with carbohydrate content and negatively correlated with fat content. Principal component analysis using the results obtained in this study enable an evaluation of substrates for methane and hydrogen fermentation based on nutrient composition.

  15. Process for the liquefaction of solid carbonaceous materials wherein nitrogen is separated from hydrogen via ammonia synthesis

    DOEpatents

    Stetka, Steven S.; Nazario, Francisco N.

    1982-01-01

    In a process for the liquefaction of solid carbonaceous materials wherein bottoms residues are upgraded with a process wherein air is employed, the improvement wherein nitrogen buildup in the system is avoided by ammonia synthesis. In a preferred embodiment hydrogen from other portions of the liquefaction process will be combined with hydrogen produced as a result of the bottoms upgrading to increase the H.sub.2 :N.sub.2 ratio in the ammonia reactor.

  16. Solid Hydrogen Experiments for Atomic Propellants: Image Analyses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Palaszewski, Bryan

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents the results of detailed analyses of the images from experiments that were conducted on the formation of solid hydrogen particles in liquid helium. Solid particles of hydrogen were frozen in liquid helium, and observed with a video camera. The solid hydrogen particle sizes, their agglomerates, and the total mass of hydrogen particles were estimated. Particle sizes of 1.9 to 8 mm (0.075 to 0.315 in.) were measured. The particle agglomerate sizes and areas were measured, and the total mass of solid hydrogen was computed. A total mass of from 0.22 to 7.9 grams of hydrogen was frozen. Compaction and expansion of the agglomerate implied that the particles remain independent particles, and can be separated and controlled. These experiment image analyses are one of the first steps toward visually characterizing these particles, and allow designers to understand what issues must be addressed in atomic propellant feed system designs for future aerospace vehicles.

  17. Comparative study of thermochemical processes for hydrogen production from biomass fuels.

    PubMed

    Biagini, Enrico; Masoni, Lorenzo; Tognotti, Leonardo

    2010-08-01

    Different thermochemical configurations (gasification, combustion, electrolysis and syngas separation) are studied for producing hydrogen from biomass fuels. The aim is to provide data for the production unit and the following optimization of the "hydrogen chain" (from energy source selection to hydrogen utilization) in the frame of the Italian project "Filiera Idrogeno". The project focuses on a regional scale (Tuscany, Italy), renewable energies and automotive hydrogen. Decentred and small production plants are required to solve the logistic problems of biomass supply and meet the limited hydrogen infrastructures. Different options (gasification with air, oxygen or steam/oxygen mixtures, combustion, electrolysis) and conditions (varying the ratios of biomass and gas input) are studied by developing process models with uniform hypothesis to compare the results. Results obtained in this work concern the operating parameters, process efficiencies, material and energetic needs and are fundamental to optimize the entire hydrogen chain. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. First-Principles and Thermodynamic Simulation of Elastic Stress Effect on Energy of Hydrogen Dissolution in Alpha Iron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rakitin, M. S.; Mirzoev, A. A.; Mirzaev, D. A.

    2018-04-01

    Mobile hydrogen, when dissolving in metals, redistributes due to the density gradients and elastic stresses, and enables destruction processes or phase transformations in local volumes of a solvent metal. It is rather important in solid state physics to investigate these interactions. The first-principle calculations performed in terms of the density functional theory, are used for thermodynamic simulation of the elastic stress effect on the energy of hydrogen dissolution in α-Fe crystal lattice. The paper presents investigations of the total energy of Fe-H system depending on the lattice parameter. As a result, the relation is obtained between the hydrogen dissolution energy and stress. A good agreement is shown between the existing data and simulation results. The extended equation is suggested for the chemical potential of hydrogen atom in iron within the local stress field. Two parameters affecting the hydrogen distribution are compared, namely local stress and phase transformations.

  19. Fuel Cell Technologies Office FY 2017 Budget At-A-Glance

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

    None

    2016-03-01

    The Fuel Cell Technologies Office develops technologies to enable fuel cells to be competitive in diverse applications, with a focus on light-duty vehicles (at less than $40/kW) and to enable renewable hydrogen to be cost-competitive with gasoline (at less than $4 per gallon gasoline equivalent (gge), delivered and dispensed).

  20. Redox Flow Batteries, Hydrogen and Distributed Storage.

    PubMed

    Dennison, C R; Vrubel, Heron; Amstutz, Véronique; Peljo, Pekka; Toghill, Kathryn E; Girault, Hubert H

    2015-01-01

    Social, economic, and political pressures are causing a shift in the global energy mix, with a preference toward renewable energy sources. In order to realize widespread implementation of these resources, large-scale storage of renewable energy is needed. Among the proposed energy storage technologies, redox flow batteries offer many unique advantages. The primary limitation of these systems, however, is their limited energy density which necessitates very large installations. In order to enhance the energy storage capacity of these systems, we have developed a unique dual-circuit architecture which enables two levels of energy storage; first in the conventional electrolyte, and then through the formation of hydrogen. Moreover, we have begun a pilot-scale demonstration project to investigate the scalability and technical readiness of this approach. This combination of conventional energy storage and hydrogen production is well aligned with the current trajectory of modern energy and mobility infrastructure. The combination of these two means of energy storage enables the possibility of an energy economy dominated by renewable resources.

  1. Final Technical Report for GO15056 Millennium Cell: Development of an Advanced Chemical Hydrogen Storage and Generation System

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

    Moreno, Oscar

    The objectives of this project are to increase system storage capacity by improving hydrogen generation from concentrated sodium borohydride, with emphasis on reactor and system engineering; to complete a conceptual system design based on sodium borohydride that will include key technology improvements to enable a hydrogen fuel system that will meet the systembased storage capacity of 1.2 kWh/L (36 g H2/L) and 1.5 kWh/kg (45 g H2/kg), by the end of FY 2007; and to utilize engineering expertise to guide Center research in both off-board chemical hydride regeneration and on-board hydrogen generation systems.

  2. Hydrogen isotope separation from water

    DOEpatents

    Jensen, R.J.

    1975-09-01

    A process for separating tritium from tritium-containing water or deuterium enrichment from water is described. The process involves selective, laser-induced two-photon excitation and photodissociation of those water molecules containing deuterium or tritium followed by immediate reaction of the photodissociation products with a scavenger gas which does not substantially absorb the laser light. The reaction products are then separated from the undissociated water. (auth)

  3. PROCESS FOR CONTINUOUSLY SEPARATING IRRADIATION PRODUCTS OF THORIUM

    DOEpatents

    Hatch, L.P.; Miles, F.T.; Sheehan, T.V.; Wiswall, R.H.; Heus, R.J.

    1959-07-01

    A method is presented for separating uranium-233 and protactinium from thorium-232 containing compositions which comprises irradiating finely divided particles of said thorium with a neutron flux to form uranium-233 and protactinium, heating the neutron-irradiated composition in a fluorine and hydrogen atmosphere to form volatile fluorides of uranium and protactinium and thereafter separating said volatile fluorides from the thorium.

  4. Hydrogen-fueled engine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Laumann, E. A.; Reynolds, R. K. (Inventor)

    1978-01-01

    A hydrogen-oxygen fueled internal combustion engine is described, which utilizes an inert gas, such as argon, as a working fluid to increase the efficiency of the engine, eliminate pollution, and facilitate operation of a closed cycle energy system. In a system where sunlight or other intermittent energy source is available to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water, the oxygen and inert gas are taken into a diesel engine into which hydrogen is injected and ignited. The exhaust is cooled so that it contains only water and the inert gas. The inert gas in the exhaust is returned to the engine for use with fresh oxygen, while the water in the exhaust is returned to the intermittent energy source for reconversion to hydrogen and oxygen.

  5. Coal-oil slurry preparation

    DOEpatents

    Tao, John C.

    1983-01-01

    A pumpable slurry of pulverized coal in a coal-derived hydrocarbon oil carrier which slurry is useful as a low-ash, low-sulfur clean fuel, is produced from a high sulfur-containing coal. The initial pulverized coal is separated by gravity differentiation into (1) a high density refuse fraction containing the major portion of non-coal mineral products and sulfur, (2) a lowest density fraction of low sulfur content and (3) a middlings fraction of intermediate sulfur and ash content. The refuse fraction (1) is gasified by partial combustion producing a crude gas product from which a hydrogen stream is separated for use in hydrogenative liquefaction of the middlings fraction (3). The lowest density fraction (2) is mixed with the liquefied coal product to provide the desired fuel slurry. Preferably there is also separately recovered from the coal liquefaction LPG and pipeline gas.

  6. Nickel hydrogen cell tests. [recharging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mueller, V. C.

    1981-01-01

    Some parametric tests followed by cycling tests are described for the characterization of the service life of nickel hydrogen cells. Three cells were automatically cycled in simulated low Earth orbit in 35 minute discharge, 55 minute charge, with charging voltage limited, temperature compensated. The cells were mounted in a fixture that conducts heat to an aluminum baseplate. The baseplate in turn, is bounded in a temperature controlled bath to remove the heat from the mounted fixture. One cell was tested with a zircar separator, which failed after 2473 cyles. Two other cells were tested one with a zircar separator; the other with asbestos. More than 400 cycles were achieved.

  7. Al2O3 Disk Supported Si3N4 Hydrogen Purification Membrane for Low Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Xiaoteng; Christensen, Paul A.; Kelly, Stephen M.; Rocher, Vincent; Scott, Keith

    2013-01-01

    Reformate gas, a commonly employed fuel for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), contains carbon monoxide, which poisons Pt-containing anodes in such devices. A novel, low-cost mesoporous Si3N4 selective gas separation material was tested as a hydrogen clean-up membrane to remove CO from simulated feed gas to single-cell PEMFC, employing Nafion as the polymer electrolyte membrane. Polarization and power density measurements and gas chromatography showed a clear effect of separating the CO from the gas mixture; the performance and durability of the fuel cell was thereby significantly improved. PMID:24957065

  8. Al2O3 Disk Supported Si3N4 Hydrogen Purification Membrane for Low Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaoteng; Christensen, Paul A; Kelly, Stephen M; Rocher, Vincent; Scott, Keith

    2013-12-05

    Reformate gas, a commonly employed fuel for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), contains carbon monoxide, which poisons Pt-containing anodes in such devices. A novel, low-cost mesoporous Si3N4 selective gas separation material was tested as a hydrogen clean-up membrane to remove CO from simulated feed gas to single-cell PEMFC, employing Nafion as the polymer electrolyte membrane. Polarization and power density measurements and gas chromatography showed a clear effect of separating the CO from the gas mixture; the performance and durability of the fuel cell was thereby significantly improved.

  9. Polymer amide as an early topology.

    PubMed

    McGeoch, Julie E M; McGeoch, Malcolm W

    2014-01-01

    Hydrophobic polymer amide (HPA) could have been one of the first normal density materials to accrete in space. We present ab initio calculations of the energetics of amino acid polymerization via gas phase collisions. The initial hydrogen-bonded di-peptide is sufficiently stable to proceed in many cases via a transition state into a di-peptide with an associated bound water molecule of condensation. The energetics of polymerization are only favorable when the water remains bound. Further polymerization leads to a hydrophobic surface that is phase-separated from, but hydrogen bonded to, a small bulk water complex. The kinetics of the collision and subsequent polymerization are discussed for the low-density conditions of a molecular cloud. This polymer in the gas phase has the properties to make a topology, viz. hydrophobicity allowing phase separation from bulk water, capability to withstand large temperature ranges, versatility of form and charge separation. Its flexible tetrahedral carbon atoms that alternate with more rigid amide groups allow it to deform and reform in hazardous conditions and its density of hydrogen bonds provides adhesion that would support accretion to it of silicon and metal elements to form a stellar dust material.

  10. The setup of an extraction system coupled to a hydrogen isotopes distillation column

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

    Zamfirache, M.; Bornea, A.; Stefanescu, I.

    2008-07-15

    Among the most difficult problems of cryogenic distillation one stands apart: the extraction of the heavy fraction. By an optimal design of the cycle scheme, this problem could be avoided. A 'worst case scenario' is usually occurring when the extracted fraction consists of one prevalent isotope such as hydrogen and small amounts of the other two hydrogen isotopes (deuterium and/or tritium). This situation is further complicated by two parameters of the distillation column: the extraction flow rate and the hold-up. The present work proposes the conceptual design of an extraction system associated to the cryogenic distillation column used in hydrogenmore » separation processes. During this process, the heavy fraction (DT, T{sub 2}) is separated, its concentration being the highest at the bottom of the distillation column. From this place the extraction of the gaseous phase can now begin. Being filled with adsorbent, the extraction system is used to temporarily store the heavy fraction. Also the extraction system provides samples for the gas Chromatograph. The research work is focused on the existent pilot plant for tritium and deuterium separation from our institute to validate the experiments carried out until now. (authors)« less

  11. Comparison of conventional vs. modular hydrogen refueling stations and on-site production vs. delivery.

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

    Hecht, Ethan S.; Pratt, Joseph William

    To meet the needs of public and private stakeholders involved in the development, construction, and operation of hydrogen fueling stations needed to support the widespread roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles, this work presents publicly available station templates and analyses. These ‘Reference Stations’ help reduce the cost and speed the deployment of hydrogen stations by providing a common baseline with which to start a design, enable quick assessment of potential sites for a hydrogen station, identify contributors to poor economics, and suggest areas of research. This work presents layouts, bills of materials, piping and instrumentation diagrams, and detailed analysesmore » of five new station designs. In the near term, delivered hydrogen results in a lower cost of hydrogen compared to on-site production via steam methane reforming or electrolysis, although the on-site production methods have other advantages. Modular station concepts including on-site production can reduce lot sizes from conventional assemble-on-site stations.« less

  12. An Overview of Natural Gas Conversion Technologies for Co-Production of Hydrogen and Value-Added Solid Carbon Products

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

    Dagle, Robert A.; Dagle, Vanessa; Bearden, Mark D.

    This report was prepared in response to the U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Office Congressional Appropriation language to support research on carbon-free production of hydrogen using new chemical processes that utilize natural gas to produce solid carbon and hydrogen. The U.S. produces 9-10 million tons of hydrogen annually with more than 95% of the hydrogen produced by steam-methane reforming (SMR) of natural gas. SMR is attractive because of its high hydrogen yield; but it also converts the carbon to carbon dioxide. Non-oxidative thermal decomposition of methane to carbon and hydrogen is an alternative to SMR and produces COmore » 2-free hydrogen. The produced carbon can be sold as a co-product, thus providing economic credit that reduces the delivered net cost of hydrogen. The combination of producing hydrogen with potentially valuable carbon byproducts has market value in that this allows greater flexibility to match the market prices of hydrogen and carbon. That is, the higher value product can subsidize the other in pricing decisions. In this report we highlight the relevant technologies reported in the literature—primarily thermochemical and plasma conversion processes—and recent research progress and commercial activities. Longstanding technical challenges include the high energetic requirements (e.g., high temperatures and/or electricity requirements) necessary for methane activation and, for some catalytic processes, the separation of solid carbon product from the spent catalyst. We assess current and new carbon product markets that could be served given technological advances, and we discuss technical barriers and potential areas of research to address these needs. We provide preliminary economic analysis for these processes and compare to other emerging (e.g., electrolysis) and conventional (e.g., SMR) processes for hydrogen production. The overarching conclusion of this study is that the cost of hydrogen can be potentially reduced to target levels of $2/kg with the co-production and sale of a sufficiently high-value carbon product. Technological advances are required to understand the reaction conditions and design reactor systems that can achieve high yields of the select carbon products and segregate or separate the high-value carbon products, and optimize the production process for both hydrogen and carbon.« less

  13. Performance Improvement of V-Fe-Cr-Ti Solid State Hydrogen Storage Materials in Impure Hydrogen Gas.

    PubMed

    Ulmer, Ulrich; Oertel, Daria; Diemant, Thomas; Bonatto Minella, Christian; Bergfeldt, Thomas; Dittmeyer, Roland; Behm, R Jürgen; Fichtner, Maximilian

    2018-01-17

    Two approaches of engineering surface structures of V-Ti-based solid solution hydrogen storage alloys are presented, which enable improved tolerance toward gaseous oxygen (O 2 ) impurities in hydrogen (H 2 ) gas. Surface modification is achieved through engineering lanthanum (La)- or nickel (Ni)-rich surface layers with enhanced cyclic stability in an H 2 /O 2 mixture. The formation of a Ni-rich surface layer does not improve the cycling stability in H 2 /O 2 mixtures. Mischmetal (Mm, a mixture of La and Ce) agglomerates are observed within the bulk and surface of the alloy when small amounts of this material are added during arc melting synthesis. These agglomerates provide hydrogen-transparent diffusion pathways into the bulk of the V-Ti-Cr-Fe hydrogen storage alloy when the remaining oxidized surface is already nontransparent for hydrogen. Thus, the cycling stability of the alloy is improved in an O 2 -containing hydrogen environment as compared to the same alloy without addition of Mm. The obtained surface-engineered storage material still absorbs hydrogen after 20 cycles in a hydrogen-oxygen mixture, while the original material is already deactivated after 4 cycles.

  14. Process for photosynthetically splitting water

    DOEpatents

    Greenbaum, Elias

    1984-01-01

    The invention is an improved process for producing gaseous hydrogen and oxygen from water. The process is conducted in a photolytic reactor which contains a water-suspension of a photoactive material containing a hydrogen-liberating catalyst. The reactor also includes a volume for receiving gaseous hydrogen and oxygen evolved from the liquid phase. To avoid oxygen-inactivation of the catalyst, the reactor is evacuated continuously by an external pump which circulates the evolved gases through means for selectively recovering hydrogen therefrom. The pump also cools the reactor by evaporating water from the liquid phase. Preferably, product recovery is effected by selectively diffusing the hydrogen through a heated semipermeable membrane, while maintaining across the membrane a magnetic field gradient which biases the oxygen away from the heated membrane. This promotes separation, minimizes the back-reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and protects the membrane.

  15. Modeling the reaction kinetics of a hydrogen generator onboard a fuel cell -- Electric hybrid motorcycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganesh, Karthik

    Owing to the perceived decline of the fossil fuel reserves in the world and environmental issues like pollution, conventional fuels may be replaced by cleaner alternative fuels. The potential of hydrogen as a fuel in vehicular applications is being explored. Hydrogen as an energy carrier potentially finds applications in internal combustion engines and fuel cells because it is considered a clean fuel and has high specific energy. However, at 6 to 8 per kilogram, not only is hydrogen produced from conventional methods like steam reforming expensive, but also there are storage and handling issues, safety concerns and lack of hydrogen refilling stations across the country. The purpose of this research is to suggest a cheap and viable system that generates hydrogen on demand through a chemical reaction between an aluminum-water slurry and an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution to power a 2 kW fuel cell on a fuel cell hybrid motorcycle. This reaction is essentially an aluminum-water reaction where sodium hydroxide acts as a reaction promoter or catalyst. The Horizon 2000 fuel cell used for this purpose has a maximum hydrogen intake rate of 28 lpm. The study focuses on studying the exothermic reaction between the reactants and proposes a rate law that best describes the rate of generation of hydrogen in connection to the surface area of aluminum available for the certain reaction and the concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution. Further, the proposed rate law is used in the simulation model of the chemical reactor onboard the hybrid motorcycle to determine the hydrogen flow rate to the fuel cell with time. Based on the simulated rate of production of hydrogen from the chemical system, its feasibility of use on different drive cycles is analyzed. The rate of production of hydrogen with a higher concentration of sodium hydroxide and smaller aluminum powder size was found to enable the installation of the chemical reactor on urban cycles with frequent stops and starts. However, by extrapolating the necessary rate of concentration of sodium hydroxide required to produce hydrogen rates that would enable use of the system on highway drive cycles, it was deemed unsafe due to the caustic nature of the solution used.

  16. Hydrogen Transport to Mars Enables the Sabatier/Electrolysis Process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mueller, P. J.; Rapp, D.

    1997-01-01

    The Sabatier/Electrolysis (S/E) process is an attractive approach to in situ propellant production (ISPP), and a breadboard demonstration of this process at Lockheed Martin Astronautics funded by JPL performed very well, with high conversion efficiency, and reliable diurnal operation. There is a net usage of hydrogen in the S/E process, and this has been the principal problem for this approach to ISPP.

  17. A Hydrogen Containment Process for Nuclear Thermal Engine Ground testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Ten-See; Stewart, Eric; Canabal, Francisco

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study is to propose a new total hydrogen containment process to enable the testing required for NTP engine development. This H2 removal process comprises of two unit operations: an oxygen-rich burner and a shell-and-tube type of heat exchanger. This new process is demonstrated by simulation of the steady state operation of the engine firing at nominal conditions.

  18. Lateral hydrogen microsensors prepared on-chip by local oxidation of platinum-decorated titanium films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herbertz, S.; Welk, D.; Heinzel, T.

    2018-05-01

    Titanium microstripes on silicon dioxide substrates are oxidized locally by applying voltages on-chip to lateral electrodes under ambient conditions. This technique enables profound modifications of the electronic circuit. As an example, we transform Ti films decorated by a sub-monolayer of platinum into hydrogen gas microsensors in an otherwise completed device by a silicon-MOS compatible process.

  19. Separating hydrogen and oxygen evolution in alkaline water electrolysis using nickel hydroxide

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Long; Dong, Xiaoli; Wang, Yonggang; Xia, Yongyao

    2016-01-01

    Low-cost alkaline water electrolysis has been considered a sustainable approach to producing hydrogen using renewable energy inputs, but preventing hydrogen/oxygen mixing and efficiently using the instable renewable energy are challenging. Here, using nickel hydroxide as a redox mediator, we decouple the hydrogen and oxygen production in alkaline water electrolysis, which overcomes the gas-mixing issue and may increase the use of renewable energy. In this architecture, the hydrogen production occurs at the cathode by water reduction, and the anodic Ni(OH)2 is simultaneously oxidized into NiOOH. The subsequent oxygen production involves a cathodic NiOOH reduction (NiOOH→Ni(OH)2) and an anodic OH− oxidization. Alternatively, the NiOOH formed during hydrogen production can be coupled with a zinc anode to form a NiOOH-Zn battery, and its discharge product (that is, Ni(OH)2) can be used to produce hydrogen again. This architecture brings a potential solution to facilitate renewables-to-hydrogen conversion. PMID:27199009

  20. Determination of iodine and molybdenum in milk by quadrupole ICP-MS.

    PubMed

    Reid, Helen J; Bashammakh, Abdul A; Goodall, Phillip S; Landon, Mark R; O'Connor, Ciaran; Sharp, Barry L

    2008-03-15

    A reliable method for the determination of iodine and molybdenum in milk samples, using alkaline digestion with tetramethylammonium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide, followed by quadrupole ICP-MS analysis, has been developed and tested using certified reference materials. The use of He+O2 (1.0 ml min(-1) and 0.6 ml min(-1)) in the collision-reaction cell of the mass spectrometer to remove (129)Xe+-- initially to enable the determination of low levels of 129I--also resulted in the quantitative conversion of Mo(+) to MoO2+ which enabled the molybdenum in the milk to be determined at similar mass to the iodine with the use of Sb as a common internal standard. In order to separate and pre-concentrate iodine at sub microg l(-1) concentrations, a novel method was developed using a cation-exchange column loaded with Pd2+ and Ca2+ ions to selectively retain iodide followed by elution with a small volume of ammonium thiosulfate. This method showed excellent results for aqueous iodide solutions, although the complex milk digest matrix made the method unsuitable for such samples. An investigation of the iodine species formed during oxidation and extraction of milk sample digests was carried out with a view to controlling the iodine chemistry.

  1. Cooking utensil with improved heat retention

    DOEpatents

    Potter, Thomas F.; Benson, David K.; Burch, Steven D.

    1997-01-01

    A cooking utensil with improved heat retention includes an inner pot received within an outer pot and separated in a closely spaced-apart relationship to form a volume or chamber therebetween. The chamber is evacuated and sealed with foil leaves at the upper edges of the inner and outer pot. The vacuum created between the inner and outer pot, along with the minimum of thermal contact between the inner and outer pot, and the reduced radiative heat transfer due to low emissivity coatings on the inner and outer pot, provide for a highly insulated cooking utensil. Any combination of a plurality of mechanisms for selectively disabling and re-enabling the insulating properties of the pot are provided within the chamber. These mechanisms may include: a hydrogen gas producing and reabsorbing device such as a metal hydride, a plurality of metal contacts which can be adjusted to bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot, and a plurality of bimetallic switches which can selectively bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot. In addition, phase change materials with superior heat retention characteristics may be provided within the cooking utensil. Further, automatic and programmable control of the cooking utensil can be provided through a microprocessor and associated hardware for controlling the vacuum disable/enable mechanisms to automatically cook and save food.

  2. Cooking utensil with improved heat retention

    DOEpatents

    Potter, T.F.; Benson, D.K.; Burch, S.D.

    1997-07-01

    A cooking utensil with improved heat retention includes an inner pot received within an outer pot and separated in a closely spaced-apart relationship to form a volume or chamber there between. The chamber is evacuated and sealed with foil leaves at the upper edges of the inner and outer pot. The vacuum created between the inner and outer pot, along with the minimum of thermal contact between the inner and outer pot, and the reduced radiative heat transfer due to low emissivity coatings on the inner and outer pot, provide for a highly insulated cooking utensil. Any combination of a plurality of mechanisms for selectively disabling and re-enabling the insulating properties of the pot are provided within the chamber. These mechanisms may include: a hydrogen gas producing and reabsorbing device such as a metal hydride, a plurality of metal contacts which can be adjusted to bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot, and a plurality of bimetallic switches which can selectively bridge the gap between the inner and outer pot. In addition, phase change materials with superior heat retention characteristics may be provided within the cooking utensil. Further, automatic and programmable control of the cooking utensil can be provided through a microprocessor and associated hardware for controlling the vacuum disable/enable mechanisms to automatically cook and save food. 26 figs.

  3. Cu2O/CuO Bilayered Composite as a High-Efficiency Photocathode for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yang; Xu, Di; Wu, Qingyong; Diao, Peng

    2016-10-01

    Solar powered hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the key reactions in solar-to-chemical energy conversion. It is desirable to develop photocathodic materials that exhibit high activity toward photoelectrochemical (PEC) HER at more positive potentials because a higher potential means a lower overpotential for HER. In this work, the Cu2O/CuO bilayered composites were prepared by a facile method that involved an electrodeposition and a subsequent thermal oxidation. The resulting Cu2O/CuO bilayered composites exhibited a surprisingly high activity and good stability toward PEC HER, expecially at high potentials in alkaline solution. The photocurrent density for HER was 3.15 mA·cm-2 at the potential of 0.40 V vs. RHE, which was one of the two highest reported at the same potential on copper-oxide-based photocathode. The high photoactivity of the bilayered composite was ascribed to the following three advantages of the Cu2O/CuO heterojunction: (1) the broadened light absorption band that made more efficient use of solar energy, (2) the large space-charge-region potential that enabled a high efficiency for electron-hole separation, and (3) the high majority carrier density that ensured a faster charge transportation rate. This work reveals the potential of the Cu2O/CuO bilayered composite as a promising photocathodic material for solar water splitting.

  4. Direct observation and modelling of ordered hydrogen adsorption and catalyzed ortho-para conversion on ETS-10 titanosilicate material.

    PubMed

    Ricchiardi, Gabriele; Vitillo, Jenny G; Cocina, Donato; Gribov, Evgueni N; Zecchina, Adriano

    2007-06-07

    Hydrogen physisorption on porous high surface materials is investigated for the purpose of hydrogen storage and hydrogen separation, because of its simplicity and intrinsic reversibility. For these purposes, the understanding of the binding of dihydrogen to materials, of the structure of the adsorbed phase and of the ortho-para conversion during thermal and pressure cycles are crucial for the development of new hydrogen adsorbents. We report the direct observation by IR spectroscopic methods of structured hydrogen adsorption on a porous titanosilicate (ETS-10), with resolution of the kinetics of the ortho-para transition, and an interpretation of the structure of the adsorbed phase based on classical atomistic simulations. Distinct infrared signals of o- and p-H2 in different adsorbed states are measured, and the conversion of o- to p-H2 is monitored over a timescale of hours, indicating the presence of a catalyzed reaction. Hydrogen adsorption occurs in three different regimes characterized by well separated IR manifestations: at low pressures ordered 1:1 adducts with Na and K ions exposed in the channels of the material are formed, which gradually convert into ordered 2:1 adducts. Further addition of H2 occurs only through the formation of a disordered condensed phase. The binding enthalpy of the Na+-H2 1:1 adduct is of -8.7+/-0.1 kJ mol(-1), as measured spectroscopically. Modeling of the weak interaction of H2 with the materials requires an accurate force field with a precise description of both dispersion and electrostatics. A novel three body force field for molecular hydrogen is presented, based on the fitting of an accurate PES for the H2-H2 interaction to the experimental dipole polarizability and quadrupole moment. Molecular mechanics simulations of hydrogen adsorption at different coverages confirm the three regimes of adsorption and the structure of the adsorbed phase.

  5. Detection of Micro-Leaks Through Complex Geometries Under Mechanical Load and at Cryogenic Temperature

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rivers, H. Kevin; Sikora, J. G.; Sankaran, S. N.

    2001-01-01

    Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) hydrogen tanks have been proposed as an enabling technology for reducing the weight of Single-Stage-to-Orbit reusable launch vehicles where structural mass has a large impact on vehicle performance. A key development issue of these lightweight structures is the leakage of hydrogen through the composite material. The rate of hydrogen leakage can be a function of the material used, method of 6 fabrication used to manufacture the tank, mechanical load the tank must react, internal damage-state of the material, and the temperatures at which the tank must operate. A method for measuring leakage through a geometrically complex structure at cryogenic temperature and under mechanical load was developed, calibrated and used to measure hydrogen leakage through complex X-33 liquid-hydrogen tank structure sections.

  6. High resolution x-ray Thomson scattering measurements from cryogenic hydrogen jets using the linac coherent light source

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

    Fletcher, L. B., E-mail: lbfletch@slac.stanford.edu; Galtier, E.; Gamboa, E. J.

    2016-11-15

    We present the first spectrally resolved measurements of x-rays scattered from cryogenic hydrogen jets in the single photon counting limit. The 120 Hz capabilities of the LCLS, together with a novel hydrogen jet design [J. B. Kim et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. (these proceedings)], allow for the ability to record a near background free spectrum. Such high-dynamic-range x-ray scattering measurements enable a platform to study ultra-fast, laser-driven, heating dynamics of hydrogen plasmas. This measurement has been achieved using two highly annealed pyrolytic graphite crystal spectrometers to spectrally resolve 5.5 keV x-rays elastically and inelastically scattered from cryogenic hydrogen and focusedmore » on Cornell-SLAC pixel array detectors [S. Herrmann et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 718, 550 (2013)].« less

  7. The Effect of Hydrogen Annealing on the Oxidation Resistance of Four EPM Single Crystal Superalloys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smialek, James L.; Barrett, Charles A.; Garlick, Ralph G.

    2001-01-01

    Four single crystal EPM (enabling propulsion materials) developmental airfoil superalloys were hydrogen annealed at 1300 C for up to 100 hours to remove sulfur and improve oxidation resistance. Although the 1100 and 1150 C cyclic oxidation resistance was remarkably improved by annealing for 24 or 100 hours, the behavior was still considerably inferior to that of commercially available single crystal superalloys, especially those that are either Y-doped or hydrogen annealed. Excessive degradation in the developmental alloys appeared to be correlated with low Cr contents and, to a lesser extent, high Co and Re contents.

  8. 2011 Annual Progress Report: DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program (Book)

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

    Not Available

    In the past year, the DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program (the Program) made substantial progress toward its goals and objectives. The Program has conducted comprehensive and focused efforts to enable the widespread commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in diverse sectors of the economy. With emphasis on applications that will effectively strengthen our nation's energy security and improve our stewardship of the environment, the Program engages in research, development, and demonstration of critical improvements in the technologies. Highlights of the Program's accomplishments can be found in the sub-program chapters of this report.

  9. Safe Use of Hydrogen and Hydrogen Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maes, Miguel

    2006-01-01

    This is a viewgraph presentation that is a course for teaching the safe use of hydrogen. The objectives of the course are 1. To familiarize the student with H2 safety properties 2. To enable the identification, evaluations and addressing of H2 system hazards 3. To teach: a. Safe practices for, b. Design, c. Materials selection, d. H2 system operation, e. Physical principles and empirical observations on which these safe practices are based, f. How to respond to emergency situations involving H2, g How to visualize safety concepts through in-class exercises, h. Identify numerous parameters important to H2 safety.

  10. Hydrogen bonds of sodium alginate/Antarctic krill protein composite material.

    PubMed

    Yang, Lijun; Guo, Jing; Yu, Yue; An, Qingda; Wang, Liyan; Li, Shenglin; Huang, Xuelin; Mu, Siyang; Qi, Shanwei

    2016-05-20

    Sodium alginate/Antarctic krill protein composite material (SA/AKP) was successfully obtained by blending method. The hydrogen bonds of SA/AKP composite material were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectrum (HNMR). Experiment manifested the existence of intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds in SA/AKP system; strength of intermolecular hydrogen bond enhanced with the increase of AKP in the composite material and the interaction strength of hydrogen bonding followed the order: OH…Ether O>OH…π>OH…N. The percentage of intermolecular hydrogen bond decreased with increase of pH. At the same time, the effect of hydrogen bonds on properties of the composite material was discussed. The increase of intermolecular hydrogen bonding led to the decrease of crystallinity, increase of apparent viscosity and surface tension, as well as obvious decrease of heat resistance of SA/AKP composite material. SA/AKP fiber SEM images and energy spectrum showed that crystallized salt was separated from the fiber, which possibly led to the fibrillation of the composite fibers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Flight Weight Design Nickel-Hydrogen Cells Using Lightweight Nickel Fiber Electrodes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Britton, Doris L.; Willis, Bob; Pickett, David F.

    2003-01-01

    The goal of this program is to develop a lightweight nickel electrode for advanced aerospace nickel-hydrogen cells and batteries with improved specific energy and specific volume. The lightweight nickel electrode will improve the specific energy of a nickel-hydrogen cell by >50%. These near-term advanced batteries will reduce power system mass and volume, while decreasing the cost, thus increasing mission capabilities and enabling small spacecraft missions. This development also offers a cost savings over the traditional sinter development methods for fabrication. The technology has been transferred to Eagle-Picher, a major aerospace battery manufacturer, who has scaled up the process developed at NASA GRC and fabricated electrodes for incorporation into flight-weight nickel-hydrogen cells.

  12. Liquid Hydrogen Target Experience at SLAC

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

    Weisend, J.G.; Boyce, R.; Candia, A.

    2005-08-29

    Liquid hydrogen targets have played a vital role in the physics program at SLAC for the past 40 years. These targets have ranged from small ''beer can'' targets to the 1.5 m long E158 target that was capable of absorbing up to 800 W without any significant density changes. Successful use of these targets has required the development of thin wall designs, liquid hydrogen pumps, remote positioning and alignment systems, safety systems, control and data acquisition systems, cryogenic cooling circuits and heat exchangers. Detailed operating procedures have been created to ensure safety and operational reliability. This paper surveys the evolutionmore » of liquid hydrogen targets at SLAC and discusses advances in several of the enabling technologies that made these targets possible.« less

  13. Start up system for hydrogen generator used with an internal combustion engine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Houseman, J.; Cerini, D. J. (Inventor)

    1977-01-01

    A hydrogen generator provides hydrogen rich product gases which are mixed with the fuel being supplied to an internal combustion engine for the purpose of enabling a very lean mixture of that fuel to be used, whereby nitrous oxides emitted by the engine are minimized. The hydrogen generator contains a catalyst which must be heated to a pre-determined temperature before it can react properly. To simplify the process of heating up the catalyst at start-up time, either some of the energy produced by the engine such as engine exhaust gas, or electrical energy produced by the engine, or the engine exhaust gas may be used to heat up air which is then used to heat the catalyst.

  14. SEPARATION OF URANYL AND RUTHENIUM VALUES BY THE TRIBUTYL PHOSPHATE EXTRACTION PROCESS

    DOEpatents

    Wilson, A.S.

    1961-05-01

    A process is given for separating uranyl values from ruthenium values contained in an aqueous 3 to 4 M nitric acid solution. After the addition of hydrogen peroxide to obtain a concentration of 0.3 M, the uranium is selectively extracted with kerosene-diluted tributyl phosphate.

  15. Power generation in fuel cells using liquid methanol and hydrogen peroxide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Narayanan, Sekharipuram R. (Inventor); Valdez, Thomas I. (Inventor); Chun, William (Inventor)

    2002-01-01

    The invention is directed to an encapsulated fuel cell including a methanol source that feeds liquid methanol (CH.sub.3 OH) to an anode. The anode is electrical communication with a load that provides electrical power. The fuel cell also includes a hydrogen peroxide source that feeds liquid hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2 O.sub.2) to the cathode. The cathode is also in communication with the electrical load. The anode and cathode are in contact with and separated by a proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane.

  16. 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine, redetermined at 120 K: a three-dimensional framework built from N-H...O, N-H...(O)2, N-H...pi(arene) and C-H...O hydrogen bonds.

    PubMed

    Wardell, James L; Low, John N; Glidewell, Christopher

    2006-06-01

    In the title compound, C6H6N4O4, the bond distances indicate significant bond fixation, consistent with charge-separated polar forms. The molecules are almost planar and there is an intramolecular N-H...O hydrogen bond. The molecules are linked into a complex three-dimensional framework structure by a combination of N-H...O, N-H...(O)2, N-H...pi(arene) and C-H...O hydrogen bonds.

  17. Simple, field portable colorimetric detection device for organic peroxides and hydrogen peroxide

    DOEpatents

    Pagoria, Philip F.; Mitchell, Alexander R.; Whipple, Richard E.; Carman, M. Leslie; Reynolds, John G.; Nunes, Peter; Shields, Sharon J.

    2010-11-09

    A simple and effective system for the colorimetric determination of organic peroxides and hydrogen peroxide. A peroxide pen utilizing a swipe material attached to a polyethylene tube contains two crushable vials. The two crushable vials contain a colorimetric reagent separated into dry ingredients and liquid ingredients. After swiping a suspected substance or surface the vials are broken, the reagent is mixed thoroughly and the reagent is allowed to wick into the swipe material. The presence of organic peroxides or hydrogen peroxide is confirmed by a deep blue color.

  18. Polarized hydrogen/deuterium molecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shestakov, Yu V.; Nikolenko, D. M.; Rachek, I. A.; Sadykov, R. Sh; Toporkov, D. K.; Yurchenko, A. V.; Zevakov, S. A.

    2017-12-01

    The prototype of a polarized molecular hydrogen/deuterium source which is based on the classical Stern-Gerlach separation scheme has been tested at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP), Novosibirsk. It consists of the circular slit nozzle cooled down to 6.5 K and the two superconducting sextupole magnets. The flux of polarized hydrogen molecules of 3·1012 mol/s was measured for a total gas flow through the nozzle of 5·10-2 Torr·l/s. The obtained results will be used to develop a much more intense source of polarized molecules.

  19. Integrated coal cleaning, liquefaction, and gasification process

    DOEpatents

    Chervenak, Michael C.

    1980-01-01

    Coal is finely ground and cleaned so as to preferentially remove denser ash-containing particles along with some coal. The resulting cleaned coal portion having reduced ash content is then fed to a coal hydrogenation system for the production of desirable hydrocarbon gases and liquid products. The remaining ash-enriched coal portion is gasified to produce a synthesis gas, the ash is removed from the gasifier usually as slag, and the synthesis gas is shift converted with steam and purified to produce the high purity hydrogen needed in the coal hydrogenation system. This overall process increases the utilization of as-mined coal, reduces the problems associated with ash in the liquefaction-hydrogenation system, and permits a desirable simplification of a liquids-solids separation step otherwise required in the coal hydrogenation system.

  20. Hydrogen production by high temperature water splitting using electron conducting membranes

    DOEpatents

    Balachandran, Uthamalingam; Wang, Shuangyan; Dorris, Stephen E.; Lee, Tae H.

    2006-08-08

    A device and method for separating water into hydrogen and oxygen is disclosed. A first substantially gas impervious solid electron-conducting membrane for selectively passing protons or hydrogen is provided and spaced from a second substantially gas impervious solid electron-conducting membrane for selectively passing oxygen. When steam is passed between the two membranes at dissociation temperatures the hydrogen from the dissociation of steam selectively and continuously passes through the first membrane and oxygen selectively and continuously passes through the second membrane, thereby continuously driving the dissociation of steam producing hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen is thereafter reacted with methane to produce syngas which optimally may be reacted in a water gas shift reaction to produce CO2 and H2.

  1. Emergence of a High-Temperature Superconductivity in Hydrogen Cycled pd Compounds as AN Evidence for Superstoihiometric H/d Sites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lipson, Andrei; Castano, Carlos; Miley, George; Lipson, Andrei; Lyakhov, Boris; Mitin, Alexander

    2006-02-01

    Transport and magnetic properties of hydrogen cycled PdHx and Pd/PdO:Hx (x ~ (4/6) × 10-4) nano-composite consisting of a Pd matrix with hydrogen trapped inside dislocation cores have been studied. The results suggest emergence of a high-temperature superconductivity state of a condensed hydrogen phase confined inside deep dislocation cores in the Pd matrix. The possible role of hydrogen/deuterium filled dislocation nano-tubes is discussed. These dislocation cores could be considered as active centers of LENR triggering due to (i) short D-D separation distance (~Bohr radius); (ii) high-local D-loading in the Pd and the corresponding effective lattice compression; (iii) a large optic phonon energy resulting in a most effective lattice-nuclei energy transfer.

  2. Boron-Based Hydrogen Storage: Ternary Borides and Beyond

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

    Vajo, John J.

    DOE continues to seek reversible solid-state hydrogen materials with hydrogen densities of ≥11 wt% and ≥80 g/L that can deliver hydrogen and be recharged at moderate temperatures (≤100 °C) and pressures (≤100 bar) enabling incorporation into hydrogen storage systems suitable for transportation applications. Boron-based hydrogen storage materials have the potential to meet the density requirements given boron’s low atomic weight, high chemical valance, and versatile chemistry. However, the rates of hydrogen exchange in boron-based compounds are thus far much too slow for practical applications. Although contributing to the high hydrogen densities, the high valance of boron also leads to slowmore » rates of hydrogen exchange due to extensive boron-boron atom rearrangements during hydrogen cycling. This rearrangement often leads to multiple solid phases occurring over hydrogen release and recharge cycles. These phases must nucleate and react with each other across solid-solid phase boundaries leading to energy barriers that slow the rates of hydrogen exchange. This project sought to overcome the slow rates of hydrogen exchange in boron-based hydrogen storage materials by minimizing the number of solid phases and the boron atom rearrangement over a hydrogen release and recharge cycle. Two novel approaches were explored: 1) developing matched pairs of ternary borides and mixed-metal borohydrides that could exchange hydrogen with only one hydrogenated phase (the mixed-metal borohydride) and only one dehydrogenated phase (the ternary boride); and 2) developing boranes that could release hydrogen by being lithiated using lithium hydride with no boron-boron atom rearrangement.« less

  3. Catalytic membranes for CO oxidation in fuel cells

    DOEpatents

    Sandi-Tapia, Giselle; Carrado Gregar, Kathleen; Kizilel, Riza

    2010-06-08

    A hydrogen permeable membrane, which includes a polymer stable at temperatures of about 200 C having clay impregnated with Pt or Au or Ru or Pd particles or mixtures thereof with average diameters of less than about 10 nanometers (nms) is disclosed. The membranes are useful in fuel cells or any device which requires hydrogen to be separated from carbon monoxide.

  4. Urey, Harold Clayton (1893-1981)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murdin, P.

    2000-11-01

    Chemist, born in Walkerton, Indiana, Nobel prizewinner for Chemistry in 1934 `for his discovery of heavy hydrogen'. It was at Columbia University that he isolated the isotope deuterium by distilling liquid hydrogen; in the Second World War, he directed the effort to separate uranium-235 from uranium-238 for the atomic bomb. At the University of Chicago, he worked on the origin of the elements, th...

  5. Important considerations in the use of carbon and hydrogen stable isotopes to determine the origin of hydrocarbons in groundwater – A case study from pre-shale gas Tioga County

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    stable carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositional ranges of methanes (δ13C and δ2H (D)) enable us to distinguish between microbial and thermogenic origin of natural gases. To identify stray gas origins, identify possible gas sources, create baseline, carry out site-specific monitoring, and monitor long-term changes

  6. Hydrogen peroxide propulsion for smaller satellites (SSC98-VIII-1)

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

    Whitehead, J C

    1998-07-13

    As satellite designs shrink, providing maneuvering and control capability falls outside the realm of available propulsion technology. While cold gas has been used on the smallest satellites, hydrogen peroxide propellant is suggested as the next step in performance and cost before hydrazine. Minimal toxicity and a small scale enable benchtop propellant preparation and development testing. Progress toward low-cost thrusters and self-pressurizing tank systems is described.

  7. Reversible transient hydrogen storage in a fuel cell-supercapacitor hybrid device.

    PubMed

    Unda, Jesus E Zerpa; Roduner, Emil

    2012-03-21

    A new concept is investigated for hydrogen storage in a supercapacitor based on large-surface-area carbon material (Black Pearls 2000). Protons and electrons of hydrogen are separated on a fuel cell-type electrode and then stored separately in the electrical double layer, the electrons on the carbon and the protons in the aqueous electrolyte of the supercapacitor electrode. The merit of this concept is that it works spontaneously and reversibly near ambient pressure and temperature. This is in pronounced contrast to what has been known as electrochemical hydrogen storage, which does not involve hydrogen gas and where electrical work has to be spent in the loading process. With the present hybrid device, a H(2) storage capacity of 0.13 wt% was obtained, one order of magnitude more than what can be stored by conventional physisorption on large-surface-area carbons at the same pressure and temperature. Raising the pressure from 1.5 to 3.5 bar increased the capacity by less than 20%, indicating saturation. A capacitance of 11 μF cm(-2), comparable with that of a commercial double layer supercapacitor, was found using H(2)SO(4) as electrolyte. The chemical energy of the stored H(2) is almost a factor of 3 larger than the electrical energy stored in the supercapacitor. Further developments of this concept relate to a hydrogen buffer integrated inside a proton exchange membrane fuel cell to be used in case of peak power demand. This serial setup takes advantage of the suggested novel concept of hydrogen storage. It is fundamentally different from previous ways of operating a conventional supercapacitor hooked up in parallel to a fuel cell.

  8. Gaseous isotope separation using solar wind phenomena.

    PubMed

    Wang, C G

    1980-12-01

    A large evacuated drum-like chamber fitted with supersonic nozzles in the center, with the chamber and the nozzles corotating, can separate gaseous fluids according to their molecular weights. The principle of separation is essentially the same as that of the solar wind propagation, in which components of the plasma fluid are separated due to their difference in the time-of-flight. The process can inherently be very efficient, serving as a pump as well as a separator, and producing well over 10(5) separative work units (kg/year) for the hydrogen/deuterium mixture at high-velocity flows.

  9. Selective Hydrogen Isotope Separation via Breathing Transition in MIL-53(Al).

    PubMed

    Kim, Jin Yeong; Zhang, Linda; Balderas-Xicohténcatl, Rafael; Park, Jaewoo; Hirscher, Michael; Moon, Hoi Ri; Oh, Hyunchul

    2017-12-13

    Breathing of MIL-53(Al), a flexible metal-organic framework (MOF), leads to dynamic changes as narrow pore (np) transitions to large pore (lp). During the flexible and reversible transition, the pore apertures are continuously adjusted, thus providing the tremendous opportunity to separate mixtures of similar-sized and similar-shaped molecules that require precise pore tuning. Herein, for the first time, we report a strategy for effectively separating hydrogen isotopes through the dynamic pore change during the breathing of MIL-53(Al), a representative of flexible MOFs. The experiment shows that the selectivity for D 2 over H 2 is strongly related to the state of the pore structure of MIL-53(Al). The highest selectivity (S D 2 /H 2 = 13.6 at 40 K) was obtained by optimizing the exposure temperature, pressure, and time to systematically tune the pore state of MIL-53(Al).

  10. Hydrogen generation systems utilizing sodium silicide and sodium silica gel materials

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

    Wallace, Andrew P.; Melack, John M.; Lefenfeld, Michael

    Systems, devices, and methods combine reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. The reactant materials can sodium silicide or sodium silica gel. The hydrogen generation devices are used in fuels cells and other industrial applications. One system combines cooling, pumping, water storage, and other devices to sense and control reactions between reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. Multiple inlets of varied placement geometries deliver aqueous solution to the reaction. The reactant materials and aqueous solution are churned to control the state of the reaction. The aqueous solution can be recycled and returned to the reaction. One systemmore » operates over a range of temperatures and pressures and includes a hydrogen separator, a heat removal mechanism, and state of reaction control devices. The systems, devices, and methods of generating hydrogen provide thermally stable solids, near-instant reaction with the aqueous solutions, and a non-toxic liquid by-product.« less

  11. Hydrogen generation systems utilizing sodium silicide and sodium silica gel materials

    DOEpatents

    Wallace, Andrew P.; Melack, John M.; Lefenfeld, Michael

    2015-07-14

    Systems, devices, and methods combine reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. The reactant materials can sodium silicide or sodium silica gel. The hydrogen generation devices are used in fuels cells and other industrial applications. One system combines cooling, pumping, water storage, and other devices to sense and control reactions between reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. Multiple inlets of varied placement geometries deliver aqueous solution to the reaction. The reactant materials and aqueous solution are churned to control the state of the reaction. The aqueous solution can be recycled and returned to the reaction. One system operates over a range of temperatures and pressures and includes a hydrogen separator, a heat removal mechanism, and state of reaction control devices. The systems, devices, and methods of generating hydrogen provide thermally stable solids, near-instant reaction with the aqueous solutions, and a non-toxic liquid by-product.

  12. Efficiency and cost advantages of an advanced-technology nuclear electrolytic hydrogen-energy production facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Donakowski, T. D.; Escher, W. J. D.; Gregory, D. P.

    1977-01-01

    The concept of an advanced-technology (viz., 1985 technology) nuclear-electrolytic water electrolysis facility was assessed for hydrogen production cost and efficiency expectations. The facility integrates (1) a high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (HTGR) operating a binary work cycle, (2) direct-current (d-c) electricity generation via acyclic generators, and (3) high-current-density, high-pressure electrolyzers using a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). All subsystems are close-coupled and optimally interfaced for hydrogen production alone (i.e., without separate production of electrical power). Pipeline-pressure hydrogen and oxygen are produced at 6900 kPa (1000 psi). We found that this advanced facility would produce hydrogen at costs that were approximately half those associated with contemporary-technology nuclear electrolysis: $5.36 versus $10.86/million Btu, respectively. The nuclear-heat-to-hydrogen-energy conversion efficiency for the advanced system was estimated as 43%, versus 25% for the contemporary system.

  13. Not Alone: Tracing the Origins of Very-Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs Through Multiplicity Studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burgasser, A. J.; Reid, I. N.; Siegler, N.; Close, L.; Allen, P.; Lowrance, P.; Gizis, J.

    The properties of multiple stellar systems have long provided important empirical constraints for star-formation theories, enabling (along with several other lines of evidence) a concrete, qualitative picture of the birth and early evolution of normal stars. At very low masses (VLM; M ? 0.1 solar mass), down to and below the hydrogen-burning minimum mass, our understanding of formation processes is not as clear, with several competing theories now under consideration. One means of testing these theories is through the empirical characterization of VLM multiple systems. Here, we review the results of various VLM multiplicity studies to date. These systems can be generally characterized as closely separated (93% have projected separations ? < 20 AU), near equal-mass (77% have M2/M1 ? 0.8) and occurring infrequently (perhaps 10-30% of systems are binary). Both the frequency and maximum separation of stellar and brown dwarf binaries steadily decrease for lower system masses, suggesting that VLM binary formation and/or evolution may be a mass-dependent process. There is evidence for a fairly rapid decline in the number of loosely bound systems below ~0.3 solar mass, corresponding to a factor of 10-20 increase in the minimum binding energy of VLM binaries as compared to more massive stellar binaries. This wide-separation "desert" is present among both field (~1-5 G.y.) and older (>100 m.y.) cluster systems, while the youngest (<10 m.y.) VLM binaries, particularly those in nearby, low-density star-forming regions, appear to have somewhat different systemic properties. We compare these empirical trends to predictions laid out by current formation theories, and outline future observational studies needed to probe the full parameter space of the lowest-mass multiple systems.

  14. Thermodynamic analyses of hydrogen production from sub-quality natural gas. Part I: Pyrolysis and autothermal pyrolysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Cunping; T-Raissi, Ali

    Sub-quality natural gas (SQNG) is defined as natural gas whose composition exceeds pipeline specifications of nitrogen, carbon dioxide (CO 2) and/or hydrogen sulfide (H 2S). Approximately one-third of the U.S. natural gas resource is sub-quality gas [1]. Due to the high cost of removing H 2S from hydrocarbons using current processing technologies, SQNG wells are often capped and the gas remains in the ground. We propose and analyze a two-step hydrogen production scheme using SQNG as feedstock. The first step of the process involves hydrocarbon processing (via steam-methane reformation, autothermal steam-methane reformation, pyrolysis and autothermal pyrolysis) in the presence of H 2S. Our analyses reveal that H 2S existing in SQNG is stable and can be considered as an inert gas. No sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and/or sulfur trioxide (SO 3) is formed from the introduction of oxygen to SQNG. In the second step, after the separation of hydrogen from the main stream, un-reacted H 2S is used to reform the remaining methane, generating more hydrogen and carbon disulfide (CS 2). Thermodynamic analyses on SQNG feedstock containing up to 10% (v/v) H 2S have shown that no H 2S separation is required in this process. The Part I of this paper includes only thermodynamic analyses for SQNG pyrolysis and autothermal pyrolysis.

  15. CECE: Expanding the Envelope of Deep Throttling Technology in Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Hydrogen Rocket Engines for NASA Exploration Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Giuliano, Victor J.; Leonard, Timothy G.; Lyda, Randy T.; Kim, Tony S.

    2010-01-01

    As one of the first technology development programs awarded by NASA under the Vision for Space Exploration, the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) Deep Throttling, Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine (CECE) program was selected by NASA in November 2004 to begin technology development and demonstration toward a deep throttling, cryogenic engine supporting ongoing trade studies for NASA s Lunar Lander descent stage. The CECE program leverages the maturity and previous investment of a flight-proven hydrogen/oxygen expander cycle engine, the PWR RL10, to develop and demonstrate an unprecedented combination of reliability, safety, durability, throttlability, and restart capabilities in high-energy, cryogenic, in-space propulsion. The testbed selected for the deep throttling demonstration phases of this program was a minimally modified RL10 engine, allowing for maximum current production engine commonality and extensibility with minimum program cost. Four series of demonstrator engine tests have been successfully completed between April 2006 and April 2010, accumulating 7,436 seconds of hot fire time over 47 separate tests. While the first two test series explored low power combustion (chug) and system instabilities, the third test series investigated and was ultimately successful in demonstrating several mitigating technologies for these instabilities and achieved a stable throttling ratio of 13:1. The fourth test series significantly expanded the engine s operability envelope by successfully demonstrating a closed-loop control system and extensive transient modeling to enable lower power engine starting, faster throttle ramp rates, and mission-specific ignition testing. The final hot fire test demonstrated a chug-free, minimum power level of 5.9%, corresponding to an overall 17.6:1 throttling ratio achieved. In total, these tests have provided an early technology demonstration of an enabling cryogenic propulsion concept with invaluable system-level technology data acquisition toward design and development risk mitigation for future lander descent main engines.

  16. Application of silica-supported Fe-Cu nanoparticles in the selective hydrogenation of p-dinitrobenzene to p-phenylenediamine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shesterkina, A. A.; Shuvalova, E. V.; Kirichenko, O. A.; Strelkova, A. A.; Nissenbaum, V. D.; Kapustin, G. I.; Kustov, L. M.

    2017-02-01

    Supported bimetallic Fe-Cu/SiO2 materials are synthesized, and their catalytic activity in hydrogenation of dinitrobenzene to phenylenediamine at 145-180°C and 1.3 MPa hydrogen pressure is studied for the first time. The best results (89% selectivity toward p-phenylenediamine at complete conversion of p-dinitrobenzene) are obtained for the sample synthesized via co-deposition with subsequent calcination at 300°C. The sample contains 7% iron and 3% copper. The formation of separate phases of metal oxides (for the catalysts prepared by impregnation) and mixed bimetallic oxide phases (in case of co-deposition procedure) in calcined samples is revealed via thermoprogrammed reduction with hydrogen.

  17. Proton conducting ceramic membranes for hydrogen separation

    DOEpatents

    Elangovan, S [South Jordan, UT; Nair, Balakrishnan G [Sandy, UT; Small, Troy [Midvale, UT; Heck, Brian [Salt Lake City, UT

    2011-09-06

    A multi-phase proton conducting material comprising a proton-conducting ceramic phase and a stabilizing ceramic phase. Under the presence of a partial pressure gradient of hydrogen across the membrane or under the influence of an electrical potential, a membrane fabricated with this material selectively transports hydrogen ions through the proton conducting phase, which results in ultrahigh purity hydrogen permeation through the membrane. The stabilizing ceramic phase may be substantially structurally and chemically identical to at least one product of a reaction between the proton conducting phase and at least one expected gas under operating conditions of a membrane fabricated using the material. In a barium cerate-based proton conducting membrane, one stabilizing phase is ceria.

  18. Evidence for phase separation of ethanol-water mixtures at the hydrogen terminated nanocrystalline diamond surface.

    PubMed

    Janssens, Stoffel D; Drijkoningen, Sien; Saitner, Marc; Boyen, Hans-Gerd; Wagner, Patrick; Larsson, Karin; Haenen, Ken

    2012-07-28

    Interactions between ethanol-water mixtures and a hydrophobic hydrogen terminated nanocrystalline diamond surface, are investigated by sessile drop contact angle measurements. The surface free energy of the hydrophobic surface, obtained with pure liquids, differs strongly from values obtained by ethanol-water mixtures. Here, a model which explains this difference is presented. The model suggests that, due to a higher affinity of ethanol for the hydrophobic surface, when compared to water, a phase separation occurs when a mixture of both liquids is in contact with the H-terminated diamond surface. These results are supported by a computational study giving insight in the affinity and related interaction at the liquid-solid interface.

  19. A Hydrogen Exchange Method Using Tritium and Sephadex: Its Application to Ribonuclease*

    PubMed Central

    Englander, S. Walter

    2012-01-01

    A new method for measuring the hydrogen exchange of macromolecules in solution is described. The method uses tritium to trace the movement of hydrogen, and utilizes Sephadex columns to effect, in about 2 minutes, a separation between tritiated macromolecule and tritiated solvent great enough to allow the measurement of bound tritium. High sensitivity and freedom from artifact is demonstrated and the possible value of the technique for investigation of other kinds of colloid-small molecule interaction is indicated. Competition experiments involving tritium, hydrogen, and deuterium indicate the absence of any equilibrium isotope effect in the ribonuclease-hydrogen isotope system, though a secondary kinetic isotope effect is apparent when ribonuclease is largely deuterated. Ribonuclease shows four clearly distinguishable kinetic classes of exchangeable hydrogens. Evidence is marshaled to suggest the independently measurable classes II, III, and IV (in order of decreasing rate of exchange) to represent “random-chain” peptides, peptides involved in α-helix, and otherwise shielded side-chain and peptide hydrogens, respectively. PMID:14075117

  20. Selective oxoanion separation using a tripodal ligand

    DOEpatents

    Custelcean, Radu; Moyer, Bruce A.; Rajbanshi, Arbin

    2016-02-16

    The present invention relates to urea-functionalized crystalline capsules self-assembled by sodium or potassium cation coordination and by hydrogen-bonding water bridges to selectively encapsulate tetrahedral divalent oxoanions from highly competitive aqueous alkaline solutions and methods using this system for selective anion separations from industrial solutions. The method involves competitive crystallizations using a tripodal tris(urea) functionalized ligand and, in particular, provides a viable approach to sulfate separation from nuclear wastes.

  1. Collision cascades enhanced hydrogen redistribution in cobalt implanted hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, P.; Becker, H.-W.; Williams, G. V. M.; Hübner, R.; Heinig, K.-H.; Markwitz, A.

    2017-03-01

    Hydrogenated diamond-like carbon films produced by C3H6 deposition at 5 kV and implanted at room temperature with 30 keV Co atoms to 12 at.% show not only a bimodal distribution of Co atoms but also a massive redistribution of hydrogen in the films. Resonant nuclear reaction analysis was used to measure the hydrogen depth profiles (15N-method). Depletion of hydrogen near the surface was measured to be as low as 7 at.% followed by hydrogen accumulation from 27 to 35 at.%. A model is proposed considering the thermal energy deposited by collision cascade for thermal insulators. In this model, sufficient energy is provided for dissociated hydrogen to diffuse out of the sample from the surface and diffuse into the sample towards the interface which is however limited by the range of the incoming Co ions. At a hydrogen concentration of ∼35 at.%, the concentration gradient of the mobile unbounded hydrogen atoms is neutralised effectively stopping diffusion towards the interface. The results point towards new routes of controlling the composition and distribution of elements at the nanoscale within a base matrix without using any heat treatment methods. Exploring these opportunities can lead to a new horizon of materials and device engineering needed for enabling advanced technologies and applications.

  2. Artificial photosynthesis for production of hydrogen peroxide and its fuel cells.

    PubMed

    Fukuzumi, Shunichi

    2016-05-01

    The reducing power released from photosystem I (PSI) via ferredoxin enables the reduction of NADP(+) to NADPH, which is essential in the Calvin-Benson cycle to make sugars in photosynthesis. Alternatively, PSI can reduce O2 to produce hydrogen peroxide as a fuel. This article describes the artificial version of the photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide from water and O2 using solar energy. Hydrogen peroxide is used as a fuel in hydrogen peroxide fuel cells to make electricity. The combination of the photocatalytic H2O2 production from water and O2 using solar energy with one-compartment H2O2 fuel cells provides on-site production and usage of H2O2 as a more useful and promising solar fuel than hydrogen. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Biodesign for Bioenergetics--The design and engineering of electronc transfer cofactors, proteins and protein networks, edited by Ronald L. Koder and J.L. Ross Anderson. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Simple Hydrogen Plasma Doping Process of Amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide-Based Phototransistors for Visible Light Detection.

    PubMed

    Kang, Byung Ha; Kim, Won-Gi; Chung, Jusung; Lee, Jin Hyeok; Kim, Hyun Jae

    2018-02-28

    A homojunction-structured amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) phototransistor that can detect visible light is reported. The key element of this technology is an absorption layer composed of hydrogen-doped a-IGZO. This absorption layer is fabricated by simple hydrogen plasma doping, and subgap states are induced by increasing the amount of hydrogen impurities. These subgap states, which lead to a higher number of photoexcited carriers and aggravate the instability under negative bias illumination stress, enabled the detection of a wide range of visible light (400-700 nm). The optimal condition of the hydrogen-doped absorption layer (HAL) is fabricated at a hydrogen partial pressure ratio of 2%. As a result, the optimized a-IGZO phototransistor with the HAL exhibits a high photoresponsivity of 1932.6 A/W, a photosensitivity of 3.85 × 10 6 , and a detectivity of 6.93 × 10 11 Jones under 635 nm light illumination.

  4. Highly Active and Selective Hydrogenation of CO2 to Ethanol by Ordered Pd-Cu Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Bai, Shuxing; Shao, Qi; Wang, Pengtang; Dai, Qiguang; Wang, Xingyi; Huang, Xiaoqing

    2017-05-24

    Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) hydrogenation to ethanol (C 2 H 5 OH) is considered a promising way for CO 2 conversion and utilization, whereas desirable conversion efficiency remains a challenge. Herein, highly active, selective and stable CO 2 hydrogenation to C 2 H 5 OH was enabled by highly ordered Pd-Cu nanoparticles (NPs). By tuning the composition of the Pd-Cu NPs and catalyst supports, the efficiency of CO 2 hydrogenation to C 2 H 5 OH was well optimized with Pd 2 Cu NPs/P25 exhibiting high selectivity to C 2 H 5 OH of up to 92.0% and the highest turnover frequency of 359.0 h -1 . Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy results revealed the high C 2 H 5 OH production and selectivity of Pd 2 Cu NPs/P25 can be ascribed to boosting *CO (adsorption CO) hydrogenation to *HCO, the rate-determining step for the CO 2 hydrogenation to C 2 H 5 OH.

  5. Para-hydrogen perspectives in hyperpolarized NMR.

    PubMed

    Glöggler, Stefan; Colell, Johannes; Appelt, Stephan

    2013-10-01

    The first instance of para-hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) in an NMR experiment was serendipitously observed in the 1980s while investigating a hydrogenation reaction (Seldler et al., 1983; Bowers and Weitekamp, 1986, 1987; Eisenschmid et al., 1987) [1-4]. Remarkably a theoretical investigation of the applicability of para-hydrogen as a hyperpolarization agent was being performed in the 1980's thereby quickly providing a theoretical basis for the PHIP-effect (Bowers and Weitekamp, 1986) [2]. The discovery of signal amplification by a non-hydrogenating interaction with para-hydrogen has recently extended the interest to exploit the PHIP effect, as it enables investigation of compounds without structural alteration while retaining the advantages of spectroscopy with hyperpolarized compounds [5]. In this article we will place more emphasis of the future applications of the method while only briefly discussing the efforts that have been made in the understanding of the phenomenon and the development of the method so far. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation and hydrodeoxygenation of oxygenated and unsaturated organic compounds

    DOEpatents

    Jackson, James E.; Lam, Chun Ho; Saffron, Christopher M.; Miller, Dennis J.

    2018-04-24

    A process and related electrode composition are disclosed for the electrocatalytic hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation of organic substrates such as biomass-derived bio-oil components by the production of hydrogen atoms on a catalyst surface followed by the reaction of the hydrogen atoms with the organic reactants. Biomass fast pyrolysis-derived bio-oil is a liquid mixture containing hundreds of organic compounds with chemical functionalities that are corrosive to container materials and are prone to polymerization. A high surface area skeletal metal catalyst material such as Raney Nickel can be used as the cathode. Electrocatalytic hydrogenation and/or hydrodeoxygenation convert the organic substrates under mild conditions to reduce coke formation and catalyst deactivation. The process converts oxygen-containing functionalities and unsaturated bonds into chemically reduced forms with an increased hydrogen content. The process is operated at mild conditions, which enables it to be a good means for stabilizing bio-oil to a form that can be stored and transported using metal containers and pipes.

  7. Component variations and their effects on bipolar nickel-hydrogen cell performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manzo, Michelle A.; Gahn, Randall F.; Gonzalez-Sanabria, Olga D.; Cataldo, Robert L.; Gemeiner, Russel P.

    1987-01-01

    A 50 cell bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery was assembled to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a high voltage stack of cells. Various component combinations were tested in this battery. The battery had approximately 1 ampere-hour of capacity and was constructed from components with an active area of 2 x 2 inches. The components were parametrically varied to give a comparison of nickel electrodes, hydrogen electrodes, separators, fill procedures and electrolyte reservoir plate thicknesses. Groups of five cells were constructed using the same components; ten combinations were tested in all. The battery was thoroughly characterized at various change and discharge rates as well as with various pulse patterns and rates. Over a period of 1400 40-percent DOD LEO cycles some of the groups began to exhibit performance differences. In general, only separator variations had a significant effect on cell performance. It also appears that shunt currents may have been operating within the stack, resulting in electrolyte transfer from one cell to another, thus contributing to cell performance variations.

  8. Component variations and their effects on bipolar nickel-hydrogen cell performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manzo, Michelle A.; Gahn, Randall F.; Gonzalez-Sanabria, Olga D.; Cataldo, Robert L.; Gemeiner, Russel P.

    1987-01-01

    A 50 cell bipolar nickel-hydrogen battery was assembled to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing a high voltage stack of cells. Various component combinations were tested in this battery. The battery had approximately 1 ampere-hour of capacity and was constructed from components with an active area of 2" X 2". The components were parametrically varied to give a comparison of nickel electrodes, hydrogen electrodes, separators, fill procedures and electrolyte reservoir plate thicknesses. Groups of five cells were constructed using the same components; ten combinations were tested in all. The battery was thoroughly characterized at various change and discharge rates as well as with various pulse patterns and rates. Over a period of 1400 40% DOD LEO cycles some of the groups began to exhibit performance differences. In general, only separator variations had a significant effect on cell performance. It also appears that shunt currents may have been operating within the stack, resulting in electrolyte transfer from one cell to another, thus contributing to cell performance variations.

  9. Boosting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production of a Metal-Organic Framework Decorated with Platinum Nanoparticles: The Platinum Location Matters.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Juan-Ding; Shang, Qichao; Xiong, Yujie; Zhang, Qun; Luo, Yi; Yu, Shu-Hong; Jiang, Hai-Long

    2016-08-01

    Improving the efficiency of electron-hole separation and charge-carrier utilization plays a central role in photocatalysis. Herein, Pt nanoparticles of ca. 3 nm are incorporated inside or supported on a representative metal-organic framework (MOF), UiO-66-NH2 , denoted as Pt@UiO-66-NH2 and Pt/UiO-66-NH2 , respectively, for photocatalytic hydrogen production via water splitting. Compared with the pristine MOF, both Pt-decorated MOF nanocomposites exhibit significantly improved yet distinctly different hydrogen-production activities, highlighting that the photocatalytic efficiency strongly correlates with the Pt location relative to the MOF. The Pt@UiO-66-NH2 greatly shortens the electron-transport distance, which favors the electron-hole separation and thereby yields much higher efficiency than Pt/UiO-66-NH2 . The involved mechanism has been further unveiled by means of ultrafast transient absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Investigation of kinetics and morphology development for polyurethane-urea extended by DMTDA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Zai-feng; Li, Jin-yan; Sun, Jian; Sun, Bao-qun; Wang, Jin-jing; Shen, Qiang

    2008-06-01

    The relationship between the reactions kinetics and morphology development during the polyurethaneurea (PUU) curing process has been investigated simultaneously by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The data of the FTIR spectra showed that with the increase of conversion, the absorbance of NH bands increases and its band sites shifts to lower wavenumbers; the absorbance of free urethane carbonyl kept nearly constant at low conversion, and then decreased much because of the interaction of the formed urea links, and then changed little at high conversion owing to the diffuse control. The band sites of hydrogen bonded urea carbonyl similarly shifted to lower wavenumbers and the absorbance of the hydrogen bonded urea carbonyl, associated with the phase separation of hard segments, became stronger with buildup of hydrogen bond between urea links. The carbonyl bands available during curing process were further assigned. Both interactions, such as hydrogenised effect and phase separation, played a major role in the matrix formation of the PUU polymer.

  11. Evaluation of Sorbents for Acetylene Separation in Atmosphere Revitalization Loop Closure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abney, Morgan B.; Miller, Lee A.; Barton, Katherine

    2012-01-01

    State-of-the-art carbon dioxide reduction technology uses a Sabatier reactor to recover water from metabolic carbon dioxide. In order to maximize oxygen loop closure, a byproduct of the system, methane, must be reduced to recover hydrogen. NASA is currently exploring a microwave plasma methane pyrolysis system for this purpose. The resulting product stream of this technology includes unreacted methane, product hydrogen, and acetylene. The hydrogen and the small amount of unreacted methane resulting from the pyrolysis process can be returned to the Sabatier reactor thereby substantially improving the overall efficiency of the system. However, the acetylene is a waste product that must be removed from the pyrolysis product. Two materials have been identified as potential sorbents for acetylene removal: zeolite 4A, a commonly available commercial sorbent, and HKUST-1, a newly developed microporous metal. This paper provides an explanation of the rationale behind acetylene removal and the results of separation testing with both materials

  12. Evaluation of Sorbents for Acetylene Separation in Atmosphere Revitalization Loop Closure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abney, Morgan B.; Miller, Lee A.; Barton, Katherine

    2011-01-01

    State-of-the-art carbon dioxide reduction technology uses a Sabatier reactor to recover water from metabolic carbon dioxide. In order to maximize oxygen loop closure, a byproduct of the system, methane, must be reduced to recover hydrogen. NASA is currently exploring a microwave plasma methane pyrolysis system for this purpose. The resulting product stream of this technology includes unreacted methane, product hydrogen, and acetylene. The hydrogen and the small amount of unreacted methane resulting from the pyrolysis process can be returned to the Sabatier reactor thereby substantially improving the overall efficiency of the system. However, the acetylene is a waste product that must be removed from the pyrolysis product. Two materials have been identified as potential sorbents for acetylene removal: zeolite 4A, a commonly available commercial sorbent, and HKUST-1, a newly developed microporous metal. This paper provides an explanation of the rationale behind acetylene removal and the results of separation testing with both materials.

  13. High resolution x-ray Thomson scattering measurements from cryogenic hydrogen jets using the linac coherent light source

    DOE PAGES

    Fletcher, L. B.; Zastrau, U.; Galtier, E.; ...

    2016-08-15

    Here, we present the first spectrally resolved measurements of x-rays scattered from cryogenic hydrogen jets in the single photon counting limit. The 120 Hz capabilities of the LCLS, together with a novel hydrogen jet design [J. B. Kim et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. (these proceedings)], allow for the ability to record a near background free spectrum. Such high-dynamic-range x-ray scattering measurements enable a platform to study ultra-fast, laser-driven, heating dynamics of hydrogen plasmas. This measurement has been achieved using two highly annealed pyrolytic graphite crystal spectrometers to spectrally resolve 5.5 keV x-rays elastically and inelastically scattered from cryogenic hydrogen andmore » focused on Cornell-SLAC pixel array detectors [S. Herrmann et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 718, 550 (2013)].« less

  14. Photocatalysts Based on Cobalt-Chelating Conjugated Polymers for Hydrogen Evolution from Water

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

    Li, Lianwei; Hadt, Ryan G.; Yao, Shiyu

    Developing photocatalytic systems for water splitting to generate oxygen and hydrogen is one of the biggest chemical challenges in solar energy utilization. In this work, we report the first example of heterogeneous photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution based on in-chain cobalt-chelating conjugated polymers. Four conjugated polymers chelated with earth abundant cobalt ions were synthesized and found to evolve hydrogen photocatalytically from water. These polymers are designed to combine functions of the conjugated backbone as light-harvesting antenna and electron transfer conduit with the in-chain bipyridyl chelated transition metal centers as catalytic active sites. In addition, these polymers are soluble in organic solvents,more » enabling effective interactions with the substrates as well as detailed characterization. We also found a polymer-dependent optimal cobalt chelating concentration at which the highest photocatalytic hydrogen production (PHP) activity can be achieved.« less

  15. Carbonate-Promoted Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Multicarbon Carboxylates

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    CO2 hydrogenation is a potential alternative to conventional petrochemical methods for making commodity chemicals and fuels. Research in this area has focused mostly on transition-metal-based catalysts. Here we show that hydrated alkali carbonates promote CO2 hydrogenation to formate, oxalate, and other C2+ carboxylates at elevated temperature and pressure in the absence of transition-metal catalysts or solvent. The reactions proceed rapidly, reaching up to 56% yield (with respect to CO32–) within minutes. Isotope labeling experiments indicate facile H2 and C–H deprotonations in the alkali cation-rich reaction media and identify probable intermediates for the C–C bond formations leading to the various C2+ products. The carboxylate salts are in equilibrium with volatile carboxylic acids under CO2 hydrogenation conditions, which may enable catalytic carboxylic acid syntheses. Our results provide a foundation for base-promoted and base-catalyzed CO2 hydrogenation processes that could complement existing approaches. PMID:29806007

  16. Supramolecular separation mechanism of pentafluorophenyl column using ibuprofen and omeprazole as markers: LC-MS and simulation study.

    PubMed

    Hussain, Afzal; AlAjmi, Mohamed F; Ali, Imran

    2018-06-01

    The pentafluorophenyl (PFP) column is emerging as a new advancement in separation science to analyze a wide range of analytes and, thus, its separation mechanism at supramolecular level is significant. We developed a mechanism for the separation of ibuprofen and omeprazole using different combinations (ranging from 50:50 to 60:40) of water-acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase. The column used was Waters Acquity UPLC HSS PFP (75 × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm). The reverse order of elution was observed in different combinations of the mobile phases. The docking study indicated hydrogen bonding between ibuprofen and PFP stationary phase (binding energy was -11.30 kJ/mol). Separation at PFP stationary phase is controlled by hydrogen bonding along with π-π interactions. This stationary phase may be used to analyze both aromatic and aliphatic analytes. The developed mechanism will be useful to separate various analytes by considering the possible interactions, leading to saving of energy, time and money. In addition, this work will be highly useful in preparative chromatography where separation is the major problem at a large scale. Moreover, the developed LC-MS-QTOF method may be used to analyze ibuprofen and omeprazole in an unknown sample owing to the low value of detection limits. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Batteries and fuel cells for emerging electric vehicle markets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cano, Zachary P.; Banham, Dustin; Ye, Siyu; Hintennach, Andreas; Lu, Jun; Fowler, Michael; Chen, Zhongwei

    2018-04-01

    Today's electric vehicles are almost exclusively powered by lithium-ion batteries, but there is a long way to go before electric vehicles become dominant in the global automotive market. In addition to policy support, widespread deployment of electric vehicles requires high-performance and low-cost energy storage technologies, including not only batteries but also alternative electrochemical devices. Here, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of various batteries and hydrogen fuel cells that have the greatest potential to succeed in commercial applications. Three sectors that are not well served by current lithium-ion-powered electric vehicles, namely the long-range, low-cost and high-utilization transportation markets, are discussed. The technological properties that must be improved to fully enable these electric vehicle markets include specific energy, cost, safety and power grid compatibility. Six energy storage and conversion technologies that possess varying combinations of these improved characteristics are compared and separately evaluated for each market. The remainder of the Review briefly discusses the technological status of these clean energy technologies, emphasizing barriers that must be overcome.

  18. Dual properties of a hydrogen oxidation Ni-catalyst entrapped within a polymer promote self-defense against oxygen

    DOE PAGES

    Oughli, Alaa A.; Ruff, Adrian; Boralugodage, Nilusha Priyadarshani; ...

    2018-02-28

    A bio-inspired O 2 sensitive nickel catalyst dispersed in a hydrophobic and redox-silent polymer matrix shows enhanced stability for catalytic H 2 oxidation as well as O 2 tolerance. A simple but efficient electrode design separates the catalyst into two different reaction layers to promote different reactivity on the catalyst. (1) close to the electrode surface, the catalyst can directly exchange electrons with the electrode and generate current from H 2 oxidation; and (2) at the outer film boundary, the electrolyte exposed layer is electrically isolated from the electrode, which enables the H 2 reduced Ni-complex to convert O 2more » to H 2O and thus provides protection to the O 2-sensitive inner reaction layer. This strategy solves one of the biggest limitations of these otherwise outstanding catalysts and could be used to protect other similar catalysts whose wider application is currently limited by sensitivity towards oxygen.« less

  19. A dual cryogenic ion trap spectrometer for the formation and characterization of solvated ionic clusters

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

    Marsh, Brett M.; Voss, Jonathan M.; Garand, Etienne, E-mail: egarand@chem.wisc.edu

    2015-11-28

    A new experimental approach is presented in which two separate cryogenic ion traps are used to reproducibly form weakly bound solvent clusters around electrosprayed ions and messenger-tag them for single-photon infrared photodissociation spectroscopy. This approach thus enables the vibrational characterization of ionic clusters comprised of a solvent network around large and non-volatile ions. We demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument by clustering water, methanol, and acetone around a protonated glycylglycine peptide. For water, cluster sizes with greater than twenty solvent molecules around a single ion are readily formed. We further demonstrate that similar water clusters can be formed around ionsmore » having a shielded charge center or those that do not readily form hydrogen bonds. Finally, infrared photodissociation spectra of D{sub 2}-tagged GlyGlyH{sup +} ⋅ (H{sub 2}O){sub 1−4} are presented. They display well-resolved spectral features and comparisons with calculations reveal detailed information on the solvation structures of this prototypical peptide.« less

  20. Characterization Testing of the Teledyne Passive Breadboard Fuel Cell Powerplant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loyselle, Patricia; Prokopius, Kevin

    2011-01-01

    NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) is tasked with the development of enabling and enhancing technologies for NASA's exploration missions. As part of that initiative, the return to the Moon requires a reliable, efficient, and lightweight fuel cell powerplant system to provide power to the Altair Lunar Lander and for lunar surface systems. Fuel cell powerplants are made up of two basic parts; the fuel cell itself and the supporting ancillary subsystem. This subsystem is designed to deliver reactants to the fuel cell and remove product water and waste heat from the fuel cell. Typically, fuel cell powerplant ancillary subsystems rely upon pumps and active water separation techniques to accomplish these tasks for closed hydrogen/oxygen systems. In a typical system, these components are the largest contributors to the overall parasitic power load of the fuel cell powerplant. A potential step towards the development of an efficient lightweight power system is to maximize the use of "passive" or low-power ancillary components as a replacement to these high-power load components

  1. On Structural Design of a Mobile Lunar Habitat With Multi- Layered Environmental Shielding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pruitt, J. R. (Technical Monitor); Rais-Rohani, M.

    2005-01-01

    This report presents an overview of a Mobile Lunar Habitat (MLH) structural design consisting of advanced composite materials. The habitat design is derived from the cylindrical-shaped U.S. Lab module aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and includes two lateral ports and a hatch at each end that geometrically match those of the ISS Nodes. Thus, several MLH units can be connected together to form a larger lunar outpost of various architectures. For enhanced mobility over the lunar terrain, the MLH uses six articulated insect-like robotic, retractable legs enabling the habitat to .t aboard a launch vehicle. The carbon-composite shell is sandwiched between two layers of hydrogen-rich polyethylene for enhanced radiation shielding. The pressure vessel is covered by modular double-wall panels for meteoroid impact shielding supported by externally mounted stiffeners. The habitat s structure is an assembly of multiple parts manufactured separately and bonded together. Based on the geometric complexity of a part and its material system, an appropriate fabrication process is proposed.

  2. Dual properties of a hydrogen oxidation Ni-catalyst entrapped within a polymer promote self-defense against oxygen

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

    Oughli, Alaa A.; Ruff, Adrian; Boralugodage, Nilusha Priyadarshani

    A bio-inspired O 2 sensitive nickel catalyst dispersed in a hydrophobic and redox-silent polymer matrix shows enhanced stability for catalytic H 2 oxidation as well as O 2 tolerance. A simple but efficient electrode design separates the catalyst into two different reaction layers to promote different reactivity on the catalyst. (1) close to the electrode surface, the catalyst can directly exchange electrons with the electrode and generate current from H 2 oxidation; and (2) at the outer film boundary, the electrolyte exposed layer is electrically isolated from the electrode, which enables the H 2 reduced Ni-complex to convert O 2more » to H 2O and thus provides protection to the O 2-sensitive inner reaction layer. This strategy solves one of the biggest limitations of these otherwise outstanding catalysts and could be used to protect other similar catalysts whose wider application is currently limited by sensitivity towards oxygen.« less

  3. A dual cryogenic ion trap spectrometer for the formation and characterization of solvated ionic clusters

    DOE PAGES

    Marsh, Brett M.; Voss, Jonathan M.; Garand, Etienne

    2015-11-24

    A new experimental approach is presented in which two separate cryogenic ion traps are used to reproducibly form weakly bound solvent clusters around electrosprayed ions and messenger-tag them for single-photon infrared photodissociation spectroscopy. This approach thus enables the vibrational characterization of ionic clusters comprised of a solvent network around large and non-volatile ions. We demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument by clustering water, methanol, and acetone around a protonated glycylglycine peptide. For water, cluster sizes with greater than twenty solvent molecules around a single ion are readily formed. We further demonstrate that similar water clusters can be formed around ionsmore » having a shielded charge center or those that do not readily form hydrogen bonds. Finally, infrared photodissociation spectra of D 2-tagged GlyGlyH +·(H 2O) 1–4 are presented. As a result, they display well-resolved spectral features and comparisons with calculations reveal detailed information on the solvation structures of this prototypical peptide.« less

  4. TES buffer-induced phase separation of aqueous solutions of several water-miscible organic solvents at 298.15 K: phase diagrams and molecular dynamic simulations.

    PubMed

    Taha, Mohamed; Lee, Ming-Jer

    2013-06-28

    Water and the organic solvents tetrahydrofuran, 1,3-dioxolane, 1,4-dioxane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, tert-butanol, acetonitrile, or acetone are completely miscible in all proportions at room temperature. Here, we present new buffering-out phase separation systems that the above mentioned organic aqueous solutions can be induced to form two liquid phases in the presence of a biological buffer 2-[[1,3-dihydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)propan-2-yl]amino]ethanesulfonic acid (TES). The lower liquid phase is rich in water and buffer, and the upper phase is organic rich. This observation has both practical and mechanistic interests. The phase diagrams of these systems were constructed by experimental measurements at ambient conditions. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were performed for TES + water + THF system to understand the interactions between TES, water, and organic solvent at molecular level. Several composition-sets for this system, beyond and inside the liquid-liquid phase-splitting region, have been simulated. Interestingly, the MD simulation for compositions inside the phase separation region showed that THF molecules are forced out from the water network to start forming a new liquid phase. The hydrogen-bonds, hydrogen-bonds lifetimes, hydrogen-bond energies, radial distribution functions, coordination numbers, the electrostatic interactions, and the van der Waals interactions between the different pairs have been calculated. Additionally, MD simulations for TES + water + tert-butanol∕acetonitrile∕acetone phase separation systems were simulated. The results from MD simulations provide an explanation for the buffering-out phenomena observed in [TES + water + organic solvent] systems by a mechanism controlled by the competitive interactions of the buffer and the organic solvent with water. The molecular mechanism reported here is helpful for designing new benign separation materials.

  5. Simple setup for gas-phase H/D exchange mass spectrometry coupled to electron transfer dissociation and ion mobility for analysis of polypeptide structure on a liquid chromatographic time scale.

    PubMed

    Mistarz, Ulrik H; Brown, Jeffery M; Haselmann, Kim F; Rand, Kasper D

    2014-12-02

    Gas-phase hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) is a fast and sensitive, yet unharnessed analytical approach for providing information on the structural properties of biomolecules, in a complementary manner to mass analysis. Here, we describe a simple setup for ND3-mediated millisecond gas-phase HDX inside a mass spectrometer immediately after ESI (gas-phase HDX-MS) and show utility for studying the primary and higher-order structure of peptides and proteins. HDX was achieved by passing N2-gas through a container filled with aqueous deuterated ammonia reagent (ND3/D2O) and admitting the saturated gas immediately upstream or downstream of the primary skimmer cone. The approach was implemented on three commercially available mass spectrometers and required no or minor fully reversible reconfiguration of gas-inlets of the ion source. Results from gas-phase HDX-MS of peptides using the aqueous ND3/D2O as HDX reagent indicate that labeling is facilitated exclusively through gaseous ND3, yielding similar results to the infusion of purified ND3-gas, while circumventing the complications associated with the use of hazardous purified gases. Comparison of the solution-phase- and gas-phase deuterium uptake of Leu-Enkephalin and Glu-Fibrinopeptide B, confirmed that this gas-phase HDX-MS approach allows for labeling of sites (heteroatom-bound non-amide hydrogens located on side-chains, N-terminus and C-terminus) not accessed by classical solution-phase HDX-MS. The simple setup is compatible with liquid chromatography and a chip-based automated nanoESI interface, allowing for online gas-phase HDX-MS analysis of peptides and proteins separated on a liquid chromatographic time scale at increased throughput. Furthermore, online gas-phase HDX-MS could be performed in tandem with ion mobility separation or electron transfer dissociation, thus enabling multiple orthogonal analyses of the structural properties of peptides and proteins in a single automated LC-MS workflow.

  6. Selective electrochemical generation of hydrogen peroxide from water oxidation

    DOE PAGES

    Viswanathan, Venkatasubramanian; Hansen, Heine A.; Norskov, Jens K.

    2015-10-08

    Water is a life-giving source, fundamental to human existence, yet over a billion people lack access to clean drinking water. The present techniques for water treatment such as piped, treated water rely on time and resource intensive centralized solutions. In this work, we propose a decentralized device concept that can utilize sunlight to split water into hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide can oxidize organics while the hydrogen bubbles out. In enabling this device, we require an electrocatalyst that can oxidize water while suppressing the thermodynamically favored oxygen evolution and form hydrogen peroxide. Using density functional theory calculations, wemore » show that the free energy of adsorbed OH* can be used to determine selectivity trends between the 2e– water oxidation to H 2O 2 and the 4e– oxidation to O 2. We show that materials which bind oxygen intermediates sufficiently weakly, such as SnO 2, can activate hydrogen peroxide evolution. Furthermore, we present a rational design principle for the selectivity in electrochemical water oxidation and identify new material candidates that could perform H 2O 2 evolution selectively.« less

  7. A bond-order potential for the Al–Cu–H ternary system

    DOE PAGES

    Zhou, X. W.; Ward, D. K.; Foster, M. E.

    2018-02-27

    Al-Based Al–Cu alloys have a very high strength to density ratio, and are therefore important materials for transportation systems including vehicles and aircrafts. These alloys also appear to have a high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, and as a result, are being explored for hydrogen related applications. To enable fundamental studies of mechanical behavior of Al–Cu alloys under hydrogen environments, we have developed an Al–Cu–H bond-order potential according to the formalism implemented in the molecular dynamics code LAMMPS. Our potential not only fits well to properties of a variety of elemental and compound configurations (with coordination varying from 1 to 12)more » including small clusters, bulk lattices, defects, and surfaces, but also passes stringent molecular dynamics simulation tests that sample chaotic configurations. Careful studies verified that this Al–Cu–H potential predicts structural property trends close to experimental results and quantum-mechanical calculations; in addition, it properly captures Al–Cu, Al–H, and Cu–H phase diagrams and enables simulations of H 2 dissociation, chemisorption, and absorption on Al–Cu surfaces.« less

  8. A bond-order potential for the Al–Cu–H ternary system

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

    Zhou, X. W.; Ward, D. K.; Foster, M. E.

    Al-Based Al–Cu alloys have a very high strength to density ratio, and are therefore important materials for transportation systems including vehicles and aircrafts. These alloys also appear to have a high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, and as a result, are being explored for hydrogen related applications. To enable fundamental studies of mechanical behavior of Al–Cu alloys under hydrogen environments, we have developed an Al–Cu–H bond-order potential according to the formalism implemented in the molecular dynamics code LAMMPS. Our potential not only fits well to properties of a variety of elemental and compound configurations (with coordination varying from 1 to 12)more » including small clusters, bulk lattices, defects, and surfaces, but also passes stringent molecular dynamics simulation tests that sample chaotic configurations. Careful studies verified that this Al–Cu–H potential predicts structural property trends close to experimental results and quantum-mechanical calculations; in addition, it properly captures Al–Cu, Al–H, and Cu–H phase diagrams and enables simulations of H 2 dissociation, chemisorption, and absorption on Al–Cu surfaces.« less

  9. Effects of vitamin C, vitamin E, and molecular hydrogen on the placental function in trophoblast cells.

    PubMed

    Guan, Zhong; Li, Huai-Fang; Guo, Li-Li; Yang, Xiang

    2015-08-01

    This study aimed to investigate the effects of three different antioxidants, namely vitamin C, vitamin E, and molecular hydrogen, on cytotrophoblasts in vitro. Two trophoblast cell lines, JAR and JEG-3, were exposed to different concentrations of vitamin C (0, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 μmol/L), vitamin E (0, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 μmol/L), and molecular hydrogen (0, 25, 50, 100, 500 μmol/L) for 48 h. The cell viability was detected using the MTS assay. The secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were assessed and the expression of TNF-α mRNA was observed by real-time RT-PCR. Cell viability was significantly suppressed by 500 μmol/L vitamins C and E (P < 0.05), but not by 500 μmol/L molecular hydrogen (P > 0.05). The expression of TNF-α was increased by 100 μmol/L vitamin C and 50 μmol/L vitamins E, separately or combined (P < 0.05), but not by molecular hydrogen (0-500 μmol/L), as validated by real-time RT-PCR. But the secretion of hCG was both inhibited by 50-500 μmol/L molecular hydrogen and high levels of vitamin C and E, separately or combined. High levels of antioxidant vitamins C and E may have significant detrimental effects on placental function, as reflected by decreased cell viability and secretion of hCG; and placental immunity, as reflected by increased production of TNF-a. Meanwhile hydrogen showed no such effects on cell proliferation and TNF-α expression, but it could affect the level of hCG, indicating hydrogen as a potential candidate of antioxidant in the management of preeclampsia (PE) should be further studied.

  10. Heterostructured WS2 -MoS2 Ultrathin Nanosheets Integrated on CdS Nanorods to Promote Charge Separation and Migration and Improve Solar-Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

    PubMed

    Reddy, D Amaranatha; Park, Hanbit; Ma, Rory; Kumar, D Praveen; Lim, Manho; Kim, Tae Kyu

    2017-04-10

    Solar-driven photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is important to bring solar-energy-to-fuel energy-conversion processes to reality. However, there is a lack of highly efficient, stable, and non-precious photocatalysts, and catalysts not designed completely with expensive noble metals have remained elusive, which hampers their large-scale industrial application. Herein, for the first time, a highly efficient and stable noble-metal-free CdS/WS 2 -MoS 2 nanocomposite was designed through a facile hydrothermal approach. When assessed as a photocatalyst for water splitting, the CdS/WS 2 -MoS 2 nanostructures exhibited remarkable photocatalytic hydrogen-evolution performance and impressive durability. An excellent hydrogen evolution rate of 209.79 mmol g -1  h -1 was achieved under simulated sunlight irradiation, which is higher than the values for CdS/MoS 2 (123.31 mmol g -1  h -1 ) and CdS/WS 2 nanostructures (169.82 mmol g -1  h -1 ) and the expensive CdS/Pt benchmark catalyst (34.98 mmol g -1  h -1 ). The apparent quantum yield reached 51.4 % at λ=425 nm in 5 h. Furthermore, the obtained hydrogen evolution rate was better than those of several noble-metal-free catalysts reported previously. The observed high rate of hydrogen evolution and remarkable stability may be a result of the ultrafast separation of photogenerated charge carriers and transport between the CdS nanorods and the WS 2 -MoS 2 nanosheets, which thus increases the number of electrons involved in hydrogen production. The proposed designed strategy is believed to potentially open a door to the design of advanced noble-metal-free photocatalytic materials for efficient solar-driven hydrogen production. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. H2@Scale Workshop Report

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

    Pivovar, Bryan

    2017-03-31

    Final report from the H2@Scale Workshop held November 16-17, 2016, at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory hosted a technology workshop to identify the current barriers and research needs of the H2@Scale concept. H2@Scale is a concept regarding the potential for wide-scale impact of hydrogen produced from diverse domestic resources to enhance U.S. energy security and enable growth of innovative technologies and domestic industries. Feedback received from a diverse set of stakeholders at the workshop will guide the development of an H2@Scale roadmap for research, development, and early stagemore » demonstration activities that can enable hydrogen as an energy carrier at a national scale.« less

  12. Peptide nanotube-modified electrodes for enzyme-biosensor applications.

    PubMed

    Yemini, Miri; Reches, Meital; Gazit, Ehud; Rishpon, Judith

    2005-08-15

    The fabrication and notably improved performance of composite electrodes based on modified self-assembled diphenylalanine peptide nanotubes is described. Peptide nanotubes were attached to gold electrodes, and we studied the resulting electrochemical behavior using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The peptide nanotube-based electrodes demonstrated a direct and unmediated response to hydrogen peroxide and NADH at a potential of +0.4 V (vs SCE). This biosensor enables a sensitive determination of glucose by monitoring the hydrogen peroxide produced by an enzymatic reaction between the glucose oxidase attached to the peptide nanotubes and glucose. In addition, the marked electrocatalytic activity toward NADH enabled a sensitive detection of ethanol using ethanol dehydrogenase and NAD+. The peptide nanotube-based amperometric biosensor provides a potential new tool for sensitive biosensors and biomolecular diagnostics.

  13. Hydrogen Exchange Mass Spectrometry

    PubMed Central

    Mayne, Leland

    2018-01-01

    Hydrogen exchange (HX) methods can reveal much about the structure, energetics, and dynamics of proteins. The addition of mass spectrometry (MS) to an earlier fragmentation-separation HX analysis now extends HX studies to larger proteins at high structural resolution and can provide information not available before. This chapter discusses experimental aspects of HX labeling, especially with respect to the use of MS and the analysis of MS data. PMID:26791986

  14. Flow-Control Unit For Nitrogen And Hydrogen Gases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chang, B. J.; Novak, D. W.

    1990-01-01

    Gas-flow-control unit installed and removed as one piece replaces system that included nine separately serviced components. Unit controls and monitors flows of nitrogen and hydrogen gases. Designed for connection via fluid-interface manifold plate, reducing number of mechanical fluid-interface connections from 18 to 1. Unit provides increasing reliability, safety, and ease of maintenance, and for reducing weight, volume, and power consumption.

  15. PDBToSDF: Create ligand structure files from PDB file.

    PubMed

    Muppalaneni, Naresh Babu; Rao, Allam Appa

    2011-01-01

    Protein Data Bank (PDB) file contains atomic data for protein and ligand in protein-ligand complexes. Structure data file (SDF) contains data for atoms, bonds, connectivity and coordinates of molecule for ligands. We describe PDBToSDF as a tool to separate the ligand data from pdb file for the calculation of ligand properties like molecular weight, number of hydrogen bond acceptors, hydrogen bond receptors easily.

  16. Membrane contactor assisted water extraction system for separating hydrogen peroxide from a working solution, and method thereof

    DOEpatents

    Snyder, Seth W [Lincolnwood, IL; Lin, Yupo J [Naperville, IL; Hestekin', Jamie A [Fayetteville, AR; Henry, Michael P [Batavia, IL; Pujado, Peter [Kildeer, IL; Oroskar, Anil [Oak Brook, IL; Kulprathipanja, Santi [Inverness, IL; Randhava, Sarabjit [Evanston, IL

    2010-09-21

    The present invention relates to a membrane contactor assisted extraction system and method for extracting a single phase species from multi-phase working solutions. More specifically one preferred embodiment of the invention relates to a method and system for membrane contactor assisted water (MCAWE) extraction of hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2) from a working solution.

  17. Lunar Soil Particle Separator

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berggren, Mark

    2010-01-01

    The Lunar Soil Particle Separator (LSPS) beneficiates soil prior to in situ resource utilization (ISRU). It can improve ISRU oxygen yield by boosting the concentration of ilmenite, or other iron-oxide-bearing materials found in lunar soils, which can substantially reduce hydrogen reduction reactor size, as well as drastically decreasing the power input required for soil heating

  18. Light water detritiation

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

    Fedorchenko, O.A.; Aleksee, I.A.; Bondarenko, S.D.

    2015-03-15

    Hundreds of thousands of tons of tritiated light water have been accumulating from the enterprises of nuclear fuel cycles around the world. The Dual-Temperature Water-Hydrogen (DTWH) process looks like the only practical alternative to Combined Electrolysis and Catalytic Exchange (CECE). In DTWH power-consuming lower reflux device (electrolytic cell) is replaced by a so-called 'hot tower' (LPCE column operating at conditions which ensure relatively small value of elementary separation factor α(hot)). In the upper, cold tower, the tritium transfers from hydrogen to water while in the lower, hot tower - in the opposite direction - from water to hydrogen. The DTWHmore » process is much more complicated compared to CECE; it must be thoroughly computed and strictly controlled by an automatic control system. The use of a simulation code for DTWH is absolutely important. The simulation code EVIO-5 deals with 3 flows inside a column (hydrogen gas, water vapour and liquid water) and 2 simultaneous isotope exchange sub-processes (counter-current phase exchange and co-current catalytic exchange). EVIO-5 takes into account the strong dependence of process performance on given conditions (temperature and pressure). It calculates steady-state isotope concentration profiles considering a full set of reversible exchange reactions between different isotope modifications of water and hydrogen (12 molecular species). So the code can be used for simulation of LPCE column operation for detritiation of hydrogen and water feed, which contains H and D not only at low concentrations but above 10 at.% also. EVIO-5 code is used to model a Tritium Removal Facility with a throughput capacity of about 400 m{sup 3}/day. Simulation results show that a huge amount of wet-proofed catalyst is required (about 6000 m{sup 3}), mainly (90%) in the first stage. One reason for these large expenses (apart from a big scale of the problem itself) is the relatively high tritium separation factor in the hot tower. The introduction of some quantity of deuterium into the gaseous flow before the hot tower lowers the tritium separation factor in that column. One possible variant of deuterium introduction to the hot tower of the first stage was modelled. The decontamination capacity increases by a 2.5 factor.« less

  19. Airborne rotary separator study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Drnevich, R. F.; Nowobilski, J. J.

    1992-12-01

    Several air breathing propulsion concepts for future earth-to-orbit transport vehicles utilize air collection and enrichment, and subsequent storage of liquid oxygen for later use in the vehicle mission. Work performed during the 1960's established the feasibility of substantially reducing weight and volume of a distillation type air separator system by operating the distillation elements in high 'g' fields obtained by rotating the separator assembly. The purpose of this study was to evaluate various fuels and fuel combinations with the objective of minimizing the weight and increase the ready alert capability of the plane. Fuels will be used to provide energy as well as act as heat sinks for the on-board heat rejection system. Fuel energy was used to provide power for air separation as well as to produce refrigeration for liquefaction of oxygen enriched air, besides its primary purpose of vehicle propulsion. The heat generated in the cycle was rejected to the fuel and water which is also carried on board the vehicle.The fuels that were evaluated include JP4, methane, and hydrogen. Hydrogen served as a comparison to the JP4 and methane cases.

  20. An ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy investigation of phase-separated monolayer films stained with Nile Red.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yin; Porterfield, Robyn; Thunder, Terri; Paige, Matthew F

    2011-01-01

    Phase-separated Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer films prepared from mixtures of arachidic acid (C19H39COOH) and perfluorotetradecanoic acid (C13F27COOH) were stained via spin-casting with the polarity sensitive phenoxazine dye Nile Red, and characterized using a combination of ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy measurements. Ensemble fluorescence microscopy and spectromicroscopy showed that Nile Red preferentially associated with the hydrogenated domains of the phase-separated films, and was strongly fluorescent in these areas of the film. These measurements, in conjunction with single-molecule fluorescence imaging experiments, also indicated that a small sub-population of dye molecules localizes on the perfluorinated regions of the sample, but that this sub-population is spectroscopically indistinguishable from that associated with the hydrogenated domains. The relative importance of selective dye adsorption and local polarity sensitivity of Nile Red for staining applications in phase-separated LB films as well as in cellular environments is discussed in context of the experimental results. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Early Market TRL/MRL Analysis

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

    Ronnebro, Ewa; Stetson, Ned

    he focus of this report is TRL/MRL analysis of hydrogen storage; it documents the methodology and results of an effort to identify hydrogen storage technologies’ technical and manufacturing readiness for early market motive and non-motive applications and to provide a path forward toward commercialization. Motive applications include materials handling equipment (MHE) and ground support equipment (GSE), such as forklifts, tow tractors, and specialty vehicles such as golf carts, lawn mowers and wheel chairs. Non-motive applications are portable, stationary or auxiliary power units (APUs) and include portable laptops, backup power, remote sensor power, and auxiliary power for recreational vehicles, hotels, hospitals,more » etc. Hydrogen storage technologies assessed include metal hydrides, chemical hydrides, sorbents, gaseous storage, and liquid storage. The assessments are based on a combination of Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) designations that enable evaluation of hydrogen storage technologies at varying levels of development. The manufacturing status could be established from eight risk elements: Technical Maturity, Design, Materials, Cost & Funding, Process Capability, Personnel, Facilities and Manufacturing Planning. This approach provides a logical methodology and roadmap to enable the identification of hydrogen storage technologies, their advantages/disadvantages, gaps and R&D needs on an unbiased and transparent scale that is easily communicated to interagency partners. This technology readiness assessment (TRA) report documents the process used to conduct the TRA/MRA (technology and manufacturing readiness assessment), reports the TRL and MRL for each assessed technology and provides recommendations based on the findings. To investigate the state of the art and needs to mature the technologies, PNNL prepared a questionnaire to assign TRL and MRL for each hydrogen storage technology. The questionnaire was sent to identified hydrogen storage technology developers and manufacturers who were asked to perform a self-assessment. We included both domestic and international organizations including U.S. national laboratories, U.S. companies, European companies and Japanese companies. PNNL collected the data and performed an analysis to deduce the level of maturity and to provide program recommendations.« less

  2. Equilibrium properties of dense hydrogen isotope gases based on the theory of simple fluids.

    PubMed

    Kowalczyk, Piotr; MacElroy, J M D

    2006-08-03

    We present a new method for the prediction of the equilibrium properties of dense gases containing hydrogen isotopes. The proposed approach combines the Feynman-Hibbs effective potential method and a deconvolution scheme introduced by Weeks et al. The resulting equations of state and the chemical potentials as functions of pressure for each of the hydrogen isotope gases depend on a single set of Lennard-Jones parameters. In addition to its simplicity, the proposed method with optimized Lennard-Jones potential parameters accurately describes the equilibrium properties of hydrogen isotope fluids in the regime of moderate temperatures and pressures. The present approach should find applications in the nonlocal density functional theory of inhomogeneous quantum fluids and should also be of particular relevance to hydrogen (clean energy) storage and to the separation of quantum isotopes by novel nanomaterials.

  3. Multi-fuel reformers for fuel cells used in transportation: Assessment of hydrogen storage technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1994-03-01

    This report documents a portion of the work performed on Multi-fuel Reformers for Fuel Cells Used in Transportation. One objective of this program is to develop advanced fuel processing systems to reform methanol, ethanol, natural gas, and other hydrocarbons into hydrogen for use in transportation fuel cell systems, while a second objective is to develop better systems for on-board hydrogen storage. This report examines techniques and technology available for storage of pure hydrogen on board a vehicle as pure hydrogen of hydrides. The report focuses separately on near and far-term technologies, with particular emphasis on the former. Development of lighter, more compact near-term storage systems is recommended to enhance competitiveness and simplify fuel cell design. The far-term storage technologies require substantial applied research in order to become serious contenders.

  4. Status and Design Concepts for the Hydrogen On-Orbit Storage and Supply Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chato, David J.; VanDyke, Melissa; Batty, J. Clair; Schick, Scott

    1998-01-01

    This paper studies concepts for the Hydrogen On-Orbit Storage and Supply Experiment (HOSS). HOSS is a space flight experiment whose objectives are: Show stable gas supply for storage and direct gain solar-thermal thruster designs; and evaluate and compare low-g performance of active and passive pressure control via a thermodynamic vent system (TVS) suitable for solar-thermal upper stages. This paper shows that the necessary experimental equipment for HOSS can be accommodated in a small hydrogen dewar of 36 to 80 liter. Thermal designs for these dewars which meet the on-orbit storage requirements can be achieved. Furthermore ground hold insulation and shielding concepts are achieved which enable storing initially subcooled liquid hydrogen in these small dewars without venting in excess of 144 hours.

  5. Electronic structure and vibrational analysis of AHA⋯HX complexes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Kaustubh A.; Gejji, Shridhar P.

    2005-10-01

    Electronic structures of the binary complexes of acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) and hydrogen halides, HX (X = F, Cl, Br) have been investigated using the second order perturbation theory. In the lowest energy structure of AHA⋯HF complex, hydrogen fluoride acts as a proton-donor with carbonyl oxygen and simultaneously as a proton-acceptor with the hydroxyl group. For chloro- and bromo-substituted derivatives, however, the lowest minimum possesses hydrogen-bonded interactions with the carbonyl oxygen in addition to those from the methyl proton of AHA. Frequency shifts of NH and CN stretching vibrations enable one to distinguish different conformers of AHA⋯HX complexes.

  6. Separation of Rebaudiana A from Steviol glycoside using a polymeric adsorbent with multi-hydrogen bonding in a non-aqueous system.

    PubMed

    Ba, Jing; Zhang, Na; Yao, Lijuan; Ma, Ning; Wang, Chunhong

    2014-11-15

    Rebaudioside A (RA) and stevioside (SS) are the primary effective glycoside components in Stevia Rebaudiana. The RA glycoside is sweeter, and it tastes similarly to sucrose. Because extracts with a high RA content can be used as natural sweeteners for food additives approved by the FAO and FDA, RA should generate high market demand. In this study, an efficient method for separating RA was established based on the synergistic multi-hydrogen bonding interaction between a polymeric adsorbent and the RA glycoside. To overcome the destruction of the hydrophobic affinity required for the selective adsorption of RA, an innovative non-aqueous environment was established for adsorption and separation. To this end, an initial polymeric adsorbent composed of a glycidyl methacrylate and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (GMA-co-TMPTMA) copolymer matrix was synthesized, and polyethylene polyamine was employed as a functional reagent designed to react with the epoxy group on GME-co-TMPTMA to form a highly selective macroporous adsorbent. The effects of the different functional reagents and the solvent polarity on the adsorption selectivity for RA and SS, respectively, were investigated. Matching the structure of the polyethylene polyamine and sugar ligand on the glycoside molecule was essential in ensuring that the maximum synergistic interaction between adsorbent and adsorbate would be achieved. Moreover, the hydrogen-bonding force was observed to increase when the polarity of the adsorption solvent decreased. Therefore, among the synthesized macroporous polymeric adsorbents, the GTN4 adsorbent-bonding tetraethylenepentamine functional group provided the best separation in an n-butyl alcohol solution. Under the optimized gradient elution conditions, RA and SS can be effectively separated, and the contents of RA and SS increased from 33.5% and 51.5% in the initial crude extract to 95.4% and 78.2% after separation, respectively. Compared to conventional methods, the adsorption-desorption process is more advanced due to its procedural simplicity, low cost and adaptability for industrial production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Apparatus and methods for storing and releasing hydrogen

    DOEpatents

    Heung, Leung K.

    2001-01-01

    A rechargeable device that stores and discharges hydrogen is described. The device stores hydrogen in a solid form and supplies hydrogen as a gas when needed. The solid storage medium may be metal hydride in a ground particle form that avoids the need for compaction or other treatment. Dividers partition a container into separate chambers, each provided with a matrix, formed from an appropriate material like a thermally-conductive aluminum foam, which forms a number of cells. For proper chamber size, the ratio of chamber length to container diameter should be between about 0.5 and 2. Metal hydride particles (or other hydrogen storage medium) may be placed within the cells, which help prevent excessive particle settling. The container is provided with a hydrogen transfer port through which hydrogen gas passes upon either discharging from or charging of the metal hydride particles. A filter may be placed within the port to allow hydrogen to flow but prevent particles from escaping. A heat transferring surface is formed by, for instance, a channel that is thermally coupled with the aluminum foam. Fluid flows through the channel to deliver or remove heat during the respective hydrogen discharging or charging processes.

  8. Apparatus and methods for storing and releasing hydrogen

    DOEpatents

    Heung, Leung K.

    2000-01-01

    A rechargeable device that stores and discharges hydrogen is described. The device stores hydrogen in a solid form and supplies hydrogen as a gas when needed. The solid storage medium may be metal hydride in a ground particle form that avoids the need for compaction or other treatment. Dividers partition a container into separate chambers, each provided with a matrix, formed from an appropriate material like a thermally-conductive aluminum foam, which forms a number of cells. For proper chamber size, the ratio of chamber length to container diameter should be between about 0.5 and 2. Metal hydride particles (or other hydrogen storage medium) may be placed within the cells, which help prevent excessive particle settling. The container is provided with a hydrogen transfer port through which hydrogen gas passes upon either discharging from or charging of the metal hydride particles. A filter may be placed within the port to allow hydrogen to flow but prevent particles from escaping. A heat transferring surface is formed by, for instance, a channel that is thermally coupled with the aluminum foam. Fluid flows through the channel to deliver or remove heat during the respective hydrogen discharging or charging processes.

  9. Engineering Design Elements of a Two-Phase Thermosyphon to Trannsfer NGNP Nuclear Thermal Energy to a Hydrogen Plant

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

    Piyush Sabharwal

    2009-07-01

    Two hydrogen production processes, both powered by a Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), are currently under investigation at Idaho National Laboratory. The first is high-temperature steam electrolysis, which uses both heat and electricity; the second is thermo-chemical production through the sulfur iodine process primarily using heat. Both processes require a high temperature (>850°C) for enhanced efficiency; temperatures indicative of the NGNP. Safety and licensing mandates prudently dictate that the NGNP and the hydrogen production facility be physically isolated, perhaps requiring separation of over 100 m.

  10. Individual Pressure Vessel (PV) and Common Pressure Vessel (CPV) Nickel-Hydrogen Battery Performance Under LEO Cycling Conditions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, Thomas B.; Lewis, Harlan L.

    2004-01-01

    LEO life cycle testing of Individual Pressure Vessel (PV) and Common Pressure Vessel (CPV) nickel-hydrogen cell packs have been sponsored by the NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program. The cell packs have cycled under both 35% and 60% depth-of- discharge and temperature conditions of -5 C and +lO C. The packs have been on test since as early as 1992 and have generated a substantial database. This report will provide insight into performance trends as a function of the specific cell configuration and manufacturer for eight separate nickel-hydrogen battery cell packs.

  11. 8-Hy­droxy­quinolin-1-ium hydrogen sulfate monohydrate

    PubMed Central

    Damous, Maamar; Dénès, George; Bouacida, Sofiane; Hamlaoui, Meriem; Merazig, Hocine; Daran, Jean-Claude

    2013-01-01

    In the crystal structure of the title salt hydrate, C9H8NO+·HSO4 −·H2O, the quinoline N—H atoms are hydrogen bonded to the bis­ulfate anions. The bis­ulfate anions and water mol­ecules are linked together by O—H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter­actions. The cations and anions form separate layers alternating along the c axis, which are linked by N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a two-dimensional network parallel to (100). Further O—H⋯O contacts connect these layers, forming a three-dimensional network, in which two R 4 4(12) rings and C 2 2(13) infinite chains can be identified. PMID:24427083

  12. Tritium monitor

    DOEpatents

    Chastagner, Philippe

    1994-01-01

    A system for continuously monitoring the concentration of tritium in an aqueous stream. The system pumps a sample of the stream to magnesium-filled combustion tube which reduces the sample to extract hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas is then sent to an isotope separation device where it is separated into two groups of isotopes: a first group of isotopes containing concentrations of deuterium and tritium, and a second group of isotopes having substantially no deuterium and tritium. The first group of isotopes containing concentrations of deuterium and tritium is then passed through a tritium detector that produces an output proportional to the concentration of tritium detected. Preferably, the detection system also includes the necessary automation and data collection equipment and instrumentation for continuously monitoring an aqueous stream.

  13. Tritium monitor

    DOEpatents

    Chastagner, P.

    1994-06-14

    A system is described for continuously monitoring the concentration of tritium in an aqueous stream. The system pumps a sample of the stream to magnesium-filled combustion tube which reduces the sample to extract hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas is then sent to an isotope separation device where it is separated into two groups of isotopes: a first group of isotopes containing concentrations of deuterium and tritium, and a second group of isotopes having substantially no deuterium and tritium. The first group of isotopes containing concentrations of deuterium and tritium is then passed through a tritium detector that produces an output proportional to the concentration of tritium detected. Preferably, the detection system also includes the necessary automation and data collection equipment and instrumentation for continuously monitoring an aqueous stream. 1 fig.

  14. General Equation Set Solver for Compressible and Incompressible Turbomachinery Flows

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sondak, Douglas L.; Dorney, Daniel J.

    2002-01-01

    Turbomachines for propulsion applications operate with many different working fluids and flow conditions. The flow may be incompressible, such as in the liquid hydrogen pump in a rocket engine, or supersonic, such as in the turbine which may drive the hydrogen pump. Separate codes have traditionally been used for incompressible and compressible flow solvers. The General Equation Set (GES) method can be used to solve both incompressible and compressible flows, and it is not restricted to perfect gases, as are many compressible-flow turbomachinery solvers. An unsteady GES turbomachinery flow solver has been developed and applied to both air and water flows through turbines. It has been shown to be an excellent alternative to maintaining two separate codes.

  15. Hydrogen Isotope Measurements of Organic Acids and Alcohols by Pyrolysis-GC-MS-TC-IRMS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Socki, Richard A.; Fu, Qi; Niles, Paul B.

    2011-01-01

    One possible process responsible for methane generation on Mars is abiotic formation by Fischer-Tropsch-type (FTT) synthesis during serpentinization reactions. Measurement of carbon and hydrogen isotopes of intermediary organic compounds can help constrain the origin of this methane by tracing the geochemical pathway during formation. Of particular interest within the context of this work is the isotopic composition of organic intermediaries produced on the surfaces of mineral catalysts (i.e. magnetite) during hydrothermal experiments, and the ability to make meaningful and reproducible hydrogen isotope measurements. Reported here are results of experiments to characterize the hydrogen isotope composition of low molecular weight organic acids and alcohols. The presence of these organic compounds has been suggested by others as intermeadiary products made during mineral surface catalyzed reactions. This work compliments our previous study characterizing the carbon isotope composition of similar low molecular weight intermediary organic compounds (Socki, et al, American Geophysical Union Fall meeting, Abstr. #V51B-2189, Dec., 2010). Our hydrogen isotope measurements utilize a unique analytical technique combining Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometry-High Temperature Conversion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC-MS-TC-IRMS). Our technique is unique in that it carries a split of the pyrolyzed GC-separated product to a Thermo DSQ-II? quadrupole mass spectrometer as a means of making qualitative and semi-quantitative compositional measurements of separated organic compounds, therefore both chemical and isotopic measurements can be carried out simultaneously on the same sample.

  16. Integrated lunar materials manufacturing process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gibson, Michael A. (Inventor); Knudsen, Christian W. (Inventor)

    1990-01-01

    A manufacturing plant and process for production of oxygen on the moon uses lunar minerals as feed and a minimum of earth-imported, process materials. Lunar feed stocks are hydrogen-reducible minerals, ilmenite and lunar agglutinates occurring in numerous, explored locations mixed with other minerals in the pulverized surface layer of lunar soil known as regolith. Ilmenite (FeTiO.sub.3) and agglutinates contain ferrous (Fe.sup.+2) iron reducible by hydrogen to yield H.sub.2 O and metallic Fe at about 700.degree.-1,200.degree. C. The H.sub.2 O is electrolyzed in gas phase to yield H.sub.2 for recycle and O.sub.2 for storage and use. Hydrogen losses to lunar vacuum are minimized, with no net hydrogen (or any other earth-derived reagent) consumption except for small leaks. Feed minerals are surface-mined by front shovels and transported in trucks to the processing area. The machines are manned or robotic. Ilmenite and agglutinates occur mixed with silicate minerals which are not hydrogen-reducible at 700.degree.-1,200.degree. C. and consequently are separated and concentrated before feeding to the oxygen generation process. Solids rejected from the separation step and reduced solids from the oxygen process are returned to the mine area. The plant is powered by nuclear or solar power generators. Vapor-phase water electrolysis, a staged, countercurrent, fluidized bed reduction reactor and a radio-frequency-driven ceramic gas heater are used to improve thermal efficiency.

  17. Statistical 21-cm Signal Separation via Gaussian Process Regression Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mertens, F. G.; Ghosh, A.; Koopmans, L. V. E.

    2018-05-01

    Detecting and characterizing the Epoch of Reionization and Cosmic Dawn via the redshifted 21-cm hyperfine line of neutral hydrogen will revolutionize the study of the formation of the first stars, galaxies, black holes and intergalactic gas in the infant Universe. The wealth of information encoded in this signal is, however, buried under foregrounds that are many orders of magnitude brighter. These must be removed accurately and precisely in order to reveal the feeble 21-cm signal. This requires not only the modeling of the Galactic and extra-galactic emission, but also of the often stochastic residuals due to imperfect calibration of the data caused by ionospheric and instrumental distortions. To stochastically model these effects, we introduce a new method based on `Gaussian Process Regression' (GPR) which is able to statistically separate the 21-cm signal from most of the foregrounds and other contaminants. Using simulated LOFAR-EoR data that include strong instrumental mode-mixing, we show that this method is capable of recovering the 21-cm signal power spectrum across the entire range k = 0.07 - 0.3 {h cMpc^{-1}}. The GPR method is most optimal, having minimal and controllable impact on the 21-cm signal, when the foregrounds are correlated on frequency scales ≳ 3 MHz and the rms of the signal has σ21cm ≳ 0.1 σnoise. This signal separation improves the 21-cm power-spectrum sensitivity by a factor ≳ 3 compared to foreground avoidance strategies and enables the sensitivity of current and future 21-cm instruments such as the Square Kilometre Array to be fully exploited.

  18. Direct Aldehyde C-H Arylation and Alkylation via the Combination of Nickel, Hydrogen Atom Transfer, and Photoredox Catalysis.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiaheng; MacMillan, David W C

    2017-08-23

    A mechanism that enables direct aldehyde C-H functionalization has been achieved via the synergistic merger of photoredox, nickel, and hydrogen atom transfer catalysis. This mild, operationally simple protocol transforms a wide variety of commercially available aldehydes, along with aryl or alkyl bromides, into the corresponding ketones in excellent yield. This C-H abstraction coupling technology has been successfully applied to the expedient synthesis of the medicinal agent haloperidol.

  19. Detection of platinum dihydride bisphosphine complexes and studies of their reactivity through para-hydrogen-enhanced NMR methods.

    PubMed

    Godard, Cyril; López-Serrano, Joaquín; Gálvez-López, María-Dolores; Roselló-Merino, Marta; Duckett, Simon B; Khazal, Iman; Lledós, Agustí; Whitwood, Adrian C

    2008-01-01

    In-situ NMR studies on the reactions of Pt{CH2 = CHSi(Me)2}2O)(PCy3) with phosphines, HSiEt3 and--hydrogen or Pt(L)(L')(Me)(2) alone enable the detection of cis-Pt(L)(L')(H)2 [L = PCy3 and L' = PCy2H, PPh3 or PCy3] which then undergo hydride site interchange and H2 reductive elimination on the NMR timescale.

  20. Separator development and testing of nickel-hydrogen cells

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gonzalez-Sanabria, O. D.; Manzo, M. A.

    1984-01-01

    The components, design, and operating characteristics of Ni-H2 cells batteries were improved. A separator development program was designed to develop a separator that is resistant to penetration by oxygen and loose active material from then nickel electrode, while retraining the required chemical and thermal stability, reservoir capability, and high ionic conductivity. The performance of the separators in terms of cell operating voltage was to at least match that of state-of-the-art separators while eliminating the separator problems. The separators were submitted to initial screening tests and those which successfully completed the tests were built into Ni-H2 cells for short term testing. The separators with the best performance are tested for long term performance and life.

  1. Pyrolysis process for producing condensed stabilized hydrocarbons utilizing a beneficially reactive gas

    DOEpatents

    Durai-Swamy, Kandaswamy

    1982-01-01

    In a process for recovery of values contained in solid carbonaceous material, the solid carbonaceous material is comminuted and then subjected to pyrolysis, in the presence of a carbon containing solid particulate source of heat and a beneficially reactive transport gas in a transport flash pyrolysis reactor, to form a pyrolysis product stream. The pyrolysis product stream contains a gaseous mixture and particulate solids. The solids are separated from the gaseous mixture to form a substantially solids-free gaseous stream which comprises volatilized hydrocarbon free radicals newly formed by pyrolysis. Preferably the solid particulate source of heat is formed by oxidizing part of the separated particulate solids. The beneficially reactive transport gas inhibits the reactivity of the char product and the carbon-containing solid particulate source of heat. Condensed stabilized hydrocarbons are obtained by quenching the gaseous mixture stream with a quench fluid which contains a capping agent for stabilizing and terminating newly formed volatilized hydrocarbon free radicals. The capping agent is partially depleted of hydrogen by the stabilization and termination reaction. Hydrocarbons of four or more carbon atoms in the gaseous mixture stream are condensed. A liquid stream containing the stabilized liquid product is then treated or separated into various fractions. A liquid containing the hydrogen depleted capping agent is hydrogenated to form a regenerated capping agent. At least a portion of the regenerated capping agent is recycled to the quench zone as the quench fluid. In another embodiment capping agent is produced by the process, separated from the liquid product mixture, and recycled.

  2. Multiscale Modeling for Linking Growth, Microstructure, and Properties of Inorganic Microporous Films

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vlachos, Dion G.

    2002-01-01

    The focus of this presentation is on multiscale modeling in order to link processing, microstructure, and properties of materials. Overview of problems we study includes: Growth mechanisms in chemical and physical vapor epitaxy; thin films of zeolites for separation and sensing; thin Pd films for hydrogen separation and pattern formation by self-regulation routes.

  3. Cu2O/CuO Bilayered Composite as a High-Efficiency Photocathode for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Yang; Xu, Di; Wu, Qingyong; Diao, Peng

    2016-01-01

    Solar powered hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one of the key reactions in solar-to-chemical energy conversion. It is desirable to develop photocathodic materials that exhibit high activity toward photoelectrochemical (PEC) HER at more positive potentials because a higher potential means a lower overpotential for HER. In this work, the Cu2O/CuO bilayered composites were prepared by a facile method that involved an electrodeposition and a subsequent thermal oxidation. The resulting Cu2O/CuO bilayered composites exhibited a surprisingly high activity and good stability toward PEC HER, expecially at high potentials in alkaline solution. The photocurrent density for HER was 3.15 mA·cm−2 at the potential of 0.40 V vs. RHE, which was one of the two highest reported at the same potential on copper-oxide-based photocathode. The high photoactivity of the bilayered composite was ascribed to the following three advantages of the Cu2O/CuO heterojunction: (1) the broadened light absorption band that made more efficient use of solar energy, (2) the large space-charge-region potential that enabled a high efficiency for electron-hole separation, and (3) the high majority carrier density that ensured a faster charge transportation rate. This work reveals the potential of the Cu2O/CuO bilayered composite as a promising photocathodic material for solar water splitting. PMID:27748380

  4. Cooperative folding near the downhill limit determined with amino acid resolution by hydrogen exchange

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Wookyung; Baxa, Michael C.; Gagnon, Isabelle; Freed, Karl F.; Sosnick, Tobin R.

    2016-01-01

    The relationship between folding cooperativity and downhill, or barrier-free, folding of proteins under highly stabilizing conditions remains an unresolved topic, especially for proteins such as λ-repressor that fold on the microsecond timescale. Under aqueous conditions where downhill folding is most likely to occur, we measure the stability of multiple H bonds, using hydrogen exchange (HX) in a λYA variant that is suggested to be an incipient downhill folder having an extrapolated folding rate constant of 2 × 105 s−1 and a stability of 7.4 kcal·mol−1 at 298 K. At least one H bond on each of the three largest helices (α1, α3, and α4) breaks during a common unfolding event that reflects global denaturation. The use of HX enables us to both examine folding under highly stabilizing, native-like conditions and probe the pretransition state region for stable species without the need to initiate the folding reaction. The equivalence of the stability determined at zero and high denaturant indicates that any residual denatured state structure minimally affects the stability even under native conditions. Using our ψ analysis method along with mutational ϕ analysis, we find that the three aforementioned helices are all present in the folding transition state. Hence, the free energy surface has a sufficiently high barrier separating the denatured and native states that folding appears cooperative even under extremely stable and fast folding conditions. PMID:27078098

  5. Methane Post-Processing and Hydrogen Separation for Spacecraft Oxygen Loop Closure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Greenwood, Zachary W.; Abeny, Morgan B.; Wall, Terry; Miller, Lee A.; Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.

    2017-01-01

    State-of-the-art life support oxygen recovery technology on the International Space Station is based on the Sabatier reaction where only about half of the oxygen required for the crew is recovered from metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2). The Sabatier reaction produces water as the primary product and methane as a byproduct. Oxygen recovery is constrained by both the limited availability of reactant hydrogen from water electrolysis and Sabatier methane (CH4) being vented as a waste product resulting in a continuous loss of reactant hydrogen. Post-processing methane with the Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) to recover this hydrogen has the potential to substantially increase oxygen recovery and thus dramatically reduce the logistical challenges associated with oxygen resupply. The PPA decomposes methane into predominantly hydrogen and acetylene. A purification system is necessary to purify hydrogen before it is recycled back to the Sabatier reactor. Testing and evaluation of acetylene removal systems and PPA system architectures are presented and discussed.

  6. Thermo-electrochemical production of compressed hydrogen from methane with near-zero energy loss

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malerød-Fjeld, Harald; Clark, Daniel; Yuste-Tirados, Irene; Zanón, Raquel; Catalán-Martinez, David; Beeaff, Dustin; Morejudo, Selene H.; Vestre, Per K.; Norby, Truls; Haugsrud, Reidar; Serra, José M.; Kjølseth, Christian

    2017-11-01

    Conventional production of hydrogen requires large industrial plants to minimize energy losses and capital costs associated with steam reforming, water-gas shift, product separation and compression. Here we present a protonic membrane reformer (PMR) that produces high-purity hydrogen from steam methane reforming in a single-stage process with near-zero energy loss. We use a BaZrO3-based proton-conducting electrolyte deposited as a dense film on a porous Ni composite electrode with dual function as a reforming catalyst. At 800 °C, we achieve full methane conversion by removing 99% of the formed hydrogen, which is simultaneously compressed electrochemically up to 50 bar. A thermally balanced operation regime is achieved by coupling several thermo-chemical processes. Modelling of a small-scale (10 kg H2 day-1) hydrogen plant reveals an overall energy efficiency of >87%. The results suggest that future declining electricity prices could make PMRs a competitive alternative for industrial-scale hydrogen plants integrating CO2 capture.

  7. Hydrogen breath test in schoolchildren.

    PubMed Central

    Douwes, A C; Schaap, C; van der Klei-van Moorsel, J M

    1985-01-01

    The frequency of negative hydrogen breath tests due to colonic bacterial flora which are unable to produce hydrogen was determined after oral lactulose challenge in 98 healthy Dutch schoolchildren. There was a negative result in 9.2%. The probability of a false normal lactose breath test (1:77) was calculated from these results together with those from a separate group of children with lactose malabsorption (also determined by hydrogen breath test). A study of siblings and mothers of subjects with a negative breath test did not show familial clustering of this condition. Faecal incubation tests with various sugars showed an increase in breath hydrogen greater than 100 parts per million in those with a positive breath test while subjects with a negative breath test also had a negative faecal incubation test. The frequency of a false negative hydrogen breath test was higher than previously reported, but this does not affect the superiority of this method of testing over the conventional blood glucose determination. PMID:4004310

  8. Supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with in-source atmospheric pressure ionization hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry for compound speciation.

    PubMed

    Cho, Yunju; Choi, Man-Ho; Kim, Byungjoo; Kim, Sunghwan

    2016-04-29

    An experimental setup for the speciation of compounds by hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) with atmospheric pressure ionization while performing chromatographic separation is presented. The proposed experimental setup combines the high performance supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) system that can be readily used as an inlet for mass spectrometry (MS) and atmospheric pressure photo ionization (APPI) or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) HDX. This combination overcomes the limitation of an approach using conventional liquid chromatography (LC) by minimizing the amount of deuterium solvents used for separation. In the SFC separation, supercritical CO2 was used as a major component of the mobile phase, and methanol was used as a minor co-solvent. By using deuterated methanol (CH3OD), AP HDX was achieved during SFC separation. To prove the concept, thirty one nitrogen- and/or oxygen-containing standard compounds were analyzed by SFC-AP HDX MS. The compounds were successfully speciated from the obtained SFC-MS spectra. The exchange ions were observed with as low as 1% of CH3OD in the mobile phase, and separation could be performed within approximately 20min using approximately 0.24 mL of CH3OD. The results showed that SFC separation and APPI/APCI HDX could be successfully performed using the suggested method. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. 3D nanostructured inkjet printed graphene via UV-pulsed laser irradiation enables paper-based electronics and electrochemical devices.

    PubMed

    Das, Suprem R; Nian, Qiong; Cargill, Allison A; Hondred, John A; Ding, Shaowei; Saei, Mojib; Cheng, Gary J; Claussen, Jonathan C

    2016-09-21

    Emerging research on printed and flexible graphene-based electronics is beginning to show tremendous promise for a wide variety of fields including wearable sensors and thin film transistors. However, post-print annealing/reduction processes that are necessary to increase the electrical conductivity of the printed graphene degrade sensitive substrates (e.g., paper) and are whole substrate processes that are unable to selectively anneal/reduce only the printed graphene-leaving sensitive device components exposed to damaging heat or chemicals. Herein a pulsed laser process is introduced that can selectively irradiate inkjet printed reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and subsequently improve the electrical conductivity (Rsheet∼0.7 kΩ□(-1)) of printed graphene above previously published reports. Furthermore, the laser process is capable of developing 3D petal-like graphene nanostructures from 2D planar printed graphene. These visible morphological changes display favorable electrochemical sensing characteristics-ferricyanide cyclic voltammetry with a redox peak separation (ΔEp) ≈ 0.7 V as well as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) amperometry with a sensitivity of 3.32 μA mM(-1) and a response time of <5 s. Thus this work paves the way for not only paper-based electronics with graphene circuits, it enables the creation of low-cost and disposable graphene-based electrochemical electrodes for myriad applications including sensors, biosensors, fuel cells, and theranostic devices.

  10. Hydrogen absorption-desorption properties of U 2Ti

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takuya, Yamamoto; Satoru, Tanaka; Michio, Yamawaki

    1990-02-01

    Hydrogen absorption-desorption properties of U 2Ti intermetallic compound was examined over the temperature range of 298 to 973 K and at hydrogen pressures below 10 5 Pa. It absorbs hydrogen up to 7.6 atoms per F.U. (formula unit) by two step reactions and hence each desorption isotherm is separated into two plateau regions. In the first plateau, a newly-found ternary hydride is formed, where the hydrogen concentration, cH, reaches 2.4 H atoms/F.U. In the second plateau, UH 3 is formed and cH reaches 7.6 H atoms/F.U. The specimen is disintegrated into fine powder in the second plateau, while in the first plateau the ternary hydride which was identified to be UTi 2H x, ( x = 4.8 to 6.2) showed high durability against powdering. It is predicted that UTi 2 can be suitable material for tritium storage.

  11. Study of the potential for improving the economics of hydrogen liquefaction through the use of centrifugal compressors and the addition of a heavy water plant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baker, C. R.

    1977-01-01

    An approach to the liquefaction of hydrogen was developed which permits the application of standard centrifugal compressors in place of reciprocating machines. A second fluid, such as propane, is added to the hydrogen prior to compression to form a mixture having a molecular weight much greater than that of hydrogen alone, so that a standard centrifugal compressor can be used. After compression, the mixture is cooled to cryogenic temperature levels where the propane condenses out of the mixture and is separated as a liquid. Since a small amount of deuterium is produced during hydrogen liquefaction, the potential of recovering deuterium and selling it as a co-product was investigated. Deuterium, in the form of heavy water, can be used in certain nuclear reactors as a neutron moderator to reduce the neutron velocity and enhance the probability of neutron collision with uranium nucleii.

  12. Kinetic limitations of the Mg(2)Si system for reversible hydrogen storage.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Stephen T; Van Atta, Sky L; Vajo, John J; Olson, Gregory L; Clemens, B M

    2009-05-20

    Despite the promising thermodynamics and storage capacities of many destabilized metal hydride hydrogen storage material systems, they are often kinetically limited from achieving practical and reversible behavior. Such is the case with the Mg2Si system. We investigated the kinetic mechanisms responsible for limiting the reversibility of the MgH2+Si system using thin films as a controlled research platform. We observed that the reaction MgH2 + 1/2Mg2Si + H2 is limited by the mass transport of Mg and Si into separate phases. Hydrogen readily diffuses through the Mg2Si material and nucleating MgH2 phase growth does not result in reaction completion. By depositing and characterizing multilayer films of Mg2Si and Mg with varying Mg2Si layer thicknesses, we conclude that the hydrogenation reaction consumes no more than 1 nm of Mg2Si, making this system impractical for reversible hydrogen storage.

  13. Longitudinal dispersion coefficient depending on superficial velocity of hydrogen isotopes flowing in column packed with zeolite pellets at 77.4 K

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

    Kotoh, K.; Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka; Kubo, K.

    2015-03-15

    Authors have been developing a cryogenic pressure swing adsorption system for hydrogen isotope separation. In the problem of its design and operation, it is necessary to predict the concentration profiles developing in packed beds of adsorbent pellets. The profiling is affected by the longitudinal dispersion of gas flowing in packed beds, in addition to the mass transfer resistance in porous media of adsorbent pellets. In this work, an equation is derived for estimating the packed-bed dispersion coefficient of hydrogen isotopes, by analyzing the breakthrough curves of trace D{sub 2} or HD replacing H{sub 2} adsorbed in synthetic zeolite particles packedmore » columns at the liquefied nitrogen temperature 77.4 K. Since specialized for hydrogen isotopes, this equation can be considered to estimate the dispersion coefficients more reliable for the cryogenic hydrogen isotope adsorption process, than the existing equations. (authors)« less

  14. Hierarchical Cu2O foam/g-C3N4 photocathode for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Xinzhou; Zhang, Jingtao; Wang, Biao; Li, Qiuguo; Chu, Sheng

    2018-01-01

    Solar photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production is a promising way for solving energy and environment problems. Earth-abundant Cu2O is a potential light absorber for PEC hydrogen production. In this article, hierarchical porous Cu2O foams are prepared by thermal oxidation of the electrochemically deposited Cu foams. PEC performances of the Cu2O foams are systematically studied and discussed. Benefiting from their higher light harvesting and more efficient charge separation, the Cu2O foams demonstrate significantly enhanced photocurrents and photostability compared to their film counterparts. Moreover, by integrating g-C3N4, hierarchical Cu2O foam/g-C3N4 composites are prepared with further improved photocurrent and photostability, appearing to be potential photocathodes for solar PEC hydrogen production. This study may provide a new and useful insight for the development of Cu2O-based photocathodes for PEC hydrogen production.

  15. CoMoS2/rGO/C3N4 ternary heterojunctions catalysts with high photocatalytic activity and stability for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Xuejun; Si, Zhichun; Liu, Liping; Wang, Zehao; Chen, Ze; Ran, Rui; He, Yonghong; Weng, Duan

    2018-03-01

    Noble metal free MoS2/g-C3N4 catalyst has attracted intense attentions for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution as a result of its earth abundance, low cost and unique heterojunctions stacked with two dimensional sheets. However, the low charge separation efficiency resulted from the poor conductivity of g-C3N4 and MoS2, and lack of abundant active sites from coordinative unsaturated atoms in MoS2, restricts the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity and stability enhancement of MoS2/C3N4 composite catalysts. Herein, CoMoS2/rGO/g-C3N4 catalysts with ternary heterojunctions are prepared by facile solvothermal method, which exhibit high visible light photocatalytic activity and stability for hydrogen evolution. The optimal hydrogen evolution rate of CoMoS2/rGO/g-C3N4 catalysts is 684 μmol g-1 h-1 when the content of CoMoS2 is 2% and the content of rGO is 0.5%. The stability of CoMoS2/rGO/C3N4 catalysts just decrease about 3% after 4 cycling runs for 16 h. The good catalytic performances of catalysts are attributed to the synergistic effect among the g-C3N4 nanosheets, rGO nanosheets and CoMoS2 nanosheets. The high conductivity of rGO nanosheets enhances the electron-hole separation and charge transfer, and Co doping increases the active sites for hydrogen evolution due to the increase of unsaturated atoms in CoMoS2 nanosheets.

  16. Self-absorption characteristics of measured laser-induced plasma line shapes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parigger, C. G.; Surmick, D. M.; Gautam, G.

    2017-02-01

    The determination of electron density and temperature is reported from line-of-sight measurements of laser-induced plasma. Experiments are conducted in standard ambient temperature and pressure air and in a cell containing ultra-high-pure hydrogen slightly above atmospheric pressure. Spectra of the hydrogen Balmer series lines can be measured in laboratory air due to residual moisture following optical breakdown generated with 13 to 14 nanosecond, pulsed Nd:YAG laser radiation. Comparisons with spectra obtained in hydrogen gas yields Abel-inverted line shape appearances that indicate occurrence of self-absorption. The electron density and temperature distributions along the line of sight show near-spherical rings, expanding at or near the speed of sound in the hydrogen gas experiments. The temperatures in the hydrogen studies are obtained using Balmer series alpha, beta, gamma profiles. Over and above the application of empirical formulae to derive the electron density from hydrogen alpha width and shift, and from hydrogen beta width and peak-separation, so-called escape factors and the use of a doubling mirror are discussed.

  17. Analysis of hydrogen as a Transportation Fuel FY17 Report

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

    Pratt, Richard M.; Luzi, Francesco; Wilcox Freeburg, Eric D.

    This report summarizes the results of literature reviews, surveys and analyses performed to evaluate the potential of hydrogen-fueled vehicles to be an economically viable transportation alternative. Five existing and important drivers of expanding hydrogen-fueled transportation adoption are multi-billion dollar sales reservations of Nikola Class 8 trucks, CALSTART viability analysis of hybrid-hydrogen drayage trucks in the shipyard cargo application, analysis showing economic advantages of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV)s over Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV)s beginning at 150-mile ranges, the announcement of a commercial 5kg electrolyzer, and commercial plans or vehicle availability by nine vehicle manufacturers of FCEV passenger vehicles. But hydrogenmore » infrastructure availability needed to support broad adoption of hydrogen-fueled vehicles is limited to less than 50 publicly-available refueling stations, primarily in California. The demand side (consumer) economics associated with FCEV adoption showed strong economic sensitivity to the original vehicle’s fuel economy (mpg), distance traveled, and hydrogen (H2) generation costs. Seven use cases were used to evaluate the broad range of potential FCEV purchasers, including autonomous vehicle applications. Each consumer use case analysis resulted in a different hydrogen fuel cost that would be equivalent to the current fuel cost being paid by the consumer. The H2 generation costs (supply side) were sensitive to the volume of H2 supplied and H2 production costs needed to repay H2 supply facility capital costs and produce competitively-priced energy. H2FAST was used to more accurately incorporate capital, maintenance and production costs into a viable H2 supply cost to the consumer. When the H2 generation and consumer economics were combined, several applications with positive economics became clear. The availability of low-cost hydrogen pipeline connections, and therefore low-cost hydrogen, greatly benefits the California drayage truck application with hybrid-hydrogen retrofits being repaid within seven years. Class 8 trucks could also take advantage of these low-cost, but regional hydrogen supplies. In addition, the IVYS electrolyzer-based hydrogen generation product showed the potential to deliver hydrogen economically in an urban or freeway off-ramp setting to a limited number of passenger vehicles in areas with low-cost electricity. These positive, manually developed results show the need to develop more advanced tools to provide an expanded evaluation of the economics of hydrogen-based fuel applications. The use cases evaluated showed significant potential for hydrogen-fueled vehicles to have a sustainable impact as a transportation fuel. The positive impact is not limited to transportation fuels, but also grid resilience and flexibility through the use of controllable and variable electrolyzer output to rapidly adjust to changing grid conditions and enable greater integration of solar and wind generated power. This capability would directly enable alternative fuel vehicles to impact energy consumption, GHG emissions, and the economy at the regional and national levels.« less

  18. Dynamic plasmonic colour display

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, Xiaoyang; Kamin, Simon; Liu, Na

    2017-02-01

    Plasmonic colour printing based on engineered metasurfaces has revolutionized colour display science due to its unprecedented subwavelength resolution and high-density optical data storage. However, advanced plasmonic displays with novel functionalities including dynamic multicolour printing, animations, and highly secure encryption have remained in their infancy. Here we demonstrate a dynamic plasmonic colour display technique that enables all the aforementioned functionalities using catalytic magnesium metasurfaces. Controlled hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the constituent magnesium nanoparticles, which serve as dynamic pixels, allow for plasmonic colour printing, tuning, erasing and restoration of colour. Different dynamic pixels feature distinct colour transformation kinetics, enabling plasmonic animations. Through smart material processing, information encoded on selected pixels, which are indiscernible to both optical and scanning electron microscopies, can only be read out using hydrogen as a decoding key, suggesting a new generation of information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications.

  19. Dynamic plasmonic colour display.

    PubMed

    Duan, Xiaoyang; Kamin, Simon; Liu, Na

    2017-02-24

    Plasmonic colour printing based on engineered metasurfaces has revolutionized colour display science due to its unprecedented subwavelength resolution and high-density optical data storage. However, advanced plasmonic displays with novel functionalities including dynamic multicolour printing, animations, and highly secure encryption have remained in their infancy. Here we demonstrate a dynamic plasmonic colour display technique that enables all the aforementioned functionalities using catalytic magnesium metasurfaces. Controlled hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the constituent magnesium nanoparticles, which serve as dynamic pixels, allow for plasmonic colour printing, tuning, erasing and restoration of colour. Different dynamic pixels feature distinct colour transformation kinetics, enabling plasmonic animations. Through smart material processing, information encoded on selected pixels, which are indiscernible to both optical and scanning electron microscopies, can only be read out using hydrogen as a decoding key, suggesting a new generation of information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications.

  20. Dynamic plasmonic colour display

    PubMed Central

    Duan, Xiaoyang; Kamin, Simon; Liu, Na

    2017-01-01

    Plasmonic colour printing based on engineered metasurfaces has revolutionized colour display science due to its unprecedented subwavelength resolution and high-density optical data storage. However, advanced plasmonic displays with novel functionalities including dynamic multicolour printing, animations, and highly secure encryption have remained in their infancy. Here we demonstrate a dynamic plasmonic colour display technique that enables all the aforementioned functionalities using catalytic magnesium metasurfaces. Controlled hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the constituent magnesium nanoparticles, which serve as dynamic pixels, allow for plasmonic colour printing, tuning, erasing and restoration of colour. Different dynamic pixels feature distinct colour transformation kinetics, enabling plasmonic animations. Through smart material processing, information encoded on selected pixels, which are indiscernible to both optical and scanning electron microscopies, can only be read out using hydrogen as a decoding key, suggesting a new generation of information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications. PMID:28232722

  1. High-Flux Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes for Gas Separation.

    PubMed

    Richter, Hannes; Voss, Hartwig; Kaltenborn, Nadine; Kämnitz, Susanne; Wollbrink, Alexander; Feldhoff, Armin; Caro, Jürgen; Roitsch, Stefan; Voigt, Ingolf

    2017-06-26

    Carbon membranes have great potential for highly selective and cost-efficient gas separation. Carbon is chemically stable and it is relative cheap. The controlled carbonization of a polymer coating on a porous ceramic support provides a 3D carbon material with molecular sieving permeation performance. The carbonization of the polymer blend gives turbostratic carbon domains of randomly stacked together sp 2 hybridized carbon sheets as well as sp 3 hybridized amorphous carbon. In the evaluation of the carbon molecular sieve membrane, hydrogen could be separated from propane with a selectivity of 10 000 with a hydrogen permeance of 5 m 3 (STP)/(m 2 hbar). Furthermore, by a post-synthesis oxidative treatment, the permeation fluxes are increased by widening the pores, and the molecular sieve carbon membrane is transformed from a molecular sieve carbon into a selective surface flow carbon membrane with adsorption controlled performance and becomes selective for carbon dioxide. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Measurements of the separated longitudinal structure function FL from hydrogen and deuterium targets at low Q2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tvaskis, V.; Tvaskis, A.; Niculescu, I.; Abbott, D.; Adams, G. S.; Afanasev, A.; Ahmidouch, A.; Angelescu, T.; Arrington, J.; Asaturyan, R.; Avery, S.; Baker, O. K.; Benmouna, N.; Berman, B. L.; Biselli, A.; Blok, H. P.; Boeglin, W. U.; Bosted, P. E.; Brash, E.; Breuer, H.; Chang, G.; Chant, N.; Christy, M. E.; Connell, S. H.; Dalton, M. M.; Danagoulian, S.; Day, D.; Dodario, T.; Dunne, J. A.; Dutta, D.; El Khayari, N.; Ent, R.; Fenker, H. C.; Frolov, V. V.; Gaskell, D.; Garrow, K.; Gilman, R.; Gueye, P.; Hafidi, K.; Hinton, W.; Holt, R. J.; Horn, T.; Huber, G. M.; Jackson, H.; Jiang, X.; Jones, M. K.; Joo, K.; Kelly, J. J.; Keppel, C. E.; Kuhn, J.; Kinney, E.; Klein, A.; Kubarovsky, V.; Liang, Y.; Lolos, G.; Lung, A.; Mack, D.; Malace, S.; Markowitz, P.; Mbianda, G.; McGrath, E.; Mckee, D.; Meekins, D. G.; Mkrtchyan, H.; Napolitano, J.; Navasardyan, T.; Niculescu, G.; Nozar, M.; Ostapenko, T.; Papandreou, Z.; Potterveld, D.; Reimer, P. E.; Reinhold, J.; Roche, J.; Rock, S. E.; Schulte, E.; Segbefia, E.; Smith, C.; Smith, G. R.; Stoler, P.; Tadevosyan, V.; Tang, L.; Telfeyan, J.; Todor, L.; Ungaro, M.; Uzzle, A.; Vidakovic, S.; Villano, A.; Vulcan, W. F.; Warren, G.; Wesselmann, F.; Wojtsekhowski, B.; Wood, S. A.; Yan, C.; Zihlmann, B.

    2018-04-01

    Structure functions, as measured in lepton-nucleon scattering, have proven to be very useful in studying the partonic dynamics within the nucleon. However, it is experimentally difficult to separately determine the longitudinal and transverse structure functions, and consequently there are substantially less data available in particular for the longitudinal structure function. Here, we present separated structure functions for hydrogen and deuterium at low four-momentum transfer squared, Q2<1 GeV2 , and compare them with parton distribution parametrization and kT factorization approaches. While differences are found, the parametrizations generally agree with the data, even at the very low-Q2 scale of the data. The deuterium data show a smaller longitudinal structure function and a smaller ratio of longitudinal to transverse cross section, R , than the proton. This suggests either an unexpected difference in R for the proton and the neutron or a suppression of the gluonic distribution in nuclei.

  3. Defect in the Joint Spectrum of Hydrogen due to Monodromy.

    PubMed

    Dullin, Holger R; Waalkens, Holger

    2018-01-12

    In addition to the well-known case of spherical coordinates, the Schrödinger equation of the hydrogen atom separates in three further coordinate systems. Separating in a particular coordinate system defines a system of three commuting operators. We show that the joint spectrum of the Hamilton operator, the z component of the angular momentum, and an operator involving the z component of the quantum Laplace-Runge-Lenz vector obtained from separation in prolate spheroidal coordinates has quantum monodromy for energies sufficiently close to the ionization threshold. The precise value of the energy above which monodromy is observed depends on the distance of the focus points of the spheroidal coordinates. The presence of monodromy means that one cannot globally assign quantum numbers to the joint spectrum. Whereas the principal quantum number n and the magnetic quantum number m correspond to the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization of globally defined classical actions a third quantum number cannot be globally defined because the third action is globally multivalued.

  4. Scalable and efficient separation of hydrogen isotopes using graphene-based electrochemical pumping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lozada-Hidalgo, M.; Zhang, S.; Hu, S.; Esfandiar, A.; Grigorieva, I. V.; Geim, A. K.

    2017-05-01

    Thousands of tons of isotopic mixtures are processed annually for heavy-water production and tritium decontamination. The existing technologies remain extremely energy intensive and require large capital investments. New approaches are needed to reduce the industry's footprint. Recently, micrometre-size crystals of graphene are shown to act as efficient sieves for hydrogen isotopes pumped through graphene electrochemically. Here we report a fully-scalable approach, using graphene obtained by chemical vapour deposition, which allows a proton-deuteron separation factor of around 8, despite cracks and imperfections. The energy consumption is projected to be orders of magnitude smaller with respect to existing technologies. A membrane based on 30 m2 of graphene, a readily accessible amount, could provide a heavy-water output comparable to that of modern plants. Even higher efficiency is expected for tritium separation. With no fundamental obstacles for scaling up, the technology's simplicity, efficiency and green credentials call for consideration by the nuclear and related industries.

  5. Topologically Guided, Automated Construction of Metal–Organic Frameworks and Their Evaluation for Energy-Related Applications

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

    Colón, Yamil J.; Gómez-Gualdrón, Diego A.; Snurr, Randall Q.

    Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials for a range of energy and environmental applications. Here we describe in detail a computational algorithm and code to generate MOFs based on edge-transitive topological nets for subsequent evaluation via molecular simulation. This algorithm has been previously used by us to construct and evaluate 13 512 MOFs of 41 different topologies for cryo-adsorbed hydrogen storage. Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations are used here to evaluate the 13 512 structures for the storage of gaseous fuels such as hydrogen and methane and nondistillative separation of xenon/krypton mixtures at various operating conditions. MOF performance for bothmore » gaseous fuel storage and xenon/krypton separation is influenced by topology. Simulation data suggest that gaseous fuel storage performance is topology-dependent due to MOF properties such as void fraction and surface area combining differently in different topologies, whereas xenon/krypton separation performance is topology-dependent due to how topology constrains the pore size distribution.« less

  6. Measurements of the separated longitudinal structure function F L from hydrogen and deuterium targets at low Q 2

    DOE PAGES

    Tvaskis, V.; Tvaskis, A.; Niculescu, I.; ...

    2018-04-26

    Structure functions, as measured in lepton-nucleon scattering, have proven to be very useful in studying the partonic dynamics within the nucleon. Furthermore, it is experimentally difficult to separately determine the longitudinal and transverse structure functions, and consequently there are substantially less data available in particular for the longitudinal structure function. Here, we present separated structure functions for hydrogen and deuterium at low four-momentum transfer squared, Q 2 < 1 GeV 2, and compare them with parton distribution parametrization and k T factorization approaches. While differences are found, the parametrizations generally agree with the data, even at the very low-Q 2more » scale of the data. The deuterium data show a smaller longitudinal structure function and a smaller ratio of longitudinal to transverse cross section, R, than the proton. This suggests either an unexpected difference in R for the proton and the neutron or a suppression of the gluonic distribution in nuclei.« less

  7. Measurements of the separated longitudinal structure function F L from hydrogen and deuterium targets at low Q 2

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

    Tvaskis, V.; Tvaskis, A.; Niculescu, I.

    Structure functions, as measured in lepton-nucleon scattering, have proven to be very useful in studying the partonic dynamics within the nucleon. Furthermore, it is experimentally difficult to separately determine the longitudinal and transverse structure functions, and consequently there are substantially less data available in particular for the longitudinal structure function. Here, we present separated structure functions for hydrogen and deuterium at low four-momentum transfer squared, Q 2 < 1 GeV 2, and compare them with parton distribution parametrization and k T factorization approaches. While differences are found, the parametrizations generally agree with the data, even at the very low-Q 2more » scale of the data. The deuterium data show a smaller longitudinal structure function and a smaller ratio of longitudinal to transverse cross section, R, than the proton. This suggests either an unexpected difference in R for the proton and the neutron or a suppression of the gluonic distribution in nuclei.« less

  8. Spinoff from Space Fuel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    In 1963, under contract with NASA, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. built a 32 1/2 ton-a-day plant to meet the soaring demand for liquid hydrogen created by the Apollo missions and J-2 ground testing. Air Product's experience in government research, development and production of liquid hydrogen served as the springboard for a broad variety of practical, Earth-use applications. Today, liquid hydrogen is widely used among many industries including petroleum refineries in gasoline production and chemical and pharmaceutical firms in the manufacturing of fertilizers and drugs. New commercial applications are growing at the rate of about ten percent per year. Input from government research, Air Product's own technology development, and the large space program requirements combined to make the company the prime manufacturer of liquid hydrogen and enabled them to add a new 30-ton plant near New Orleans.

  9. High Selectivity Gas Separation Membrane Assemblies

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

    Nachlas, Jesse; Corn, Isaac; Wegst, Ulrike

    Global energy consumption is projected to be more than double of today’s levels by 2050. Economic and environmental pressures are putting significant limits on fossil fuel resources, and there is a significant push for improved efficiency in many industrial processes. Membranes for gas separation represent a significant opportunity for reduced energy consumption and improved efficiencies in a wide range of industrial applications by replacing typical high temperature processes or energy intensive processes with low temperature energy efficient processes. Carbon membranes represent an attractive class of membrane materials that offer the potential to improve the reliability, corrosion resistance and temperature capabilitymore » of polymeric membranes, which limit their adoption for many industrial applications. However, there are still a number of technical hurdles which must be overcome before carbon membranes can be made commercially ready including elimination of manufacturing defects, and improved performance (permeability and selectivity) relative to polymeric membranes. Examples of potential application of carbon membranes include production of oxygen enriched air (OEA) for combustion applications, separation of carbon dioxide (CO 2) from flue gas to improve the commercial feasibility of CO 2 sequestration, separation of hydrogen from CO/CO 2 during hydrogen manufacturing, and separation of H 2 from hydrocarbons during refinery operations to improve the kinetics of cracking reactions. As a result of these benefits there is a strong driving force to develop processing technologies capable of producing carbon membranes and possessing high reliability, for a wide range of applications. The DOE provides significant support for research and development is this area, as they have recognized the significant impact a low cost carbon membrane technology can have on energy consumption and polluting emissions across a broad range of industrial applications. In this SBIR Phase I project, we developed a novel polymer precursor composition, which led to highly reproducible crack-free porous carbon membranes that were capable of producing 30-50% oxygen for OEA from a pressurized air feed, thereby meeting the primary Phase I objective, and possessing a selectivity of ~20:1 for CO 2/N 2 separation. We also successfully developed a method for fabricating a ceramic support from low-cost fly ash. In general, the effectiveness of a carbon membrane at separating various gases is a function of the pore structure and size. The novel processing method utilized is capable of accurately controlling pore structure during the fabrication process opening the possibility to create a membrane technology platform that can operate across a broad range of gas compositions and applications. Nanoporous carbon membrane technology offers a very attractive option for important industrial gas separation processes that are typically energy intensive and expensive to install and operate. Highly efficient gas separation represents a key enabling technology for increasing efficiency and lowering cost in various applications involving advanced power generation systems, metallurgical operations and chemical processes. These benefits will be translated to the public through lower cost for goods and services in addition to lower cost for energy. Increased national security will come from decreased dependence on imported oil by making local resources, such as coal and natural gas, competitive in energy generation markets. Finally, making low cost oxygen available in these industries results in cleaner power production and reduced emissions of polluting gases.« less

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

    Viswanathan, Venkatasubramanian; Hansen, Heine A.; Norskov, Jens K.

    Water is a life-giving source, fundamental to human existence, yet over a billion people lack access to clean drinking water. The present techniques for water treatment such as piped, treated water rely on time and resource intensive centralized solutions. In this work, we propose a decentralized device concept that can utilize sunlight to split water into hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide can oxidize organics while the hydrogen bubbles out. In enabling this device, we require an electrocatalyst that can oxidize water while suppressing the thermodynamically favored oxygen evolution and form hydrogen peroxide. Using density functional theory calculations, wemore » show that the free energy of adsorbed OH* can be used to determine selectivity trends between the 2e– water oxidation to H 2O 2 and the 4e– oxidation to O 2. We show that materials which bind oxygen intermediates sufficiently weakly, such as SnO 2, can activate hydrogen peroxide evolution. Furthermore, we present a rational design principle for the selectivity in electrochemical water oxidation and identify new material candidates that could perform H 2O 2 evolution selectively.« less

  11. Efficient Synthesis of Molecular Precursors for Para-Hydrogen-Induced Polarization of Ethyl Acetate-1-(13) C and Beyond.

    PubMed

    Shchepin, Roman V; Barskiy, Danila A; Coffey, Aaron M; Manzanera Esteve, Isaac V; Chekmenev, Eduard Y

    2016-05-10

    A scalable and versatile methodology for production of vinylated carboxylic compounds with (13) C isotopic label in C1 position is described. It allowed synthesis of vinyl acetate-1-(13) C, which is a precursor for preparation of (13) C hyperpolarized ethyl acetate-1-(13) C, which provides a convenient vehicle for potential in vivo delivery of hyperpolarized acetate to probe metabolism in living organisms. Kinetics of vinyl acetate molecular hydrogenation and polarization transfer from para-hydrogen to (13) C via magnetic field cycling were investigated. Nascent proton nuclear spin polarization (%PH ) of ca. 3.3 % and carbon-13 polarization (%P13C ) of ca. 1.8 % were achieved in ethyl acetate utilizing 50 % para-hydrogen corresponding to ca. 50 % polarization transfer efficiency. The use of nearly 100% para-hydrogen and the improvements of %PH of para-hydrogen-nascent protons may enable production of (13) C hyperpolarized contrast agents with %P13C of 20-50 % in seconds using this chemistry. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Efficient ejection of H3+ from hydrocarbon molecules induced by ultrashort intense lalifeser fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoshina, Kennosuke; Furukawa, Yusuke; Okino, Tomoya; Yamanouchi, Kaoru

    2008-09-01

    The ejection processes of hydrogen molecular ion H3+ from 12 kinds of hydrocarbon molecular species, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, methane, ethane, ethylene, allene, 1,3-butadiene, and cyclohexane, induced by intense laser fields (˜1014W/cm2) have been investigated by time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. The observation of the H3+ production with the kinetic energy range of 3.5-5.0eV from doubly ionized ethylene, allene, 1,3-butadiene, and cyclohexane, which have no methyl groups, showed the existence of the ultrafast hydrogen migration processes that enables three hydrogen atoms to come together to form H3+ within a hydrocarbon molecule.

  13. Robust, Reliable Low Emission Gas Turbine Combustion of High Hydrogen Content Fuels

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

    Wooldridge, Margaret Stacy; Im, Hong Geum

    2016-12-16

    The effects of high hydrogen content fuels were studied using experimental, computational and theoretical approaches to understand the effects of mixture and state conditions on the ignition behavior of the fuels. A rapid compression facility (RCF) was used to measure the ignition delay time of hydrogen and carbon monoxide mixtures. The data were combined with results of previous studies to develop ignition regime criteria. Analytical theory and direct numerical simulation were used to validate and interpret the RCF ignition data. Based on the integrated information the ignition regime criteria were extended to non-dimensional metrics which enable application of the resultsmore » to practical gas turbine combustion systems.« less

  14. Photophysics and Photochemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Letokhov, V. S.

    1977-01-01

    Discusses recent progress in using tunable lasers to selectively separate substances at the atomic and molecular level. Emphasizes biological applications, such as selective excitation and breaking of hydrogen bonds in DNA. (MLH)

  15. Separation anxiety in children

    MedlinePlus

    ... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001542.htm Separation anxiety in children To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. Separation anxiety in children is a developmental stage in which ...

  16. Coal liquefaction process wherein jet fuel, diesel fuel and/or ASTM No. 2 fuel oil is recovered

    DOEpatents

    Bauman, Richard F.; Ryan, Daniel F.

    1982-01-01

    An improved process for the liquefaction of coal and similar solid carbonaceous materials wherein a hydrogen donor solvent or diluent derived from the solid carbonaceous material is used to form a slurry of the solid carbonaceous material and wherein the naphthenic components from the solvent or diluent fraction are separated and used as jet fuel components. The extraction increases the relative concentration of hydroaromatic (hydrogen donor) components and as a result reduces the gas yield during liquefaction and decreases hydrogen consumption during said liquefaction. The hydrogenation severity can be controlled to increase the yield of naphthenic components and hence the yield of jet fuel and in a preferred embodiment jet fuel yield is maximized while at the same time maintaining solvent balance.

  17. Preliminary results for a measurement of the n=2 Lamb shift in atomic hydrogen

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bezginov, N.; Valdez, T.; Vutha, A. C.; Kato, K.; Skinner, T. D. G.; Hessels, E. A.

    2017-04-01

    We perform a measurement of the Lamb shift in atomic hydrogen (n = 2 S1/2 F = 0 to P1/2 F = 1). A beam of protons moving at 0.01 c undergoes charge exchange with hydrogen gas to produce atomic hydrogen in the metastable 2S state. The atoms travel through two microwave regions where we utilize the novel technique of frequency offset separated oscillatory fields (FOSOF). The surviving 2S population is observed using a Lyman-alpha detector. The outcome of this experiment will lead to a measurement of the proton radius, contributing to the resolution of the proton radius puzzle. We present preliminary experimental results, along with systematic studies. This research is funded by NSERC, CRC, CFI and NIST.

  18. Controlling protein adsorption on graphene for cryo-EM using low-energy hydrogen plasmas

    PubMed Central

    Russo, Christopher J.; Passmore, Lori A.

    2014-01-01

    Despite its many favorable properties as a sample support for biological electron microscopy, graphene is not widely used because its hydrophobicity precludes reliable protein deposition. We describe a method to modify graphene using a low-energy hydrogen plasma, which reduces hydrophobicity without degrading the graphene lattice. We show that the use of plasma-treated graphene enables better control of protein distribution in ice for electron cryo-microscopy and improved image quality by reducing radiation-induced sample motion. PMID:24747813

  19. Ruthenium-catalyzed insertion of adjacent diol carbon atoms into C-C bonds: Entry to type II polyketides.

    PubMed

    Bender, Matthias; Turnbull, Ben W H; Ambler, Brett R; Krische, Michael J

    2017-08-25

    Current catalytic processes involving carbon-carbon bond activation rely on π-unsaturated coupling partners. Exploiting the concept of transfer hydrogenative coupling, we report a ruthenium(0)-catalyzed cycloaddition of benzocyclobutenones that functionalizes two adjacent saturated diol carbon-hydrogen bonds. These regio- and diastereoselective processes enable convergent construction of type II polyketide substructures. Copyright © 2017 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  20. Large-scale atomistic simulations of helium-3 bubble growth in complex palladium alloys

    DOE PAGES

    Hale, Lucas M.; Zimmerman, Jonathan A.; Wong, Bryan M.

    2016-05-18

    Palladium is an attractive material for hydrogen and hydrogen-isotope storage applications due to its properties of large storage density and high diffusion of lattice hydrogen. When considering tritium storage, the material’s structural and mechanical integrity is threatened by both the embrittlement effect of hydrogen and the creation and evolution of additional crystal defects (e.g., dislocations, stacking faults) caused by the formation and growth of helium-3 bubbles. Using recently developed inter-atomic potentials for the palladium-silver-hydrogen system, we perform large-scale atomistic simulations to examine the defect-mediated mechanisms that govern helium bubble growth. Our simulations show the evolution of a distribution of materialmore » defects, and we compare the material behavior displayed with expectations from experiment and theory. In conclusion, we also present density functional theory calculations to characterize ideal tensile and shear strengths for these materials, which enable the understanding of how and why our developed potentials either meet or confound these expectations.« less

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